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- Creators: Barrett, The Honors College
Description
Runaway is the 34 minute short film released alongside Kanye West’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” album in 2010. The overall purpose of my project is to conduct a descriptive analysis of this film to analyze its visual messages and how they are influenced by the album’s lyrics as well. To dissect Runaway, I researched multiple perspectives of the film to further inform and provide a holistic view of the decoded messages in addition to my own analysis. Through use of the Stuart-Hall encoding and decoding model, I found multiple meanings for respective sections of Runaway and ultimately constructed a narrative path mirroring that of the album.
ContributorsBezawada, Ajay K (Author) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Thesis director) / Chris, Lambert (Committee member) / Travis, Bean (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
“Loose Lace Baby” is a multimedia creative project that includes the creation of a song, a music video, and cover art. The project began with the songwriting process, which became the inspiration for the video concept. The final cover art is based on the themes and aesthetics of the song and video combined. This project’s purpose was to explore the creative process across multiple media forms and how those forms can work to inspire and enhance one another. The first stage of the project was the songwriting and recording stage. The song is a simple love song about feeling insecure in a relationship and is centered on the metaphor of “tripping over loose shoelaces”. The process in this stage included creative idea exchange, songwriting, music production, and research in different methods of song creation. This portion of the project was then used to inspire the second stage, which was the music video. The music video is about a young boy’s first major crush and follows him on his journey to tell her how he feels, which ultimately ends poorly for him, but goes to show that love can be a divisive but also binding force. The caveat to this boy’s crush is that it ends up being his babysitter, who is much older than him and therefore does not reciprocate his feeling despite having a meaningful connection of a different nature with him. This portion of the project involved many elements, namely using sound as a source of inspiration for moving visual art, production and design, learning about camera work, directing, scripting, screenplay, acting, editing, and most of all, collaboration. Finally, Once these stages of the project came together, the final stage was to draw on the core ideas of the two to create a piece of cover art that represented the messages from both the song and the music video, cohesively binding the multiple media forms into one final product. This stage involved photography, image editing, and pulling from the two other media forms to create a cohesive representative image The final product is a music video and song that are approximately four minutes long each, and a single cover art image. The main software used for music production was Ableton Live. The camera used was a Sony A6300 and the main video editing software used was Adobe Premiere. Many learning outcomes were reached, including multiple filming and editing techniques, video production and the work that goes into organizing and directing a film project, music production methods such as vocal recording and processing, live instrument recording, song arrangement and the use of a Digital Audio Workstation for production and mixing. An in-depth analysis of the entire process is given in detail in the following pages.
"Loose Lace Baby" music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5uPf7Psht8&feature=youtu.be
"Loose Lace Baby" music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5uPf7Psht8&feature=youtu.be
ContributorsMazaheri, Thaddeus Mohammed (Author) / Kaplan, Robert (Thesis director) / Ganssle, Gene (Committee member) / Caves, Larry (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The retinoid-X receptor (RXR) can form heterodimers with both the retinoic-acid
receptor (RAR) and vitamin D receptor (VDR). The RXR/RAR dimer is activated by ligand all
trans retinoic acid (ATRA), which culminates in gut-specific effector T cell migration. Similarly,
the VDR/RXR dimer binds 1,25(OH)2D3 to cause skin-specific effector T cell migration.
Targeted migration is a potent addition to current vaccines, as it would induce activated T cell
trafficking to appropriate areas of the immune system and ensure optimal stimulation (40).
ATRA, while in use clinically, is limited by toxicity and chemical instability. Rexinoids
are stable, synthetically developed ligands specific for the RXR. We have previously shown that
select rexinoids can enhance upregulation of gut tropic CCR9 receptors on effector T cells.
However, it is important to establish whether these cells can actually migrate, to show the
potential of rexinoids as vaccine adjuvants that can cause gut specific T cell migration.
Additionally, since the RXR is a major contributor to VDR-mediated transcription and
epidermotropism (15), it is worth investigating whether these compounds can also function as
adjuvants that promote migration by increasing expression of skin tropic CCR10 receptors on T
cells.
Prior experiments have demonstrated that select rexinoids can induce gut tropic migration
of CD8+ T cells in an in vitro assay and are comparable in effectiveness to ATRA (7). The effect
of rexinoids on CD4+ T cells is unknown however, so the aim of this project was to determine if
rexinoids can cause gut tropic migration in CD4+ T cells to a similar extent. A secondary aim
was to investigate whether varying concentrations in 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 can be linked to
increasing CCR10 upregulation on Jurkat CD4+ T cells, with the future aim to combine 1,25
Dihydroxyvitamin D3 with rexinoids.
