4210 research outputs found
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Production Electrician for Peter and the Starcatcher
No full textA digital collection of the experience fulfilling the role of Production Electrician for the University of Mary Washington Department of Theatre and Dance\u27s 2025 production of Peter and the Starcatcher. This website displays technical information and photos relating to the lighting of this production. Additionally, daily journal entries reflecting on the process of implementing the lighting design for this production are showcased
The Effects of PFOS Exposure on Zebrafish Dopaminergic Neurodevelopment
Full text linkPer- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of environmental contaminants that cause disruptions to the nervous and endocrine systems. Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) is considered one of the most disruptive PFAS to the nervous system, and may disrupt neurodevelopment of the dopaminergic system, which has been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders like Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in humans. I hypothesized that early life PFOS exposure disrupts the development of the dopaminergic system. To test this hypothesis, I exposed zebrafish to 0.05, 0.5, and 5.0 mg/L PFOS through 5 days of embryonic and larval development. To assess acute effects of PFOS on the dopaminergic system, I measured transcript levels of genes that are crucial to the transport, synthesis, degradation, and signaling of dopamine in samples collected at 5 days post-fertilization. To test for long-term effects of PFOS exposure, treated fish were transferred to system water and reared until 60 days post-fertilization. I then dissected their brains and performed a gene expression analysis. The highest concentration of PFOS (5 mg/L) significantly upregulated tyrosine hydroxylase, the gene encoding the rate limiting enzyme of dopamine synthesis, in samples collected at 5 days post fertilization (p \u3c 0.001). These data suggest that PFOS acutely disrupts the dopaminergic system
Know Thyself: A History of Ancient Neuroscience
Full text linkNeuroscience is often described as one of the youngest bodies of science, but documented study of the brain begins as early as the Neolithic period. The ancient Mediterranean was a hub for science, mathematics, philosophy, and literature, all disciplines necessary for the study of the brain. Evidence of neurosurgical procedures like trepanation and craniotomy began in the Neolithic period and were practiced and improved upon throughout the ancient Mediterranean. The first detailed studies on brain anatomy were carried out in the 3rd century BCE in Greece which created a necessary structure for future scientists to build on. While many theories of the brain from antiquity have since proven false, multiple theories of function, cognition, sensation, and perception from ancient scientific sources and literary sources echo findings that are foundational for modern neuroscience. The brain’s complexity and ability to change is why it has required centuries of exploration to reach our current understanding. We have the same goal as then, the only major change between then and now is access to modern technology and the speed of information. By examining the similarities and differences of ancient and modern neuroscience we can create a concise timeline of our understanding of the brain
Rediscovering Ancient Greek Pigmentation
No full textThis thesis paper will discuss various questions relating to pre-Greco-Roman Ancient Greek paint pigments. In recent years discoveries of paint samples on Ancient Greek sculptures and architecture are becoming increasingly common, contradicting the stereotype that history has made of Ancient Greece having a pristine white aesthetic in their artwork. (Brinkmann, 2008) The various paint pigments that can be found throughout excavations in Greece, as well as the general history of pigments, create a new narrative when it comes to the art of Ancient Greece. Using various evidence such as pigment samples, artworks, textual primary sources, and scholarly research, this thesis will examine the history of paint and pigments commonly used throughout Ancient Greek Civilization and the manner in which they were produced. This thesis’s purpose would be to bring that history together to exclusively discuss the paint pigments found in Ancient Greece. Additionally, this thesis explains the incorrect modern conceptions of Ancient Greek art relating to its coloring. First, the priority is to find what pigments were used in pre-Roman Greece altogether and make a comprehensible list of them in chronological order. Then look at how the pigments were made and how they were used. This leads to the final question of why Ancient Greek statues are now thought to be white despite the evidence that this stereotype is not true
A Call to Interpret Disagreement Components during Classification Assessment
No full textThis foresight manuscript proposes several ideas concerning how to conduct insightful classification assessment. Authors should report disagreement components that relate to the research question, without anointing results as acceptable or good. This manuscript reviews the citations of the 2011 manuscript entitled ‘Death to Kappa: Birth of Quantity Disagreement and Allocation Disagreement for Accuracy Assessment’, which gave two recommendations: (1) do not use Kappa and (2) use disagreement components. We analyzed 200 articles that cited the Death to Kappa manuscript. A quarter of the articles followed both recommendations, another quarter followed only the first recommendation, another quarter followed only the second recommendation, and the last quarter followed neither recommendation. The attempt to replace Kappa with disagreement components has been partially effective, while Kappa continues to haunt several professions. We discuss misguided uses of Percent Correct and Kappa in Remote Sensing and Land Change Modeling. The concepts are general and thus relate to additional fields. Authors frequently use arbitrary thresholds of metrics to claim that results are acceptable. However, the notion that results can be acceptable or not is inherently unscientific. Scientists must use a metric that addresses a clear research question in which the scientists have no vested interest in the results
Comparing Parasitism and Resistance to Flow in Two Populations of Elimia virginica
