Is hockey just a game? Contesting meanings of the ice hockey life projects through a career-threatening injury

This study is situated within an existential–narrative theoretical framework to examine the impact of career-threatening injury on professional ice hockey players’ well-being and career construction. Professional ice hockey culture is construed as a privileged space characterised by hegemonic masculinity, fierce competition as well as high-risk behaviours often resulting in sports injuries. In this paper, we analyse two players’ life stories with a particular focus on injury as a boundary situation involving social and temporal breakdown and re-evaluation of meaning of sporting life projects. Emergent narratives surrounding existential themes of loss of meaning and loneliness in the face of injury were analysed in connection with players’ search for authenticity and realignment with self-concept. Each player developed resistant narratives to the dominant ethos of professional sport in order to restore well-being and sense of self. The relational aspects of injury are highlighted in practical recommendations.     

Impact of a Submaximal Warm-Up on Endurance Performance in Highly Trained and Competitive Male Runners

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of a submaximal running warm-up on running performance in male endurance athletes (n = 16, M_age = 21 ± 2 years, M_VO2max = 69.3 ± 5.1 mL/kg/min). Method: Endurance performance was determined by a 30-min distance trial after control and submaximal running warm-up conditions in a randomized crossover fashion. The warm-up began with 5 min of quiet sitting, followed by 6 min of submaximal running split into 2-min intervals at speeds corresponding to 45%, 55%, and 65% maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂max). A 2-min walk at 3.2 km/hr concluded the 13-min warm-up protocol. For the control condition, participants sat quietly for 13 min. VO₂ and heart rate (HR) were determined at Minutes 0, 5, and 13 of the pre-exercise protocol in each condition. Results: At the end of 13 min prior to the distance trial, mean VO₂ (warm-up = 14.1 ± 2.2 mL/kg/min vs. control = 5.5 ± 1.7 mL/kg/min) and mean HR (warm-up = 105 ± 11 bpm vs. control = 67 ± 11 bpm) were statistically greater (p < .001) in the warm-up condition compared with the control condition. The distance run did not statistically differ (p = .37) between the warm-up (7.8 ± 0.5 km) and control (7.7 ± 0.6 km) conditions; however, effect size calculation revealed a small effect (d = 0.2) in favor of the warm-up condition. Thus, the warm-up employed may have important and practical implications to determine placing among high-level athletes in close races. Conclusions: These findings suggest a submaximal running warm-up may have a small but critical effect on a 30-min distance trial in competitive endurance athletes. Further, the warm-up elicited increases in physiological variables VO₂ and HR prior to performance; thus, a submaximal specific warm-up should warrant consideration.     

Degree Switching Operations in Networks and Large Scale Systems Assignment Problems

In this paper an algorithm is presented for listing all output sets for a large sparse square matrix A arising in large scale systems applications using network theory and the degree switching operations. The algorithm exploits the zero nonzero structure of matrix A and uses optimum data structures and data manipulation methods. The method is shown to be useful in finding all optimum assignments in an n x n optimum assignment problem and generation of all digraphs that can be associated with an n x nsparse matrix. The problem of testing whether there exists a set of vertex disjoint cycles of specified lengths in a network is shown to be NP-complete.     

Method of solving differential equations with constant coefficients

The equation developed here is fundamental for an understanding of the behavior of inhomogeneous insulation, especially when the insulating material is of considerable extent in the form of continuous flat sheets, or cables, or discontinuous form as in pole-line construction. The “unit” may then be measured in terms of area in the case of sheets, and in terms of length in the case of cables. It is of basic importance in insulation research, testing, and operation. It furnishes the logical basis for the establishing of safety factors.     

Body size and form of black and white female youths measured during 1974-1975 at Columbia, South Carolina.

From original data at age 13 years on 386 North American females (201 black and 185 white), statistics are presented for 10 somatic variables. The 2 ethnic groups yield similar means for standing height, arm girth, and leg girth; the black females, contrasted with their white peers, are shorter in sitting height, longer in lower limb height, and narrower in hip width. The Columbia subjects are compared with black and white females studied in North America several decades ago, and with black and white females studied recently in other parts of North America and in Australia, Europe, Africa, and the Lesser Antilles.     

Optimum tearing in large scale systems and minimum feedback cutsets of a digraph

In this paper we consider the problem of finding a minimum number of nonzero elements of a given nxn matrix on removal of which the resulting matrix can be permuted to an nxn lower triangular matrix using summetric permutations on the rows and columns of the matrix. The problem is related to finding a minimum feedback cutset for the digraph of the matrix. A topological method for finding a minimum feedback cutset for a given digraph is presented. Possible extensions to our work are indicated.