Knowing Their Audience: The Dynamics of Multiple Strategic Collective Action Frames by W.O.A.R. (Women Organized Against Rape)

Using the sociological theory of collective action frames and scholarship on the anti-sexual violence movement, the analysis discusses multiple frames (rights frames, counter frames, and injustice frames) used by Women Organized Against Rape (W.O.A.R). It shows that in correspondence with public officials, W.O.A.R used rights frames to advocate for reform. Meanwhile, in responses to media outlets and in their own publication, WOARpath, W.O.A.R used counter frames to deconstruct rape culture. The final two sections of the paper place this analysis in conversation with prominent critiques of the anti-sexual violence movement: its lack of intersectionality and emphasis on victimization and vulnerability. W.O.A.R’s activist methods and rhetoric reveal a disregard for how race complicates the issue of sexual violence. However, W.O.A.R’s use of victimization and vulnerability rhetoric is limited to correspondence with public officials. In WOARpath , W.O.A.R subverted victim frames through war motifs and calls for self-defense

Medialink: New program to promote Asia-Australia media exchange

The Asialink Center at The University of Melbourne has established a new media program, Medialink, to link media in the Asia-Australia region through information and personnel exchanges. Part of the program will see Australian media workers and students working in Asian news organizations and vice versa. Medialink was launched in Melbourne in December by Indonesian editor Mr Gunawan Mohamad, founder and editor of the news magazine Tempo which was banned in 1994but defied the government by going on-line until it was allowed to resume publishing in 1998. We should not underestimate the importance of exchanges. Creating this exchange program is commendable, said Gunawan, best known for his writings against the Suharto Government. The program will offer fellowships of up to $A12,000 each for in-country residencies for three to 12 months. The fellowships provide an opportunity for media personnel- producers, script writers, photographers, technicians, reporters - to be exposed to the politics and culture as well as media technology and procedures of another country in the region

A collaborative model of community health nursing practice

This paper discusses a strategic collaborative partnership between a Western Australian university and a community health service based on a Practice-Research Model. The partnership has involved a senior academic (0.2 FTE) working in the community health setting as a Nurse Research Consultant since 1998. The first section of the paper draws on the nursing literature on collaborative models and describes the broad background to the partnership and development of the Model. The second section presents in detail the results of a recent evaluation that involved a brief survey and follow-up interviews to determine community health nurses' understanding and perceptions of the partnership Model. Three main themes emerged from the interviews: (1) Advancement of learning. This theme captured the extent to which the Nurse Research Consultant position helped to educate nurses and promote and develop research and best-practice; (2) Job satisfaction and self-confidence. This encompassed the extent to which participants felt nursing management were supportive of their professional education and pursuit of best-practice solutions, and (3) Situational opportunity. This theme reflected the more negative comments expressed by participants and related mostly to the restricted availability of Nurse Research Consultant and a focus on mainstream research priorities. The results suggest that the partnership Model provided the nurses with the opportunity to develop an increased understanding of the role of research in clinical practice and confidence in their own ability to reflect on current nursing practice. This allowed them to identify clinical problems in order to deliver and evaluate best-practice solutions, as evidenced by a change in attitude from the previous evaluation. However, it was also noted that the operational performance of the Model needs continual monitoring to ensure that all nurses have equitable access opportunities

Creative professional users musical relevance criteria

Although known item searching for music can be dealt with by searching metadata using existing text search techniques, human subjectivity and variability within the music itself make it very difficult to search for unknown items. This paper examines these problems within the context of text retrieval and music information retrieval. The focus is on ascertaining a relationship between music relevance criteria and those relating to relevance judgements in text retrieval. A data-rich collection of relevance judgements by creative professionals searching for unknown musical items to accompany moving images using real world queries is analysed. The participants in our observations are found to take a socio-cognitive approach and use a range of content and context based criteria. These criteria correlate strongly with those arising from previous text retrieval studies despite the many differences between music and text in their actual content

