This thesis analyzes eight specific Swedish medieval ballads that contain supernatural transformation and hybridity for how they depict gender in late medieval and early modern contexts. Using literature as a historical resource and a micro-historical approach, this thesis applies gender theory, intersectional approaches, and monster theory to its reading of these ballads. Through this analysis, this thesis has found that transformation in these ballads highlights what it meant to be human in the late medieval and early modern periods, by contrasting and defining humanness through the tension of being a hybrid. And inevitably, discussions of the body during these periods involved having a gendered body. While these stories define what was human and what was not, they discuss and negotiate late medieval and early modern conceptions of masculinity and femininity. Additionally, the conflicts in these stories introduce real-life issues such as power, violence, and social roles. Characters in these ballads negotiate gender and social roles by subverting and upholding societal power structures. A woman acts independently and marries a snake against her family’s wishes. Wives use magic to upend the social hierarchy usurp their husbands’ authority. Father’s roles as protectors are both questioned and underlined in stories of their failures. This thesis concludes that late medieval and early modern audiences had many different understandings of gender, and these audiences used supernatural transformation ballads as a means of communicating complex and contradictory elements of identity and gender during this period.

It has been hypothesized that authigenic carbonate minerals, formed within the pore spaces of marine siliciclastic formations during early diagenesis, may have had a substantial influence on the global carbon cycle, particularly in times of low oxygen in Earth history. According to this idea, alkalinity is generated via anaerobic organic matter degradation, resulting in carbonate oversaturation and the precipitation of low δ13C carbonate cements. If a substantial amount of 13C-depleted carbonate was sequestered in this authigenic sink, the δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the global ocean would be driven to more positive values without significant organic carbon burial - a signal which would be recorded in marine carbonates. Research presented herein tests this hypothesis from newly acquired lithostratigraphic and coupled stable carbon and oxygen isotope data of Upper Devonian limestone and black shale formations preserved within the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. The Late Devonian includes a mass-extinction event, and is characterized by pervasive ocean anoxia and a dramatic reduction in platformal carbonate sediment deposition. As such, it has been hypothesized to represent an ideal time for the emergence of an active authigenic carbonate sink. Results show that both basinal shale (Besa River and Exshaw formations) and platform carbonates (Wabamun Group and its equivalents), record a δ13C signal that is within the expected range of Devonian seawater (3‰ to -2‰), signifying that precipitated authigenic carbonate had no influence on the isotopic composition of DIC. It was observed, however, that evaporitic depositional settings can accumulate carbonate sediment with low δ13C values (down to -8.4‰), potentially caused by local water column organic matter respiration during prolonged water-mass residence in a restricted marginal marine setting. If such depositional environments were globally pervasive, such as during during global sea-level lows, it is plausible that the carbon isotope mass balance would be affected. / Graduate / 2021-06-18

Palaeodictyopterida is remarkable insect superorder, which formed a significant part of the diversity of upper Palaeozoic insects, but disappeared by the end of the Permian. The main synapomorphy of the superorder is the piercing-sucking mouthparts in the form of a rostrum consisting of five styles. This rostrum was probably used to pierce on plant tissue and for the juice sucking. The same type of mouthparts shared by adults was present also in larvae of Palaeodictyopterida. The external copulatory organs of the superorder members was also showed some morphological interests. The male genitalia consist of a pair of gonostyli and two penial lobes, similarly to the genitalia of recent Ephemeroptera. The female genitalia of Palaeodictyopterida are developed in a form of the ovipositor that can be compared with the endophytic ovipositor of some recent Odonata. This morphological features support placement of Palaeodictyopterida as sister group of Odonatoptera + Panephemeroptera. The main aim of the work was to describe new representatives of the order Megasecoptera, the second largest group of Palaeodictyopterida. Wing venation of Megasecoptera exhibits a reduction of the longitudinal and transverse veins in comparison with the order Palaeodictyoptera. Other body structures were examined mainly in the...

