Reminiscences of UNESCO-CEPES and of International Work in Higher Education

The newly appointed Secretary-General of the International Association of Universities (IAU) reflects on her years of association with UNESCO-CEPES, first as one of its Liaison Officers, representing Canada, and then as a member of its Advisory Board. The Centre has played--and still plays--a key role in East-West co-operation in higher education. Her organization (IAU) and UNESCO-CEPES are called upon to play major roles in assisting higher education in meeting the many challenges of the future. She ends her article with a plea for networking and partnership building.     

Evaluation of a lower-body compression garment

The aims of this study were to determine how custom-fit compression shorts affect athletic performance and to examine the mechanical properties of the shorts. Ten male and 10 female track athletes on a university's nationally competitive track team, specializing in sprint or jump events, participated in the study. Testing utilized the compression shorts with loose-fitting gym shorts as the control garment. Several significant effects were revealed for the custom-fit compressive garment. Although 60?m sprint time was not affected, hip flexion angle was reduced. Skin temperature increased more and at a faster rate during a warm-up protocol. Muscle oscillation was decreased during vertical jump landing. Countermovement vertical jump height increased when the participants were wearing the custom-fit compression garment. In materials testing, the elasticity of the compressive garment provides increased flexion and extension torque at the end range of extension and flexion, respectively, and may assist the hamstrings in controlling the leg at the end of the swing phase in sprinting. The compressive garment significantly reduced impact force by 27% compared with American football pants alone. Through various mechanisms, these findings may translate into an effect on athletic performance and a reduction in injuries.