How has the foreign substance ban implemented by the MLB affected MLB Pitcher Spin Rate and Opponent Batting Statistics in 2021? Was it effective?

This study analyzes the effects of the MLB foreign substance ban on pitcher spin rates and batting averages with different pitches. During the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 MLB seasons, pitchers throughout the league were accused of putting pine tar, Spider Tack, and other banned substances onto baseballs in order to create an artificially high spin rate. A higher spin rate makes hitting much harder and batters tend to strike out much more often. These factors contributed to a reduction in runs scored per game and generated frustrated fans. Consequently, the MLB implemented a substance ban in 2021 over concern that interest in the sport was declining. This study was conducted to determine if spin rates decreased on specific pitches such as fastballs, curveballs, sliders, and change-ups after the substance ban was implemented and if the increase in pitched ball spin rates correlated with a decline in opponent hitting statistics. To determine the answers, 12 regressions were run, first on opponent batting average before and after the implementation of the foreign substance ban, pitcher spin rates before and after the implementation of the ban, and lastly, on regressed spin rates on a collection of hitting statistics to determine if there is any correlation. Four types of pitches were selected to provide a more comprehensive analysis to determine how the ban affected the spin rates and batting averages against each pitch type as well as if the ban was effective. It was discovered that average spin rates experienced a statistically significant drop in every pitch after the implementation of the foreign substance ban, however, batting averages only had a statistically significant change against fastballs after the foreign substance ban was implemented, which is not the increase that was expected. However, it appears that the foreign substance ban is doing its job to deter pitchers from utilizing foreign substances

A Content Analysis of Crisis Management Websites at Four-Year Institutions Along the Gulf Coast

College and university websites have become a very important tool in crisis communication over the past few years, especially after events such as the devastation from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Gustav and shootings at institutions such as Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois, University of Texas, and Northern Alabama. Stakeholders are turning to the university websites when a crisis occurs. It has become important for higher education institutions to have specific websites that deal with the possibility of a crisis. This discussion takes a look at websites in the Gulf Region through the research process of content analysis. The goal of this presentation will be to showcase the important aspects of crisis management websites, discuss important components of the websites, and open a dialogue with the audience about how administrators at higher education institutions can properly utilize their university websites before, during, and after a crisis. Additionally, the participants in the session will gain the opportunity to begin a dialogue about if there should be standardization to the terminology, locations, information, and access available on the websites

Crisis management post Hurricane Katrina: a qualitative study of a higher education institution\u27s administrators\u27 response to crisis management

From campus shootings to mass prolonged campus closures in the Gulf Coast due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the past decade has seen an increase in high profile crises at higher education institutions. Louisiana State University was one of the institutions impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. After the experience, university administrators created an Emergency Operation Center and a new plan for how to handle campus crises. In 2008, LSU administrators had an opportunity to test their full scale plan with the landfall of Hurricane Gustav. In this study, university administrators from LSU were interviewed about their experiences with crisis management and the changes implemented since 2005. The participants discussed the creation of the Emergency Operation Center, leadership shown from the administration in the construction of the Emergency Operation Center, the difference in higher ranking administrators versus lower ranking administrators, and the opinion of if the campus is ready for future crises. In this study the researcher found that the creation of an Emergency Operation Center was an important achievement for crisis management. Additionally, it was decided that perceptions between higher ranking administrators involved with the Emergency Operation Center and those administrators not involved was significant and that a discrepancy was occurring between those who are considered essential personnel and non-essential personnel

The Pittsburg Project: Graduate Community/Urban Design-Historic Preservation Studio

Project Development. Pittsburg is a city of 20,000 people in southeastern Kansas. In a period of renewed economic activity, Pittsburg had begun to face physical growth problems now becoming familiar to many small urban centers across America

A Content Analysis of Crisis Management Websites at Four-Year Institutions Along the Gulf Coast