Late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) is a pathological disorder that develops in males over the age of 40 and is diagnosed upon strict criteria that requires that the individual have total serum testosterone (T) below the normal limits as well as three symptoms of sexual dysfunction. Recommended therapy for young males with hypogonadism is testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). Treatment of LOH with TRT has increased significantly in the past several years, but studies showing adverse risks associated with TRT have led to a growing concern about the safety of such a treatment. This systematic review will give an overview of the pathology of LOH, clinical diagnosis of LOH, and comorbidities associated with this dysfunction. Benefits of TRT in elderly hypogonadal men have included improvement in cardiovascular function, reduced all-cause mortality, increased sexual function, increased bone mineral density, improved body composition, increased muscle strength, improved quality of life, and improvement in metabolic parameters. However, risks associated with TRT have included infertility, worsening lipid panel parameters, polycythemia, increased risk of prostate cancer, and in some cases, increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events.

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PURPOSE: Parent-child reading allows parents to extend the walls of their home to introduce their children to novel places and scenarios, and is an important factor shaping language development. Accordingly, the parent-child reading practices characterizing the home literacy environment (HLE) offer rich potential to boost and diversify language input and exposure in early childhood, especially if parents use shared reading experiences to spark conversational dialogue around novel concepts. To date, it remains unclear how shared reading experiences may promote language interaction and development in early childhood for late talker children. Furthermore, the role of socioeconomic status (SES) in contribution to the relationship between language development and shared book reading interactions in early childhood remains understudied. Therefore, there is a need to further specify characteristics of shared reading practices and SES in relation to parent-child conversational interactions and child language abilities in early childhood. METHOD: 33 parent-child dyads (all mothers) of children classified as either late talkers (n = 15, 8 male) or typical controls (n=18, 9 male) were selected from an ongoing larger longitudinal study of language delay in collaboration with researchers at Northwestern University (PIs: Norton and Wakschlaug). Characteristics of parent-child conversational interactions during story book reading were assessed through language transcription and subsequent analysis of the quality and quantity of parent language input during these interactions. Parent language input measures and SES were evaluated for possible group differences between late talkers and typical controls, and subsequently examined as potential predictors of language status. RESULTS: Parental language input during shared book reading significantly differed among dyads of late talkers compared to typical controls, as indicated by mean length of utterance (MLU) in words, MLU in morphemes, moving average type token ratio (TTR), and number of different words. SES differences in parent education were also identified between groups. MLU in morphemes was found to significantly contribute to the prediction of language status in toddlerhood. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that the proximal factor of parent language input quality may be a more salient predictor of language development than the distal factors of SES for late talker children in particular. Findings highlight modifiable factors such as high-quality parent language input and shared book reading that have the potential to facilitate positive language outcomes for this population. These findings may lead to better guidance for adjustments that can be made within the HLE to improve language outcomes for late talker children.

Environmental impacts of feral horses (Equus caballus) are a subject of conservation concern and controversial national policy. In North America, feral horses are considered an invasive species where they impact rangelands of the arid and semi-arid western United States. The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is a native sagebrush obligate bird species that relies on sagebrush habitats to sustain viable population levels. Recent literature suggests that feral horse presence can have a notable effect on the fitness of native and sagebrush obligate species throughout the arid and semi-arid western United States. The purpose of this thesis was to assess the potential impact of feral horses on population patterns and on late-brood rearing habitat of greater sage-grouse throughout the Great Basin. This was accomplished by pairing known sage-grouse use sites (leks and late brood-rearing habitat) to random sites for comparison. Within each pair, one site was located within Herd Management Area (HMA) boundaries (with assumed horse presence) while the other was located outside (with assumed horse absence). We then assessed lek attendance throughout the state of Nevada and compared attendance rates to known horse population estimates. Furthermore, paired late brood-rearing habitat sites were compared to one another to assess the effect of horse and cattle presence on habitat quality and characteristics. We determined that mean sage-grouse population size at leks is higher (9.14 ± 1.04 males) within HMA boundaries compared to areas outside of HMA boundaries (6.55 ± 0.74 males). Considering late brood-rearing habitat, we determined that statistical differences have occurred between horse and non-horse use sites in the following comparisons: annual grass frequency, percent annual grass cover, dung frequency, total plant height, vegetative height, and horse and cattle dung density. We suggest that feral horse presence can impact sage-grouse habitat, however, a more clear understanding of horse effects on rangeland wildlife habitat is needed to assess actual impacts on wildlife populations in consideration of multiple use management decisions.

