Winthrop University Undergraduate Scholarship & Creative Activity 2019

University College and Winthrop University proudly present Undergraduate Scholarship and Creative Activity 2019. This eighth annual University-wide compilation of undergraduate work chronicles the accomplishments of students and faculty mentors from at least 34 academic departments and programs, spanning all five colleges of the university: College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), College of Business Administration (CBA), College of Education (COE), College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) and University College (UC).https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/undergradresearch_abstractbooks/1017/thumbnail.jp

Comparing the efficiency of computational colour constancy algorithms in agent-based simulations: Flower colours and pollinators as a model.

PhDThe perceived colour of an object depends on its spectral reflection and spectral composition of the illuminant. Upon illumination change, the light reflected from the object also varies. This results in a different colour sensation if no colour constancy mechanism is available to form consistent representations of colours across various illuminants. We explore various colour constancy mechanisms in an agent-based model of foraging bees selecting flower colour based on reward. The simulations are based on empirically determined spatial distributions of various flower species in different plant communities, their rewards and spectral reflectance properties. Simulated foraging bees memorise the colours of flowers experienced as being most rewarding, and their task is to discriminate against other flower colours with lower rewards, even in the face of changing illumination conditions. The experimental setup of the simulation of bees foraging under different photic environments reveals the performance of various colour constancy mechanisms as well as the selective pressures on flower colour as a result of changing light. We compared the performance of von Kries photoreceptor adaptation and various computational colour constancy models based on the retinex theory with (hypothetical) bees with perfect colour constancy, and with modelled bees with colour blindness. While each individual model generated moderate improvements over a colour-blind bee, the most powerful recovery of reflectance in the face of changing illumination was generated by computational mechanisms that increase perceptual distances between co-occurring colours in the scene. We verified the results of our model using various comparisons between modelled bees’ performance and that predicted by our models, as well as exploring the implications for flower colour distribution in a variety of representative habitats under realistic illumination conditions.EPSR

How Chanel adapted its storytelling to the digital era within its masstige segment : a case study of the perfume Chanel number 5

The information and communication technologies - which became popular worldwide since the 1990s - have transformed the contemporary world; thus, altering interpersonal, labor and consumption relationships. Thanks to the connectivity and interaction between people, without limits of time and space, the collectivity was empowered. In this globalized world - with an endless supply of possibilities, experiences, information and products - it is crucial to offer users great content to stand out in the crowd. In this context, nothing is more effective than using storytelling to involve and engage consumers. Stories arouse interest and empathy for brands, as well as for the values they transmit; thus, strengthening emotional bonds with customers and consequently increasing the desire of purchasing their products. Luxury brands are aware of the relevance of engaging customers and creating emotional bonds. This research is a case study of the perfume Chanel Number 5, that consists of a one single phase; which is the qualitative content analysis of all advertising films the perfume, released from 1973 to 2020. This study investigated the evolution of the storytelling of Chanel - within its masstige segment - and how it has adapted to the digital age. Another objective was having a broader understanding of the use of storytelling in the advertisement of luxury and masstige brands, specially in the new digital context. The storytelling of Chanel Number 5 evolved over time and accompanied the technological changes that transformed the contemporary society; but, without ever losing its essential attributes, like glamour, luxury, allure and singularity.As tecnologias da informação e comunicação - que se popularizaram mundialmente desde a década de 1990 - transformaram o mundo contemporâneo, e alteraram as relações interpessoais, de trabalho e consumo. Graças à conectividade e interação entre as pessoas, sem limites de tempo e espaço, a coletividade foi potencializada. Neste mundo globalizado - com uma oferta infinita de possibilidades, experiências, informações e produtos - é fundamental oferecer aos usuários um ótimo conteúdo para se destacar na multidão. Nesse contexto, nada é mais eficaz do que contar histórias para envolver e engajar os consumidores. As histórias despertam interesse e empatia pelas marcas, bem como pelos valores que transmitem; fortalecendo assim os laços afetivos com os consumidores e, consequentemente, aumentando o desejo em adquirir seus produtos. As marcas de luxo estão cientes da importância de envolver os clientes e criar laços emocionais. Esta pesquisa é um estudo de caso do perfume Chanel Número 5, que consiste em uma única fase; qual seja uma análise qualitativa de conteúdo de todos os filmes publicitários do perfume, lançados de 1973 a 2020. Este estudo investigou a evolução da narrativa da Chanel - dentro do seu segmento masstige - e como ela se adaptou à era digital. Outro objetivo foi ter uma ampla compreensão do uso da narrativa na propaganda de marcas de luxo e masstige, especialmente no novo contexto digital. A narrativa do perfume Chanel Número 5 evoluiu ao longo do tempo e acompanhou as mudanças tecnológicas que transformaram a sociedade contemporânea; sem perder de vista seus atributos essenciais, como glamour, luxo, fascínio e singularidade

