16144 research outputs found
Sort by
The Effect of Sand Versus Grass Plyometric Training on Vertical Jump, Sprint Performance, and Ankle Flexibility
No full textPlyometric training has become increasingly popular as an alternate type of training for many different sports. Plyometric training embodies the natural movements that are conducted in specific sports, promoting an increase in performance and decreased risk of injury. The purpose of this study is to determine how plyometric training on different surfaces, specifically sand and grass, affect vertical jump, sprint performance, and ankle flexibility. Twenty college students participated in a 4-week plyometric program on a sand or grass training surface. Vertical jump, 20-meter sprint, and ankle flexibility were assessed before and after the training program. The results indicated no significant differences between groups in vertical jump (pre grass: 18.3 +/- 3.49, post grass: 19.4+/- 2.67, pre sand: 20.9 +/- 5.15, post sand: 21.5 +/- 4.42), 20-m sprint (pre grass: 3.76 +/- .37, post grass: 3.80 +/-.37, pre sand: 3.6 +/- 0.37, post sand: 3.63 +/- 0.44), ankle dorsiflexion (pre grass:15.33 +/- 5.39, post grass: 17 +/- 3.16, pre sand: 14.33 +/- 7.39, post sand: 17 +/- 3.16), and ankle plantarflexion (pre grass: 52.33 +/- 6.47, post grass: 61 +/- 3.31, pre sand: 49.33 +/- 7.53, post sand: 55 +/- 9.41) . However, a trend was observed demonstrating plyometric training can improve vertical jump and ankle flexibility independent of training surface
Treatments for Depression: Reactions and New Approaches
No full textThe overarching question for this project was whether S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) could be a more effective, less side-effect-ridden treatment for depression as compared to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. Pertinent to this topic is the evaluation of traditional treatment approaches and whether individuals feel that their experiences with these treatments have been successful. A survey was developed to assess individuals’ typical reactions to life stressors and whether they have a history of depression as well. Assessing the popularity of antidepressants is imperative, for it determines whether a new treatment for depression will benefit the general public. Three samples of participants were included in the study. The first sample was drawn from undergraduate students, the second from patients currently undergoing treatment, and the final sample was from online participants ages 18-65. It was expected that participants with depression would be dissatisfied with their current treatment. Of particular interest was exploring the relationships among the variables in the study (e.g. social connectedness, physiological state, stress responses) and determining the extent to which responses to depression varied with respect to gender and age. It was expected that women would be more likely to exhibit dissatisfaction with their current treatment due to the social stigma against men regarding openness about emotional stress. It was also expected that people under the age of 26 would be less satisfied with traditional treatments as compared to older participants who may have adapted to their treatments. Finally, it was expected that inpatients would be less satisfied with treatments than outpatients. In addition to the survey component, there was an interview aspect of the study. Interviews were conducted with professionals involved in the study and treatment of depression. Expectations were that interviewees would provide greater insight into the benefits of SAMe as compared to alternative treatments for depression
Public Perceptions of Wolves and Their Return to the Great Lakes State
No full textCanis lupus, or the Gray wolf, as an apex predator, can certainly be a danger to humans. However, the common perception of wolves as malevolent and evil creatures has been socially constructed through ancient myths as well as contemporary media portrayals. In the early history of the United States, wolf populations were nearly destroyed and only recently has this animal made a return in the Great Lakes Region. This project was a survey of Michigan residents that assessed their knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAP) of wolves. The research also gathered information about the demographics of respondents as well as their positions on two proposals in the November election. The purpose of Proposal One in the election was to determine whether Public Act 520, an act allowing for a wolf hunt in the state of Michigan, would be upheld. The purpose of Proposal Two was to determine whether Public Act 21, a law giving the Natural Resources Commission the power to designate game species, would be upheld. Our research predicted Proposal One within 1% and Proposal Two within 4%. The demographic data gathered in the survey along with the KAP data was analyzed to determine any relationships there were between variables. Among others, significant relationships were found between education, knowledge about wolves, and fear of wolves. The research indicates the importance of public perception and education in the protection of important environmental assets such as wolves
Prevalence of Minorities in Special Education
