Fit Kids Rock: The Campaign against Childhood Obesity in a Valparaiso Elementary School

The Bateman Team’s topic was childhood obesity, a well-known, yet hidden issue. Before beginning the campaign, it was necessary to research the target audiences and the most effective ways to reach them. The Bateman Team chose to address elementary school third graders (about 70 students) and their faculty. Research showed that the best ways to communicate with the 8-9 year olds was through interactive activities and guidance. As a team, we coordinated with the school’s administration to implement the plan for a set time during the school day. The third graders were separated into two sections (35 students each) to attend our event. The elementary students proceeded to seven stations which engaged their knowledge on obesity, making healthy choices, and learning about the importance of exercise. Based on our evaluation of the children’s reactions to the stations, their enthusiasm, and overall engagement, we concluded that they did enjoy the events and left with a better understanding of childhood obesity. The Bateman Team assessed that 90 percent of the students will make healthier choices and implement the knowledge provided to them

PR Social and Digital Professional Challenges: A Relationship between Organizations and Their Publics

Public Relations is extensively integrated into social and digital communication platforms. PR is focused on dialogic communication grounded in the philosophy of caring (Coombs, 2007). The most effective approach to understanding the PR role through social media is to examine how these platforms are used in developing relationships between an organization and its publics. Experienced professionals suggest it is the relationship between an organization\u27s goals and the needs of its publics that allows the most effective communication process. Therefore, students conducted in-depth interviews of members of a student organization to establish the goals of the organization. Then the publics were interviewed to see if the needs of the external audience matched the goals of the organization. From this data, the students developed content for the various social media platforms. The test of this experiment will be when these platforms are established for execution and the impact results in increased membership. This reflected the relationship between Valpo student organizations and increased membership, including potential membership

Transformation of Public Relations Agencies Through Evaluation of Golin Harris’ Evolution to the G4 Model Using Public Relations Theories

The study developed a critical analysis of public relations agency Golin Harris and their new G4 Model. This analysis was conducted by an upper-level undergraduate class PR Leadership: From an Agency Perspective. The eight-member, advanced class, team-researched, compared, and contrasted the new model with their previous approach to agency functions. Using key public relations theories, this PR evolution was examined to assess just what this change means to consumers, clients, and other public relations agencies. The theories used were Speech Act Theory, Social Constructionism, Weikian, Strategic Issues Management, and Diffusion of Innovation Theory. An evaluation of the documents provided by Golin Harris which documented the changes from generalized to specialized functions within their new model were identified for analysis. These functions are clustered into four communities: catalyst (coordinator role), connectors, creative, and strategist. Findings from the research and evaluation concluded that GH has moved to a more process approach to communication (less hierarchy or management emphasis) including a leveling of titles to emphasize openness (includes designing a new building with open space for offices). This seems like a strong step in the right direction for an agency, especially to see how some of the theories are integrated into this more communicative approach

Transformation of Public Relations Agencies Through Evaluation of Golin Harris’ Evolution to the G4 Model Using Public Relations Theories

The study developed a critical analysis of public relations agency Golin Harris and their new G4 Model. This analysis was conducted by an upper-level undergraduate class PR Leadership: From an Agency Perspective. The eight-member, advanced class, team-researched, compared, and contrasted the new model with their previous approach to agency functions. Using key public relations theories, this PR evolution was examined to assess just what this change means to consumers, clients, and other public relations agencies. The theories used were Speech Act Theory, Social Constructionism, Weikian, Strategic Issues Management, and Diffusion of Innovation Theory. An evaluation of the documents provided by Golin Harris which documented the changes from generalized to specialized functions within their new model were identified for analysis. These functions are clustered into four communities: catalyst (coordinator role), connectors, creative, and strategist. Findings from the research and evaluation concluded that GH has moved to a more process approach to communication (less hierarchy or management emphasis) including a leveling of titles to emphasize openness (includes designing a new building with open space for offices). This seems like a strong step in the right direction for an agency, especially to see how some of the theories are integrated into this more communicative approach

Vaporizable endoskeletal droplets via tunable interfacial melting transitions. Science Advances

Liquid emulsion droplet evaporation is of importance for various sensing and imaging applications. The liquid-to-gas phase transformation is typically triggered thermally or acoustically by low-boiling point liquids, or by inclusion of solid structures that pin the vapor/liquid contact line to facilitate heterogeneous nucleation. However, these approaches lack precise tunability in vaporization behavior. Here, we describe a previously unused approach to control vaporization behavior through an endoskeleton that can melt and blend into the liquid core to either enhance or disrupt cohesive intermolecular forces. This effect is demonstrated using perfluoropentane (C F ) droplets encapsulating a fluorocarbon (FC) or hydrocarbon (HC) endoskeleton. FC skeletons inhibit vaporization, whereas HC skeletons trigger vaporization near the rotator melting transition. Our findings highlight the importance of skeletal interfacial mixing for initiating droplet vaporization. Tuning molecular interactions between the endoskeleton and droplet phase is generalizable for achieving emulsion or other secondary phase transitions, in emulsions.</p

