Longitudinal Changes in Response to a Cycle-Run Field Test of Young Male National "Talent identification" and Senior Elite Triathlon Squads.

This study investigated the changes in cardiorespiratory response and running performance of 9 male ?Talent Identification? (TID) and 6 male Senior Elite (SE) Spanish National Squad triathletes during a specific cycle-run test. The TID and SE triathletes (initial age 15.2±0.7 vs. 23.8±5.6 years, p=0.03; tests through the competitive period and the preparatory period, respectively, of two consecutive seasons: Test 1 was an incremental cycle test to determine the ventilatory threshold (Thvent); Test 2 (C-R) was 30 min constant load cycling at the Thvent power output followed by a 3-km time trial run; and Test 3 (R) was an isolated 3-km time trial control run, in randomized counterbalanced order. In both seasons the time required to complete the C-R 3-km run was greater than for R in TID (11:09±00:24 vs. 10:45±00:16 min:ss, pmenor que 0.01; and 10:24±00:22 vs. 10:04±00:14, p=0.006, for season 2005/06 and 2006/07, respectively) and SE (10:15±00:19 vs. 09:45±00:30, pmenor que 0.001 and 09:51±00:26 vs. 09:46±00:06, p= 0.02 for season 2005/06 and 2006/07, respectively). Compared to the first season, completion of the time trial run was faster in the second season (6.6%, pmenor que 0.01 and 6.4%, pmenor que 0.01, for C-R and R test, respectively) only in TID. Changes in post-cycling run performance were accompanied by changes in pacing strategy but only slight or non-significant changes in the cardiorespiratory response. Thus, the negative effect of cycling on performance may persist, independently of the period, over two consecutive seasons in TID and SE triathletes; however A improvements over time suggests that monitoring running pacing strategy after cycling may be a useful tool to control performance and training adaptations in TID. O2max 77.0±5.6 vs. 77.8±3.6 mL·kg-1·min-1, NS) underwent three TE D EP C C

What do we actually mean by talent in business? Does it really matter?

[spa] La conceptuación de talento ha ido cobrando cada vez más importancia tanto para académicos como profesionales, con el fin de avanzar en el estudio de la gestión del talento. De hecho, la confusión sobre el significado de talento en la realidad empresarial impide llegar a un consenso sobre el concepto y la práctica de la gestión del talento. En este estudio teórico revisamos el concepto de talento en el mundo de la empresa con el fin de resumir lo que hemos aprendido y discutir las ventajas y limitaciones de las diferentes acepciones. Concluimos con la formulación de una definición de este concepto, ya que una correcta interpretación de la gestión del talento—por no hablar de una exitosa gestión del talento— depende de tener una comprensión clara de lo que se entiende por talento en un contexto organizativo. Además, con la definición de talento propuesta delimitamos el concepto de talento evitando algunos problemas detectados en las definiciones anteriores (por ejemplo, generalidades y tautologías), y poniendo de relieve las variables importantes que le afectan y lo hacen más manejable.

What do we actually mean by talent in business? Does it really matter?

[spa] La conceptuación de talento ha ido cobrando cada vez más importancia tanto para académicos como profesionales, con el fin de avanzar en el estudio de la gestión del talento. De hecho, la confusión sobre el significado de talento en la realidad empresarial impide llegar a un consenso sobre el concepto y la práctica de la gestión del talento. En este estudio teórico revisamos el concepto de talento en el mundo de la empresa con el fin de resumir lo que hemos aprendido y discutir las ventajas y limitaciones de las diferentes acepciones. Concluimos con la formulación de una definición de este concepto, ya que una correcta interpretación de la gestión del talento—por no hablar de una exitosa gestión del talento— depende de tener una comprensión clara de lo que se entiende por talento en un contexto organizativo. Además, con la definición de talento propuesta delimitamos el concepto de talento evitando algunos problemas detectados en las definiciones anteriores (por ejemplo, generalidades y tautologías), y poniendo de relieve las variables importantes que le afectan y lo hacen más manejable.

