Moving Identities:Multiplicity, Embodiment and the Contemporary Dancer

Currently, across dance studies, choreographies are usually discussed as representational of the choreographer, with little attention focused on the dancers who also bring the work into being. As well as devaluing the contribution that the dancer makes to the choreographic process, the dancer’s elision from mainstream discourse deprives the art form of a rich source of insight into the incorporating practices of dance. This practice-based research offers a new perspective on choreographic process through the experiential viewpoint of the participating dancer. It involves encounters with contemporary choreographers Rosemary Butcher (UK), John Jasperse (US), Jodi Melnick (US) and Liz Roche (Ire). Utilizing a mixed-mode research structure, it covers the creative process and performance of three solo dance pieces in Dublin in 2008, as well as an especially composed movement treatise, all of which are documented on the attached DVD. The main hypothesis presented is that the dancer possesses a moving identity which is a composite of past dance experience, anatomical structures and conditioned human movement. This is supported by explorations into critical theory on embodiment, including Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of ‘the habitus’. The moving identity is identified as accumulative, altering through encounters with new choreographic movement patterns in independent contemporary dance practice. The interior space of the dancer’s embodied experience is made explicit in chapter 3, through four discussions that outline the dancer’s creative labour in producing each choreographic work. Through adopting a postmodern critical perspective on human subjectivity, supported by Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari and Alain Badiou, among others, the thesis addresses the inherent challenges which face independent contemporary dancers within their multiple embodiments as they move between different choreographic processes. In identifying an emergent paradigmatic shift in the role of dancer within dance- making practices, this research forges a new direction that invites further dancer-led initiatives in practice-based research

An Integrated Dance Strategy 2010 - 2012

This is a policy document developed by the dance team (Head of Dance, Davide Terlingo and Dance Advisor, Jenny Roche) at the Arts Council of Ireland in 2010. The document outlines the Arts Council's dance strategy from 2010 to 2012 including core policy and special policy aims. This paper outlines how the Arts Council intends to build on its review of Partnership for the Arts concluded in June 2008, and offers a more developed and integrated overview of how the Council envisages dance provision in the future. Feedback from ongoing discussions with dance artists and organisations contributed directly to the shaping of the ideas in this document

Associations between the Patient-Centered Medical Home and Preventive Care and Healthcare Quality for Non-Elderly Adults with Mental Illness: A Surveillance Study Analysis

Background Patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs) may improve outcomes for non-elderly adults with mental illness, but the extent to which PCMHs are associated with preventive care and healthcare quality for this population is largely unknown. Our study addresses this gap by assessing the associations between receipt of care consistent with the PCMH and preventive care and healthcare quality for non-elderly adults with mental illness. Methods This surveillance study used self-reported data for 6,908 non-elderly adults with mental illness participating in the 2007–2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Preventive care and healthcare quality measures included: participant rating of all healthcare; cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer screening; current smoking; smoking cessation advice; flu shot; foot exam and eye exam for people with diabetes; and follow-up after emergency room visit for mental illness. Multiple logistic regression models were developed to compare the odds of meeting preventive care and healthcare quality measures for participants without a usual source of care, participants with a non-PCMH usual source of care, and participants who received care consistent with the PCMH. Results Compared to participants without a usual source of care, those with a non-PCMH usual source of care had better odds of meeting almost all measures examined, while those who received care consistent with the PCMH had better odds of meeting most measures. Participants who received care consistent with the PCMH had better odds of meeting only one measure compared to participants with a non-PCMH usual source of care. Conclusions Compared with having a non-PCMH usual source of care, receipt of care consistent with the PCMH does not appear to be associated with most preventive care or healthcare quality measures. These findings raise concerns about the potential value of the PCMH for non-elderly adults with mental illness and suggest that alternative models of primary care are needed to improve outcomes and address disparities for this population

Reduced duration mismatch negativity in adolescents with psychotic symptoms: further evidence for mismatch negativity as a possible biomarker for vulnerability to psychosis

