Search

Using pop icons in the science classroom represents a creative way to engage often-distracted students in a relevant and, perhaps more importantly, fun way. When the pop icon is as universally known as Captain America, the pedagogical stage is set. However, when the movies can also be employed to link dramatic references to the science concepts at hand, we may have a very powerful tool by which linkages between fiction and science can be forged. In this regard, Captain America's performances in several movies to date can be used to explain actual science. Granted, script writers and movie directors may or may not be interested in whether the physical performances they depict can be explained, but that is irrelevant. The point is to make a connection using science to explain how the superhero can run faster, jump higher, or lift more than is humanly possible. If a teachable moment has occurred and an important concept has been communicated, the educator has accomplished his or her job well.

Objective: This study examined the similarities in metabolic and physiological demands of a fire ground test (FGT) and a live fire training evolution. Methods: Twenty-seven firefighters completed either a FGT (n = 13) or a live fire training evolution (n = 14). Salivary samples were collected pre, immediately post, and 30-minutes post FGT and live fire training evolution, and analyzed for cortisol, uric acid, and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Heart rate (HR) was measured pre- and post-task. Results: Both tasks resulted in significant elevations in cortisol, IL-1β, and HR. Conclusions: Both the FGT and live fire training evolution appear to result in similar metabolic and physiological demands. Further work may expand upon the additional elements (i.e., added heat) of the live fire training evolution. Fire departments may consider incorporating a variety of high intensity training to prepare personnel for these occupational demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite significant scholarship on the semiotics and ideology of perfume advertising, its racialized nature is underexamined. This is surprising given perfume-ad characteristics that incentivize racialized representations, especially ads using celebrities, and racist constructions of smell and scent. Using critical advertising studies, sensory studies, and bell hooks' concept of the racialized Other, this article argues that perfume ads are markedly racialized. The racial semiotics of 10 print ads—five with BIPOC celebrities and five with White—are critiqued, with BIPOC celebrities essentialized as inherently exotic, wild, and primitively sexual, while White celebrities symbolize elegance, classic beauty, and uniqueness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astaxanthin (AX) is an antioxidant which may spare endogenous carbohydrates and improve fat oxidation rates, thus improving metabolic flexibility. To date, no studies have attempted to examine the impact of AX in an overweight cohort, whom often suffer from metabolic inflexibility. Nineteen subjects (mean ± SD: age: 27.5 ± 6.3 years; height: 169.7 ± 9.0 cm; body mass: 96.4 ± 17.9 kg; BF%: 37.9 ± 7.0%; BMI: 33.4 ± 5.6 kg/m²; VO2peak: 25.9 ± 6.7 ml·kg-1·min-1) were recruited and supplemented with either 12 mg of AX or placebo (PLA) for 4 weeks. Subjects completed a graded exercise test on a cycling ergometer to examine changes in substrate oxidation rates. A total of 5 stages, each lasting 5 min and resistance increased 15 W each stage, were completed to examine changes in levels of glucose and lactate, fat and carbohydrate (CHO) oxidation rates, heart rate, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Although there were no changes found in rates of fat oxidation, blood lactate or glucose, or RPE (all p > 0.05), a significant decrease was observed in CHO oxidation from pre to post supplementation in the AX group only. Further, the AX group demonstrated a 7% decrease in heart rate across the graded exercise test. These findings suggest that 4 weeks of AX supplementation may offer some cardiometabolic benefits to overweight individuals, and be a favorable supplement for these individuals beginning an exercise program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contributes to scholarship on the increased influence of advertising and commercialism in society by investigating the increased economic centrality and symbolic visibility of corporate sponsors to college football bowl games. Argues that corporate sponsorship further devalues the integrity and essence of amateur sports. (SR)

Background and Aims: Slow, deep breathing (SDB) lowers blood pressure (BP) though the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Redox improvements could facilitate hemodynamic adjustments with SDB though this has not been investigated. The purpose of this randomized, sham-controlled trial was to examine the acute effects of SDB on oxidative stress and endothelial function during a physiological perturbation (high-fat meal) known to induce oxidative stress.Methods and Results: Seventeen males (ages 18-35 years) were enrolled, and anthropometric measurements and 7-day physical activity monitoring were completed. Testing sessions consisted of 24-h diet recalls (ASA24), blood sample collection for superoxide dismutase (SOD) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) analysis, and flow-mediated dilation (FMD). High-fat meals were ingested and 2-min breathing exercises (SDB or sham control breathing) were completed every 15 min during the 4-h postprandial phase. Blood sample collection and FMD were repeated 1-, 2-, and 4-h post meal consumption. Mean body mass index and step counts were 25.6 ± 4.3 kg/m2 and 8165 ± 4405 steps per day, respectively. Systolic and diastolic BP and nutrient intake 24 h prior were similar between conditions. No time or time by condition interaction effects were observed for FMD. The total area under the curve (AUC) for SOD was significantly lower during SDB compared to the sham breathing condition (p < 0.01). No differences were observed in TBARS AUC (p = 0.538).Conclusions: Findings from the current investigation suggest that SDB alters postprandial redox in the absence of changes in endothelial function in young, healthy males.Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT04864184.Clinical Trials Identifier: NCT04864184. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines industrial and organizational factors in the development of the superhero comic book industry. Discusses three major industrial influences on content: children as the primary market, company ownership, and production costs. Compares current trends with the 1950s and 1960s, and argues that the medium presently is a vehicle for cultural criticism. (KEH)