L'estímul del talent per progressar. El programa Noustalents.cat s'ha de convertir en un planter de joves científics

Divendres passat, el president Montilla, amb els consellers Maragall i Huget, va presentar el programa Noustalents.cat, un projecte gestionar per Talència -Institució per Foment de la Recerca Catalana i la Viència- que té per objectiu la promoció del talent en ciències naturals i socials, tecnologia i matemàtiques.

Coaches` subjective talent criteria in top-level soccer

Introduction: In professional soccer, talent selection relies on the subjective judgment of scouts and coaches. To date, little is known about coaches´ “eye for talent” (Christensen, 2009, p. 379) and the nature of the subjective criteria they use to identify those players with the greatest potential to achieve peak performance in adulthood (Williams & Reilly, 2000). Drawing on a constructivist approach (Kelly, 1991), this study explores coaches´ subjective talent criteria. It is assumed that coaches are able to verbalise and specify their talent criteria, and that these are related to their talent selection decisions based on instinct. Methods: Participants and generation of data. Five national youth soccer coaches (Mage = 55.6; SD = 5.03) were investigated at three appointments: (1) talent selection decision based on instinct, (2) semi-structured inductive interview to elicit each coaches´ talent criteria in detail, (3) communicative validation and evaluation of the players by each coach using the repertory grid technique (Fromm, 2004). Data Analysis: Interviews were transcribed and summarized with regard to each specified talent criterion. Each talent criterion was categorized using a bottom-up-approach (meaning categorization, Kvale, 1996). The repertory grid data was analysed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. Results and Discussion: For each coach, six to nine talent criteria were elicited and specified. The subjective talent criteria include aspects of personality, cognitive perceptual skills, motor abilities, development, technique, social environment and physical constitution, which shows that the coaches use a multi-dimensional concept of talent. However, more than half of all criteria describe personality characteristics, in particular achievement motivation, volition and self-confidence. In contrast to Morris (2000), this result shows that coaches have a differentiated view of the personality characteristics required to achieve peak performance. As an indication of criterion validity, moderate to high correlations (.57 ≤ r ≤ .81) are found between the evaluations of the players according to the coaches´ talent criteria and their talent selection decision. The study shows that coaches are able to specify their subject talent criteria and that those criteria are strongly related to their instinctive selection decisions. References: Christensen, M. K. (2009). "An Eye for Talent": Talent Identification and the "Practical Sense" of Top-Level Soccer Coaches. Sociology of Sport Journal, 26, 365–382. Fromm, M. (2004). Introduction to the Repertory Grid Interview. Münster: Waxmann. Kelly, G. A. (1991). The Psychology of Personal Constructs: Volume One: Theory and personality. London: Routledge. Kvale, S. (1996). InterViews: An introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing. Thousand Oaks: Sage. Morris, T. (2000). Psychological characteristics and talent identification in soccer. Journal of Sports Sciences, 18, 715–726. Williams, A. M., & Reilly, T. (2000). Talent identification and development in soccer. Journal of Sports Sciences, 18, 657–667.

Anthropometric-based selection and sprint kayak training in children

A 12 week kayak training programme was evaluated in children who either had or did not have the anthropometric characteristics identified as being unique to senior elite sprint kayakers. Altogether, 234 male and female school children were screened to select 10 children with and 10 children without the identified key anthropometric characteristics. Before and after training, the children completed an all-out 2 min kayak ergometer simulation test; measures of oxygen consumption, plasma lactate and total work accomplished were recorded. In addition, a 500 m time trial was performed at weeks 3 and 12. The coaches were unaware which 20 children possessed those anthropometric characteristics deemed to favour development of kayak ability. All children improved in both the 2 min ergometer simulation test and 500 m time trial. However, boys who were selected according to favourable anthropometric characteristics showed greater improvement than those without such characteristics in the 2 min ergometer test only. In summary, in a small group of children selected according to anthropometric data unique to elite adult kayakers, 12 weeks of intensive kayak training did not influence the rate of improvement of on-water sprint kayak performance.

