Place Winners Research Articles

ACM SIGMETRICS 2023 Student Research Competition

Every year, the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) spearheads a series of Student Research Competitions (SRCs) at ACM-sponsored or co-sponsored conferences. These SRCs provide graduate (Masters or PhD program) and undergraduate students an opportunity to present their original research to a panel of judges. Participating students present posters and oral presentations of their research for the opportunity to win cash prizes. In each category (graduate and undergraduate), the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners receive prizes of 500, 300, and 200, respectively. Additionally, first place undergraduate and graduate student winners from the SRCs held during the year are invited to present their work at the SRC Grand Finals, where a different panel of judges evaluates these winners against each other.

Congratulations to the 2022 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit “Science as Art” Winners! By popular vote, the following images were chosen as 1st Place Winners.

Congratulations to the 2022 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit “Science as Art” Winners! By popular vote, the following images were chosen as 1st Place Winners.

Congratulations to the 2022 MRS Spring Meeting & Exhibit “Science as Art” Winners! By popular vote, the following images were chosen as 2nd Place Winners.

Congratulations to the 2022 MRS Spring Meeting & Exhibit “Science as Art” Winners! By popular vote, the following images were chosen as 2nd Place Winners.

Congratulations to the 2022 MRS Spring Meeting & Exhibit “Science as Art” Winners! By popular vote, the following images were chosen as 1st Place Winners

Congratulations to the 2022 MRS Spring Meeting & Exhibit “Science as Art” Winners! By popular vote, the following images were chosen as 1st Place Winners

MENINGKATKAN KREATIFITAS MENGGAMBAR ANAK SEKOLAH DASAR

Based on observations at Josari 01 Elementary School in Tersono District, children's creativity in drawing is still low, because so far, whenever there is a drawing learning activity, children are reluctant to be invited to do activities related to children's fine motor skills. But prefer to choose to play with gadgets and friends than doing activities that are done individually. Therefore this community service aims to improve the creative ability to draw elementary school children in Tersono District, Batang Regency and its surroundings which we focus on children's drawing creativity. The method used is through workshops and drawing assistance for elementary school students in Tersono District, Batang Regency and its surroundings. This community service activity is divided into three sessions, namely the first session provides knowledge about the history of drawing including understanding, history, and types of drawings. The second session was a drawing competition session carried out by all participants. Furthermore, the last session was an assessment session to determine 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. The community service program that had been carried out by the STKIP Muhammadiyah Batang Elementary School Teacher Education Study Program had been carried out well and received positive impressions from all participants who took part.

ACM SIGMETRICS 2021 Student Research Competition

Every year, the Association for Computation Machinery (ACM) spearheads a series of Student Research Competitions (SRCs) at ACM-sponsored or co-sponsored conferences. These SRCs, which are sponsored by Microsoft Research, provide undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to present their original research to a panel of judges. Participating students present posters and oral presentations of their research for the opportunity to win cash prizes. In each category (graduate and undergraduate), the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners receive prizes of $500, $300, and $200, respectively. Additionally, first place undergraduate and graduate (Masters or PhD program) student winners from the SRCs held during the year are invited to present their work at the SRC Grand Finals, where a different panel of judges evaluates these winners against each other. To date, Microsoft Research has generously provided $120,000 per competition year since 2003.

SEMANTIKA SRPSKIH PRIDEVA ZA JEDANAEST NEOSNOVNIH BOJA („BORDO“, „TIRKIZNA“, „ZLATNA“, „BEŽ“, „SREBRNA“, „TEGET“, „OKER“, „LILA“, „CIKLAMA“, „KREM I „PINK“)

