No description available.

The study involved the evaluation of anthropometric activities for high school science. The activities actively engaged students in the process of gathering, processing and analyzing data derived from human body measurements, with students using their prior knowledge acquired in science, mathematics and computer classes to interpret this information. Quantitative (survey) and qualitative (interview) methods were used to provide answers to the research questions. The quantitative portion of the study involved students' achievement, students' attitudes to science and students' perceptions of the classroom learning environment. A pretest/posttest design was used with achievement outcomes, however, only a single assessment of student attitudes and classroom environment was made. The sample size used to gather data on students' attitudes to science and students' perceptions of the leaming environment was 726 students. Five hundred and ninety-eight (598) students tools the biology test. However, analyses were restricted to the subsample of 158 students who had experienced the anthropometric laboratory activity. Twenty-four students (24) were interviewed for the qualitative part of the study. Data generated from the interviews were used to complement information provided in the surveys. The main purpose of this research was to evaluate these student-centered activities in terms of students' achievement, students' attitudes and students' perceptions of the science classroom environment. Other aims included: to validate generally-applicable measures of classroom learning environments and students' attitudes to science; to investigate gender differences in students' achievement, attitudes and perceptions of classroom environment; and to investigate associations between the classroom learning environment and the student outcomes of performance and attitudes. / Some of the important findings of this study included: 1. In reference to the survey instruments, the item analyses supported the internal consistency reliability and ability to differentiate between classrooms of the learning environment questionnaire and the analyses of attitude data supported the factorial validity, internal consistency reliability and discriminant validity of the attitude questionnaire. 2. Substantial differences between the pretest and posttest scores for the achievement measures in Biology and anthropometric activities were found. These findings were supported by statistically significant t-test scores and effect sizes. 3. There was a positive influence of using anthropometric activities on both students' attitudes and their perceptions of the classroom learning environment. The findings based on qualitative information (interviews, which involved twenty-four students) were consistent with patterns emerging from our quantitative information (surveys, which involved 760 students) and they supported the effectiveness of the anthropometric activities. 4. The analysis of gender differences in students' achievement, attitudes and perceptions of classroom environment revealed that boys have more positive attitudes to science than girls do and is in agreement with past studies. However, females' students demonstrated more favorable perceptions of the learning environment than mates, primarily with Student Cohesiveness and Rule Clarity. 5. The association between student attitudes and their perception of the leaming environment indicated that students' attitudes to science are most likely to be positive in laboratory classes where student perceive a strong integration between the concepts and principles covered in theory classes and in laboratory classes. These findings are consistent with results in other countries. / 6. The association between achievement and student perceptions of their learning environment, suggest that integration of theoretical concepts with laboratory activities (Integration), a cohesive student group (Student Cohesiveness) and using appropriate laboratory materials and equipment (Material Environment) are likely to lead to student achievement. This finding replicates the results of previous studies. 7. I found stronger outcome-environment associations for attitudes than for achievement. This finding is consistent with results from past research. The contributions and significance of this study can be summarized as follows: 1. One of the key components of this study was the development and implementation of the innovative anthropometric laboratory activity, which was especially designed for this research. 2. Another contribution of this study is to the field of integrated curriculum instruction. While most instructional curricular activities are subject specific, this study is interdisciplinary in nature because it effectively links concepts and skills from science, mathematics, statistics, and technology (graphing calculators and computers). 3. A unique feature of this research is that it had an evaluation component involving student performance, student attitudes, and the nature of the classroom learning environment. Therefore, the study contributes to the field of learning environment research by adding another study to the limited research that has employed the classroom environment as a criterion of effectiveness in evaluating educational innovations. The study has the potential to help other science teachers to apply these ideas in their classrooms.

Published Article / Birth stress is associated amongst other things with a small pelvic surface area in ewes. It is a factor which has far-reaching consequences for the producer. The use of pelvic area size as a selection criterion appears to be promising as pelvic area size is 50-60% heritable. The objective of this study was to develop an instrument that can measure the pelvic area of sheep and to be able to quantify the relationship between pelvic measurements and a number of easy-to-measure body measurements. A pelvis meter was developed and used to measure 322 Dorper ewes (± 12 months old, ± 48kg) and 272 Dorper rams rectally, and to take various body measurements on the same animals. No significant relationship was observed between pelvis measurements and linear body measurements in Dorper ewes or rams. The pelvis meter and measuring technique developed in the study are viewed as usable and accurate aid in measuring the pelvic area.