The late positive potential (LPP) is increasingly used as an indicator of emotional salience, which can be reduced by effective emotion regulation (ER), thus making LPP differences a practical marker of ER effects. One commonly used ER strategy is that of explicit distraction, a form of distraction that is consciously monitored and directed. Studies have shown that distraction modulates the LPP, and there are theoretical as well as empirical reasons to suspect that distraction occurs at an early stage in the timecourse of the LPP. However, the consistency of these findings have not yet been systematically assessed. This systematic review was conducted to address this gap in the literature. Following a literature search across three databases, nine empirical studies were systematically reviewed to assess the consistency of the effect of distraction on LPP latency and amplitudes. Mean LPP amplitude measurements from 270 healthy young adults, engaging in distraction and passive viewing during exposure to emotional stimuli, were gathered and reviewed. Mean differences were compared to assess the consistency of the LPP during distraction. Results showed consistent early LPP activation at centro-parietal sites, but not at frontal sites. These findings support the predictions of the process model of ER and its conceptualization of distraction as an antecedent strategy. The review was limited by the small number of studies, low mean ages of participants, and lack of diversity in stimuli, among other factors. As additional research is needed to further the scientific understanding of ER and its mechanisms, future directions are suggested.

The first part of the paper deals with the mural paintings on a Christological theme decorating the northern and eastern walls of the High Gothic ambulatory, which is a part of the National cultural monument Přemyslid Castle. Last Judgement, Annunciation, Adoration of the Magi and Adoration of the Shepherds are depicted on the northern side of the cloister. On the opposite wall between the windows there is a representation of two donators. The eastern front of the ambulatory is decorated with scenes depicting the Crucifixion, Lamentation, Resurrection and Christ with the Arma Christi. Paintings are dated successively from the late 15th century to the first two decades of the 16th century. The different dating of paintings, of course, demonstrates various inspirational sources. The study also reflects many recent discoveries that reveal the origins of the decoration of the cloister. These paintings were probably commissioned by members of the Olomouc Chapter, who were in close contact with Humanistic Societas Maierhofiana. Further the paper focuses on the wall paintings in the John the Baptist' Chapel, where the scenes adorn not only the walls, but also the vault of the eastern field. The frescos were probably created between 1493 and 1517 by the hands of several painters.

The Astwerk like late gothic natural decor in Bohemian lands with international kontext Abstract The diploma thesis presents introduction to problems of naturalistic dekor and use of the motif cut branches / astwerk in Bohemian lands. The focus will be primarily using in the field of sculpture of stone. There will be explained starting area use of astwerk decor, way to the Bohemian lands and Moravia, followed by the development of a retreat in the context of the Renaissance. After a critical review of the literature the work will indicate a chapter on cultural-historical context. The situation in the Bohemian lands after the Hussite wars will be introduced, when in insecure religious circumstances was chosen King Vladislav Jagiello in Kutna Hora, and so begins a new period of prosperity of the country again. Mentioned also will be his representative program in response to Charles IV. Soon Vladislav Jagiello also became King of Hungary and change the new seat to Buda. The influence of the character of the change should be noted. Above it is meant unbroken artistic production and later inspiration the early Renaissance form. The subchapter is a courtly art especially during the reign of Vladislav Jagiello. In this part there are presented foremost works and their authors also including B. Ried. In this...