National Race Research Articles

Infrared Thermography Sensor in the Analysis of Acute Metabolic Stress Response during Race Walking Competition.

Introduction: Due to the possible impact of the thermoregulatory process on sports performance, it is necessary to explore the existing relationships between kinetic, mechanical, and physiological variables. The objective of this study was to evaluate metabolic stress using thermography in the lower limb after the Spanish Championship 2023 walk. Method: A descriptive study was carried out on national and international race walkers before and after the 2023 Spanish Championships. The participants performed different tests within the same circuit. Five walkers completed the long-distance race of 35 km, four walkers completed the middle-distance race of 20 km and finally, two walkers completed the short-distance race of 10 km. Result: Statistically significant changes were observed in the lower limbs of the walkers after completing the test. We observed a decrease in skin temperature in all the anatomical regions analyzed, except for the back of the leg. More specifically, the decrease was in the hip (-1.92 °C: p = 0.004), quadriceps, hamstrings (-1.23 °C: p = 0.002), and tibia (-1.23 °C: p = 0.030). However, in the posterior region of the leg, a significant increase in temperature was observed (+0.50 °C: p = 0.011) following the competition. Discussion and Conclusions: The findings in this descriptive investigation support the notion that thermography may serve as a useful tool in the acute analysis of muscle functional activation and metabolic response in professional marching athletes. Moreover, the results confirmed that the change in skin temperature is the result of a variation in acute metabolic and functional activation in the lower extremities of race walkers during competition, with infrared thermography representing an instrument capable of detecting such a change in a rapid and non-invasive manner.

Prevalence of cardiovascular events in a population-based registry of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

BackgroundThe Manhattan Lupus Surveillance Program (MLSP), a population-based retrospective registry of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), was used to investigate the prevalence of cardiovascular disease events (CVE) and compare rates among sex, age and race/ethnicity to population-based controls.MethodsPatients with prevalent SLE in 2007 aged ≥ 20 years in the MLSP were included. CVE required documentation of a myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular accident. We calculated crude risk ratios and adjusted risk ratios (ARR) controlling for sex, age group, race and ethnicity, and years since diagnosis. Data from the 2009–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the 2013–2014 NYC Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NYC HANES) were used to calculate expected CVE prevalence by multiplying NHANES and NYC HANES estimates by strata-specific counts of patients with SLE. Crude prevalence ratios (PRs) using national and NYC estimates and age standardized prevalence ratios (ASPRs) using national estimates were calculated.ResultsCVE occurred in 13.9% of 1,285 MLSP patients with SLE, and risk was increased among men (ARR:1.7, 95%CI:1.2–2.5) and older adults (age > 60 ARR:2.5, 95%CI:1.7–3.8). Compared with non-Hispanic Asian patients, CVE risk was elevated among Hispanic/Latino (ARR:3.1, 95%CI:1.4-7.0) and non-Hispanic Black (ARR:3.5, 95%CI1.6-7.9) patients as well as those identified as non-Hispanic and in another or multiple racial groups (ARR:4.2, 95%CI:1.1–15.8). Overall, CVE prevalence was higher among patients with SLE than nationally (ASPR:3.1, 95%CI:3.0-3.1) but did not differ by sex. Compared with national race and ethnicity-stratified estimates, CVE among patients with SLE was highest among Hispanics/Latinos (ASPR:4.3, 95%CI:4.2–4.4). CVE was also elevated among SLE registry patients compared with all NYC residents. Comparisons with age-stratified national estimates revealed PRs of 6.4 (95%CI:6.2–6.5) among patients aged 20–49 years and 2.2 (95%CI:2.1–2.2) among those ≥ 50 years. Male (11.3, 95%CI:10.5–12.1), Hispanic/Latino (10.9, 95%CI:10.5–11.4) and non-Hispanic Black (6.2, 95%CI:6.0-6.4) SLE patients aged 20–49 had the highest CVE prevalence ratios.ConclusionsThese population-based estimates of CVE in a diverse registry of patients with SLE revealed increased rates among younger male, Hispanic/Latino and non-Hispanic Black patients. These findings reinforce the need to appropriately screen for CVD among all SLE patients but particularly among these high-risk patients.

Psychological Aspects of Motocross Racing Considering Expected, Perceived, and Actual Performance.

