No description available.

<p> This thesis attempts to relate the kind of female figures in Dickens's works with the images of womanhood current in Victorian Society and Art.</p> / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

The view of androgens as a chiefly male- associated hormone is long outdated, and there is an increasing wealth of evidence for the role of androgens in women. Androgens, in addition to estrogen and other hormones, play several various and critical roles in females, particularly in the development and function of the female genital tract. Countless, targeted studies have been conducted in efforts to elucidate how androgens affect the development and function of the female genitalia, most notably in regards to the vagina, uterus, and ovaries. However, though the significance of female androgens is relatively well established, knowledge on this subject is still developing and somewhat fragmented. The objective of this review is to present a comprehensive view of the role of androgens in the development and function of the female genital tract, summarize new studies, and integrate the most current information in order to gain a broadened and enhanced understanding of the importance and implications of androgens in females.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Agriculture teacher demographics continue to shift with an increase in early career and female teachers entering the profession. Female teachers have been shown to report lower student motivation and lower self-efficacy compared to males (Martin, 2006; Hastedt et al., 2021; Tran, 2015; Klaussen & Chiu, 2010). Within agricultural education, early career teachers have reported concerns with student motivation and self-efficacy (Stair et al., 2012; Blackburn & Robinson, 2008.) Even though student motivation has been identified as a major issue, student motivation and its effects on agriculture teachers have not been studied within agricultural education. The purpose of this study was to identify the current perceptions of female early career agriculture teachers in relation to student motivation. A grounded theory approach using semi-structured interviews was used in this qualitative study. An analysis of the data revealed that these teachers have difficulty motivating students in relation to SAE/FFA participation, valuing of the content, and classroom engagement and persistence. Teachers mentioned student teacher relationships, classroom management, and past success as factors that increase student motivation. Teachers also discussed the effects of low student motivation on their careers which included feelings of anxiety, stress, and questioning of ability. It is recommended that teachers in agricultural education focus on improving the adaptive dimensions of valuing of school and persistence. Additionally, stakeholders within agricultural education should offer professional development in the areas of student motivation and SAE implementation.

The effect of intense gymnastic training on bone mineral density was investigated in 16 elite prepubertal (9.82 ± 0.89 years) (mean ± SD) gymnasts (GYM) and 16 normoactive (9.87 ± 0.75 years) controls (CON). Pubertal status was determined according to the criteria of Tanner. Additionally the mother of each subject was recruited, and was included in all measurements as an estimate of hereditability. GYM were in elite pre-competitive or competitive programs for at least two years, and trained on average 18 hr per week. Areal bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition (%BF) was measured for the whole body, and BMD for the left hip and lumbar spine (L1-L4) by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and volumetric BMD for the distal radius by peripheral QCT (pQCT). There were no significant differences between groups for age, pubertal status or body mass; however GYM were significantly shorter (129.3 ± 5.7 vs. 136.7 ± 4.4 cm; P<0.01) and leaner (15.12 + 1.95 vs. 19.58 + 4.29 %BF) than CON. In an attempt to account for inter-group height differences, areal DXA measurements were converted to apparent bone mineral density (BMAD). GYM had significantly (P<0.05) greater femoral neck (0.698 ± 0.058 vs. 0.648 + 0.064 g.cm⁻²) and trochanteric (0.616 ± 0.060 vs. 0.530 + 0.084 g.cm⁻²) BMD. Additionally GYM had significantly greater whole body (0.101 ± 0.009 vs 0.094 ± 0.007 g.cm⁻³) BMAD than CON. GYM also had significantly greater total 367.75 ± 51.61 vs 307.37 ± 27.59 mg.cm⁻³), trabecular (207.93 ± 45.35 vs 163.76 ± 31.41 mg.cm⁻³) and cortical (496.94 ± 67.51 vs 429.80 ± 33.78 mg.cm⁻³) volumetric BMD than CON at the distal radius. There were no significant differences between mothers of GYM or CON for any of the variables studied. Significant daughter mother correlations existed only for lumbar spine BMD (r=0.55). These results suggest that participation in elite gymnastics prior to puberty elicits favourable whole body adaptations in bone mineral density, and also that striking regional differences are observed at the wrist, a site subjected to repetitive high impact loading during training. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Unaccustomed eccentric exercise results in damage to skeletal muscle ultrastructure. One bout of eccentric exercise can induce adaptations in skeletal muscle, such that if the bout is repeated indices of muscle damage are attenuated. However, little is known about the pathways mediating these "protective" adaptations. The purpose of this thesis was to further characterize adaptations to repeated eccentric exercise and to investigate the hypothesis that increased stress protein content is associated with attenuated indices of muscle damage following the second exercise bout. Untrained male (N = 8) and untrained female (N = 8) subjects performed two bouts of unilateral, eccentric leg press and unilateral, eccentric knee extension exercises separated by 5.5 wk. Biopsies were taken from the vastus latera/is of the exercised and control (rest) leg. Blood samples and strength data were also collected. Following the second exercise bout the rise in serum CK activity, the post exercise force deficit and the extent of ultrastructural disruption as characterized by Z-disk streaming were attenuated, however ubiquitin conjugated protein content was elevated. Serum CK activity was lower in females as compared to males and ubiquitin conjugated protein content was greater in males as compared females. No gender difference was detected in the extent of Z-disk streaming or the relative magnitude of post exercise force deficit. Muscle macrophage counts were elevated over resting values 24 h post exercise bout 1 and 2 in both males and females. Whereas, neutrophils counts were only elevated over resting values following the second exercise in females. HSP72 protein content did not change in response to eccentric exercise, but it tended to be greater in males as compared to females (p=0.053). HSP27 protein content increased in response to exercise in males only, although females had greater basal content. Following the second exercise bout bcl-2 protein content was greater in females as compared to males. In conclusion, adaptations to repeated eccentric exercise are associated not only with attenuated serum CK activity and force deficit as previously described, but also with decreased ultrastructural damage, increased ubiquitin conjugated protein content and changes in stress protein content. / Thesis / Master of Science (MS)

No description available.