These hypotheses were tested using murine splenocytes for the migration experiment, and
human Jurkat CD4+ T cells for the vitamin D experiment. Migration was assessed using a
Transwell chemotaxis assay. Our findings support the potential of rexinoids as compounds
capable of causing gut-tropic migration in murine CD4+ T cells in vitro, like ATRA. We did not
observe conclusive evidence that vitamin D3 causes upregulated CCR10 expression, but this
experiment must be repeated with a human primary T cell line.
receptor (RAR) and vitamin D receptor (VDR). The RXR/RAR dimer is activated by ligand all
trans retinoic acid (ATRA), which culminates in gut-specific effector T cell migration. Similarly,
the VDR/RXR dimer binds 1,25(OH)2D3 to cause skin-specific effector T cell migration.
Targeted migration is a potent addition to current vaccines, as it would induce activated T cell
trafficking to appropriate areas of the immune system and ensure optimal stimulation (40).
ATRA, while in use clinically, is limited by toxicity and chemical instability. Rexinoids
are stable, synthetically developed ligands specific for the RXR. We have previously shown that
select rexinoids can enhance upregulation of gut tropic CCR9 receptors on effector T cells.
However, it is important to establish whether these cells can actually migrate, to show the
potential of rexinoids as vaccine adjuvants that can cause gut specific T cell migration.
Additionally, since the RXR is a major contributor to VDR-mediated transcription and
epidermotropism (15), it is worth investigating whether these compounds can also function as
adjuvants that promote migration by increasing expression of skin tropic CCR10 receptors on T
cells.
Prior experiments have demonstrated that select rexinoids can induce gut tropic migration
of CD8+ T cells in an in vitro assay and are comparable in effectiveness to ATRA (7). The effect
of rexinoids on CD4+ T cells is unknown however, so the aim of this project was to determine if
rexinoids can cause gut tropic migration in CD4+ T cells to a similar extent. A secondary aim
was to investigate whether varying concentrations in 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 can be linked to
increasing CCR10 upregulation on Jurkat CD4+ T cells, with the future aim to combine 1,25
Dihydroxyvitamin D3 with rexinoids.
These hypotheses were tested using murine splenocytes for the migration experiment, and
human Jurkat CD4+ T cells for the vitamin D experiment. Migration was assessed using a
Transwell chemotaxis assay. Our findings support the potential of rexinoids as compounds
capable of causing gut-tropic migration in murine CD4+ T cells in vitro, like ATRA. We did not
observe conclusive evidence that vitamin D3 causes upregulated CCR10 expression, but this
experiment must be repeated with a human primary T cell line.
ContributorsDebray, Hannah Zara (Co-author) / Debray, Hannah (Co-author) / Blattman, Joseph (Thesis director) / Jurutka, Peter (Committee member) / Manhas, Kavita (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Thousands of human lives are lost every day due to chronic diseases, some more preventable than others. For years, the gold standard for diagnosing and monitoring these diseases has been through traditional methods such as individualized doctor-patient clinical evaluations, usually involving laboratory tests. These methods, though effective, can be costly, time-consuming, and fail to encompass an overarching perspective of the health profile of the larger population. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has successfully been employed for decades as a population-level data source informing on the consumption of licit and illicit substance use. It also is showing promise for its use as a community-wide diagnostic tool for broader public health measurements. This literature review constitutes a theoretical evaluation of the potential use of WBE for monitoring the top two deadly diseases in the United States; cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. Literature-reported metabolites indicative of these diseases were evaluated to determine if they were capable of being identified and monitored in wastewater. Potential analytes include cardiac-specific troponin, α-fenotroin, and inositol. Results obtained within suggest WBE could be used as a viable and economical tool to track and monitor the top deadly diseases in human populations. This methodology could be implemented in tandem with current practices in order to provide a more holistic understanding of prevalence and risk for CVD and cancer.
ContributorsAmin, Vivek (Author) / Halden, Rolf (Thesis director) / Niebuhr, Robert (Committee member) / Bowes, Devin (Committee member) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
When you think of actors, you probably think of the glitz and glam of Hollywood. It is a career many desire to have because of this initial perception. Who does not want to live the lavish life of an actor? Who does not want to get paid to basically play dress up? The truth is acting is much more, and less, than that. In fact, there are almost no two actors with the same exact journey to where they are. The career itself is very subjective, which is quite the scary thought to many including myself. Since I was a kid, acting is all I wanted to do. However, I have also always been someone who enjoys stability and consistent next steps, which is why I have been terrified at the idea of pursuing acting for so long. It is not a career that guarantees success. It is not even a career that has one definition of success. What is not shown behind the flashing lights and the glamour is what it truly takes to “make it”. Like I said, there are different variations of “making it” as well. Because of this idea that a career in acting is not all one thing, I wanted to find the commonalities. Are there things anyone who wants to be an actor, whether it is theater, film, television, or commercial acting, can do to increase their chances for success? What are the steps necessary to be taken seriously in this industry? In this thesis, I am going to explore the intricacies of this career to try to answer these questions.
