Ball possession effectiveness in men's and women's elite basketball according to situational variables in different game periods

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to identify the importance of basketball performance indicators in predicting the effectiveness of ball possessions in men's and women's basketball, when controlling for situational variables and game periods. The sample consisted of 7234 ball possessions, corresponding to 40 games from the Spanish professional leagues. The effects of the predictor variables on successful ball possessions according to game period were analysed using binary logistic regressions. Results from men's teams show interactions with number of passes and ending player during the first five minutes, with starting and ending zone, defensive systems, screens used and possession duration during the middle thirty minutes, and there were interactions with passes used, possession duration and players involved during the last five minutes. Results from women's teams show interactions with starting and ending zone, passes used, defensive systems and ending player during the first five minutes, and with starting and ending zone, and screens used during the middle thirty minutes. The results show no interaction with situational variables in men's basketball, while league stage was important during the middle thirty minutes and last five minutes in women's basketball, whereas match status was only important during the last five minutes.     

Performance analysis of elite men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to identify which game-related statistics discriminate winning and losing teams in men’s and women’s elite wheelchair basketball. The sample comprised all the games played during the Beijing Paralympics 2008 and the World Wheelchair Basketball Championship 2010. The game-related statistics from the official box scores were gathered and data were analysed in 2 groups: balanced games (final score differences ≤12 points) and unbalanced games (final score differences >13 points). Discriminant analysis allowed identifying the successful 2-point field-goals and free-throws, the unsuccessful 3-point field-goals and free-throws, the assists and fouls received as discriminant statistics between winning and losing teams in men’s balanced games. In women’s games, the teams were discriminated only by the successful 2-point field-goals. Linear regression analysis showed that the quality of opposition had great effects in final point differential. The field-goals percentage and free-throws rate were the most important factors in men’s games, and field-goals percentage and offensive rebounding percentage in women’s games. The identified trends allow improving game understanding and helping wheelchair basketball coaches to plan accurate practice sessions and, ultimately, deciding better in competition.     

Teaching English-Spanish cognate-recognition strategies through the Américas Book Award-winners and honor picture books

Cognates are words that are the same or nearly the same orthographically and semantically in English and Spanish. The majority of the more than 20,000 cognates are academic vocabulary words comprised of Latin and Greek roots and affixes. Several thousand cognates can be found in the picture books that have earned the Américas Book Award, which was established to honor quality multicultural books that portray Latino cultures in a positive light. The authors present lessons for teaching primary school Latino ELLs about cognates through the Américas Award picture books, as they educate their students about their rich Latino cultures.     

Use of biochemical parameters for non-invasive screening of oesophageal varices in comparison to elastography-based approach in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease

IntroductionOesophageal varices are routinely diagnosed by esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), and their bleeding has high mortality. We aimed to evaluate diagnostic performance of biochemical tests in comparison to elastography-based approaches, as non-invasive alternatives to EGD, for ruling-out high risk oesophageal varices (HRV).Material and methodsRetrospective analysis of patients (N = 861) who underwent liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by transient elastography (TE) in a single centre over 5-year period, with available results of EGD (within 3 months from LSM). Only patients with suspicion of compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) defined by LSM ≥ 10 kPa were included comprising the final cohort of 73 subjects. Original and expanded Baveno VI criteria (B6C), controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), platelet count (PLT), aspartate aminotransferase to PLT ratio index (APRI), Fibrosis-4 index (FIB4), model for end stage liver disease (MELD) score were evaluated against the results of EGD that served as the reference method.ResultsAnalysed patients had median age 62 years, 59/73 (0.81) were males, 54/73 (0.74) had alcoholic/non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and 21/73 (0.29) had HRV. In multivariate logistic regression analysis only LSM and PLT were independently associated with HRV. The best performing tests for ruling-out HRV (% of spared EGD; % of missed HRV) were respectively: LSM < 20 kPa (53.4%; 0%), B6C (38%; 0%), Expanded B6C (47.9%; 4.8%); PLT > 214x10⁹/L (21.9%; 0%); FIB4 ≤ 1.8 (21.4%; 0%), APRI ≤ 0.34 (12.3%; 0%). CAP, MELD = 6 alone or combined with PLT > 150(x10⁹/L) did not show acceptable performance.ConclusionThe best performing biochemical tests for ruling-out HRV in our cohort of patients were PLT and FIB-4, but they were still outperformed by elastography-based approaches.Keyword: portal hypertension, cirrhosis, platelet count, esophageal varices, non-invasive tests     

Microclimate inside a semi-confined environment: Valuation of suitability for the conservation of heritage materials

The microclimatic analysis of the Petrarca's tomb in Arquà Petrarca, Padua (Italy) was performed to assess the suitability of a closed environment located outdoors respect to the conservation requirements of heritage materials. Results showed that the thermo-hygrometric conditions inside the tomb were not suitable for the conservation of organic materials, like bones and wood. The orientation (north or south) was the main responsible for the different damage features of the two sides of the wooden case housing the human remains inside the tomb. Technical solutions were finally implemented to improve the conservation conditions, thus avoiding further damage.     