The localisation, intracellular transport, and biosynthetic regulation of betalain plant pigments

This thesis investigates the localisation, transport and biosynthetic control of betalain plant pigments to compare with the extensively researched anthocyanins. Anthocyanins and betalains appear similar, yet no plant naturally contains both pigment types. Due to this mutual exclusivity, betalain pigments are thought to functionally replace anthocyanins in many Caryophyllales. However, minimal research has been conducted to support this replacement hypothesis, resulting in limited knowledge of betalain pigment distribution and biosynthesis. The following series of experiments have added to this body of knowledge. Localisation of betalains was compared with that reported for anthocyanins. Histological analyses of 12 different betalain-producing species revealed similar pigment localisation to that of anthocyanic species. Similarities in pigment localisation suggest that these pigment types may have similar functional roles. The histological analyses also found that betacyanins and betaxanthins had differential localisation in several taxa. Organ- or tissue-specific distribution of betalain compounds suggests differing biological functions for betaxanthins and betacyanins. Hypotheses on betalain transport were tested using transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines capable of producing anthocyanins (PAP1-5), betalains (DOD-6), or both (DOD-6 x PAP1-5). Betaxanthins appeared to use vesicular transport, as betaxanthins were detected in small circular bodies within the cytoplasm. Furthermore, this observation suggests that betaxanthin formation occurred outside of the vacuole. DOD-6 was also crossed with Arabidopsis mutants, tt12 and tt19, which are deficient in proteins required for flavonoid vacuolar transport. Betaxanthin accumulation was reduced in both lines. In addition, DOD-6 was treated with transport inhibitors that affect anthocyanin accumulation. These experiments demonstrated that betaxanthins can utilise known flavonoid transport mechanisms, at least in this artificial pigment system. Regulation of betalain biosynthesis was analysed using Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla cv. ‘Bright Lights’). Betalain production was induced through physical wounding of the lamina in red and white Swiss chard lines. Betalain pigments were produced around the wounding sites in the red line but not in the white line. Transcript level changes of betalain and flavonoid biosynthetic genes in these tissues were measured using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses. Betalain biosynthetic genes were not up-regulated in the red line even though red pigments visibly accumulated. Rather, these genes were already expressed in the red line prior to wounding. Biosynthetic control of betalains may either be earlier in the pathway or at the post-transcriptional level. In contrast, all three flavonoid biosynthetic genes were up-regulated in response to wounding, indicating that expression of flavonoid and betalain biosynthetic genes are not co-regulated in Swiss chard. The final set of experiments examined the function of the two Beta vulgaris DOD genes (DODA and DODA1). Both genes were transiently expressed in nivea Antirrhinum majus dorsal petals and vacuum infiltrated with the betalain precursor L-DOPA. Expression of DODA1 but not DODA appeared to produce betalains. DODA-like genes have been found in anthocyanin-producing species, suggesting that this gene may not be involved in betalain biosynthesis. The overall findings from this research indicate that betalain pigment evolution of may have involved the utilization of anthocyanin transport machinery, but the regulatory control of the two pathways appears different

Somewhere Between Fiction and Fiction: Disentangling Partial-Geometric Narratives in the Cinema of Hong Sang-soo

