Digital Commons Network^™

The Social Sinthome, Ryan Engley

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

Much of the critical discourse on social media misidentifies its problematic features as bugs, or problems to solve. Supposed solutions to these problems tend to focus on individual actions. We should delete the apps, own our own data, never click on recommended videos, and realize that we are the product. But if predatory algorithms succeed by individuating people—selling people “choice” and “options” as it harvests user data—then an entire online ecosystem arranged through the logic of that design can neither be meaningfully challenged nor effectively understood at the level of the individual alone. Transformative action addressing social media can only …

Everybody Wants To Be A Fascist Online: Psychoanalysis And The Digital Architecture Of Fascism, Anthony Faramelli, Imogen Piper

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

Félix Guattari and Franco Berardi have both argued that media ecologies and psychic ecologies are intimately intertwined and as such, any exploration of the collective unconscious must engage with how the mind is formed with and through media. This understanding of networks of interdependence necessitates an exploration of how platformization has impacted users” collective psyche. Drawing from psychosocial theory, psychoanalysis and the work of Félix Guattari, this article analizes the micropolitics of desire of digital platforms, with an explicit focus on how algorithmic structures amplify extreme Right content, allowing fascisms to metastasis throughout digital spaces. It will first examine the …

“There Is No Pandemic”: On Memes, Algorithms And Other Interpassive Forms Of Right-Wing Disbelief, Scott Krzych

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

This essay examines several prominent memes that have circulated on Right-wing social media during the Covid-19 pandemic. The memes coordinate what I describe as a mode of interpassive humor, which positions those who “believe” in the crisis as naïve dupes, infantilizing those subjects who have fallen prey to the idea that they should take the pandemic seriously, and thereby delegating fearfulness to the other so that reactionary Covid-19 denialists may continue with their lives unaffected. The essay thereby seeks to draw suggestive lines of affiliation between studies of digital memes, evolutionary mimetics, and psychoanalytic theory, pointing to the algorithmic …

Lacan And The Algorithm, Clint Burnham

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

Exploring the development of algorithms in Lacanian theory, specifically the "R schema" in the 1950s, I argue that psychoanalysis, read through contemporary debates about the "algorithmic cult" of Netflix and other avatars of popular culture, can be said to reveal the inhuman, machinic essence of subjectivity. The etiology of algorithms, mathemes, and other formulae and diagrams in Lacan’s oeuvre has been under-studied, in part because for some readers they are not as attractive as his more bravura flourishes of word play as exegetical excess, and in part because they derive largely from the ‘hard’ structuralist moment of his work in …

When Sexuality Becomes Healing: An Interview With Elsbeth Fraanje On Her Documentary Sexual Healing, Johan Roeland

Journal of Religion & Film

This is an interview with Elsbeth Fraanje, the director of Sexual Healing.

Sexual Healing, Johan Roeland

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Sexual Healing (2022) directed by Elsbeth Fraanje.

L’Intelligence Artificielle En Tant Que Clinicien : Argument En Faveur D’Un Recours Éthique Aux Technologies Futures Dans Le Milieu Médical, Sara Gaines

The International Journal of Ethical Leadership Special Volumes

No abstract provided.

Animal Imagery In Eastern Han Tomb Reliefs From Shanbei 陝北, Leslie V. Wallace

Visual Arts

Wild and fantastical animals climb, fly, scamper, and prance across pictorial stone carvings decorating Eastern Han tomb doors in northern Shaanxi. Alongside dragons and other mythical animals, bears felicitously dance, tigers grin opening their mouths to roar, and other wild animals frolic in swirling cloudscapes. While the same animals can be found in Eastern Han tomb reliefs and mortuary art in other regions, their frequency, emphasis on plasticity and movement, and combination with the yunqi 雲氣 motif are unique to the region. Originating in a hybrid style of art that was created during the Mid-Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE), …

On The Fictions Of Stephen Graham Jones And The Stories That Made Him, And Well, Us Too, Billy J. Stratton

English and Literary Arts: Faculty Scholarship

Introduction to the issue.

Since being honored in 2017 with a Bram Stoker Award for superior achievement in Mapping the Interior—his 17th novel—by the Horror Writer’s Association, the work of Stephen Graham Jones has exploded onto the national scene as so many of his readers have long anticipated.

