Women are four to eight times more likely to injure their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) compared to men. It is most commonly injured through a non-contact mechanism during game time situations. During landings, women display valgus collapse, where a less active gluteus medius muscle (GMed) may be unable to control the internal rotation of the thigh, causing an increase in knee joint abduction angle, augmenting the risk of ACL injury. This study’s purpose was to determine the difference between 12 male and 12 female athletes in muscle activity, specifically the GMed, and the 3D kinematics and kinetics of the lower-limb during drop jump landings from three heights; maximum vertical jump height, tibial length, and a commonly used height of 40cm. Results showed that females had greater hip adduction and knee abduction angles compared to men. The GMed activity showed no significant differences between sexes at each drop jump height.

Sustainability performance of a firm is gaining equal importance as the economic performance in today’s world. Sustainability scores or ESG ratings have successfully emerged to be popular sustainability performance measurements for firms across the globe. Therefore, many studies have been done focusing on relating the firms’ sustainability performance with the financial performance from different aspects in different regions. Other studies have also looked at the relationship between sustainability performance/CSR/ESG and the risks related to the firms. But no study has been found that consider the relationship between ESG/CSR and more extreme stock price movements, i.e., so called stock price jumps, which is an important part of the total risk. To fill this knowledge gap, this study aims to investigate the relationship between firms ESG score, as well as how separate E, S and G scores, relate to stock price jumps.The Nordic countries are chosen as the research area as the four Nordic countries, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Norway are ranked among the top five countries in terms of ESG ratings for the last two years. Logically, the investors in these countries should be interested in the firms ESG score as well. Data source for this study is mainly the Thomson Reuters Eikon database. In total 105 companies listed in the Nordic Stock Exchanges have been selected as the sample within the time frame 2008-2017. The findings of this study indicate that, there is no statistically proven significant relationship between firms’ overall sustainability performance or the ESG score and the number of stock price jumps. However, some significantresults have been found at the country levelandforindividual E, S and G scores however. Therefore, individual environmental, social and governance scores have been recommended to be studied by investors before taking any investment decision if they want to reduce the probable stock price jump risk.

Abstract available in the Medicine and Sciences in Sports and Exercise.

Abstract available in the /Estimation_of_Power_Output_from_Static_and.1896.aspx">Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

Women are four to eight times more likely to injure their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) compared to men. It is most commonly injured through a non-contact mechanism during game time situations. During landings, women display valgus collapse, where a less active gluteus medius muscle (GMed) may be unable to control the internal rotation of the thigh, causing an increase in knee joint abduction angle, augmenting the risk of ACL injury. This study’s purpose was to determine the difference between 12 male and 12 female athletes in muscle activity, specifically the GMed, and the 3D kinematics and kinetics of the lower-limb during drop jump landings from three heights; maximum vertical jump height, tibial length, and a commonly used height of 40cm. Results showed that females had greater hip adduction and knee abduction angles compared to men. The GMed activity showed no significant differences between sexes at each drop jump height.

The optimization problems involving stochastic systems are often encountered in financial systems, networks design and routing, supply-chain management, actuarial science, telecommunications systems, statistical pattern recognition analysis associated with electronic commerce and medical diagnosis. / This thesis aims to develop computational methods for solving three optimization problems, where their dynamical systems are described by three different classes of stochastic systems with jumps. / In Chapter 1, a brief review on optimization problems involving stochastic systems with jumps is given. It is then followed by the introduction of three optimization problems, where their dynamical systems are described by three different classes of stochastic systems with jumps. These three stochastic optimization problems will be studied in detail in Chapters 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The literature reviews on optimization problems involving these three stochastic systems with jumps are presented in the last three sections of each of Chapters 2, 3 and 4, respectively. / In Chapter 2, an optimization problem involving nonparametric regression with jump points is considered. A two-stage method is proposed for nonparametric regression with jump points. In the first stage, we identify the rough locations of all the possible jump points of the unknown regression function. In the second stage, we map the yet to be decided jump points into pre-assigned fixed points. In this way, the time domain is divided into several sections. Then the spline function is used to approximate each section of the unknown regression function. These approximation problems are formulated and subsequently solved as optimization problems. The inverse time scaling transformation is then carried out, giving rise to an approximation to the nonparametric regression with jump points. For illustration, several examples are solved by using this method. The result obtained are highly satisfactory. / In Chapter 3, the optimization problem involving nonparametric regression with jump curves is studied. A two-stage method is presented to construct an approximating surface with jump location curve from a set of observed data which are corrupted with noise. In the first stage, we detect an estimate of the jump location curve in a surface. In the second stage, we shift the jump location curve into a row pixels or column pixels. The shifted region is then divided into two disjoint subregions by the jump location row pixels. These subregions are expanded to two overlapping expanded subregions, each of which includes the jump location row pixels. We calculate artificial values at these newly added pixels by using the observed data and then approximate the surface on each expanded subregions in which the artificial values at the pixels in the jump location row pixels for each expanded subregion. The curve with minimal distance between the two surfaces is chosen as the curve dividing the region. Subsequently, two nonoverlapping tensor product cubic spline surfaces are obtained. Then, by carrying out the inverse space scaling transformation, the two fitted smooth surfaces in the original space are obtained. For illustration, a numerical example is solved using the method proposed. / In Chapter 4, a class of stochastic optimal parameter selection problems described by linear Ito stochastic differential equations with state jumps subject to probabilistic constraints on the state is considered, where the times at which the jumps occurred as well as their heights are decision variables. We show that this constrained stochastic impulsive optimal parameter selection problem is equivalent to a deterministic impulsive optimal parameter selection problem subject to continuous state inequality constraints, where the times at which the jumps occurred as well as their heights remain as decision variables. Then we show that this constrained deterministic impulsive optimal parameter selection problem can be transformed into an equivalent constrained deterministic impulsive optimal parameter selection problem with fixed jump times. We approximate the continuous state inequality constraints by a sequence of canonical inequality constraints. This leads to a sequence of approximate deterministic impulsive optimal parameter selection problems subject to canonical inequality constraints. For each of these approximate problems, we derive the gradient formulas of the cost function and the constraint functions. On this basis, an efficient computational method is developed. For illustration, a numerical example is solved. / Finally, Chapter 5 contains some concluding remarks and suggestions for future studies.

