Contemporary life as revealed in recent Irish drama

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston UniversityContemporary Life as Revealed in Recent Irish Drama is a compilation and discussion of the various aspects of contemporary Irish life as expressed in plays by Irish dramatists, John M. Synge, Paul V. Carroll, Lennox Robinson, Sean O'Casey, and Seumas O'Brien. The work begins with a statement of the purpose of the thesis and the methods used. Chapter I covers the history of the development of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, Ireland, with the following features discussed: The purpose of the organization shows that the Abbey Theatre was first and foremost a theatrical, not a literary movement. Many dramatists of ability, and at least one, John M. Synge, of genius, was discovered. Most of the founders were bound together by their enthusiasm. The next feature of this theatrical movement was the foreign influence, in which is revealed Antoine's revolt against the Parisian Theatre in 1887 and the London Independent Theatre in 1891. Then the national influence on this theatrical organization is presented with the following aspects: A new interest in Gaelic sprung up with the formation of a Gaelic League in 1893, followed by the formation of an Irish Literary Theatre in Dublin, in which Lady Gregory, William B. Yeats, Edward Martyn, and George Moore were particularly active. The Countess Cathleen was presented in 1894, and soon afterwards the formation of the first company of Irish actors came. This group chose Deirdre as the first play to be presented in St. Teresa's Temperance Society Hall. Next came the formation of the Irish National Theatre in 1902, of which William B. Yeats was president. The Hour-Glass and Twenty-Five were presented with success, and the Dublin Press became more friendly. This chapter ends with a presentation of the best year of this theatre group, in which John M. Synge was discovered as a playwright, Sara Allgood, as an outstanding actress, and Miss Horniman of England, as a fine patron, who offered to invest in an Irish theatre. The play Deirdre was revived in 1903, and this producti on was followed by Riders to the Sea. In this year, theater fire regulations were so tightened that many Dublin buildings were closed. Then Mechanics Institute was taken over as a theater by the group under Miss Horniman's sponsorship. This place was called the Abbey Theatre, the first repertory theater in the world. On February, 1905, J. E. Synge's The Well of the Saints was produced. As John M. Synge links chapter one, which covers the history of The Abbey Theatre, with the more modern Irish dramatists, it seemed fitting to have chapter two present his view of peasant life in Wicklow, in which the following features are given: The fair and the tinkers. The next chapter discusses the country life in Western Ireland as presented by Lennox Robinson. The first play, The Whiteheaded Boy produced in 1921, reveals the middle class life, in which the follov1ing features were stressed: The matches, through which many marriages in Ireland have been arranged by the parents or older brothers of the families. In line with this problem of marriage arrangement is the place that the favorite son in the Irish family holds. Then come the pretensions and love of imitation that are found in this group of society which is especially affected by repertory players from the city. A picture of hotel life and country humor terminates this discusion of middle class life. The next phase of life in Western Ireland is that of the gentry, that Robinson reveals in his play, Killycreggs in Twilight, in which are found these various characteristics: The gentry pride, their pretensions, their tragedies. The following chapter presents the rectory life in Ireland as revealed in Paul V. Carroll's plays, Shadow and Substance and The White Steed, produced respectively in 1937 and 1939, which introduce us to the following features: The modern Canon, his country curates, the rectory housekeeper, the village school which the Canon dominates; the village school master, the old-fashioned Canon, who disapproves of the vigilant committees, the native's love of country, the home of an Irish peasant, and a countryman's view of Dublin. The final chapter, which depicts Sean O'Casey's view of the tenement life of Dublin, where he was reared, is divided into three parts. The first section concerns tenement life in Dublin from 1915 to 1916, and The Plough and The Stars gives us a pictures of that class of society. The following phases are presented: The tenement dweller's reaction to his surroundings and his desire to improve his conditions. Then comes a description of a typical tenement with the resulting ravages of disease on the people of this area, caused by the lack of sunshine, proper food and care. Amid the tribulations is found the strong faith of these dwellers. A wake and funeral are sadly described amid the street-fighting in the district. Then comes a description of landmarks in Dublin where much of this fighting occurred. A revelation of the means of transportation, the humor of the people amid strife, and the tenement landlord and his problems complete part one of this phase of Irish life. The second part of this chapter presents tenement life in Dublin from 1917 to 1923. Sean O'Casey's observations of tenement life in 1922 is first presented, followed by Padraic Colum's comments on Dublin of that era. Then appears a description of the various types of characters found in this district of Dublin: the militarists, the street vendors, and a typical tenement neighbor. Then the third part of this final chapter gives a view of modern tenement life in Dublin with the following aspects: The poetic workman of modern Dublin's tenement life, who desires to improve his mind even though he has had no benefit of formal education. Next are found O'Casey's criticism of the housing conditions in Dublin with their dubious activities. Then follows a description of the street vendors and their threat, because of their poor working conditions, to the safety of the city. The final picture presented is that of an Irish mother, whom O'Casey has described with love and pity, for she has sacrificed so much during her life for her children. This mother in reality represents his own mother, to whom he owes so much, in his autobiography, I Knock at the Door