ContributorsBrook, Loza H (Author) / Collis, Adam (Thesis director) / Espinosa, Micha (Committee member) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Comm (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
In 1996, I was born to two Filipino immigrants in El Paso, Texas. At the time, my father was in the process of completing his residency at the University of Texas, working strenuous 16-hour days almost every day as a fledgling resident physician. My mother was a full-time nurse then, working nightshifts to give her the freedom to tend to me during the day while my father was in training. Prior to their immigration to the United States under working visas in 1994, both of my parents came from families whose livelihood depended on agriculture. For my father, it was fishing, raising livestock, and tending to rice fields in a village called Siaton; for my mother, it was sugar cane processing and a family business of selling pigs in a town called Bogo. Despite facing many ups and downs along the way, these family occupations afforded my parents the opportunity to attend school from elementary to higher education. They eventually decided to pursue jobs in the health care industry so that they could immigrate to the United States, send money back to their loved ones in the Philippines, and provide a better life for the family they intended to start together.
ContributorsJumalon, Nikka Victoria (Author) / Shockley, Gordon (Thesis director) / White, Adrienne (Committee member) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
As of March 2020, there were over 112,400 patients actively waiting on the United States national organ transplant waitlist with only about 3,300 donors1. Although transplantation is an effective treatment for end-stage organ failure, the access to a procedure will vary depending on national regulations, cost of health care, extensive screening processes, and the availability of organs2. Organ shortage is a worldwide problem, and the growing insufficiency has resulted patients becoming too for ill or dying while waiting3. Due to the varying wait times and costs of procedures, some patients have begun to outsource their own transplantation through international transactions, also known as transplant tourism2. The 2004 World Health Assembly resolution recognized these trades as a significant health policy issue, while also acknowledging the inability of national health care systems to meet the needs of patients4. To address this issue, a proposal will be made such that all live kidney and liver donors will be compensated $22,500 and $12,150 respectively through a cost-neutral scheme based on annual healthcare expenditures per organ that would be eliminated by a transplant. With this proposal, it is suggested that the organ transplant waitlist would not only be significantly reduced, but potentially eliminated, and the crisis of organ shortage would be defeated.
ContributorsMartin, Starla (Author) / Kingsbury, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Edmonds, Hallie (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Executive Summary: Luke Armistead and his crew are seeking investments in the form of cash or assets (i.e. shooting location, drivable car, film equipment, etc.) in order to make “Red Fox Does Not Move”, a short action-thriller. “Red Fox Does Not Move” tells the story of two government agents seeking revenge against Domino Mancini, a violent mob boss. This short film is meant to target U.S. adults, especially those who use YouTube. The action-thriller genre is popular in the U.S. among adults, and since an overwhelming majority of adults use YouTube, the video hosting website is a good place to distribute the film after the private showings. In order to build anticipation for the film, a vlog series detailing production of the short film will be produced in tandem with the film. “Red Fox Does Not Move” is planned to be distributed via film festival (e.g. Sundance, Cannes, AFA, etc.) as well as select local theaters holding local short film showings/mini festivals.
ContributorsArmistead, Luke M (Author) / Melby, Amanda (Thesis director) / Fortunado, Joseph (Committee member) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Regenerative medicine is a relatively new area of interest among researchers and physicians alike and has truly come to light within the last twenty years. Its purpose is to “regenerate” cells in our body to return tissue and organs systems to their normal functions by utilizing innate cell mechanisms. Uses have ranged from growing completely new body tissue in labs, to promoting the repair of damaged neurons. More recently, the use of regenerative medicine techniques such as stem cell and platelet rich plasma therapy has seen significant growth throughout high level and professional sports. Beginning in the early 2000s, treatments quickly gained popularity as professional athletes began using them as an alternative to surgery, but this came before any concrete scientific support. This thesis paper will analyze the current statistical data supporting the use of platelet rich plasma and stem cell therapy and associated regulations to describe the connection between regenerative medicine and sports.
ContributorsFritzke, Jack Teodor (Author) / Washo-Krupps, Delon (Thesis director) / Foster, William (Committee member) / Levinson, Simin (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Whether fights to the death, or a masked murderer chasing an unwilling teen, viewers are seemingly drawn to human suffering. This thesis will examine the blurring of lines between traditional horror and crime films to better understand how both films provide a similar experience, as well as apply traditional film theories on pleasurable viewership to both genres, in an attempt to discover viewers’ attraction to the perverse.
ContributorsBenavidez, Markus A (Author) / Miller, April (Thesis director) / Mack, Robert (Committee member) / School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05