Title: Development of Czech achievements in jumping disciplines Objectives: We focused on achievements of the best jumpers from the Czech Republic and the world including the junior category in disciplines of long jump, triple jump, high jump and pole-jump in period from 1993 to 2016. We observed the development of achievements in particular jumping disciplines and then compared them with top achievements in the world during this time period. Methods: We observed and compared jumpers in disciplines of long jump, triple jump, high jump and pole-jump. We chose the 12 best jumpers from each discipline for each year. To have better clarity and more accurate analysis of data we worked then with group of best achievements, then with group of the average for top three, top six and top twelve achievements. We used basic statistical characteristics as the arithmetic average, frequency and standard deviation for the purpose of processing the results. Results: The best achievements of jumpers were unaffected by whether or not a top event took place in that year. To be in the group of top 12 achievements (CZ) it was necessary to jump in a long jump about 759 cm for men and about 616 cm for women. In triple jump it was for men at least 15,35 m and 12,65 m for women. In pole-jump men should reach about 5,2 m and...

Women are four to eight times more likely to injure their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) compared to men. It is most commonly injured through a non-contact mechanism during game time situations. During landings, women display valgus collapse, where a less active gluteus medius muscle (GMed) may be unable to control the internal rotation of the thigh, causing an increase in knee joint abduction angle, augmenting the risk of ACL injury. This study’s purpose was to determine the difference between 12 male and 12 female athletes in muscle activity, specifically the GMed, and the 3D kinematics and kinetics of the lower-limb during drop jump landings from three heights; maximum vertical jump height, tibial length, and a commonly used height of 40cm. Results showed that females had greater hip adduction and knee abduction angles compared to men. The GMed activity showed no significant differences between sexes at each drop jump height.

The purpose of this project was to explore the possibility of using the accelerometer in a mobile device to measure acceleration instead of professional laboratory equipment. Five subjects performed ten vertical jumps each. The equipment used for the purpose of this project was a mobile device, force plate and a motion capture system, of which the last one mentioned was used as a reference for comparison against the others. The data from the mobile device was split into two groups of datasets, where the first one was the nominal acceleration from the raw data and the second one the acceleration when the phones orientation was taken into consideration. The height was calculated by using the double summation, take-off velocity and flight-time. All the data was compiled where the mean deviation, standard deviation, R-value and R-Squared was calculated for each method. The take-off velocity was later used as the final method to give it a fair and equal comparison. The result showed that the force plate was significantly better and more reliable than the mobile device. When comparing the different datasets from the phone, the orientation adapted data performed better than the raw data. The conclusion made from this project was that the force plate is still significantly better than the mobile device regardless of the type of data, but the orientation adapted data demonstrates a result in the right direction.

Title: Draft of the coach manual for skicross coaches Objetives: The aim of the diploma thesis is to create draft of the coach manual for skicross. Draft containing a methodological procedure for the acquisition of specific technical aspects in the discipline of skicross, draft of a training concept and introduction to the historical development of the discipline and to its rules. Methods: There was used the method of critical analysis of the documents. Then data from the author's experiences who was the coach in this discipline. And data obtained from interviews with selected respondents. Results: The result of the thesis is the draft of a comprehensive methodology and clarification of specific technical aspects for this discipline. Furthermore, the introduction to the long-term training concept and the periodization of the training process of this discipline. This thesis also presents the characteristics of this discipline, its historical development and rules. Conclusion: The draft of the methodology together with the draft of a long-term training concept will serve as a basis for the creation of a comprehensive coaching manual in the future. As there is no other methodology from abroad we must take into account the fact that this methodological approach and its procedures will change and adjust...