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3365 research outputs found
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The Lucha of Lucha Libre
No full textLucha Libre is a fascinating form of professional wrestling, with great athleticism, that embraces colorful characters and riveting drama. This presentation delves into the heart of Lucha Libre, exploring its definition, jargon, and historical roots. This paper argues that, while extremely popular in Mexico, deeply entrenched racial stereotypes hinder Lucha Libre\u27s broader success in the United States. The exploration spans the origins of Lucha Libre, and American wrestling, the pioneers of Lucha Libre like El Santo, and the evolving portrayals of wrestlers, exposing the persistence of harmful racial stereotypes. To conclude, the presentation calls for a conscious effort to foster diversity and authenticity within wrestling, ensuring it reflects the true spirit of the sport
Thermal Physiology of the Giant Day Gecko, Phelsuma grandis
No full textEctotherms rely on their environment to regulate and maintain their body temperature. That being so, environmental fluctuations have a strong impact on their biology. Lizards are ectotherms that are suitable models to investigate thermal physiology, however, the bulk of this research has been studied using new world Anolis lizards. In this study, the giant day gecko, Phelsuma grandis, native to Madagascar but captive bred in Florida, was selected as a model for comparison. Thermoregulation in P. grandis may be distinct from Anolis, whose ancestors were diurnal. In contrast, this species is diurnal but evolved from nocturnal ancestry. In our physiotype of P. grandis we include measurements of metabolic rate, performance (sprint speed), and thermal preference. This research will provide an additional set of data to evaluate the sensitivity of ectotherms to a changing climate, while also providing insights into the thermal biology of a species that has secondarily evolved diurnality
The Greatest of These is Love-- Or is it Secure Attachment?
No full textIn this study, we expect to find that marriage partners with more secure attachment styles are more likely to have positive views on marriage. We also predict that religiosity can be linked to a likelihood to get married and to positive attitudes toward marriage. These variables will be measured using an online survey containing scales such as the Central Religiosity Scale (Huber & Huber, 2012), and the Aspects of Marriage scale (Park & Rosen, 2013). Participants will access this survey through Qualtrics. The data will be analyzed using a 2X3 MANOVA with the 6 perspectives of marriage as the dependent variables. We expect to find that people who are securely attached and are high in religiosity may score significantly higher on the perspectives of marriage variables compared to other participants. We also expect people scoring higher on religious ideology and secure attachment to score lower on general attitudes toward marriage
Economic Sanction and International Migration
No full textEconomic sanction have become more prevelant in recent decades as a means of coercing states to follow international norms and rules while advancing their own. Sanctions are meant to be less coercive than military focrce but they can have a negative impact on the civilian population of a country. What we are examining with this project is how economic sanctions impact the decision of people to migrate. We theorize that sanctions lead governments to engage in more coercive activities towards their citizens which leads to more citizens migrating. We will specifically focus on U.S. economic sanctions and their roles in driving international migration
Studying the Indoor Air Transmission of Staphylococcus aureus
No full textWhen humans exhale, they release the microbes into the air and many factors support the airborne transmission of microbes. We’re using Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) to model this phenomenon, as it is found in 40% of healthy humans. We’re investigating the relationship between temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels in the detection of S. aureus in air samples and other variables such as room size, occupancy, movement, and masking. We’re using a Trio.Bas air sampler with mannitol salt agar (MSA) plates to select for S. aureus in various rooms with differing occupancy levels at 30-minute and 60-minute intervals, and an additional sample was taken when the room was unoccupied. Samples were incubated for 24-48 hours, and S. aureus colonies were counted. Preliminary data suggests that CO2 levels and occupancy correlated with the amount of Staphylococcus found. We’re conducting further analysis to determine if significant differences exist between our variables
A Computational Systems Biology Approach for the Identification of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Staphylococcus aureus
No full textStaphylococcus aureus is a formidable pathogen that poses a significant threat in both community and hospitals, causing substantial illness and fatalities. Its capacity to colonize various hosts, as well as its ability to develop antibiotic resistance, makes it a persistent concern in healthcare. To gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying antibiotic resistance in S. aureus, we constructed an interaction network involving 378 antimicrobial-resistant genes across diverse strains. To elucidate the molecular intricacies of antimicrobial resistance, we employed hub gene analysis and functional enrichment assessments in Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) gene networks. We find that a majority of the hub genes within the network were associated with antibiotic inactivation, efflux pumps, and resistance to common antibiotics like Tetracycline and Vancomycin. Our findings contribute to the understanding of antimicrobial resistance in S. aureus, potentially informing the development of new drugs to address this evolving public health concern
Ecological Use of AI for Invertebrate Zoology
No full textThis ecological research project integrates AI with wildlife monitoring at a new property along the San Antonio River, managed by the San Antonio River Authority and Texas A&M-SA. Our focus is to document wildlife biodiversity, by placing camera traps and collecting terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates. To accomplish this, we trained and tested the image recognition effectiveness of AI software using images from the internet and previous studies. We will present the methods used to develop the image database and the preliminary results on the AI’s ability to recognize different wildlife taxa. These findings will launch the second stage of our study, which aims to estimate wildlife composition and biodiversity using the trained AI and new images of the wildlife at the property. The AI software developed will be utilized in future projects and educational activities such as Ecology, Molecular Ecology, Wildlife Management, and Invertebrate Zoology labs
Recuperative Rhetorics: A Novel Framework for Rhetorical Analysis
Get PDFThis thesis details the creation of the Recuperative Rhetorics analytical framework, which is a scalable, transdisciplinary framework for analyzing rhetorical texts, from individual speeches to societal understandings of legacy and history. It discusses the framework’s theoretical underpinnings, explains how to utilize it in analyzing rhetoric and rhetorical works, and provides examples of the framework in action across multiple mediums. The framework takes inspiration from the theories and praxes of Situationist International, primarily those of the spectacle, ready-made objects, détournement, and recuperation. The framework uses these ideas, and then builds upon more established analytical frameworks to establish a base from which to observe the various ways texts exist within rhetorical cycles, identify inflection point texts within those cycles, and gain understanding and knowledge about where texts come from, how they affect epistemological and ontological understandings within their audiences, and how texts interact within and without various social and psychological spheres
I didn’t write this for you! Using Translanguaging in Pages and in the Classroom
No full textA folklorist addresses the legacy of Spanish language loss and the devaluing of people’s language practices by asserting the value of bicultural and biliterate ways of knowing and being by presenting and analyzing the poetry of Eddie Vega