Motocross racing is a seldom-researched popular extreme sport. This field research aimed to investigate feeling states, perceived arousal, anxiety, and negative and positive affect in the anticipatory and recovery race periods and their relationship to expected and perceived performance. Twenty Motocross racers completed psychometric scales before and after a national championship race. Results revealed that objective performance was unrelated to psychological measures. Arousal, anxiety, and positive affect were lower after the race. Expected performance was unrelated to postrace measures. Still, perceived performance correlated significantly with the feeling state, anxiety, and positive affect after the race and the feeling state before the race. Furthermore, racers who performed as expected or better showed improved feeling states after the race compared with those who did worse than expected. The core affect of the latter group declined. This research on psychological states during Motocross races could motivate new initiatives for future studies.

Foreign national prisoners, discrimination and race relations in Irish prisons

Recent reports have highlighted the discriminatory treatment endured by foreign national prisoners (FNPs) in particular Irish prisons, but one key voice has been relatively absent from the discourse to date – the perspectives of the prisoners themselves. This article aims to complement these “top-down” perspectives with a comprehensive “bottom-up” analysis rooted in the experiences of 82 FNPs and explore the extent to which they were subject to racism, discrimination and differential treatment by prison staff and fellow inmates across eight Irish prisons. The article begins by outlining the methodology of the qualitative study. It then presents our findings in two parts. The first part focuses on FNPs’ personal views of their relationships with staff in Irish prisons. The second part explores the extent to which these FNPs interact with Irish prisoners and prisoners from other jurisdictions. The article reveals that forming relationships with staff and fellow inmates is challenging for certain FNPs due to racial prejudice, language barriers and segregation based on nationality.

National Identity, Race, and Grime

National Identity, Race, and Grime

National community disparities in prehospital penetrating trauma adjusted for income, 2020–2021

IntroductionWhile Black individuals experienced disproportionately increased firearm violence and deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, less is known about community level disparities. We sought to evaluate national community race and ethnicity differences in 2020 and 2021 rates of penetrating trauma. MethodsWe linked the 2018–2021 National Emergency Medical Services Information System databases to ZIP Code demographics. We stratified encounters into majority race/ethnicity communities (>50% White, Black, or Hispanic/Latino). We used logistic regression to compare penetrating trauma for each community in 2020 and 2021 to a combined 2018–2019 historical baseline. Majority Black and majority Hispanic/Latino communities were compared to majority White communities for each year. Analyses were adjusted for household income. ResultsWe included 87,504,097 encounters (259,449 penetrating traumas). All communities had increased odds of trauma in 2020 when compared to 2018–2019, but this increase was largest for Black communities (aOR 1.4, [1.3–1.4]; White communities – aOR 1.2, [1.2–1.3]; Hispanic/Latino communities – aOR 1.1. [1.1–1.2]). There was a similar trend of increased penetrating trauma in 2021 for Black (aOR 1.2, [1.2–1.3]); White (aOR 1.2, [1.1–1.2]); Hispanic/Latino (aOR 1.1, [1.1–1.1]). Comparing penetrating trauma in each year to White communities, Black communities had higher odds of trauma in all years (2018/2019 – aOR 3.0, [3.0–3.1]; 2020 – aOR 3.3, [3.3–3.4]; 2021 – aOR 3.3, [3.2–3.2]). Hispanic/Latino also had more trauma each year but to a lesser degree (2018/2019 – aOR 2.0, [2.0–2.0]; 2020 – aOR 1.8, [1.8–1.9]; 2021 – aOR 1.9, [1.8–1.9]). ConclusionBlack communities were most impacted by increased penetrating trauma rates in 2020 and 2021 even after adjusting for income.

THE TECHNIQUE OF ELITE ATHLETES SPECIALIZED IN 50 KM RACE WALK

Purpose: to reveal trends of changing the technique of highly skilled 50 km race walkers along with the increase of sports results based on biomechanical characteristics analysis. Material and methods. Technique biomechanical analysis data of the best world and Ukrainian athletes, obtained in the course of studies at 2015–2018 national race walk championships in 50 km and 35 km distances are presented. Biomechanical characteristics of 22 highly skilled athletes (14 males and 8 females) specialized in 50 km race walk (total number of sports results 30) have been determined and analyzed. Results. Improvement of sports result in the men’s 50 km race walk to the world best level occurs mainly at the expense of stride length increase 1.10 m (p < 0.05). Result improvement to the world level from 4:10:00 (S = 0:07:50) to 3:56:27 (S = 0:02:08) mainly occurs at the expense of stride frequency increase to 3.32 stride·s–1 (S = 0.10) at statistically significant differences with indices of the national level athletes (p < 0.01). It has been revealed that in females of the high national level specialized in 50 km race walk (results close to 4:31:37), the indices of stride length and frequency constitute 0.95 m (S = 0.02) and 3.22 stride·s–1 (S = 0.12), respectively. Conclusions. Comparative analysis of race walk technique kinematic characteristics of athletes of different skill levels specialized in 50 km race walk has been conducted. Prospects and directions for improving sports results of potential national team members have been revealed on the basis of comparison with the indices of national team members and elite athletes. A sharp improvement of sports results of female athletes in 50 km race walk during the last few years is noteworthy. It was due to this discipline inclusion in the program of Track and Field World Championships.