The paper elaborates on the semantics of the 11 Serbian non-basic colour terms – namely, the adjectival lexemes bordo; burgundy, tirkizna; turquoise, zlatna; gold/golden, bež; beige, srebrna; silver, teget; navy (blue), oker; ochre, lila; lilac, ciklama; fuchsia, krem; cream, and pink; vivid pink. The given terms represent a counterpart of the 11 basic colour terms, or BCTs, first named so by Berlin and Kay in 1969. Based on the free word-associations, collected from 142 examinees, all of whom are native Serbian speakers, the following conclusions were drawn: (1) primary associations for (a) lila, and (b) tirkizna are the natural colours of (a) ‘flowering plants’, and (b) ‘the sea’ (a dominant association) as well as ‘the sky’ (a secondary association), respectively. Moreover, these are descriptive definitions of the Serbian BCTs (a) ljubičasta; purple, and (b) plava; blue, respectively (lila and tirkizna are shades of ljubičasta and plava, respectively); (2) bordo, krem, and oker evoke mental images of various artificial entities from the extralinguistic context. Thus, for example, available associations for bordo are cosmet- ics, clothing items, home textiles, cars, etc. Nevertheless, the natural referents ‘a sour cherry’ (Serb. višnja), ‘a cherry’, and ‘blood’ are also mentioned. As for the non-basic term oker, it is percieved to be the colour of ‘walls’, ‘clothing items’, ‘footwear’, as well as ‘human/animal excrement’, ‘a dog’, and ‘autumn’. Finally, krem brings to mind certain ‘food’ associations, mostly ‘Eurocrem’, that is, a two-coloured (brown and white) hazelnut- and cocoa-flavoured sweet milk chocolate spread. Still, the associations here are also those of ‘skin’, ‘nails’, and ‘cof- fee’; (3) the primary associations of pink are ‘TV Pink and its owner Mr. Željko Mitrović’; (4) teget and ciklama are percieved to be predominatly the colours of ‘male and female clothing’, respectively. As a matter of fact, ciklama is a shade of pink and it is commonly associated with ‘feminine’ and ‘femininity’ as well as ‘flowers’, ‘a beetroot’, and ‘sweets’; (5) srebrna and zlatna basically evoke mental images of ‘silver and gold/golden jewelry’, respectively. Another fre- quent association here is that of ‘silver and gold(en) medals, trophies, plaques, and awards’, all of which are administered to the first and second place winners, respectively; (6) finally, beige is a neutral colour which is typically associated with ‘human/animal skin’, ‘wood’ and ‘wood products’, as well as ‘white coffee’, ‘edible or cosmetic cream’, etc.

The normalization of fear: Geo-cultural vs. universal emotional sensibilities as reflected in the annual Israeli Radio Hit Parade

Music plays an important socio-cultural role in constructing and/or reflecting geo-cultural and universal emotional states by giving voice to personal emotional sensibilities, such as self-searching, romantic longing, and desire, alongside collective spatial sentiments, patriotism, etc. Moreover, popular song lyrics reveal the socio-cultural values, norms, tastes, and emotional conventions of both their creators and their audience. Thus, this article focuses on decoding geo-cultural vs. universal emotional sensibilities via narrative analysis of the first place winners of the annual Israeli Hit Parades between 1963 and 2018, broadcast on the two major Israeli radio stations, Kol Yisrael and Galgalatz, every year on the eve of the Jewish New Year. This long-standing tradition offers a unique opportunity to examine ongoing changes in socio-emotional coping with fear and death, wars and terror while providing a contemporary conceptual and practical inquiry into the normalization of emotions within a culture and politics of fear.