This research evaluated photonic imaging devices for assessment of body size and shape. In aim one, laser imaging measurements of circumference, volume, and % fat were examined in 70 women. Bland-Altman analysis indicated minimal error in girth of the waist and hip by laser imaging as compared to tape measure (95% limits of agreement for waist, -2.02-2.29 cm; hip, -3.39-2.90 cm). Volume by laser imaging was related to hydrodensitometry (r = 0.99, p < 0.01), and % fat estimates were not significantly different from hydrodensitometry or dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) (3.95 ± 1.74, 32.54 ± 1.28, and 35.86 ± 1.06, respectively, p > 0.05). In aim two, 120 adults were evaluated via stereovision imaging. Stereovision was significantly related to volume by air displacement plethysmography (ADP) and hydrodensitometry (R² > 0.99, p < 0.01). However, Bland-Altman analysis indicated variations in body fat between stereovision and ADP (95% limits of agreement, -16.77-16.05 kg). Therefore, aim three was development of a prediction equation to estimate fat from 13 stereovision measurements of body size and shape. These parameters combined to form upper and lower body factor scores, which, with gender, predicted 88.6% of variation in fat mass by ADP (p < 0.01). The equation improved 95% limits of agreement from -16.77-16.05 kg via direct volume measurement to -11.47-8.45 kg compared to ADP. Finally, in aim four, a subset of 56 women from aim two was evaluated for visceral fat by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Visceral fat was compared to a new indicator of abdominal adiposity via stereovision imaging: central obesity depth. Central obesity depth was correlated with visceral fat, following adjustment for age and ethnicity (r = 0.75, p < 0.01). Additionally, each 1 cm rise in central obesity depth raised the odds of being in the high versus low visceral fat tertile (Odds Ratio 8.59, 95% Confidence Interval 1.33-55.63, p < 0.05). Thus, both laser and stereovision body imaging appear to be valid techniques for evaluation of body size and shape. Furthermore, central obesity depth is a promising new measurement for assessment of visceral adiposity. / text

The aim of the study was to investigate and describe how the South African clothing industry ensures well-fitting garments to their target consumers. The study was approached from the viewpoint that, if body measurements of the population are not current and accurate, all other aspects such as block patterns, sizing systems, and fit and wear testing cannot contribute to the achievement of an acceptable or proper fit. The following procedures were followed: <ul> <li> Literature and research on body measurements and sizing systems were studied.</li> <li> A survey was conducted among clothing and footwear manufacturers and retailers in South Africa, to determine the use of body measurements, problems experienced with body measurements, and knowledge of body measurement descriptions, what the South African sizing system entails, how block patterns are generated and how fit and wear testing is done.</li> <li>The research strategy consisted of postal questionnaires to all respondents and structured interviews with selected respondents.</li> <li>A comparison was made between the international and the respondents’descriptions of body measurements, with regard to consensus among the different descriptions.</li> <li>The findings conclude that various outdated and unscientific practices result in many problems being experienced by the industry. A wide variety of body measurements are needed and are used in the South African clothing industry and an alarming number of problems exist with regard to these measurements, probably resulting in the lack of well-fitting garments that satisfy the South African consumer. The problems experienced with the key dimensions are particularly alarming because these measurements are so important in achieving good fit. The supply of good quality garments to their target customers seemed to be a very important consideration to the retailers and manufacturers, but they need help in solving the problems identified.</li> <li> Recommendations include the establishment of a national standard for identifying landmarks and exact methods of how the measurements should be taken on the body, before a much needed survey of the South African population can be undertaken.</li></ul> Copyright / Dissertation (MConsSc)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Consumer Science / unrestricted

No description available.

