The effects of rhythmic gymnastics on the physical fitness of college women

We are being called upon pre-eminently for one task—to improve physical vigor—through the medium of exercise. First things must come first once again. ... Our unique contribution to education is physical, not intellectual, technical, esthetic, or ethical. (31:119) A voice from the past decade, perhaps, but a voice that today is being echoed and re-echoed throughout the physical education profession as the demands of American society once again present our profession with a challenge. The challenge is that of helping to develop within American youth a level of fitness which will enable them to function effectively and efficiently in the modern world. This concept of fitness, or total fitness, encompasses such areas as emotional, social, mental, and physical fitness; it is with the latter element that the physical education profession is concerned

A Place For Plants: Ethnobotany, Bioregionalism And Folkways In Appalachia

This thesis examines the ways in which ethnobotany continues to serve Appalachia by bringing the literature on Appalachian ethnobotany into conversation with literatures on bioregionalism and folkways to examine mutually-reinforcing strategies for the preservation for local economies, ecosystems, and cultures in southern Appalachia. This thesis reviews the merits of ethnobotanical approaches to environmental and socio-economic sustainability. As well as Appalachian ethnobotany and bioregionalism, including comparisons to other biogeographic regions which provide inspiration for similar ethnobotanical initiatives and programs which have diverse functions from cultural preservation to interdisciplinary learning opportunities. Next, it examines the folkways revival in Appalachia and the ways in which it has been and can still be used for bioregional sustainability and economic opportunity. Synthesizing these insights, this thesis provides a short inventory of key plant,shrub and tree species and their ethnobotanical uses in Appalachia. The thesis concludes by discussing untapped ethnobotanical opportunities in Appalachia from entrepreneurial craft to sustainable botanical product creation utilizing common southern Appalachian flora

Social processes : a curriculum approach to local and community history : Julian, North Carolina : a case study

Although enrollments in traditional history courses have declined in recent years, interest in local and community history has never been higher. As a result, a number of local and community histories have been published, and various strategies have been developed for use in the social studies classroom which frequently include the writing of family histories, studying the artifacts and remains of the community, the use of architectural history, and the collection of oral histories. It is the contention of this study, however, that the use of social processes provides the best framework for the investigation of local and community history

Determination of cell viability of superoxide dismutase knockout Escherichia coli strains using oxidative stress assays

Cell viability of superoxide dismutase knockout Escherichia coli strains using oxidative stress assays was determined for three strains: Periplasmic knockout (AS393), cytoplasmic knockout (PN134), and periplasmic/cytoplasmic knockout (AS391). The cytoplasmic or endogenous superoxide was generated using the redox-cycling agent paraquat, while the periplasmic or exogenous superoxide was generated using the xanthine/xanthine oxidase enzyme. It was hypothesized that exogenous superoxide produced in the xanthine/xanthine oxidase assay would have the largest effect on the periplasmic knockout (AS393) while endogenous superoxide produced in the paraquat assay would effect the growth of the cytoplasmic knockouts (AS391, PN134). Cell growth was determined using optical density for the three knockout strains along with four additional strains: ATCC4157, DH10B, MG1655, and W3110. Using total cell counts obtained with a hemacytometer, the relationship between optical density and cell number was determined for all seven strains. Fluorescence assays using the nucleic acid dyes SYTO9 and PI were used to obtain the percentage of live cells for each strain, which was essential for the xanthine/xanthine oxidase assay. Each strain had a different optimal concentration of nucleic acid dyes necessary to obtain the highest fluorescence intensity. Using fluorescence dyes required the investigation of the inner filter effect. It was determined that inner filter effects are present and need to be accounted for. The paraquat assay inhibited the growth of the three knockout strains with the periplasmic knockout (AS393) being more affected than the others. The total time of aeration altered the effectiveness of paraquat. Specifically, as aeration time increased, growth inhibition increased. The xanthine/xanthine oxidase assay showed little to no effect on the cell viability of the knockout strains. Alteration of pH from 7.5 to 6.5 showed similar results. Other alterations to the xanthine/xanthine oxidase assay obtained similar results as well

Blowflies as vectors of Bacillus anthracis in the Kruger National Park

Anthrax, caused by Bacillus anthracis, is endemic in the Kruger National Park (KNP). The epidemiology of B. anthracis is dependent on various factors including vectors. The aims of this study were to examine non-biting blowflies for the presence of B. anthracis externally and internally after feeding on an anthrax-infected carcass and to determine the role of flies in disseminating B. anthracis onto the surrounding vegetation. During an anthrax outbreak in 2014 in the endemic Pafuri region, blowflies associated with two 2–3-day-old anthrax-positive carcasses (kudu and impala) as well as surrounding vegetation were collected and investigated for the presence of B. anthracis spores. The non-biting blowflies (n = 57) caught included Chrysomya albiceps, Ch. marginalis and Lucilia spp. Bacillus anthracis spores were isolated from 65.5% and 25.0% of blowflies collected from the kudu and impala carcasses, respectively. Chrysomya albiceps and Ch. marginalis have the potential to disseminate B. anthracis to vegetation from infected carcasses and may play a role in the epidemiology of anthrax in the KNP. No B. anthracis spores were initially isolated from leaves of the surrounding vegetation using selective media. However, 170 and 500 spores were subsequently isolated from Abutilon angulatum and Acacia sp. leaves, respectively, when using sheep blood agar. Conservation implications: The results obtained in this study have no direct conservation implications and only assist in the understanding of the spread of the disease

