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The Crown through Catalan Eyes: The Monarchy in \u3ci\u3ePolònia\u3c/i\u3e (2006-2021)
No full textCatalan journalists and performers have played a leading role in pushing the boundaries of public discourse about the Spanish monarchy in a media landscape that has been riddled with taboos since the 1975 Restoration. Pol & ograve;nia, a political satire created in 2006 for Catalan television, frequently targets the royal family, actively contributing to the erosion of its public image in Catalonia. While early skits featuring the royal family tended to invited viewers to laugh at them, in recent years the corrupt King and his kin are increasingly seen to be mocking their subjects
Prosodic Dissonance
No full textIn popular and scholarly discourse on texted music and music-speech intersections, the prevailing assumption is that the linguistic features of the lyrics (e.g., syllabic stress) align with the way the lyrics are sung (e.g., phenomenal accent in or affecting the melody)-or, if not, that they should. However, not only can text and music conflict, but they do so in a variety of ways, to varying degrees, and with different effects on our listening experience. I define prosodic dissonance as any conflict between the prosodic linguistic features and musical rendition of text. This could include misalignment between syllabic and durational/registral stress, between spoken and sung phrases, or between spoken and sung intonation. Prosodic dissonance/consonance can also interact with rhyme, vowel shape, parallelism, and syncopation. To recognize prosodic dissonance, I (1) determine the prosody for the lyrics as spoken, (2) determine the prosody for the melody as sung, (3) identify mismatches as dissonances, (4) consider the effect of the surrounding melody/lyrics, (5) consider alternate pronunciations or hearings that might account for it, and (6) consider the perceptual and analytical implications. This article focuses on prosodic dissonance in popular music, with longer analyses of Kesha\u27s Tonight (2020), Royal & the Serpent\u27s Overwhelmed (2020), and Rina Sawayama\u27s This Hell (2022
Synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2C enhances vesicular storage of dopamine and counters dopaminergic toxicitySynaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2C enhances vesicular storage of dopamine and counters dopaminergic toxicity
No full textDopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra exist in a persistent state of vulnerability resulting from high baseline oxidative stress, high-energy demand, and broad unmyelinated axonal arborisations. Impairments in the storage of dopamine compound this stress because of cytosolic reactions that transform the vital neurotransmitter into an endogenous neurotoxicant, and this toxicity is thought to contribute to the dopamine neuron degeneration that occurs Parkinson\u27s disease. We have previously identified synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2C (SV2C) as a modifier of vesicular dopamine function, demonstrating that genetic ablation of SV2C in mice results in decreased dopamine content and evoked dopamine release in the striatum. Here, we adapted a previously published in vitro assay utilising false fluorescent neurotransmitter 206 (FFN206) to visualise how SV2C regulates vesicular dopamine dynamics and determined that SV2C promotes the uptake and retention of FFN206 within vesicles. In addition, we present data indicating that SV2C enhances the retention of dopamine in the vesicular compartment with radiolabelled dopamine in vesicles isolated from immortalised cells and from mouse brain. Further, we demonstrate that SV2C enhances the ability of vesicles to store the neurotoxicant 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) and that genetic ablation of SV2C results in enhanced 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced vulnerability in mice. Together, these findings suggest that SV2C functions to enhance vesicular storage of dopamine and neurotoxicants and helps maintain the integrity of dopaminergic neurons
Transit Vanity Projects in Los Angeles
No full textFocusing on Los Angeles, this paper introduces the idea of “transit vanity projects” as a new way of understanding the relationship between space and social (in)justice. It proposes five qualities that define a transit vanity project: they are primarily focused on their stylistic quality; they are functionally unnecessary; they are isolated and disconnected from other transit; they serve a small, bounded population; they reflect and reproduce a selective understanding of the past or future. The paper contrasts the case studies of The Getty Tram, The Grove Trolley, and the Angel’s Flight Funicular with the embodied realities of using public transit in LA. It is based upon 3 weeks spent in Los Angeles relying only on public transit, a total of 75 hours on the bus and train. The resulting ethnographic observations provided me a first-hand understanding of how the public transportation services upon which poor and working-class Angelenos depend differ from transit vanity projects. The paper\u27s analysis draws upon work done in the field spatial justice studies, and specifically upon Edward Soja’s 2010 book Seeking Spatial Justice. Spatial justice, in this context, refers to the principle that everyone has a right to safe and reliable transportation. The paper analyzes transit projects on a continuum from brutal or realistic necessity to vanity transit, and explains how these opposing approaches towards transit development should be recognized in future transit planning in order to create more equitable public transit
Development of Activity-Based Protein Profiling Assays for the Human Rhomboid Proteases
