Osteoporosis, through its association with age-related fracture, is a major public health concern worldwide. Although osteoporosis was once considered a disease of the elderly, it is now recognized as a condition that has childhood antecedents. The capacity of bone to adapt is the greatest before puberty because of a higher rate of modeling and remodeling. Therefore, the amount of bone gained during childhood and adolescence has the potential to impact lifetime skeletal health. Children who participate in greater amounts of physical activity have greater bone mineral accrual in adolescence as well as a greater peak bone mass in young adulthood. Structured impact loading during growth also positively influences bone parameters. However, the intensity, duration and frequency of loading that is required to elicit skeletal benefits are not well established. Furthermore, although structured physical activity during growth has been hypothesized to delay or prevent the risk of osteoporosis and related fracture later in life there is no clear evidence of a persisting benefit once the loading stimulus has been removed. Therefore, the objective of this thesis was to investigate low-level impact loading during growth and skeletal development as well as to determine the influence of the withdrawal of the loading stimulus on adult bone parameters. Two studies were necessary to realize this objective. The findings should help to determine whether adolescent and adult bone health benefits from structured physical activity during growth. If this is found to be the case then structured gymnastic activity could be promoted as an effective means to optimize adult bone mass, structure and estimated strength.<p> Study 1: The purpose of study one was to investigate whether the differences previously reported in the skeleton of competitive female gymnasts (high level gymnastics exposure) are also demonstrated in young children with a current or past participation history in recreational or precompetitive gymnastics (low level gymnastics exposure). One hundred and sixty three children (30 gymnasts, 61 ex-gymnasts, and 72 non-gymnasts) between 4 and 6 years of age were recruited and measured annually for four years. Total body (TB), lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN) bone mineral content (BMC) was measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at each measurement occasion. Bone mass, density, structure and estimated strength was determined using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) at the radius and tibia during the third measurement occasion. Multilevel random effects models were constructed and used to predict differences in TB, LS and FN BMC between groups while controlling for differences in body size, physical activity and diet. Analysis of covariance (covariates of sex, age and height) was used to investigate differences in bone content, density, area, and estimated strength at the radius and tibia. Gymnasts had 3% more TB and 7% more FN BMC than children participating in other recreational sports at the fourth measurement occasion (p<0.05). Gymnasts were also found have 6-25% greater adjusted BMC, volumetric bone mineral density and estimated strength at the distal radius compared to non-gymnasts (p<0.05). These findings suggest that recreational and precompetitive gymnastics participation (low level gymnastics exposure) is associated with greater bone parameters. This is important as beginner gymnastics skills are attainable by most children and do not require a high level of training. Low-level gymnastics skills can easily be integrated into school physical education programs potentially impacting skeletal health.<p> Study 2: The purpose of study 2 was to assess whether the previously reported greater bone mineral content in premenarcheal gymnasts was maintained 10 years after the cessation of participation and removal of the gymnastics loading stimulus. In 1995, thirty elite premenarcheal female gymnasts were recruited into a study investigating the role of high impact physical activity on bone mass in childhood and compared to 30 non-gymnasts. In 2009-2010 gymnasts and non-gymnasts (n=60) were re-contacted and 25 retired gymnasts and 22 non-gymnasts consented to participate. Total body, LS, and FN BMC was assessed at both measurement occasions by DXA. Bone geometric and densitometric parameters were measured by pQCT at the radius and tibia in 2009/10. ANCOVA was used to compare gymnasts and non-gymnasts bone parameters while controlling for differences in age, body composition and maturation. Gymnasts had significantly greater size adjusted TB, LS, and FN BMC (15, 17, and 12%, respectively) at 12 years of age (1995) (p<0.05). At follow-up, retired gymnasts also had significantly greater size adjusted TB, LS, and FN BMC (13, 19 and 13%, respectively) (p<0.05). Furthermore, retired female gymnasts had greater bone area, content and estimated strength at the radius and greater BMC and estimated strength at the tibia compared to non-gymnasts (p<0.05). Premenarcheal gymnasts have bone benefits that were apparent in adulthood after long-term removal of the gymnastics loading stimulus. Low level gymnastics exposure was associated with greater bone parameters in childhood. If these benefits can be maintained, as is suggested in retired competitive gymnasts, recreational gymnastics participation has the potential to positively impact lifetime skeletal health.

