Success in Salsa: Students' Evaluation of the Use of Self-Reflection When Learning to Dance

Achievement goal theory stipulates that achievement goals guide our beliefs and behaviour (Roberts, 2001). The two main achievement goals orientations identified in the sport and physical activity literature are task and ego orientations (Nicholls, 1984). A person with a strong task orientation defines success in self-referenced terms, as improving one’s own performance or mastering new skills. Someone with a strong ego orientation defines success normatively, as being better than others (Duda & Hall, 2001). The majority of existing research suggests that having a strong task orientation is a good thing, whether in regards to motivationally adaptive responses (Standage & Treasure, 2002), self-referenced sources of enjoyment (Yoo & Kim, 2002), adaptive sources of confidence (Magyar & Feltz, 2003), or students’ satisfaction with learning (Zandvliet & Straker, 2001). Similar to many studies with athletes, Nieminen, Varstala and Manninen (2001) found that dance students tended to have stronger task than ego orientations. Even so, any method that 2 encourages dance students to focus on the process of what they are doing rather than what others are doing (i.e., comparing themselves to others) would be beneficial in helping students attend to relevant cues and improve their skills. Both teachers and students can become frustrated when either the desired level of improvement in student skills is not being achieved or when teachers are repeatedly saying the same thing with no apparent result. While teachers may need to provide more accurate, detailed or individual feedback, or improve the motivational climate of the class, sometimes the situation is that the students need to engage more directly in the learning process. One possible intervention is the use of structured self-reflection. Using self-reflection sheets that cause respondents to focus on specific elements of technique or skills, and rate one’s own performance, should theoretically promote a task focus. Hanrahan (1999) suggested that engaging in self-reflection may enhance intrinsic motivation as well as performance. Selfanalysis and self-monitoring have been found to positively influence the acquisition of physical skills (Lounsbery & Sharpe, 1996; Zimmerman & Kitsantas, 1996). The purpose of this study was to have dance students engage in structured self-reflection for a number of weeks and then evaluate the self-reflection process

Role of HDACs and SAM in interferon-alpha signaling and epigenetic regulation of anti-HCV gene expression.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease in the United States and is a huge burden on the US healthcare system. The FDA-approved traditional standard of care for HCV is pegylated interferon-alpha (lFNa) combined with ribavirin, which is effective in about 50% of patients. The molecular mechanisms involved in resistance to IFNa therapy remain unclear. Recent data strongly suggest that histone deacetylases (HDACs) and methylation play critical roles in the regulation of IFNa anti-HCV signaling and gene expression. The present work was carried out to elucidate the roles of HDACs and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) metabolism in regulating IFNa anti-HCV signaling in human hepatoma cells. Inhibition of HDACs, by pharmacologic HDAC inhibitors or siRNA, significantly suppressed IFNa-mediated antiviral gene expression and partially reversed the anti-HCV action of IFNa in human hepatoma cells. The decrease in antiviral gene expression correlated with decreased retention time of activated STATs in the nucleus, an increase in STAT acetylation, inhibition of the STAT1 :HDAC1 complex, and decreased occupancy of STAT1 on antiviral gene promoters. We used siRNA to specifically identify HDACs 1 and 3 as being critical for IFNa-mediated anti-HCV activity. Finally, we showed that boosting HDAC gene expression by theophylline supplementation improved IFNa-mediated antiviral gene expression and anti-HCV activity, thus supporting the hypothesis that HDACs are critical for IFNa anti-HCV signaling. Impaired SAM metabolism, as a result of increased intracellular S-adenosylhomocysteine, markedly reduced IFNa-mediated antiviral gene expression and anti-HCV activity, which correlated with a decrease in STAT phosphorylation and an increase in association between STAT1 and its negative regulator PIAS 1. We also showed that impaired SAM metabolism downregulated expression of several HDACs, which may also impact IFNa antiviral signaling. Importantly, SAM supplementation restored the antiviral and anti-HCV properties of IFNa. Acrolein, an environmental pollutant, significantly inhibited antiviral gene expression, which correlated to impaired STAT phosphorylation, decreased induction of class I HDAC mRNAs, and reduced HDAC activity in human hepatoma cells. The results presented herein reveal a critical role for HDACs and SAM metabolism in IFNa-mediated anti-HCV activity and support the use of SAM and/or inducers of HDACs as adjunct therapy in managing HCV infection

Salivary C-Reactive Protein and Cortisol Analysis in Collegiate Female Lacrosse Athletes during a 2-Game Week

