Manipulating the Hype: contemporary art's response to media cliches

Manipulating the Hype addresses art’s reaction to the barrage of signs produced by the media. The paper researches contemporary art’s response to clichéd media stereotypes and elucidates artists’ multifaceted perspective on overtly obvious yet widely embraced paradigms marketed by the media. Contemporary art’s strategic reconfiguration of media stereotypes is a valuable introspection upon the superficiality and impracticability of advertising and entertainment industry constructs. By reconsidering the mediated image, art has the ability to inspire reevaluation of cultural values. The thesis additionally attempts to ascertain the reinterpretation of media stereotypes as a common thread linking principal art movements and historically significant artworks from around the world since 1960. How does contemporary art respond to the extensive cultural influence of the media? Is a reaction to mass media a thematic commonality linking contemporary artists in the age of globalization? Manipulating the Hype is a dual outcome investigation comprised of written thesis and studio practice. The written thesis combines experience from a lengthy professional practice with historical and theoretical research. The visual thesis consists of twelve photographic works taken at on the Big Island of Hawaii. The images juxtapose artificial icons of power from popular culture with the natural force of the active lava flow. The process of research discloses how the advertising and entertainment industries capitalize upon innate human desires through the manipulative proliferation of archetypal imagery. Furthermore, the thesis establishes the widespread retort to media clichés as a palpable commonality in studio practices worldwide. The findings in the research make evident that although contemporary art does not have sufficient influence to reform the media, it can heighten public awareness of media tactics

A Functional Proteomic Method for Biomarker Discovery

The sequencing of the human genome holds out the hope for personalized medicine, but it is clear that analysis of DNA or RNA content alone is not sufficient to understand most disease processes. Proteomic strategies that allow unbiased identification of proteins and their post-transcriptional and -translation modifications are an essential complement to genomic strategies. However, the enormity of the proteome and limitations in proteomic methods make it difficult to determine the targets that are particularly relevant to human disease. Methods are therefore needed that allow rational identification of targets based on function and relevance to disease. Screening methodologies such as phage display, SELEX, and small-molecule combinatorial chemistry have been widely used to discover specific ligands for cells or tissues of interest, such as tumors. Those ligands can be used in turn as affinity probes to identify their cognate molecular targets when they are not known in advance. Here we report an easy, robust and generally applicable approach in which phage particles bearing cell- or tissue-specific peptides serve directly as the affinity probes for their molecular targets. For proof of principle, the method successfully identified molecular binding partners, three of them novel, for 15 peptides specific for pancreatic cancer

Breed and diurnal effects on leptin and glucose concentrations in tropical cattle

The effects of breed and time of day was evaluated on plasma leptin and glucose concentrations in four breeds of cattle. The breeds were Muturu, White Fulani, Ndama and Muturu x White Fulani cross. Animals had ad-libitum access to feed and water. Each animal was weighed daily and bled by jugular venipuncture using Vacutainer kits for three consecutive days. Plasma leptin was determined using the Millipore Multi-species radioimmunoassay and plasma glucose was determined using the Wako Autokit Glucose technique. Plasma leptin was significantly (P<0.0001) dependent on breed. The Muturu breed had the lowest amount of leptin (3.9 ± 1.8 ng/ml) while the White Fulani breed had the highest level (8.5 ± 3.2 ng/ml). There was a significant correlation between bodyweight andleptin. Leptin level was not affected by time of day. Mean plasma glucose ranged from 42.7 to 54.7 mg/dL and was significantly (P = 0.019)  dependent on cattle breed. Also, time of day had no effect on plasma   glucose concentration. These data indicated that significant breed differences exist in leptin concentrations in tropical cattle. These differences may reflect the disparity in muscularity and adiposity in the breeds.Keywords: adiposity, muscularity, Nigerian taurine bovine, radioimmunoassa

Termitofauna associated to tree species located in the Botanical Garden of the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro

The Botanic Garden of the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ) is located in the municipality of Seropédica-Rio de Janeiro and contribute to the conservation of the flora, especially on endangered Atlantic Forest species. The increase of green areas in the urban centers some botanical species can be used places of foraging and termite feeding. This study aimed to identify tree species in the Botanic Garden of UFRRJ and verify, under field conditions, whether termite species exhibit foraging preference. For this purpose, the area was randomly inspected so that the entire area was represented homogenously. During this course all the trees were inspected to verify the occurrence of termites. The termites were collected and preserved in alcohol 70% for later identification. As results of the investigation, we found the total of 225 surveyed trees, 24% (n = 54) were infested by termites, two native species of the Termitida family were identified: Microcerotermes strunckii (Söerensen, 1884) and Nasutitermes jaraguae (Holmgren, 1910). The most frequent species was M. strunckii (χ2 = 12.5; g.l. = 1; p <0.001), occurring in 63% of the infested trees and the N. jaraguae species running in 37% of the infested trees. In general, termites M. strunckii and N. jaraguae showed no significant preference for foraging between native and exotic tree species. However, the trees of the Botanical Garden are infested by native termites, where the term M. strunckii is predominant

