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‘Amazigh Literary Space’: Intersection and Hybridity across Languages and Media
Get PDFMy contribution will focus on multilingualism and multimedia in the ‘Amazigh literary and cinematographic space’ (Merolla De l’art, “Amazigh/Berber Literature”). Examining this notion coined in the 1990’s (Merolla “Gender and Community”) allows us to reflect on ongoing debates regarding North African literatures in postcolonial contexts. It also helps to see that Amazigh/Berber literature solely defined as Amazigh-language production tends to isolate works and performances that engage with multiple languages and literary traditions, cultural intersections, and hybridization in North Africa and its diasporas. The discussion is contextualized within the historical development of what is sometimes referred to as the “North African mosaic” (Boudraa and Krause) and “Tamazgha”. Further, to discuss the notion of ‘literary and cinematographic space,’ I will give examples and introduce some theoretical considerations related to another concept, namely ‘literary field.’ Finally, by examining the distinctions and convergences among oral performances, writings, cinema and new media productions, this contribution will focus on understanding, and ultimately overcoming, the divisions across disciplinary horizons that had little dialogue between them until recently (Amazigh/Berber Studies, Francophone/Hispanophone … Studies, Postcolonial Studies, World Literature Studies)
Breaking From The Herd: Cost-Benefit And Cultural Analysis Of Intensive, Adaptive Multi-Paddock Grazing On Six Shooter Ranch
No full textLivestock grazing land accounts for 41 percent of the continental United States by land area, with the majority of beef cow-calf operations using continuous grazing. Continuous grazing contributes to a range of ecosystem degradation impacts including loss of biomass, soil carbon loss, and soil erosion, and water runoff. Six Shooter Ranch (Mitchell, OR) trialed the alternative grazing method of intensive, adaptive multi-paddock grazing (IAMP). Evidence supports its ecological restoration abilities, but few studies examine its financial and cultural viability. Through interviews and a cost-benefit analysis, there appear to be financially viable pathways for the implementation of IAMP. However, financially pathways are limited under current market conditions and cultural perceptions may sway outcomes positively or negatively. Carbon credits and water infrastructure costs have important implications in the cost-benefit of IAMP based on the scenarios tested in this study. This research underscores the necessity of context-specific approaches and cooperation across public and private sectors for intensive, adaptive multi-paddock grazing implementation
THE CSI EFFECT: MEDIA INFLUENCE ON JUROR PERCEPTIONS OF FORENSIC EVIDENCE
Get PDFCan the media you consume shape your expectations in the courtroom? This thesis explores how legal media consumption influences jurors\u27 perceptions of forensic evidence, focusing on blood spatter analysis and its potential impact on verdicts. Drawing on the CSI Effect, the proposed study will examine whether fictional crime dramas and true crime documentaries differ in their effects on jurors’ expectations and skepticism about forensic evidence. Approximately 150 jury-eligible participants will be recruited for an experimental study exploring the effects of media exposure and prior legal media consumption. Participants will view a legal scenario involving inconclusive blood spatter evidence after exposure to clips from either a crime drama or a true crime documentary. It is hypothesized that crime drama viewers will exhibit heightened skepticism and greater reliance on advanced forensic techniques as compared to documentary viewers. This research explores the potential role of media in shaping juror biases and proposes strategies for mitigating these effects to ensure fair trial outcomes
Tackling Media Convergence: An Examination of Video Game Influence in La Liga Live Streams
Get PDFFollowing a partnership with gaming giant EA Sports, Spanish top-flight soccer league La Liga has begun to include various digitized elements reminiscent of video games in the broadcasts of their matches. This sponsorship has allowed La Liga to set itself apart from competitors through the creation of a unique viewing experience while simultaneously selling EA\u27s product. Using aspects of media convergence theory, this project aims to explore the growing relationship between video games and live sports. These findings reflect a trend among younger generations, who want to get more out of their engagements with their favorite athletes and teams. As such, it may not be long before more leagues follow suit and include more enhancements within their streams
Modulation of transcriptional bursting parameters by the genetic architecture of Notch synthetic enhancers in Drosophila embryos
No full textConservation of transcriptional bursting, which underlie molecular and cellular decision-making processes, across species make this stochastic process a rich topic of study. However, due to lack of appropriate imaging technology until the past two decades, studies on bursting have primarily surrounded theoretical models and numerical simulations. To experimentally investigate parameters which have been theorized to modulate transcription, including transcription initiation rate, polymerase on-switching rate, and polymerase off-switching rate, MS2-MCP fluorescence imaging can be utilized in live Drosophila embryos (Falo-Sanjuan et. al, 2019). Understanding the relationship between these kinetic parameters and genetic architectures in DNA is important to contextualize regulation of transcription. Here, we utilize modified enhancers that respond to the Notch signaling pathway, a well-known direct signal transduction system, for such exploration. Results demonstrated that a potential relationship between bursting duration via promoter on-switching rate with varied number of enhancer binding sites and cooperativity may exist. Analyzing this relationship provides insight into how signaling is used to drive transcriptional regulation, as well as inform improvements in potential Notch-targeted therapies for cancer patients
Examining the Antimicrobial Properties of Ajwain Through Staphylococcus epidermidis and Bacillus subtilis Growth Evolution Against Thymol