No description available.

The social elite on Öland and in Möre in the south east of Sweden during the Iron Age is described on the basis of the archaelogical record, such as graves, settlements and traces of pre-Christian central places. The material is discussed to see if traces of an elite are to be found. The power configuration between Öland and Möre is also discussed.

Denna studie hade som syfte att undersöka vilka orsaker till stress svenska elitfotbollsdomare upplever samt hur domarna hanterar den upplevda stressen. Vidare syfte var att undersöka hur stressen påverkar domarnas hälsa, och vilken påverkan stressen har på beteendet hos domarna. Urvalet till denna studie bestod av 10 svenska elitfotbollsdomare, både män och kvinnor, med domaruppdrag inom Allsvenskan eller Superettan säsongen 2011. En semistrukturerad intervjuguide användes under antingen telefon- eller personliga intervjuer. Intervjuerna analyserades genom en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultatet som framkom i denna studie ligger huvudsakligen i linje med den tidigare forskningen som har gjorts inom området. Vidare visar även resultatet att de deltagande domarna i huvudsak inte upplever en negativ påverkan av stressen på deras hälsa. De resultat som framkom i studien diskuteras vidare i samband med tidigare forskning inom detta område och runt de metodologiska frågor som framkom av studien. Förslag för framtida forskning samt hur resultatet av studien kan appliceras praktiskt ges. / The purpose of the present study was to examine what Swedish soccer referees perceive as stressful and how the referees cope with the perceived stressors. Further purposes were to examine how the perceived stress affect the health of the referees and what affect it has on the behavior of the referees. In the study 10 Swedish elite soccer referees, both males and females, with refereeing assignments in the Allsvenskan or Superettan in the 2011 season participated. A semi structured interview guide was used during either telephone- or personal interviews. The interviews were analyzed through a qualitative content analysis. The results are primarily in line with previous research of this field. Further, the results show that the participating referees does not experience a great deal of negative influence on their health stemming from stress. The results of the study are further discussed in regards to previous research in the field as well as in conjunction with the methodological questions that arose during the study. Suggestions for future research and practical applications of the results are also given.

Abstract This study is based on social capital theory and we made used of the concept of community action as the output of the proposition of social capital theory. The purposes of the study are to discuss rural community elites¡¦ social capital and the application of social capital theory in the participation of community action. In the strategies of analysis, we used community role as an indicator to measure the level of social capital and the participation of community action, and then present the differentiation of rural community elites. In practice operation, social capital could be measuring with two dimensions, including social tie, social network and the social capital of the bridge role (cognitions, trust, and support). The measurement of the participation of community action is based on the concept of community development. And we made use of the indicator¡Xcommunity role to measure the differentiation of rural community elites participation in community action. This study was conducted in three rural communities in the edge of Kaohsiung Metropolitan¡XTashe town, Jenwu town, and Yenchao town.76 valid samples were surveyed .We also made use of the community role as an indicator to separate the rural community elites into five categories, as a comparison and analysis. And this includes: the township office administrators, the local representative, primary school principles, the leaders of social groups, and the directors of community development association. There are four main findings in this study: First, the results to experiment shows that there are some differentiations between the community role of rural community elites in the concepts of social network and the social capital, especially it expressed significantly on the local representative. Second, there are some differentiations when the rural community elites take part in different extent of their community action. But there is no differentiation between the participation of the whole community action. Third, social network is a form of social capital. However, in order to become a form of social capital must work with actions. It causes resources mobility in social network. Also, there will be some differentiations between the community roles if it makes use of social network as social capital by affecting community action. The final one, as the cognitions, trust, and support to the bridge roles of the community by rural community elites, causes their participation of community action. In other words, the social capital owned by the bridge roles affects the degree of rural community elites¡¦ participation of community action. Keyword: social capital, community elite, social network, community action

Univ. Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Diss.--Tunja, 2005.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Two folded genealogical tables in pocket. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 425-436). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Wayne State University, 1965. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [206]-281).

Thesis--M. Phil., University of Hong Kong. / Typewritten.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1988.