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Irrigation methods that can minimize water use are needed, and the performance of recently released ‘KSUZ 0802’ hybrid zoysiagrass (Zoysia matrella × Zoysia japonica) has not been evaluated under such management. Therefore, field experiments were conducted in Manhattan, KS, and Dallas, TX, USA, to compare the amount of water applied and ‘KSUZ 0802’ performance and recovery resulting from irrigation using the following: 1) routine irrigation (1.2 inches/week), 2) evapotranspiration (ET)-based irrigation (60% of reference ET), 3) soil moisture sensor (SMS)-based irrigation, and 4) no irrigation. The experiment was conducted under a rainout shelter in Kansas from 15 Jul to 27 Sep 2019 and 8 Jun to 19 Oct 2020, and in Texas the experiment was conducted under open field conditions from 22 Jun to 9 Sep 2020. The SMS-based irrigation method in Kansas reduced water application by 68% and 52%, respectively, compared with routine or ET-based irrigation. In Texas, the corresponding water savings were 29% and 13%, respectively. The water savings discrepancy was mainly due to differences in local weather conditions and irrigation demand. Visual turf quality of turf receiving SMS-based irrigation remained above the minimally acceptable level throughout the study in Kansas, whereas in Texas, turf quality declined below acceptable level after 2 weeks. In Kansas, turf retained acceptable quality for more than 21 days with no irrigation, and after rewatering, nonirrigated turf recovered back to significant green cover (93% in 2019 and 67% in 2020). ‘KSUZ 0802’ demonstrated good drought tolerance and recovery in Kansas.

The college years are a critical period for students to adopt and strengthen health behaviors, such as physical activity (PA), that support their physical and mental health. This exploratory study examines the relationship between students' perceptions of a caring and task-involving climate (CTIC) at their campus recreation center (CRC) to their feelings of thriving, effort, and enjoyment. Students ( N = 161) at a large Midwestern university volunteered to complete a brief survey. A canonical correlation analysis indicated students' perceptions of a CTIC were significantly and positively related to thriving (vitality and learning), effort, and enjoyment. Although future research is needed to further examine thriving in PA settings, the construct may be key in understanding college students' experiences at CRCs and the benefits that may result from experiencing a supportive environment, allowing individuals to focus on their personal effort and improvement as measures of success.

The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating role of mindful engagement in the relationship between male high school athletes’ motivational climate perceptions on their teams (i.e., caring, task-, and ego-involving climate) to athlete coachability. Athletes (N = 164, Mage = 15.58 years) from multiple sports completed measures assessing mindful engagement in sport (Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale—Revised), Caring Climate Scale, task- and ego-involving climate perceptions (Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire), and coachability (Athletic Coping Skills Inventory). Initial bivariate correlations linked mindful engagement and coachability positively with perceptions of a caring and task-involving climate and negatively with ego-involving climate perceptions. Structural equation modeling analyses then revealed mindful engagement mediated the relationship between climate and coachability. Encouraging coaches and players to foster a caring/task-involving climate might assist in enhancing athletes’ mindful engagement in sport, which may positively influence the degree to which they are coachable.

Psychological coping skills in sport are believed to be central to athlete performance and well-being. This study examined the relationship between the perceived motivational climate in elite collegiate sport teams and player psychological coping skills use. Division I athletes (N = 467) completed a questionnaire examining their perceptions of how caring, task-, and ego-involving their teams were and their use of sport specific psychological coping skills (i.e., coping with adversity, peaking under pressure, goal setting/mental preparation, concentration, freedom from worry, confidence/achievement motivation, and coachability). Structural equation modeling revealed positive relationships between perceptions of a task-involving climate and confidence/achievement motivation (β = 0.42) and goal setting/mental preparation (β = 0.27). Caring climate perceptions were positively associated with coachability (β = 0.34). These findings illustrate how encouraging athletes and coaches to create a caring, task-involving climate may facilitate athletes’ use of psychological coping skills and set athletes up to perform their best and have a positive sporting experience.

Biology laboratory instructors play a key role in creating an optimal environment where college students try hard and enjoy their classroom experiences. This study used achievement goal perspective theory to examine the influence of instructor behaviors on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students' perceptions of the motivational climate (caring, task, ego) and their adaptive (i.e., effort, enjoyment, performance self-esteem, and social self-esteem) and maladaptive (i.e., shame) experiences in the biology laboratory setting. Students (

Summary Fitness trackers (FTs) can help increase activity levels and decrease sedentary behavior. However, researchers have yet to examine whether individuals’ goal orientations influence physical activity behavior in response to FT use. This study examined whether goal orientations predicted participants’ effort and enjoyment while exercising and their reasons for using a FT. Participants (203 females, 57 males; Mage = 42.35 years) reported goal orientations, enjoyment and effort while exercising, and reasons for using an FT. Four stepwise linear regression analyses were calculated to assess the extent that goal orientations predicted effort and enjoyment while exercising and task- and ego-related reasons for using FTs. Both task and ego orientation scores positively predicted effort and enjoyment. Task orientation had a much greater influence than ego orientation over these motivational outcomes. Moreover, task orientation positively predicted task-related reasons for using a FT (e.g., “helps me strive to be my physical best”), while ego orientation positively predicted ego-related reasons for using a FT (e.g., “notifies me that I outperformed others”). Results suggest practitioners and FT manufacturers should consider promoting a task orientation (e.g., define success based on personal effort & improvement) to foster clients’ sustained motivation to engage in PA.

