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Dylan in Cincinnati: September 2024
No full textResearch article on Bob Dylan\u27s 2024 performance in Cincinnati, placing it within the context of his career and the civic life of the city
The Civic Pedagogy of the Real Housewives Fandom
No full textThe Real Housewives franchise has been a remarkably successful television series for nearly twenty years. Produced by Bravo, the show regularly garners more than 3 million viewers. While reality TV like The Real Housewives is often derided as low brow or unimportant, the fans have used the show to engage in complex discussions about politics, civics, and society. In this project, we worked on coding episodes of two fan podcasts, Andy’s Girls and Bitch Sesh, looking for common themes regarding civic capacities, ethical listening and political ideology. For this presentation, I’m going to focus on a particular Real Housewives scandal that was discussed in the podcasts. Codes like “representation”, “sexuality,” “scandal” and “conflict” revealed a complex discussion and critique of Bravo’s treatment of two different cast members’ whose LGBTQ+ identities were revealed by one of the parties within the scandal. The fans’ discussion of the scandal between Denise Richards and Brandi Glanville reveals much about the relationship between publicity, celebrity, mental health, and marginalized communities like that of the LGBTQ+
Physiological and Psychological Responses of Virtual Reality Boxing Gameplay and Shadowboxing in Adults
No full textBackground: Boxing movement-based exergames consistently produce the highest activity intensity. However, no studies have compared the activity intensity of boxing-based virtual reality (VR) exergames to conventional shadowboxing. The primary aim of the study was to compare the oxygen consumption (VO2), heart rate (HR) and enjoyment of boxing-based VR exergames: Thrill of the Fight (TOF), Supernatural and Fit-XR to conventional shadowboxing.
Methods: Fourteen (8 male) adults ages 19-53, completed 10-min of rest and then 12 min of TOF, Supernatural, FitXR, and shadowboxing led by a vidoe instructor. Exercise intensity was measured via VO2 and HR, and after each workout, surveys assessed enjoyment. Repeated measures ANOVA compared VO2, HR and enjoyment between conditions.
Results: Participants average age was 30.4±12.4 years. For VO2, TOF (31.4±5.9 mL/kg/min) had significantly higher (p\u3c0.001) values compared to Supernatural (26.5±4.6 mL/kg/min), FitXR (26.4±6.0 mL/kg/min), and shadowboxing (26.0±5.1 mL/kg/min). For HR, TOF (160.0±20.1 bpm) had significantly higher (p\u3c0.001) values compared to Supernatural (147.5±19.8 bpm), and shadowboxing (141.0±21.5 bpm), but not FitXR (146.9±19.7 bpm). For enjoyment, Supernatural (1.6±0.9) and FitXR (1.6±0.8) were significantly more enjoyable (p\u3c0.01) than Shadowboxing (3.4±1.7), but not different than TOF (2.5±2.0). Men (1.3±0.5) enjoyed TOF significantly more than women (4.2±2.0, p\u3c0.01)), but there were no differences in enjoyment for any other condition.
Conclusion: The exercise intensity of the VR exergames matched shadowboxing, and therefore, may be used as a physical activity outlet to meet health recommendations for adults interested in video games. Gender may impact enjoyment of some boxing-based VR exergames
The effects of cocaine on sialyltranaferase levels in rat skeletal muscle
No full textCocaine is a highly addictive drug that is rapidly becoming more popular and has been shown to cause skeletal muscle damage with no treatment. There is currently no research about the effects cocaine has on sialic acid, a sugar that is found on the terminal end of sugar chains and is attached to skeletal muscle cells. Sialic acid has been linked to muscle degeneration because of its crucial role in stability, regeneration, and cell-to-cell recognition in skeletal muscles. This study aimed to investigate the effects cocaine has on sialylation by investigating the enzyme sialyltransferase, which is responsible for adding sialic acid to skeletal muscle. We compared rats that self-administered cocaine to rats that self-administered saline. The rats\u27 soleus and gastrocnemius were then used to perform a Western Blot to study the protein sialyltransferase levels. The primary antibody, ST6GALNAC4, was used to bind to the sialyltransferase enzyme, and the Goat Anti-Rabbit, a secondary antibody, was used to fluorescently tag the primary. The membrane with the antibodies was then imaged and quantified using ImageJ. Although the fluorescent intensity was slightly higher in the rats who had been administered cocaine, there was no significant difference between the sialyltransferase concentration in cocaine and saline rats. This study shows that more research needs to be done involving the effects of cocaine and its negative impacts on skeletal muscle
How Brand Engagement Self-Concept (BESC) and Openness Affect Brand Attitude
No full textResearch on consumer–brand relationships has long emphasized the role of brands as identifiers that help individuals navigate the marketplace. Increasingly, scholars recognize that consumers often choose brands that align with their self-concept—not merely for external validation, but as a confirmation of identity integration. Brand Engagement in Self-Concept (BESC) captures the extent to which individuals incorporate brands into their self-view. While previous studies have examined how brands contribute to identity formation, less attention has been paid to how varying levels of BESC shape consumer responses to brand phenomena such as new brands and rebrands. Understanding BESC in the context of contemporary brand strategies is essential, as firms must differentiate themselves with limited resources and increasingly identity-driven consumers. Our findings reveal that consumers with low versus high BESC exhibit affective responses to new brand strategies, a pattern that can be explained by differences in dispositional openness
