The self-concepts of female athletes: an explanatory study of role strain in intercollegiate athletics

Dept. of Sociology and Anthropology. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1977 .B744. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 40-07, page: . Thesis (M.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1977

Variations in Elephant (Loxodanta africana) Diet Along a Rainfall Gradient: The Effect of Latitude, Grass Reserves, and Proximity to Water

Global climate change is predicted to bring longer dry seasons and changing rainfall patterns to equatorial Africa, causing range reductions for species such as elephants, whose diets are constrained by water availability. Elephants are facultative grazers whose diets are seasonal, with woody proportion of diet increasing in the dry season. In this study, we sought to identify the factors that predict woody percentage of elephant diet along a rainfall gradient at the Mpala Research Centre in central Kenya. We used elephant dung as a means to analyze the woody content of elephant diet. We found that grass biomass and distance to the nearest river explained the most variability in elephant diet, while latitude was a less influential predictor. Because these local factors were more important determinants of elephant diet differences than rainfall along a gradient, we conclude that climate change will likely affect elephant populations through elongated dry seasons, which may limit availability of nearby water sources

MOVEMENT VARIABILITY: A COMPARISON BETWEEN NOVICE, EXPERIENCED AND ELITE PERFORMERS

The purpose of this study was to investigate movement and its associated outcome variability for three levels of Olympic weightlifters performing the clean. Elite (n=2) experienced (n=5) and novice (n=5) weightlifters performed 12 lifts of the clean at 80% 1RM with 120s rest between each lift. Variability of relative phase, relative hip and knee angles and ground reaction force was calculated for each subject for the 12 trials. No significant differences were reported between groups for coordination, kinematic or outcome variability however, some differences (Fx) were reported for kinetic variability. For the majority of measures no significant differences were reported between groups for performance or outcome variability. In conclusion the traditional viewpoint of invariant movement patterns for elite performers was dismissed

Frequency and Circadian Timing of Eating May Influence Biomarkers of Inflammation and Insulin Resistance Associated with Breast Cancer Risk.

Emerging evidence suggests that there is interplay between the frequency and circadian timing of eating and metabolic health. We examined the associations of eating frequency and timing with metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers putatively associated with breast cancer risk in women participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination 2009-2010 Survey. Eating frequency and timing variables were calculated from 24-hour food records and included (1) proportion of calories consumed in the evening (5 pm-midnight), (2) number of eating episodes per day, and (3) nighttime fasting duration. Linear regression models examined each eating frequency and timing exposure variable with C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations and the Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). Each 10 percent increase in the proportion of calories consumed in the evening was associated with a 3 percent increase in CRP. Conversely, eating one additional meal or snack per day was associated with an 8 percent reduction in CRP. There was a significant interaction between proportion of calories consumed in the evening and fasting duration with CRP (p = 0.02). A longer nighttime fasting duration was associated with an 8 percent lower CRP only among women who ate less than 30% of their total daily calories in the evening (p = 0.01). None of the eating frequency and timing variables were significantly associated with HOMA-IR. These findings suggest that eating more frequently, reducing evening energy intake, and fasting for longer nightly intervals may lower systemic inflammation and subsequently reduce breast cancer risk. Randomized trials are needed to validate these associations

Evaluating MODIS snow products using an extensive wildlife camera network

Snow covers a maximum of 47 million km2 of Earth’s northern hemisphere each winter and is an important component of the planet’s energy balance, hydrology cycles, and ecosystems. Monitoring regional and global snow cover has increased in urgency in recent years due to warming temperatures and declines in snow cover extent. Optical satellite instruments provide large-scale observations of snow cover, but cloud cover and dense forest canopy can reduce accuracy in mapping snow cover. Remote camera networks deployed for wildlife monitoring operate below cloud cover and in forests, representing a virtually untapped source of snow cover observations to supplement satellite observations. Using images from 1181 wildlife cameras deployed by the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), we compared snow cover extracted from camera images to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) snow cover products during winter months of 2018–2020. Ordinal snow classifications (scale = 0–4) from cameras were closely related to normalized difference snow index (NDSI) values from the MODIS Terra Snow Cover Daily L3 Global 500 m (MOD10A1) Collection 6 product (R2 = 0.70). Tree canopy cover, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and image color mode influenced agreement between camera images and MOD10A1 NDSI values. For MOD10A1F, MOD10A1’s corresponding cloud-gap filled product, agreement with cloud-gap filled values decreased from 78.5% to 56.4% in the first three days of cloudy periods and stabilized thereafter. Using our camera data as validation, we derived a threshold to create daily binary maps of snow cover from the MOD10A1 product. The threshold corresponding to snow presence was an NDSI value of 40.50, which closely matched a previously defined global binary threshold of 40 using the MOD10A2 8-day product. These analyses demonstrate the utility of camera trap networks for validation of snow cover products from satellite remote sensing, as well as their potential to identify sources of inaccuracy. Validation Norway Remote cameras Gap-filling MODIS SnowacceptedVersio

