Abstract: A method for applying base paint non-uniformly to a golf shaft includes: inserting a portion of a golf shaft lengthwise through an aperture in a paint applicator, the paint applicator having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, where one of (a) the aperture is non-circular and (b) the aperture includes a plurality of slits formed circumferentially around the aperture; actuating a painting apparatus, thereby causing the base paint to contact the golf shaft and the second surface of the paint applicator; and pulling the golf shaft lengthwise through the aperture in the paint applicator, thereby non-uniformly applying the base paint lengthwise along the portion of the golf shaft.

Abstract: A golf club shaft includes: a butt end; a tip end, where the golf club shaft is tapered between the butt end and the tip end; coils of fiber wound helically relative to an axis of the golf club shaft; and one or more layers of composite material wrapped around the coils of fiber and disposed radially outwardly of the coils of fiber.

Abstract: A cargo bed system includes a rail for mounting to a vehicle having a cargo bed. The rail includes a lower extension having a first side and a second side, opposite the first side, extending along a length; an upper extension extending generally perpendicularly from the length of the lower extension, supportable by the vehicle; a clamp track located on the first side of the lower extension and extending along the length of the lower extension for receiving one or more clamps to secure the rail to the vehicle; and a lower accessory track located on the second side of the lower extension and extending along the length of the lower extension for receiving an accessory within the cargo bed.

Abstract: A piece of tubular sports equipment includes: a first layer of composite material including fibers oriented in a first direction; a second layer of composite material that directly contacts the first layer of composite material, that is arranged radially outwardly of the first layer of composite material, and that includes fibers oriented in a second direction that is different than the first direction; and a third layer of composite material that directly contacts the second layer of composite material, that is arranged radially outwardly of the second layer of composite material, that includes fibers oriented in a third direction that is different than the second direction, and that includes an aperture formed through the third layer such that a portion of the second layer is visible through the aperture.

Abstract: A system for fitting a bat to an athlete includes: a host control module configured to generate a graphical user interface including: an age field for input of a present age of the athlete; a height field for input of a present height of the athlete; a weight field for input of a present weight of the athlete; an association field for input of one of a league and a group with which the athlete is affiliated; a bat selection module configured to: determine a target drop based on data in the association field; determine a suggested bat length for the athlete based on data in the age, height, weight, and association fields; and determine a suggested bat weight based on the suggested bat length minus the target drop; and select one of a plurality of bats based on the suggested bat length and the suggested bat weight.

Abstract: A piece of sports equipment includes: a surface; and base paint including magnetic particles, the base paint being located on the surface of the piece of sports equipment, the magnetic particles being arranged based on a predetermined design after being subjected to magnetic field generated by one or more magnets. A method of manufacturing a piece of sports equipment includes: obtaining an object including one or more magnets arranged in a predetermined design; applying a base paint including magnetic particles to an exterior surface of the piece of sports equipment; while the base paint is fluid, positioning the piece of sports equipment within a magnetic field of the one or more magnets; and maintaining the positioning of the piece of sports equipment for at least a predetermined period, thereby allowing the magnetic particles in the base paint to arrange based on the predetermined design of the one or more magnets.

Abstract: A method for applying base paint non-uniformly to a golf shaft includes: inserting a portion of a golf shaft lengthwise through an aperture in a paint applicator, the paint applicator having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, where one of (a) the aperture is non-circular and (b) the aperture includes a plurality of slits formed circumferentially around the aperture; actuating a painting apparatus, thereby causing the base paint to contact the golf shaft and the second surface of the paint applicator; and pulling the golf shaft lengthwise through the aperture in the paint applicator, thereby non-uniformly applying the base paint lengthwise along the portion of the golf shaft.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for determining neural network architectures. One of the methods includes obtaining training data for a dense image prediction task; and determining an architecture for a neural network configured to perform the dense image prediction task, comprising: searching a space of candidate architectures to identify one or more best performing architectures using the training data, wherein each candidate architecture in the space of candidate architectures comprises (i) the same first neural network backbone that is configured to receive an input image and to process the input image to generate a plurality of feature maps and (ii) a different dense prediction cell configured to process the plurality of feature maps and to generate an output for the dense image prediction task; and determining the architecture for the neural network based on the best performing candidate architectures.

Abstract: Currency is selectively illuminated with Ultraviolet (UV) light, Infrared (IR) light, and/or white light in front of a camera, which may be integrated into a scanner in some embodiments. The camera takes an image of the illuminated currency and the image is presented on a screen of a display for validating the currency.

Abstract: A sheet pack comprising an absorbent layer impregnated with a treatment composition containing at least one ingredient that when topically applied to skin stimulates a gene that is variably expressed over a 24 hour period in native untreated skin cells; the sheet pack contained in a package with user instructions to topically apply the sheet pack to the skin at a time when the gene that is stimulated by the ingredient is being maximally expressed in native untreated skin cells; and methods for treating skin and methods for making a sheet pack.