Building an Equitable Future Through Data Disaggregation.

Building an Equitable Future Through Data Disaggregation.

Race, ethnicity, and discrimination at work: a new analysis of legal protections and gaps in all 193 UN countries

PurposeWhile only one aspect of fulfilling equal rights, effectively addressing workplace discrimination is integral to creating economies, and countries, that allow for everyone's full and equal participation.Design/methodology/approachLabor, anti-discrimination, and other relevant pieces of legislation were identified through the International Labor Organization's NATLEX database, supplemented with legislation identified through country websites. For each country, two researchers independently coded legislation and answered questions about key policy features. Systematic quality checks and outlier verifications were conducted.FindingsMore than 1 in 5 countries do not explicitly prohibit racial discrimination in employment. 54 countries fail to prohibit unequal pay based on race. 107 countries prohibit racial and/or ethnic discrimination but do not explicitly require employers to take preventive measures against discrimination. The gaps are even larger with respect to multiple and intersectional discrimination. 112 countries fail to prohibit discrimination based on both migration status and race and/or ethnicity; 103 fail to do so for foreign national origin and race and/or ethnicity.Practical implicationsBoth recent and decades-old international treaties and agreements require every country globally to uphold equal rights regardless of race. However, specific national legislation that operationalizes these commitments and prohibits discrimination in the workplace is essential to their impact. This research highlights progress and gaps that must be addressed.Originality/valueThis is the first study to measure legal protections against employment discrimination based on race and ethnicity in all 193 UN countries. This study also examines protection in all countries from discrimination on the basis of characteristics that have been used in a number of settings as a proxy for racial/ethnic discrimination and exclusion, including SES, migration status, and religion.

The impact of COVID-19 on coaching practice: results from a global coach survey

ABSTRACT This paper presents the results from a global coach survey of 1266 coaches from 79 nations conducted in Summer 2021, when the world emerged from global lockdowns and the 18-month COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to sharing data on the composition of the global coach community (national residence, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability), this study focuses on the impact of the global pandemic on the coaching industry using a quantitative analysis. The findings indicate that age, platform association, pre-pandemic online coaching experiences and average fee were significant predictors of the total impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on coaches. Those least able to adjust and transition to an online environment, or with the least experience working online, reported the greatest detrimental impact. Moreover, the data confirm coaching’s transition towards online delivery, with the pandemic accelerating this process to a point where we believe that this trajectory will continue post-pandemic. To enable the success of this shift, coach supervisors, peer support and professional coach training need to recognise the need for this digital transition and adjust training, support and practices to reflect this new reality.

Book Review: R. McMahon (ed.), National races. Transnational Power Struggles in the Sciences and Politics of Human Diversity, 1840-1945

Book review of R. McMahon (ed.), National races. Transnational Power Struggles in the Sciences and Politics of Human Diversity, 1840-1945

Evaluation of Different Patterns of Drug Consumption in the Ranking of Race Horses in National Racing of Iran: A Retrospective Study 2002-2015

Introduction: Doping is fraudulent and must be prevented in the interests of horse racing as a national recreation. No sport can survive without the confidence of its supporters, so all deceitful practices must be eliminated. This study aimed to determine the rate of drug consumption in horse races in Iran during 2002, 2003, and 2005-2015 and evaluate Iran’s current dope control management. Materials and methods: The winner’s method was used to choose horses for drug testing, and only the first and second-place finishers in each race, and seldom the third, were picked. Data of horses during 13 years (2002, 2003, and 2005-2015) were collected. The dope test documents of 2004 were incomplete, so the related data were not analyzed. Results: The mean dope rate (2002, 2003, and 2005-2015) was 15.83%. The dope rates of 2002, 2003, and 2005-2015 were 29.4%, 33.8%, 21.7%, 10.54 %, 11.14%, 11.47%, 8.62%,4.71%, 18.6%, 20.6%, 16.9%, 22.6%, and 6.72 % respectively. From 2003 to 2010, the drug rate progressively decreased from 33.8% to 4.71%. Morphine, Phenylbutazone, Oxyphenbutazone, and caffeine were the most often utilized medicines. Twenty-one drug family types based on the mode of action were used through the years, of which 23.07 percent were combinations. From 2002 to 2010, the variety of medications utilized progressively declined. The noticeable aspect was high prevalence of dope in Iran, compared to developed countries. Conclusion: The results showed that the dope rate reduced from 2002 to 2015 in Iran racehorses. Routine tests are suggested for controlling doping, and strict rules must be established to prevent doping.

