“It’s my dream to work with Olympic athletes”: Neophyte sport psychologists’ expectations and initial experiences regarding service delivery

We examined trainee practitioners' initial experiences of applied sport psychology practice. Semi-structured interviews (4) were conducted over 6 months with 7 full-time MSc students before, during, and after the applied sport psychology module, when they were working with clients. Participants also kept reflective diaries over an 8-week period whilst working with clients. Findings included: (a) motivations and expectations of an ASP practice career, (b) perceptions of service delivery, (c) emotional demands, and (d) pivotal experiences. Findings extend previous literature on the initial stages of practitioner development, providing micro-level detail on aspects of the intense development process during this pivotal perio

Tapering practices of New Zealand's elite raw powerlifters

Pritchard, HJ, Tod, DA, Barnes, MJ, Keogh, JW, and McGuigan, MR. Tapering practices of New Zealand's elite raw powerlifters. J Strength Cond Res 30(7): 1796-1804, 2016-The major aim of this study was to determine tapering strategies of elite powerlifters. Eleven New Zealand powerlifters (28.4 ± 7.0 years, best Wilks score of 431.9 ± 43.9 points) classified as elite were interviewed, using semistructured interviews, about their tapering strategies. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and content analyzed. Total training volume peaked 5.2 ± 1.7 weeks from competition while average training intensity (of 1 repetition maximum) peaked 1.9 ± 0.8 weeks from competition. During tapering, volume was reduced by 58.9 ± 8.4% while intensity was maintained (or slightly reduced) and the final weight training session was performed 3.7 ± 1.6 days out from competition. Participants generally stated that tapering was performed to achieve full recovery; that accessory work was removed around 2 weeks out from competition; and deadlifting takes longer to recover from than other lifts. Typically participants stated that trial and error, and changes based on "feel" were the sources of tapering strategies; equipment used and movements performed during tapering are the same as in competition; nutrition was manipulated during the taper (for weight cutting or performance aims); and poor tapering occurred when too long (1 week or more) was taken off training. These results suggest that athletes may benefit from continuing to strength train before important events with reduced volume and maintained intensity. Only exercises that directly assist sports performance should remain in the strength program during tapering, to assist with reductions in fatigue while maintaining/improving strength expression and performance

Adsorption behavior of organic molecules: a study of benzotriazole on Cu(111) with spectroscopic and theoretical methods

The adsorption of organic molecules on solid substrates is important to applications in fields such as catalysis, photovoltaics, corrosion inhibition, adhesion, and sensors. The molecular level description of the surface-molecule interaction and of the adsorption structures in these complex systems is crucial to understand their properties and function. Here we present the investigation of one such system, benzotriazole (BTAH) on single crystal Cu(111) in vacuum conditions. BTAH is the most widely used corrosion inhibitor for copper and thus a molecule of great industrial relevance. We show that the co-application of a wide range of spectroscopic techniques with theoretical methods provides unique insight in the description of the atomistic details of the adsorbed structures. Specifically, spectroscopic photoemission, absorption and standing wave experiments combined with ab initio computational modeling allowed us to identify that benzotriazole forms overlayers of intact BTAH when deposited at low temperature and it dissociates into BTA and H at room temperature and above. The dissociated molecule then forms complex structures of mixed chains and dimers of BTA bound to copper adatoms. Our work also reveals that copper adatoms at low concentrations, such as the theoretically predicted superstructures cannot be be resolved by means of current X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) as the modelled Cu 2p spectra are practically indistinguishable from those for a Cu surface without adatoms. Overall this study significantly deepens understanding of BTAH on Cu - a system studied for more than 50 years - and it highlights the benefits of combining spectroscopic and computational methods in order to obtain a complete picture of a complex adsorption system

1001–24 Local Delivery of Urokinase to Porcine Coronary Arteries Using the Localmed Infusion Sleeve

Local Delivery of thrombolytic agents may reduce thrombus formation after balloon angioplasty. The Localmed Infusion Sleeve enables localized infusion of urokinase to be performed at the time of balloon angioplasty without the need for catheter exchange.MethodsBalloon angioplasty was performed on 13 coronary arteries of 5 pigs at 4 atmospheres with a balloon to artery ratio of approximately 1.1 to 1. After angioplasty the Infusion Sleeve was advanced over the dilatation balloon and the balloon was reinflated to 2 atmospheres to appose the sleeve to the vessel wall. 50,000 Units (8 cc) of 123l-urokinase was infused through the microperforations in the sleeve for 10 seconds by a computer controlled pump. The coronaries were then excised and counted in a gamma counter.ResultsConclusions(1) The Localmed Infusion Sleeve enables drug infusion to be uncoupled from balloon dilatation. (2) Successful delivery of Urokinase to the vessel wall may be achieved using this device without the need for catheter exchange. (3) Persistence of urokinase within the vessel wall occurs after local delivery

A Hubble Space Telescope Survey for Novae in M87. I. Light and Color Curves, Spatial Distributions, and the Nova Rate