Research networks and inventors’ mobility as drivers of innovation evidence from Europe

We investigate the importance of the labour mobility of inventors, as well as the scale, extent and density of their collaborative research networks, for regional innovation outcomes. To do so, we apply a knowledge production function framework at the regional level and include inventors’ networks and their labour mobility as regressors. Our empirical approach takes full account of spatial interactions by estimating a spatial lag model together, where necessary, with a spatial error model. In addition, standard errors are calculated using spatial heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation consistent estimators to ensure their robustness in the presence of spatial error autocorrelation and heteroskedasticity of unknown form. Our results point to the existence of a robust positive correlation between intraregional labour mobility and regional innovation, whilst the relationship with networks is less clear. However, networking across regions positively correlates with a region’s innovation intensity.

Inventors on the move: tracing inventors’ mobility and its spatial distribution

This paper aims to provide insights into the phenomenon of knowledge flows. We study one of the main mechanisms through which these flows occur, i.e., the mobility of highly-skilled individuals. We focus on the geographical mobility of inventors across European regions. Thus, patent data are used to trace the pattern of inventors’ mobility across european regions, to track down focuses of attraction of talent throughout the continent, and to study their distribution across the space. To do so, we gather information from PCT patent documents and we first match the names which seemed to belong to the same inventor and then we create a new algorithm to decide whether each patent applied for under each name belongs to the same inventor.

Subjektive Talentkriterien von Fussballtrainern in der Talentselektion

Einleitung Im Fußball entscheidet der Trainer, welche Spieler in eine Leistungsmannschaft selektioniert werden. Die Frage, nach welchen Kriterien Trainer die Spieler beurteilen und selektionieren, wurde bislang allerdings unzureichend untersucht (Williams & Reilly, 2000). In der vorliegenden qualitativen Studie wird der Frage nachgegangen, welche Talentkriterien aus Trainersicht für den späteren Erfolg im Spitzenfußball ausschlaggebend sind. Methode Interviewpartner waren sechs männliche Fußballtrainer (MAlter = 39.5; SD = 7.18), die hauptberuflich für die Nachwuchsabteilung (Altersklasse 13 – 17 Jahre) eines Schweizer Fußballvereins der höchsten nationalen Spielklasse (Super League) arbeiten und zum Zeitpunkt des Interviews mindestens die UEFA-A-Lizenz besaßen. Die Bestimmung der subjektiven Talentkriterien erfolgte mithilfe eines Interviewleitfadens, der sich an der Konstruktbestimmung der Repertory Grid Technik (vgl. Fromm, 2004) orientierte. Ausge-wertet wurden die Interviews mit einer qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse (Kvale, 1996). Ergebnisse und Diskussion Die Untersuchung zeigt, dass sich die subjektiven Talentkriterien von Trainern sprachlich differenziert erheben lassen. Die befragten Trainer formulierten jeweils sechs bis acht Talentkriterien, die Aspekte aus den Bereichen Persönlichkeit, kognitiv-perzeptuelle Fertigkeiten, konditionelle Fähigkeiten, Technik, physische Konstitution und Umfeld beinhalten. Dass einige Kriterien Aspekte mehrere dieser Bereiche beinhalten und inhaltlich nicht den Kriterien der anderen Trainer entsprechen, kann als Hinweis auf die Subjektivität und Individualität dieser Talentkriterien gedeutet werden. Beinahe die Hälfte der genannten Kriterien beinhalten Persönlichkeitsaspekte. Facetten der Leistungsmotivation wurden dabei am häufigsten genannt, gefolgt von Lernfähigkeit und Lernbereitschaft sowie anderen Aspekten wie z.B. zur Selbsteinschätzung und Zielorientierung. Die Er-gebnisse zeigen, dass die untersuchten Trainer eine differenzierte Wahrnehmung von entwicklungsförderlichen Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen haben. Die Bedeutung der Persönlichkeit aus Trainersicht für das Erreichen eines Spitzenniveaus ist vergleichbar mit den Ergebnissen vorheriger Untersuchungen (z.B. Christensen, 2009). Literatur Christensen, M. K. (2009). "An Eye for Talent": Talent Identification and the "Practical Sense" of Top-Level Soccer Coaches. Sociology of Sport Journal, 26, 365–382. Fromm, M. (2004). Introduction to the Repertory Grid Interview. Münster: Waxmann. Kvale, S. (1996). InterViews: An introduction to qualitative researching interviewing. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Williams, A. M. & Reilly, T. (2000). Talent identification and development in soccer. Journal of Sports Sciences, 18, 657-667.

