Recommended Research Literature for Students in Undergraduate and Master\u27s Degree Survey Courses in Exercise Physiology--A Pilot Study

PURPOSE. This was a pilot project for an intended larger study to determine the most highly recommended published research papers for use in teaching introductory survey courses in exercise physiology at both the undergraduate and the master’s degree level. METHODS. Using Web sites of relevant departments of selected colleges and universities in Texas, we identified 38 faculty members that likely had taught introductory, survey courses in exercise physiology, and their email addresses. We sent a survey to these 38 via email, requesting response via return email, and we sent a follow-up email reminder 15 days after the initial email. The survey requested demographic information that we thought might be related to recommendations of research literature. And for undergraduate and master’s degree levels separately, the survey instrument asked for response to: “I do not think there are any specific research papers that students . . . should be exposed to. . .[and] If you did not mark the previous statement, please list papers . . .” RESULTS. Two persons replied that they had not taught introductory, survey courses. Twelve individuals who had taught such courses (33% of 36 potentially eligible survey recipients) responded to the survey. All 12 had taught an undergraduate course; for these, number of years of teaching ranged from 3 to 35 (mean = 15). Nine had taught a master’s level course; for these, number of years of teaching ranged from 3 to 25 (mean = 11). Of the 12 respondents who had taught an undergraduate course, eight (67%) recommended no specific research papers. The other four recommended a total of 24 specific papers, four original reports and 20 other types (e.g., reviews, position stands, editorials). No paper was recommended by more than one person. Six (67%) of the nine who had taught master’s level courses recommended no specific papers. Three reported that they required specific papers, but only one provided a list. CONCLUSIONS. This pilot study suggested that the larger-scale study is feasible and would yield results of interest to faculty who teach introductory exercise physiology courses. The results suggest that most faculty do not recommend specific research papers that students should consistently be exposed to in introductory, survey courses in exercise physiology at either the undergraduate or the master’s degree level. The validity of generalizing these results is very low, however

Trunk and lower extremity kinematics in individuals with and without patellofemoral pain syndrome

Objective: To compare trunk and lower extremity kinematics between subjects with PFPS and healthy controls and evaluate the influence of trunk kinematics on lower extremity kinematics for each group during a stair descent task. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Research laboratory. Participants: Twenty females with PFPS and 20 healthy females. Data Collection: Trunk, hip, and knee joint displacement in the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes. Results PFPS subjects displayed approximately 4 degree more knee internal rotation displacement than the control group (p=0.044). Trunk lateral flexion displacement was more predictive of knee internal rotation displacement for PFPS subjects whereas trunk rotation displacement was more predictive of knee internal rotation displacement for control subjects. Conclusion: Knee internal rotation may be a compensatory mechanism of those with PFPS to decrease pain during activity. Furthermore, assessment of the trunk should be considered in females with PFPS. Key Words: PFPS, knee internal rotation, trunk kinematics, stair descen

Trunk and Lower Extremity Kinematics During Stair Descent in Women With or Without Patellofemoral Pain

Context: There is limited evidence indicating the contribution of trunk kinematics to patellofemoral pain (PFP). A better understanding of the interaction between trunk and lower extremity kinematics in this population may provide new avenues for interventions to treat PFP. Objective: To compare trunk and lower extremity kinematics between participants with PFP and healthy controls during a stair-descent task. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty women with PFP (age = 22.2 +/- 3.1 years, height = 164.5 +/- 9.2 cm, mass = 63.5 +/- 13.6 kg) and 20 healthy women (age = 21.0 +/- 2.6 years, height = 164.5 +/- 7.1 cm, mass = 63.8 +/- 12.7 kg). Intervention(s): Kinematics were recorded as participants performed stair descent at a controlled velocity. Main Outcome Measure(s): Three-dimensional joint displacement of the trunk, hip, and knee during the stance phase of stair descent for the affected leg was measured using a 7-camera infrared optical motion-capture system. Pretest and posttest pain were assessed using a visual analogue scale. Kinematic differences between groups were determined using independent-samples t tests. A 2 3 2 mixed-model analysis of variance (group = PFP, control; time = pretest, posttest) was used to compare knee pain. Results: We observed greater knee internal-rotation displacement for the PFP group (12.8 degrees +/- 7.2 degrees) as compared with the control group (8.9 degrees +/- 4.4 degrees). No other between-groups differences were observed for the trunk, hip, or other knee variables. Conclusions: We observed no difference in trunk kinematics between groups but did note differences in knee internalrotation displacement. These findings contribute to the current knowledge of altered movement in those with PFP and provide direction for exercise interventions

Stochastic rocket dynamics under random nozzle side loads: Ornstein-Uhlenbeck boundary layer separation and its coarse grained connection to side loading and rocket response