Ecodopplercardiografia é o estudo do coração e grandes vasos por meio da ultra-sonografia, no qual são obtidas informações importantes de caráter qualitativo e quantitativo sobre o sistema cardiovascular. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência da conformação corpórea e da freqüência cardíaca nos parâmetros ecodopplercardiográficos de cães das raças Teckel e Labrador Retriever e comparar as diferenças obtidas entre as duas raças. Foram utilizados 16 cães da raça Teckel, 4 machos e 12 fêmeas, com idades entre 2 e 7 anos e peso corpóreo entre 5 e 10 kg e 16 cães da raça Labrador Retriever, 5 machos e 11 fêmeas, com idades entre 2 e 7 anos e peso corpóreo entre 25 e 42 kg, sem alterações cardiovasculares (previamente verificadas através da anamnese, exame físico, radiografia do tórax, eletrocardiografia e mensuração da pressão arterial). Após a obtenção dos resultados dos parâmetros em modo M e Doppler para cada raça, concluiu-se que o estudo ecodopplercardiográfico nas raças Teckel e Labrador sugere valores de referência para cada raça, que a freqüência cardíaca exerceu influência sobre as medidas de tempo de enchimento ventricular para ambas as raças. Com relação às medidas corpóreas observou-se que a altura do animal foi a variável que mais correlacionou-se com as medidas ecodopplercardiográfica nos cães da raça Teckel, enquanto que nos cães da raça Labrador foram peso, superfície corpórea e comprimento do animal. As diferenças observadas entre as duas raças sugerem que a raça é fator determinante na aferição das mensurações ecodopplercardiográficas e que não só o peso do animal deve ser considerado como índice de referência para o estudo ecodopplercardiográfico em cães. / Ecocardiography is the study of the heart and great vessels through ultrasounds that allows qualitative and quantitative cardiovascular evaluation. The objective of this work was to suggest mode-M and Doppler echocardiographic parameters for Teckel and Labrador Retriever dogs and to evaluate the influence of body conformation and heart rate in these parameters. A total of 16 Teckel dogs, 4 males and 12 females, from 2 to 7 years in age, bodyweighting from 5 to 10 kg and 16 Labrador Retriever dogs, 5 males and 11 females, from 2 to 7 years in age, bodyweighting from 25 to 42 kg, without any cardiovascular disease (verified by means of anamnese, physical exams, radiography, electrocardiography and arterial blood pressure measurement previously) were used. By the body and conformation size mensurations and echocardiographic evaluation, it was possible to obtain M mode and Doppler reference values and correlated them with heart rate and body size measurements. The heart rate correlated with the ventricular filling time in both of breeds. Animal height was the parameter that most correlated to the ecodopplercardiographic parameters in Teckel dogs and body weight, body surface area and animal lenght were the indices that most correlated to Labrador dogs.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, 2008. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Ecodopplercardiografia é o estudo do coração e grandes vasos por meio da ultra-sonografia, no qual são obtidas informações importantes de caráter qualitativo e quantitativo sobre o sistema cardiovascular. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência da conformação corpórea e da freqüência cardíaca nos parâmetros ecodopplercardiográficos de cães das raças Teckel e Labrador Retriever e comparar as diferenças obtidas entre as duas raças. Foram utilizados 16 cães da raça Teckel, 4 machos e 12 fêmeas, com idades entre 2 e 7 anos e peso corpóreo entre 5 e 10 kg e 16 cães da raça Labrador Retriever, 5 machos e 11 fêmeas, com idades entre 2 e 7 anos e peso corpóreo entre 25 e 42 kg, sem alterações cardiovasculares (previamente verificadas através da anamnese, exame físico, radiografia do tórax, eletrocardiografia e mensuração da pressão arterial). Após a obtenção dos resultados dos parâmetros em modo M e Doppler para cada raça, concluiu-se que o estudo ecodopplercardiográfico nas raças Teckel e Labrador sugere valores de referência para cada raça, que a freqüência cardíaca exerceu influência sobre as medidas de tempo de enchimento ventricular para ambas as raças. Com relação às medidas corpóreas observou-se que a altura do animal foi a variável que mais correlacionou-se com as medidas ecodopplercardiográfica nos cães da raça Teckel, enquanto que nos cães da raça Labrador foram peso, superfície corpórea e comprimento do animal. As diferenças observadas entre as duas raças sugerem que a raça é fator determinante na aferição das mensurações ecodopplercardiográficas e que não só o peso do animal deve ser considerado como índice de referência para o estudo ecodopplercardiográfico em cães. / Ecocardiography is the study of the heart and great vessels through ultrasounds that allows qualitative and quantitative cardiovascular evaluation. The objective of this work was to suggest mode-M and Doppler echocardiographic parameters for Teckel and Labrador Retriever dogs and to evaluate the influence of body conformation and heart rate in these parameters. A total of 16 Teckel dogs, 4 males and 12 females, from 2 to 7 years in age, bodyweighting from 5 to 10 kg and 16 Labrador Retriever dogs, 5 males and 11 females, from 2 to 7 years in age, bodyweighting from 25 to 42 kg, without any cardiovascular disease (verified by means of anamnese, physical exams, radiography, electrocardiography and arterial blood pressure measurement previously) were used. By the body and conformation size mensurations and echocardiographic evaluation, it was possible to obtain M mode and Doppler reference values and correlated them with heart rate and body size measurements. The heart rate correlated with the ventricular filling time in both of breeds. Animal height was the parameter that most correlated to the ecodopplercardiographic parameters in Teckel dogs and body weight, body surface area and animal lenght were the indices that most correlated to Labrador dogs.

