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Many studies have been performed on animals to study their behavior, but not as many on the development of behavior, and not yet on chickens. Therefore, 42 red junglefowls were tested in three Novel Arena, Novel Object and Tonic Immobility tests to investigate the ontogeny of personality. Several behaviors were stable over time in the Novel Arena and Novel Object tests, and are a part of the bird’s personality, while other behaviors were plastic. The stability of the behaviors increased over time. The decrease in duration of the Tonic Immobility can be due to decreased stress during the length of the study. The study showed that personality can be detected early in a chicken’s life, even though a lot of the observed behaviors change. Further studies are needed to figure out duration of the stability and why certain behaviors are stable.

This study focused on a small gastropoda, Cerithium zonatum, found in seagrass meadow at Gui Wan Bi, Green Island, Taiwan. Because this species is high in density in the seagrass meadow and it uses its specific radular to scrap the substrate and emits a particular sound, we can use this acoustic clue to study its feeding activity. C.zonatum samples were collected from Gu Wan Bi, and Zi-Ping Green Island between November to December 2007,March to June 2008, and April to July 2009. It distributes in three habitats (i.e. seagrass¡Bmacro algae¡Brubble) and scrapping sounds were recorded while they were in these habitats. Light and water temperature were treated as experimented factors and their influence on the feeding frequency was deciphered. I also compared individuals of different sizes to find out the differences in feeding frequency between them. SEM was used to observe the radular of C. zonatum. According to the results, I infer that C. zonatum might prefer seagrass meadow as its must suitable microhabitat where feeding activity was higher. Sunlight and high water temperature might lead to increases in feeding activity, but darkness and low water temperature showed opposite effect; it stopped feeding when water temperature had dropped to 17¢J. Scrap frequency of small individuals was higher than larger ones, and their radular were similar in their morphology. I infer that small ones invest more time and energy in feeding in order to grow. Scrapping sound of C.zonatum was compared to Nerita albicilla; there were pulses in the sound of N.albicilla than C. zonatum. It is inferred that this difference might be due to the difference between their radular morphology. I consider that using an bioacoustic approach to study the feeding activity of small gastropoda is feasible.

The purpose of this study was to explore the lifelong physical activity (PA) stories of Latinas to determine motives that contribute to exercise adherence behaviors. Using an interview process, life histories were collected from six self-identified PA adherents of Hispanic descent. Three narrative analysis techniques were used to analyze the interviews and the transcript of a follow-up focus group meeting. In the first technique, the Holistic-Content perspective and Labovian transcription were used to identify major themes common in the interviews. Adherence themes that emerged were: 1) culture and family, 2) being pushed, 3) health, 4) role models, and 5) competence. A review of these themes resulted in several suggestions for teaching practitioners: 1) including enjoyment as a criteria for planning activities, 2) focusing on positive reinforcement from teachers and families, 3) providing early opportunities for success, and 4) interacting with strong female role models. A second analysis technique, Lakoff and Johnson's linguistic studies using metaphor to understand one idea in terms of another, yielded the concept of love as health. Study participants frequently used the terms love and addiction in connection with PA. Participants suggested the following as characteristics of healthy love relationships: loyalty, community, positive results, and variety. The term addiction, while not specifically a metaphor, emerged during this process as a powerful exercise adherence motivator. Euphoria and "not feeling right unless I exercise" were cited as primary reasons for adherence behavior. The third technique used was Borman's Symbolic Convergence Theory in which a rhetorical community is formed around a fantasy theme. The theme "perfect body" was identified in the stories as common to four of the participants. Via the media and pop culture, the rhetorical community communicates that a "perfect body" can be achieved with PA and diet. The oppressive gendered message here is that a woman's worth is largely determined by the look of her body, and having the perfect body is the way to success. Facilitating the shift from solely external motivators to a more balanced internal/external set of motivators and from solely negative motivators to positive reasons for exercise adherence is the recommended goal for teaching practitioners.

The coastal recreation at present, the city government of Kaohsiung is to spread windsurfing activity, and hope everyone have fun in the ocean to bread more exercise people. Because the windsurfing management is very few and it could provide more leisure recreation benefit quality of compatriots. So this study collects documents of windsurfing, then interview and survey to the people and windsurfing player. To bring up the issues of the windsurfing development in the Hsitzuwan. The final estimate feasibility to windsurfing development in the Hsitzuwan of documents and survey results and interview.

Wheelchair provided people, whose act is inconvenient, a comfortable and economic moving means. The research, about the physiology of wheelchair, says that, the way of wheelchair using hands to move wheel rim in order to propel and control aim is not much perfect. The aim of the research is to develop new-pattern-wheelchair that can improve the problem of efficiency of propulsion and injure of sport coming from traditional wheelchair. The research set up the desing-process of new-mode wheelchair. According using posture, disposition and upper-limbs-activity-mode, we list feasible program, and establish the stander of assess, than choosing the better programs. In the research, upper-limbs-activity-mode is consisting by upper-limbs-propulsion-mode and upper-limbs-control-mode. After setting up upper-limbs-activity-mode, we establish design specification. We provide feasible design-program for each part of wheelchair. After sifting and combining all kinds of program, we offer better designs of new-mode wheelchair. After all, we choose one program, and work out size-plan and analysis.