Predominantly linear narrative arrangements used to direct the spectator's comprehension are but one of many options made available to filmmakers. Opposing this convention, the films of South Korean director Hong Sang-soo are characterized by their complex narratives as much as the romantic triangles that inhabit them. This thesis addresses the “optional path” narratives observable in Hong's films, which deny the audience the ability to reconstruct an objective, verifiable timeline. Whereas established theories of film narratives foreground the limitations placed on storytelling in order to guide comprehension, key works in Hong's cinema will be understood to adopt a “partial-geometric” model that emphasizes the agency of the spectator in creating meaning in the film text. A style-based narratological approach, operating under Formalist assumptions, will be interrogated for the fissures that emerge when it is applied against these texts. The objects of study are understood as realizing multiple diegeses, or story worlds, the boundaries of which are made speculative through the use of space. Although building upon the existing narratological insights of key scholars David Bordwell and Edward Branigan, this thesis will instead distance itself from limiting narrative frameworks in favor of optionality. The spectator is able to attribute or disarticulate the “truth value” of key events, and is encouraged to recognize the unlimited narrative arrangements and their own subjective agency. This thesis will also make initiatives to extend its insights beyond the borders of Hong's filmography, recognizing film festivals as a discursive site for expanding narrative models

Wallflowers: Tapestry, Painting, and the Nabis in fin-de-siècle France

This dissertation examines the dialogue between painting and tapestry that developed in late nineteenth-century France, specifically at the Manufacture nationale des Gobelins, and in the work of the avant-garde artists known as the Nabis. Nineteenth-century tapestry remains an obscure subject in scholarship and its influence on painting is thus not well-known or understood. This study aims to recover the symbiotic relationship that existed between tapestry and painting, and demonstrate the importance of studying the fine and decorative arts in tandem. It furthermore presents an evaluation of tapestry’s place in the history of modern art, as well as a study of the socio-cultural anxieties that accompanied rapid industrialization and technological progress in the late nineteenth century, examined through the luxury craft of tapestry. Part I outlines a history of the Manufacture Nationale des Gobelins, the state tapestry manufactory, from the birth of the Third Republic in 1871, to the 1900 Universal Exposition in Paris. It is divided into three chapters following the tenure of three directors: Alfred Darcel, Édouard Gerspach, and Jules Guiffrey. Part II examines the needlepoint hangings of the Nabi circle in the 1890s. With a chapter each on Aristide Maillol, Paul Ranson, and József Rippl-Rónai, this section compares and contrasts the approaches of these three artists to needlepoint “tapestry,” in order to elucidate the issues of art’s relationship to industry, nationalism, ideals of patronage, and gendered labor. With regard to the last issue, it was the artists’ wives/ companions—Clotilde Narcisse, France Ranson, and Lazarine Boudrion— who executed the majority of their designs. Part III analyzes how Édouard Vuillard drew from tapestry to re-conceptualize modern painting through two monumental decorative commissions: The Album (1895), and the Vaquez panels (1896). These are exemplary of his so-called “tapestry aesthetic.” I go beyond the general scholarly assessment that his paintings resemble tapestry to argue that tapestry provided him a haptic model for painting, and explore how his painting engaged with tapestry in the wider circulation of material culture of the fin-de-siècle. An epilogue follows Vuillard’s tapestry aesthetic into the twentieth century and examines how it was buried and replaced by Henri Matisse’s re-definition of the decorative in modernist painting.Nochlin, Linda, dissertation adviso

2017 GREAT Day Program

SUNY Geneseo’s Eleventh Annual GREAT Day.https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/program-2007/1011/thumbnail.jp

Dressing Modern Frenchwomen

At a glance, high fashion and feminism seem unlikely partners. Between the First and Second World Wars, however, these forces combined femininity and modernity to create the new, modern French woman. In this engaging study, Mary Lynn Stewart reveals the fashion industry as an integral part of women's transition into modernity. Analyzing what female columnists in fashion magazines and popular women novelists wrote about the "new silhouette," Stewart shows how bourgeois women feminized the more severe, masculine images that elite designers promoted to create a hybrid form of modern that both emancipated women and celebrated their femininity. She delves into the intricacies of marketing the new clothes and the new image to middle-class women and examines the nuts and bolts of a changing industry—including textile production, relationships between suppliers and department stores, and privacy and intellectual property issues surrounding ready-to-wear couture designs. Dressing Modern Frenchwomen draws from thousands of magazine covers, advertisements, fashion columns, and features to uncover and untangle the fascinating relationships among the fashion industry, the development of modern marketing techniques, and the evolution of the modern woman as active, mobile, and liberated