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Abstract Phytoestrogen-rich soy is known to ameliorate menopause-associated obesity and metabolic dysfunction for reasons that are unclear. The gut microbiota have been linked with the development of obesity and metabolic dysfunction. We aimed to determine the impact of soy on cardiometabolic health, adipose tissue inflammation, and the cecal microbiota in ovariectomized (OVX) rats bred for low-running capacity (LCR), a model that has been previously shown to mimic human menopause compared to sham-operated (SHM) intact control LCR rats. In this study, soy consumption, without affecting energy intake or physical activity, significantly improved insulin sensitivity and body composition of OVX rats bred for low-running capacity. Furthermore, soy significantly improved blood lipid profile, adipose tissue inflammation, and aortic stiffness of LCR rats. Compared to a soy-free control diet, soy significantly shifted the cecal microbial community of LCR rats, resulting in a lower Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio. Correlations among metabolic parameters and cecal bacterial taxa identified in this study suggest that taxa Prevotella, Dorea, and Phascolarctobacterium may be taxa of interest. Our results suggest that dietary soy ameliorates adiposity, insulin sensitivity, adipose tissue inflammation, and arterial stiffness and exerts a beneficial shift in gut microbial communities in a rat model that mimics human menopause.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are contaminants of emerging concern owing to their ability to bioaccumulate in the body and subsequently cause cancer. PFAS, while recalcitrant to advanced oxidation, can be degraded by plasma action. In this work, we investigate the efficacy of two plasma reactors on degrading PFAS in ground water derived from two different contaminated sites. The reactors included an array of underwater plasma jets and a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) with water dielectric barriers. While both reactors showed effectiveness in removing PFAS, the DBD with water barriers was most efficient with regard to the rate of degradation and power consumed. This better performance was attributed to the increased plasma–liquid contact area. Experiments indicate that air is a suitable working gas alternative to argon, and both AC and ns-pulsed power sources can generate the plasmas for these reactors. Furthermore, it was found that for both reactors, the removal rate for low and high PFAS concentration in ground water was the same, suggesting that the reactors are most efficient at treating heavily contaminated water. In this respect, a concentration step followed by plasma treatment may be a cost-effective means to treat the PFAS-contaminated water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With all the music that is available for instrumental performance in the schools, the music of Thailand is under-represented. Yet Thailand has a rich instrumental tradition. This article focuses on the possibilities of adapting the Thai "mahori" and "kruang sai" ensembles to the western instrumentation available in school music programs. There is a brief explanation of Thai music: melody, tuning system, and notation. Suggestions are offered for approximating an authentic Thai sound using western instruments by retuning Orff instruments to the Thai tuning system, adjusting the intonation on recorders to emulate the Thai "klui," and adapting the violin and viola to substitute for the Thai "saw duong" and "saw oo." There are examples included of arrangements for two Thai children's songs scored for Orff instruments and recorder. (Contains 5 figures and 4 notes.)

To date, no empirical studies have examined the sport management internship from students' perspectives. Due to this void in the literature, the purpose of this study was to examine the needs and concerns of students when accessing and completing internships. Rather than relying solely on sport management professionals to determine the parameters of a rewarding internship, this study analyzed students' experiences in order to ascertain their perceptions of the sport management internship. Sport practitioners can use this information to provide students with a more satisfying and rewarding internship experience. In addition, students who are searching for an internship can use this information to make a more informed decision. Finally, this information can be used to assess the quality of internships.

Addresses the impact of the growing internationalism of the period from 1930 to 1954 on music education that found its expression in an increased number of Eastern European and Latin American folk songs in music textbooks and finally flowered into the creation of the International Society for Music Education in 1949. (CMK)

Examined differential treatment of siblings in families with a disabled child and other families. Assessed connections between differential treatment, both children's adjustment, and sibling relationships. Results revealed greater levels of differential treatment in families with disabled children but no context differences in the correlations between older and younger siblings' treatment. (Author/GLR)

Wild bees are vital for the pollination of native plants and crops, providing essential ecosystem services. Climate change is known to impact biodiversity and species distributions, but insects adapted to desert ecosystems may exhibit unique physiological, behavioral, and evolutionary responses. The desert pallid bee (C. pallida), a solitary bee native to the arid southwestern United States and northern Mexico, primarily forages on yellow palo verde (P. microphylla), blue palo verde (P. florida), and desert ironwood (O. tesota). This study used MaxEnt to estimate the current and projected geographical overlap of suitable habitats for C. pallida and its host plants. Here, we used MaxEnt to estimate the current and forecasted overlapping geographically suitable habitat of C. pallida with all three host plants. We forecasted potential environmentally suitable areas for each species to the year 2040 using the current distribution model and climate projections with moderate CO2 levels. We found a continued spatial alignment in the suitable area of the bee and its host plants with a 70% increase in the range overlap area, though shifted to higher average altitudes and a slight northern expansion. These findings may provide insight to stakeholders on the conservation needs of desert-dwelling pollinators.