Reconsidering the History of Open Courts in the Digital Age

Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution of the State of Washington guarantees, “Justice in all cases shall be administered openly, and without unnecessary delay.” The Washington State Supreme Court has interpreted this clause to guarantee the public a right to attend legal proceedings and to access court documents separate and apart from the rights of the litigants themselves. Based on this interpretation, the court has struck down laws protecting the identity of both juvenile victims of sexual assault and individuals subject to involuntary commitment hearings. Its interpretation has also compromised the privacy rights of litigants wrongly named in legal proceedings. The court has supported these rulings by claiming that the public’s right of access to the courts “is rooted in centuries-old English common law.” Part I of this Article engages in a detailed exploration of the history of the right of public access to legal proceedings and court records, going back to Magna Carta of 1215 and other historical accounts of English common law. It also explores the tradition of publicly held proceedings, as well as the articulation of defendants’ Sixth Amendment rights under the United States Constitution and other early colonial documents. The Article then considers the history of Article I, Section 10 of Washington’s constitution, the “Open Courts Clause,” and the early interpretations of the state constitution. From there, it examines the more recent precedent, where the independent right of the public is articulated. Part II of this Article urges Washington courts to reexamine the Experience and Logic Test, which has been adopted by the Washington State Supreme Court to guide the lower courts’ application of the “Open Courts Clause.” Finally, Part III of this Article contends that certain cases may need to be reexamined in light of the court’s adoption of the Experience and Logic Test

Reconsidering the History of Open Courts in the Digital Age

Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution of the State of Washington guarantees, “Justice in all cases shall be administered openly, and without unnecessary delay.” The Washington State Supreme Court has interpreted this clause to guarantee the public a right to attend legal proceedings and to access court documents separate and apart from the rights of the litigants themselves. Based on this interpretation, the court has struck down laws protecting the identity of both juvenile victims of sexual assault and individuals subject to involuntary commitment hearings. Its interpretation has also compromised the privacy rights of litigants wrongly named in legal proceedings. The court has supported these rulings by claiming that the public’s right of access to the courts “is rooted in centuries-old English common law.” Part I of this Article engages in a detailed exploration of the history of the right of public access to legal proceedings and court records, going back to Magna Carta of 1215 and other historical accounts of English common law. It also explores the tradition of publicly held proceedings, as well as the articulation of defendants’ Sixth Amendment rights under the United States Constitution and other early colonial documents. The Article then considers the history of Article I, Section 10 of Washington’s constitution, the “Open Courts Clause,” and the early interpretations of the state constitution. From there, it examines the more recent precedent, where the independent right of the public is articulated. Part II of this Article urges Washington courts to reexamine the Experience and Logic Test, which has been adopted by the Washington State Supreme Court to guide the lower courts’ application of the “Open Courts Clause.” Finally, Part III of this Article contends that certain cases may need to be reexamined in light of the court’s adoption of the Experience and Logic Test

Spastin couples microtubule severing to membrane traffic in completion of cytokinesis and secretion.

