November 2024: Volume 9 Issue 1

Failure to comply with vaccination mandates during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic posed a great challenge to the Canadian health care system. Choosing not to vaccinate may reflect concerns about the costs of vaccination and dismissal of its public health benefits. This study investigated if this decision-making is associated with limits of one’s mental capacity, specifically working memory capacity. In addition, the degree to which individuals choose to approach decisions with either experiential (intuitive) or rational (logical) thinking styles were considered. To measure these cognitive functions, participants completed the n-Back task as well as the Rational Experiential Inventory-40 questionnaire. The purpose of this study was to investigate if working memory capacity and individuals’ thinking styles can predict attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination status. However, our findings did not provide evidence that thinking styles or working memory capacity predicted vaccination status. Notably, we found that attitudes surrounding COVID-19 vaccination, such as concerns regarding the safety of the vaccine, were significant predictors of vaccination. The results of this study propose that executive functioning levels cannot predict vaccination.

The experiences of straight, cisgender “women” constitute nearly all of the research on sex and sexuality in people with vaginas (PWV) who also have spinal cord injuries (SCI). This critical narrative review aims to explore the sexual experiences of Queer people with SCI, particularly Queer PWV, an underrepresented group in existing literature. PWV who have partially or completely severed SCI can experience sexual arousal through both bottom-up and top-down neural processing pathways. Pleasure is defined similarly among Queer and non-Queer PWV. However, Queer self-identifying women experience more sexual satisfaction with self-stimulation than non-Queer PWV, and self-identified lesbians experience greater sexual satisfaction. Higher rates of sexual satisfaction for Queer PWV can be explained in part by the expectation of partnered orgasm, depth of cognitive and behavioral engagement in sexual activity, less incongruities in reading body language cues, and a congruent conception of the factual influences on sexual arousal, compared to heterosexual PWV. The outcome of internalized homophobia on sexual activity ranged from avoiding sexual activity to engaging in sexual activity under the influence, with both commonly leading to a mental disconnect between the brain and the body. This mental disconnect impacted the ability for a person to communicate their needs with a partner, as well as the ability to reach orgasm. Lastly, this narrative review serves as a reminder that ableist, patriarchal, and heteronormative epistemologies must evolve to better capture the experiences of diverse populations.

This paper provides an overview of documentarian Marlon T. Riggs, a key figure in Black and gay art movements of the 1980s, and his filmography, focusing in particular on his use of the performative mode of address. His videos are frequently referenced by documentary theorists as exemplars of the performative mode first defined by film scholar Bill Nichols, which refers primarily to the use of embodied knowledge and a personal voice within the context of nonfiction filmmaking. This review draws from Riggs’ documentaries and various analyses of his cultural impact, and it explains and considers competing viewpoints within documentary film studies and, to a lesser extent, cultural studies about Riggs’ legacy. Two of his four feature films, Ethnic Notions (1986) and Color Adjustment (1991), are widely acknowledged as representative of the expository mode of address, characterized by the use of direct address and a clear rhetorical argument. Although they are less celebrated within cinephile circles, they are conventionally educational which makes them culturally significant. However, it is Tongues Untied (1989) and Black Is… Black Ain’t (1995) that are firmly positioned as performative, and their emotional and subjective value make their power as tools for social change clear. That these films were some of the first to portray Black, gay life in unapologetic terms also demonstrates their cultural significance and lasting impact, particularly on broadcast television. Riggs’ filmography is an important cross-section of documentary filmmaking and the culture of 1980s America from which it emerged, and its evolution provides valuable insight into the rise of the performative mode and self-representation in television documentaries.

Adaptation to hypoxic environments allows malignant tumors to outcompete normal cells. This microenvironment increases treatment resistance and favours tumor progression. However, certain cellular responses can be anti-tumorigenic. Understanding and utilizing oxygen dependent pathways like hypoxia-induced factors (HIF) can enhance therapy efficacy for different types of cancer by regulating glycolysis, metastasis, and immune invasion. This article focuses on the HIF pathway, eukaryotic elongation factor kinase (eEFK2) stabilization, protein disulfide isomerases (PDIs), and the immune response to hypoxia. These four key components bridge hypoxic stress and cancer, highlighting their potential therapeutic implications.

Kombucha is a fermented beverage originating from China over 2000 years ago. It has gained global popularity due to its potential health advantages. Currently, there is limited research on the food safety of kombucha fermented by various tea types. This study aimed to investigate the influence of tea types on the pH levels of kombucha, focusing particularly on blue tea (Butterfly Pea Flower), which is a relatively less investigated variety. An experiment was conducted in 2024 with 6 replicates each for black, green, red, and blue tea bases. The pH measurements were collected on the 2nd, 7th, and 14th day during a 2-week fermentation period. The study indicates a consistent decrease in pH levels across all tea types, with blue tea kombucha exhibiting the lowest pH value. Despite some statistically significant differences, all tea types remained within the food-safe pH range throughout fermentation. These findings may provide valuable insights for consumers, producers, and regulators regarding the food safety of blue tea kombucha.

Stranger Things (Duffer et al., 2016-present) is an ongoing Netflix original series that has gained significant popularity since it first aired in 2016. The show draws inspiration from classic science fiction films and manufactures a romanticized version of the 1980s, thereby evoking nostalgia in viewers who have and have not lived through the decade. This paper focuses on the vicarious nostalgia instilled by the show in its Generation Z viewers through its “authentic” recreation of the 1980s. This paper also considers how Netflix’s bingewatching model amplifies the transportive impact of Stranger Things by encouraging viewers to watch more episodes in individual sittings, thereby establishing a state of immersion which takes them further from the real world. Through this research, I argue that the enveloping and alluring environment produced by the show and its suggested method of consumption causes Generation Z viewers to experience vicarious nostalgia and a yearning for the 1980s. I conclude this article by recommending further avenues for research within the domain of vicarious nostalgia.