Emergence of equine influenza virus H3Nx Florida clade 2 in Arabian racehorses in Egypt

BackgroundEquine influenza is an important cause of respiratory disease in equids. The causative virus; EIV, is highly variable and can evolve by accumulation of mutations, particularly in the haemagglutinin (HA) gene. Currently, H3N8 is the sole subtype circulating worldwide with Florida clade 1 (FC1) is most prevalent in the Americas and FC2 in Asia and Europe. In Egypt, EIV was detected in two occasions: subtype H7N7 in 1989 and subtype H3N8 (FC1) in 2008. No data is available on the circulation pattern of EIV during the last decade despite frequent observation of suspected cases.MethodsTwenty-two nasal swabs were collected from vaccinated and non-vaccinated horses showing respiratory signs suggestive of EIV infection in 2017–18. Three additional swabs were retrieved during a national race event in January 2018 from Arabian mares with high fever, gait stiffness and dry cough. Samples were screened by RT-qPCR and HA1 domain of the hemagglutinin gene was amplified and sequenced for sequence and phylogenetic analysis.ResultsRT-qPCR screening revealed that only the 3 samples from the race were positive with cycle thresholds ranging from 16 to 21 indicating high viral load. Isolation attempts in hen’s eggs were unsuccessful. Sequence analysis of the HA1 domain gene has revealed two identical nucleotide sequences, while the third contained 3 synonymous mutations. Phylogenetic analysis clustered study sequences with recent FC2 sequences from Europe. Amino acid alignments revealed 14 and 13 amino acid differences in the study sequences compared to A/equine/Egypt/6066NANRU-VSVRI/08 (H3N8) and A/equine/Kentucky/1997 (H3N8), respectively, available as EIV vaccines in Egypt. Nine amino acids were different from A/equine/Richmond/1/2007 (H3N8), the recommended FC2 vaccine strain by the world organization of animal health expert surveillance panel (OIE-ESP), two of which were unique to the Egyptian sequences while the remaining 7 changes were shared with the FC2-144V subgroup detected in the United Kingdom from late 2015 to 2016.ConclusionsThe study represents the first reported detection of FC2-144V related EIV from Arabian mares in Egypt, and probably from the entire middle east region. The presented information about EIV epidemiology and spread may require reconsideration of the vaccine strains used in the national vaccination programs.

Review: Enemies among Us: The Relocation, Internment, and Repatriation of German, Italian, and Japanese Americans during the Second World War, by John E. Schmitz