Peculiarities of Investigated Characteristics of Lithuanian Pistol and Rifle Shooters’ Training and Sport Performance

The purpose was to identify the peculiarities of selected training and sport performance characteristics: 1. Training strategies, 2. the body sway and 3. mental fitness. Methods: we analysed the sport performance and training characteristics and applied interviews with elite and Lithuanian shooters. The body sway was studied applying the method of static posturography. The subjects were standing in four postures. Mental fitness of the shooters was evaluated 30 min before the start using CSAI–2 methodology and adapted SCAT methodology. The shooters were divided into two groups according to their sports performance: the high and the moderate mastery groups. Statistical analyses was made applying the SPSS 11.0 statistical package. Results: 1. The Lithuanian women pistol shooters’ mean age of the first three place winners corresponded to that of the elite athletes, however the sports results (p < 0.001) were significantly lower. We indicated the following reasons: they trained less than the elite shooters, their specific training was inappropriate (p < 0.001), their mental fitness and competition experience were inappropriate (p < 0.001). 2. The trajectory of the COP in a specific posture (legs at shoulder length, arms down; posture without the pistol; posture with the pistol) was significantly (p < 0.05) different (Fig. 1, Masalskytė et al., 2002) between high and moderate mastery shooters but not in general posture (folded legs and arms down). The results suggested developing shooters’ posture from the very beginning of training. 3. The Lithuanian shooters’ level of anxiety before the starts showed the importance of the duration of exercise and competition experience because the difference between their indices and those of elite shooters was significantly less (p < 0.001). Conclusions: On the basis of sport performance as a multidimensional construct which requires to select the main factors of athlete trainability we conclude that Lithuanian pistol and rifle shooters need a training programme that improves posture stability; they should increase their international competitive experience and have to monitor sport fitness in order to manage psychological stress, and model a further training programme. Social conditions might be the main problem of the Lithuanian shooters to terminate their sport career too early.Keywords: pistol, rifle, shooters’ training, sport performance.

Peculiarities of Aerobic Development in Kayak Rowers Preparing for 1000 m Event

Research background and hypothesis. Lithuanian scientific publications mostly deal with kayak rowers’ preparation for 200 and 500 m events, while 1000 m event is hardly analyzed yet. Research aim was to project scientifically based program of kayak rowers’ preparation for 1000 m event, which is to develop aerobic capacity in different mezo-cycles, and to evaluate its efficiency.Research methods. Preparation of kayak doubles crew members was investigated; the athletes were the 5 th place winners of 2013 World Cup II event. The carried out training load for aerobic capacity development was divided into 5 zones of intensity. During training sessions, computer program Garmin Connect measured the distance and speed of a boat, as well as athletes’ heart rate (HR). Athletes’ aerobic capacity at critical intensity level (CIL) and anaerobic threshold (ANT) was established using gas analyser ‘Oxycon Mobile’. Research results. As the research showed, the kayak rowers in mezzo-cycles of both preparatory and competition periods carried out very little training load in the fifth zone of intensity. Considerable is also the fact that during competition period, in mezzo-cycle, the total number of kilometres decreased from 218 to 158 km. Discussion and conclusions. The research demonstrated that training workloads in the first and the second zones for elite kayak rowers preparing for 1000 m event in the first mezzo-cycle of competitive period were diminished comparing to the workload carried out in the preparatory period, while the amount of workload in the fourth zone was considerably increased. Adaptation of the two elite athletes to applied training loads is different, although they were following the same program. Due to this fact, the training process of those athletes is recommended to be given more individual approach, though they are rowing one boat.Keywords: kayak rowing, preparatory and competitive periods, training mezzo-cycles, aerobic capacity.

Closed primaries versus top-two primaries

The top-two primaries recently approved in several US states eliminate closed party primaries and create instead a single ballot in which the first and second place winners pass to the general election. We conduct a theoretical analysis to compare the electoral consequences of top-two primaries with those of closed primaries. Each primary procedure induces a sequential game with three stages: candidate-entry stage, primary elections, and general election. We analyze the equilibria of these games and show that top-two primaries contribute to political moderation. In particular, when the median voter is extreme, closed primaries always generate extreme winners and, yet, top-two primaries can generate moderate winners. Furthermore, when the median voter is moderate but the partisan median voter of her party is extreme (and some additional mild conditions hold), closed primaries always generate extreme winners while top-two primaries always generate moderate winners. We also show that top-two primaries increase the number of swing states since, in certain cases, the party affiliation of the winner under top-two primaries may not coincide with the party affiliation of the median voter.