The distribution of cardiac output between compliant vasculature (e.g., splanchnic organs and skin) and noncompliant vasculature (e.g., skeletal muscle) is proposed to constitute an important determinant of the amount of blood available to the heart (central blood volume and pressure). The aim here was to directly test the hypothesis that diversion of blood flow from a relatively noncompliant vasculature (muscle) to compliant vasculature (splanchnic organs and skin) acts to reduce right atrial pressure. The approach was to inflate an occluder cuff on the terminal aorta for 30 s in one of two modes of ventricular pacing in five awake dogs with atrioventricular block and autonomic blockade. In one trial, cardiac output was maintained constant, meaning cuff inflation caused a portion of terminal aortic flow (a noncompliant circulation) to be diverted to the splanchnic and skin circulations (compliant circulations). In the other trial, arterial pressure was maintained constant, meaning blood flow to these other regions did not change. The response of right atrial pressure (corrected for differences in arterial pressure between the two trials) fit our hypothesis, being lower when blood flow was diverted to compliant regions. We conclude that a small (4% of cardiac output) diversion of blood flow from a noncompliant region to a compliant region reduces right atrial pressure by 0.7 mmHg. venous physiology; venous return; cardiac filling pressure

Carolyn Livingston, Charles Faulkner Bryan: His Life and Music (Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 2003) There are many biographical studies in music education history. (1) Indeed, it seems one [...]

El preparacionismo es un movimiento formado por personas que toman medidas para afrontar situaciones adversas como pandemias, apagones generales, el colapso económico o el cambio climático, entre otras. Si bien sus orígenes están relacionados con la Guerra Fría, su popularidad creció tras los ataques a las Torres Gemelas del 11 de septiembre del 2001. La COVID-19 y el reciente conflicto armado entre Ucrania y Rusia son las últimas amenazas que se añaden a la lista de preocupaciones de este colectivo. La presente investigación estudia las temáticas que aparecen en los vídeos publicados por la comunidad preparacionista en YouTube y analiza si la invasión de Ucrania ha pasado a formar parte de los acontecimientos que inquietan a dicho grupo. La captura de los datos y su visualización se han realizado mediante las herramientas YouTube DataTools y Gephi. Ello ha permitido representar la red de temas presente en los vídeos e identificar los nodos con mayor posición de autoridad en lo que se refiere a la propagación de la información sobre preparacionismo. Las conclusiones indican que el enfrentamiento militar entre Ucrania y Rusia — esta última, potencia nuclear— se ha convertido en materia privilegiada y ha desplazado al resto de asuntos tratados en los vídeos publicados antes del conflicto. Por lo que respecta a quienes lideran el discurso en la plataforma, se observa una presencia de perfiles ideológicos dispares. Unos, cercanos a contenidos propios de políticas de derecha, relacionados con la hegemonía blanca, las armas y diversas teorías conspiratorias, y otros, de carácter menos politizado y lúdico.

Loss of ovarian hormones leads to increased adiposity and insulin resistance (IR), increasing the risk for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the molecular mechanism behind the adverse systemic and adipose tissue-specific metabolic effects of ovariectomy requ ires loss of signaling through estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) or estrogen receptor β (ERβ). We examined ovariectomized (OVX) and ovary-intactwild-type (WT), ERα-null (αKO), and ERβ-null (βKO) female mice (age ~49 weeks; n = 7-12/group). All mice were fed a phytoestrogen-free diet (<15 mg/kg) and either remained ovary-intact (INT) or were OVX and followed for 12 weeks. Body composition, energy expenditure, glucose tolerance, and adipose tissue gene and protein expression were analyzed. INT αKO were ~25% fatter with reduced energy expenditure compared to age-matched INT WT controls and βKO mice (all P < 0.001). Following OVX, αKO mice did not increase adiposity or experience a further increase in IR, unlike WT and βKO, suggesting that loss of signaling through ERα mediates OVX-induced metabolic dysfunction. In fact, OVX in αKO mice (i.e., signaling through ERβ in the absence of ERα) resulted in reduced adiposity, adipocyte size, and IR (P < 0.05 for all). βKO mice responded adversely to OVX in terms of increased adiposity and development of IR. Together, these findings challenge the paradi gm that ERα mediates metabolic protection over ERβ in all settings. These findings lead us to suggest that, following ovarian hormone loss, ERβ may mediate protective metabolic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among professionals a need exists to compile benchmark data in all areas for the field of aquatics. To address this need, the questionnaire "Benchmarking Study for Campus Aquatic Programs" was created and distributed to NIRSA members. The questionnaire focuses on gathering data related to aquatic staff, facilities, and programs. Results indicate that the job responsibilities and certifications for hourly staff positions are similar across institutions. Pay rates for each hourly position are not unanimous for each position, but rather have a range that was common. Programming questions address available pool time and how it is divided among various activities. This article presents the collected data to establish benchmark statistics for the aquatics community with the intent that it be used as guidelines or benchmarks by aquatic professionals and decision makers in the development of recreational aquatics programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]