Profitability determination in the United Kingdom brewing industry

This project analyses the determination of profitability in the United Kingdom brewing industry during the period 1972-1982. It is based on a. sample of fifteen brewing companies including the major national and regional companies. The study examines previous literature on the determination of profitability in industry in general, and the brewing industry in particular. (PIMS: Schoeffler 1977, Price Commission, 1977) It examines in some depth the debate as to whether higher market-share leads to greater profitability, and analyses the belief that an industry study should look at groups of firms within industries rather than aggregated data across industries. (Hatten and Schendel 1977. Porter 1980 and Woo 198*1) The study looks at the effect on profitability of nine independent variables paying special attention to the effects of market-share. The analysis categorises firms into strategic groups using a combination of qualitative and quantitative data. It also compares and contrasts the results with the experiences of the Dutch and United States brewing industries. The results suggest that the size (in terms of turnover) of the brewery company determines the strategies they pursue and how these strategies affect profitability. A U-shaped curve relationship between market-share and profitability is identified and strategic groups are determined on the basis of how similar the brewers adopted strategies were during the study period. The results show the problems of transferring a methodology from one industry to another. In comparison to the Dutch and United States experiences, the United Kingdom brewers have been subject to a more volatile industry environment due mainly to changing consumer tastes. The expensive manufacturing and marketing strategies adopted by the national brewers in an attempt to capitalize on these changes led to their generally lower profitability when compared to the regional and small brewers during the study period

Constraints on the mother foundresses : contrasts in Anglican and Roman Catholic religious headship in Victorian England

This thesis investigates some of the most important 6 constraints placed upon the mother foundresses of Anglican and Roman Catholic religious communities in Victorian England. It begins by considering how, reestablishing and establishing active, female, religious foundations, these societies offered single women of the time an unusually useful and dedicated life. It demonstrates that the foundresses initiated, administered, and coordinated works of charity, education, nursing, and other missions. They also sought professional status for their members. Finally, they were often supported in their work by lay men and women, especially women. In general, however, they were constrained in this work by society, the family, and the clergy of their respective churches. Of these constraints, anti-Catholicism was the most important. It affected not only Roman Catholics, but also Anglo- Catholics and caused both groups of religious to lead what was, in many respects, a "hidden life". The religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience were unduly condemned as undermining family values. And their relationship with the clergy was problematic: bishops were most concerned with their own jurisdiction and authority and parish priests with their own influence. Finally, secessions of sisters caused serious internal problems, but none so severe as to bring about the abdication of the foundresses. And, paradoxically, if obstacles beset the foundresses in establishing their works at home, abroad they were welcomed by diocesans. Hence, their work expanded around the world: throughout the British Empire amongst the Anglicans; into historically Catholic nations for the Romans; and to the United States of America for both Anglicans and Roman Catholics. In these places, foundresses furnish examples of female leadership rare in the nineteenth century. The thesis concludes by showing how tenaciously both Anglican and Roman foundresses sought the recognition of their respective churches, and yet in achieving it, whether informally or formally, placed the most significant constraint of all upon their work

Dynamic ploidy changes drive fluconazole resistance in human cryptococcal meningitis.

BACKGROUND: Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) causes an estimated 180,000 deaths annually, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa, where most patients receive fluconazole (FLC) monotherapy. While relapse after FLC monotherapy with resistant strains is frequently observed, the mechanisms and impact of emergence of FLC resistance in human CM are poorly understood. Heteroresistance (HetR) - a resistant subpopulation within a susceptible strain - is a recently described phenomenon in Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn) and Cryptococcus gattii (Cg), the significance of which has not previously been studied in humans. METHODS: A cohort of 20 patients with HIV-associated CM in Tanzania was prospectively observed during therapy with either FLC monotherapy or in combination with flucytosine (5FC). Total and resistant subpopulations of Cryptococcus spp. were quantified directly from patient cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Stored isolates underwent whole genome sequencing and phenotypic characterization. RESULTS: Heteroresistance was detectable in Cryptococcus spp. in the CSF of all patients at baseline (i.e., prior to initiation of therapy). During FLC monotherapy, the proportion of resistant colonies in the CSF increased during the first 2 weeks of treatment. In contrast, no resistant subpopulation was detectable in CSF by day 14 in those receiving a combination of FLC and 5FC. Genomic analysis revealed high rates of aneuploidy in heteroresistant colonies as well as in relapse isolates, with chromosome 1 (Chr1) disomy predominating. This is apparently due to the presence on Chr1 of ERG11, which is the FLC drug target, and AFR1, which encodes a drug efflux pump. In vitro efflux levels positively correlated with the level of heteroresistance. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate for what we believe is the first time the presence and emergence of aneuploidy-driven FLC heteroresistance in human CM, association of efflux levels with heteroresistance, and the successful suppression of heteroresistance with 5FC/FLC combination therapy. FUNDING: This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust Strategic Award for Medical Mycology and Fungal Immunology 097377/Z/11/Z and the Daniel Turnberg Travel Fellowship

