"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised...But It Will Be Streamed": Spotify, Playlist Curation, and Social Justice Movements

Since its launch in 2008, the Swedish-based audio streaming service Spotify has transformed how consumers experience music. During the same time, Spotify collaborated with social justice activists as a means of philanthropy and brand management. Focusing on two playlists intended to promote the Black Lives Matter movement (2013–) and support protests against the U.S. “Muslim Ban” (2017–2020), this thesis explores how Spotify’s curators and artists navigate the tensions between activism and capitalism as they advocate for social justice. Drawing upon Ramón Grosfoguel’s concept of subversive complicity (2003), I show how artists and curators help promote Spotify’s progressive image and bottom line while utilizing the company’s massive platform to draw attention to the people and causes they care most about by amplifying their messages.Master of Art

Adding a reward increases the reinforcing value of fruit

Adolescents' snack choices could be altered by increasing the reinforcing value (RV) of healthy snacks compared with unhealthy snacks. This study assessed whether the RV of fruit increased by linking it to a reward and if this increased RV was comparable with the RV of unhealthy snacks alone. Moderation effects of sex, hunger, BMI z-scores and sensitivity to reward were also explored. The RV of snacks was assessed in a sample of 165 adolescents (15.1 (SD 1.5) years, 39.4% boys and 17.4% overweight) using a computerised food reinforcement task. Adolescents obtained points for snacks through mouse clicks (responses) following progressive ratio schedules of increasing response requirements. Participants were (computer) randomised to three experimental groups (1: 1: 1): fruit (n 53), fruit + reward (n 60) or unhealthy snacks (n 69). The RV was evaluated as total number of responses and breakpoint (schedule of terminating food reinforcement task). Multilevel regression analyses (total number of responses) and Cox's proportional hazard regression models (breakpoint) were used. The total number of responses made were not different between fruit + reward and fruit (b -473; 95% CI -1152, 205, P=0.17) or unhealthy snacks (b 410; 95% CI -222, 1043, P = 0.20). The breakpoint was slightly higher for fruit than fruit + reward (HR 1.34; 95% CI 1.00, 1.79, P=0.050), whereas no difference between unhealthy snacks and fruit + reward (HR 0.86; 95% CI 0.62, 1.18, P=0.34) was observed. No indication of moderation was found. Offering rewards slightly increases the RV of fruit and may be a promising strategy to increase healthy food choices. Future studies should however, explore if other rewards, could reach larger effect sizes

Preliminary Characterization of Voltage-Activated Whole-Cell Currents in Developing Human Vestibular Hair Cells and Calyx Afferent Terminals

We present preliminary functional data from human vestibular hair cells and primary afferent calyx terminals during fetal development. Whole-cell recordings were obtained from hair cells or calyx terminals in semi-intact cristae prepared from human fetuses aged between 11 and 18 weeks gestation (WG). During early fetal development (11–14 WG), hair cells expressed whole-cell conductances that were qualitatively similar but quantitatively smaller than those observed previously in mature rodent type II hair cells. As development progressed (15–18 WG), peak outward conductances increased in putative type II hair cells but did not reach amplitudes observed in adult human hair cells. Type I hair cells express a specific low-voltage activating conductance, G(K,L). A similar current was first observed at 15 WG but remained relatively small, even at 18 WG. The presence of a “collapsing” tail current indicates a maturing type I hair cell phenotype and suggests the presence of a surrounding calyx afferent terminal. We were also able to record from calyx afferent terminals in 15–18 WG cristae. In voltage clamp, these terminals exhibited fast inactivating inward as well as slower outward conductances, and in current clamp, discharged a single action potential during depolarizing steps. Together, these data suggest the major functional characteristics of type I and type II hair cells and calyx terminals are present by 18 WG. Our study also describes a new preparation for the functional investigation of key events that occur during maturation of human vestibular organs

Fibre intake among the Belgian population by sex-age and sex-education groups and its association with BMI and waist circumference

The objectives of the present study were to assess total dietary fibre intake and the main contributors to fibre intake in the Belgian population by sex-age and sex-education groups and to investigate its relationship with BMI and waist circumference (WC). The participants of the Belgian food consumption survey (2004) were randomly selected. Information about food intake was collected using two repeated, non-consecutive 24 h recall interviews. A total of 3083 individuals (>= 15 years; 1546 men and 1537 women) completed both interviews. The main contributors to total fibre intake (17.8 g/d) were cereals and cereal products (34%; 5.9 g/d), potatoes and other tubers (18.6%; 3.3 g/d), fruits (14.7%; 2.8 g/d) and vegetables (14.4%; 2.6 g/d). Legume fibre intake was extremely low (0.672%; 0.139 g/d). In all sex-age and sex-education groups, total fibre intake was below the recommendations of the Belgian Superior Health Council. Men (21 g/d) consumed significantly more fibre than women (17.3 g/d) (P < 0.001). Lower educated men and higher educated women reported the highest fibre intake. A significant inverse association was found between total fibre intake and WC (beta = -0.118, P < 0.001). Fruit-derived fibre was positively associated with WC (beta = 0.731, P=0.001). In summary, total fibre intake was inversely associated with WC, whereas fruit-derived fibre intake was positively associated with WC in the Belgian population

