Epistolary Larkin : life, letters and the literary biography

‘Epistolary Larkin’ is the first comprehensive study to focus primarily on Philip Larkin’s letters as literary constructs. The publication of Anthony Thwaite’s Philip Larkin: Selected Letters 1940-1985 (1992) caused widespread division across the critical landscape of Larkin studies. On one side, the letters are the key to reveal attitudes and motivations from Larkin’s life and unlock the literary texts. On the other are critics who draw on contradictions in Larkin’s letters to reveal their unreliability for approaching the work. Recently, critics have attempted to find a middle ground between reading the letters as biographical lens, or an unreliable witness to the life. However, within these studies there is still an attempt to disentangle the ‘real’ Larkin from the literary constructs. The originality of this thesis is that it does not search for the ‘real’ Larkin in the letters but instead presents the letters as constructions of Larkin’s epistolary worlds. For Larkin, the letter allowed him to step out of his reality and enter an imaginative world with his reader.This thesis is the first study to bring the three editions of Larkin’s letters – Selected Letters (1992), Letters to Monica (2010), Letters Home (2018) – to centre stage of Larkin scholarship. Conventionally, Larkin’s letters have always maintained a secondary position to the poetry, prose and short stories. However, here the letters take precedence. Through detailed examination of these editions and unpublished letters, this thesis offers fresh perspectives on Larkin’s epistolary worlds, which are no longer presented as windows onto the life but as literary texts themselves. In doing so, ‘Epistolary Larkin’ not only makes a significant contribution to our understanding of Larkin as a writer but also intervenes in recent debates about the more unpalatable views – on racism, women, and children – that successive editions of Larkin’s letters have been shown to reveal

Characterising the production of novel antimicrobials in Streptomyces formicae

Antibiotic resistance poses a major risk to modern medicine, therefore finding new antimicrobial compounds is vital. Most currently used antibiotics originate from actinomycetes discovered more than half a century ago. Previous work from the Hutchings laboratory led to the isolation of a new Streptomyces species named S. formicae from the African fungus-farming plant-ant, Tetraponera penzigi. S. formicae produces novel pentacyclic polyketides, the formicamycins, that have potent antibacterial activity against drug-resistant pathogens including methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE). During this work, the genes responsible for formicamycin biosynthesis in the native producer were identified and characterised in detail using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing. In addition, we used cappable RNA- and ChIP-sequencing to determine the transcriptional organisation of the pathway and study the regulatory cascade controlling the production of- and host resistance to- these potent antimicrobials. We exploited this information to generate multiple mutants of S. formicae that overproduce formicamycins as well as various biosynthetic intermediates and shunt metabolites, some of which also have bioactivity. Attempts to understand the evolutionary origins of the biosynthetic pathway and the mode of action of these novel compounds are also presented. Furthermore, the potentiall for novel chemistry from S. formicae is not limited to the formicamycin pathway; antiSMASH analysis shows this talented strain contains at least 45 secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). Under standard laboratory conditions, wild-type S. formicae also exhibits antifungal activity against the drug-resistant Lomentospora prolificans, and when the formicamycin BGC is deleted, the strain produces additional compounds with potent antibacterial activity against MRSA. Overall, this work demonstrates that searching under-explored environments for new species combined with genome editing is a promising route towards finding new anti-infectives

The knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of midwives on the vaccination coverage rates in Perth’s Aboriginal children

Background: Midwives are well placed to promote vaccination awareness throughout a women’s pregnancy and strengthen childhood vaccination demand following hospital discharge. In Perth, Western Australia, Aboriginal children experience some of the lowest vaccination coverage rates across the nation. To identify factors preventing greater vaccination uptake amongst the target population, a theory-based study was conducted with midwives across two Perth maternity hospitals to explore behavioural attributes, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs surrounding vaccination provision and the vaccines administered to Aboriginal children. Methods: A purpose-designed questionnaire was distributed to midwives working in two Perth public maternity hospitals. The proximal constructs of The Theory of Planned Behavior were used to frame the questionnaire to enable the barriers to greater vaccination coverage to be identified and behaviourally situated. Descriptive statistics described the demographics of the study sample. Chi-square and the Fisher’s exact test were used to identify associations between midwife characteristics and awareness of the coverage rates. Significance was set at α = 0.05. Results: Of the 58 midwives who completed the study questionnaire, 77.2% were unaware of the sub-optimal vaccination coverage in Perth’s Aboriginal children. Level of education (p = 0.53) and years worked as a practising midwife (p = 0.47) were not found to be associated with an awareness of the coverage rates. Approximately, 50% of midwives reported some concern over the efficacy of childhood vaccines, 44.4% did not feel confident with their knowledge of vaccines, while 33.3% do not routinely discuss childhood vaccinations with parents prior to hospital discharge. Conclusions: Key findings in the study identified that a range of educational, leadership and system-based issues are affecting midwives’ capacity to play a more substantial role in influencing vaccination coverage in Perth’s Aboriginal children