In order to achieve good apparel fit, it is necessary to identify, define and classify the size and shape of a population based on a combination of key body measurements (Petrova & Ashdown, 2008). Unrepresentative sizing systems ultimately lead to apparel fit problems which are further compounded by an unstandardised and ambiguous communication of sizing and fit within the apparel manufacturing sector (Chun-Yoon & Jasper, 1996; Winks, 1997; Simmons & Istook, 2004). According to Magagula and Zwane (2006), the sizing system used by the apparel industry in Swaziland is based on British anthropometric measurements taken in the 1940s; yet there is a significant variance in the body proportions and dimensions of different ethnic groups and within ethnic groups (Yu, 2004c:183). It is therefore predictable that young Swazi women would experience apparel fit problems with ready-to-wear apparel. Body forms are manufactured using body dimensions of the apparel manufacturer’s target market in order to yield satisfactory levels of fit. This is however not the case for the Swazi market, as very little current anthropometric data exists on Swazi women. As a result, small-scale apparel manufacturers encounter problems with regard to body forms that are not manufactured according to the shape of Swazi women. The aim of this research was therefore to identify and describe the most prevalent body shapes of young Swazi women using body dimensions, to identify and describe the body shapes of the currently used body forms through body dimensions, to describe and compare the most prevalent body measurements and proportions of young Swazi women and those of currently used body forms, and finally to test and evaluate the fit of the test garment which represents the most prevalent size and shape of the Swazi women, on the body forms. This study is explorative in nature as it helped to clarify a largely undefined area of body shape analysis in respect of young Swazi women. Under the quantitative research strategy, a survey research methodology was used. Anthropometric techniques and traditional tailor’s measurements were used to obtain body measurements for various dimensions of young Swazi women, and training in anthropometry was undertaken to ensure that the measurements were taken reliably and accurately. It emerges from the results of this study that the most prevalent body shape of young Swazi women is the triangular body shape, followed by the hourglass body shape, while the inverted triangle is the least common body shape. The two body form brands employed in this study on the other hand are found to bear different body shapes from each other. Though one brand appears to have the same shape as that of the most prevalent body shape of young Swazi women, it is apparent that there are notable differences regarding the degree of the body contours, i.e. the Swazi women are conspicuously heavier and more rounded at the hip area – as the measurement differences show. The expectation that this body form will offer a better fit to Swazi women as they have similar body shapes in principle, is not realised when the fit of the test garment is evaluated, due to the vast differences in the drop values. The fit problems that are predicted to be experienced by young Swazi women when using the body forms for pattern generation, based on the significant measurement differences, are indeed observed during the evaluation of the fit of the test garment on the body forms. The fit problems exhibited during the testing of the fit of the test garment based on the most prevalent body shape of young Swazi women on the body forms, are mainly due to a wider lower hip girth and shorter length proportions at the upper torso of the young Swazi women. The results of this study contribute to a better understanding of the body shapes that exist among young Swazi women and the fit problems that young Swazi women experience as a consequence of unrepresentative body forms being used in terms of size and shape. Furthermore, the need for all stakeholders in the apparel manufacturing industry to reach consensus on the standardisation and communication of sizing emerges as a step toward affording better fitting apparel to the Swazi women. / Dissertation (MConsumer Science)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / gm2014 / Consumer Science / unrestricted