Torso heating of divers in cold water

The article of record as published may be found at 10.3357/ASEM.2488.2009Introduction: Cold water immersion could compromise both the effectiveness and safety of a diver. This paper reports an evaluation of the utility of providing external heating to divers in cold water. Methods: Seven U.S. Navy divers wearing semidry suits were submerged in 7.2 degrees C water for 2 h. In the heated condition, a total of 35 W was delivered to each of four heating pads (total area 2477 cm2) placed on the torso of the divers. In the unheated condition, the participants received no external heating. Results: The participants believed they were more comfortable in the heated, than the unheated condition. However, objective data did not support this perception. In fact, heating the torso had a significantly detrimental effect on the body's thermoregulatory ability, and lacked a positive effect on manual dexterity. Cognitive test performance was not affected by the exposure. Discussion: Heating the torso did not have a positive effect on diver performance. Moreover, heating the torso of a diver may actually increase susceptibility to hypothermia

Challenging Norms and Practices in Women's Beach Handball: The Bikini Debate

Since 1978, the Norwegian Act for Gender Equality has created a strong emphasis on the importance of equality in all parts of society. This implies equal access to all cultural and welfare activities and services - including sports. In the media, we often see strong reactions to examples of discrimination based on gender, such as during the 2021 European Beach Handball Championship, when the Norwegian women's beach handball team was fined by the European Handball Federation for refusing to play in bikini bottoms during their final matches. Media attention was given to the ensuing international outrage, which included well-known music artist Pink offering to pay on the team's behalf in a gesture of solidarity. In November 2021, the sport's International Federation agreed to allow women to compete in a similar uniform to men. This study analyses Norwegian newspaper coverage of the responses from Norwegian women athletes, politicians, and the international sports/media community from July 2021 to March 2022. It also provides an opportunity to determine to what extent the media framed and participated in calls for change

Editorial: Sports Journalists as Agents of Change in Nordic Countries

ports Journalists as Agents of Change: Shifting Political Goalposts in Nordic Countries identifies and describes changes prevalent in political narratives of sports journalism. Although tensions between professional autonomy and commercial influences in sports journalism persist, shifts in public expectations and increased interest in investigative journalism present new possibilities for sports journalists to reshape this field. The research in this thematic issue examines media content and considers how sports journalists reflect on their role, how gender issues are tied to, and addressed by, that role, and how critical sports journalism develops through engagement with relevant national and international sports journalist associations

Lithium Intercalation into the Excitonic Insulator Candidate Ta2NiSe5

A new reduced phase derived from the excitonic insulator candidate Ta2NiSe5 has been synthesized via the intercalation of lithium. LiTa2NiSe5 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pmnb (no. 62) with lattice parameters a = 3.50247(3) Å, b = 13.4053(4) Å, c = 15.7396(2) Å, and Z = 4, with an increase of the unit cell volume by 5.44(1)% compared with Ta2NiSe5. Significant rearrangement of the Ta-Ni-Se layers is observed, in particular a very significant relative displacement of the layers compared to the parent phase, similar to that which occurs under hydrostatic pressure. Neutron powder diffraction experiments and computational analysis confirm that Li occupies a distorted triangular prismatic site formed by Se atoms of adjacent Ta2NiSe5 layers with an average Li-Se bond length of 2.724(2) Å. Li-NMR experiments show a single Li environment at ambient temperature. Intercalation suppresses the distortion to monoclinic symmetry that occurs in Ta2NiSe5 at 328 K and that is believed to be driven by the formation of an excitonic insulating state. Magnetometry data show that the reduced phase has a smaller net diamagnetic susceptibility than Ta2NiSe5 due to the enhancement of the temperature-independent Pauli paramagnetism caused by the increased density of states at the Fermi level evident also from the calculations, consistent with the injection of electrons during intercalation and formation of a metallic phase