Dissolution of the Disparate:Co-ordinate Regulation in Antibiotic Biosynthesis

Discovering new antibiotics is vital to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. Most currently used antibiotics originate from the natural products of actinomycete bacteria, particularly Streptomyces species, that were discovered over 60 years ago. However, genome sequencing has revealed that most antibiotic-producing microorganisms encode many more natural products than previously thought. Biosynthesis of these natural products is tightly regulated by global and cluster situated regulators (CSRs), most of which respond to unknown environmental stimuli, and this likely explains why many biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) are not expressed under laboratory conditions. One approach towards novel natural product discovery is to awaken these cryptic BGCs by re-wiring the regulatory control mechanism(s). Most CSRs bind intergenic regions of DNA in their own BGC to control compound biosynthesis, but some CSRs can control the biosynthesis of multiple natural products by binding to several different BGCs. These cross-cluster regulators present an opportunity for natural product discovery, as the expression of multiple BGCs can be affected through the manipulation of a single regulator. This review describes examples of these different mechanisms, including specific examples of cross-cluster regulation, and assesses the impact that this knowledge may have on the discovery of novel natural products

Childcare food provision recommendations vary across australia: Jurisdictional comparison and nutrition expert perspectives

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Early childhood is a critical stage for nutrition promotion, and childcare settings have the potential for wide-reaching impact on food intake. There are currently no Australian national guidelines for childcare food provision, and the comparability of existing guidelines across jurisdictions is unknown. This project aimed to map and compare childcare food provision guidelines and to explore perspectives amongst early childhood nutrition experts for alignment of jurisdictional childcare food provision guidelines with the Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG). A desktop review was conducted and formed the basis of an online survey. A national convenience sample of childhood nutrition experts was surveyed. Existing guideline recommendations for food group serving quantities were similar across jurisdictions but contained many minor differences. Of the 49 survey respondents, most (84–100%) agreed with aligning food group provision recommendations to provide at least 50% of the recommended ADG serves for children. Most (94%) agreed that discretionary foods should be offered less than once per month or never. Jurisdictional childcare food provision guidelines do not currently align, raising challenges for national accreditation and the provision of support and resources for services across jurisdictions. Childhood nutrition experts support national alignment of food provision guidelines with the ADG

Comparison of Long-Term Oral Anticoagulation Therapies Including Newly Approved Reversal Agent for Dabigatran

Anticoagulants are a well-known class of agents essential for the prevention of blood clots, which may further develop into deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism or stroke. Individuals at a high risk of clotting, such as those with atrial fibrillation, multiple risk factors or recent hip/knee surgery, are in need of long-term anticoagulation therapy. The purpose of this review is to highlight the pros and cons for each available anticoagulant as well as discuss pivotal clinical trials that evaluated the safety and efficacy of these agents. Warfarin, the oldest anticoagulant, requires the patient to attend frequent appointments with a health care professional in order to test their international normalized ratio (INR). Newer anticoagulants, including dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban, do not require frequent INR testing and have a quicker onset of action than warfarin, providing convenience for the patient. However, many health care professionals prefer warfarin because the INR may indicate its efficacy, its dosages can be easily changed and it is typically more affordable. Additionally, dabigatran may be chosen because it is the only one of these drugs that has a reversal agent, which can be utilized in the case of major bleeding or emergent surgery. There are many opportunities for pharmacists to impact patient outcomes in the anticoagulation therapy setting. From clinics to the community pharmacy setting, the pharmacist\u27s role in patient counseling and education is crucial in reducing mortality. Additionally, drug development is a growing market as reversal agents are needed for many of these newer anticoagulation therapies

What goes in and what comes out: A scoping review of regenerative agricultural practices

This scoping review examined peer-reviewed and gray literature to explore what a “no-to-low external input” statement means for regenerative agriculture. Five organic amendment inputs (compost extract, manure, mulch, biochar, food systems waste) and four land management processes (livestock management and integration, crop diversity, tillage reduction, comprehensive approach) were identified. Findings include “no-to-low external input” models arising from processes which function to displace external inputs (e.g., synthetic fertilizer). Organic amendment inputs and regenerative land management processes promote biology and improve nutrient cycling at soil, farm, and landscape scales. Regenerative agriculture overlaps with other farming practices including those associated with agroecology and conservation agriculture