Multiple ecological factors can simultaneously affect species activity and community structure. The goal of my dissertation was to examine the effects of abiotic factors, biotic factors, and succession on anuran communities. I took a three pronged approach dividing the study into three major chapters. First I focused on abiotic factors that affect anuran breeding activity. I found that weather, rainfall and temperature affect the breeding activity of each species differently, and species in my study area can be placed into 5 different groups based on their association with weather and season: 1) breed within a predictable season (summer) independent of local weather patterns 2) breed opportunistically within a predictable season (summer) dependent on local rainfall 3) breed opportunistically within a predictable season (winter) dependent on local temperature 4) breed opportunistically dependent on local flood level rainfall events and 5) breed opportunistically year round dependent on local temperature in the winter and local rainfall in the summer. In the second part of the study, I created a simulation model of an anuran community using published life history parameters of the anuran species in my study system. Results of the model suggest colonizing ability is important for species with low fecundity and high susceptibility to predation. These early succession species tend to be constrained from later stages of succession by predators. Species that are resistant to predators are generally poor colonizers and tend to arrive late in succession, but once they colonize a pond they tend to persist and recruit successfully. Finally, I explored biotic mechanisms that might be important in structuring anuran communities. I found that with the exception of Rana sphenocephala, anuran species occupying sites with shorter hydroperiods had higher activity rates and were more susceptible to predation. Rana sphenocephala appeared to be better at escaping predation than the other species despite a relatively high activity rate. Examination of published phylogenies indicates R. sphenocephala is derived from a species group that uses permanent water suggesting that R. sphenocephala has retained many anti-predator defenses inherited from its ancestors, even though the species now exploits sites with low predator densities.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds from a purple corn extract was performed. The purple corn extract had cyanidin-3-glucoside, pelargonidin-3-glucoside, peonidin-3-glucoside and its respective acylated anthocyanin-glucosides. Cyadinin-3glucoside was the main constituent (44.4 ?? 4.7%) followed by the acylated cyanidin-3-glucoside (26.9 ?? 8.0%). Other phenolic compounds present in the purple corn corresponded to protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, and p-coumaric acid. In addition, quercetin derivatives, a hesperitin derivative and pcoumaric and ferulic acid derivatives were found. Fractionation of phenolic compounds yielded two main fractions, an anthocyanin-rich water fraction (WF) and an ethyl acetate fraction (EAF). Evaluation of antimutagenic activity in both fractions revealed higher antimutagenic activity in the ethyl acetate fraction compared to the anthocyanin-rich fraction. On the other hand, antioxidant activity of the anthocyanin-rich fraction was higher compared to the ethyl acetate fraction. Further fractionation of the anthocyanin-rich fraction in a Toyopearl HW40 gel permeation column yielded five sub-fractions which showed no difference in antimutagenic activity except for the water sub-fraction WF-V. All the sub-fractions were active as antimutagens and antioxidants. Further fractionation of the ethyl acetate fraction yielded four sub-fractions that showed to be active as antimutagens and antioxidants. Ethyl acetate sub-fraction EAF-IV was the most active as an antimutagen. HPLC-DAD characterization of that sub-fraction revealed mainly the presence of a quercetin derivative with UV-visible spectral characteristics similar to rutin but with a little longer retention time. The mechanism of antimutagenic action by the phenolic compounds present either in the anthocyanin-rich fraction or the ethyl acetate fraction and sub-fraction EAFIV seems to be a contribution of a direct action on the enzymes involved in the activation of the mutagen and to the scavenging activity of the mutagen nucleophiles, as demonstrated by our assays.

Licentiatafhandling.

This study investigated the experiences of university-level ESL students engaged in classroom group projects. Using the lens of Activity Theory (Engeström, 1987, 2001; Leont’ev, 1976) I attempted to discover how students’ expectations and goals concerning small group work were enacted in their group interaction and participation. I conducted a qualitative case study of one class of nine students in a university-level English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Advanced Listening and Speaking class. I observed all classes during a 3-month instructional term, recording students’ small group work. In addition, I conducted interviews with 4 focal student participants and their instructor. I investigated students’ goals and expectations for group work, as well as the dynamic interplay between these factors and the local context as it unfolded in the work and interaction of each group. I also investigated the sources, effects, and interconnections of contradictions that emerged within and between activity systems in which the students engaged. An analysis of students’ interaction and self reports indicated that students’ expectations about the objectives, partners, distribution of tasks, and suitability of artifacts for each group task influenced their task-related and social goals for group activity. As the groups worked, contradictions within current activity systems and between current and past activity systems emerged. These contradictions necessitated the formation of new goals and activities, thereby promoting or limiting opportunities for interaction. Creative forms of L2 interaction, including negotiation, joking, teasing, and discussions of language form, emerged in response to contradictions. However, other contradictions involving the division of labor within the group promoted conflict or constrained interaction. / text