Volume 15

Introduction Dr. Amorette Barber, Director, Office of Student Research From the Editor Dr. Hannah Dudley-Shotwell Artist’s Statement Connor Thompson On mentorship Dr. John Miller The Meat of the Matter: Allen, Human and Animal in Terry Blsson’s “They’re Made of Out of Meat” by Emily Steffenhagen “Please REBLOG!”: An Ethical analysis of Doxxing, Internet Vigilantism and Racists Getting Fired by Emily Robertson Journaling: Paper Has More Patience Than People by Luis Fernando Dos Reis The Effects of Climate Change on the Archeological World by Emily Farmer Lowered Seat Height Does Not Impair Wingate Performance in Untrained Cyclists by Samuel Villa, Robert Allison, and Zachary Chessor Intentions, Interpretations, and the Paradoxes of Asimov’s Laws of Robotics by Meagan Borden How Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists Define and Defend Women’s Spaces by Austin Burnett The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson by Larry W. Grant, Jr. “unsex me here”: Lady Macbeth’s Performance of Female Masculinity by Tristan Marowski Monstrosity, Queer Desire, and écriture féminine in Sherldan le Fanu’s Carmilla by Emma Moore The Surfaces of Loathsome Beauty in the Picture of Dorian Gray by Pearl Sif

IFNβ Protects Neurons from Damage in a Murine Model of HIV-1 Associated Brain Injury.

Infection with human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) causes brain injury. Type I interferons (IFNα/β) are critical mediators of any anti-viral immune response and IFNβ has been implicated in the temporary control of lentiviral infection in the brain. Here we show that transgenic mice expressing HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein 120 in their central nervous system (HIVgp120tg) mount a transient IFNβ response and provide evidence that IFNβ confers neuronal protection against HIVgp120 toxicity. In cerebrocortical cell cultures, neuroprotection by IFNβ against gp120 toxicity is dependent on IFNα receptor 1 (IFNAR1) and the β-chemokine CCL4, as IFNAR1 deficiency and neutralizing antibodies against CCL4, respectively, abolish the neuroprotective effects. We find in vivo that IFNβ mRNA is significantly increased in HIVgp120tg brains at 1.5, but not 3 or 6 months of age. However, a four-week intranasal IFNβ treatment of HIVgp120tg mice starting at 3.5 months of age increases expression of CCL4 and concomitantly protects neuronal dendrites and pre-synaptic terminals in cortex and hippocampus from gp120-induced damage. Moreover, in vivo and in vitro data suggests astrocytes are a major source of IFNβ-induced CCL4. Altogether, our results suggest exogenous IFNβ as a neuroprotective factor that has potential to ameliorate in vivo HIVgp120-induced brain injury

Evading innate immunity in nonviral mRNA delivery : don't shoot the messenger

In de field of non-viral gene therapy, in vitro transcribed (IVT) mRNA has emerged as a promising tool for the delivery of genetic information. Over the past few years it has become widely known the introduction of IVT mRNA into mammalian cells elicits an innate immune response which has favored mRNA use towards immunotherapeutic vaccination strategies. However, for non-immunotherapy related applications this intrinsic immune-stimulatory activity directly interferes with the aimed therapeutic outcome, as it can seriously compromise the expression of the desired protein. This review presents an overview of the immune-related obstacles that limit mRNA advance for non-immunotherapy related applications

DNA polymerase switching: effects on spontaneous mutagenesis in Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli possesses five known DNA polymerases (pols). Pol III holoenzyme is the cell's main replicase, while pol I is responsible for the maturation of Okazaki fragments and filling gaps generated during nucleotide excision repair. Pols II, IV and V are significantly upregulated as part of the cell's global SOS response to DNA damage and under these conditions, may alter the fidelity of DNA replication by potentially interfering with the ability of pols I and III to complete their cellular functions. To test this hypothesis, we determined the spectrum of rpoB mutations arising in an isogenic set of mutL strains differentially expressing the chromosomally encoded pols. Interestingly, mutagenic hot spots in rpoB were identified that are susceptible to the actions of pols I–V. For example, in a recA730 lexA(Def) mutL background most transversions were dependent upon pols IV and V. In contrast, transitions were largely dependent upon pol I and to a lesser extent, pol III. Furthermore, the extent of pol I-dependent mutagenesis at one particular site was modulated by pols II and IV. Our observations suggest that there is considerable interplay among all five E. coli polymerases that either reduces or enhances the mutagenic load on the E. coli chromosome