A long-standing, though ill-understood problem in rocket dynamics, rocket response to random, altitude-dependent nozzle side-loads, is investigated. Side loads arise during low altitude flight due to random, asymmetric, shock-induced separation of in-nozzle boundary layers. In this paper, stochastic evolution of the in-nozzle boundary layer separation line, an essential feature underlying side load generation, is connected to random, altitude-dependent rotational and translational rocket response via a set of simple analytical models. Separation line motion, extant on a fast boundary layer time scale, is modeled as an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. Pitch and yaw responses, taking place on a long, rocket dynamics time scale, are shown to likewise evolve as OU processes. Stochastic, altitude-dependent rocket translational motion follows from linear, asymptotic versions of the full nonlinear equations of motion; the model is valid in the practical limit where random pitch, yaw, and roll rates all remain small. Computed altitudedependent rotational and translational velocity and displacement statistics are compared against those obtained using recently reported high fidelity simulations [Srivastava, Tkacik, and Keanini, J. Applied Phys., 108, 044911 (2010)]; in every case, reasonable agreement is observed. As an important prelude, evidence indicating the physical consistency of the model introduced in the above article is first presented: it is shown that the study's separation line model allows direct derivation of experimentally observed side load amplitude and direction densities. Finally, it is found that the analytical models proposed in this paper allow straightforward identification of practical approaches for: i) reducing pitch/yaw response to side loads, and ii) enhancing pitch/yaw damping once side loads cease.Comment: 60 pages, 8 figures, submitte

Regelungskonzept für eine schadstoffarme Gasturbinenbrennkammer

Den Gasturbinen wurde wegen ihres wachsenden Marktanteils in den letzten Jahren besondere Aufmerksamkeit geschenkt. Neben der Verbesserung des Wirkungsgrades wurden Entwicklungen zur Minimierung der Schadstoffemissionen vorangetrieben. Das Minderungspotential ist bei der Verwendung von Brenngasen der öffentlichen Gasversorgung besonders hoch. Während bei konventionellen Brennkammern eine Regelung der Verbrennung nicht notwendig ist, sind zur vollen Ausnutzung des Schadstoffreduktionspotentials und für einen sicheren und zuverlässigen Betrieb der Gasturbine neue Regelungskonzepte erforderlich. In dieser Arbeit wird ein Regelungskonzept für eine extrem schadstoffarme Gasturbinenbrennkammer für den Betrieb mit Erdgas vorgestellt. Die Regelung ist als Temperaturregelung konzipiert und den speziellen Anforderungen des Gasturbinenbetriebs angepaßt. Dabei wird die meßtechnisch schwer erfaßbare Flammentemperatur aus der gemessenen Luftzahl (λ-Wert) unter Annahme eines adiabaten Verbrennungsablaufs mittels der Wärmebilanz berechnet. Als Grundlage für den Entwurf des Regelungssystems wird für den Brenner und die angrenzenden Prozesse ein Modell erstellt. Das Regelungskonzept basiert auf drei wesentlichen Komponenten: Erstens wird die Zufuhr von Verbrennungsluft schnell, aber ungenau vorgesteuert und unterlagert nachgeregelt. Zweitens wird die Genauigkeit durch eine langsame überlagerte Temperaturregelung verbessert. Drittens wird die Genauigkeit durch eine Adaption weiter gesteigert. Die Effizienz des Regelungskonzeptes wird anhand von Simulationen sowie anhand von Versuchen an einem Brennerprototyp demonstriert

Trunk and Lower Extremity Kinematics During Stair Descent in Women With or Without Patellofemoral Pain

There is limited evidence indicating the contribution of trunk kinematics to patellofemoral pain (PFP). A better understanding of the interaction between trunk and lower extremity kinematics in this population may provide new avenues for interventions to treat PFP

Front Immunol

NK cells are phenotypically and functionally diverse lymphocytes due to variegated expression of a large array of receptors. NK-cell activity is tightly regulated through integration of receptor-derived inhibitory and activating signals. Thus, the receptor profile of each NK cell ultimately determines its ability to sense aberrant cells and subsequently mediate anti-viral or anti-tumor responses. However, an in-depth understanding of how different receptor repertoires enable distinct immune functions of NK cells is lacking. Therefore, we investigated the phenotypic diversity of primary human NK cells by performing extensive phenotypic characterization of 338 surface molecules using flow cytometry (n = 18). Our results showed that NK cells express at least 146 receptors on their surface. Of those, 136 (>90%) exhibited considerable inter-donor variability. Moreover, comparative analysis of CD56bright and CD56dim NK cells identified 70 molecules with differential expression between the two major NK-cell subsets and allowed discrimination of these subsets via unsupervised hierarchical clustering. These receptors were associated with a broad range of NK-cell functions and multiple molecules were not previously associated with predominant expression on either subset (e.g. CD82 and CD147). Altogether, our study contributes to an improved understanding of the phenotypic diversity of NK cells and its potential functional implications on a cellular and population level. While the identified distinct signatures in the receptor repertoires provide a molecular basis for the differential immune functions exerted by CD56bright and CD56dim NK cells, the observed inter-individual differences in the receptor repertoire of NK cells may contribute to a diverging ability to control certain diseases

Comparison of achievement test scores of piano students who participate in music theory learning activities based on the theory of multiple intelligences and students who participate in traditional piano studio theory activities

Piano students ages 7 to 11 who had five months to one year of piano study were assigned to two groups for music theory instruction. Control group A received a traditional approach using standardized workbook exercises. Experimental group B received instruction using learning centers based on the theory of multiple intelligences. The students met for one hour once a week for ten weeks. The first and last weeks were used for a pretest and posttest. The Whitlock Student Affiliate Theory Test developed by the Texas Music Teachers Association was used as the measure of achievement. Weeks two and three were spent doing readiness activities with each group. The following six weeks comprised the treatment weeks of this research. A statistical comparison of the pretest and posttest scores was completed by a two-way ANOVA with repeated measures. Results indicated that both groups made substantial improvements in their mean scores. But there was no statistically significant difference in the gains of mean scores between the groups