Autonomy and dependency in two successful UK film and television companies: An analysis of RED Production Company and Warp Films

This article analyses the production cultures of two film and television companies in the UK – RED Production and Warp Films – by discussing the companies’ formation and identity, aims and ethos, internal structures and their networks of external relationships. The article argues that although managing directors and senior personnel exercise considerable power within the companies themselves, the companies’ depend on the extent to which they are able to engage with other industry agents, in particular the large scale institutions that dominate the industries. By situating analysis of these negotiated dependencies within shifting macro economic, historical and cultural contexts, the article argues that the increasing power of multinational conglomerates and the cultural convergence between film and high-end television drama marks a threshold moment for both companies which will alter their production cultures significantly

Historical Dictionary of Film Noir

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT THE FULL BOOK TEXT - PUBLISHER POLICY ONLY ALLOWS ACCESS TO AN EXTRACT OF THIS BOOK IN THE UWE BRISTOL RESEARCH REPOSITORYThe Dictionary is number 27 in this prestigious series. It will become the most authoritative guide to its subject area (film noir and neo-noir) and includes over 400 entries (on personnel, films, themes, issues and style) and a definitive bibliography and filmography. Although the Dictionary consolidates existing knowledge, it also widens the conventional parameters of the study of noir to encompass other cultural forms (television series, comics and graphic novels, video games). It also explicitly challenges the notion that noir is an exclusively American phenomenon by including entries on European, Asian, Latin American and Australasian noirs

Morphologic study of the ascending aorta and aortic arch in hypoplastic left hearts: Surgical implications

ObjectivesThe ascending aorta and aortic arch in patients with hypoplasia of the left heart are hypoplastic as a result of diminished blood flow. In this study, the presence and degree of obstruction owing to areas of narrowing or infolding within the diminutive aorta are quantified, and their surgical significance is discussed.MethodsNinety-six specimens with hypoplasia of the left heart were studied and measurements were taken at specified sites to evaluate areas of narrowing. Quantitative assessments of infoldings and their contribution to obstruction of flow are made.ResultsNarrowing of the distal ascending aorta was found in 60 (62.5%) specimens, with a decrease in circumference of the distal ascending aorta (0.72 ± 1.06 mm) present when compared with its midpoint (P < .05). Tissue infolding at the orifice of the brachiocephalic artery and its junction with the distal ascending aorta was observed in 56 (58.3%) hearts, with major infolding in 29 (30.2%) and minor infolding in 27 (28.5%). Tissue infolding at this site correlated with a smaller ascending aorta (P < .001) but not with narrowing in the distal ascending aorta (P = .53). Ductal coarctations were detected in 77 (81.1%) specimens. Their presence correlated with a smaller diameter of the ascending aorta (P < .05), and their severity correlated with the presence of aortic and mitral valvular atresia (P < .05).ConclusionsImportant areas of obstruction in the ascending aorta in patients with hypoplasia of the left heart were found, and their pathogenesis is discussed. The findings highlight the importance of incorporating the ascending aorta into the aortic reconstruction at the time of initial palliation for patients with hypoplasia of the left heart

Assessing the Criteria for Definition of Perimembranous Ventricular Septal Defects in Light of the Search for Consensus

Background: Discussions continue as to whether ventricular septal defects are best categorized according to their right ventricular geography or their borders. This is especially true when considering the perimembranous defect. Our aim, therefore, was to establish the phenotypic feature of the perimembranous defect, and to establish the ease of distinguishing its geographical variants. Methods and results: We assessed unrepaired isolated perimembranous ventricular defects from six historic archives, subcategorizing them using the ICD-11 coding system. We identified 365 defects, of which 94 (26%) were deemed to open centrally, 168 (46%) to open to the outlet, and 84 (23%) to the inlet of the right ventricle, with 19 (5%) being confluent. In all hearts, the unifying phenotypic feature was fibrous continuity between the leaflets of the mitral and tricuspid valves. This was often directly between the valves, but in all instances incorporated continuity through the atrioventricular portion of the membranous septum. In contrast, we observed fibrous continuity between the leaflets of the tricuspid and aortic valves in only 298 (82%) of the specimens. When found, discontinuity most commonly was seen in the outlet and central defects. There were no discrepancies between evaluators in distinguishing the borders, but there was occasional disagreement in determining the right ventricular geography of the defect. Conclusions: The unifying feature of perimembranous defects, rather than being aortic-to-tricuspid valvar fibrous continuity, is fibrous continuity between the leaflets of the atrioventricular valves. While right ventricular geography is important in classification, it is the borders which are more objectively defined