The Hubble Space Telescope has imaged the central part of M87 over a 10 week span, leading to the discovery of 32 classical novae (CNe) and nine fainter, likely very slow, and/or symbiotic novae. In this first paper of a series, we present the M87 nova finder charts, and the light and color curves of the novae. We demonstrate that the rise and decline times, and the colors of M87 novae are uncorrelated with each other and with position in the galaxy. The spatial distribution of the M87 novae follows the light of the galaxy, suggesting that novae accreted by M87 during cannibalistic episodes are well-mixed. Conservatively using only the 32 brightest CNe we derive a nova rate for M87: 363^(+33)_(-45)novae yr^(−1). We also derive the luminosity-specific classical nova rate for this galaxy, which is 7.88^(+2.3)_(-2.6) yr^(-1)/10^(10) L⊙K. Both rates are 3–4 times higher than those reported for M87 in the past, and similarly higher than those reported for all other galaxies. We suggest that most previous ground-based surveys for novae in external galaxies, including M87, miss most faint, fast novae, and almost all slow novae near the centers of galaxies

Supersymmetry and Stationary Solutions in Dilaton-Axion Gravity

New stationary solutions of $4$-dimensional dilaton-axion gravity are presented, which correspond to the charged Taub-NUT and Israel-Wilson-Perjes (IWP) solutions of Einstein-Maxwell theory. The charged axion-dilaton Taub-NUT solutions are shown to have a number of interesting properties: i) manifest $SL(2,R)$ symmetry, ii) an infinite throat in an extremal limit, iii) the throat limit coincides with an exact CFT construction. The IWP solutions are shown to admit supersymmetric Killing spinors, when embedded in $d=4,N=4$ supergravity. This poses a problem for the interpretation of supersymmetric rotating solutions as physical ground states. In the context of $10$-dimensional geometry, we show that dimensionally lifted versions of the IWP solutions are dual to certain gravitational waves in string theory.Comment: 23 pages (latex), SU-ITP-94-12, UMHEP-407, QMW-PH-94-1

An Erupting Classical Nova in a Globular Cluster of M87

Only one certain classical nova eruption has ever been detected inside a globular cluster - nova 1860 A.D. (T Sco) in M80. During a survey of M87 we have detected an erupting star coincident (to within 0.08 pixels) with a globular cluster of that giant elliptical galaxy. We are able to discount variables in the foreground or background of M87. The light curve and color of the erupting star match those expected for a nova at the distance of M87. The chance superposition of an M87 field nova on the globular cluster is very unlikely but cannot be completely ruled out.Our detection hints at a globular cluster nova frequency $f \sim .004$ novae/cluster/year, much higher than previous observations have suggested

Microlensing Candidates in M87 and the Virgo Cluster with the Hubble Space Telescope

The position of the giant elliptical galaxy M87 at the center of the Virgo Cluster means that the inferred column density of dark matter associated with both the cluster halo and the galaxy halo is quite large. This system is thus an important laboratory for studying massive dark objects in elliptical galaxies and galaxy clusters by gravitational microlensing, strongly complementing the studies of spiral galaxy halos performed in the Local Group. We have performed a microlensing survey of M87 with the WFPC2 instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. Over a period of thirty days, with images taken once daily, we discover seven variable sources. Four are variable stars of some sort, two are consistent with classical novae, and one exhibits an excellent microlensing lightcurve, though with a very blue color implying the somewhat disfavored possibility of a horizontal branch source being lensed. Based on sensitivity calculations from artificial stars and from artificial lightcurves, we estimate the expected microlensing rate. We find that the detection of one event is consistent with a dark halo with a 20% contribution of microlensing objects for both M87 and the Virgo Cluster, similar to the value found from observations in the Local Group. Further work is required to test the hypothesized microlensing component to the cluster.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures, revised version submitted to Ap

The Purported Square Ice in Bilayer Graphene in a Nanoscale, Monolayer Object

The phase diagram of water is complex, and interfacial effects can stabilize unusual structures at the nanoscale. Here, we employ bond order accelerated molecular dynamics simulations to show that upon encapsulation within bilayer graphene, water can spontaneously adopt a two-dimensional (monomolecular) layer of “square ice” at ambient conditions, instead of an encapsulated water droplet. Free energy calculations show that this motif is thermodynamically stable up to diameters of approximately 15 nm due to enhanced hydrogen bonding and favorable binding to the graphene sheets. Entropic losses due to solidification and reduced graphene–graphene binding enthalpy are opposing thermodynamic forces that conspire to limit the maximum size, but modification of any of these thermodynamic factors should change the range of stability. Simulated core-level spectroscopy reveals unambiguous orientation dependent signatures of square ice that should be discernable in experiments

A Systematic Review of the Effect of Cognitive Strategies on Strength Performance

Background Researchers have tested the beliefs of sportspeople and sports medicine specialists that cognitive strategies influence strength performance. Few investigators have synthesised the literature. Objectives The specific objectives were to review evidence regarding (a) the cognitive strategy–strength performance relationship; (b) participant skill level as a moderator; and (c) cognitive, motivational, biomechanical/physiological, and emotional mediators. Method Studies were sourced via electronic databases, reference lists of retrieved articles, and manual searches of relevant journals. Studies had to be randomised or counterbalanced experiments with a control group or condition, repeated measures, and a quality control score above 0.5 (out of 1). Cognitive strategies included goal setting, imagery, self-talk, preparatory arousal, and free choice. Dependent variables included maximal strength, local muscular endurance, or muscular power. Results Globally, cognitive strategies were reliability associated with increased strength performance (results ranged from 61 to 65 %). Results were mixed when examining the effects of specific strategies on particular dependent variables, although no intervention had an overall negative influence. Indeterminate relationships emerged regarding hypothesised mediators (except cognitive variables) and participant skill level as a moderator. Conclusions Although cognitive strategies influence strength performance, there are knowledge gaps regarding specific types of strength, especially muscular power. Cognitive variables, such as concentration, show promise as possible mediators