Seven-Year Distress Trajectories in Uveal Melanoma Survivors

ObjectiveSevere or persistent distress is associated with poorer quality of life in cancer survivors. Distress follows distinct trajectories within different population subgroups. Identifying characteristics and causes of trajectories can assist intervention development and targeting. In a 7-year study of uveal melanoma survivors, we aimed to characterize anxiety, depression, and fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) trajectories, and identify whether concerns about symptoms and functional problems over the first 3 years of survivorship predict memberships of high distress trajectories.MethodIn a closed cohort study, we used growth mixture modeling (GMM) to identify statistically optimal trajectories over 6-, 12-, 24-, 36-, 48-, 60-, 72-, and 84-month time point posttreatment in 475 patients. We then regressed trajectory memberships onto a 3-year series of measures of concerns about symptoms and functional problems, controlling demographic, clinical, and 6-month anxiety, depression, or FCR indicators.ResultsAnxiety, depression, and FCR were represented by two-class linear GMMs. The majority scored consistently low, but 17.5% showed consistently elevated anxiety, 10.9% consistently elevated depression, and 19.4% consistently elevated FCR. Higher anxiety trajectory membership was predicted by greater concerns about symptoms at 6 and 24 months, higher depression trajectory membership by symptoms at 24 months, and higher FCR trajectory membership by symptoms at 6 and 24 months and functional problems at 12 months.ConclusionsMuch of the burden of persistent distress in cancer patients falls on a small proportion of survivors. Concerns about symptoms and functional problems are potential risk factors for distress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Mycobacterium bovis shedding patterns from experimentally infected calves and the effect of concurrent infection with bovine viral diarrhoea virus

Concurrent infection of cattle with bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) and Mycobacterium bovis is considered to be a possible risk factor for onward transmission of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) in infected cattle and is known to compromise diagnostic tests. A comparison is made here of M. bovis shedding (i.e. release) characteristics from 12 calves, six experimentally co-infected with BVDV and six infected with M. bovis alone, using simple models of bacterial replication. These statistical and mathematical models account for the intermittent or episodic nature of shedding, the dynamics of within-host bacterial proliferation and the sampling distribution from a given shedding episode. We show that while there are distinct differences among the shedding patterns of calves given the same infecting dose, there is no statistically significant difference between the two groups of calves. Such differences as there are, can be explained solely in terms of the shedding frequency, but with all calves potentially excreting the same amount of bacteria in a given shedding episode post-infection. The model can be thought of as a process of the bacteria becoming established in a number of discrete foci of colonization, rather than as a more generalized infection of the respiratory tract. In this case, the variability in the shedding patterns of the infected calves can be explained solely by differences in the number of foci established and shedding being from individual foci over time. Should maximum exposure on a particular occasion be a critical consideration for cattle-to-cattle transmission of BTB, cattle that shed only intermittently may still make an important contribution to the spread and persistence of the disease

Therapists’ experiences of remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectivesTo explore the experiences of therapists who delivered remote psychological therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignThis was a qualitative, phenomenological study. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis elicited themes from semi-structured interviews.MethodsA purposive sample of eight therapists was recruited from breast cancer services in the United Kingdom.ResultsAnalysis identified three superordinate themes. Participants spoke about how their experience of remote working changed over time from an initial crisis response to a new status quo. They adapted to the specific practical and personal challenges of remote working and struggled to connect with clients as the use of technology fundamentally changed the experience of therapy.ConclusionConsideration should be given to the impact of remote working on therapists and the quality of their practise. Adjustments to ways of working can help to maximize the advantages of remote working while minimizing potential issues

Competitive Boosterism: How Milwaukee Lost the Braves

By any measure, major-league baseball in North America surely qualifies as big business. The national pastime is a vital component of today\u27s urban political economy, and baseball teams resemble other high-prestige businesses in that cities must compete for the privilege of hosting them - whatever their true worth. A study analyzes the transfer of the Milwaukee Braves baseball franchise to Atlanta in 1965 as the outcome of competitive boosterism or the active participation of local elites in luring trade, industry, and investment from other cities for the purpose of economic development

Therapists' experiences of remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ObjectivesTo explore the experiences of therapists who delivered remote psychological therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignThis was a qualitative, phenomenological study. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis elicited themes from semi-structured interviews.MethodsA purposive sample of eight therapists was recruited from breast cancer services in the United Kingdom.ResultsAnalysis identified three superordinate themes. Participants spoke about how their experience of remote working changed over time from an initial crisis response to a new status quo. They adapted to the specific practical and personal challenges of remote working and struggled to connect with clients as the use of technology fundamentally changed the experience of therapy.ConclusionConsideration should be given to the impact of remote working on therapists and the quality of their practise. Adjustments to ways of working can help to maximize the advantages of remote working while minimizing potential issues