As we watch in horror the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we are again faced with the question of how much responsibility individual citizens should bear for the atrocities their political leaders inflict upon other nations. We also are forced to think what should be done with the expatriates supportive of their aggressive homeland, and how the people connected to the adversarial nations through ethnic ties should be treated when they may or may not be sympathetic to their ancestral nations.John E. Schmitz’s Enemies among Us illuminates the complications posed by these questions by presenting how the U.S. government treated enemy aliens and U.S. citizens with ethnic ties with the enemies during World War II. Schmitz uses historical sources as well as personal episodes, including those of his grandparents who were incarcerated in POW camps as naturalized German Americans, to show that warring nations tend to prioritize national security concerns at the expense of individual human rights.The forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans (which Schmitz calls “relocation and evacuation”) is a prime example of the governmental abuse of its war powers. To this tragic episode of human rights violation, Schmitz adds the “internment” of German, Italian, and Japanese aliens and a smaller number of German and Italian Americans, and he tells a larger story of involuntary—and mostly wrongful—confinement of individuals whose loyalty was rendered suspicious. Schmitz’s research on the executive records, the FBI records, and the War, State, and Justice Departments’ archives reveals the comprehensive scheme of the Roosevelt Administration aiming at protecting the nation from fifth-column activities not only within the United States but in the Western Hemisphere. The earlier chapters elucidate how J. Edgar Hoover took advantage of FDR’s fear of the fifth column to transform the FBI into a formidable secret police agency. The book also offers much information on the U.S. government’s intervention into Latin American policies regarding the arrests and deportation of alleged Axis sympathizers and alien enemies.By connecting the “internment” schemes on the East and the West Coasts, this book illuminates the “internment” of Japanese nationals (Issei) in detention centers—an understudied aspect of the wartime Japanese American experiences—as a part of the larger anti-espionage federal policy. The hostage exchange scheme explains the abduction and shipment of Japanese Latin Americans along with German Axis sympathizers to the United States. Schmitz describes how the federal enemy alien policies were confusing and often shifted clumsily. In the case of the hostage exchange policy, the government had to abandon the scheme because it turned out to be more dangerous to deport subversive internees to the enemy nations than to keep them in the United States. The book illustrates the overall injustice that befell those who were labeled potentially adversarial, and the primary sources show how the U.S. enemy alien policies were poorly managed.The major problem of this book lies in its handling of the story of 110,000 Japanese Americans incarcerated in the War Relocations Centers. The book would have worked better if it had focused on the treatment of Japanese, German, and Italian enemy aliens. Schmitz carefully distinguishes the terms “internment” (detention of enemy aliens) and “relocation/evacuation” (involuntary removal of American citizens), but often his arguments become muddled throughout the book. On the latter issue, scholars in Asian American studies—such as Eiichiro Azuma (2005, 2019), Brian Masaru Hayashi (2004), Masumi Izumi (2019), and Erik K. Yamamoto, Lorraine J. Bannai, and Margaret Chon (2020)—have produced many works that explain the complex and significant roles Japanese Americans played in West Coast agriculture and in the debates related to national security and civil liberties. The book’s bibliography and many of the simplistic and faulty descriptions of the state of Japanese America before and during World War II reveal that the author was ill-prepared to explain how issues of national security, loyalty, and race intersected with one another when Japanese Americans were locked up in the inland concentration camps.

A Thousand Cuts: Cumulative Lead Exposure Reduces Academic Achievement

<h3>Abstract</h3> We study how ambient lead exposure impacts learning in elementary school by leveraging a natural experiment where a large national automotive racing organization switched from leaded to unleaded fuel. We find increased levels and duration of exposure to lead negatively affect academic performance, shift the entire academic performance distribution, and negatively impact both younger and older children. The average treated student in our setting has an expected income reduction of $5,200 in present value terms. Avoiding said treatment has an effect size similar to improving teacher value added by one-fourth of a standard deviation, reducing class size by 3 students, or increasing school spending per pupil by $750. The marginal impacts of lead are larger in impoverished, non-white counties, and among students with greater duration of exposure, even after controlling for the total quantity of exposure.

Comparing Cardiopulmonary Functions of National Race Walkers by Walking and Running during Graded Exercise Testing

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify a sport-specific assessment for elite race-walking athletes by comparing physiological responses between walking and running graded exercise test (GXT) protocols.METHODS: Six elite race-walking athletes completed both walking and running protocols in a randomized crossover design with 1 week interval between trials. Maximal oxygen consumption (VO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;max), ventilation (VE), and heart rate (HR) were measured throughout and after each trial, and blood lactate levels were collected during the recovery period.RESULTS: There were significant differences in VO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;max, VE, and HR values between the walking and running protocols (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;&lt;.001). During the recovery period, VO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;max, VE, HR, and blood lactate levels were significantly different in each measurement (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;&lt;.001); however, there was no difference between the walking and running protocols.CONCLUSIONS: Based on these results, both the walking and running GXT protocols were inappropriate for assessing elite racewalking athletes. This study suggests that a supplement GXT protocol is required to specifically assess elite race-walking athletes.

“Raising the curtain on the equality theatre”: a study of recruitment to first healthcare job post-qualification in the UK National Health Service