Crow's Nest, January 29, 2023, Crow's Nest Staff

Crow's Nest

The January 29, 2023, issue of the Crow's Nest.

La Inteligencia Artificial Como Médico Clínico: Un Argumento Para El Uso Ético De Futuras Tecnologías En Un Entorno Médico, Sara Gaines

The International Journal of Ethical Leadership Special Volumes

No abstract provided.

Artificial Intelligence As Clinician: An Argument For Ethical Use Of Future Technology In A Medical Setting, Sara Gaines

The International Journal of Ethical Leadership Special Volumes

No abstract provided.

On Video Games And Freedom, Warren Sexson

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

The Known And Unknowns Of Aphid Biotypes, And Their Role In Mediating Host Plant Defenses, Neetu Khanal, Christopher Vitek, Rupesh R. Kariyat

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Insect species are subjected to disparate selection pressure due to various biotic and abiotic stresses. Management practices including the heavy use of chemical insecticides and introduction of insect-resistant plant cultivars have been found to accelerate these processes. Clearly, natural selection coupled with human intervention have led to insect adaptations that alter phenotypes and genetic structure over time, producing distinct individuals with specialized traits, within the populations, commonly defined as biotypes. Biotypes are commonly found to have better fitness in the new environment and, in the case of aphids, the most commonly studied system for biotypes, have the ability to successfully …

Impacts Of Dietary Lysine And Crude Protein On Performance, Hepatic And Renal Functions, Biochemical Parameters, And Histomorphology Of Small Intestine, Liver, And Kidney In Broiler Chickens, Mohamed A Mousa, Ahamed S Asman, Reham M J Ali, Ramy K A Sayed, Kamlah A Majrashi, Rashed A Alhotan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of increasing dietary lysine (Lys) levels with an adequate dietary crude protein (CP) content, as well as the effects of a reduction in dietary CP content with the recommended amino acid (AAs) level, on the performance, blood biochemical parameters, and histomorphology of the duodenum, liver, and kidney in broiler chickens. A total of 500 broiler chickens were randomly distributed into five dietary treatment groups, following a completely randomized design, where, at the beginning, the control group (C) was fed a diet containing the standard CP and Lys levels: 23% CP with 1.44% …

Effects Of Alginate Oligosaccharide On Testosterone-Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia In Orchiectomized Rats, You-Jee Jang, Hye-Yeon Jung, Ju-Yeong Myeong, Kwang Hoon Song, Joseph Kwon, Jae-Il Park

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an age-related disease of the urinary system that affects elderly men. Current treatments for BPH are associated with several adverse effects, thus highlighting the need for alternative agents. Alginate oligosaccharide (AOS), a water-soluble functional oligomer derived from brown algae, inhibits prostate cancer cell proliferation. However, the effects of AOS on BPH and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, here, we aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of AOS in BPH by using human benign prostatic epithelial cells (BPH-1) and a rat model of testosterone-induced BPH. Treatment with AOS inhibited in vitro and in vivo …

Building Foundations For Friendship: Preventing Bullying Behavior In Preschool, Kara M. Mcgoey, Allison Aberson, Bridget Green, Seana Bandi Stewart

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Early childhood is an essential time for social-emotional learning and the development of appropriate peer interactions. Preschool children also begin to use more physical and verbal forms of aggression and bullying within their relationships with peers. The Building Foundations for Friendship (BFF) curriculum was designed to teach preschool-aged children appropriate social skills to prevent bullying. The topics discussed in this curriculum include developing friendship skills, identifying various peer interactions, and learning how to appropriately respond to a peer’s aggressive behavior. It was hypothesized that preschool students’ social skills and social behavior would improve after implementation of the BFF curriculum. The …

The Impact Of Covid-19 And Associated Policy Responses On Global Food Security, Edward J. Balistreri, Felix Baquedano, John C. Beghin

Department of Economics: Faculty Publications

We analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated policy responses on the global economy and food security in 80 low- and middle-income countries. We use a global economy-wide model with detailed disaggregation of agricultural and food sectors and develop a business-as-usual baseline for 2020 and 2021 called “But-for-COVID” (BfC). We then shock the model with aggregate income shocks derived from the IMF World Economic Outlook for 2020 and 2021. We impose total-factor productivity losses in key sectors as well as consumption decreases induced by social distancing. The resulting shocks in prices and incomes from the CGE model simulations …

