Assessing Hitting Skill in Baseball using Simulated and Representative Tasks

Previous research has demonstrated that the ability to accurately anticipate the outcome of dynamic and representative situations under standardized conditions is an effective predictor of skill-level in many complex domains, including sport (for a review, see Suss & Ward, 2015). Moreover, skill at anticipating the outcome as early as possible, in addition to making the correct anticipatory decision, and skill at recognizing the play are equally important (e.g., Fadde, 2006; Jones & Miles, 1978; Savelsbergh, Williams, Van Der Kamp, & Ward, 2002). The current research aims to leverage this body of research in developing and evaluating a commercially available software tool designed for the assessment of such sports skills developed by Axon Sports. In this research we use the Axon Sports Baseball Hitting Assessment tool to measure anticipation and recognition skill in an NCAA baseball team. The results provide support that recognition and anticipation accuracy are useful indicators of skill in sport and extend the application of this body of work into a real-world settin

Texas-Oklahoma Producer Cotton Market Summary: 2000/2001

The size of the Texas-Oklahoma spot market analyzed by the Daily Price Estimation System (DPES) for the 2000/2001 marketing year decreased considerably from the previous year. The average price received by producers during the 2000/2001 marketing year was about 50.9 cents/lb. The 2000 crop was generally of good quality, but the averages for the first digit of the color grade and leaf grade detoriated as compared with the 1999 crop. The percentage of bales having level 1 and 2 bark, and level 1 and 2 other extraneous matter decreased in comparison to the 1999 crop. With the exception of the second digit of the color grade price discounts for the 2000 crop decreased for all quality attributes. The premiums for the first digit of the color grade and strength both decreased, while the premium for leaf increased and that of staple remained about the same.Crop Production/Industries,

Science for Primary Teachers

The general aim of this textbook was to provide some basic knowledge of how science works. After all, we live in a very science-oriented and techno world. We also wanted to make it easier for you to get your pupils interested in science

Sloped and Mitered Concrete Headwalls

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) currently uses several pipe culvert end treatments, including standard headwalls, slope and flared headwalls, sloped and parallel headwalls, and safety metal ends. These treatments, however, can pose a safety hazard to motorists and those performing landscaping work (e.g., mowing). Crash statistics from 2012 through 2016 for Kentucky reveal that 49 fatalities and 148 incapacitating injuries occurred in incidents where culverts/headwalls were coded as the first harmful event on the police report. One solution to the safety hazards associated with standard pipe culvert headwalls is to use sloped and mitered concrete headwalls instead. To evaluate the viability of sloped and mitered concrete headwalls for widespread use, Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) researchers reviewed industry guidance and best practices; observed, documented, and analyzed several projects on which sloped and mitered concrete headwalls were used; developed cost comparisons for sloped and mitered concrete headwalls and conventional headwalls, and evaluated specifications for sloped and mitered concrete headwalls adopted by other states. Sloped and mitered concrete headwalls conform with industry guidance and protect against significant vehicle damage. Observations of sloped and mitered concrete headwalls used on KYTC projects attested to the importance of establishing and applying unambiguous design and construction criteria. Specifically, the grade should be set before a slope and mitered headwall is installed. Furthermore, adding grate bars will improve performance as will securing pipe ends to the headwall. A sample of headwalls should be chosen for long-term monitoring purposes, with inspections conducted each year. Overall, sloped and mitered concrete headwalls are an attractive option given they can be installed quickly and without special equipment, their robust performance, and low cost compared to standard pipe culvert headwalls

Exclusions for resolving urban badger damage problems: Outcomes and consequences

Increasing urbanisation and growth of many wild animal populations can result in a greater frequency of human-wildlife conflicts. However, traditional lethal methods of wildlife control are becoming less favoured than non-lethal approaches, particularly when problems involve charismatic species in urban areas. Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) excavate subterranean burrow systems (setts), which can become large and complex. Larger setts within which breeding takes place and that are in constant use are known as main setts. Smaller, less frequently occupied setts may also exist within the social group's range. When setts are excavated in urban environments they can undermine built structures and can limit or prevent safe use of the area by people. The most common approach to resolving these problems in the UK is to exclude badgers from the problem sett, but exclusions suffer a variable success rate. We studied 32 lawful cases of badger exclusions using one-way gates throughout England to evaluate conditions under which attempts to exclude badgers from their setts in urban environments were successful. We aimed to identify ways of modifying practices to improve the chances of success. Twenty of the 32 exclusion attempts were successful, but success was significantly less likely if a main sett was to be excluded in comparison with another type of sett and if vegetation was not completely removed from the sett surface prior to exclusion attempts. We recommend that during exclusions all vegetation is removed from the site, regardless of what type of sett is involved, and that successful exclusion of badgers from a main sett might require substantially more effort than other types of sett

Training Spiking Neural Networks Using Lessons From Deep Learning

The brain is the perfect place to look for inspiration to develop more efficient neural networks. The inner workings of our synapses and neurons provide a glimpse at what the future of deep learning might look like. This paper serves as a tutorial and perspective showing how to apply the lessons learnt from several decades of research in deep learning, gradient descent, backpropagation and neuroscience to biologically plausible spiking neural neural networks. We also explore the delicate interplay between encoding data as spikes and the learning process; the challenges and solutions of applying gradient-based learning to spiking neural networks; the subtle link between temporal backpropagation and spike timing dependent plasticity, and how deep learning might move towards biologically plausible online learning. Some ideas are well accepted and commonly used amongst the neuromorphic engineering community, while others are presented or justified for the first time here. A series of companion interactive tutorials complementary to this paper using our Python package, snnTorch, are also made available: https://snntorch.readthedocs.io/en/latest/tutorials/index.htm

Modeling FETCH Observations of 2005 May 13 CME

This paper evaluates the quality of CME analysis that has been undertaken with the rare Faraday rotation observation of an eruption. Exploring the capability of the FETCH instrument hosted on the MOST mission, a four-satellite Faraday rotation radio sounding instrument deployed between the Earth and the Sun, we discuss the opportunities and challenges to improving the current analysis approaches.Comment: 33 pages, 24 figure

Differential effects of Akkermansia-enriched fecal microbiota transplant on energy balance in female mice on high-fat diet

Estrogens protect against weight gain and metabolic disruption in women and female rodents. Aberrations in the gut microbiota composition are linked to obesity and metabolic disorders. Furthermore, estrogen-mediated protection against diet-induced metabolic disruption is associated with modifications in gut microbiota. In this study, we tested if estradiol (E2)-mediated protection against obesity and metabolic disorders in female mice is dependent on gut microbiota. Specifically, we tested if fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from E2-treated lean female mice, supplemented with or without Akkermansia muciniphila, prevented high fat diet (HFD)-induced body weight gain, fat mass gain, and hyperglycemia in female recipients. FMT from, and cohousing with, E2-treated lean donors was not sufficient to transfer the metabolic benefits to the E2-deficient female recipients. Moreover, FMT from lean donors supplemented with A. muciniphila exacerbated HFD-induced hyperglycemia in E2-deficient recipients, suggesting its detrimental effect on the metabolic health of E2-deficient female rodents fed a HFD. Given that A. muciniphila attenuates HFD-induced metabolic insults in males, the present findings suggest a sex difference in the impact of this microbe on metabolic health.Peer reviewe