How peer mentoring fosters graduate attributes

The most common approach to foster graduate attributes is to teach them in the curriculum of a bachelor’s degree. However, it is difficult to include every graduate attribute in every degree. In this article we consider how co-curricular peer mentoring might provide an additional approach. We examine a case study of the mentors of the Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) programme at a research-intensive university in New Zealand, and we examine the process by which they developed graduate attributes. PASS mentors reported that they developed a range of graduate attributes such as communication, critical thinking, and ethical responsibility, due to the extra responsibility and leadership involved in being a mentor in an authentic work environment. We argue that co-curricular programmes such as PASS can provide useful additional opportunities for students to acquire and develop graduate attributes. While not all students will be able to participate as PASS mentors, we also argue that our findings can inform other programmes for fostering graduate attributes. If these programmes offer authentic responsibilities to participating students, they may be more effective at fostering graduate attributes

The Effects of Shoe Design on Lower Limb Running Kinematics

The preference of running as a form of exercise exposes more recreational athletes to the risk of injury. Stress fractures occur for 0.7-20% of all running injuries (Wilder & Sethi, 2004) and 24-50% of stress fractures occur in the tibia (Aweid, Aweid, Talibi, & Porter, 2013). Stress fractures have been associated with high vertical impact peaks while running (Willy & Davis, 2013) so methods such as barefoot running and minimalist shoes aim to reduce these impact peaks by enforcing a more forefoot running pattern. Shoes with a lower drop height have been shown to induce a more forefoot running pattern without the discomfort of running barefoot or in non-cushioned minimalist shoes (Horvais & Samozino, 2012). The purpose of this study was to compare ankle joint kinematics, dorsiflexor muscle activity, and tibial axial acceleration while wearing low and high heel-drop shoes. Six female participants (19.8(1.0) years, 163.0(3.8) cm, and 60.4(5.5) kg) who ran a minimum of 10 miles per week provided informed consent prior to testing. Participants were equipped with a 16g BioNomadix tri-axial accelerometer attached to the tibia, a Bi-axial electrogoniometer attached at the ankle, two Ag-AgCl surface electrodes attached to the tibialis anterior with adhesive discs, one reference electrode placed on the anteromedial aspect of the tibia (not above a muscle), and a heart rate monitor. Participants completed two data running trials at a target effort of 65-70% of the heart rate reserve. Trials were performed in different shoes (drop heights 4mm(S1) and 11.7mm(S2)) with a minimum 10-minute rest between trials. Paired t-tests were used to compare conditions for each variable. Mean ankle angles at ground contact (S1=100.9(3.8)°, S2=102.6(3.0)°) were not significantly different (t(5)=-1.465, p=0.203) and had a small effect size (Cohen d=0.598). Mean peak tibial accelerations (S1=5.22(2.51g), S2=5.90(2.90)g) were not significantly different (t(5)=-1.238, p=0.271) and had a small effect size (Cohen d=0.505). The mean percentages of maximal EMG for the tibialis anterior (S1=66.2(45.7)%, S2=55.6(38.5)%) were not significant (t(5)=1.380, p=0.226) and had a small effect size (Cohen d=0.563). Though differences were observed between shoe conditions for each participant, the shoe drop height did not significantly affect the measured variables and cannot be assumed to be responsible for these observed differences

GPIM AF-M315E Propulsion System

The NASA Space Technology mission Directorate's (STMD) Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) Technology Demonstration Mission (TDM) will demonstrate an operational AF-M315E green propellant propulsion system. Aerojet-Rocketdyne is responsible for the development of the propulsion system payload. This paper statuses the propulsion system module development, including thruster design and system design; Initial test results for the 1N engineering model thruster are presented. The culmination of this program will be high-performance, green AF-M315E propulsion system technology at TRL 7+, with components demonstrated to TRL 9, ready for direct infusion to a wide range of applications for the space user community

Physical, Cardiovascular, & Metabolic Effects of Non-Exercise Weighted Vest Training