It is shown that The Matrix franchise provided a model for channeling revenue and fans through different multimedia revenue streams via linked narratives that expand the nature of the corporately created, commodity-oriented media text.

This article argues that commodity flow is a defining characteristic of children's television programming, and that this flow of commodity and corporate-brand images builds into the genre a relatively coherent selling ethos. Three-hour blocks of programming, recorded on two different Saturday mornings for several broadcast and cable networks, were analyzed to highlight commodity flow within and between networks. This flow of commodities on children's television indicates a blurring of the distinction between content and promotional forms and illustrates the high level of commercialism targeted at this audience. Keywords: Children's Television; Commodity Flow; Advertising; Commercialization; Media Promotion; Media Synergy

This essay argues that in the early- to mid-Trump era -- starting with his active campaign for the US Presidency in 2015 and through his subsequent administration pre-Covid through February 2020 -- working-class bodies were used in advertising to both contest and enact prominent values and ideological tensions that became prominent during Trump's reign. Advertising used class-based representations in several ways: to critique Trump and his policies; to depict working-class hardships under Trump; and, conversely, to celebrate white workingclass masculinity, authoritarianism, and classed masquerades. Each of these themes highlights a particular tension indicative of the Trump era. Often contradictory, such representations exemplify stereotypes about the working-class and serve to solidify enduring and often stifling lessons about class in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2007.00380_3.x Byline: Matthew P. McAllister (1) Author Affiliation: (1)The Pennsylvania State University

Approximately 60,000 patients are hospitalised annually due to chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia (FN) in the United States alone. Febrile neutropenia is primarily managed by antibiotics and granulocyte-colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs). However, there are inconsistent recommendations regarding dose, frequency, and duration for G-CSF therapy. We conducted this study to assess the use of G-CSFs in a community-based teaching hospital in compliance with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines. We retrospectively reviewed medical records of adult patients diagnosed with non-myeloid malignancies who received filgrastim in a community-based teaching hospital from November 2014 to April 2015. Of 90 patients, 77% received filgrastim for FN treatment, 19% for primary prophylaxis, and 4% for secondary prophylaxis. The dose of filgrastim was appropriate in 93% of patients, while 7% received a sub-optimal dose without the worsening of their clinical outcomes. We could not assess the duration of therapy for 38 patients who either died or were discharged before achieving the desired absolute neutrophil count (ANC). Of the 69 patients treated for FN, only 33% received filgrastim until they achieved the ANC goal (1,500–8,000/μL), while 36% continued to receive filgrastim treatment beyond the desired ANC goal. In our study, filgrastim was correctly prescribed; however, the ANC goal was not achieved in 47% of the patients. If the recommended ANC range had been targeted, a minimum of 28 doses could have been potentially avoided. This approach would have saved approximately $56,000. Therefore, future protocols should focus on pharmacist-led interventions to optimise G-CSF usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) induced by piperacillin-tazobactam (Piptazo) versus other broad-spectrum antibiotics (BSA) combined with vancomycin has been established in the literature. However, there is limited evidence regarding these combinations among critically ill patients. This study assessed the risk of nephrotoxicity of Piptazo versus other BSA as an add-on to vancomycin among patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). We have reviewed patients' charts retrospectively to investigate AKI incidence among ICU patients receiving Piptazo versus other BSA as an add-on to vancomycin. Furthermore, we have assessed the duration of AKI and ICU stay, as well as the association between patients' criteria and risk of AKI using logistic regression analyses. A total of 79 patients were included, 50 patients received the Piptazo combination while 29 patients received other BSA combinations. Almost 52 % of the patients in the Piptazo group developed AKI while only 37.9 % of those in the BSA group did, yet the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.22). On the other hand, the risk of AKI was highly associated with vancomycin trough concentration above 20 mcg/mL, nephrotoxic medications, and African descent (OR 7.1, 95 %CI 1.96–25.84, OR 3.94, 95 %CI 1.27–12.2, OR 3.53, 95 %CI 1.1–11.27, respectively). Although the difference in AKI risk was not statistically significant between Piptazo versus BSA groups, the elevated trough concentration of vancomycin and the concomitant use of nephrotoxic medications, were found to increase the risk of AKI, independently of the combined antibiotics used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article updates previous research that critiqued the level and categories of commercial intrusion in national college football championship television broadcasts. Arguing that the 'hypercommercialism' of television continues to increase due to a variety of contextual reasons and technological advances that enhance the distinctive 'televisual' style of television, the article applies content and textual analyses of the 2007 BCS National Championship football broadcast on the U.S. television network Fox and compares these findings to a similar study conducted on the 1996 national championship broadcast. Results indicate a significant decrease in 'advertising-free' broadcast time, mainly resulting from an increase in the use of on-screen graphics with commercial iconography. In addition, the broadcast is characterized by the integrated marketing techniques that blur distinctions between content categories. The essay concludes with a discussion of the implications of hypercommercialism of sports and broadcasting for the vibrancy of the public sphere.