Winning a competition predicts dishonest behavior

Winning a competition engenders subsequent unrelated unethical behavior. Five studies reveal that after a competition has taken place winners behave more dishonestly than competition losers. Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that winning a competition increases the likelihood of winners to steal money from their counterparts in a subsequent unrelated task. Studies 3a and 3b demonstrate that the effect holds only when winning means performing better than others (i.e., determined in reference to others) but not when success is determined by chance or in reference to a personal goal. Finally, study 4 demonstrates that a possible mechanism underlying the effect is an enhanced sense of entitlement among competition winners.

Analysis of the Relative Age Effect in Elite Youth Judo Athletes.

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate relative age effects (RAEs) in elite youth judo athletes from different chronological age groups, between sexes, and across weight categories. Data from 1542 place winners of the cadet (under 17 y, 2009-2013) and junior judo world championships (under 20/21 y, 1990-2013) were separated by birth month into quarters (Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4). The observed values were compared with expected annual age distributions using χ2 analyses, and odd ratios (OR) were used to evaluate effect sizes between quarters. The observed frequency of place winners was significantly different from the expected frequency for the age-group and sex comparisons and all body-mass groups (P < .05) with the exception of the extra-light categories (P = .572). When comparing Q1 with Q4 (OR, 95% confidence interval), small effect sizes were observed for cadets (1.72, 1.12-2.66), juniors (1.54, 1.23-1.94), males (1.75, 1.32-2.33), females (1.39, 1.03-1.87), and the light- (1.79, 1.21-2.64) and middle-weight (1.80, 1.20-2.70) categories. RAEs are apparent in cadet and junior judo athletes. Thus, coaches and administrators should consider the potential for physical and/or competitive advantages while adopting strategies that encourage long-term participation in youth judo athletes.

Southern African HIV Clinicians Society Conference – Striving for Clinical Excellence, 2012 – Best Abstracts

Over 100 scientific abstracts were submitted for consideration by the scientific programme committee of the Society's conference, Striving for Clinical Excellence. The top nine papers were chosen and the authors were invited to present during the conference in Cape Town in November 2012. A panel comprised of Profs Linda-Gail Bekker, Brian Eley, Koleka Mlisana and Ian Sanne judged the papers and presentations and selected the best abstract and a runner-up. The first and second place winners were awarded a cash prize of R10 000 and R5 000, respectively, sponsored by Discovery Health.

Southern African HIV Clinicians Society Conference – Striving for Clinical Excellence, 2012 – Best Abstracts

Over 100 scientific abstracts were submitted for consideration by the scientific programme committee of the Society's conference, Striving for Clinical Excellence. The top nine papers were chosen and the authors were invited to present during the conference in Cape Town in November 2012. &#x0D; &#x0D; A panel comprised of Profs Linda-Gail Bekker, Brian Eley, Koleka Mlisana and Ian Sanne judged the papers and presentations and selected the best abstract and a runner-up. The first and second place winners were awarded a cash prize of R10 000 and R5 000, respectively, sponsored by Discovery Health.