Cortisol (CORT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are two indicators of stress and are linked to tissue inflammation and illness. Increased stress and inflammation have been shown to decrease cognitive functioning, leading to diminished performance for athletes. Subjectively, athletes indicate fluctuations in stress, but few studies have assessed the physiological response of training and competition in elite female athletes. PURPOSE: The primary aim was to assess the acute response of CORT and CRP in Division I female lacrosse athletes during a high-stress week, including two games and three practices during the competitive season. The secondary aim was to assess the relationships between the evening measures of CORT and CRP with objective workload measures. METHODS: Saliva samples were collected from the 14 Division I female lacrosse players each morning and evening over the course of a week during competition season. Days 2, 4, and 5 consisted of afternoon/evening (PM) practices lasting approximately two hours, with days 3 and 6 consisting of PM games. Day 1 was a resistance training day and day 7 was a rest day. Workload was measured using wearable global positioning system (GPS) units. Variables included were total distance (m), high-intensity distance (m, \u3e60% max sprint speed), sprints (count, \u3e90% max sprint speed), accelerations (count, \u3e3 m/s2), decelerations (count, \u3e3 m/s2), and sprint distance (m. \u3e 90% max sprint speed) RESULTS: CORT levels increased after the first game (0.36 ± 0.54 µg/dl) and peaked on the morning of Day 5 (1.03 ±0.08 µg/dl). The two significantly low CORT readings were observed in the morning on Day 3 (0.051±0.068 µg/dl) and on Day 4 PM (0.36 ± 0.48 µg/dl) (approximately 24 hours post-game collection, low workload day). Significantly higher salivary CORT concentrations were measured in the morning on Days 1 (0.61 ± 0.46 µg/dl), 5 (1.03 ±0.08 µg/dl), and 6 (0.76 ± 0.60 µg/dl). CRP levels fluctuated during the sampling period without a clear relationship to the game days. Significantly lower CRP salivary concentrations were seen in the morning on Day 5 (5.15 ± 4.03 pg/ml), and significantly higher CRP salivary concentrations on Days 2 (9.88 ± 2.83 pg/ml) and 3 PM (9.37 ± 3.72 pg/ml) (post-game, high workload). Repeated measures Pearson correlation analyses indicated trivial to low correlations between CORT and workload (r = 0.028 to 0.201, p = 0.167 to 0.847) and low correlations between CRP and workload (r = 0.182 to 0.274, p = .051 to 0.102). CONCLUSION: CRP and cortisol levels fluctuated greatly on a day-to-day basis. CRP tended to have a more direct response to load, with higher values directly after games. CORT values were less predictable in relation to workload and may therefore be affected by other factors such as academic load or the athlete’s personal life. Future research should consider the role of travel and academic load and their effects on CORT and CRP in a student athlete

Salivary Cortisol Analysis in Collegiate Female Lacrosse Athletes

International Journal of Exercise Science 16(6): 242-251, 2023. Cortisol is a hormone that corresponds to physiological and emotional stress. The purpose of this study was to 1) evaluate the changes in cortisol in female Division I collegiate lacrosse players (n = 15) throughout the competitive season, and 2) evaluate the correlation between cortisol and athlete wellness and workload. Salivary cortisol samples were collected weekly in the morning throughout the entirety of the 2021 competitive season (12 weeks). Subjective athlete total wellness scores and sub-scores (muscle soreness, sleep quality, fatigue, and stress) were taken on the same days. Objective total weekly Athlete Load (AL, an amalgam workload metric) were tabulated from the previous training week. A significant effect of time was found on wellness (p \u3c 0.001) and AL (p \u3c 0.001) over the twelve weeks with weekly differences, such as weeks with more than one game, weeks with no games, weeks with students in quarantine (not competing), or weeks with academic stressors such as final exams. There were no weekly differences in cortisol (p = 0.058). Cortisol had negligible correlations with wellness (r = -0.010, p = 0.889) and AL (r = 0.083, p = 0.272) during the competitive season. These findings suggest that cortisol changed little for athletes throughout the season although training volume and wellness did. Thus, assessing acute responses of cortisol may prove to be more beneficial to evaluating athletes’ stress

Induction of IL-17A Precedes Development of Airway Hyperresponsiveness during Diet-Induced Obesity and Correlates with Complement Factor D