Inter-hemispheric EEG coherence analysis in Parkinson's disease : Assessing brain activity during emotion processing

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is not only characterized by its prominent motor symptoms but also associated with disturbances in cognitive and emotional functioning. The objective of the present study was to investigate the influence of emotion processing on inter-hemispheric electroencephalography (EEG) coherence in PD. Multimodal emotional stimuli (happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust) were presented to 20 PD patients and 30 age-, education level-, and gender-matched healthy controls (HC) while EEG was recorded. Inter-hemispheric coherence was computed from seven homologous EEG electrode pairs (AF3–AF4, F7–F8, F3–F4, FC5–FC6, T7–T8, P7–P8, and O1–O2) for delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma frequency bands. In addition, subjective ratings were obtained for a representative of emotional stimuli. Interhemispherically, PD patients showed significantly lower coherence in theta, alpha, beta, and gamma frequency bands than HC during emotion processing. No significant changes were found in the delta frequency band coherence. We also found that PD patients were more impaired in recognizing negative emotions (sadness, fear, anger, and disgust) than relatively positive emotions (happiness and surprise). Behaviorally, PD patients did not show impairment in emotion recognition as measured by subjective ratings. These findings suggest that PD patients may have an impairment of inter-hemispheric functional connectivity (i.e., a decline in cortical connectivity) during emotion processing. This study may increase the awareness of EEG emotional response studies in clinical practice to uncover potential neurophysiologic abnormalities

Computer Law Institute

Materials from the Computer Law Institute held by UK/CLE in May 1999

Effect of vitamin E (Tri E®) on antioxidant enzymes and DNA damage in rats following eight weeks exercise

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Exercise is beneficial to health, but during exercise the body generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) which are known to result in oxidative stress. The present study analysed the effects of vitamin E (Tri E^®) on antioxidant enzymes; superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (Cat) activity and DNA damage in rats undergoing eight weeks exercise.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Twenty four <it>Sprague-Dawley </it>rats (weighing 320-370 gm) were divided into four groups; a control group of sedentary rats which were given a normal diet, second group of sedentary rats with oral supplementation of 30 mg/kg/d of Tri E^®, third group comprised of exercised rats on a normal diet, and the fourth group of exercised rats with oral supplementation of 30 mg/kg/d of Tri E^®. The exercising rats were trained on a treadmill for 30 minutes per day for 8 weeks. Blood samples were taken before and after 8 weeks of the study to determine SOD, GPx, Cat activities and DNA damage.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>SOD activity decreased significantly in all the groups compared to baseline, however both exercised groups showed significant reduction in SOD activity as compared to the sedentary groups. Sedentary control groups showed significantly higher GPx and Cat activity compared to baseline and exercised groups. The supplemented groups, both exercised and non exercised groups, showed significant decrease in Cat activity as compared to their control groups with normal diet. DNA damage was significantly higher in exercising rats as compared to sedentary control. However in exercising groups, the DNA damage in supplemented group is significantly lower as compared to the non-supplemented group.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In conclusion, antioxidant enzymes activity were generally reduced in rats supplemented with Tri E^®probably due to its synergistic anti-oxidative defence, as evidenced by the decrease in DNA damage in Tri E^®supplemented exercise group.</p

Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente

Animal Perception of Seasonal Thresholds: Changes in Elephant Movement in Relation to Rainfall Patterns

Background: The identification of temporal thresholds or shifts in animal movement informs ecologists of changes in an animal\u2019s behaviour, which contributes to an understanding of species\u2019 responses in different environments. In African savannas, rainfall, temperature and primary productivity influence the movements of large herbivores and drive changes at different scales. Here, we developed a novel approach to define seasonal shifts in movement behaviour by examining the movements of a highly mobile herbivore (elephant; Loxodonta africana), in relation to local and regional rainfall patterns. Methodology/Principal Findings: We used speed to determine movement changes of between 8 and 14 GPS-collared elephant cows, grouped into five spatial clusters, in Kruger National Park, South Africa. To detect broad-scale patterns of movement, we ran a three-year daily time-series model for each individual (2007\u20132009). Piecewise regression models provided the best fit for elephant movement, which exhibited a segmented, waveform pattern over time. Major breakpoints in speed occurred at the end of the dry and wet seasons of each year. During the dry season, female elephant are constrained by limited forage and thus the distances they cover are shorter and less variable. Despite the inter-annual variability of rainfall, speed breakpoints were strongly correlated with both local and regional rainfall breakpoints across all three years. Thus, at a multi-year scale, rainfall patterns significantly affect the movements of elephant. The variability of both speed and rainfall breakpoints across different years highlights the need for an objective definition of seasonal boundaries. Conclusions/Significance: By using objective criteria to determine behavioural shifts, we identified a biologically meaningful indicator of major changes in animal behaviour in different years. We recommend the use of such criteria, from an animal\u2019s perspective, for delineating seasons or other extrinsic shifts in ecological studies, rather than arbitrarily fixed definitions based on convention or common practice