Mutations in the gene encoding the microtubule (MT)-severing protein spastin are the most common cause of hereditary spastic paraplegia, a genetic condition in which axons of the corticospinal tracts degenerate. We show that not only does endogenous spastin colocalize with MTs, but that it is also located on the early secretory pathway, can be recruited to endosomes and is present in the cytokinetic midbody. Spastin has two main isoforms, a 68 kD full-length isoform and a 60 kD short form. These two isoforms preferentially localize to different membrane traffic pathways with 68 kD spastin being principally located at the early secretory pathway, where it regulates endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi traffic. Sixty kiloDalton spastin is the major form recruited to endosomes and is also present in the midbody, where its localization requires the endosomal sorting complex required for transport-III-interacting MIT domain. Loss of midbody MTs accompanies the abscission stage of cytokinesis. In cells lacking spastin, a MT disruption event that normally accompanies abscission does not occur and abscission fails. We suggest that this event represents spastin-mediated MT severing. Our results support a model in which membrane traffic and MT regulation are coupled through spastin. This model is relevant in the axon, where there also is co-ordinated MT regulation and membrane traffic

When Families, Organizational Culture, and Policy Collide: A Mixed Method Study of Alternative Response

Objective Alternative response (AR) is a family-centered, preventative approach for child protection systems. This study first examined what family and case factors predicted re-investigation and then explored which organizational factors influence caseworker and agency implementation of AR. Method Using administrative data from child protection reports, AR families (N = 9,959) and traditional response (TR) families (N = 13,974) were followed for 18 months to determine re-investigation rates using multilevel modeling where families were nested in county of residence. Four focus groups with 14 participants were conducted to discuss the quantitative findings, organizational culture, and implementation of AR. Results AR families had lower odds of re-investigation; males and younger children also had lower odds. Families with multiple children, prior investigations, receipt of Medicaid, and medium/high risk had higher odds of re-investigation. AR caseworkers provided insights regarding the intersection of family factors, organizational culture and support, and agency implementation of AR. Although participants supported AR, their ability to implement it was influenced by agency support and availability of resources to carry out the basic requirements of the policy. A clear distinction in responses emerged between those who held dual cases versus those holding only AR cases. Conclusion Although AR reduces the odds of re-investigation for low-risk families and was endorsed by caseworkers, AR policy in practice is complex and requires further evaluation, particularly from the perspective of AR caseworkers who faced implementation hurdles

ESCRT-III-associated proteins and spastin inhibit protrudin-dependent polarised membrane traffic

Funder: National Institute for Health Research; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000272Funder: Gates Cambridge Trust; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100005370Abstract: Mutations in the gene encoding the microtubule severing ATPase spastin are the most frequent cause of hereditary spastic paraplegia, a genetic condition characterised by length-dependent axonal degeneration. Here, we show that HeLa cells lacking spastin and embryonic fibroblasts from a spastin knock-in mouse model become highly polarised and develop cellular protrusions. In HeLa cells, this phenotype was rescued by wild-type spastin, but not by forms unable to sever microtubules or interact with endosomal ESCRT-III proteins. Cells lacking the spastin-interacting ESCRT-III-associated proteins IST1 or CHMP1B also developed protrusions. The protrusion phenotype required protrudin, a RAB-interacting protein that interacts with spastin and localises to ER–endosome contact sites, where it promotes KIF5-dependent endosomal motility to protrusions. Consistent with this, the protrusion phenotype in cells lacking spastin also required KIF5. Lack or mutation of spastin resulted in functional consequences for receptor traffic of a pathway implicated in HSP, as Bone Morphogenetic Protein receptor distribution became polarised. Our results, therefore, identify a novel role for ESCRT-III proteins and spastin in regulating polarised membrane traffic

Provision of Outdoor Nature-Based Activity for Older People with Cognitive Impairment: A Scoping Review from the ENLIVEN Project