Obesity is a risk factor for the development of asthma. Obese mice exhibit innate airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), a characteristic feature of asthma, and IL-17A is required for development of AHR in obese mice. The purpose of this study was to examine the temporal association between the onset of AHR and changes in IL-17A during the development of obesity by high-fat feeding in mice. At weaning, C57BL/6J mice were placed either on mouse chow or on a high-fat diet (HFD) and examined 9, 12, 15, 18, or 24 weeks later. Airway responsiveness to aerosolized methacholine (assessed via the forced oscillation technique) was greater in mice fed HFD versus chow for 24 weeks but not at earlier time points. Bronchoalveolar lavage and serum IL-17A were not affected by either the type or duration of diet, but increased pulmonary IL17a mRNA abundance was observed in HFD versus chow fed mice after both 18 and 24 weeks. Flow cytometry also confirmed an increase in IL-17A+ γδ T cells and IL-17A+ CD4+ T (Th17) cells in lungs of HFD versus chow fed mice. Pulmonary expression of Cfd (complement factor D, adipsin), a gene whose expression can be reduced by IL-17A, decreased after both 18 and 24 weeks in HFD versus chow fed mice. Furthermore, pulmonary Cfd mRNA abundance correlated with elevations in pulmonary Il17a mRNA expression and with AHR. Serum levels of TNFα, MIP-1α, and MIP-1β, and classical markers of systemic inflammation of obesity were significantly greater in HFD than chow fed mice after 24 weeks, but not earlier. In conclusion, our data indicate that pulmonary rather than systemic IL-17A is important for obesity-related AHR and suggest that changes in pulmonary Cfd expression contribute to these effects of IL-17A. Further, the observation that increases in Il17a preceded the development of AHR by several weeks suggests that IL-17A interacts with other factors to promote AHR. The observation that the onset of the systemic inflammation of obesity coincided temporally with the development of AHR suggest that systemic inflammation may be one of these factors

A comparison of the retention of pathogenic Escherichia coli O157 by sprouts, leaves and fruits

The retention (binding to or association with the plant) of Escherichia coli by cut leaves and fruits after vigorous water washing was compared with that by sprouts. Retention by fruits and leaves was similar but differed from retention by sprouts in rate, effect of wounding and requirement for poly-β,1-6-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. Escherichia coli was retained by cut ends of lettuce leaves within 5 min while more than 1 h was required for retention by the intact epidermis of leaves and fruits, and more than 1 day for sprouts. Retention after 5 min at the cut leaf edge was specific for E. coli and was not shown by the plant-associated bacteria Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Sinorhizobium meliloti. Escherichia coli was retained by lettuce, spinach, alfalfa, bean, tomato, Arabidopsis thaliana, cucumber, and pepper leaves and fruits faster than by sprouts. Wounding of leaves and fruits but not sprouts increased bacterial retention. Mutations in the exopolysaccharide synthesis genes yhjN and wcaD reduced the numbers of bacteria retained. PgaC mutants were retained by cut leaves and fruits but not by sprouts. There was no significant difference in the retention of an O157 and a K12 strain by fruits or leaves. However, retention by sprouts of O157 strains was significantly greater than K12 strains. These findings suggest that there are differences in the mechanisms of E coli retention among sprouts, and leaves and fruits

Augmented Pulmonary Responses to Acute Ozone Exposure in Obese Mice: Roles of TNFR2 and IL-13

Background: Acute ozone (O3) exposure results in greater inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in obese versus lean mice. Objectives: We examined the hypothesis that these augmented responses to O3 are the result of greater signaling through tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2) and/or interleukin (IL)-13. Methods: We exposed lean wild-type (WT) and TNFR2-deficient (TNFR2–/–) mice, and obese Cpefat and TNFR2-deficient Cpefat mice (Cpefat/TNFR2–/–), to O3 (2 ppm for 3 hr) either with or without treatment with anti–IL-13 or left them unexposed. Results: O3-induced increases in baseline pulmonary mechanics, airway responsiveness, and cellular inflammation were greater in Cpefat than in WT mice. In lean mice, TNFR2 deficiency ablated O3-induced AHR without affecting pulmonary inflammation; whereas in obese mice, TNFR2 deficiency augmented O3-induced AHR but reduced inflammatory cell recruitment. O3 increased pulmonary expression of IL-13 in Cpefat but not WT mice. Flow cytometry analysis of lung cells indicated greater IL-13–expressing CD4+ cells in Cpefat versus WT mice after O3 exposure. In Cpefat mice, anti–IL-13 treatment attenuated O3-induced increases in pulmonary mechanics and inflammatory cell recruitment, but did not affect AHR. These effects of anti–IL-13 treatment were not observed in Cpefat/TNFR2–/– mice. There was no effect of anti–IL-13 treatment in WT mice. Conclusions: Pulmonary responses to O3 are not just greater, but qualitatively different, in obese versus lean mice. In particular, in obese mice, O3 induces IL-13 and IL-13 synergizes with TNF via TNFR2 to exacerbate O3-induced changes in pulmonary mechanics and inflammatory cell recruitment but not AHR

