Sonification and Music as Support to the Communication of Alcohol-Related Health Risks to Young People : Study design and results

Excessive consumption of alcohol has been recognised as a significant risk factor impacting the health of young people. Effective communication of such risk is considered to be one key step to improve behaviour. We evaluated an innovative multimedia intervention that utilised audio (sonification—using sound to display data—and music) and interactivity to support the visual communication of alcohol health risk data. A 3-arm pilot experiment was undertaken. The trial measures included health knowledge, alcohol risk perception and user experience of the intervention. Ninety-six subjects participated in the experiment. At 1 month follow-up, alcohol knowledge and alcohol risk perception improved significantly in the whole sample. However, there was no difference between the intervention groups that experienced (1) visual presentation with interactivity (VI-Exp group) and, (2) visual presentation with audio (sonification and music) and interactivity (VAI-Exp group), when compared to the control group which experienced a (3) visual only presentation (V-Cont group). Participants reported enjoying the presentations and found them educational. The majority of participants indicated that the audio, music and sonification helped to convey the information well, and, although a larger sample size is needed to fully establish the effectiveness of the different interventions, this study provides a useful model for future similar studies

Convalescent plasma in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised controlled, open-label, platform trial

SummaryBackground Azithromycin has been proposed as a treatment for COVID-19 on the basis of its immunomodulatoryactions. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of azithromycin in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19.Methods In this randomised, controlled, open-label, adaptive platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19Therapy [RECOVERY]), several possible treatments were compared with usual care in patients admitted to hospitalwith COVID-19 in the UK. The trial is underway at 176 hospitals in the UK. Eligible and consenting patients wererandomly allocated to either usual standard of care alone or usual standard of care plus azithromycin 500 mg once perday by mouth or intravenously for 10 days or until discharge (or allocation to one of the other RECOVERY treatmentgroups). Patients were assigned via web-based simple (unstratified) randomisation with allocation concealment andwere twice as likely to be randomly assigned to usual care than to any of the active treatment groups. Participants andlocal study staff were not masked to the allocated treatment, but all others involved in the trial were masked to theoutcome data during the trial. The primary outcome was 28-day all-cause mortality, assessed in the intention-to-treatpopulation. The trial is registered with ISRCTN, 50189673, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04381936.Findings Between April 7 and Nov 27, 2020, of 16 442 patients enrolled in the RECOVERY trial, 9433 (57%) wereeligible and 7763 were included in the assessment of azithromycin. The mean age of these study participants was65·3 years (SD 15·7) and approximately a third were women (2944 [38%] of 7763). 2582 patients were randomlyallocated to receive azithromycin and 5181 patients were randomly allocated to usual care alone. Overall,561 (22%) patients allocated to azithromycin and 1162 (22%) patients allocated to usual care died within 28 days(rate ratio 0·97, 95% CI 0·87–1·07; p=0·50). No significant difference was seen in duration of hospital stay (median10 days [IQR 5 to >28] vs 11 days [5 to >28]) or the proportion of patients discharged from hospital alive within 28 days(rate ratio 1·04, 95% CI 0·98–1·10; p=0·19). Among those not on invasive mechanical ventilation at baseline, nosignificant difference was seen in the proportion meeting the composite endpoint of invasive mechanical ventilationor death (risk ratio 0·95, 95% CI 0·87–1·03; p=0·24).Interpretation In patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19, azithromycin did not improve survival or otherprespecified clinical outcomes. Azithromycin use in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 should be restrictedto patients in whom there is a clear antimicrobial indication

Between Gentlemen, Sambas and Beers: the discursive construction of the easy mulatto woman in Brazil

This article aims to undertake a reading of the discourses that deal with the imaginary about easy mulatto woman in Brazil (Freyre, 2006 [1933]), considering its historical and semiological density. That aim is based on statements that emerge on that mulatto woman in slavery period, discussing how it is put to the test during the twentieth century and, finally, analysing the updates and appropriations of that memory nowadays. The starting point is a discourse analysis derived from Michel Pêcheux, but also incorporates the contributions of Michel Foucault, as well as current discussions undertaken by Jean-Jacques Courtine, especially those concerning to the Historical Semiology.Cet article vise à entreprendre une lecture des discours qui traitent de l'imaginaire sur la mulâtresse facile au Brésil (Freyre, 2006 [1933]), compte tenu de sa densité historique et sémiologique. Ce but est lancé à partir des déclarations qui émergent sur cette mulâtresse au période d’esclavage, de discuter la façon dont elle est mise à l'épreuve au cours du XXe siècle et, enfin, analyser les mises à jour et des appropriations de cette mémoire de nos jours. Le point de départ est une analyse du discours dérivé de Michel Pêcheux, mais intègre également les contributions de Michel Foucault, ainsi que les discussions actuelles menées par Jean-Jacques Courtine, en particulier celles qui concernent la sémiologie historique.This article aims to undertake a reading of the discourses that deal with the imaginary about easy mulatto woman in Brazil (Freyre, 2006 [1933]), considering its historical and semiological density. That aim is based on statements that emerge on that mulatto woman in slavery period, discussing how it is put to the test during the twentieth century and, finally, analysing the updates and appropriations of that memory nowadays. The starting point is a discourse analysis derived from Michel Pêcheux, but also incorporates the contributions of Michel Foucault, as well as current discussions undertaken by Jean-Jacques Courtine, especially those concerning to the Historical Semiology