© 2023 Rachel Collins et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.The health and well-being benefits of outdoor nature-based activity are increasingly recognised, but older people with cognitive impairment face significant barriers to access. The ENLIVEN project aims to promote access by gathering evidence and coproducing guidance for activity providers. As part of this project, we conducted a scoping review to characterise the types of outdoor nature-based activity for older people with dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment for which research evidence is available and the range of outcomes is examined. The protocol is available online. We systematically searched relevant databases from 1st January, 2009, to 20th October, 2022, and screened articles against the following criteria: participants were older people aged 65 and above with cognitive impairment arising from dementia or another health condition. The study described the formal provision of outdoor nature-based activity away from the person’s usual place of residence, and at least one outcome of participation in the activity was evaluated. Twenty-eight articles met inclusion criteria, all focused on people living with dementia. In most cases, participants were attending day care or living in residential care, and sample sizes ranged from 4 to 136. Activities fell into three groups: green day care (fifteen articles), equine-assisted interventions (seven articles), and community nature-based activities (six articles). Outcome domains explored were connection with nature, activity engagement, impacts on clinical symptoms, functional ability, physical, psychological, and social health, and quality of life. Outdoor nature-based activity can be offered as an opportunity for meaningful occupation to enrich daily life, as a framework for day care provision, or as an intervention to address clinical needs. The evidence base for green day care is relatively established, but the potential for addressing specific clinical needs remains to be explored. The paucity of evidence regarding community provision, especially for those not attending formal care settings, suggests the need for effective knowledge exchange to stimulate initiatives in this area.Peer reviewe

A Regional Food-Frequency Questionnaire for the US Mississippi Delta

Objective: To describe food sources of nutrient intake for white and African American adults in the Lower Mississippi Delta (LMD), and their use in the development of a regional food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) based on an earlier version of the National Cancer Institute\u27s Health Habits and History Questionnaire. Design: We ranked food sources of energy, macronutrients, vitamins and minerals, and examined portion size distributions for 842 white and 857 African American residents aged 19 years and older, using 24-hour dietary intake recall data from a telephone survey of 36 LMD counties. These values were used to develop a regional FFQ, which was then field-tested with 100 subjects and revised to improve interpretability. Setting: The LMD region of the USA. Subjects: White and African American adult residents of the LMD. Results: LMD African Americans obtained more of their energy and nutrient intakes from poultry, processed meat, salty snacks, fruit drinks, pork and cornbread; and less from milk, alcohol, legumes, salad dressing, butter/margarine and sweetened tea than did white residents. Regional foods not on nationally used FFQs included grits, turnip greens, okra, ham hocks, chitterlings, crawfish, catfish, cracklings, jambalaya, potato logs, chicken and dumplings, and sweet potato pie. Based on responses during field-testing, the questionnaire was also designed to add four portion sizes for each food item, presented as questions, rather than in grid format. Conclusions: Regional food use patterns differ from national patterns and furthermore differ between African American and white adults in the LMD. The resulting Delta NIRI FFQ for Adults should contribute to improved assessment of usual intake for use in studies of diet and health in this region

Patients' use of a home-based virtual reality system to provide rehabilitation of the upper limb following stroke

Background: A low cost, virtual reality system that translates movements of the hand, fingers and thumb into game play was designed to provide a flexible and motivating approach to increasing adherence to home based rehabilitation. Objective: Effectiveness depends on adherence, so did patients use the intervention to the recommended level. If not, what reasons did they give? Design: Prospective cohort study plus qualitative analysis of interviews. Methods: 17 patients recovering from stroke recruited to the intervention arm of a feasibility trial had the equipment left in their homes for eight weeks and were advised to use it three times a day for periods of no more than 20 minutes. Frequency and duration of use were automatically recorded. At the end of the intervention, participants were interviewed to determine barriers to using it in the recommended way. Results: Duration of use and how many days they used the equipment are presented for the 13 participants who successfully started the intervention. These figures were highly variable and could fall far short of our recommendations. There was a weak (p=0.053) positive correlation between duration and baseline reported activities of daily living. Participants reported familiarity with technology and competing commitments as barriers to use although appreciated the flexibility of the intervention and found it motivating

The Birchwood Junk Food Cafe, Skelmersdale

The University of Manchester conducted an evaluation of the Birchwood Junk Food Cafe, Skelmersdale, to assess the additional benefits of their adapted approach. A mixed methods evaluation was conducted, including interviews and questionnaires with both customers and those running the cafe. This highlighted benefits of the cafe and the impact of the cafe on its volunteers and customers. Key messages: Junk Food Cafes have the potential to have a positive impact on public health. Junk Food Cafes have the potential to help combat food poverty and social isolation in deprived communities