Role of human milk oligosaccharides in Group B Streptococcus colonisation.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in infants. The major risk factor for GBS disease is maternal and subsequent infant colonisation. It is unknown whether human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) protect against GBS colonisation. HMO production is genetically determined and linked to the Lewis antigen system. We aimed to investigate the association between HMOs and infant GBS colonisation between birth and postnatal day 90. Rectovaginal swabs were collected at delivery, as well as colostrum/breast milk, infant nasopharyngeal and rectal swabs at birth, 6 days and days 60-89 postpartum from 183 Gambian mother/infant pairs. GBS colonisation and serotypes were determined using culture and PCR. (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to characterise the mother's Lewis status and HMO profile in breast milk. Mothers who were Lewis-positive were significantly less likely to be colonised by GBS (X (2)=12.50, P<0.001). Infants of Lewis-positive mothers were less likely GBS colonised at birth (X (2)=4.88 P=0.03) and more likely to clear colonisation between birth and days 60-89 than infants born to Lewis-negative women (P=0.05). There was no association between Secretor status and GBS colonisation. In vitro work revealed that lacto-N-difucohexaose I (LNDFHI) correlated with a reduction in the growth of GBS. Our results suggest that HMO such as LNDFHI may be a useful adjunct in reducing maternal and infant colonisation and hence invasive GBS disease. Secretor status offers utility as a stratification variable in GBS clinical trials

Denying equality: an analysis of arguments against lowering the age of consent for sex between men

This paper takes a human rights approach to lesbian and gay oppression and critically explores the arguments used to oppose equality in the debates about the age of consent for sex between men. A thematic analysis of Hansard and newspaper reports produced in Britain during the 1990s showed that opponents of the amendment to equalise the age of consent countered with three key arguments laying claim to ethical principles overriding the principle of equality. These were: (1) Principles of right and wrong take precedence over equality; (2) Principles of democracy take precedence over equality; (3) Principles of care and protection take precedence over equality. Two additional arguments (the health risks of anal intercourse, and escalating demands for gay rights) are also outlined. Our findings are discussed with reference to debates on other lesbian and gay rights issues, and we consider the ways in which we might best counter these arguments. </p

A lifeworld phenomenological study of the experience of living within ageing skin

Understanding people’s experience of skin ageing as it is lived can enable sensitive approaches to promoting healthy skin and to care in general. By understanding the insider perspective, what it is like for individuals, a way to sensitise practice for more humanly sensitive care is offered. Through interviews with seventeen, community-dwelling older people the essential meaning of living within ageing skin was illuminated as a state of managed inevitability. The skin is inevitably changing, ageing skin is a marker of change over time but the person within remains. Constituents of the phenomenon comprise: the experience of unfamiliar sights and sensations given by ageing skin; facing and accepting bodily changes and seeing this back and forth in family connections; taking care of the skin ‘to face’ the world and to present oneself to others and a different place in the world, same person, changed body. Findings point to why and how nurses can treat older people as persons by not over emphasising a view on ageing bodies or bodies with aged skin alone, but in tempering this view with deeper existential insights, meeting the older person with a skin care need as a person and not just as a physical entity

Discovery of the actinium, thorium, protactinium, and uranium isotopes

Currently, 31 actinium, 31 thorium, 28 protactinium, and 23 uranium isotopes have so far been observed; the discovery of these isotopes is discussed. For each isotope a brief summary of the first refereed publication, including the production and identification method, is presented.Comment: Accepted for publication in Atomic Data Nuclear Data Table

Homophobia and heterosexism: Spanish Physical Education teachers’ perceptions

Physical education is traditionally a heteronormative environment, despite current studies highlighting the existence of positive changes in sport towards sexual diversity. In Spain, physical education teachers’ attitudes towards sexual minorities are an under-researched area. The current study identifies physical education teachers’ perceptions towards homophobia and heterosexism in their lessons, raising questions as to whether societies are hostile or more tolerant in regards to gays and lesbians in sport. This experimental and cross-sectional descriptive research involved 170 Physical Education teachers from mixed schools, using a modified version of the original questionnaire of homophobia and heterosexism perceptions by Morrow and Gill (2003). Results show heterosexist and homophobic behavior is apparent in physical education lessons, with teachers aware of these behaviours. Furthermore, it is highlighted that students use homosexually-themed language as an instrument to discriminate against gays and lesbians. This language use is not common among teachers, although when it is present, it is clearer and more frequent amongst male teachers