The Carina Nebula and Gum 31 molecular complex: II. The distribution of the atomic gas revealed in unprecedented detail

We report high spatial resolution observations of the HI 21cm line in the Carina Nebula and the Gum 31 region obtained with the Australia Telescope Compact Array. The observations covered $\sim$ 12 deg$^2$ centred on $l= 287.5\deg,b = -1\deg$, achieving an angular resolution of $\sim$ 35 arcseconds. The HI map revealed complex filamentary structures across a wide range of velocities. Several "bubbles" are clearly identified in the Carina Nebula Complex, produced by the impact of the massive star clusters located in this region. An HI absorption profile obtained towards the strong extragalactic radio source PMN J1032--5917 showed the distribution of the cold component of the atomic gas along the Galactic disk, with the Sagittarius-Carina and Perseus spiral arms clearly distinguishable. Preliminary calculations of the optical depth and spin temperatures of the cold atomic gas show that the HI line is opaque ($\tau \gtrsim$ 2) at several velocities in the Sagittarius-Carina spiral arm. The spin temperature is $\sim100$ K in the regions with the highest optical depth, although this value might be lower for the saturated components. The atomic mass budget of Gum 31 is $\sim35 \%$ of the total gas mass. HI self absorption features have molecular counterparts and good spatial correlation with the regions of cold dust as traced by the infrared maps. We suggest that in Gum 31 regions of cold temperature and high density are where the atomic to molecular gas phase transition is likely to be occurring.Comment: 20 pages, 1 table, 16 Figures, Accepted for Publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Journa

Profiling ESL children: How teachers interpret and use national and state assessment frameworks: Volume 1: Key issues & findings

The three volumes which make up this study describe in detail how a number of teachers in different school situations in different parts of Australia undertook the assessment of young children\u27s development of English as a second language. Most of the teachers worked in pre-primary to Year 3 classrooms where the majority of the children were aged between five and eight years. The majority worked in a mainstream context in which the number of children speaking English as a second language (ESL) varied from more than half the class to two or three students. About a third of the teachers whose assessment practices we studied worked in classrooms in which all the children came from homes or communities in which languages other than English were the main means of co.mmunication. A minority of the teachers acted as ESL specialists who provided support to mainstream teachers often throughout the primary years. Over half the teachers in the study had undertaken some form of professional development focused upon working with ESL children..

Prescription of hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women with renal failure

Background. Although patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are at increased risk for early menopause, osteoporosis, cognitive dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease, few postmenopausal women are prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The reasons for the low prescription rate are not known. This study uses data from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) to assess the prevalence and predictors of HRT use in postmenopausal women with ESRD. Methods. Data were obtained from the USRDS Dialysis Morhidity and Mortality Study Wave 2. All women who were at least 45 years of age were considered postmenopausal and were selected for our analysis. Demographics, behavior and medical characteristics were abstracted from the database. Logistic regression was used to estimate the independent contribution of population characteristics in predicting the use of HRT. Linear regression models were used to estimate the relationship between HRT use and both triglycerides and total cholesterol. Results. The overall prevalence of HRT prescription was 10.8%. Important predictors of HRT use included age (aOR = 0.74, 95% Cl ().13 to 0.88, P < 0.001 black ethnicity (aOR = 0.50, 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.78, P < 0.002), college education (aOR = 3.00, 95% CI, 1.70 to 5.24, P < 0.001 and the ability to ambulate (aOR = 1.99. 95% CI, 1.01 to 3.91, P = 0.05). Serum triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were higher among women treated with HRT than among those not treated with HRT (264 ± 155 vs. 217 ± 159 mg/dl, P = 0.001 and 220 ± 62 vs. 209 ± 55 mg/dl, P = 0.02, respectively). Conclusions. HRT is prescribed less frequently in postmenopausal ESRD patients than in the general population. Younger age, higher education levels, white race, and the ability to ambulate were important predictors of HRT use. Targeting populations of patients who are likely to henefit from but less likely to be prescribed HRT may increase the prescription of HRT