Old But Not Vain : Two Cases Of Refractory Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia Associated With Coronary Artery Disease Successfully Treated With Quinidine, Tit-Kei Ng, Tommy King-Him Ma, Chi-Chun Au, Janice Woon-Yan Wong, Jenny Nga-Lai Chow, Andrew Vincent Li, Adrian Yin-Cheung Luk, Sze-Wah Lai, Candy Ming-Yan Cheuk, Jaclyn Chi-Lin Chan, Li-Wah Tam

Journal of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology

Post myocardial infarct polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) triggered by injured Purkinje fibres can cause VT storms that are refractory to various treatment even after successful reperfusion or revascularization. We reported such recurrent polymorphic VT in two post myocardial infarct patients after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention. Both of them responded readily to Quinidine. We also discussed the pathophysiology of this arrhythmia and the treatment option of it, namely catheter ablation and antiarrhythmics

Non-Aggressive Competition Between Males Of Srilankametrus Yaleensis (Kovařík Et Al., 2019) (Scorpionidae), And Other Types Of Agonistic Behavior Observed In Scorpions, Victoria Tang

Euscorpius

A peculiar intraspecific agonistic behavior involving a non-aggressive physical combat is reported between the adult males of Srilankametrus yaleensis (Kovařík et al., 2019) (Scorpionidae: Heterometrinae). The adult males were observed to resort to a ritualized and relatively gentle way for strength demonstration. The combat is characterized by lateral spreading of pedipalps, chelicerae-to-chelicerae collision, and entanglement of metasomal segments. This behavior is hereby considered a form of an intrasexual combat defined as the “arm-span competition”. It is hypothesized to be beneficial for solving territorial and/ or sexual competitions while avoiding unnecessary mortality which could pose adverse impact to the natural populations. …

Brivaracetam To Treat Partial Onset Seizures In Adults., Dustin Latimer, David Le, Evan P. Falgoust, Patrick Ingraffia, Alaa Abd-Elsayed, Elyse M. Cornett, Rupin Singh, Joohee Choi, Giustino Varrassi, Adam M. Kaye, Alan D. Kaye, Latha Ganti

School of Pharmacy Faculty Articles

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Seizures are a hyperexcitable, and hypersynchronous imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory factors (E/I imbalance) in neurotransmission, and epilepsy is the recurrent manifestation of seizures within a reasonable time frame and without being attributable to a reversible cause. Brivaracetam is a derivative of the antiepileptic agent, levetiracetam, that is used as adjuvant therapy for focal onset seizures. It was approved by the FDA in 2016 and has shown promising results with minimal adverse effect reactions in clinical trials.

RECENT FINDINGS: Brivaracetam has been used in multiple clinical trials at various dosages in adults that have partial-onset seizures refractory …

Non-Equilibrium Colloidal Phenomena In Magnetic Fields And Photoillumination: From Controlling Living Microbots To Understanding Microplastics, Ahmed Al Harraq

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Colloids are a ubiquitous class of materials composed of microscopic particles suspended in a continuous phase which are found in everyday products and in nature. Colloids are also useful models for studying the spontaneous arrangement of matter from individual building blocks to mesophases. Standard treatment of colloid science is based on the assumption of equilibrium conditions, as defined in traditional thermodynamics. However, novel assembly mechanisms and motility are unlocked by pushing colloids away from equilibrium using external energy. In addition, many colloids in nature and in industrial applications exchange energy and mass with the surrounding environment thus behaving in a …

Glycolysis Regulates Kras Plasma Membrane Localization And Function Through Defined Glycosphingolipids, Dina Montufar-Solis, Carlito B Lebrilla, John F Hancock

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Oncogenic KRAS expression generates a metabolic dependency on aerobic glycolysis, known as the Warburg effect. We report an effect of increased glycolytic flux that feeds into glycosphingolipid biosynthesis and is directly linked to KRAS oncogenic function. High resolution imaging and genetic approaches show that a defined subset of outer leaflet glycosphingolipids, including GM3 and SM4, is required to maintain KRAS plasma membrane localization, with GM3 engaging in cross-bilayer coupling to maintain inner leaflet phosphatidylserine content. Thus, glycolysis is critical for KRAS plasma membrane localization and nanoscale spatial organization. Reciprocally oncogenic KRAS selectively upregulates cellular content of these same glycosphingolipids, whose …

Punk Rock Vegan Movie, Michele M. Desmarais

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Punk Rock Vegan Movie (2023), directed by Moby.