The purpose of this study, grounded in the Achievement Goal Perspective Theory (AGPT) and a Caring framework, was to effectively adapt previously validated measures of caring, task-involving (CTI),...

College athletes’ lives have been upended due to the sudden impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In spring 2020, athletes lost their competition seasons, face-to-face contact with their coaches and tea...

The purpose of this study was to consider how the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) Triple-Impact Competitor (TIC) workshop could be used to help create a positive climate for recreational sport club participants, and to examine how perceptions of a positive team climate related to indices of psychological well-being among sport club athletes. At the beginning of their season, sport club leaders completed the PCA TIC workshop. Following the conclusion of the spring season, we invited all sport club participants ( N = 109) to complete a survey that examined the motivational climate on their teams, as well as their hope, happiness, and self-kindness. Athletes’ perceptions of a CTI climate were significantly and positively related to their hope, happiness, and self-kindness. Results suggest that the PCA TIC training is an inexpensive strategy that may foster a positive environment within university sport club teams and may assist programs in promoting indices of psychological well-being among club sport athletes.

Space radiation in the form of Solar Energetic Protons (SEPs) and Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) poses a substantial risk for long-duration space exploration. Active shielding concepts, i.e. shielding a spacecraft with electric and or magnetic fields, has been a topic of interest for more than 50 years. Mass and power requirements have yet to be fulfilled to enable active shielding technology. We present results for a single electric dipole to show the utility of scale-invariance and universal scaling for advancing active shielding concepts. Scattering patterns downstream from the dipole of 2 MeV to 6 MeV electrons and protons show a semi-circular region devoid of incident particles that increases in size with increasing dipole voltage. In particular, results are presented that show how scale-invariant approaches can be leveraged to enable small-scale shields to be built and tested on the ground and then scaled up for in-space use.

An increasingly studied auction format is the asymmetric procurement auction, which features an advantaged bidder selling a good or service to a buyer. Such asymmetric setups, while generally believed to be more realistic, are also more complex. We investigate one such setting where one bidder has a cost advantage. Our central question is whether bidders who are cost-disadvantaged can overcome their inferior cost position. In a design that mirrors real construction procurement auctions, our laboratory experiment tests whether two information asymmetries (more precise cost estimates and knowledge about the cost estimating abilities of a competitor) allow cost-disadvantaged sellers to better compete. We begin by testing bidder performance in a procurement auction where the only asymmetry is due to a cost. In this setting, analytical benchmarks are known. We find – consistent with other studies – that all bidder types submit aggressive bids well below the Nash equilibrium predictions. Over time, subjects submit less aggressive bids, moving closer to what theory would predict. We then extend our experiments to include our novel, multiple asymmetry setup. We find that endowing cost-disadvantaged bidders with higher cost estimate precision benefits the bidder, as one might expect. Notably, providing market knowledge about a rival’s ability to estimate costs may not provide a benefit; in fact, it seems bidders are not able to use this information effectively and performance suffers. Finally, we show how bidders behave myopically when making these decisions. These implications raise important questions about how asymmetries interact in complex auction settings.

The climate in which older adults exercise and participate in sport may play a role in promoting a lifetime commitment to exercising. However, little research has examined the relationship of caring (C) and task-involving (TI) climates, motivation, and well-being with respect to older adult athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Masters swimmers’ perceptions of the climate, effort, enjoyment, and flourishing as well as explore the mediating effects of effort and enjoyment on the relationship between climate and flourishing. U.S. Masters swimmers (n = 294; Mage = 63.57 years; 84.40% White) with 1–80 years of swimming experience (M = 34.54 years) participating in coach-led programs completed an online survey. The results of latent variable, multiple-mediator analyses via structural equation modeling revealed two important contributions to the literature: (1) when Masters swimmers perceived that they were in C and TI climates, they were more likely to report higher levels of effort and greater enjoyment and flourishing; (2) the Masters swimmers’ effort levels directly influenced their flourishing, mediating the relationship between climates and flourishing. This research has important implications for practice and policy, as U.S. Masters Swimming appears to be a fruitful avenue for promoting an enjoyable physical activity that can be experienced throughout a lifetime.

The impact of motivational climate on physiological responses to psychological stress remains largely unknown. The purpose of this experimental investigation was to examine the psychological and ph...

For 20 years, Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) has trained adults who are currently involved in youth sport as coaches and parents to help young athletes have positive sport experiences. Th...