Introduction: The high prevalence of obesity and sedentary lifestyle contribute to the growing burden of health care costs, incidence of disease, and mortality, making a lifestyle that includes regular physical activity increasingly important. Low intensity resistance training has been studied as a possible intervention to increase physical activity in inactive individuals. Purpose: To determine the effects of a weighted vest treatment (WV) on steady state VO2, O2 deficit, VO2max, body mass index (BMI), and resting blood pressure (RBP). Methods: Fourteen college age women participated in a 4 week trial and completed both pre and posttest evaluations. These evaluations included a submaximal exercise bout, a maximal graded exercise test, determination of BMI, and measurement of RBP. Seven participants wore a weighted vest, fitted with 10% of their body weight, during normal daily activities for a minimum of 10 hours a day, 5 days each week. The remaining 7 participants served as a control group. ANCOVAs, with pretest measures serving as the covariates, were conducted to determine the effect of WV on posttest responses. Results: Mean (sd) pre-test O2 deficit values were 0.64 (0.18) and 0.68 (0.18) for the control and WV groups, respectively. Mean (sd) post-test O2 deficit values were 0.62 (0.15) and 0.38 (0.17) for the control and WV groups, respectively. Results of the ANCOVA revealed a significant effect of WV on O2 deficit with O2 deficit values being lower following WV (F(1,11) = 7.30, p = 0.02). Further, WV accounted for about 40% of the change observed in posttest O2 deficit values (ηp2 = 0.40). However, no significant effect of WV was seen on steady state VO2, VO2 max, BMI, or RBP. Conclusion: WV resulted in lower O2 deficit values suggesting that it could elicit training effects related to improved aerobic function. Possible explanations for the lack of effects on other variables could be related to the limitations imposed by the relatively small sample size and trial length. Future studies designed with larger sample sizes and longer trial periods might prove more effective in evaluating the effect of WV on eliciting health related benefits

EFFECT OF BLOCK DESIGN ON ROTATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A SWIM START

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of start block design on the rotational characteristics of a swim start. Seven male and seven female university-level competitive swimmers (21.1±2.1 yrs, 1.79±0.08 m, 75.6±11.8 kg) completed three maximal effort swim starts under each of four conditions, flat block with no kick plate, flat block with a kick plate, inclined block with no kick plate and inclined block with a kick plate. Temporal and kinematic variables and angular momentum were determined for each start using a two-dimensional video analysis. Use of an inclined block significantly reduced block time by 4%, reduced time to 5m by 2.2% and reduced vertical velocity at entry by 4.9% compared to a flat block. Use of a kick plate significantly reduced block time by 3.4%, reduced time to 5m by 3.4%, increased horizontal velocity at takeoff by 3.7%, increased horizontal velocity at entry by 2.7% and increased the body orientation angle at takeoff by 2.7% compared to not using a kick plate. Neither block inclination nor use of a kick plate affected airborne whole body angular momentum. These data support using an inclined block platform and kick plate to improve start performance and suggest that experienced swimmers can adapt the rotational characteristics of their start to different conditions

Effect of Block Design on Rotational Characteristics of a Swim Start

Start block design in swimming had received little attention in the literature until the introduction of the kick plate. De Jesus et al. (2022) and Beretic et al. (2012) concluded that use of the kick plate provided advantages primarily in reducing block time and generating greater horizontal takeoff velocity and flight distance. This previous work has not considered how block design may affect the rotational characteristics of a swim start. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of start block design on the rotational characteristics of a swim start. METHODS: Fourteen university-level competitive swimmers (21.1±2.1 yrs, 1.79±0.08 m, 75.6±11.8 kg) completed three maximal effort swim starts under each of four conditions, flat block with no kick plate, flat block with a kick plate, inclined block with no kick plate and inclined block with a kick plate. Temporal and kinematic variables and angular momentum were measured for each start using a two-dimensional video analysis. RESULTS: Use of an inclined block significantly (pCONCLUSION: These data support using an inclined block platform and kick plate to improve start performance and suggest that experienced swimmers can adapt the rotational characteristics of their start to different conditions

