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Impact of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on Daphnia magna Heart Rate
Full text linkMarijuana (Cannabis) is currently federally illegal within the United States and classified as a Schedule I drug. This leaves a large research gap on the impacts of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) use. Daphnia magna are frequently used as a model organism for the human heart and toxicology screenings due to their myogenic heart, similarities in physiological pathways, and sensitivity to toxins. As such, in order to bridge the research gap and uncover potential use of Daphnia magna as a model organism for humans in regard to impact on heart rate, we hypothesized that if Daphnia magna possess CB1 receptors or an equivalent G-protein coupled receptor, then the addition of THC, a CB1 agonist, will result in higher heart rates as compared to Daphnia magna that are not exposed to THC. We found that the addition of 2% Ethanol and THC significantly lowered the heart rate in Daphnia magna when compared to Daphnia exposed to dechlorinated water or 2% Ethanol. Thus, additional research is needed before it can be determined if Daphnia magna are a suitable model organism for the downstream effects of THC on the human cardiovascular system
The Foundations of International Taxation: Knocked from Post to Pillars
Full text linkAfter a century of convergence and consolidation, the international tax regime is at a crossroads. A recent program promoted by the OECD, known as the two pillars program, departs in many ways from long standing norms of the regime. But the OECD and many states insist that the foundations of the regime have not changed, portraying the two pillars as a negotiated, pragmatic compromise that responds mainly to the challenges that the digital economy presented to the old rules. This article rejects this portrayal, arguing that the program is far from being a balanced or a truly negotiated compromise between developed and developing states, and that the program introduces innovations, perhaps long needed innovations in the views of some, but still innovations that are difficult to reconcile, as a matter of principle, with the foundational tenets of the international tax regime
Examining the Gender Disparity in College Enrollment: Implications for Female Representation in Managerial Positions
Full text linkThe current gender disparity in college enrollment, with women constituting nearly 60% of enrollees and men approximately 40%, marks the highest recorded differential in educational participation. While society has made progress in challenging traditional gender roles, the glass ceiling may persist. This study explores the relationship between gender imbalance in college enrollment and prospects for increased female representation in managerial positions. By investigating this phenomenon, the study aims to identify factors contributing to women’s underrepresentation in leadership. Understanding this relationship could provide insights for policymakers, educators, and organizations. Increased female leadership presence may also inspire more women to pursue such positions.
This research examines historical data on women\u27s representation in managerial roles alongside gender gaps in college enrollment. Two historical trend analyses were conducted, showing an upward trajectory in both female college enrollment and managerial representation, suggesting a potential connection. While historical trends indicate a positive relationship between female enrollment and managerial representation, survey results reveal more nuanced individual influences. A survey of female undergraduates explored how family background influences leadership attitudes, with parental education nearing statistical significance as a potential factor. These findings underscore the importance of addressing educational disparities and actively supporting women in leadership development
\u27God Loves the World\u27 Documentary
No full textThe internet is a powerful place. People feel that they can share how they feel with no consequences. Hedviga Tkáčová (2021) argues that negative media portrayals of Christianity contribute to prejudice against Christian university students in Slovakia, which undermines social cohesion and highlights the need for greater support of religious diversity. From memes to viral videos, these digital interactions can feel like a personal attack, exposing how online spaces can betray the trust and faith of the Roman Catholic Church. As a Roman Catholic, I frequently encounter such issues when engaging with content in the media. In public settings, it is evident that individuals hold a wide range of beliefs that are different from my own, which often leaves me feeling isolated. In many contexts, I find myself in the minority as a member of the Roman Catholic Church.
This raises a concern for me: How might the media influence how others see Catholicism? In my documentary, we see that the Catholic interviewees are more knowledgeable about this question since they are a part of the Roman Catholic Church. Although the additional interviewees are not Catholics themselves, including Atheist, LGBTQ+ members, and non-denominational Christians, offered valuable perspectives on how this issue is viewed by those who experience religion differently. While conducting research on this question, I found it challenging to locate academic sources that directly addressed the issue in the United States. However, I was able to identify materials that reflected experiences similar to my own in other countries around the world.
With this in mind, I decided that I would talk about this topic, the Catholic side of media, in a documentary. My vision for the documentary involved interviewing individuals from four category groups: Catholics, Christians from other denominations, atheists, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. I wanted to focus on these four groups specifically because of a diverse range of perspectives on how the betrayal of Catholicism is represented in the media. There were some public moments that were talked about in my documentary like Sinead O’Connor tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II on live television that have shaped public opinion about the Catholic Church in strong and sometimes misleading ways. Social media adds another layer, amplifying criticism, disagreements, and misunderstandings. For many Catholics, these portrayals feel like a betrayal of their faith and identity. These tensions serve as the foundation for my project, which explores how media framing and personal storytelling influence modern perceptions of Catholicism and why open, respectful conversations remain essential.
Glen Bowman and Tyler Sheppard (2021) illustrates that many Christians actively engage in social media to build supportive, faith-related communities. However, the sheer volume of negative representation fundamentally overrides this positive impulse. The constant focus on scandals, controversies, and criticisms, often amplified by platform algorithms, creates a pervasive narrative that distorts public perception. I worry that audiences that are viewing these strong, negative opinions about Catholicism, are misguided before they have interacted with the faith. This continuous negative framing has led to a deep, personal spiritual and intellectual disengagement, creating feelings of isolation and abandonment. Ultimately making me feel like I’m unable to speak about my own beliefs for fear of immediate judgment and misunderstanding.
