The Change in Test Cricket Performance Following the Introduction of T20 Cricket: Implications for Tactical Strategy

International cricket has evolved from predominantly Test cricket, to shorter formats of competition. With the high player overlap between formats, the introduction of Twenty20 (T20) cricket is proposed to have influenced Test cricket and therefore the tactical strategies coaches and players should attempt to implement. The aim of this study was to identify the change in specific Test cricket performance metrics following the introduction of T20 cricket across a 20-year period (2000-2020). A total of 667 matches involving the top eight International Cricket Council (ICC) Test-cricket nations were analyzed. Overall, the introduction of T20 cricket has been associated with a change in the way in which Test cricket is currently played. Results identified significantly ( p < 0.001) more runs being scored by sixes and less by fours. A significant (17.4%; p < 0.001) decrease was also present in the percentage of Test matches ending in draws (23.5% in 2000 to 6.4% in 2020). Run rates increased for five teams (India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka), remained constant for one team (West Indies), and decreased for two teams (Australia, England) across the entire period studied. However, there was no change in the number of days Test matches lasted, with the average number of days continuing to last into day five (4.5 decreasing to 4.3). Findings highlight that improving the ability to strike a greater number of sixes, increase the overall run rate, and facilitate strike rotation when batting to be a focus for coaches and players alike. Future studies should ascertain whether the introduction of T20 has had an effect on One Day International (ODI) performance variables while further considering the impact of home advantage and team quality, to facilitate enhanced tactical and strategic decision-making

Marginal Employment in the United States: 1971-1993.

In this dissertation, I examine trends in production and the concomitant demographic transformation of the labor force, in the context a series of economic cycles since 1969. Using these three forces as a backdrop, I first consider changes in employment hardship and the forces contributing to underemployment during periods following economic recessions. Then, I examine differences between men and women for employment outcomes. Next, to explain hardship during these periods, I include important demographic and geographic factors related to underemployment. Finally, I examine the impact of labor market context on individual outcomes. Based on the transformation of work, I explain changes in employment inequality and how these changes affect men and women. Using data from four time periods following recessions since 1971, I compute a series of logistic regression analyses to estimate the effect of time period of employment hardship. Then I examine period effects again, while controlling for theoretically meaningful correlates of marginal employment. Next, I compare chances of being in a low quality job versus being unemployed. Finally, I estimate multilevel models, controlling for labor market qualities related to employment. Findings from these models suggest that marginal employment has become institutionalized for men and women by the early 1990s. In addition, although the effect of period was different by sex in circa 1978 and 1988, by the final time period, men and women were comparable in the effect of period on marginal employment. Results from multi-level models show that although both sexes receive similar returns for individual level attributes, women are worse off in labor markets with high levels of occupational sex-segregation

TIMSS 2015: Reporting Australia’s results

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is an international comparative study of student achievement directed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). TIMSS 2015 represents the sixth such study since TIMSS was first conducted in 1995. Forty-nine education systems were tested at Year 4 level and 39 tested at Year 8 level. In Australia, TIMSS is managed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and is jointly funded by the Australian Government and the state and territory governments. The goal of TIMSS is to provide comparative information about educational achievement across countries in order to improve teaching and learning in mathematics and science. TIMSS is designed, broadly, to align with the mathematics and science curricula used in the participating education systems and countries, and focuses on assessment at Year 4 and Year 8. A further dimension of TIMSS is its provision of comparative perspectives on trends in achievement in the contexts of different education systems, school organisational approaches and instructional practices; and in order to present this material, TIMSS collects a rich array of background data from students, schools and teachers, and also collects data about the education systems themselves. This report analyses and interprets the Australian data collected as part of the TIMSS study. Where appropriate, this report makes comparisons with the results of other countries and with the international average to better understand Australian achievement and its context

TIMSS 2015 : A first look at Australia\u27s results

The goal of TIMSS is to provide comparative information about educational achievement across countries to improve teaching and learning in mathematics and science. It is designed, broadly, to align with the mathematics and science curricula in the participating education systems and countries, and focuses on assessment at Year 4 and Year 8. It also provides comparative perspectives on trends in achievement in the context of different education systems, school organisational approaches and instructional practices; and to enable this, TIMSS collects a rich array of background data from students, schools and teachers, and also collects data about the education systems themselves. This report is a first look at the results from TIMSS 2015. Focusing on the achievement results in mathematics and science at Year 4 and Year 8, this report will be followed early in 2017 by the full Australian National Report, which will examine achievement more fully and incorporate descriptive and analytical findings using the background and demographic data

Attracting University-educated Job Seekers: Challenges and Recommendations for the Auto Sales Industry