Are Public Master’s Institutions Cost Efficient? A Stochastic Frontier and Spatial Analysis

The current study examines costs, measured by educational and general (E&G) spending, and cost efficiency at 252 public master’s institutions in the United States over a nine-year (2004–2012) period. We use a multi-product quadratic cost function and results from a random-effects model with a first-order autoregressive (AR1) disturbance term to calculate economies of scale with regard to undergraduate enrollment, graduate enrollment, and research. We also employ a slightly modified version of Kumbhakar et al. (J Prod Anal 41(2):321–337, 2014) multi-step approach, involving the use of stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) and taking into account spatial interdependency, to decompose cost efficiency into long-term stable (persistent) and short-term (residual) efficiency. The key results of this study include evidence that: (1) regional clustering of costs exists; (2) there are economies of scale in undergraduate education and diseconomies of scale in graduate education; (3) relatively few institutions are cost inefficient; and (4) cost inefficiency tends to be long-term and persistent rather than short-term and residual. This research also identifies public master’s institutions that are the most cost efficient. Our inquiry has implications for future research as it points towards specific institutions, which may be engaged in effective practices to keep costs low, for possible follow-up case studies. Going forward, the techniques used in this study could be applied to examine economies of scale and scope as well as cost efficiency among other types of higher education institutions, such as public or private research universities, baccalaureate institutions, and community colleges.     

In/formal sex education: learning gay identity in cultural and educational contexts in Mexico

This paper addresses how educational and cultural contexts incorporate lessons around sexuality, particularly sexual and gender identity, and how these contexts impact on identity construction of gay men in Mexico City. We analyse the experiences of 15 gay men reported through semi-structured in-depth interviews and how they incorporate sexuality through socialisation with primary social institutions in Mexico's contemporary educational political context. The sample was divided into three generations, and was selected through maximum variability. Results show that men incorporate negative meanings around same-sex sexuality, and themselves from institutions such as school and family. Men are able to deconstruct these meanings through interactions with educational tools such as the Internet and interactions with gay friends. These results are discussed using post-structuralist perspectives to understand how identity is fluid and changing constantly, as well as the need to incorporate stigma-free curricular content in educational contexts.     

Understanding the impact of guiding inquiry: the relationship between directive support,student attributes,and transfer of knowledge,attitudes, and behaviours in inquiry learning

Guiding inquiry learning has been shown to increase knowledge gains. Yet, little is known about the effect of guidance on attitudes and behaviours, its interaction with student attributes, and transfer of impact once guidance is removed. We address these gaps in the context of an interactive Physics simulation on electric circuits (https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/circuit-construction-kit-dc). 49 students in the Non-Directive condition received a set of goals to focus their inquiry, in addition to implicit support built into the simulation. 48 students in the Directive condition received, in addition to these, also detailed directions and prompts. Log-file analysis found that directive support led to more formal testing and less exploration. Clustering identified two groups of learners: one with higher incoming knowledge (Higher Knowledge), the other with higher incoming perceptions of competence and control (Higher PoCC). Working with the simulation improved knowledge and attitudes across cluster groups, so that prior differences all but disappeared. With regard to guidance, adding directive support improved knowledge gains for the Higher Knowledge group, yet suppressed their attitudinal growth. The same support had no effect on knowledge gains for the Higher PoCC group, yet it boosted their attitudinal growth. A transfer activity, where directive support was no longer available, found that impact on attitudes carried forward, yet impacts on behaviours and knowledge were short-lived. Overall, the study highlights the complex interaction between guidance and student attributes. For some, supporting short-term knowledge gains may inadvertenly lead to longer term negative impact on attitudes towards inquiry.     

Early Shared Reading,Socioeconomic Status,and Children’s Cognitive and School Competencies: Six Years of Longitudinal Evidence

This study explored longitudinal associations between early shared reading at 2 to 3 years of age and children’s later academic achievement. It examined the mediating role of children’s vocabulary and early academic skills, and the moderating effects of family’s socioeconomic status. Data were drawn from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (n = 4,768). Academic achievement was assessed at 8 to 9 years of age via standardized national test scores of literacy and mathematics achievement. Results indicated that early shared reading was associated with children’s academic achievement directly and indirectly through receptive vocabulary and early academic skills. Also, the frequency of early shared reading predicted the outcome measures, over and above other home learning activities. Associations were stronger among low and middle socioeconomic status groups compared to the high socioeconomic status group. We conclude that shared reading offers unique opportunities for adults to teach young children new words and concepts.     

School Counselor Preparation to Meet the Guidance Needs of Exceptional Students: A National Study

A representative sample of counselor educators at U.S. universities were surveyed to identify the kinds of curricula school counselor preparation programs use for preparing students to work with exceptional students (ES). Program courses in exceptional student education (ESE), competencies, field experiences, state certification requirements for ESE courses, the degree of importance accorded by counselor educators to prepare graduates to serve ES, and the educators' level of satisfaction with current program requirements were investigated. Sixty‐two percent of the programs surveyed did not offer a specific ESE course; however, 53% of these programs (N = 146) reported that ESE competencies were incorporated in other program courses.