Video as Digital Object: Production and Distribution of Video Content in the Internet Media Ecosystem

The media industry is undergoing comprehensive change due to the shifting audience and consumption patterns fostered by the diffusion of the Internet. This article describes how these changes shape established practices of video production and redefine the cultural categories of video and broadcasting. Drawing on an empirical case study of the practices within the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the we show the production of video content to be increasingly unbundled and broken down into several smaller processes, which make it possible to manage and recompose in a variety of ways that transcend established institutional divisions and cultural perceptions. At the same time and as a means of accommodating multiplatform content delivery, video distribution is acquiring flexible and mutating formats that further destabilize the perception of video as a self-sufficient cultural form. In this context, video metadata rises to be an important coordinative medium that provides the cognitive resources for identifying and managing video content within and across particular settings and the link through which the operations of media organizations become entangled with the technical landscape of the Internet.     

Web and social media usage by museums: Online value creation

This paper contributes to the understanding of online strategies in the context of museums as examples of cultural organisations, an underrepresented sector in the information management literature. It presents a theoretical framework for understanding the online strategies of museums’ use of Web and social media, their sources of online value (efficiency, novelty, lock-in, complementarities) and some measurements of Internet performance, such as the Alexa Internet ranking and the number of followers of museums in social media. This type of analysis has not been conducted before and the findings will help museum curators and managers of other cultural institutions to appreciate the impact of these technologies and to make better informed decisions regarding online strategies and resource allocation. In addition, the results of this research are applicable to similar organisations, such as archives and cultural exhibitions, as well as to other service organisations related to information, education and entertainment activities.     

Monarchy,Socialism and Modern Capitalism: Hungary's Participation in Three London Olympic Games

Olympic sport is a double-edged sword. It has the potential to bring nations together and to transmit values, but it can also demonstrate international political tensions and conflicting national structural characteristics. As part of the International Olympic Movement from the very beginning, Hungary is one of the few nations to have taken part in the (Summer) Olympic Games in London for the third time. The Olympic presence of Hungary has been almost continuous in spite of the significant transformations of its state ideology, sport structures and political background. In 1908, within the framework of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the Hungarian Kingdom endeavoured to demonstrate its autonomy and courage with its memorable Olympic successes in London. A People's Republic was being formed in Hungary at the time of the second London Olympic Games in 1948. The socialist ideology and the self-display of socialist–communist ambitions characterised the preparation and the participation of the Hungarian athletes. Hungary is celebrating the year of its third London Games with a democratic system in the background, built up from 1989, and a new Constitution adopted in 2011. Furthermore, the Hungarian Sport Act was renewed in 2012, due to which the Hungarian Olympic Committee has gained increased power, which might provide new ways of solving the financial problems within Hungarian elite sport.     

Spatial-temporal constraints on decision-making during shooting performance in the team sport of futsal

Abstract

In this paper we examined the influence of opposing players constraining the decision-making of an attacker during shooting performance in futsal. Performance during 10 competitive matches was recorded and examined from the moment a shot was taken until the ball was intercepted or entered the goal in sequences of play: ending in a goal, a goalkeeper's save, or an interception by the nearest defender. The variables under scrutiny in this study were (i) the distance of each player to the ball's trajectory, (ii) the time for the ball to arrive at that same point (i.e. the interception point), and (iii), the required movement velocity of the nearest defender and the goalkeeper to intercept the ball. Results showed that values of distance from a defender and goalkeeper to the interception points were significantly lower when they intercepted the ball. The time of ball arrival at the interception point of the defender was also lower when the ball was intercepted. The required velocities of the nearest outfield defender and the goalkeeper to intercept the ball were significantly lower during plays in which they intercepted the ball, than in plays in which the ball was not intercepted. Our results suggest that researchers and practitioners should consider simultaneously both space and time in analysis of interceptive actions in team sports. The required movement velocities of the opponents to intercept the ball are reliable spatial-temporal variables constraining decision-making during shooting performance in team sports like futsal.     

Body fat measurement in elite sport climbers: Comparison of skinfold thickness equations with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare equations for estimating percentage body fat from skinfold thickness in elite sport climbers by assessing their agreement with percentage body fat measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Skinfold thickness was measured in a convenience sample of 19 elite sport climbers [9 women and 10 men; mean age 31.2 years (s = 5.0) and 28.6 years (s = 3.6), respectively]. Percentage body fat was estimated using 17 different equations, and it was also measured by DXA. A significant inter-methods difference was observed for all equations, except for Durnin's equation in men (inter-methods difference: ?0.57% and ?0.29%; 1.96 s: 5.56 and 5.23 for Siri's and Brozek's equation, respectively) and women (inter-methods difference: ?0.67% and ?1.29% for Siri's and Brozek's equation, respectively), and for Wilmore's equation using Siri's body fat equation in women (inter-methods difference: ?1.86%). In women, the limits of agreement were lower when using Durnin's equation compared with Wilmore's equation (1.96 s: 3.86% and 5.13%, respectively). In conclusion, of the 17 studied equations, Durnin's equation was the most accurate in estimating percentage body fat in both male and female elite climbers. Therefore, Durnin's equation could be used to assess percentage body fat in elite sport climbers if more accurate methods are not available. The generalizability of the results is limited by the fact that the sample was not selected at random.     

