The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a relationship between rapid weight loss and physical performance in combat sports athletes. The inclusion criteria were rapid weight loss and physical performance effects among combat sports researched in the last 20 years. Phrases, as well as keywords, were searched using multiple databases. The keywords included mixed martial arts (MMA), judo, wrestling, taekwondo, boxing, studies that looked at multiple disciplines at once, and unspecified disciplines. Results of the literature review indicate that there are negative effects on performance due to rapid weight loss and dehydration in combat sports. Appendix I summarizes the data found. However, other literature has suggested no physical performance effects following a period of rapid weight loss. Determination at what percentage of body mass loss unequivocally affects physical performance measures and the threshold in which a certain athlete is likely to experience these effects is key. Factors that seem to influence the magnitude of measured performance effects include the length of recovery time following the period of rapid weight loss, the magnitude of body mass lost, as well as methods used to achieve weight loss. The results of this study may help provide insight into areas of research that are lacking data on this subject and may also provide helpful guidelines for combat sports athletes and trainers alike.

En skyttegrupp är en grupp av soldater inom Försvarsmakten vars huvuduppgift är att strida mot fienden på marken. Skyttegruppen leds av en gruppchef som bestämmer inbrytningspunkter, skjutgränser, markerar fientliga soldater och dirigerar hur skyttegruppen agerar i stridsförhållanden. I stridens hetta ökas ljudnivån, gruppchefens manövrerbarhet begränsas och skyttegruppen sätts under hög stress. Detta leder oftast till brist på kommunikation som sänker gruppens stridsvärde. Augmented Reality innebär att förstärka verkligheten med hjälp av teknik. Idag finns flera olika utvecklingsmiljöer som låter utvecklare på ett enkelt sätt bygga applikationer där användare kan förstärka verkligheten, till exempel genom att placera virtuella objekt över den verkliga världen. Dessa virtuella objekt bibehåller sin position när användaren förflyttar sig runt omgivningen. De virtuella objekten kan synkroniseras mellan olika enheter, vilket tillåter flera olika användare att se samma virtuella objekt. Detta examensarbete gick ut på att undersöka ifall användning av förstärkt verklighet förbättrade kommunikationen i skyttegruppen. Tre prototyper implementerades med hjälp av ARCore (ett utvecklingspaket för förstärkt verklighet): en för gruppchefen vilket möjliggjorde markering av olika mål, en prototyp för skyttesoldaterna som visualiserade dessa mål genom att placera virtuella objekt på platsen som gruppchefen markerade och en server som hanterade kommunikation mellan de första två. Detta medförde att gruppchefen kunde markera objekt i realtid under strid och skyttesoldaterna kunde se dessa objekt genom VR-glasögon. Prototyperna testades i stridsmiljöer och resultaten visade att kommunikationstiden förbättrades med 7.5 sekunder på öppet fält, 13.5 sekunder i tätskog och 0.2 sekunder i stadsmiljö. / An infantry squad is a group of soldiers in the Armed Forces of Sweden whose main task is to combat the enemy on the ground. The infantry squad is led by a squad leader who determines breaking points, firing limits, marks enemy soldiers and directs how the squad acts in combat conditions. In the heat of battle, the noise level is increased, the group leader's maneuverability is limited, and the shooting group isput under a lot of stress. This usually leads to a lack of communication which lowers the group's combat value. Augmented Reality means augmenting reality with the help of technology. Today,there are several different development environments that allow developers to easilybuild applications where users can augment reality, for example by placing virtual objects over the real world. These virtual objects maintain their position as the user moves around the environment. Virtual objects can be synchronized between different devices, allowing several different users to see the same virtual object. This thesis aimed to investigate whether the use of Augmented Reality improved communication in the infantry squad. Three prototypes were implemented with the help of ARCore (a software development kit for Augmented Reality): one for the squad leader which enabled the marking of different targets, one prototype for the infantryman which visualized these targets by placing virtual objects in the place marked by the group leader and a server prototype which handled communication between the first two. This meant that the squad leader could mark objects through a smartphone in real time during combat and the infantrymen could see these objects through VR goggles. The prototypes were tested in combat environments andthe results showed that the time for communication were improved by 7.5 seconds in open fields, 13.5 seconds in dense forests and 0.2 seconds in urban environment.