Anthropometric characteristics and motor skills in talent selection and development in indoor soccer

Kick performance, anthropometric characteristics, slalom, and linear running were assessed in 49 (24 elite, 25 nonelite) postpubertal indoor soccer players in order to (a) verify whether anthropometric characteristics and physical and technical capacities can distinguish players of different competitive levels, (b) compare the kicking kinematics of these groups, with and without a defined target, and (c) compare results on the assessments and coaches` subjective rankings of the players. Thigh circumference and specific technical capacities differentiated the players by level of play; cluster analysis correctly classified 77.5% of the players. The correlation between players` standardized measures and the coaches` rankings was 0.29. Anthropometric characteristics and physical capacities do not necessarily differentiate players at post-pubertal stages and should not be overvalued during early development. Considering the coaches` rankings, performance measures outside the specific game conditions may not be useful in identification of talented players.

The Influence of the Family in the Development of Talent in Sport

The purpose of the present study was to describe patterns in the dynamics of families of talented athletes throughout their development in sport. Four families, including three families of elite rowers and one family of an elite tennis player were examined. The framework provided by Ericsson, Krampe, and Tesch- Römer (1993) to explain expert performance served as the theoretical basis for the study. Ericsson et al. suggested that the acquisition of expert performance involves operating within three types of constraints: motivational, effort, and resource. In-depth interviews were conducted with each athlete, parent, and sibling to explore how they have dealt with these three constraints. A total of 15 individual interviews were conducted. Results permitted the identification of three phases of participation from early childhood to late adolescence: the sampling years, the specializing years, and the investment years. The dynamics of the family in each of these phases of development is discussed

The Influence of the Family in the Development of Talent in Sport

The purpose of the present study was to describe patterns in the dynamics of families of talented athletes throughout their development in sport. Four families, including three families of elite rowers and one family of an elite tennis player were examined. The framework provided by Ericsson, Krampe, and Tesch- Römer (1993) to explain expert performance served as the theoretical basis for the study. Ericsson et al. suggested that the acquisition of expert performance involves operating within three types of constraints: motivational, effort, and resource. In-depth interviews were conducted with each athlete, parent, and sibling to explore how they have dealt with these three constraints. A total of 15 individual interviews were conducted. Results permitted the identification of three phases of participation from early childhood to late adolescence: the sampling years, the specializing years, and the investment years. The dynamics of the family in each of these phases of development is discussed

Mucopolysaccharidosis Type Ii: Identification Of 30 Novel Mutations Among Latin American Patients.

In this study, 103 unrelated South-American patients with mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II) were investigated aiming at the identification of iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS) disease causing mutations and the possibility of some insights on the genotype-phenotype correlation The strategy used for genotyping involved the identification of the previously reported inversion/disruption of the IDS gene by PCR and screening for other mutations by PCR/SSCP. The exons with altered mobility on SSCP were sequenced, as well as all the exons of patients with no SSCP alteration. By using this strategy, we were able to find the pathogenic mutation in all patients. Alterations such as inversion/disruption and partial/total deletions of the IDS gene were found in 20/103 (19%) patients. Small insertions/deletions/indels (<22 bp) and point mutations were identified in 83/103 (88%) patients, including 30 novel mutations; except for a higher frequency of small duplications in relation to small deletions, the frequencies of major and minor alterations found in our sample are in accordance with those described in the literature.