Editor's Note

Editor’s Note Teal Amthor-Shaffer Good writers embrace more than the dictionary definitions of words; they understand their weight, their implications, and their possibilities. This takes more than an extensive vocabulary. It requires an innate understanding of people, and a knack for perception. The same way that possession of a mental thesaurus is useless if you don't understand how to use the words, the most intent observer might not possess the capacity to do more than see. Perception leaves room for personal bias and opinion, and that is what makes each writer's perspective unique. I don't think this sort of ability is acquired. It is directly related to a writer's own ability to understand, and it requires a person to be curious, insightful, and introspective. I think you either have it or you don't. With that said, there is a reason that Red Cedar Review Volume 41 is a relatively short issue. Our staff chose the very best of hundreds of manuscripts—each piece is distinctly different, reflecting the unique perspective that each writer brings to the craft. As a collection, the pieces in this issue demonstrate a broad spectrum of experience and style. If you're in the mood to laugh, I suggest you start with Kurt Ayau's "Calling It Off," which outlines one man's increasing suspicion that he is being persecuted by telemarketers. Conversely, Robert Habermeyer's "The Fertile Yellow" takes a more somber look at eccentricity, introducing us to a couple who has tried everything from holistic medicine to the downright bizarre in an effort to get pregnant. Charles Harper Webb makes another appearance in our journal with "Notes to Myself," a meditation on the possibility that lies in the little scribbles we make throughout the day, only to later wonder what on earth they meant. A wonderful thing about Red Cedar Review is that it's unconcerned with name and title. We publish mostly work by new and emerging voices, although we proudly boast a respectable list of established authors (Neruda, Atwood, and Harrison, to name just a few). One of the most rewarding parts about working on this journal has been providing previously unpublished writers with a venue for their work. Some of them have been my peers here at MSU, others professors, parents, grad students. [End Page 1] Three of the pieces appearing in this issue are first place winners from Michigan State University's 2005 Creative Writing Awards. Colleen Farrow is responsible for two of those pieces, the poem "Minus My Mother" and the nonfiction memoir, "Not Walls But Shelves." The latter is a personal favorite of mine, as it explores her relationship with books and reading. It won't surprise me if many of those who pick up this issue, especially if they are writers, find themselves relating to her accounts of trips to Barnes & Noble or afternoons spent with their nose buried in a book. On a different note, Jared Gerling's nonfiction essay, "Four Years to Live. Six Minutes to Die." takes the reader through the challenge and thrill of a crew regatta, and the sacrifices people make for the things they are passionate about. RCR 41 is a wonderfully diverse collection that I am proud to have been a part of selecting. I am as grateful to the editorial staff responsible for choosing the pieces that appear in this issue as I am to the writers who wrote them. Not all of thestaff are writers, or even English majors, but we all share an enormous appreciation for language. There is not a single member of this staff who does not love to read. Collectively, we are all a part of East Lansing's literary community, which RCR has helped to foster. Literary circles such as this one exist in communities of all sizes, and on a broader scale, they are all connected by those who appreciate a good story, whether they are telling it or reading it. Working on this journal has given me the opportunity to help bring the works of writers from all over the country, and sometimes even the world, into print. In doing so, the works selected...