Births: Final Data for 2006

Objectives—This report presents 2006 data on U.S. births according to a wide variety of characteristics. Data are presented for maternal demographic characteristics including age, live-birth order, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, and educational attainment; maternal lifestyle and health characteristics (medical risk factors, weight gain, and tobacco use); medical care utilization by pregnant women (prenatal care, obstetric procedures, characteristics of labor and/or delivery, attendant at birth, and method of delivery); and infant characteristics (period of gestation, birthweight, Apgar score, congenital anomalies, and multiple births). Also presented are birth and fertility rates by age, live-birth order, race, Hispanic origin, and marital status. Selected data by mother’s state of residence are shown, as well as data on month and day of birth, sex ratio, and age of father. Trends in fertility patterns and maternal and infant characteristics are described and interpreted. Methods—Descriptive tabulations of data reported on the birth certificates of the 4.3 million births that occurred in 2006 are presented. Denominators for population-based rates are postcensal estimates derived from the U.S. 2000 census. Results—In 2006, births and fertility rates increased for most states, age groups, and race and Hispanic origin groups. A total of 4,265,555 births were registered in the United States in 2006, 3 percent more than in 2005, and the largest number of births in more than four decades. The crude birth rate was 14.2, up slightly from the previous year; the general fertility rate was 68.5, up 3 percent. Birth rates increased for women in nearly all age groups, with the largest increases for teenagers and for women aged 20–24 and 40–44 years. Teenage childbearing increased, interrupting the 14-year decline from 1991– 2005. The mean age at first birth for U.S. women was down in 2006, to 25.0 years. The total fertility rate increased to 2,100.5 births per 1,000 women. All measures of unmarried childbearing reached record levels in 2006. Women were less likely to receive timely prenatal care in 2006. The cesarean delivery rate climbed to 31.1 percent, another all-time high. Preterm and low birth weight rates continued to rise; the twin birth rate was unchanged for the second consecutive year; the rate of triplet and higher order multiple births declined 5 percent

Births: Final Data for 2006

Objectives—This report presents 2006 data on U.S. births according to a wide variety of characteristics. Data are presented for maternal demographic characteristics including age, live-birth order, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, and educational attainment; maternal lifestyle and health characteristics (medical risk factors, weight gain, and tobacco use); medical care utilization by pregnant women (prenatal care, obstetric procedures, characteristics of labor and/or delivery, attendant at birth, and method of delivery); and infant characteristics (period of gestation, birthweight, Apgar score, congenital anomalies, and multiple births). Also presented are birth and fertility rates by age, live-birth order, race, Hispanic origin, and marital status. Selected data by mother’s state of residence are shown, as well as data on month and day of birth, sex ratio, and age of father. Trends in fertility patterns and maternal and infant characteristics are described and interpreted. Methods—Descriptive tabulations of data reported on the birth certificates of the 4.3 million births that occurred in 2006 are presented. Denominators for population-based rates are postcensal estimates derived from the U.S. 2000 census. Results—In 2006, births and fertility rates increased for most states, age groups, and race and Hispanic origin groups. A total of 4,265,555 births were registered in the United States in 2006, 3 percent more than in 2005, and the largest number of births in more than four decades. The crude birth rate was 14.2, up slightly from the previous year; the general fertility rate was 68.5, up 3 percent. Birth rates increased for women in nearly all age groups, with the largest increases for teenagers and for women aged 20–24 and 40–44 years. Teenage childbearing increased, interrupting the 14-year decline from 1991– 2005. The mean age at first birth for U.S. women was down in 2006, to 25.0 years. The total fertility rate increased to 2,100.5 births per 1,000 women. All measures of unmarried childbearing reached record levels in 2006. Women were less likely to receive timely prenatal care in 2006. The cesarean delivery rate climbed to 31.1 percent, another all-time high. Preterm and low birth weight rates continued to rise; the twin birth rate was unchanged for the second consecutive year; the rate of triplet and higher order multiple births declined 5 percent

Public questions spur the discovery of new bacterial species associated with lignin bioconversion of industrial waste

A citizen science project found that the greenhouse camel cricket (Diestrammena asynamora) is common in North American homes. Public response was to wonder “what good are they anyway?” and ecology and evolution guided the search for potential benefit. We predicted that camel crickets and similar household species would likely host bacteria with the ability to degrade recalcitrant carbon compounds. Lignocellulose is particularly relevant as it is difficult to degrade yet is an important feedstock for pulp and paper, chemical, and biofuel industries. We screened gut bacteria of greenhouse camel crickets and another household insect, a hide beetle (Dermestes maculatus) for the ability to grow on and degrade lignocellulose components as well as the lignocellulose-derived industrial waste product black liquor. From three greenhouse camel crickets and three hide beetles, 14 bacterial strains were identified capable of growth on lignocellulosic components, including lignin. Cedecea lapagei was selected for further study due to growth on most lignocellulose components. The C. lapagei secretome was identified using LC/MS/MS analysis. This work demonstrates a novel source of lignocellulose-degrading bacteria and introduces an effective workflow to identify bacterial enzymes for transforming industrial waste into value-added products. More generally, our research suggests the value of ecologically-guided discovery of novel organisms