This article will explore the role and visibility of advertising during the Super Bowl over the years as a model for strategies of modern advertising and the resulting commercialization of US society. It uses the concepts of ‘spectacular consumption’ derived from Guy Debord and the ‘commodity audience’ from Dallas Smythe to frame the commercials’ cultural transformation and influence. The spectacular nature of Super Bowl commercials and the special commodity worth of its audience were not present in the early days of the event, but gained momentum with Super Bowl XVII and its airing of Apple’s ‘1984’ commercial that became mythologized in the advertising industry. After 1984, both the rising inflation-adjusted CPM (‘cost-per-thousand’) and the increased media coverage indicate an increased spectacularization. This also manifested in such phenomena as the influential, decades-long Doritos user-generated content contests and theGreatest Super Bowl CommercialsTV specials, and was a forerunner of such post-millennial advertising strategies as branded entertainment and content marketing, all designed to integrate advertising as a legitimate form of entertainment culture and prevent the avoidance of advertising by audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Complexities in digital spaces problematize virtual-identity construction. Online commercialization trends that often take the form of native advertisements, including identity quizzes featured on websites such as BuzzFeed, exploit incentives for a branded self and the immaterial labor of users to create and share messages. Thus, identity politics are often depoliticized amid virtual environments that rely on ties between identity and consumption in either native advertisements or copy designed to draw users to advertisements. This article analyzes sponsored and unsponsored quizzes from BuzzFeed and resulting commentaries, arguing that in these cases, identity is often circumscribed around digestible, consumption-based "results." This article also considers how the quiz phenomenon reflects trends in viral native advertising as it pertains to constructing virtual selves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article critically analyzes the Progressive insurance campaign featuring the spokescharacter Flo, who since 2008 has appeared in over 100 television commercials and a variety of print, radio, and web-based advertising and promotions. The article argues that the campaign exemplifies a version of commodity fetishism, nostalgically representing retail spaces and workers in ways that mask the realities of reduced-labor businesses in the digital, neoliberal, and (post)recession era. Its construction of Flo as an “always available,” flexible, and branded laborer blurs distinctions between modern workers’ private and work life, and is a particularly gendered portrayal that sometimes sexualizes the character while at work. This marketing strategy is also used by other modern brands. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: In 2009, Florida initiated a statewide prescription drug-monitoring program (PDMP) to encourage safer prescribing of controlled substances and reduce drug abuse and diversion. Data supporting the utility of such programs in the emergency department (ED) is scarce. This study sought to determine the effect of PDMP data on controlled substance prescribing from the ED.Methods: In this pre-post study utilizing a historical control, pharmacists in the ED provided prescribers with a summary of the PDMP data for their patients. The number of controlled substances prescribed in the intervention group was compared with that prescribed in the historical control to determine if the intervention resulted in a change in the average number of controlled substance prescribed.Results: Among the 710 patients evaluated, providing prescribers with PDMP data did not alter the average number of controlled substance per patient prescribed (0.23 controlled substances per patient in the historical control compared with 0.28 controlled substances per patient in the intervention group; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.016 to 0.116; P = .125). All prescribers surveyed indicated that having PDMP data altered their controlled substance prescribing and felt more comfortable prescribing controlled substances.Conclusions: Although the results did not demonstrate a change in the average number of controlled substances prescribed when prescribers were provided with PDMP data, results from the survey indicate that prescribers felt the data altered their prescribing of controlled substances, and thus were more contented prescribing controlled substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating work influenced by Erving Goffman and Laura Mulvey, this article applies the concept of the “male consumer gaze” to two branded US televised events, the 2011 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and the 2012 Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant. Critiqued elements include gendered body positioning and placement, televisual and narrativizing techniques, social and integrated media, and branding strategies that combine to create a flow of consumption-based male gazing. Such trends may intensify with changes in media economics and niche marketing [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]