Beginnings and blind alleys : The bell 1940-1954

This thesis examines the Irish literary periodical The Bell which was first published in 1940, and ran intermittently until 1954. The Bell was Ireland's foremost literary magazine during its publication run, and had considerable success in bringing new authors together with more established names. As such, this thesis analyses the contribution of The Bell to the Irish literary tradition and interrogates its involvement within the wider scope of Irish society as a whole. The journal is assessed historically and viewed through the prism of the various personalities which contributed to its pages, in particular, its editors Sean O'Faolain and Peadar O'Donnell. In order to evaluate The Bell's position in Irish society, this thesis is divided into four chapters dealing with individual contributions and the historical formation of the magazine; Northern Ireland and perceptions of Partition; the political position of the magazine under Eamonn de Valera's administration; and its contribution to Irish writing. This thesis will confront some received critical assumptions about The Bell. More specifically, it complicates the idea of a debate between a state-sponsored, cultural nationalism and a liberal, artistic elite, which played out amongst its pages. In doing so, it will challenge the idea that Irish writing was stagnant in the years following independence, and will emphasise its connections with wider movements in European and world literature.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Empagliflozin in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Background The effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease who are at risk for disease progression are not well understood. The EMPA-KIDNEY trial was designed to assess the effects of treatment with empagliflozin in a broad range of such patients. Methods We enrolled patients with chronic kidney disease who had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of at least 20 but less than 45 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) of body-surface area, or who had an eGFR of at least 45 but less than 90 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (with albumin measured in milligrams and creatinine measured in grams) of at least 200. Patients were randomly assigned to receive empagliflozin (10 mg once daily) or matching placebo. The primary outcome was a composite of progression of kidney disease (defined as end-stage kidney disease, a sustained decrease in eGFR to < 10 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2), a sustained decrease in eGFR of & GE;40% from baseline, or death from renal causes) or death from cardiovascular causes. Results A total of 6609 patients underwent randomization. During a median of 2.0 years of follow-up, progression of kidney disease or death from cardiovascular causes occurred in 432 of 3304 patients (13.1%) in the empagliflozin group and in 558 of 3305 patients (16.9%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64 to 0.82; P < 0.001). Results were consistent among patients with or without diabetes and across subgroups defined according to eGFR ranges. The rate of hospitalization from any cause was lower in the empagliflozin group than in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.78 to 0.95; P=0.003), but there were no significant between-group differences with respect to the composite outcome of hospitalization for heart failure or death from cardiovascular causes (which occurred in 4.0% in the empagliflozin group and 4.6% in the placebo group) or death from any cause (in 4.5% and 5.1%, respectively). The rates of serious adverse events were similar in the two groups. Conclusions Among a wide range of patients with chronic kidney disease who were at risk for disease progression, empagliflozin therapy led to a lower risk of progression of kidney disease or death from cardiovascular causes than placebo