Musik i spel är ofta linjär trots att adaptiv musik har bevisats ge spelare en förstärkt inlevelse i spel. Detta arbete fokuserade på att undersöka samband mellan adaptiv musik och i vilka spelmoment sådan musik används. Samt belysa eventuella nackdelar med adaptiv musik som kan vara anledningen till att användandet av linjär musik är större än adaptiv musik. I undersökningen användes kvalitativa metoder i form av intervjuer på fyra personer med kunskap om adaptiv musik. Sedan genomfördes en spelanalys av två spel för att sammankoppla och validera tidigare forskning och intervjusvaren. Resultatet visade att det fanns både spelgenrer och spelmoment där adaptiv musik föredras. Spelgenrer som single-player och open world, samt spelmoment som combat och utforskning hade en koppling till musik som var adaptiv. Framtida arbete skulle kunna genomföra tester på spelare för att säkerställa resultatet av denna undersökning.

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Emerging research suggests that childhood adversities may increase both the risk and symptomology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in our veteran population. Over 40% of our reintegrating military veterans return with significant mental health issues led by combatrelated PTSD. PTSD impacts veterans in numerous areas including unemployment, increased criminal justice involvement, increased treatment costs, divorce, co-morbid mental illness, greater levels of domestic violence, homelessness, high college dropout rates, suicide, and long term health problems. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of childhood adversities (abuse, neglect, and poverty) upon the severity of combat-related PTSD in veteran populations. Specifically, the researcher examines the direct effects of: (1) childhood trauma; (2) childhood neglect; and (3) childhood poverty (as assessed based on socioeconomic status [SES]) upon the severity of combat-related PTSD. This study of student veterans (n=102) receiving services from a veteran service center at a major metropolitan university in Central Florida is a non-experimental, explanatory, retrospective survey design using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the relationships among study variables. Findings strongly supported a relationship between childhood trauma and neglect and the severity of combat-related PTSD. Similarly, findings also supported that no relationship existed between childhood SES and the severity of combat-related PTSD. Both childhood trauma and neglect were significantly associated with combat-related PTSD at an even greater effect than that of combat exposure. SES was not found to be significant in the severity of combat-related PTSD. The findings iv suggest that preventive screening policies to reduce costs and severity of combat-related PTSD might be needed.

Martial arts (MA) and combat sports (CS) demand significant physical, mental, and emotional engagement in both training and competition. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), known for its intricate mastery requirements, operates within a performance-oriented climate where unmet goals can lead to diminished interest. Investigating the motivational drivers behind continued participation in BJJ is thus pertinent. This study aims to explore motivational factors among BJJ practitioners. A total of 70 participants, including 30 women (43.3%) and 40 men (56.7%) aged 15 to 60+, with training experience ranging from 0-1 year to 10+ years, completed the Sports Motivation Scale (SMS-6). The survey assessed factors influencing their engagement in BJJ. Analysis suggests that gender differences may contribute to variations in amotivation within the sport. Higher competitive experience participants valued factors like interest/enjoyment, competence, and fitness more than social status and appearance, unlike lower competitive experience participants. Notably, individuals with higher competitive experience exhibited lower motivational scores on the assessed subscale factors compared to lower competitive experience participants. The study's findings indicate that individuals with significant competitive experience attribute greater significance and commitment to their involvement in BJJ. Additionally, the results show that women exhibit a slightly lower amotivation score compared to men, suggesting a marginal decrease in mens enthusiasm for practicing the sport.