Assessing the role of extracellular vesicles in renin-angiotensin system signalling in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) involving the heart or blood vessels is the most common cause of death and disability worldwide. Following development of chronic hypertension, the left ventricular mass of the heart increases adaptively due to increased work load which further increases the risk of adverse cardiac events such as heart failure. Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy is associated with classical renin-angiotensin system (RAS) signalling where increased angiotensin II (Ang II) signalling via the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) exacerbates the hypertrophic response and blockade of Ang II signalling via angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) inhibits the hypertrophic response. Experimental models of CVD, including cardiac hypertrophy, have shown that stimulation of the counter-regulatory axis of the RAS, in particular stimulation of the ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/Mas signalling arm, provides cardioprotective effects. Although there is growing evidence for the importance of Ang-(1-7) in cardioprotection, delivery of this peptide to the heart as a therapeutic proves difficult owing to its short half life and thus quick degradation in the circulation. Recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have become an area of interest in terms of therapeutic delivery vehicles in a variety of disease settings. Due to their phospholipid bilayer, EVs remain stable and are not immediately degraded in the circulation, however organ-targeting is still a major challenge. As there is a need for new therapeutic delivery strategies for Ang-(1-7), the primary aim of this thesis was to investigate the potential role of EVs in RAS signalling and to determine whether functional Ang-(1-7) could be delivered via EVs in both in vitro and in vivo models of Ang II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Initially, in vitro investigations were carried out in the H9c2 model of Ang II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. EVs were obtained from the conditioned media of H9c2 cardiomyocytes +/- Ang II stimulation and successfully characterised in terms of size, protein concentration, and concentration of particles released though no significant differences were found upon Ang II stimulation. EVs obtained from cardiac fibroblasts [neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts (NRCF)] +/- Ang II stimulation were also characterised and found to be significantly larger than those released from H9c2 cardiomyocytes. Next, the functional effect of the EVs was determined using the H9c2 model of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. It was found that 1 hr post-treatment with EVs, the EVs could be found associated with the H9c2 cell nucleus. EVs released from FAM-labelled Ang II treated H9c2 cells were shown to co-localise at the recipient H9c2 cell nucleus along with the FAM-Ang II signal. The evidence for Ang II association with EVs was further demonstrated by ELISA, where it was found that Ang II levels were significantly increased in EVs released from Ang II stimulated H9c2 cells vs control cells. Treatment of recipient H9c2 cells with Ang II EVs induced a hypertrophic response in these cells, where a significant increase in cell size was observed along with increased gene expression of the hypertrophy marker, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). It was found that proteinase K efficiently digests soluble Ang II peptide and that treatment of EVs with proteinase K before addition to recipient cells did not abolish the hypertrophic effect. The hypertrophic response observed by treatment with Ang II EVs could be blocked by pre-treating parental cells with losartan but not by pre-treatment with PD123,319. It was found that EVs derived from Ang II-stimulated NRCF cells could also induce a hypertrophic response in recipient H9c2 cardiomyocytes, and that Ang II was detectable within the EVs. As the Ang II EVs were shown to have a functional effect in terms of hypertrophy in recipient cells, parental cells were next treated with Ang-(1-7) before EV isolation. It was found that EVs derived from Ang-(1-7) treated H9c2 cardiomyocytes were able to significantly inhibit Ang II-induced hypertrophy in recipient cells, where the Ang II-induced increase in cell size was absent upon co-treatment with Ang-(1-7)-EVs. As functional Ang II was found at low levels within EVs derived from Ang II-stimulated cells, it was of interest to determine whether Ang II levels could be increased by exogenous loading via electroporation, and if Ang-(1-7) could also be exogenously loaded into EVs. Optimisation of electroporation with Ang II showed significantly higher levels present in Ang II electroporated EVs compared with naïve electroporated EVs. Similarly, it was found that electroporation of EVs in the presence of Ang-(1-7) produced significantly higher levels of Ang-(1-7) within EVs compared to naïve electroporated EVs. These Ang-(1-7)-loaded EVs inhibited Ang II-induced increase in cell size in recipient H9c2 cardiomyocytes. Next, EVs were derived from the serum of normotensive WKY rats and hypertensive SHRSP rats and characterised. WKY EVs were found to be significantly larger than SHRSP EVs and exhibited a significantly higher protein concentration. WKY EVs were electroporated in the presence of Ang-(1-7) and then found to inhibit Ang II-induced hypertrophy in H9c2 cardiomyocytes. Interestingly, the inhibitory effect was also found after treatment with naïve electroporated EVs, an effect presumed to be due to the detectable levels of endogenous Ang-(1-7). The protective effect of Ang-(1-7) electroporated serum-derived EVs was next investigated in vivo utilising an Ang II-infusion rat model. This involved two 30 μg bolus injections of electroporated EVs into the circulation of WKY rats infused with 200 ng/kg/min Ang II over a 2 week period. It was found that Ang II infusion did not significantly increase blood pressure, percentage fibrosis or cardiomyocyte hypertrophy compared with vehicle infusion. As a result, the protective effects of Ang-(1-7) EV bolus injection could not be established in this study. Finally, human serum EV populations were analysed between healthy control subjects and coronary artery bypass patients to determine potential differences in size, concentration of particles released, Ang II content and Ang-(1-7) content under normal and CVD conditions. It was found that EVs derived from the serum of patients with coronary artery disease were significantly smaller in size than those from healthy control subjects and there were significantly lower numbers of particles released. It was also found that patient EVs contained significantly higher levels of Ang II compared with healthy controls, however Ang-(1-7) levels did not significantly differ between the two groups. Overall, these studies provide evidence that different cells of the heart produce different populations of EVs. Additionally, these EVs are able to transport functional effector peptides associated with the RAS, including Ang II and Ang-(1-7), in an in vitro model of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Finally, for the first time, electroporation was used to load the cardioprotective peptide, Ang-(1-7), into EVs for delivery in an in vivo Ang II infusion model with promising effects valuable for future therapeutic studies