Background: Deficits in the mismatch negativity (MMN) and P3a components are the most reliable and robust findings in schizophrenia. These abnormalities have also been recently documented in individuals clinically at risk for psychosis, indicating that the MMN may be a potential biomarker for psychosis. However, the at risk samples included in MMN studies are characterised by pre-existing clinical symptomatology and significant functional decline which are related to MMN amplitude. These factors may be potential confounds in determining whether deficient MMN is present prior to clinical manifestation of the disorder. Therefore, investigating the MMN in the extended psychosis phenotype comprising adolescents with psychotic symptoms from the general population may provide important information on whether abnormal MMN is apparent in the earliest stages of risk. Methods: Thirty six adolescents completed a duration deviant MMN task. Fourteen adolescents with psychotic symptoms comprised the at risk group and 22 with no psychotic symptoms comprised the Controls. The task consisted of 85% standard tones (25 ms) and 15% deviant tones (50 ms). The groups were compared on MMN and P3a amplitude and latency across frontocentral and temporal electrodes. Results: Adolescents with psychotic symptoms were characterised by a reduction in MMN amplitude at frontal and temporal regions compared to the controls. Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate impaired auditory discrimination for duration deviant tones in nonclinical adolescents with psychotic symptoms. These findings suggest that MMN amplitude may be a possible biomarker for vulnerability to psychosis

IntFOLD: an integrated server for modelling protein structures and functions from amino acid sequences

IntFOLD is an independent web server that integrates our leading methods for structure and function prediction. The server provides a simple unified interface that aims to make complex protein modelling data more accessible to life scientists. The server web interface is designed to be intuitive and integrates a complex set of quantitative data, so that 3D modelling results can be viewed on a single page and interpreted by non-expert modellers at a glance. The only required input to the server is an amino acid sequence for the target protein. Here we describe major performance and user interface updates to the server, which comprises an integrated pipeline of methods for: tertiary structure prediction, global and local 3D model quality assessment, disorder prediction, structural domain prediction, function prediction and modelling of protein-ligand interactions. The server has been independently validated during numerous CASP (Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction) experiments, as well as being continuously evaluated by the CAMEO (Continuous Automated Model Evaluation) project. The IntFOLD server is available at: http://www.reading.ac.uk/bioinf/IntFOLD

Study of the Interaction between Executive Function and Adaptive Behavior at School in Girls with Fragile X Syndrome

Comportamiento adaptativo; Escuela; NiñasComportament adaptatiu; Escola; NenesAdaptive behavior; School; Young femalesThe aim of this research is to analyze the relationship between executive functions and adaptive behavior in girls with Fragile X syndrome (FXS) in the school setting. This study is part of a larger investigation conducted at the Hospital Parc Tauli in Sabadell. The sample consists of a total of 40 girls (26 with FXS and 14 control) aged 7–16 years, who were administered different neuropsychological tests (WISC-V, NEPSY-II, WCST, TOL) and questionnaires answered by teachers (ABAS-II, BRIEF 2, ADHD Rating Scale). The results show that there is a greater interaction between some areas of executive function (cognitive flexibility, auditory attention, and visual abstraction capacity) and certain areas of adaptive behavior (conceptual, practical, social, and total domains) in the FXS group than in the control group. These results suggest that an alteration in the executive functions was affecting the daily functioning of the girls with FXS to a greater extent.The study was awarded two scholarships by the “Parc Tauli Foundation”: (1) Financial assistance to cover part of the travel expenses (transportation and accommodation). Grant number: 2018.0035; (2) “Intensifica’t al Tauli” Scholarship: grant program for the institutions’ healthcare professionals who led research projects. This financial assistance partially frees them from their professional activity for a period of 12 months so that they can make a greater commitment to research. Grant number: 2020.0081

Pro-survival redox signalling in progesterone-mediated retinal neuroprotection

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of hereditary retinal diseases, characterised by photoreceptor cell loss. Despite a substantial understanding of the mechanisms leading to cell death, an effective therapeutic strategy is sought. Our laboratory has previously demonstrated the neuroprotective properties of Norgestrel, a progesterone analogue, in the degenerating retina, mediated in part by the neurotrophic factor basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). In other retinal studies, we have also presented a pro-survival role for reactive oxygen species (ROS), downstream of bFGF. Thus, we hypothesized that Norgestrel utilises bFGF-driven ROS production to promote photoreceptor survival. Using the 661W photoreceptor-like cell line, we now show that Norgestrel, working through progesterone receptor membrane complex 1 (PGRMC1); generates an early burst of pro-survival bFGF-induced ROS. Using the rd10 mouse model of RP, we confirm that Norgestrel induces a similar early pro-survival increase in retinal ROS. Norgestrel-driven protection in the rd10 retina was attenuated in the presence of antioxidants. This study therefore presents an essential role for ROS signalling in Norgestrel-mediated neuroprotection in vitro and demonstrates that Norgestrel employs a similar pro-survival mechanism in the degenerating retina