No full textRhomboid intramembrane proteases (RIPs) are a family of serine hydrolases distinguished by their membrane-embedded active sites and proposed involvement in metabolic, and neurodegenerative diseases as well as cancer. Despite the ubiquity of these enzymes in all kingdoms of life, our knowledge of the enzymatic functions of RIPs is still quite limited. Consequently, the development of suitable substrate-based activity assays for these proteases has proved challenging due to the lack of known substrates. Activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) represents an alternative approach for studying the activity of these enzymes; in these assays, a small-molecule probe is used to engage the active enzyme by binding covalently to its active site. Here, we present our progress on the development of ABPP assays for the human RIPs. We expressed all five human RIPs (hRHBDL1, hRHBDL2, hRHBDL3, hRHBDL4, and hPARL), along with their inactive mutants, in HEK293T cells. We then screened a library of small molecule probes, including fluorophosphonates, b-lactams, and benzoxazinones, for their ability to engage the active enzymes, but not their inactive mutants, in a complex proteome. Probe labeling was visualized by performing the azide-alkyne Huisgen cycloaddition reaction with a functionalized rhodamine on probe-treated proteome followed by gel electrophoresis (SDS- PAGE). Through these efforts, we have identified activity-based probes for several of the human RIPs and observed differences in probe engagement in lysate versus intact cells. Our findings provide encouraging precedent for the development of suitable ABPP assays for each of the human RIPs as well as insight into the types of chemical scaffolds that could be used to generate inhibitors for these enzymes
Factors influencing indoor air quality concerning particulate matter in high school classrooms
No full textOn average, people spend 90 percent of their time indoors where they are exposed to a variety of particulate matter, including that of 10 micrometers or smaller (PM10), which is able to permeate the lungs. Because of this, monitoring indoor air quality (IAQ) is extremely important when it comes to health, productivity, and students’ ability to learn. In this experiment, I investigated the effect of a variety of factors on particulate matter circulating in classrooms, with a specific focus on flooring type, in my high school in Madison, Wisconsin. The goal of this work was to evaluate whether the new carpeted classrooms were aiding or hindering indoor air quality. To explore this question, I placed a portable air quality monitor within two classrooms (one carpet, one tile flooring) in my high school and monitored PM10 concentrations across the months of September to December 2022. Data was collected once per minute, and the monitor recorded for 24 hours a day. Data was uploaded to Excel for further analysis. In my study I focused on how the concentration of PM10 was affected by different factors such as flooring type, time of day, occupancy, temperature, and relative humidity. Preliminary results suggest PM10 is highest at times of class change regardless of other factors, and that PM10 is more likely to quickly settle in carpeted rooms. This work helps to inform future research into PM10 in classrooms, including importance of flooring type, occupancy, and monitoring frequency to capture quick changes in PM10 concentrations
Positive bystander intervention training for allies to gender minorities
No full textPositive psychology seeks to improve wellbeing beyond the absence of distress, but interventions often do not address social environmental causes. Since belonging is a protective factor against mental health challenges, gender minorities’ (trans, non-binary, etc.) wellbeing would benefit from allies actively working to increase environmental belonging for the community. However, some potential allies do not know how or are afraid to act. To address a gap in research in training allies to increase environmental belonging, this study tested a positive bystander intervention training. All participants (N = 109) first viewed a positive bystander training. Participants were then presented with an example scenario in one of three conditions: 1) a trans woman with an empathic joy question, 2 a trans woman with a control question, and 3) a disabled woman with a control question. At both time points all participants wrote a response to scenarios about gender minorities and rated their bystander self-efficacy. There was an interaction between condition and Time 1 and Time 2 self-efficacy: participants in the disabled control condition had higher self-efficacy at Time 2, but there were no other significant differences. It is possible this positive bystander training is more effective at increasing bystander self-efficacy for allies to people with disabilities than gender minorities. Written responses were coded for themes. Themes included 1) connecting people to appropriate resources, 2) conversation, and 3) not emphasizing gender identity. Future research can create a more neutral control question and explore intersections with other identities (e.g., race)
Does exposure to positive climate action by others enhance efficacy and motivation to act?
No full textPolling reveals that Northeast Ohio (NEO) residents are concerned about and desire action on climate change: 73% of NEO residents believe climate change is happening; 67% believe it is already affecting local weather; 65% think citizens should do more to address climate change. However, people across the Ohio routinely underestimate the concern of others by 21% and support for policies that address climate change by 29%. This is a problem because when individuals don’t think that other people care as much as they do, they are less likely to take action themselves. Does information about the concern and positive actions of fellow community members mobilize individuals to take action? “Community Voices” (CV), is a form of social media designed for display on digital signage and websites. CV combines images and quotes drawn from interviews to create and reinforce social norms. Prior research indicates that exposure to CV enhances concern and commitment to environmental action. We are designing a study to assess whether CV content can help close the gap between perceived and actual public support for climate action. In 2023 we conducted extensive interviews with a diversity of NEO residents who are engaged in a variety of positive climate action. Based on prior research2, we are designing an online experiment to assess whether exposure to CV content developed from these interviews increases motivation for climate action. Specifically, we hypothesize that exposure will: decrease psychological distance from climate change, increase the perception of climate action as a norm, and increase efficacy