Collecting data from my research and my interviewees allows the study to incorporate marginalized viewpoints, increasing the findings and offering a more comprehensive understanding of how religious identity, social conflict, and digital discourse intersect. Each participant was interviewed individually and I asked the same set of questions without engaging in debate. They were encouraged to respond fully, sharing their thoughts and experiences without any time constraints. Presenting the interviews in this format felt like the most natural and impactful way to convey participants’ perspectives.
What I was expecting from the interviews was answering the overall question, leading to new discoveries that I haven’t seen before. I also wanted to challenge myself by working in a new filmmaking style, and this experience broadened my skills while allowing me to experiment with a different format. I already have experience producing sketch comedy shorts, history/science based videos, and news coverage with my teams at the University of Akron’s student-run television station, ZTV, where students get the chance to have hands-on experience in television and video production. Venturing into documentary work has helped me stand out in my field. Being comfortable with a variety of formats and techniques strengthens my resume and demonstrates versatility. Additionally, the documentary/interview approach makes the project more engaging and allows the material to be presented to audiences in a clear and compelling way
The Regulations of Social Meaning in the Digital Platform Era
No full textThe regulation of social meaning has traditionally been subjected to rational choice theory (RCT) perspectives in an age when the internet and technology were in nascent stages of development. Today, social meaning is being regulated in much more subtle but powerful ways by digital platforms who are leveraging behavioral economic (BE) insights to control, dictate, and reshape the social meaning of a variety of social roles, conduct, objects, and events. Whilst this form of social government (or private ordering of society’s social fabric) has obvious and desirable benefits to recalibrating society as a collective and assuaging or reversing the stereotyping potentially suffered by a variety of under-represented social groups— a process this Article refers to as replacing psychological defaults—it may also be questioned from several legal perspectives, including ‘digital constitutionalism’, antitrust, and the ‘platform power’ concept. This unprecedented shift towards more sophisticated and technical behavioral regulations of social meaning by digital platforms may thus generate the question of whether the regulation of social meaning should itself be regulated
Almost, Beyond, or Alongside Fandom? An Alternative Frame for QAnon
No full textThis conceptual paper argues that parafandom offers a potentially useful framework to make sense of fannish forms of dis- or misinformation. To support this argument, I first provide an overview of dis- and misinformation and the ways that it has been studied within LIS and fan studies, respectively. From this scholarship, I identify several existing frameworks for studying atypical fan(dom)s, including research on ‘fans’ of QAnon. Finally, I offer a working definition of parafandom, concluding with several possibilities for its application in future FanLIS research
Faculty Senate Chronicle October 2, 2025
No full textMinutes for the regular meeting of The University of Akron Faculty Senate on October 2, 202
Internal business process governance and external regulation: How does AI technology empower financial performance?
No full textWe examine the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) technology on the financial performance of financial firms, focusing on the transmission role of business process governance from the perspective of corporate governance. We examine whether there is heterogeneity in the effects of different institutional environments, conducting an empirical analysis of the sample data of 152 Chinese financial firms from 2011 to 2022. AI technology improves financial enterprises\u27 operational quality through risk management, internal governance, and internal control. Moreover, AI provides technical support to enhance service derivative capability by enhancing the number of businesses across cross-regional operations, resource competition, and customer excavation. We also identify that the enabling effect of digital technology on business process governance is affected by imitation pressure from peer firms. In contrast, the impact of government regulatory pressure is not significant
The -rationality of height-zero characters
No full textWe propose and present evidence for a conjectural global-local phenomenon concerning the p-rationality of p-height-zero characters. Specifically, if X is a height-zero character of a finite group G and D is a defect group of the p-block of G containing X, then the p-rationality of Xcan be captured inside the normalizer NG(D)
Viscid silk in spider orb webs adheres strongly across surfaces with different roughness and surface energies
No full textOrb spiders use glue-coated viscid silk in their webs that maximizes adhesive forces by optimizing spreading across insect surfaces while maintaining strong bulk cohesion. While glue adhesion on smooth hydrophilic glass is well understood, insect cuticles vary in wettability and wax coatings that resist glue spreading, potentially allowing insects to escape webs. Here, we tested the adhesiveness of viscid silk on the superhydrophobic lotus leaf, an extreme case of a hydrophobic surface, to explore whether hydrophobic cuticles can help insects evade webs. We compared adhesion of viscid silk on three substrates: natural lotus leaves (superhydrophobic due to waxes and microtopography), lotus leaves treated with oxygen plasma (hydrophilic but maintaining microtopography), and smooth hydrophilic glass. We found that viscid silk adheres better to the superhydrophobic lotus leaves than to other surfaces, but that adhesion was always higher on the lotus leaves, regardless of surface energy. These findings demonstrat that viscid silk is resilient to a wide range of surface hydrophobicity and leverages microtopography to increase adhesion, both of which are vital for generalist predators like orb-weaving spiders and may inspire the development of tunable adhesives with multifunctional applications in biomedical, industrial, and robotic fields