The current study used a sample of service members and veterans to explore the association of combat exposure and perceptions of the family system using a moderated mediation model. Combat veterans over the age of 18 with a family of creation (N = 154) completed an online survey through which they were administered a background information questionnaire, the Combat Experiences subscale of the Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory – 2, the Moral Injury Events Scale, the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, the Patient Health Questionnaire, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the McMaster Family Assessment Device, and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale – Revised. Results of six moderated mediation analyses revealed that exposure to potentially morally injurious events (pMIEs) moderated the relationship between (1) combat exposure and couple relationship satisfaction and (2) combat exposure and family functioning, both via PTSS, anxious symptoms, and depressive symptoms. To our knowledge, the empirical models presented in this paper are the first to model the role of pMIEs in SMV literature, and provide a foundation for other models to emerge moving forward. Implications and limitations are discussed.

PURPOSE: Hypertension (HTN) affects one in every three adults in the United States. Often associated with the older population, this silent killer has emerged in an unsuspecting group, young military soldiers. With the rapid succession of multiple deployments, long intervals between blood pressure (BP) assessments, and the absence of cardiovascular (CV) measures during the pre and post deployment health screenings; soldiers may be at higher risk for HTN than their civilian counterparts of the same age. The purpose of this study was to explore real-time continuous CV measures of soldiers before, during, and after exposure to a simulated combat stressor as well as to assess which personal characteristics played a significant role. METHODS: Applying the Allostasis/Allostatic Load theoretical framework, a repeated measure quasi-experimental design was used to compare the CV measures of two groups: one exposed to a physical combat stressor (experimental) and the other exposed to a psychological combat stressor (control). A convenience sample of 60 college Army Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets were fitted with Tiba Medical Ambulo 2400 ambulatory BP monitors for 48 continuous hours. Several CV indices were analyzed using one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), paired t-test, and independent sample t-test. Four instruments (Participant Information Sheet, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Paintball Perceived Stress Questionnaire, and Army Physical Fitness Test) were used to assess which characteristics played the most significant role in the CV response. RESULTS: Demographic characteristics between the two 30-cadet groups were not statistically different, with the exception of deployment history (experimental = 4, control= 0). Hours after the stress exposure, subjects in the experimental group had a higher mean awake systolic blood pressure (SBP) when compared to the control group (113.76 mm Hg vs 102.98 mm Hg, p= 009). When assessing pre and post stressor morning BP surge and evening BP decline, the control group showed the biggest change. Significant bivariate correlations (p > .05) found that: Females consistently had higher pulse rates (PR) throughout each of the phases. Age positively correlated with elevated BP during the stressor, and increased morning BP surge post stressor. African Americans had higher sleep BPs pre stressor, and decreased SBP recovery post stressor; Hispanics had higher PRs during and after the stressor. Waist circumference positively correlated with elevated BP morning surge pre stressor but, body mass index (BMI) positively correlated with elevated BP morning surge post stressor as well as elevated BP during the stressor. Family history of HTN played no significant role; however, deployment history correlated with mean awake SBP post stressor. Trait anxiety scores negatively correlated with SBP recovery while state anxiety scores positively correlated with post stressor awake mean arterial pressure and evening SPB decline. Perceived stress during the stressor negatively correlated with post stressor SBP morning surge with females reporting higher anxiety and stress. Finally, Army Physical Fitness (APFT) total scores as well as APFT run scores negatively correlated with pre and post stressor sleep PRs. DISCUSSION/IMPLICATIONS: Age, female gender, African American descent, Hispanic ethnicity, waist circumference, BMI, previous deployment history, level of fitness and the psychological stress state during and after a stressor played significant roles in soldiers' CV response. SBP was the most dynamic and informative of the CV indices and a psychological stressor was comparable to a physical stressor when observing the residual effect of stress. If a combat exercise was enough of a stressor to produce residual CV effects that lasted well into following morning, the residual effect of a lengthy strenuous deployment may be alarming. This study not only provided a snapshot of the CV health of incoming young soldiers, but also provided evidence to support policy change regarding the implementation of regular CV health assessments before and after deployment.