While a strong demand for university-educated employees exists within the auto sales industry, few graduates give serious consideration to car dealerships as career opportunities. Lexus of Edmonton, a leading luxury car dealership, presented our team with this concern, prompting a three-month marketing research project. This report examines the factors which influence university-educated job seekers’ decisions when searching for employment, and how Lexus of Edmonton can tailor their recruitment strategies to target graduates. Our examination followed a three-phase research design involving a review of 25 academic articles, a qualitative analysis of five in-depth interviews, and a quantitative analysis of 101 questionnaire responses. In summary, we found that school involvement, internships, and online platforms were effective means of attracting university graduates. We identified business-majors as the audience most interested in a career with Lexus of Edmonton. We also found that corporate social responsibility and organizational culture were major concerns for graduates, with some metrics being considered as highly as salary and compensation. Based on these findings, our team recommends that Lexus of Edmonton expand their ongoing involvement with local universities, leverage their online presence to network with students, and tailor its communications to reflect their commitment to employee wellbeing. Drawing on this report as a case study in recruitment strategies, we hope that other employers and universities may optimize their own processes to better match graduates to career opportunities

Higher quality quit-date goal setting enhances quit attempts among quitline callers

INTRODUCTION At tobacco quitlines, coaching and cessation medications are commonly structured around setting a date for making a quit attempt. However, limited literature evaluating this practice suggests that callers do not routinely set quit-date goals. High quality goal setting may increase the frequency of caller quit attempts. In this study, we examine the quality of quit-date goal setting and its association with in-program quit attempts and the timing of callers' first quit attempt. METHODS Using call recordings, we scored the quality of quit-date goal setting among 90 callers enrolled at Arizona Smokers' Helpline between August and December 2017. The primary exposure was quality of quit-date goal setting assessed using the Lorencatto et al. rating scale. Coding reliability was assessed using Cohen's kappa. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between quality of goal setting and in-program quit attempts (>24 h tobacco free). RESULTS The mean quality goal setting score was 3.1 (range: -3 to 7). Sixty-nine callers (77%) set a quit date and 39 (43%) made a quit attempt. Compared to callers who experienced low-quality goal setting, the adjusted odds of in-program quitting for high quality goal setting was AOR=3.98 (95% CI: 1.55-10.20) and for making a quit attempt within two weeks OR=6.23 (95% CI: 1.52-25.49). CONCLUSIONS Quit-date goal setting is an important element of quitline services and callers benefit from high quality quit-date goal setting. Quitlines should establish quality improvement measures to ensure that coaches are trained to provide high quality quit-date goal setting opportunities to all callers.Arizona Department of Health Services [ADHS11-007339, ADHS16-106672, ADHS13-026130:5]; NIH-NCI Cancer Center [P30 CA023074]Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

A Study of e+e- -> H0A0 Production and the Constraint on Dark Matter Density

This paper reports the results of a study of the e+e- -> H0A0 process at 1 TeV performed on fully simulated and reconstructed events. The estimated accuracies on the heavy Higgs boson masses, widths and decay branching fractions are discussed in relation to the study of Supersymmetric Dark Matter.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Bacterial physiological adaptations to contrasting edaphic conditions identified using landscape scale metagenomics

This project was funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (standard grant NE/E006353/1 to R.I.G., A.S.W., and M.B. and Soil Security grant NE/M017125/1 to R.I.G.). A.A.M. has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program under Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant no. 655240. We wish to further acknowledge the lab assistance of Phillip James and the staff at the NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

A service evaluation and stakeholder perspectives of an innovative digital minor illness referral service from NHS 111 to community pharmacy.

The management of minor conditions represents a significant burden for urgent and emergency care services and reduces the capacity to provide specialist care for higher acuity healthcare need. A pilot Digital Minor Illness Service (DMIRS) was commenced in the North East of England in December 2017 to feasibility test the NHS 111 referral to community pharmacy for patients presenting with minor conditions. A formative evaluation of the service activity data and qualitative investigation of stakeholders involved in the service design, management, delivery and use, aims to present and investigate the service outcomes. Routine service activity data was evaluated during Jan-Dec 2018 to investigate the demographics of patients included in the service; the presenting conditions; and how those referrals were managed by community pharmacies. Semi-structured interviews with NHS 111 call handlers, project team members, community pharmacists and patients were undertaken to investigate the design, management, implementation and delivery of the service. 13,246 NHS 111 patient calls were referred to community pharmacy during the evaluative period. The most common presenting conditions were acute pain (n = 1144, 8.6%) and cough (n = 887, 6.7%). A large volume of complaints (47.1%, 6233) were resolved in community pharmacy. Stakeholders explained the structured approach to service design, organisation and implementation facilitated successful delivery and management. Patients reported positive experiences with accessing care via DMIRS. DMIRS demonstrated that patients could be referred to community pharmacy for the management of minor conditions, shifting a burden away from urgent and emergency care. The service data provides key information for further optimisation of service design, and stakeholder training and awareness. The service was acceptable and valued by patients. Evidence from the DMIRS pilot has been utilised to inform recent national healthcare policy and practice around the management of minor conditions within the urgent and emergency care setting.HN received funds to undertake evaluative work for the Digital Minor Illness Referral Service from NHS England (Grant number: BH181784). The funder provided support in the form of salaries for authors [HN], but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ sectio