No full textMinority groups are overrepresented in the United States’ special education system. These erroneous placements are often due to language and cultural barriers and teacher expectations, not specific learning disabilities or other impairments. James S. Coleman was a sociological theorist who addressed the education system in terms of social capital and social networks, but did not explore special education. This paper provides a theoretical explanation for the imbalance of minority students in special education by expanding Coleman’s original theories. Disengaged parents and teacher expectations are one aspect of this study. Parents facing inferiority in the education system may adopt passivity, perceived by educators as unwillingness to engage in the child’s education. The social network within the special education system is also addressed to examine potential outcomes of fragmented networks. Interaction with each member of the social network does not guarantee a child’s flourishing. Coleman’s theory does not provide a comprehensive explanation of the challenges of minorities in the special education system, but I have expanded these ideas, applied them to the minority educational experience, and exposed some of the unmet needs of a population of vulnerable students
Fundamentals of MOF Thin Film Growth via Liquid-Phase Epitaxy: Investigating the Initiation of Deposition and the Influence of Temperature
No full textThin films can integrate the versatility and great potential found in the emerging field of metal organic frameworks directly into device architectures. For fabrication of smart interfaces containing surface-anchored metal organic frameworks, it is important to understand how the foundational layers form to create the interface between the underlying substrate and porous framework. Herein, the formation and morphology of the first ten cycles of film deposition are investigated for the well-studied HKUST-1 system. Effects of processing variables, such as deposition temperature and substrate quality, are studied. Sequences of scanning probe microscopy images collected after cycles of alternating solution-phase deposition reveal the formation of a discontinuous surface with nucleating and growing crystallites consistent with a Volmer-Weber growth mechanism. Quantitative image analysis determines surface roughness and surface coverage as a function of deposition cycles, producing insight regarding growth and structure of foundational film layers. For carboxylic acid terminated self-assembled monolayers on gold, preferred crystal orientation is influenced by deposition temperature with crystal growth along [100] observed at 25 degrees C and [111] favored at 50 degrees C. This difference in crystal orientation results in reduced surface roughness and increased surface coverage at 50 degrees C. To properly fabricate and fully determine the potential of this material for industrial applications, fundamental understanding of film formation is crucial
Writing About Cannibal Diets And Consuming Black Africans In France During The First Half Of The Twentieth Century
No full textThis article examines the meaning of references to cannibalism in French descriptions of black African cuisine in the first half of the twentieth century. Because of the intimacy of eating and the perceived importance of diet in defining racial boundaries, exotic dining and gastronomic writing about the colonised Other were fraught with tension about the possible crossing of boundaries. When African cuisine was discussed in cooking magazines, by gastronomes, and in the context of the 1931 Colonial Exposition, references to cannibalism guarded these borders. The discourse surrounding African food and African chefs at the exposition also used eating as a metaphor for the cannibalistic nature of French imperialism in Africa. The physical and metaphoric consumption of the colonised African Other was featured dramatically in the French dessert tete de negre, which presented a representation of an African head for French consumption, ritualising and taming the violent incorporation of African bodies into the French empire
Forgiving the Self and Physical and Mental Health Correlates: A Meta-Analytic Review
No full textSelf-forgiveness has been conceptualized as a coping strategy that may improve health and well-being. To better understand the functions of self-forgiveness, this meta-analysis examines the correlates of self-forgiveness associated with physical and mental health. For physical health, across 18 samples and 5,653 participants, the correlation was .32. For psychological well-being, across 65 samples and 17,939 participants, the correlation was .45. To augment this primary focus on physical and mental health correlates, we estimated the relationships between self-forgiveness and specific mental health constructs and relationship outcomes. Implications for future basic and applied research on self-forgiveness are discussed
Two-neutron sequential decay of O-24
No full textA two-neutron unbound excited state of O-24 was populated through a (d, d\u27) reaction at 83.4 MeV/nucleon. A state at E = 715 +/- 110 (stat) +/- 45 (sys) keV with a width of Gamma \u3c 2 MeV was observed above the two-neutron separation energy placing it at 7.65 +/- 0.2 MeV with respect to the ground state. Three-body correlations for the decay of O-24 -\u3e O-22 + 2n show clear evidence of a sequential decay through an intermediate state in O-23. Neither a di-neutron nor phase-space model for the three-body breakup were able to describe these correlations