Investigating Foraging Behavior via the Insulin/IGF-1 Pathway in C. elegans
No full textForaging within animals can elicit a high risk, high reward response as conservative foraging strategies can result in limited food acquisition while foraging can increase the possibility of encountering hazards. In humans, foraging is understood within the context of dietary behavior. C. elegans can be used to model foraging behavior, as they are genetically tractable, and share orthologs with humans for relevant pathways. In our study, foraging assays were conducted on animals of different genotypes. We used two strains; daf-2 mutant that lacks the insulin-like peptides that stimulate the sensation of “fullness”, and a FOXO transcription factor mutant which affects the proception of “hunger”. C. elegans were starved or left to feed for one hour. Worms of each strain were then placed in the center of a fructose ring and allowed to forage towards two diacyl dots for fifteen minutes. Worms inside the circle were counted. Wildtypes experienced low exiting during their fed state compared to their unfed state. CB1370 experienced high exiting overall regardless of the metabolic state. DR 27 showed reversed effects, with low exiting regardless of metabolic state. High exiting indicates the strain’s lack of proception of “fullness” is constantly induced which would cause high exiting of the fructose ring to scavenge for nutrients. The decrease overall in exiting could be caused by the lack of perception of hunger in which the worms would not leave the ring to seek food. This work will improve our understanding of the genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying complex feeding behaviors
The Effects of Cocaine on Sialyltransferase Expression in Rat Skeletal Muscle
No full textCocaine is a highly addictive drug that is rapidly becoming more popular and has been shown to cause skeletal muscle damage with no treatment. There is currently no research about the effects cocaine has on sialic acid, a sugar that is found on the terminal end of sugar chains and is attached to skeletal muscle cells. Sialic acid plays a crucial role in stability, regeneration, and cell-to-cell recognition in skeletal muscles and has been linked to muscle atrophy when cells lack it. This study aimed to investigate the effects cocaine has on sialylation by investigating the enzyme sialyltransferase, which is responsible for adding sialic acid to skeletal muscle. We compared rats that self-administered cocaine to rats that self-administered saline. The rats\u27 soleus and gastrocnemius were then used to perform a Western Blot to study the protein sialyltransferase levels. The primary antibody, ST6GALNAC4, was used to bind to the sialyltransferase enzyme, and the Goat Anti-Rabbit, a secondary antibody, was used to fluorescently tag the primary. The membrane with the antibodies was then imaged and quantified using ImageJ. Although the fluorescent intensity was slightly higher in the rats who had been administered cocaine, there was no significant difference between the sialyltransferase concentration in cocaine and saline rats. This study shows that more research needs to be done involving the effects of cocaine and its negative impacts on skeletal muscle
Green Roof Data Analysis
No full textA green roof is a large plot of plants on top of a building or house. Its purpose is to ease indoor temperatures so that heating and cooling systems do not have to be operated as intensely. This allows for a more sustainable solution to maintaining comfortable temperatures indoors. In my research, I analyzed small scale green roof plant data in order to identify which plants and management systems were the most ideal during the different seasons. This included unplanted plots, plots with grasses only, and plots with grasses and forbs. The planted plots were either cut back in the fall, cut back in the spring, or were unmanaged year round. I compared how the soil temperatures differed when using different management methods for each type of plant. Additionally, I analyzed other factors such as soil moisture and leaf area index. In the month of June, I used an infrared camera to photograph the plant plots and visually identify which plant and management type kept its plot the coolest. Currently, I am still in the process of analyzing the data. So far, it is evident that plots of unmanaged grasses maintain a cooler temperature, making them the ideal plant and management style for hotter months.
Lessening the usage of heating and cooling systems is an important part of sustainability. By running heating and cooling systems less intensely, we can lower carbon emissions, which are problematic for the environment. Green roofs allow us to live more sustainably while still living comfortably. Key Words: Green roofs, environment, sustainability, heating and cooling, leaf area index, soil moisture, temperatur
Gender Performance in The Philosophy of Modern Song
No full textResearch article studying Dylan\u27s development of unconventional performances of gender, focusing on influences from Marlon Brando, James Dean, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and Cher