With three point two seconds left in the second half , Kevon Vanderhorst took the inbounds pass coast to coast on Saturday and scored with triple zeros on the clock for a (61–60) Drexel (12–11) victory over North Carolina A&T.
Researchers at Drexel University and the McGill University in Montreal have demonstrated that the needle-like proboscis that mosquitoes use to suck blood can function as a dispenser tip in 3D printing machines.
Just about everybody knows that smoking weed can result in a serious bout of the munchies now and then. Researchers at Drexel University in Philadelphia are taking a deeper look at the phenomenon, however, with a new study that explores the possible connection between using cannabis and binge eating.
The research, which was published recently in the journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, investigated how often people subject to binge eating are also using cannabis recreationally. The study also explored whether people who use cannabis experience more severe symptoms of eating disorders or mental illness.
Previous research has explored how using cannabis can affect a person’s eating habits. However, little is known about the impact that using weed can have on binge eating, which is defined as the experience of feeling out of control when eating or unable to stop eating. Prior studies have also found that cannabis use may increase the pleasure people receive from eating foods high in sugar or fat, suggesting that cannabis may play a role in binge eating.
“Distinguishing the relationship between cannabis use, eating disorder severity and other psychiatric symptoms in binge eating patients is necessary for informing screening and clinical recommendations,” lead author Megan Wilkinson, a doctoral student in Drexel Univesity’s College of Arts and Sciences, told Drexel News.
Nearly A Quarter of Binge Eaters Reported Recent Cannabis Use
The new study involved a cohort of participants who were seeking treatment for binge eating. As part of the research, participants reported their use of alcohol and cannabis. The researchers found that more than 23% of the 165 participants reported using cannabis either “once or twice” or “monthly” during the previous three months, suggesting that cannabis use may be associated with binge eating.
The researchers learned that participants who used weed reported “a strong desire or urge to use cannabis.” They also drank alcohol more frequently and reported more problems related to their use of alcohol. However, the team of researchers noted that participants with eating disorders who were also cannabis users did not have more severe eating disorders or symptoms of depression.
“Both alcohol and cannabis can impact an individual’s appetite and mood. Our finding that patients with binge eating who use cannabis also drink more alcohol may suggest that these individuals are at a higher risk for binge eating, given the compounded effects on appetite and mood from these substances,” Wilkinson said. “Treatments for binge eating should explore how substance use affects hunger, mood and eating for patients.”
The study participants also completed interviews and surveys about their experience with binge eating, depression and symptoms of other eating disorders. The researchers then compared the results of participants who used cannabis with others who did not to determine if there were statistically significant differences in eating disorder symptoms, alcohol use or depression symptoms.
The study’s findings indicate that a significant portion of those with binge eating disorders use cannabis and have a strong desire or urge to do so. The researchers also determined that for patients with binge eating disorders, cannabis use appears to be related to alcohol drinking patterns and problems with drinking such as requiring more and more alcohol to feel intoxicated and the inability to control drinking.
“We hope this research is helpful for clinicians treating patients with binge eating, as it can provide them with updated information about the prevalence of cannabis use in their patients,” said Wilkinson. “We recommend that clinicians screen for cannabis and alcohol use in all their patients and assess any potential problems the patient may be experiencing related to their substance use.”
The researchers noted that continued study of the relationship between cannabis and binge eating will be needed because of the evolving legal landscape and changing social norms surrounding cannabis. Wilkinson and her team are planning a new study to investigate how cannabis use may impact hunger and mood for people with binge eating, factors which could make binge eating symptoms worse.
Foodies and planet enthusiasts can eat for a cause next week at the first carbon-neutral dinner hosted by the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.
Dining for a Greener Future, to be held Thursday, Feb. 22 from 6-8 p.m., is a four-course meal comprised of foods from nearby farms. Locally-sourced ingredients reduce the carbon footprint of a meal, because they don’t need to be flown or shipped from long distances. 12th Street Catering, the Philadelphia company preparing the meal, also composts leftovers from its meals and uses compostable materials, including trash bags.
After calculating the remaining carbon footprint of the meal with a carbon calculator, Drexel which will offset that number by planting trees through Trees for the Future, a nonprofit that trains farmers worldwide in agroforestry and sustainable practices. On top of that, a tree will be planted for each dinner guest.
Kim Reynolds, the chief advancement officer at the Academy of Natural Sciences, said the academy and 12th Street created the idea together.
“If you’re going to have a night out, why not have a night out for good where you can really have an amazing meal in a unique setting, but also feel good about the fact that you’re doing something for the planet?” Reynolds said.
The meal, prepared by 12th Street’s chef, Adam DeLosso, starts with a seasonal vegetable salad made with hydroponic butter lettuce from Mill Creek Farms and a honey lime vinaigrette. That dish is followed by rotini regu pasta made with New Jersey tomatoes and a goat cheese fondue as well as chicken from Princeton’s Griggstown Farms with risotto and seasonal veggies. Dessert is a spelt cake made with flour from Doylestown’s Castle Valley Mill with creamed honey and bee pollen granola.
12th Street Catering created with the menu with the help of nonprofit Zone 7, which connects farmers to nearby caterers and restaurants. The dinner costs $90 without alcohol and $105 with alcohol.
