Curatorial Directing and Actor Agency: Consent-Based Practices for Digital Performance

In lieu of an abstract, here is an excerpt:  recognition that digital performance will remain as a practice far beyond the pandemic, and in response to Rikard and Pace’s call for theatre educators to reconsider what consent looks like in on-camera classrooms, this article engages with the genre of digital performance that W.B. Worthen’s analysis of performances created during the pandemic names as “Zoom Theatre” (2021). Worthen highlights Zoom Theatre as “the defining genre of theatre during the pandemic,” describing this genre as that in which “actors in different places all perform live, but remotely, typically from their homes, gathered on a screen” (183). Due to this merging of liveness and digitally captured performance, intimacy practitioners engaging with this form of performance need to consider ways in which intimacy choreography and intimacy coordination must merge. This article focuses on the ways in which the framing of Zoom Theatre can complicate Laura Mulvey’s concept of the Male Gaze (1975), introducing the concepts of agentic framing and curatorial directing as tools for creating consent-based performance within the unique contexts of Zoom Theatre

The One Voice Project

This process drama is intended to guide inner-city students of diverse ethnic backgrounds in the discovery of theatre as a viable form of expression in their lives. Through the course of a 6-week unit, these students will be introduced to different types of performances, from pantomime to monologues, making theatrical performance a less foreign experience. Once they have gained a familiarity with theatre and with different types of performance, the students will be invited to write theatrical performances of their own

Focus on Impact, Not Intention: Moving from 'Safe' Spaces to Spaces of Acceptable Risk

‘Safe space’ isn’t an actionable tool; it is an aspiration. It is through the execution of actions that aspirations are achieved. Simply stating that a creative process or environment is a ‘safe space’ because one hopes or aspires for it to be so, does not actually make safety the reality for all participants in the room. It is impossible to create truly ‘safe’ spaces, but that doesn’t mean that artists and arts educators facilitating creative processes should decrease our efforts. Instead, we should shift our focus to creating spaces of acceptable risk

Unscripted Intimacies: Negotiating Consent in Gamified Performance

Since the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements permeated the U.S. zeitgeist, theatrical unions such as the Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) have begun advocating for the use of intimacy choreographers to ensure that performers are empowered to overcome the power imbalances created by actor-director relationships. An intimacy choreographer creates specific, recordable, and repeatable choreography by using techniques specifically developed to neutralize power imbalances and facilitate clear boundary setting to protect performers both physically and emotionally. Immersive performance, however, is characterized by interactivity, and interactions between audience members and actors are often unscripted and unchoreographed. Many of these encounters are designed to invite spontaneity in physical and emotional contact, which can create impactful performances within ethically questionable circumstances. This is illustrated by blockbuster immersive experiences such as The Lust Experience, in which audience members were pressured to engage in sexual activity during performances, or McKamey Manor, a horror-themed experience built to push audience members beyond their breaking points. Most immersive performances do not aim to harm audiences. But, in the intimate spontaneity of unscripted encounters that often unfold in private between small groups or two individuals, how can consent be established within the theatrical world of an immersive production? When the call for consent in traditional staging practices has been so ardent, this dissertation calls to attention the specific ethical concerns that come into play when actors and audience interact with one another in close physical proximity, and analyzes practices for those participating in, and creating, this increasingly popular form. Due to COVID and the cancellation of many immersive experiences nationwide, this dissertation has been reframed to also consider the role of consent and concerns that arise within immersive performances that unfold in digital spaces and virtual reality. To do so, I must first ask: what are the verbal, somatic, and virtual mechanisms by which immersive creators attempt to imbue audience-performer interactions with consent, and what impact do these practices have upon participants

AKIN10 Activity as a Cellular Link Between Metabolism and Circadian-Clock Entrainment in Arabidopsis thaliana

AKIN10, the catalytic subunit of the Snf1 (sucrose non-fermenting 1)-related kinase 1 (SnRK1) complex, acts as an energy sensor in plants. We showed that AKIN10-induced expression affects the pace of the circadian clock and particularly the phase of expression of GIGANTEA (GI). The AKIN10 effect on period length required TIME FOR COFFEE (TIC), a circadian-clock component with developmental and metabolic roles. Here we expand on the possible interactions between AKIN10, whose activity is involved in transcriptional reprogramming, and clock elements GI and TIC. We hypothesize how they could participate in clock entrainment through a metabolic signal derived from carbon pools and starch metabolism. Additionally, we consider further the role of cellular energy status to the clock through the formation of a hypothetical protein complex. We also demonstrate the role of AKIN10, but not its sequence-related kinase AKIN11, on clock periodicity. Altogether we present a model of action of these elements in metabolic-related clock entrainment

Vida humana y ecología en el pensamiento de Benedicto XVI

Benedicto XVI ha demostrado poseer una conciencia bioética y ecológica. Ha expresado su preocupación por la protección de la dignidad de la vida humana y por el respeto hacia la naturaleza y el medio ambiente. La armonía entre la vida humana y ecología, es algo muy importante para el desarrollo de la persona y de la sociedad, ya que la persona necesita de un ambiente saludable para que crezca y se desarrolle, pero es la misma persona la que tiene que mantener el ambiente saludable. Benedicto XVI está convencido de los sustanciosos frutos que pueden brotar de un continuado diálogo entre fe y razón. Ve ahí un camino próspero y prometedor para lograr una renovación ética en el campo de la bioética y de las ciencias biomédicas que tendría como consecuencia la consolidación del compromiso por respetar y defender la vida humana desde su inicio hasta su fin y para que esta vida se desarrolle de una manera saludable al que cuidar el medio ambiente. El respeto incondicional de la vida humana es el mejor de los caminos para proteger al resto de seres vivos y su entorno. Pero, de nuevo, esta estrategia solo es viable si se acepta y se reconoce en primer lugar la racionalidad de la naturaleza humana y su fin moral.Tesi