The “four Ds” and support for Local Smart Grids: analysis from national surveys in the UK and Canada

Local Smart Grids are emerging during the climate crisis, as governments and industry recognize the need to better integrate intermittent renewable energy, storage, transportation, heating, and smart technologies. Such projects can represent profound changes to the status quo of energy and citizen lifestyles. They are also being associated with the “four Ds,” whereby Local Smart Grids are decarbonizing, decentralizing, digitalizing, and potentially democratizing energy systems. Yet, due to their recent arrival, there is very little social scientific research that has aimed to better understand public views, expectations, and support for this change. We attempt to fill this important gap in the literature through the analysis of two nationally representative surveys in the UK (n = 3034) and Canada (n = 941). This analysis highlights within- and between-country trends, including how the variation in responses regarding the “four Ds,” demographic factors, and other variables may explain the differences we see in terms of support for energy system change in the UK and Canada. Our analysis also shows that there are common elements, including the importance of the decentralization, and especially the democratization of energy in shaping support. We hope that this study will help governments, industry, community groups, and local residents themselves in both countries come together to advance the kind of Local Smart Grids that address climate change and represent a supported, just energy transition

Differences in health beliefs and health behaviors between university academic and professional staff

Introduction: Physical inactivity is a known contributor to a variety of chronic diseases, with many adults spending a large proportion of their lives working in sedentary occupations. The aim of this project was to examine the impact of occupational classification on health behaviors and health beliefs in full-time employees. Methods This project was a self-report, descriptive design. The participants included 117 Academic and 180 Profe ssional staff employed at a regional University (65% female, age 43.2 ± 11.0 years). Participants completed an online survey that involved a self-report of demographic characteristics, physical activity and sitting time (via the International Physical Activity Questionnaire) and health beliefs (via the Health Belief Model). Independent t-tests, Mann Whitney U-tests and Chi-squared tests were used to compare Academic to Professional staff responses. Spearman rank correlation coefficients were calculated to determine relationships between dependent variables. Results Academic staff agreed more than Professional staff that regular exercise would reduce disease-related mortality, surgery and anxiety, and that they were likely to develop a disease during their lifetime (p0.05) and sitting (3004 ± 1076 vs. 2758 ± 1031 minutes/week, p>0.05) to Professional staff. Working hours were not significantly correlated to sitting or physical activity time in either group. Sitting time was significantly (negatively) correlated to walking time for the Professional staff (ρ=-0.203, p=0.02), with no relationship evident for the Academic staff. Discussion Academic and Professional staff at a regional University report differences in health beliefs and health behaviors. The health beliefs of Academic staff do not appear to directly affect exercise behavior. The impact of both occupational classification and individual health beliefs should be considered when designing worksite health programs

Reducing biting rates of Aedes aegypti with metofluthrin: investigations in time and space

Background: Indoor residual spraying is key to dengue control in Cairns and other parts of northern Queensland, Australia, where Aedes aegypti is prevalent, but the strategy faces challenges with regards to slow application time and, therefore, community coverage. A faster potential improvement might be the use of polyethylene netting impregnated with the volatile pyrethroid metofluthrin (SumiOne™). This formulation was assessed in rooms in three houses in Cairns, Australia. One emanator was placed in each room and cages of 10 female Aedes aegypti were exposed at distances of 1 and 3 m. Knockdown and landings on a human hand were counted before metofluthrin exposure and at 10, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min during exposure. In addition, two trials continued over 48 h of exposure to assess the long-term sublethal effects of metofluthrin on caged mosquitoes. Results: Percentage landing rates fell to 0-2.5% in the first 10 min of exposure. Knockdown was most evident between 10 and 30 min (54% at 1 m and 33% at 3 m). Distance from the emanator strongly affected the results: mosquitoes at 3 m exhibited less knockdown and more landings than those at 1 m. As room volume increased, knockdown decreased and the number of landing increased. There is a cumulative mortality and landing inhibition and, for mosquitoes exposed to metofluthrin for > 48 h, mortality was 100% at 1 m and 90% at 3 m. Of those still alive, a small number continued to land and bite. After being removed from metofluthrin-treated rooms, exposed insect cages were found to reducing landing rates for up to 2 h. Conclusions: Despite only moderate levels of knockdown during the initial hours of exposure, metofluthrin emanators were effective in reducing mosquito landing rates, especially within 1 m, even when exposed on an open veranda. The evaluation methods and results described in this paper will help inform the optimal conditions of deployment of metofluthrin emanators. These devices have the potential to reduce contact between humans and urban disease vectors faster than indoor residual spraying so supplement our current arsenal of dengue control tools