Progesterone analogue protects stressed photoreceptors via bFGF-mediated calcium influx.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a degenerative retinal disease leading to photoreceptor cell loss. In 2011, our group identified the synthetic progesterone ‘Norgestrel’ as a potential treatment for RP. Subsequent research showed Norgestrel to work through progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1) activation and upregulation of neuroprotective basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Using trophic factor deprivation of 661W photoreceptor-like cells, we aimed to further elucidate the mechanism leading to Norgestrel-induced neuroprotection. In the present manuscript, we show by flow cytometry and live-cell immunofluorescence that Norgestrel induces an increase in cytosolic calcium in both healthy and stressed 661Ws over 24h. Specific PGRMC1 inhibition by AG205 (1 μM) showed this rise to be PGRMC1-dependent, primarily utilising calcium from extracellular sources, for blockade of L-type calcium channels by verapamil (50 μM) prevented a Norgestrel-induced calcium influx in stressed cells. Calcium influx was also shown to be bFGF-dependent, for siRNA knock down of bFGF prevented Norgestrel-PGRMC1 induced changes in cytosolic calcium. Notably, we demonstrate PGRMC1-activation is necessary for Norgestrel-induced bFGF upregulation. We propose that Norgestrel protects through the following pathway: binding to and activating PGRMC1 expressed on the surface of photoreceptor cells, PGRMC1 activation drives bFGF upregulation and subsequent calcium influx. Importantly, raised intracellular calcium is critical to Norgestrel's protective efficacy, for extracellular calcium chelation by EGTA abrogates the protective effects of Norgestrel on stressed 661W cells in vitro

Deciphering why Salmonella Gallinarum is less invasive in vitro than Salmonella Enteritidis

International audienceSalmonella Gallinarum and Salmonella Enteritidis are genetically closely related however associated with different pathologies. Several studies have suggested that S. Gallinarum is less invasive in vitro than S. Enteritidis. In this study we confirm that the S. Gallinarum strains tested were much less invasive than the S. Enteritidis strains tested in cells of avian or human origin. In addition, the S. Gallinarum T3SS-1-dependent ability to invade host cells was delayed by two to three hours compared to S. Enteritidis, indicating that T3SS-1-dependent entry is less efficient in S. Gallinarum than S. Enteritidis. This was neither due to a decreased transcription of T3SS-1 related genes when bacteria come into contact with cells, as transcription of hilA, invF and sipA was similar to that observed for S. Enteritidis, nor to a lack of functionality of the S. Gallinarum T3SS-1 apparatus as this apparatus was able to secrete and translocate effector proteins into host cells. In contrast, genome comparison of four S. Gallinarum and two S. Enteritidis strains revealed that all S. Gallinarum genomes displayed the same point mutations in each of the main T3SS-1 effector genes sipA, sopE, sopE2, sopD and sopA

Measuring the quality of inpatient specialist consultation in the intensive care unit: Nursing and family experiences of communication

Rationale: Critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) often require the care of specialist physicians for clinical or procedural expertise. The current state of communication between specialist physicians and families and nurses has not been explored. Objectives: To document the receipt of communication by nurses and family members regarding consultations performed on their patient or loved one, and to quantify how this impacts their overall perceptions of the quality of specialty care. Methods: Prospective survey of 60 adult family members and 90 nurses of 189 ICU patients who received a specialist consultation between March and October of 2015 in a single academic medical center in the United States. Surveys measured the prevalence of direct communication—defined as communication conducted in person, via telephone, or via text-page in which the specialist team gathered information about the patient from the nurse/family member and/or shared recommendations for care—and perceived quality of care. Results: In about two-thirds of family surveys (40/60) and one-half of nurse surveys (75/160), respondents had no direct communication with the specialist team that performed the consultation. Compared to nurses who had no direct communication with the specialists, those who did were 1.5 times more likely to rate the consultation as “excellent” (RR 1.48, 95% CI 1.2–1.8, p Conclusions: Most ICU families and nurses have no interaction with specialist providers. Nurses’ frequent exclusion from conversations about specialty care may pose safety risks and increase the likelihood of mixed messages for patients and families, most of whom desire some interaction with specialists. Future research is needed to identify effective mechanisms for information sharing that keep nurses and families aware of consultation requests, delivery, and outcomes without increasing the risk of mixed messages.</p