Effects of Lepidium sativum supplementation on growth and gonadotropins secretion in ovariectomized, estrogen-implanted rabbits

Objective: To test the effects of dietary supplementation of Lepidium sativum (LS) seed powder on growth performance and gonadotropins secretion in ovariectomized, estradiol- implanted rabbits. Methods: Ovariectomized, estradiol-implanted Chinchilla rabbits were assigned into four experimental groups: LS seed powder was included into normal rabbit chow at 0% (control), 5% (low), 7% (mid) and 10% (high) w/w. Experimental feed and water were given ad-libitum for 3 weeks. Weekly body weights and daily feed intake of rabbits were recorded. Twenty-one days post-feeding, blood samples were collected at 15-minute interval for 3 h (Period I) after which 2.5 μg gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) was injected intravenously and the sampling continued for another hour (Period II). Plasma was harvested and analyzed for luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) by radioimmunoassay. Results: Feed intake was significantly (P<0.05) increased in LS-supplemented rabbits. However, the increase in feed intake did not result in significant body weight gain. LS seed supplementation significantly (P<0.001) increased mean plasma LH dose-dependently from the low- to the mid-LS level and then decreased LH at the high-LS level. LS supplementation increased (P<0.001) plasma FSH secretion. Injection of GnRH had no effect on plasma LH, however significantly (P<0.05) decreased overall plasma FSH secretion. Conclusions: LS seed supplementation stimulates feed intake and gonadotropins secretion in rabbits. Gonadotropins effect may be mediated through LS seeds phytosterols through the activation of estrogen receptors thereby producing agonistic effects resulting in LH and FSH secretion. The differential responses of gonadotropins to GnRH in LS-supplemented rabbits suggest differential regulation of the synthesis and secretion of these gonadotropins

Bridging science and spirituality: the intersection of religion and public health in the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has had global impacts on social interactions and religious activities, leading to a complex relationship between religion and public health policies. This article reviews impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religious activities and beliefs in relation to the spread of the virus, as well as the potential of religious leaders and faith communities in mitigating the impact of the pandemic through public health measures and community engagement.MethodsA literature review was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar, with search terms including “religion,” “COVID-19,” “pandemic,” “coronavirus,” and “spirituality.” We included English articles published between January 2020 and September 2022, focusing on intersection of religion and COVID-19.ResultsWe identified two main themes emerging, with the selected 32 studies divided in 15 studies focused on the relationship between religious practices, beliefs, and the spread of COVID-19, while 17 studies explored the role of religious leaders and faith communities in coping with and mitigating the impact of COVID-19. Religious activities were found to correlate with virus spread, particularly in early days of the pandemic. The relationship between religiosity and adherence to government guidelines was mixed, with some studies suggesting increased religiosity contributed to misconceptions about the virus and resistance to restrictions. Religious beliefs were also associated with vaccine hesitancy, particularly conservative religious beliefs. On the other hand, religious leaders and communities played a crucial role in adapting to COVID-19 measures, maintaining a sense of belonging, fostering emotional resilience, and upholding compliance with public health measures. The importance of collaboration between religious leaders, institutions, and public health officials in addressing the pandemic was emphasized.ConclusionsThis review highlights the essential role of religious leaders, faith-based organizations, and faith communities in promoting education, preparedness, and response efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Engaging with religious leaders and communities can improve pandemic control and prevention efforts. Collaboration between religious leaders, governments, and healthcare professionals is necessary to combat vaccine hesitancy and ensure successful COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. The insights from this review can guide future research, policy development, and public health interventions to minimize the impact of the pandemic and improve outcomes for individuals and communities affected

Functional disease architectures reveal unique biological role of transposable elements

Transposable elements (TE) comprise roughly half of the human genome. Though initially derided as junk DNA, they have been widely hypothesized to contribute to the evolution of gene regulation. However, the contribution of TE to the genetic architecture of diseases remains unknown. Here, we analyze data from 41 independent diseases and complex traits to draw three conclusions. First, TE are uniquely informative for disease heritability. Despite overall depletion for heritability (54% of SNPs, 39 ± 2% of heritability), TE explain substantially more heritability than expected based on their depletion for known functional annotations. This implies that TE acquire function in ways that differ from known functional annotations. Second, older TE contribute more to disease heritability, consistent with acquiring biological function. Third, Short Interspersed Nuclear Elements (SINE) are far more enriched for blood traits than for other traits. Our results can help elucidate the biological roles that TE play in the genetic architecture of diseases