Growth Dynamics of Australia's Polar Dinosaurs

Analysis of bone microstructure in ornithopod and theropod dinosaurs from Victoria, Australia, documents ontogenetic changes, providing insight into the dinosaurs' successful habitation of Cretaceous Antarctic environments. Woven-fibered bone tissue in the smallest specimens indicates rapid growth rates during early ontogeny. Later ontogeny is marked by parallel-fibered tissue, suggesting reduced growth rates approaching skeletal maturity. Bone microstructure similarities between the ornithopods and theropods, including the presence of LAGs in each group, suggest there is no osteohistologic evidence supporting the hypothesis that polar theropods hibernated seasonally. Results instead suggest high-latitude dinosaurs had growth trajectories similar to their lower-latitude relatives and thus, rapid early ontogenetic growth and the cyclical suspensions of growth inherent in the theropod and ornithopod lineages enabled them to successfully exploit polar regions

Defining the Cellular Environment in the Organ of Corti following Extensive Hair Cell Loss: A Basis for Future Sensory Cell Replacement in the Cochlea

Background: Following the loss of hair cells from the mammalian cochlea, the sensory epithelium repairs to close the lesions but no new hair cells arise and hearing impairment ensues. For any cell replacement strategy to be successful, the cellular environment of the injured tissue has to be able to nurture new hair cells. This study defines characteristics of the auditory sensory epithelium after hair cell loss. Methodology/Principal Findings: Studies were conducted in C57BL/6 and CBA/Ca mice. Treatment with an aminoglycoside-diuretic combination produced loss of all outer hair cells within 48 hours in both strains. The subsequent progressive tissue re-organisation was examined using immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. There was no evidence of significant de-differentiation of the specialised columnar supporting cells. Kir4.1 was down regulated but KCC4, GLAST, microtubule bundles, connexin expression patterns and pathways of intercellular communication were retained. The columnar supporting cells became covered with non-specialised cells migrating from the outermost region of the organ of Corti. Eventually non-specialised, flat cells replaced the columnar epithelium. Flat epithelium developed in distributed patches interrupting regions of columnar epithelium formed of differentiated supporting cells. Formation of the flat epithelium was initiated within a few weeks post-treatment in C57BL/6 mice but not for several months in CBA/Ca’s, suggesting genetic background influences the rate of re-organisation

Collectively Improving Our Teaching: Attempting Biology Department–wide Professional Development in Scientific Teaching

Many efforts to improve science teaching in higher education focus on a few faculty members at an institution at a time, with limited published evidence on attempts to engage faculty across entire departments. We created a long-term, department-wide collaborative professional development program, Biology Faculty Explorations in Scientific Teaching (Biology FEST). Across 3 years of Biology FEST, 89% of the department's faculty completed a weeklong scientific teaching institute, and 83% of eligible instructors participated in additional semester-long follow-up programs. A semester after institute completion, the majority of Biology FEST alumni reported adding active learning to their courses. These instructor self-reports were corroborated by audio analysis of classroom noise and surveys of students in biology courses on the frequency of active-learning techniques used in classes taught by Biology FEST alumni and nonalumni. Three years after Biology FEST launched, faculty participants overwhelmingly reported that their teaching was positively affected. Unexpectedly, most respondents also believed that they had improved relationships with departmental colleagues and felt a greater sense of belonging to the department. Overall, our results indicate that biology department-wide collaborative efforts to develop scientific teaching skills can indeed attract large numbers of faculty, spark widespread change in teaching practices, and improve departmental relations

Spinster Homolog 2 (Spns2) Deficiency Causes Early Onset Progressive Hearing Loss

Spinster homolog 2 (Spns2) acts as a Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) transporter in zebrafish and mice, regulating heart development and lymphocyte trafficking respectively. S1P is a biologically active lysophospholipid with multiple roles in signalling. The mechanism of action of Spns2 is still elusive in mammals. Here, we report that Spns2-deficient mice rapidly lost auditory sensitivity and endocochlear potential (EP) from 2 to 3 weeks old. We found progressive degeneration of sensory hair cells in the organ of Corti, but the earliest defect was a decline in the EP, suggesting that dysfunction of the lateral wall was the primary lesion. In the lateral wall of adult mutants, we observed structural changes of marginal cell boundaries and of strial capillaries, and reduced expression of several key proteins involved in the generation of the EP (Kcnj10, Kcnq1, Gjb2 and Gjb6), but these changes were likely to be secondary. Permeability of the boundaries of the stria vascularis and of the strial capillaries appeared normal. We also found focal retinal degeneration and anomalies of retinal capillaries together with anterior eye defects in Spns2 mutant mice. Targeted inactivation of Spns2 in red blood cells, platelets, or lymphatic or vascular endothelial cells did not affect hearing, but targeted ablation of Spns2 in the cochlea using a Sox10-Cre allele produced a similar auditory phenotype to the original mutation, suggesting that local Spns2 expression is critical for hearing in mammals. These findings indicate that Spns2 is required for normal maintenance of the EP and hence for normal auditory function, and support a role for S1P signalling in hearing