Full text linkSnails are important in freshwater ecosystems as primary consumers and are good indicators of the stability of a habitat. Trematodes are parasitic flatworms that infect freshwater snails and can cause changes in metabolic function and growth. Flow rates and water levels are now more variable due to climate change, increasing stress and dislodgment in the snail population. This study investigates how parasites, shell morphology, and native flow environment influence resistance to disturbance. Elimia populations were sampled for differences in parasitism, shell morphology, and ability to withstand high flow environments in two different rivers. Sample sites at the Potomac River were tidal with low flow, while sites at the Rappahannock River were higher flow with pools and riffles. Approximately 10 quadrats (0.09 m2) were randomly selected for sampling per sample site. The Rappahannock was sampled four times at three sites, while the Potomac was sampled four times at two sites. Snails were dissected and measured for shell morphological features, looking specifically at width and aperture. Shell width, shell aperture, and shell thickness in the Potomac was significantly larger than in the Rappahannock (Wilcoxon p\u3c 0.0001). In both rivers, shell widths and apertures were both significantly larger in infected snails than non-infected snails (Wilcoxon p\u3c 0.001). Prevalence of parasitism did not differ between rivers (Χ2 p=0.51). To measure snails\u27 response to high flow, approximately 300 live snails were collected per sample location and were subjected to a high flow environment (0.75 m/s) for 10 minutes to determine time of dislodgment. In a population of all snails, sex was the only determinant of time of dislodgment (multiple regression p=0.032). Longer, skinnier apertures lead to increased time of dislodgment in males; wider and longer apertures lead to increased time of dislodgment in females
Influencer Or Fake, It Is All One In The Same On TikTok
Full text linkHow brands market their product has changed with the rise of social media. TikTok has become one of the largest platforms for brands to find consumer bases. This is because TikTok is a source of entertainment that has been able to co-opt marketing movements that introduce the aspect of brand and viewer relationship based on identity. When a viewer is able to establish an identity with the brand, they become an active consumer. Brands are able to do this through the influencers, which has become the new norm within marketing strategy. Influencers are people who are able to gain a following due to their personalities on social media. Despite its success, there are still faults within this strategy. This often happens because the line between general content and marketing becomes unclear when brands begin using influencers or rhetoric from influencers to gain audience attention. Through these strategies, it becomes harder for a consumer to understand what is marketing and what is general content
Beyond the Didactic: The Morally Edifying Impact of Pure Aesthetic Experience
Full text linkDuring the late nineteenth century, British artists and writers sought to create a new kind of beauty to combat the growing tedium and materiality of industrialization. This movement became known as Aestheticism, and those who practiced its tradition believed art should be created with the sole intention of eliciting aesthetic pleasure. According to the Aesthetes, art is amoral by nature and any attempt to infuse social commentary into an artwork is fundamentally wrong, adhering to the concept of “Art for Art’s Sake.” This research argues that despite the artists and writers of the Aesthetic Movement claiming that their works exist devoid of any moral value, there is still a morally edifying quality to the aesthetic experience which can be seen through the development of Modernism. The Aesthetic Movement anticipated many of the stylistic practices prominent in modern aesthetics, namely the focus on formal qualities over subject matter and early development of abstraction, which became highly moralized by artists in the early twentieth century. Through an investigation of the different philosophical approaches to morality in art and survey of moral depictions in British art history, this study will contextualize Aestheticism within the realm of moral education
Sensory Friendly Performance of Roald Dahl\u27s Matilda the Musical
Full text linkThis project contains examples of best practices in theatre to make it accessible to those with sensory sensitivites such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, etc
How External Efficacy Influences Support for Third-Party and Independent Candidates: A Mediational Analysis
Full text linkAs displayed by Ralph Nader in 2000, non-major party candidates can play a decisive role in presidential elections without emerging victorious. Throughout U.S. history, several third-party and independent candidates have garnered notable support, typically among voters who self-identify as independent of partisanship. However, most Independents, particularly leaning Independents, ultimately vote for one of the two major political parties. This research utilizes external efficacy--an individual’s perceptions about the responsiveness of government officials and institutions to citizen demands--as a predictor for voting behavior and partisan identification. In theory, citizens with low external efficacy are more likely to possess frustration with the two major parties and less likely to view non-major party votes as wasted, increasing their likelihood of supporting such candidates. Mediational analyses of American National Election Survey cross-sectional probability samples and a Lucid Theorem convenience sample distributed prior to the 2024 election demonstrate that lower external efficacy predicts a greater likelihood of voting for non-major party candidates, partially mediated by independent identification. This mediated effect appears significantly stronger in the pre-election survey data, suggesting many disillusioned citizens ultimately revert to major party voting despite earlier intentions. The results, all statistically significant, display external efficacy is an important aspect of electoral behavior, independence is not entirely ideological, and third-party candidates should depict the government as unresponsive to the demands of the people in order to generate more support