Developing a Graduate Master's Degree Program in Engineering Technology: Overview of Program Objectives, Structure and Impact

A study was conducted to outline the state of graduate master’s degree programs in engineering technology that are currently offered in the nation and particularly in the state of Texas, and to reflect on their core learning objectives, structure, demand, demographics, and impact. The trends identified were discussed in light of assembling a Master of Science in Engineering Technology (MSET) degree with a concentration in Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology (MMET) within the department of Engineering Technology & Industrial Distribution (ETID) at Texas A&M University (TAMU). Though Bachelor’s degrees in engineering technology are generally larger in terms of the numbers of programs offered as well as in enrollment, graduate master’s degrees in engineering technology are becoming increasingly popular, especially since they offer a unique hands-on and industry-focused education at a graduate level that many regional employers seek. In this paper, the commonalities among these currently offered programs were outlined and discussed, especially in terms of the makeup of the program structure, courses, and learning objectives; these were then contrasted with aspects of the degree program currently being developed at TAMU. Further, a brief assessment of the potential job market awaiting the graduates from this program, as well as the expected student demand was presented. Future work includes continued refinement of the curriculum and other program details by drawing upon the best attributes of currently offered similar programs.Cockrell School of Engineerin

Exercise intensity-dependent effects of arm and leg-cycling on cognitive performance

Physiological responses to arm and leg-cycling are different, which may influence psychological and biological mechanisms that influence post-exercise cognitive performance. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of maximal and submaximal (absolute and relative intensity matched) arm and leg-cycling on executive function. Thirteen males (age, 24.7 ± 5.0 years) initially undertook two incremental exercise tests to volitional exhaustion for arm-cycling (82 ± 18 W) and leg-cycling (243 ± 52 W) for the determination of maximal power output. Participants subsequently performed three 20-min constant load exercise trials: (1) arm-cycling at 50% of the ergometer-specific maximal power output (41 ± 9 W), (2) leg-cycling at 50% of the ergometer-specific maximal power output (122 ± 26 W), and (3) leg-cycling at the same absolute power output as the submaximal arm-cycling trial (41 ± 9 W). An executive function task was completed before, immediately after and 15-min after each exercise test. Exhaustive leg-cycling increased reaction time (p 0.05). Improvements in reaction time following arm-cycling were maintained for at least 15-min post exercise (p = 0.008, d = -0.73). Arm and leg-cycling performed at the same relative intensity elicit comparable improvements in cognitive performance. These findings suggest that individuals restricted to arm exercise possess a similar capacity to elicit an exercise-induced cognitive performance benefit

Effect of arm movement and task difficulty level on balance performance in healthy children:are there sex differences?

OBJECTIVE: In children, studies have shown that balance performance is worse in boys compared to girls and further studies revealed inferior performance when arm movement was restricted during balance assessment. However, it remains unclear whether restriction of arm movement during balance testing differentially affects children’s balance performance (i.e., boys more than girls). Thus, we compared the influence of arm movement on balance performance in healthy boys versus girls (mean age: ~ 11.5 years) while performing balance tasks with various difficulty level. RESULTS: In nearly all tests, balance performance (i.e., timed one-legged stance, 3-m beam walking backward step number, Lower Quarter Y-Balance test reach distance) was significantly worse during restricted compared to free arm movement but without any differences between sexes or varying levels of task difficulty. These findings indicated that balance performance is negatively affected by restriction of arm movement, but this does not seem to be additionally influenced by children’s sex and the level of task difficulty

Effect of arm movement on balance performance in children: role of expertise in gymnastics

OBJECTIVE: Studies have shown that balance performance is better in gymnasts compared to age-/sex-matched controls and further studies revealed superior performance when arms were free to move during assessment of balance. However, it is unknown whether free arm movement during balance testing differentially affects balance performance with respect to sports expertise (i.e., gymnasts are less affected than age-/sex-matched controls). Therefore, we investigated the effect of arm movement on balance performance in young female gymnasts compared to age-/sex-matched controls while performing balance tasks with various difficulty levels. RESULTS: In both samples, balance performance (except for the timed one-legged stance) was significantly better during free compared to restricted arm movement conditions and this was especially observed in the highest task difficulty condition of the 3-m beam walking backward test. These findings revealed that balance performance is positively affected by free arm movements, but this does not seem to be additionally influenced by the achieved expertise level in young gymnasts

The influence of false interoceptive feedback on emotional state and balance responses to height-induced postural threat

