The Effects of a Vegetarian Diet on Dietary Iron Intake in Adolescent Female Endurance Athletes

A chief concern for female endurance athletes is adequate iron status which is partially determined by iron and vitamin C intake. This study examines the impact of diet on iron intake in adolescent female cross country runners. Animal-based iron sources are recognized as being better absorbed and more bioavailable than non-animal-based sources. Additionally, vitamin C promotes iron absorption. In this study, the independent variable was defined as a vegetarian diet (one excluding meat, fish, and poultry), with the control being a non-vegetarian diet. The hypothesis was that vegetarian cross country runners would have lower mean iron intakes than non-vegetarians. Data were collected via a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and a 3-Day Diet Log (3DL) provided to the subjects. Scores based on servings per week were assigned to the FFQ to create an estimate of each subject\u27s daily iron and vitamin C intake. 3DLs were analyzed using ESHA Research Solutions Food Processor Diet Analysis software to form a representative picture of various nutrients over time, with the primary focus on iron and vitamin C. Permutation tests were used to analyze the dietary data. No significant differences in average iron intake or other key nutrients were found to exist between groups for 3DL data. A commonly attended running camp during the administration of this study may have been a factor. Analysis of the FFQ dietary data, indicating longer term intakes, revealed vegetarians had statistically significant higher intakes of vitamin C, p=0.0389, and iron, p=0.0135, than did non-vegetarians

Home-School Communication in a Rural South African Village: Implications for Teaching and Teacher Education

Using data obtained from 16 parents in a South African village, the writers examined home–school communication. They present results on parents\u27 perceptions of schooling that fall into three categories: struggles to learn, problems in education, and hopes. They then discuss implications for teaching and teacher education

How to Quantify Female Mate Preference in Threespine Stickleback

Social behavior is diverse. For example, males from two stickleback ecotypes (whites and commons, Fig. 1) are highly divergent in courtship and parental care behavior [1]. Little is known about ecotypic differences in female behavior. In this study, we develop methods to quantify female preference in this system

Evaluating Red Wolf Scat to Deter Coyote Access to Urban Pastureland

Depredation of domestic livestock by wildlife is a leading source of human–wildlife conflict, often requiring intervention at the local level. Historically, these interventions have resulted in the use of lethal methods to remove the offending animal. In response to increased public opposition to lethal control methods, wildlife managers have sought to identify effective nonlethal biological options to mitigate wildlife depredations. In 2018, we tested the concept of a biological deterrent using red wolf (Canis rufus) scat that had historically been spread along fence lines to prevent depredation of lambs (Ovis aries) and kid goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine 32-ha Teaching Animal Unit (TAU), North Carolina, USA. To conduct the study, we deployed paired camera traps at 3 locations where we had previously observed coyotes (C. latrans) accessing the TAU. The study was conducted over a 94-day period alternating between no scat and freshly collected scat that was placed every 3 days from adult male red wolves. The study period overlapped lambing and kidding season. In addition to coyotes, the camera traps routinely detected red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and raccoons (Procyon lotor). The red wolf scat we placed at the access point did not deter any of the mesocarnivores from entering the pasture

Testing Longitudinal Relationships Between Binge Drinking, Marijuana Use, and Depressive Symptoms and Moderation by Sex

Both substance use and depression are common in adolescence and often comorbid. Past research has produced conflicting results on whether there is a temporal relationship and if so, in which direction it operates and how it may vary by sex. We examined the longitudinal associations between substance use frequency and depressive symptoms from adolescence into young adulthood, and whether the associations were moderated by sex

Scholarly activity as a selection criterion in the Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS): A review of published criteria by internal medicine, family medicine, and pediatrics programs