Reynolds said the issue of climate change can feel overwhelming, but that small actions can have an impact. She said the academy hopes the dinner helps teach people about how they can reduce the carbon footprint in their own eating habits.
“We’re hoping people have fun, we’re hoping that they learn a bit on ways that they can shop locally for ingredients and then also learn more about organizations like Trees for the Future and other orgs that are trying to take action in really meaningful ways,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds said they’re hoping to have 50 to 100 attendees for this event, and she hopes to make this an ongoing series. 12th Street also plans to add this as one of their standard menus for events.
The last few years have brought about a shift in how people use technology in all facets of their lives. More than ever, virtual realities, decentralized transactions and non-fungible tokens are altering how we approach everything from social life to business to creativity.
In the past year alone, Prada‘s linked its monthly physical Timecapsule to NFTs that grant access to global Prada Crypted and special events. Meanwhile, Gucci partnered with animated celebrities company Superplastic to release 10 unique NFTs. The metaverse has become so popular, there’s even a Metaverse Fashion Week with brands like Etro, Dundas and Dolce & Gabbana.
Fashion schools have been quick to adapt to these developments, bolstering their digital curriculums in order to keep up with industry demands.
At the Parsons School of Design, metaverse learning experiences are part of the core curriculum during students’ junior year. There’s a specialized studio class in which “students learn intensive 3D modeling software,” says Soojin Kang, an assistant professor of fashion technology, for example. Students learn the traditional skills of garment-making — like creating patterns or sewing — digitally. By senior year, those focusing on digital fashion take Senior Thesis 1 and Thesis 2 classes, both of which yield digital-heavy outcomes and cover skills such as 3D modeling, rendering and other hybrid technical aspects.
To further cement its digital education, the school also partnered with online game platform Roblox to develop a course through which students create hyper-realistic and inclusive 3D digital apparel.
Photo: Courtesy of Parsons
While interest in metaverse coursework has been prevalent for years, Kang explains that demand really increased during the pandemic, when schools moved to an online teaching format. Suddenly, tools like Clo3d became integral to the curriculum: “The software synchronizes the drapes and the fabric properties at the same time you make any changes to your 2d patterns,” she says, noting how that helped ease the transition between 2D and 3D design processes.
Drexel University offers a range of innovative classes like “Fashion Design in the 3D Space” and “CAD Patternmaking”. But the peak of its metaverse curriculum might just be a historic costume virtual fashion course, titled “Costuming the Metaverse”: Kathi Martin, the associate director of graduate fashion design at Drexel, says the class was initially developed for gaming and animation students, but the construction of virtual spaces has also allowed fashion students to drape and pattern-make on avatars. It culminates in an immersive Medieval-inspired project, in which students create detailed period costumes by designing appropriate textiles, silhouettes and embellishments — all in the metaverse.
Sample of Drexel University student work.
Photo: Courtesy of Drexel
In addition to educating students on how to use the various tools and programs to create digital products, schools are also thinking about teaching the new business models that come with them.
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Under its Baker School of Business & Technology, the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) recently introduced several new metaverse courses to its curriculum. “First Year Experience” educates students as early as freshman year about the metaverse, Web3, cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens. Other additions include “Understanding, Developing Web 3.0 Business Opportunities and NFTs” and “Introduction to Blockchain for Creative Businesses.”
The metaverse is novel and ever-changing, which means schools must adapt accordingly. At FIT, the faculty remains open-minded, and frequently evolves its curriculum in response to these trends, which “offers an unparalleled win-win for the students and the creative/fashion sector in which we serve” according to Vincent Quan, professor and department chair of fashion business management at FIT SUNY Korea.
For the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), the push toward meta-education is opening students’ eyes to new opportunities and alternative career paths in fashion.
“Obviously, we’re focused on the current and future employment opportunities in this field… We think it’s essential that our next generation of SCAD graduates play a defining role in shaping the direction of Web3,” says Dirk Standen, dean of SCAD’s school of fashion. “Fashion and tech companies can benefit from their input.”
For instance, SCAD’s sneaker design minor program implements accessory design strategies geared toward the metaverse. “We’re using the Oculus Quest 2 VR headsets to teach our students to 3D model athletic footwear and other accessories,” says Michael Mack, professor of accessory design and sneaker design at SCAD. “Accessory and sneaker design is diving more heavily than ever before into the virtual and 3D space, and we’re preparing our students to be at the forefront of design and lead the way as they embark on their creative professions.”
Photo: Courtesy of SCAD
However, when it comes to the intersection of fashion and technology, it’s integral to consider the impact of what we’re creating within a still-unexplored frontier.
At the Pratt Institute, metaverse courses are part of a larger push toward building a responsible future. These electives — which cover new media, artificial intelligence, AR/VR, interactive installation and physical comp coding for artists — engage students in critical thought surrounding how decentralized technologies will impact the future of design and the ethics around that.
“We felt it was important to introduce curriculum exploring ethical questions and considerations about how this technology is restructuring the relationship between fashion creation and consumption” says Tessa Maffucci, adjunct assistant professor and assistant chairperson in Pratt Institute’s Fashion Design department. “In the fashion context, especially, decentralized models raise important questions about authenticity, creativity and ownership – and present new opportunities to design in collaboration with others, to design with empathy and to explore equity-centered and community-based design.”
These new curriculums are part of our new reality — and educators shaping the minds of the next generation of creatives are adapting accordingly.