Postural threat elicits a robust emotional response (e.g., fear and anxiety about falling), with concomitant modifications in balance. Recent theoretical accounts propose that emotional responses to postural threats are manifested, in part, from the conscious monitoring and appraisal of bodily signals (‘interoception’). Here, we empirically probe the role of interoception in shaping emotional responses to a postural threat by experimentally manipulating interoceptive cardiac feedback. Sixty young adults completed a single 60-s trial under the following conditions: Ground (no threat) without heart rate (HR) feedback, followed by Threat (standing on the edge of a raised surface), during which participants received either false heart rate feedback (either slow [n=20] or fast [n=20] HR feedback) or no feedback (n=20). Participants provided with false fast HR feedback during postural threat felt more fearful, reported feeling less stable, and rated the task more difficult than participants who did not receive HR feedback, or those who received false slow HR feedback (Cohen’s d effect size = 0.79 – 1.78). However, behavioural responses did not significantly differ across the three groups. When compared to the no HR feedback group, false slow HR feedback did not significantly affect emotional or behavioural responses to the postural threat. These observations provide the first experimental evidence for emerging theoretical accounts describing the role of interoception in the generation of emotional responses to postural threats

Balance performance of healthy young individuals in real versus matched virtual environments:a systematic scoping review

Background: Due to technological advancements and the development of consumer-oriented head mounted displays (HMDs), virtual reality (VR) is used in studies on balance performance and balance trainability more and more frequently. Yet, it may be assumed that balance performance is affected by the physical characteristics of the HMD (e.g., weight) as well as by the virtual visual environment. Moreover, it has been shown that balance is age-dependent with children and adolescents showing worse performances compared to young adults, which may also affect their balance performance in virtual environments.Objectives: The present systematic scoping review aims to provide an overview on the current evidence regarding balance performance of healthy, young individuals (6–30 years) in real and matched virtual environments.Methods: A systematic literature search in the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus (from their inception date to February 2024) resulted in 9,554 studies potentially eligible for inclusion. Eligibility criteria were: (i) investigation of healthy, young individuals (6–30 years), (ii) balance assessment in the real and a matched virtual environment, (iii) use of a fully immersive HMD, (iv) reporting of at least one balance parameter. A total of 10 studies met the predefined inclusion criteria and were thus included in this review. All studies were conducted with healthy, young adults (19–30 years).Results: Five studies assessed static balance, four studies quantified dynamic balance, and one study measured static as well as dynamic balance performance. In healthy young adults, static balance performance was similar with and without VR during simple standing tasks (e.g., two-legged stance), but worse in VR during more challenging tasks (e.g., one-legged stance). Concerning dynamic balance, four out of five studies reported worse performance in VR, while one study did not find differences between visual environments. Most importantly, none of the studies investigating healthy children (6–12 years) and/or adolescents (13–18 years) met the predefined inclusion criteria.Conclusion: In healthy young adults, balance performance seems to be affected by VR only during challenging static (e.g., one-legged stance) as well as during dynamic balance tasks. The underlying causes remain unclear, but factors such as perceived presence in VR, a shift in sensory organization and/or perceptual distortion may play a role. Of particular importance is the finding that there is a void in the literature on the influence of VR on balance performance of healthy children and adolescents

Force-time characteristics of repeated bouts of depth jumps and the effects of compression garments

No studies have reported ground-reaction force (GRF) profiles of the repeated depth-jump (DJ) protocols commonly used to study exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). Furthermore, whilst compression garments (CG) may accelerate recovery from EIMD, any effects on the repeated-bout effect are unknown. Therefore, we investigated the GRF profiles of two repeated bouts of damage-inducing DJs, and the effects of wearing CG for recovery. Non-resistance trained males randomly received CG (n=9) or placebo (n=8) for 72 h recovery, following 20 x 20 m sprints and 10 x 10 DJs from 0.6 m. Exercise was repeated after 14 days. Using a three-way (set x bout x group) design, changes in GRF were assessed with ANOVA and statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Jump height, reactive strength, peak and mean propulsive forces declined between sets (p<0.001). Vertical stiffness, contact time, force at zero velocity and propulsive duration increased (p<0.05). According to SPM, braking (17–25% of the movement), and propulsive forces (58–81%) declined (p<0.05). During the repeated bout, peak propulsive force and duration increased (p<0.05), whilst mean propulsive force (p<0.05) and GRF from 59–73% declined (p<0.001). A repeated bout of DJs differed in propulsive GRF, without changes to the eccentric phase, or effects from CG