BackgroundUK equality law and National Health Service (NHS) policy requires racial equality in job appointments and career opportunities. However, recent national workforce race equality standard (WRES) data show that nearly all NHS organisations in the UK are failing to appoint ethnically diverse candidates with equivalent training and qualifications as their white counterparts. This is problematic because workforce diversity is associated with improved patient outcomes and other benefits for staff and organisations.AimTo better understand the reasons behind underrepresentation of ethnically diverse candidates in first NHS healthcare jobs post-qualification and to identify any structural or systemic barriers to employment for such groups.MethodsThe study was informed by critical theory and the authors’ interdisciplinary perspectives as educators and researchers in the healthcare professions. Data collected from semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 12 nurse and physiotherapy recruiting managers from two NHS trusts in London were analysed using a healthcare workforce equity and diversity conceptual lens we developed from the literature. Using this lens, we devised questions to examine six dimensions of equity and diversity in the interview data from recruiting managers.ResultsRecruiting managers said they valued the benefits of an ethnically diverse workforce for patients and their unit/organisation. However, their adherence to organisational policies for recruitment and selection, which emphasise objectivity and standardisation, acted as constraints to recognising ethnicity as an important issue in recruitment and workforce diversity. Some recruiting managers sense that there are barriers for ethnically diverse candidates but lacked information about workforce diversity, systems for monitoring recruitment, or ways to engage with staff or candidates to talk about these issues. Without this information there was no apparent problem or reason to try alternative approaches.ConclusionThese accounts from 12 recruiting managers give a ‘backstage’ view into the reasons behind ethnic inequalities in recruitment to first healthcare job in the UK NHS. Adherence to recruitment and selection policies, which aim to support equality through standardisation and anonymisation, appear to be limiting workforce diversity and creating barriers for ethnically diverse candidates to attain the jobs that they are trained and qualified for. The Healthcare Workforce Equity + Diversity Lens we have developed can help to ‘raise the curtain on the equality theatre’ and inform more inclusive approaches to recruitment such as contextualised recruitment or effective allyship between employers and universities.

“We Want Lamonica”

Abstract The booing of quarterback Jack Kemp got so ugly by 1966 that a Buffalo newspaper issued a tardy rebuke. Reminding fans of the national television audience, the editors warned that deriding Kemp made the city look second-rate. The admonishment had no effect, however. A cross section of fans—ethnic, Catholic, working class, and, overwhelmingly, Democrat—coalesced around backup quarterback Daryle Lamonica against the WASPish, conservative Kemp. “We want Lamonica” pulsed through Memorial Stadium like never before. Besides revealing an assertion of ethnic and political loyalties, the quarterback controversy anticipated and shaped the quarterback-turned-candidate's populist persona. Key to Kemp's political ambitions were Lamonica fans, disaffected Democrats who were also the core element of Richard Nixon's strategy to realign American politics. But the bidding for the silent majority differed in local and national races. Seeking to overcome his WASPish reputation, Kemp's brand of ethnic populism was more activist in nature than Nixon's token gestures.

When the partisan becomes personal: Mayoral Incumbency Effects in Buenos Aires, 1983–2019

ABSTRACT A burgeoning literature finds that incumbency effects reflect mostly a personal rather than a partisan advantage. We attribute this to incumbents’ mobilization incentives. Incumbents have weaker incentives to exert costly effort on behalf of their copartisans in national races than in local ones, where their local power is at stake. We examine these implications in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina’s largest subnational unit, where midterm elections give mayors a strong incentive to help their copartisans running for the local council, but much weaker ones to support those running for a national seat. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find a large positive effect of incumbency in local mayoral and midterm elections. In contrast, local incumbents neither help nor hurt their copartisans running for the presidency or the national legislature.

The Performance, Physiology and Morphology of Female and Male Olympic-Distance Triathletes.

Sex differences in triathlon performance have been decreasing in recent decades and little information is available to explain it. Thirty-nine male and eighteen female amateur triathletes were evaluated for fat mass, lean mass, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max), ventilatory threshold (VT), respiratory compensation point (RCP), and performance in a national Olympic triathlon race. Female athletes presented higher fat mass (p = 0.02, d = 0.84, power = 0.78) and lower lean mass (p < 0.01, d = 3.11, power = 0.99). VO2 max (p < 0.01, d = 1.46, power = 0.99), maximal aerobic velocity (MAV) (p < 0.01, d = 2.05, power = 0.99), velocities in VT (p < 0.01, d = 1.26, power = 0.97), and RCP (p < 0.01, d = 1.53, power = 0.99) were significantly worse in the female group. VT (%VO2 max) (p = 0.012, d = 0.73, power = 0.58) and RCP (%VO2 max) (p = 0.005, d = 0.85, power = 0.89) were higher in the female group. Female athletes presented lower VO2 max value, lower lean mass, and higher fat mass. However, females presented higher values of aerobic endurance (%VO2 max), which can attenuate sex differences in triathlon performance. Coaches and athletes should consider that female athletes can maintain a higher percentage of MAV values than males during the running split to prescribe individual training.