College and university websites have become a very important tool in crisis communication over the past few years, especially after events such as the devastation from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Gustav and shootings at institutions such as Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois, University of Texas, and Northern Alabama. Stakeholders are turning to the university websites when a crisis occurs. It has become important for higher education institutions to have specific websites that deal with the possibility of a crisis. This discussion takes a look at websites in the Gulf Region through the research process of content analysis. The goal of this presentation will be to showcase the important aspects of crisis management websites, discuss important components of the websites, and open a dialogue with the audience about how administrators at higher education institutions can properly utilize their university websites before, during, and after a crisis. Additionally, the participants in the session will gain the opportunity to begin a dialogue about if there should be standardization to the terminology, locations, information, and access available on the websites

The Byland House: A Solar Monticello. Fayette, Missouri

The design and construction of the Byland house, commissioned in 1977, took nearly three years and landscaping remains to be completed

The attentional effects of peripheral priming cues on reflectance report

The attentional effects of peripheral priming cues on reflectance report were assessed using a visual perception task. Previous research has demonstrated that peripheral priming cues result in an increase in visual acuity in the primed area of the visual field directly following the cue. Prior studies have looked at this priming effect in controlled laboratory settings in which participants are exposed to basic color primers and cues. This research seeks to extend these results into a more complex driving scene in an attempt to increase the external validity. Specifically this study used road sign cues as primers and a figure of a pedestrian as the stimulus in a driving scene. The accuracy with which the participants could recall the color that the pedestrian was wearing after each trial was the analyzed. Our results showed that the participants’ report accuracy was higher when the stimulus was presented in the valid location, or in the same area as the street sign cue, and the report accuracy was lower when the stimulus was presented in the invalid location, or in a different location as the street sign. Our results also indicate that the more extreme reflectance levels presented with the pedestrian were recalled with less error than the intermediate reflectance levels

Selected Comparison of Global Health Organizations

Due to a potential, worldwide adverse impact on health, transnational dependencies, and the need for effective response, global cooperation is imperative (Buchanan & Decamp, 2006). There are more than 100 global health agencies, including the World Health Organization. As the number of organizations increases, each with their own agendas, so does the concern for lack of coherence and collaboration among organizations in the effort of disease eradication and development of health systems (Beaglehole & Bonita, 2008). The focus of this study is on comparing the effectiveness of selected global health organizations in efforts to detect a need to either establish more similar type organizations or make current ones more efficient. The selected organizations are compared by their programs addressing Millennium Development Goals (MDG) #4, #5, and #6, strategic goals, measurable and reported outcomes, countries supported, and funding mechanisms. The results signify that while MDGs are addressed, there are major issues with accountability, mainly commitment through monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of programs. While the global health system is seen as a loose and fluid agglomeration with multiple, shifting centers of influence (Cerrell et al., 2007), the greatest need is to develop efficient M&E systems in existing organizations. Secondary actions should address additions of medical branches to long standing global health organizations leading to higher participation from medical students and health professionals, and the re-allocation of government funding from non-productive organizations to establish a Global Health Corps, which could be the first global health organization to implement such effective M&E systems

Domestic Violence in Boulder County: Gendered Trends in Case Outcomes

Despite years of research done regarding the impacts of domestic violence, significant questions remain about the implications of arrest and conviction for women who are charged with domestic violence. Complex interactions between a woman’s role as victim and offender are relevant in the approaches researchers take when examining women as domestic violence perpetrators. In this investigation, I analyzed arrest and sentencing data from the Boulder County Domestic Violence Research Team, and then investigated those trends by interviewing legal professionals in Boulder County to determine if gender affects sentencing outcomes in intimate partner abuse cases. My results demonstrate that in the domestic violence sentencing process, gender is related to the criminal history of the defendant, the types of abuse that are committed, and the likelihood of a case dismissal. These trends point to the need for more extensive research about the ways that arrests and sentencing in domestic violence cases affect both victims and perpetrators. Importantly, this investigation also demonstrates that there is a need to establish policies which acknowledge the gendered dynamics of intimate partner abuse