Lower Extremity Muscle Activity When Walking on a Non-Motorized Treadmill

Effective interventions for increasing walking speed are important for improving health and quality of life in aging populations. Non-motorized treadmills (NMT) may enhance the ability to develop or improve motor control in gait by requiring the participant to produce and maintain speed as compared to use of a motorized treadmill (MT) which requires one to simply match speed. PURPOSE: The purpose of this project was to compare muscle activation patterns of lower extremity muscles between MT, NMT and overground (OG) walking. METHODS: Twenty healthy adults (24.4±7.2 yrs, 1.75±0.09 m, 75.4±13.1 kg) completed one trial of walking at each of three speeds (2.5, 3.5, 4.5 mph) and three modes (OG, MT, NMT). Surface EMG of the Biceps Femoris (BF), Tibialis Anterior (TA), Gastrocnemius (GA), and Vastus Medialis (VM) was collected at 1000 Hz using electrodes placed longitudinally at the midpoint of the muscle belly. After removing DC bias, EMG RMS was computed using a moving window of 250 ms. Peak EMG RMS within a stride was averaged across 8 consecutive gait cycles identified using vertical acceleration measured with a triaxial accelerometer. Separate 3x3 repeated measures ANOVA’s were used to compare muscle activity across walking speed and mode for each muscle. RESULTS: For all muscles, there was no significant interaction between walking mode and speed. Muscle activity significantly increased with walking speed (p\u3c0.05). TA, VM, and GA activity was not different between walking modes (p\u3c0.05). At 2.5 mph, GA muscle activity, was significantly (p\u3c0.001) higher for NMT (0.44±0.16 mV) than MT (0.33±0.13 mV) and OG (0.31±0.14 mV) but MT and OG were not different. At 3.5 mph, GA muscle activity, was significantly (p\u3c0.001) higher for NMT (0.49±0.19 mV) than MT (0.36±0.15 mV) and OG (0.36±0.17 mV) but MT and OG were not different. At 4.5 mph, GA muscle activity, was significantly (p\u3c0.001) higher for NMT (0.58±0.28 mV) than MT (0.47±0.19 mV) and OG (0.44±0.19 mV) but MT and OG were not different. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that use of NMT accentuates plantar flexor activity when walking. Given that reduced plantar flexor activity contributes to reduced gait speed in older adults, use of NMT has potential for clinical use in treatment of gait deficiencies in aging adults

Enabling High Performance Green Propulsion for SmallSats

Combining a robust semi-autonomous manufacturing capability with a new form of digital assurance is enabling Raytheon to manufacture low cost, highly reliable small satellites

Effect of Two Week L-Arginine Supplementation on Variables Related to Endurance and Strength Performance in Collegiate Football Players

Background: It has been shown that a month-long supplementation period of L-arginine, coupled with exercise training, increases exercise performance more than either supplementation or exercise alone (Hambrecht et al., 2000). Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a shorter 2 wk L-arginine supplementation period on factors related to endurance and strength performance. Methods: Twelve collegiate football players volunteered to participate in this study. The control group (n = 6) and treatment group (n = 6) both participated in the same off-season training program that consisted of strength training 3 d/wk and agility training 2 d/wk. In addition, the treatment group received 1g of L-arginine twice daily, whereas the control group received a placebo twice daily. At the beginning of the study, participants performed a baseline bench press maximum repetitions test at 70% of their most recently recorded bench press 1 RM (MMR). The participants also performed a graded exercise test (GXT) on a cycle ergometer to volitional exhaustion. Following baseline testing, participants immediately began the supplementation period, and were retested in the MMR and the GXT after 2 wk of supplementation. The effect of supplementation on each dependent variable was determined using ANCOVA with pretests serving as the covariates. Results: ANCOVA did not reveal significant effects of L-arginine supplementation on MMR (F(1,9) = 1.71, p = 0.22), VO2max (F(1,9) = 1.08, p = 0.33), time to exhaustion in the GXT (F(1,9) = 0.19, p = 0.67) , or HRmax during the GXT (F(1,9) = 4.79, p = 0.06). Conclusion: A 2 wk supplementation period coupled with training may not be of sufficient length to improve factors related to endurance and strength performance in trained college-aged men