#Landback: Northern Cheyenne To Reclaim Sovereignty, Kaelene C. Spang

Tapestries: Interwoven voices of local and global identities

Statement of Purpose:

As new movements emerge and become evermore relevant across Indian Country, I believe that it is important to address and document these movements and their themes in academic scholarship. Namely, the #Landback, Indigenous Data Sovereignty, and Indigenous Data Governance movements are significant. Proof of this significance lies within their purposes and the very fact that there is a lack of conversation regarding this discourse in the scholarly world. Therefore, the purpose of this essay is to increase this discourse by exploring and discussing Indigenous activism, land reclamation, resurgence, sovereignty, and #Landback in the context of the So’taa’eo/Tsetsêhesêstâhase/Tsitsistas …

Control Of Cultural And Bodily Reproduction: The Denial Of Autonomy In The United States, Peru And Globally, Anna M. Schloerb

Tapestries: Interwoven voices of local and global identities

Statement of Purpose:

This project seeks to look at the ways the state and hegemonic devices of power control cultural and bodily reproduction. It asks the question of how this control inhibits people's reproductive autonomy, cultural identity, language, and generational knowledge transmission. I offer specific examples of how this control has functioned in the US, with immigrants, Indigenous, Black people and other marginalized groups. My grandmother is from Lima, Peru and because of that connection, and the inspiration of this piece, I wanted to use the 1990s-2000s Sterilization in Peru as a case study of hegemonic control happening more globally. …

Land, Belonging, And Relationality: Black & Indigenous Environmental Justice Activism In The Twin Cities, Angelina Papakee

Tapestries: Interwoven voices of local and global identities

Statement of Purpose:

This essay is a culmination of my personal experience as an Afro-Indigenous person while living in the Twin Cities for the past few years. As a descendant of the Meskwaki Nation of Iowa and of African-American/Black ancestry, the formation of my identity has shaped the way I approach my research in views on culture, relationality, and past/present histories. I was often taught in my youth to attempt to separate these identities and communities, to not draw many parallels between the two. But, in my development in this new space, I have found the communities in the Twin …

Archiving Blackness: Reimagining And Recreating The Archive(S) As Literary And Information Wake Work, Jamillah R. Gabriel

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

“…we, Black people everywhere and anywhere we are, still produce in, into, and through the wake an insistence on existing: we insist Black being into the wake.”

– Christina Sharpe, In the Wake (2016)

In this paper, I introduce Christina Sharpe’s conceptualizations of wake and wake work, as they pertain to archiving the experiences of Blackness to better understand how the archive and archives are vital for those living and working in the wake of slavery. I am particularly interested in the wake work conducted both in literary works (speculative fiction) and at information sites (archives). To that end, …

No Lack Of Gain: A Biblical Theology Of Feminine Generosity, Jenny Zoë Huelsman

Master of Art Theology Thesis

This thesis traces a biblical theology of feminine generosity. The capable wife of Prov. 31:10–31 sets an Old Testament paradigm, which is inhabited and enlarged by women in the New Testament. The thesis considers the women who supported Jesus’ ministry (Luke 8:1–3); the widow and her mites (Luke 21:1–4); Mary’s anointing of Jesus (John 12:1–8); and Tabitha caring for the widows (Acts 9:36–42). Throughout these profiles, a picture emerges of women who make essential contributions to the mission and work of Christ as agents of generosity that is derivative, expressive, contextual, intemperate, and Christocentric, always flowing from and returning to …

The Beacon, January 27, 2023, Beacon Staff

The Beacon, 2022-2023

Unsung Heroes; Kelsey Joseph; Jimmy John's coming to OC; Exhibit illustrates perspective on WWII; "Wednesday" puts twist on familiar family; "Life is a Dream" travels to Des Moines; Heritage Singers to present opera love story; What caffeine can do for college students at NW; Kelsey Joseph creates connections on campus; Meet the campus dogs: Ozzy, Oakley and Ivy; Students debate sandwiches; Why learning foreign language is worth it; Kids' meals for all people; Coach of the Year Brings Home Football Championship; NW Raider Track Team Invest in the possibilities; MLK, How He Shaped the History of Athletics; Intramural broomball to …