Examining the differences between university students' levels of resilience on mindfulness, psychological distress and coping strategies

University students can face numerous stressors which can contribute to the development of psychological distress shown to be associated with decreasing completion and retention issues throughout Australian universities (Willcoxson, Cotter, & Joy, 2011). A positive predictor and outcome of successful student coping and adjustment to university and retention outcomes is resilience, the ability to cope in difficult situations and bounce back from adversity. Mindfulness has also been shown to be promote resilience. The present study examined differences in psychological distress, mindfulness, and coping strategies (adaptive vs. maladaptive) in university students (N = 122) with high and low levels of resilience. The results of a one-way MANOVA were consistent with hypotheses, revealing higher resilience scores were associated with greater mindfulness, higher adaptive coping scores, lower maladaptive coping, and reduced psychological distress. Students in the low resilience group were also found to have significantly lower levels of mindfulness, higher levels of psychological distress, reduced use of adaptive coping, and greater use of maladaptive coping, when compared to students with high resilience levels. Overall, findings of the current study are consistent with previous research and highlight the potential benefit of mindfulness-based coping interventions to foster resilience in university students

The relationship between motor control and phonology in dyslexic children

Background: The goal of this study was to investigate the automaticity/cerebellar theory of dyslexia. We tested phonological skills and cerebellar function in a group of dyslexic 8-12 year old children and their matched controls. Tests administered included the Phonological Assessment Battery, postural stability, bead threading, finger to thumb and time estimation. Results: Dyslexic children were found to be significantly poorer than the controls at all tasks but time estimation. About 75% of dyslexics were more than one standard deviation below controls in phonological ability, and 50% were similarly impaired in motor skills. However, at least part of the discrepancy in motor skills was due to dyslexic individuals who had additional disorders (ADHD and/or DCD). The absence of evidence for a time estimation deficit also casts doubt on the cerebellar origin of the motor deficiency. About half the dyslexic children didn't have any motor problem, and there was no evidence for a causal relationship between motor skills on the one hand and phonological and reading skills on the other. Conclusion: This study provides partial support for the presence of motor problems in dyslexic children, but does not support the hypothesis that a cerebellar dysfunction is the cause of their phonological and reading impairment

Advanced propulsion for LEO and GEO platforms

Mission requirements and mass savings applicable to specific low earth orbit and geostationary earth orbit platforms using three highly developed propulsion systems are described. Advanced hypergolic bipropellant thrusters and hydrazine arcjets can provide about 11 percent additional instrument payload to 14,000 kg LEO platforms. By using electric propulsion on a 8,000 kg class GEO platform, mass savings in excess of 15 percent of the beginning-of-life platform mass are obtained. Effects of large, advanced technology solar arrays and antennas on platform propulsion requirements are also discussed