The 36th Annual National Council on Family Relations Media Awards Competition

The 36th Annual National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Media Awards Competition was co-sponsored by the National Institute for Media and the Family, Minneapolis, MN. The purpose of the annual competition is to evaluate the quality and conceptual content of videos for educational and commercial purposes, to endorse excellence in the production of films with themes relevant to family issues, to promote the effective use of these resources, to encourage high standards in the development of creative learning opportunities, and to disseminate media competition results. Entries received were placed in one of the following 12 subject categories: Addiction/Substance Abuse; Aging Intergenerational Issues; STD/AIDS; Families with Special Needs; Family Violence/Abuse; Human Development Across the Life Span; Marital & Family Issues and Communications; Mental Health, Stress, Transition, Crisis; Diverse Family Systems; Parenting Issues; Sexuality & Sex Role Development; Teenage Pregnancy & Sexuality. Guidelines for submission required that all videos be first-time entries in the competition and carry a release date of no earlier than January 1, 2003. Multiple entries for producer/ distributor within categories were permitted. All entries were received by March 15, 2004. In addition to half-inch videocassette recordings, entries were also submitted on CD-ROM. Judging panels for each entry were comprised of 3 content area specialists in research, education, and community services from across the country. The judges scored each entry in 12 categories covering subject area content, objectives of the producer, audience appeal, accurate information, artistic quality, and production. A 5 point Likert scale was used to assess up to 60 possible points, or a perfect score. A qualitative assessment was also used to obtain an overall rating. The average of the 3 scores was used in determining the outstanding productions. The first place winners listed here are honored for entries in these categories. In addition, recognition is given to the runner-up and honorable mention recipients of each subject category on the basis of numerical rankings of the entries as determined by the above criteria. The following list identifies the first place winners, the runner-up, and the honorable mention recipient of each of the 12 topics. The synopsis, goals, and objectives of each entry provided by the video's producer/director do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the National Council on Family Relations, the competition coordinators, or the judges. Purchase and rental prices are provided courtesy of the producers. The entrants noted their intended audiences. 1. Addiction/Substance Abuse * Winner: Confronting Drunk Driving (27:00). Producer/Distributor: Human Relations Media, 41 Kensico Drive, Mount Kisco, NY 10549. E-mail: orders@hrmvideo.com. Purchase Price: $139.95. Audience: Junior High, High School Synopsis: This video features three stories of teens involved in serious car crashes. Law enforcement officers also explain the legal risks involved in drinking and driving. Also, the program offers important tips about how to avoid being a passenger in a car driven by an intoxicated driver. Goals and Objectives: The purpose of this program is to present to students grades 7-12 the real dangers of driving while intoxicated. * Honorable Mention: Underage Drinking: Know the Facts, Know the Risks (27:00). Producer/Distributor: Human Relations Media, 41 Kensico Drive, Mount Kisco, NY 10549. E-mail: orders@hrmvideo.com. Purchase Price: $139.95. 2. Aging/lntergenerational Issues * Winner: Day of Independence (27:00). Producer/Distributor: Cedar Grove Productions, PO Box 29772, Los Angeles, CA 90029. E-mail: cedarmail@aol.com. Purchase Price: TBD. Audience: General Synopsis: Zip, a young Nisei (second generation Japanese American) baseball pitcher, faces tragic circumstances amidst the internment of 110,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry during World War II. …

The 34th Annual National Council on Family Relations Media Awards Competition

34th annual National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Media Awards Competition was cosponsored by the National Institute for Media and the Family, Minneapolis, MN. purpose of the annual competition is to evaluate the quality and conceptual content of videos for educational and commercial purposes, to endorse excellence in the production of films with themes relevant to family issues, to promote the effective use of these resources, to encourage high standards in the development of creative learning opportunities, and to disseminate media competition results. Entries received were placed in one of the following 14 subject categories: Addiction/Substance Abuse; Aging; Contemporary Social Issues; Families With Special Needs; Family Violence/Abuse; Life Span Human Development; Marital and Family Issues and Communication; Mental Health, Stress, Transitions, and Crisis Management; Diverse Family Systems; Parenting Issues; Sexuality and Sex Role Development; Teenage Pregnancy and Sexuality, STD/AIDS; and Other (e.g., Public Service Announcements). Guidelines for submission required that all videos be firsttime entries in the competition and carry a release date of no earlier than January 1, 2001. Multiple entries for producer/distributor within categories were permitted. All entries were received by May 1, 2002. In addition to half-inch videocassette recordings, entries were also submitted on CD-ROM. Judging panels for each entry comprised three content area specialists in research, education, and community services from across the country, and 121 entries were reviewed independently. judges scored each entry in 13 categories covering subject area content, objectives of the producer, audience appeal, accurate information, artistic quality, and production. A 5-point Likert scale was used to assess up to 65 possible points, or a perfect score. A qualitative assessment was also used to obtain an overall rating. average of the three scores was used in determining the outstanding productions. first place winners listed here are honored for entries in the educational and commercial entertainment categories or a combination of these categories. In addition, recognition is given to the runner-up and honorable mention recipients of each subject category on the basis of numerical rankings of the entries as determined by the criteria described here. following list identifies the first-place winners, the runner-up, and the honorable mention recipient of each of the 14 topics. synopsis, goals, and objectives of each entry provided by the video's producer/director do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the National Council on Family Relations, the competition coordinators, or the judges. Purchase and rental prices are provided courtesy of the producers. entrants noted their intended audiences. 1. Addiction/Substance Abuse * Winner (Educational): And the Sad Will Fall Away (29:00). Producer/Distributor: Beck Sullivan, Center for Child & Family Studies, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208. E-mail: Bsullivan@sc.edu. Web site: www.sc.edu/cosw/center/center.html. Purchase Price: $75. Audience: Professionals, Parents (Foster/Adoptive), Community Service Providers Synopsis: And the Sad Will Fall Away is a moving documentary about women, their children, and the effects of substance abuse. It is used to help foster parents understand the cycle and process of addiction by presenting the story of addiction as a complicated, multigenerational legacy. This understanding allows foster parents to empathize with birth parents and helps them better address the needs of the children they are fostering. At the core of the film are the stories of three women at various stages of recovery, which are punctuated by comments from addiction professionals. video contains five segments: We live what we learn, The big lie, The next generation, Recovery? …