No full textAntibiotic resistance that is obtained by microbes is a rapidly-developing threat to the health of people worldwide in the modern era of antibiotic drug usage. Linked with selective pressure–factors that allow bacteria to survive and reproduce in their environment–the advancing progression of antimicrobial resistance must be hindered in the interest of global health. Employing traditional herbal medicines is a worthwhile approach to treating bacterial infections. Ajwain has been implemented in various regions around the globe–from India to Iran–to combat bacterial infections. Thymol and carvacrol–both terpenes and phenolic compounds in ajwain– are recognized for their antimicrobial abilities to inhibit the growth of bacteria such as Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. While the bactericidal properties of thymol against S. aureus have been observed, its ability to hinder the growth of other bacteria such as Staphylococcus epidermidis and Bacillus subtilis–both Gram-positive–must be further investigated as well their susceptibility to selective pressures. This study focuses on exploring the efficacy of thymol as an antimicrobial agent in combating the growth of S. epidermidis and B. subtilis through bacterial evolution experiments, which contributes to our understanding of how bacteria reproduces, evolves, and adapts to its environment. Through liquid dilution testing, the MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) of thymol was observed to be between 0.125 and 0.25 mg/mL against S. epidermidis. While evolving S. epidermidis was also found to be difficult through the use of the agar growth assay, growth was visible in the presence of 0.25 and 0.35 mg/mL of thymol, which was not observed through the liquid dilution testing. Nucleotide BLAST analysis demonstrated that the original samples of S. epidermidis growth in the presence of 0.25 and 0.35 mg/mL of thymol was contaminated with B. subtilis. Moreover, Kirby-Bauer assays demonstrated that these B. subtilis samples displayed greater zone of inhibitions in comparison to the wild-type B. subtilis, indicating that these samples have not evolved to resist the antimicrobial properties of thymol. One-way ANOVA testing indicated that there is no statistically significant difference–(p-value ≈ 0.134)–between the varied zone of inhibitions of the three samples. Finally, these collective results demonstrated that further research must be conducted in investigating the mechanisms by which S. epidermidis and B. subtilis evolve resistance to thymol, considering how the experimental results observed in this study are relatively inconsistent
We Found Love in a Wetter Climate: The Impact of Varying Climatic Conditions on the Prevalence of a Fungal Endophyte in Elymus virginicus Populations
Get PDFEpichloë is a genus of endophytes– symbiotic fungi residing within a plant’s tissue– that can provide mutualistic benefits to its host. The stress gradient hypothesis predicts that mutualism between species becomes stronger in conditions of high abiotic stress. We tested this idea by assessing how Epichloë prevalence in Elymus virginicus populations is affected by varying climatic conditions. We established plots of E. virginicus with known endophyte frequencies in the spring of 2023 at five sites across a precipitation gradient in Texas and Louisiana. We collected E. virginicus recruits in June and July 2024 at all field sites. To determine recruits’ endophyte status, we ran recruit samples through an immunoblot assay and did leaf peel microscopy to clarify any uncertainty from immunoblot endophyte status scores. Scans of immunoblot assay stains of endophyte-positive recruits were processed through ImageJ to quantify relative endophyte abundance in each recruit. Climate data was collected from HOBO data loggers that were placed directly in field sites. A binomial generalized linear mixed model was created for each of the five field sites to model the projected endophyte prevalence at equilibrium for given initial endophyte frequency. Projection values and observed changes in endophyte frequency after one year were plotted against average soil moisture and temperature data of the corresponding field site from November 2023 to May 2024. Weighted averages of each endophyte-positive recruit’s stain intensity was plotted by field site. We found that endophyte-plant interactions were favorable when soil moisture was high; conversely, Epichloë declined in drier sites, suggesting that hosting Epichloë is costly in stressful conditions. Similarly, endophyte abundance by individual recruits was greatest in wetter sites. These results are not consistent with the stress gradient hypothesis: mutualism weakened with increasing stress. This contradiction highlights unexpected complexity in how communities respond to stress and how plant-microbial communities may react to climatic shifts
Garcia de Orta and the Colloquies: The Role of Imperialism and Colonialism in Shaping Knowledge During the Scientific Revolution
Get PDFThis thesis examines the role of Portuguese doctor Garcia de Orta (1501–1568) and his Colloquies on the Simples and Drugs of India within the broader framework of the Scientific Revolution, emphasizing the interplay of imperialism, colonialism, and transnational knowledge exchanges in shaping knowledge production. Traditional narratives of the Scientific Revolution often focus on European advancements in physics and astronomy. However, recent scholarship highlights the contributions of non-European knowledge systems and the significant role of empire and trade networks in advancing scientific inquiry. Although Orta’s findings were not novel, the novelty of his text lay in its seamless integration of European, Islamic, and Indian sources, and its incorporation of cross-cultural and interdisciplinary approaches. Arguably, Orta\u27s work was critical to the survival of the Portuguese in India — providing valuable information on India’s materia medica that was necessary for the empire’s economic and strategic interests. This study argues that Orta’s Colloquies represents a hybridization of European and indigenous knowledge, challenging Eurocentric conceptions of the Scientific Revolution. By highlighting Orta’s contributions, the thesis repositions Iberian science and indigenous knowledge systems within global scientific historiography and underscores the importance of investigating cross-cultural collaborations and colonial contexts in the establishment of modern science
Courtesy of the Red White \u27N Blue: Identity Economics and Network Effect in Post-9/11 Country Music
No full textBy drawing on both qualitative and quantitative frameworks, I argue that the increasingly polarizing genre of country is not incidental, but enforced and sustained by feedback loops within the political economy. As consumption becomes increasingly political, understanding the economic forces behind cultural commodities is key to navigating modern American politics