Living Situation and Physical Activity in the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Private University Students

Physical activity levels among college students in private institutions were significantly altered by the COVID-19 pandemic. With COVID-19’s impact on universities, many students experienced transition, including a change in living situation. Behaviors in college help establish life-long habits that can determine health outcomes, so it’s important to investigate any declines in physical activity observed during the pandemic. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess differences in physical activity based on living situation among 18- to 25-year-old private university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Adults (n=109) between 18- and 25-years-old in the greater Houston area completed an online survey, which included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire – Short Form. Independent samples T-tests examined MET-minute differences based on living situation. RESULTS: Students living with versus without a parent/guardian attained similar activity levels (t(107) = -.114, p = .910) before the pandemic, but students living with a parent/guardian engaged in significantly less activity (t(107) = 2.04, p = .044) during the pandemic. CONCLUSION: The pandemic presented a strong obstacle to physical activity participation among private university students. Students living with a parent/guardian during this time saw an even more significant decrease in physical activity. Based on these findings, targeted interventions should be made to increase the physical activity of college students during COVID-19, especially for those living at home with a parent or guardian

Living Situation and Physical Activity in the COVID-19 Pandemic Among American Private University Students

International Journal of Exercise Science 15(4): 1064-1074, 2022. Many university students experienced changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, including potential changes in physical activity (PA) levels and living situation. As PA behaviors in young adulthood help establish life-long habits and future health outcomes, the purpose of this study was to investigate overall change in PA, as well as change in PA due to living situation, among private university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Private university students (n = 109) between 18 and 25 years of age completed an online survey that included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire – Short Form. T-tests examined changes in overall time spent in PA from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the differences in MET-minute distributions between groups. Students performed significantly less activity during the COVID-19 pandemic than before (t(108) = 3.51, p = .001, d = 0.493), with 70.6% of all students meeting exercise recommendations before the pandemic and 51.4% after. Students living with vs. without a parent/guardian attained similar PA levels (t(107) = -.114, p = .910) before the pandemic (73.1% vs. 69.9%, respectively), but students living with a parent/guardian engaged in significantly less PA (t(107) = 2.04, p = .044, d = 0.475) than those living without a parent/guardian during the pandemic (37.5% vs. 57.1%, respectively). The declines in PA suggest the need for targeted interventions and education among private university students. In order to maximize the health benefits of PA, it is crucial that activity engagement return to at least pre-COVID-19 levels

Urinary protein detection by iTRAQ® associated with renal transplant complications and its modification with therapy

AbstractBackgroundAfter renal transplant, surgical, infection complications, as well as graft rejection may occur; early detection through non-invasive markers is the key to change therapy and avoid biopsy.ObjectiveThe aim of the study is to determine urine protein profiles in patients undergoing renal transplant with complications and detect its variation when therapy is modified.Material and methodsUrine samples were collected from patients prior the transplant and various postoperative stages. Urinary protein profiles were obtained by peptide labelling using isobaric isotopes for relative quantification (iTRAQ®).ResultsA total of 22 patients were included, of whom 12 developed post-transplant complication: 2 with graft rejection (1 male and 1 female) and 10 (6 males and 4 females) in the group of post-transplant infections. Using iTRAQ® 15/345 and 28/113 proteins were identified and fulfilled the acceptance criteria, in graft rejection and post-transplant infections group, respectively.ConclusionsAlbumin was the only protein found in both groups, the remaining proteins were different. The five proteins with higher scores in graft rejection were: alpha-1-microglobulin, 5′-nucleotidase cytosolic III, retinol-binding protein 4, membrane protein palmitoylated 4, and serine carboxypeptidase, while post-transplant infections were: mitochondrial acetyl-coenzyme A synthetase, putative adenosyl homocysteinase 2, zinc finger protein GLIS1, putative protein FAM157B, and zinc finger protein 615. It remains to elucidate the involvement of each of these in patients with renal transplantation

Investigation of EBT3 radiochromic film’s response to humidity

Purpose: The aim of this work is to investigate the effects of immersing EBT3 radiochromic film in water and to evaluate its contribution to the total uncertainty in dose determination. Materials and methods: We used 3 cm 9 3 cm EBT3 radiochromic films irradiated in the range of 0–70 Gy to study the impact of water immersion on the change in net optical density. These films were placed in a water container for a period of 24 h. The net optical density was measured before (0 h) and after of the immersion in water (1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 h). The absorbance spectrum of the EBT3 radiochromic film was measured at 0 h and 24 h after immersion in water. The uncertainty in dose determination due to the effects of keeping the EBT3 radiochromic film submerged in water at 0, 1, and 24 h were recorded in the red, green, and blue channels. Results: We observed an increase in the net optical density as an effect on the film due to its immersion in water. The penetration of the water at the edges of the radiochromic film was observed to be a function of time during which the film remained in the water. On the other hand, the penetration of water at the edges of the film was found to be independent of irradiation dose. Conclusions: EBT3 radiochromic film is found more resistant to water penetration through the edges than its predecessors. However, there is evidence that suggest that liquid water damage the Nylon cover layer of the film by changing its optical properties. Therefore, it is recommended to build a new calibration curve for radiochromic films for a specific situation involving dose measurements in liquid water.UAEMex INN