Expression of Drug Targets in Patients Treated with Sorafenib, Carboplatin and Paclitaxel

Introduction: Sorafenib, a multitarget kinase inhibitor, targets members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and VEGFR kinases. Here we assessed the association between expression of sorafenib targets and biomarkers of taxane sensitivity and response to therapy in pre-treatment tumors from patients enrolled in ECOG 2603, a phase III comparing sorafenib, carboplatin and paclitaxel (SCP) to carboplatin, paclitaxel and placebo (CP). Methods: Using a method of automated quantitative analysis (AQUA) of in situ protein expression, we quantified expression of VEGF-R2, VEGF-R1, VEGF-R3, FGF-R1, PDGF-Rβ, c-Kit, B-Raf, C-Raf, MEK1, ERK1/2, STMN1, MAP2, EB1 and Bcl-2 in pretreatment specimens from 263 patients. Results: An association was found between high FGF-R1 and VEGF-R1 and increased progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in our combined cohort (SCP and CP arms). Expression of FGF-R1 and VEGF-R1 was higher in patients who responded to therapy ((CR+PR) vs. (SD+PD+ un-evaluable)). Conclusions: In light of the absence of treatment effect associated with sorafenib, the association found between FGF-R1 and VEGF-R1 expression and OS, PFS and response might reflect a predictive biomarker signature for carboplatin/paclitaxel-based therapy. Seeing that carboplatin and pacitaxel are now widely used for this disease, corroboration in another cohort might enable us to improve the therapeutic ratio of this regimen. © 2013 Jilaveanu et al

Plant and animal protein intake and its association with overweight and obesity among the Belgian population

The objective of the present study was to assess animal and plant protein intakes in the Belgian population and to examine their relationship with overweight and obesity (OB). The subjects participated in the Belgian National Food Consumption Survey conducted in 2004. Food consumption was assessed by using two non-consecutive 24 h dietary recalls. About 3083 participants (>= 15 years of age; 1546 males, 1537 females) provided completed dietary information. Animal protein intake (47 g/d) contributed more to total protein intakes of 72 g/d than plant protein intake, which accounted for 25 g/d. Meat and meat products were the main contributors to total animal protein intakes (53%), whereas cereals and cereal products contributed most to plant protein intake (54%). Males had higher animal and plant protein intakes than females (P < 0.001). Legume and soya protein intakes were low in the whole population (0.101 and 0.174 g/d, respectively). In males, animal protein intake was positively associated with BMI (beta = 0.013; P = 0.001) and waist circumference (WC; beta = 0.041; P = 0.002). Both in males and females, plant protein intake was inversely associated with BMI (males: beta = -0.036; P < 0.001; females: beta = -0.046; P = 0.001) and WC (male: beta = -0.137; P < 0.001; female: beta = -0.096; P = 0.024). In conclusion, plant protein intakes were lower than animal protein intakes among a representative sample of the Belgian population and decreased with age. Associations with anthropometric data indicated that plant proteins could offer a protective effect in the prevention of overweight and OB in the Belgian population

Navigating to new frontiers in behavioral neuroscience: traditional neuropsychological tests predict human performance on a rodent-inspired radial-arm maze

We constructed an 11-arm, walk-through, human radial-arm maze (HRAM) as a translational instrument to compare existing methodology in the areas of rodent and human learning and memory research. The HRAM, utilized here, serves as an intermediary test between the classic rat radial-arm maze (RAM) and standard human neuropsychological and cognitive tests. We show that the HRAM is a useful instrument to examine working memory ability, explore the relationships between rodent and human memory and cognition models, and evaluate factors that contribute to human navigational ability. One-hundred-and-fifty-seven participants were tested on the HRAM, and scores were compared to performance on a standard cognitive battery focused on episodic memory, working memory capacity, and visuospatial ability. We found that errors on the HRAM increased as working memory demand became elevated, similar to the pattern typically seen in rodents, and that for this task, performance appears similar to Miller's classic description of a processing-inclusive human working memory capacity of 7 ± 2 items. Regression analysis revealed that measures of working memory capacity and visuospatial ability accounted for a large proportion of variance in HRAM scores, while measures of episodic memory and general intelligence did not serve as significant predictors of HRAM performance. We present the HRAM as a novel instrument for measuring navigational behavior in humans, as is traditionally done in basic science studies evaluating rodent learning and memory, thus providing a useful tool to help connect and translate between human and rodent models of cognitive functioning