Background: Undergraduate medical students seek as much information as possible as to how residency programs select candidates.  The Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS) website is one of their primary sources of information. Students may be more competitive in the match if they know whether scholarly activity is used in the selection process by their preferred programs, as described on the CaRMS website.. Methods: For all 17 Canadian faculties of medicine, 2019 R1 entry internal medicine, family medicine and pediatrics program descriptions were reviewed on the CaRMS website looking for keywords related to scholarly activity. Results: Forty-one percent of family medicine, 65% of internal medicine and 71% of pediatric programs explicitly stated having interest in applicants with scholarly experience. In Western Canada, 80% of internal medicine and 60% of pediatrics programs included scholarly activity in their CaRMS description of criteria considered in ranking applications. Similarly, in Ontario, 66% of internal medicine and 83% of pediatrics programs mentioned scholarly activity as a valuable quality. In Quebec 100% of family medicine and 50% of pediatrics programs include scholarly activity in their descriptions. Pediatrics and internal medicine programs (100%) in Atlantic Canada mentioned scholarly activities but neither of the two Atlantic Canada internal medicine programs mentioned scholarly activities. Conclusion: Undergraduate medical students can use this project to prioritize extracurricular activities and scholarly work to be competitive for application to family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics residency programs. &nbsp

Examining the Auroral Ionosphere in Three Dimensions Using Reconstructed 2D Maps of Auroral Data to Drive the 3D GEMINI Model

We use the Geospace Environment Model of Ion-Neutral Interactions (GEMINI) to create three-dimensional, time-dependent simulations of auroral ionospheric parameters in the localized, several 100 km region surrounding auroral arcs observed during a winter 2017 sounding rocket campaign, resolving three-dimensional features of fine-scale (km) flow structures in the vicinity of an auroral arc. The three-dimensional calculations of GEMINI allow (with sufficient driving data) auroral current closure to be investigated without idealizing assumptions of sheet-like structures or height integrated ionospheres. Datamaps for two nearly sheet-like arcs are reconstructed from replications of the Isinglass sounding rocket campaign data, and combined with camera-based particle inversions into a set of driving inputs to run the 3D time-dependent model. Comparisons of model results to radar density profiles and to in situ magnetometry observations are presented. Slices of volumetric current, flow, and conductance structures from model outputs are used to interpret closure currents in an auroral arc region, and are compared to original in situ measurements for verification. The predominant source of return current region field aligned current closure for these slow time variation events is seen to be from the conductance gradients, including the Hall. The importance of the versus terms in the determination of the current structure provides a more complicated picture than a previous GEMINI study, which relied predominantly on the divergence of the electric field to determine current structure. Sensitivity of data-driven model results to details of replication and reconstruction processes are discussed, with improvements outlined for future work

A Crowdsourcing Open Contest to Design Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Promotion Messages: Protocol for an Exploratory Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: In the United States, black men who have sex with men (BMSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can reduce HIV incidence. However, real-world implementation of PrEP outside of clinical trials has identified racial disparities in PrEP awareness, uptake, and adherence. In the context of a long history of medical mistrust and power imbalances between scientists and community members, strategies to increase uptake of PrEP among BMSM should consider ways to ensure messages address the needs and priorities of the community. Crowdsourcing contests shift traditional individual tasks to a large group and may enhance community engagement. OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the research protocol of a contest approach to soliciting PrEP promotion messages among BMSM in Baltimore. METHODS: Open-contest implementation and evaluation will proceed as follows: (1) organize a community steering group; (2) develop platforms to solicit crowd input; (3) engage the community to contribute ideas through a Web-based forum and in-person events; (4) evaluate contest entries using both community panel judge assessment and crowd voting; (5) utilize mixed methods to evaluate feasibility, acceptability, and community engagement; and (6) disseminate contest results. RESULTS: This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Mental Health: R34MH116725) in May 2018 and was approved by the institutional review board in April 2018. The open contest started in February 2019, and data analyses for the mixed method evaluation are expected to complete in December 2019. CONCLUSIONS: The contest will potentially bring new ideas in developing more impactful and locally defined PrEP promotion campaigns. We will determine whether an open-contest approach is acceptable among BMSM in Baltimore. If successful, this study can inform future projects using a similar approach on how to identify and implement programs and policies that are more responsive to community needs and that build up community assets. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/15590