Characteristics of extracurricular physical activity and cognitive performance in adolescents. The AVENA study

Abstract

The aim of this report was to examine the associations between some characteristics (i.e., structure and number) of extracurricular physical activity (EPA) and cognitive performance in adolescents. A total of 1662 adolescents (880 girls; 13.0–18.5 years) from 5 Spanish cities (Granada, Madrid, Murcia, Santander and Zaragoza) were included in this study. Structure (organised and non-organised) and number of EPAs, and participation at vigorous intensity during EPA were self-reported. Cognitive performance (verbal, numeric and reasoning abilities, and an overall score) was measured with the “SRA-Test of Educational Ability”. Results showed that vigorous EPA was positively associated with all cognitive variables. Adolescents who practiced an organised EPA had higher scores in 3 of the 4 cognitive variables than those who practiced a non-organised EPA (all P < 0.05). Likewise, the group who participated in more than one EPA had higher cognitive performance in all variables than the group who participated in only one EPA (all P < 0.05). Regardless of potential confounder variables, including vigorous EPA, both structure and number of EPAs were each other independently associated with cognitive performance. Therefore, structure and number of EPAs may positively influence cognitive performance in adolescents. Participating in multiple, organised EPA may have benefits for cognitive performance.     

Relationship between physiological parameters and performance during a half-ironman triathlon in the heat

Abstract

Triathlon is a popular outdoor endurance sport performed under a variety of environmental conditions. The aim of this study was to assess physiological variables before and after a half-ironman triathlon in the heat and to analyse their relationship with performance. Thirty-four well-trained triathletes completed a half-ironman triathlon in a mean dry temperature of 29 ± 3ºC. Before and within 1 min after the end of the race, body mass, core temperature, maximal jump height and venous blood samples were obtained. Mean race time was 315 ± 40 min, with swimming (11 ± 1%), cycling (49 ± 2%) and running (40 ± 3%) representing different amounts of the total race time. At the end of the competition, body mass changed by ?3.8 ± 1.6% and the change in body mass correlated positively with race time (r = 0.64; P < 0.001). Core temperature increased from 37.5 ± 0.6ºC to 38.8 ± 0.7ºC (P < 0.001) and post-race core temperature correlated negatively with race time (r = ?0.47; P = 0.007). Race time correlated positively with the decrease in jump height (r = 0.38; P = 0.043), post-race serum creatine kinase (r = 0.55; P = 0.001) and myoglobin concentrations (r = 0.39; P = 0.022). In a half-ironman triathlon in the heat, greater reductions in body mass and higher post-competition core temperatures were present in faster triathletes. In contrast, slower triathletes presented higher levels of muscle damage and decreased muscle performance.     

Competition and diversity in higher education: an empirical approach to specialization patterns of Portuguese institutions

The expansion of higher education systems has often been associated with the need for increasing diversification, namely at the program level, based on the pressures to adapt more general programmes to a more diverse student population and multiple regional, social, and economic needs. This paper explores empirically the question of programme diversity by drawing on the Portuguese higher education’ experience, which presented massive expansion during the last decades and significant institutional competition in recent years. The study provides a longitudinal approach and analyzes in detail the evolution of diversification and specialization of the public and private sectors, as well as the university and polytechnic subsectors. The analysis aims at helping to illustrate the relevance of analysing diversity from an empirical point of view and its contribution to our understanding of the complex relationships between competition and diversity in contemporary higher education.     

The relationship between approaches to teaching, approaches to e-teaching and perceptions of the teaching situation in relation to e-learning among higher education teachers

This study extends prior research on approaches to teaching and perceptions of the teaching situation by investigating these elements when e-learning is involved. In this study, approaches to teaching ranged from a focus on the teacher and the taught content to a focus on the student and their learning, resembling those reported in previous investigations. Approaches to e-teaching ranged from a focus on information transmission to a focus on communication and collaboration. An analysis of perceptions of the teaching situation in relation to e-learning identified key themes influencing adopted approaches: control of teaching, institutional strategy, pedagogical and technological support, time required, teacher skills for using e-learning, and student abilities and willingness for using learning technology. Associations between these elements showed three groups of teachers: one focusing on transmission of information teaching both face-to-face and online while having a general negative perception of the teaching situation in relation to e-learning; a second focusing on student learning both face-to-face and online while having a general positive perception; and a third presenting unexpected patterns of associations. These results may be helpful for supporting different groups of teachers in employing e-learning in their on-campus units of study. At the same time, further research is proposed for inquiring into specific approaches in different disciplines and different university contexts.