2379 research outputs found
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The Ultimate Soccer Assessment
Get PDFMy project is a series of short assessments that can be done for soccer athletes that will get them in a place to perform their best and continue to stay healthy on and off the pitchhttps://scholarworks.merrimack.edu/rcac_2025_posters/1137/thumbnail.jp
Perceptions of Strength Training in Division I Cross Country Athletes: An Online Survey
Get PDFA common misconception among distance runners and coaches is that strength training negatively impacts performance due to increasing body weight. While it\u27s true that body weight can influence speed, this concern is often overstated. This study aimed to explore how collegiate distance runners perceive strength training. An online survey was distributed to members of the University of New Hampshire men’s and women’s cross-country teams to collect their responses. Frequency and descriptive analyses were used to identify common themes and gather quantitative insights from the data.https://scholarworks.merrimack.edu/rcac_2025_posters/1139/thumbnail.jp
An Excel-Based Load Management System for Athletes
Get PDFDrill menu and Practice Planner excel documents regarding a Catapult or other GPS load monitoring software. As well as a step by step manual on how to implement this and correlational data between estimated load and actual accumulated loads.https://scholarworks.merrimack.edu/rcac_2025_posters/1148/thumbnail.jp
Understanding the Body Inside and Out: O\u27Neill Movement Analysis
Get PDFThe O\u27Neill Movement Analysis is a comprehensive assessment of the athlete based off the findings of the joint-by-joint approach. The main goal of the OMA is to assess the stability and mobility of certain joints throughout the body starting from the ankles going up. This analysis will involve a scoring system for each joint/exercise and directives and training protocols for those who are at risk or do not pass the movement screening. The scoring system will allow me to determine which athletes pass the movement screening, those who do not pass but are not far off, and those who are at risk and have poor functionality. Once an athlete is assessed, program directives will be provided to guide your program to either improve in the weak areas or build upon their strengths. Creating an all-encompassing system that focuses on the anatomy and functionality of the athlete sets the benchmark for all athletes to stay healthy and be successful in their respective sport.https://scholarworks.merrimack.edu/rcac_2025_posters/1158/thumbnail.jp
Beyond their nutritional value, school meal programs support agricultural and food transition toward sustainability by creating multi-sectoral values in France
No full textThe COVID pandemic has highlighted the essential role of school meal programs, not only for education but also for children’s nutrition. In France, school meals are shaped by ambitious policies to ensure their safety and nutritional quality, while promoting sustainable eating practices and awareness of environmental and agricultural challenges. In this article, we used the case study of France to discuss the multi-sectoral value of these programs. The economic value of school meals in France amounts to €8.2 billion annually, of which 2.8 billion are dedicated to food purchases. Since 2022, the EGAlim and Climate and Resilience laws require canteens to offer one vegetarian meal per week and to source at least 50% of sustainable products with positive environmental or social impacts (e.g., certified products, organic farming, and short supply chains). These laws represent a potential support of €1.4 billion for more sustainable agriculture. School canteens also offer a unique opportunity for food education, allowing children to discover new types of food, notably with vegetarian menus. They can contribute to preventing childhood obesity by reducing exposure to ultra-processed foods. Additionally, they play an important role in social inclusion by providing subsidized meals for disadvantaged children. However, disparities in access to canteens persist due to the cost of meals, dietary restrictions or the presence of a parent at home. In conclusion, school meal programs in France generate significant multi-sectoral value in the areas of education, nutrition, agriculture, and social inclusion and support the transition to more sustainable food systems for future generations
The Realization of 3D Topological Spaces Branched Over Graphs
No full textIn this paper we present an implementation of a computer algorithm that automatically determines the topological structure of spacetime, using a branched covering space representation. This algorithm is applied to a few simple examples in dimension 3, and a complete set of the topological spaces branched over several graphs are found. We also include some new visualizations of the branched covering construction, in order to aid and clarify the understanding of how these structures can be used in quantum gravity to realize the topological nature of the spacetime foam
Quantifying the effects of ground-motion duration on seismic slope displacement analyses for subduction zone earthquakes
No full textSeismic slope displacement analyses are crucial for assessing the performance of earth systems and natural slopes under earthquake loading. Input ground motions are important components of such analyses and represent one of the main sources of variability in estimated values of slope displacement. Most studies on seismic slope displacement analyses have been conducted using shallow crustal earthquake motions. However, ground motions from subduction zones are known to have comparatively longer durations. This study proposes a framework to quantify the effects of ground‐motion duration on slope displacements using short‐ and long‐duration ground‐motion suites from subduction zone earthquakes. Challenges in isolating duration effects from those associated with the amplitude and frequency content of ground motions are overcome by creating sets of ground motions with the same amplitude and similar spectral shape, but with different significant durations. These equivalent short‐ and long‐duration suites of motions are then utilized in nonlinear finite‐element analyses to evaluate their impact on slope displacement. The finite‐element model is developed to numerically simulate the strength and stiffness degradation of soils under cyclic loading from strong ground shaking. We find that the long‐duration motions in our dataset can cause larger permanent displacements compared to their short‐duration counterparts (with similar spectral shape but different duration), especially at higher ground shaking intensity levels that can trigger nonlinear soil behavior. Comparisons with simplified analyses show that the simplified methods can result in biased estimates of permanent displacements from the long‐duration motions in our study. This study provides a framework to develop ground motion sets that can enable more in‐depth investigations of the role of duration on seismic slope displacements and the damage potential of ground motions, particularly from subduction events
Geospatial Site Amplification Model for California
No full textIn ground‐motion models (GMMs), site terms are typically derived from site‐specific velocity profiles, such as VS30 (the time‐averaged shear‐wave velocity to a depth of 30 m) and Z1.0 (the depth to the 1.0 km/s shear‐wave velocity horizon). However, these variables are not universally spatially available. This study presents a proof‐of‐concept model for linear site effects in GMMs for California, developed using broadly accessible geospatial datasets with spatial coverage across the entire study area. The model incorporates data from 95,898 recordings at 2,339 stations, as provided by the DesignSafe Ground‐Motion Database (Ji et al., 2022). Mapped geospatial variables, such as sediment thickness, elevation, and surficial geologic units, are compiled for each station. The target site amplification of peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity, and pseudospectral accelerations (PSA) from 0.01 to 10 s is decomposed from the residuals of the Boore et al. (2014) (BSSA14) GMM. A mixed‐effects linear regression model is developed using the compiled geospatial variables and validated through fivefold cross‐validation. A novel mapped categorical variable, the regional geological unit—defined as a combination of geomorphic provinces and geological units—is introduced due to its strong correlation with site amplification. The geospatial‐based site term shows a substantial reduction in site‐to‐site variability for site amplifications across all frequencies compared to the conventional velocity profile‐based site terms; on average, a 10.6% reduction in site‐to‐site variability is achieved compared to BSSA14 (with a 9.5% reduction at a PSA of 1 s). The model is an improved ergodic model, constructed using geospatial parameters that are mapped across California. This study illustrates the effectiveness of geospatial data as site proxies in developing site terms for GMMs and highlights the potential of geospatial variables for predicting site effects, especially in areas with sparse ground‐motion records or limited site‐specific velocity measurements
