Portale Hypertension

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Quality Assurance in an International Higher Education Area: A summary of a case-study approach and comparative analysis

Tertiary Education and Management - Transparency and comparability of higher education institutions especially in terms of their academic programmes and research activities are important issues for...     

How does the modern football goalkeeper train? – An exploration of expert goalkeeper coaches’ skill training approaches

ABSTRACT

The football goalkeeper position arguably represents a unique role within the team sport. Despite its highly complex skill demands, research on football goalkeeping has only sporadically examined the position within isolated and limited parameters. In particular, there is limited literature on “modern” skill acquisition training methods and approaches within the field of goalkeeper training. In a cross-cultural study with fifteen expert goalkeeper coaches, researchers here examined the overarching research question of “how does the modern football goalkeeper train?”. Semi-structured interviews explored expert coaches’ views on critical skills for performance in goalkeeping and the training approaches used to develop these critical skills. Results indicate that four skill sets are considered essential by goalkeeper coaches, these are: decision-making skills, athleticism, mentality, and technical skills. In terms of developing these skills in goalkeeper-specific training, the majority of expert coaches apply a similar microstructure to training sessions. This structure involves a steady progression from simple to complex training tasks, where for large parts, isolated technical training appears to be prioritised over a holistic training approach that integrates technical skills and perceptual-cognitive components (e.g., decision making). Scientific and practical recommendations for researchers and practitioners in the field of football goalkeeper coaching are provided.     

Comparison of visual,automatic and semiautomatic methods to determine ventilatory indices in 50 to 60 years old adults

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to compare different methods of detecting ventilatory indices (VI) and to investigate the impact of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) level on VI detection. Fifty females and fifty males completed a graded exercise test until volitional exhaustion with continuous gas-exchange measurement. The first and second ventilatory indices (VI-1, VI-2) were detected through different single automatic methods and through a semiautomatic method which combines visual and automatic detection methods. Additionally, the VIs were detected visually by two experts which served as the study specific gold standard. When comparing the semiautomatic method at VI-1 (intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) 0.88 [0.81, 0.92], Bland-Altman bias ± limits of agreement (LoA) 55 ± 334 ml O₂ · min^?1) and VI-2 (ICC 0.97 [0.96, 0.98], LoA 1 ± 268 ml O₂ · min^?1) to the visually detected VI, high levels of agreements and no significant differences were found. This was not the case for any of the other automatic methods. Additionally, we couldn’t find any relevant differences regarding the CRF level.

We therefore concluded that the semiautomatic detection method should be used for VI detection, as results are more accurate than in any of the single-automatic methods.

Abbreviations: CPET: cardiopulmonary exercise test; CRF: Cardiorespiratory fitness; VO_2peak: peak oxygen uptake; VI-1: first ventilatory indices; VI-2: second ventilatory indices; LoA: Bland-Altman bias ± limits of agreement; ICC: intraclass correlation coefficient.     

Analysis of the predictive qualities of betting odds and FIFA World Ranking: evidence from the 2006, 2010 and 2014 Football World Cups

ABSTRACT

The present study aims to investigate the ability of a new framework enabling to derive more detailed model-based predictions from ranking systems. These were compared to predictions from the bet market including data from the World Cups 2006, 2010, and 2014. The results revealed that the FIFA World Ranking has essentially improved its predictive qualities compared to the bet market since the mode of calculation was changed in 2006. While both predictors were useful to obtain accurate predictions in general, the world ranking was able to outperform the bet market significantly for the World Cup 2014 and when the data from the World Cups 2010 and 2014 were pooled. Our new framework can be extended in future research to more detailed prediction tasks (i.e., predicting the final scores of a match or the tournament progress of a team).     

Loneliness and physical activity: A systematic review

This article aims to provide an overview of the current state of research on the relationship between loneliness and physical activity (PA). A systematic literature search was conducted to identify all empirical studies assessing this relationship. A total of 37 studies stemming from 36 publications met the inclusion criteria. Study analyses comprised an individual consideration of each study and a systematic summarization of the studies. The majority of eligible studies focused on adolescent or elderly populations. Direct negative associations between PA and loneliness were found in half of the 24 cross-sectional studies. Of the seven identified longitudinal studies, one found a direct negative influence of PA on loneliness. Four longitudinal studies found evidence for a reverse influence, namely of loneliness on PA. Five intervention studies found PA to reduce loneliness. Two of the cross-sectional studies and one of the intervention studies found social support and social competence to moderate or to mediate the relationship between PA and loneliness. The findings indicate that PA can contribute to a decrease in loneliness. However, studies also indicate that any beneficial effect is dependent upon the quality of relationships present during physical activity. Additionally, loneliness itself might reduce the probability of being physically active.     

Accuracy of elevation recording using sport watches while walking and running on hilly and flat terrain

Elevation gain (EG) is a significant contributor to the total workload in many endurance sports. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of elevation recording as assessed by popular sport watches. Eighteen participants walked and ran at different speeds in various weather conditions in two terrain types: on a hilly 2490 m course with a total EG of 90 m and on a flat 1200 m outdoor track with 0 m EG. In total, 180 recordings from each sport watch were analyzed and compared according to two processing types: filtered and unfiltered EG data. Compared to the reference values, regarding default settings, on hilly terrain, EG was underestimated by ?3.3 to ?9.8 %, and on flat terrain, EG was overestimated by 0.0–4.8 m per 1200 m. These errors could be reduced to ?3.3 to +0.4 %, when filtering conditions were adjusted according to the terrain. Gait speed (ranging from 1.47 to 4.89 m s^?1) or fluctuations in weather conditions between- or within-trials did not influence EG accuracy. A straightforward comparison between manufacturers is hampered as the filter conditions set by default differ. In conclusion, all devices measure EG adequately; however, the displayed default feedback on EG data is not always the most accurate measurement. Consequently, accuracy in elevation recordings could be increased if users appropriately post-process EG data.