The Tonga Healthy Weight Loss Program 1995–97

A health and weight awareness program was initiated in 1995 by the Tonga National Food and Nutrition Committee to combat a high prevalence of obesity and its associated non-communicable diseases. The strategy of the program was to provide a fun activity in which people wanted to join, and at the same time gain health benefits. Three successive weight loss competitions were organized, of 4 to 6 months in length, in which radio, television, and newspaper media were major elements. A Tongan version of the 1993 South Pacific Commission weight for height chart was produced, allowing identification of overweight/obesity using body mass index. Participants were registered and given individual encouragement on diet/exercise. Prizes donated by local businesses added to the campaign, as well as the involvement of His Majesty King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV. Aerobic exercise, public walks, weigh station manager training, and weight watcher group meetings were special activities. An unexpected element was the interest by the international press, which proclaimed the Tonga national weight loss competitions to be the first in the world. A total of 3429 participants registered in the three competitions, with 1617 competing to the end. First place winners lost from 25.5 to 28.4 kg in the competitions. Difficulties encountered included problems of coordination, funds, scales, newness of the healthy weight concept, and weight gain at the close of the competition. The activity was received positively by the community, with requests for the competitions and exercise activities to continue, and much awareness on health issues relating to overweight was achieved.

Graduating Student Awards Competition papers for the 79th Annual Meeting of PAA

s are due. 5). 2 First place winners f rom previous PAA meet ings are not eligible to participate. 3. Research repor ted must have been done while a graduate student. 4. The p a p e r must be orally presented. Poster papers and symposium presentations do not qualify for the Graduate Student Awards Competition. 5. The paper ' s t i t le /abstract must be submit ted to the PAA Secretary on the official PAA Abstract Form by February 15, 1995. Author must indicate discipline (Pathology, Physiology, etc.) and that the paper is entered in the Graduate Student Awards Compet i t ion (See "Call for Papers"). 6. Winners will be announced and honored at the kamual Banquet. Free banque t tickets will be provided by PAA for all graduate students part icipat ing in the Graduate Student Awards Competi t ion. GENERAL CRITERIA FOR JUDGING: Papers and presentat ions will be judged on the following basis: 1. Quality of research and content 60% 2. Effectiveness of presentat ion 40% AWARDS: Four awards will be presented in the amounts of $350 for first place, $250 for second place, $150 for third place and $100 for fourth place. For additional informat ion, contact: 68 AMERICAN POTATO JOURNAL (Vol. 72 Dr. Alexander Pavlista, Chai rperson PAA Graduate Student Awards Compet i t ion University of Nebraska Panhandle R & E Center 4502 Avenue 1 Scottsbluff, NE 69361 Phone: (308) 632-1240