Novel insights in the genetics of steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome in childhood

Steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) is the most common form of nephrotic syndrome in childhood and there is growing evidence that genetics play a role in the susceptibility for the disease. Familial clustering has been observed and has led to several studies on familial SSNS trying to identify a monogenic cause of the disease. Until now, however, none of these have provided convincing evidence for Mendelian inheritance. This and the phenotypic variability within SSNS suggest a complex inheritance pattern, where multiple variants and interactions between those and the environment play roles in disease development. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have been used to investigate this complex disease. We herein highlight new insights in the genetics of the disease provided by GWAS and identify how these insights fit into our understanding of the pathogenesis of SSNS

Experimental determination of the roughness functions of marine coatings

The aim of this paper is to determine the roughness functions of different marine coatings, including two novel FOUL-X-SPEL paints and two existing commercial coatings, and two control surfaces, using the overall method of Granville (1987). An extensive series of towing tests of flat plates coated with different antifouling coatings was carried out at the Kelvin Hydrodynamics Laboratory (KHL) of the University of Strathclyde. The tests were designed to examine the as applied drag performances of FOUL-X-SPEL paints and compare them with two existing reference paints and two control surfaces. The surface roughness amplitude parameters of all of the test surfaces were measured using a hull roughness analyser. In total over 150 runs were carried out, including a series of repeat tests designed to quantify the uncertainty in the results. The drag coefficients and roughness function values of each surface were evaluated along with the uncertainty limits

Understanding the causes of local disputes in paediatrics to develop pathways to dispute resolution in North East Scotland. [RCPCH Poster]

Conflicts over the care of children with life-limiting conditions can reach the point where courts have to intervene,but giving evidence causes distress, unwanted media attention and costs. The decision in Charlie Gard’s case in Englandincluded a plea for parties to mediate. No case has arisen in Scotland, where law and practice differ, but there are approximately 16,000 children with complex conditions where care might potentially be disputed. This study seeks to understand reasons for disputes, identify potential solutions (including mediation) and reduce the risk of a case coming before a Scottish court. In-depth interviews (online and face-to-face) with NHS Grampian clinicians and parents were conducted from which qualitative data were obtained on their experiences and views on disagreements about care, how decision-making is handled, what works well and what might improve existing approaches. This is being funded by the NHS Grampian Endowment Fund. Ten clinicians and five parents were interviewed. Preliminary thematic analysis suggests that clinicians feel multidisciplinary team meetings improve conflict resolution for patients with complex requirements, where specialism boundaries can blur. When disputes arise, the type of intervention varied depending on its scale, urgency and impact on other care teams. A cause of disputes is variation in goals within and between care teams, but micro-discussions and step-bystep approaches from the outset work well and mitigate risk of disputes. The settings, timing and language used in conversations with parents is important. Findings suggest that clinicians may prefer a two-stage process where meetings are held without parents in the first instance. A strong Chair facilitates useful meetings, but parents still find it difficult to know who to address questions to. Families' use of social media/online searches can be problematic and lead to strained relationships, but emphasis on 'good death' and 'doing what's right' were highlighted. When a child is hospitalised, 'handing over' a child who has been looked after at home can be difficult for parents and home care teams. A desire to connect with parents facing similar challenges was expressed. It is clear that conflict exists in Scottish paediatric care. Practice suggests that there are strategies which can be employed to minimise risk of intractable disputes arising which could be used to assess the suitability of mediation and formalised into a toolkit to support families and clinicians

Understanding the causes of local disputes in paediatrics to develop pathways to dispute resolution in North East Scotland. [NHS Grampian R&D Poster]

Conflicts between parents and clinicians over the care of children with life-limiting conditions can reach the point where courts must intervene, causing distress, unwanted media attention and costs. This NHS Grampian case study sought to understand reasons for disputes, identify potential solutions and reduce the risk of a case coming before a Scottish court. In-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 participants (a mix of NHS Grampian clinicians and parents) were conducted from which qualitative data were obtained on their experiences of and views on disagreements about care, how decision-making is handled, what works well and what might improve existing approaches