Between Gentlemen, Sambas and Beers: the discursive construction of the easy mulatto woman in Brazil

This article aims to undertake a reading of the discourses that deal with the imaginary about easy mulatto woman in Brazil (Freyre, 2006 [1933]), considering its historical and semiological density. That aim is based on statements that emerge on that mulatto woman in slavery period, discussing how it is put to the test during the twentieth century and, finally, analysing the updates and appropriations of that memory nowadays. The starting point is a discourse analysis derived from Michel Pêcheux, but also incorporates the contributions of Michel Foucault, as well as current discussions undertaken by Jean-Jacques Courtine, especially those concerning to the Historical Semiology.Cet article vise à entreprendre une lecture des discours qui traitent de l'imaginaire sur la mulâtresse facile au Brésil (Freyre, 2006 [1933]), compte tenu de sa densité historique et sémiologique. Ce but est lancé à partir des déclarations qui émergent sur cette mulâtresse au période d’esclavage, de discuter la façon dont elle est mise à l'épreuve au cours du XXe siècle et, enfin, analyser les mises à jour et des appropriations de cette mémoire de nos jours. Le point de départ est une analyse du discours dérivé de Michel Pêcheux, mais intègre également les contributions de Michel Foucault, ainsi que les discussions actuelles menées par Jean-Jacques Courtine, en particulier celles qui concernent la sémiologie historique.This article aims to undertake a reading of the discourses that deal with the imaginary about easy mulatto woman in Brazil (Freyre, 2006 [1933]), considering its historical and semiological density. That aim is based on statements that emerge on that mulatto woman in slavery period, discussing how it is put to the test during the twentieth century and, finally, analysing the updates and appropriations of that memory nowadays. The starting point is a discourse analysis derived from Michel Pêcheux, but also incorporates the contributions of Michel Foucault, as well as current discussions undertaken by Jean-Jacques Courtine, especially those concerning to the Historical Semiology

The 2005 BFA Graduating Class Department of Visual Arts

Concrete heads that mysteriously appear and disappear from the elevator over several days, giant steel towers that climb up nearly two floors from the Atrium, strange labyrinth and tiny secret rooms that appear in corridors and stairwells like mushrooms after rain: there are everyday occurrences in the Fine Arts building. They are a constant reminder of the frenzy of activity that for seven days a week and sometimes or twenty-four hours a day, occupies our students in the Visual Arts. Whether it is traditional easel painting or sculpture, printmaking, photography or innovative experiments with the latest video and digital technology, our students are making art. In the process, they are acquiring sophisticated skills, stretching their imaginations and testing both personal and societal boundaries. In a world as polarized as ours is today, with the forces of both reaction and fundamentalism threatening every form of freedom of expression, perhaps more than ever it is the individual artistic art that is most needed to sustain the human spirit. The fourth year graduating exhibit is a vital expression of the individual talents of our students and a testament to the commitment of artistic excellence of their instructors. On behalf of the entire, Visual Arts Faculty and Staff, I would like to congratulate our graduating class on what they have achieved and to urge them to use the talent and the passion evident in this exhibition to help shape a better future for us all

Birth outcomes of neonates exposed to marijuana in utero: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Question: Are adverse neonatal outcomes associated with exposure to marijuana among mothers during pregnancy? Findings: In this meta-analysis of 16 studies including 59 138 patients, maternal marijuana exposure during pregnancy was associated with increased risk of preterm deliveries and neonatal intensive care unit admission and decreased mean birth weight, 1-minute Apgar score, and head circumference of babies. There were no differences in mean 5-minute Apgar score or total infant length. Meaning: This study found that women using marijuana during pregnancy may be at increased risk of some adverse neonatal outcomes