A Cultural Analysis of Ageing: Baby Boomers and the Lived Experience of Extended Youthfulness

The thesis examines how contemporary members of the so-called baby boom generation (born between 1946-1964) in the UK, Ireland and North America present themselves in relation to ageing. Focusing upon the resources or categories they draw upon to do so, in an in-depth, semi-structured, interview situation. Much of the previous scholarly research into ageing has focused primarily upon issues relating to either social policy or demography, which, whilst being valid concerns, have tended to neglect broader cultural aspects relating to identity and representations of ageing. These representations currently serve to further distance middle from old age and death, reconfiguring the process of ageing around an extended period of youthfulness. This needs to be addressed, of which my research forms a part. Primarily by interrogating the production of aged subjectivities; to look for evidence of resistance to norms that construct ageing as an inevitable period of uniform decline; to demonstrate how this may be occurring and with what effects, such as for example, a paradoxical contribution to increased ageism. While people inevitably grow older physiologically, how these processes are understood are neither universal, nor 'natural'. Rather, they are historically specific and are conceived in particular societies in culturally specific practices, ideas and philosophies. I adopt a discursive approach to identity and ageing. Where the data is not treated as providing the 'answers' to questions of age and identity (Skeggs, 1997) but treated instead as material that requires further explanation and interpretation, and which is itself productive of aged/ageing identities. Viewed in this manner, close attention is paid to the variety of techniques through which the interviewees present themselves in relation to age. Such techniques include for example, the use of narrative, or the rhetorical use of notions of 'experience' or 'generation' as resources for the performance of (aged) identity (Scott, 1992)

Uterine Prolapse in an Adult Richardson's Ground Squirrel, Spermophilus richardsonii

During a study of Richardson's Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus richardsonii) populations in southern Saskatchewan, we captured one adult female with a partially prolapsed uterus. This is the first known case of uterine prolapse in a Richardson's Ground Squirrel

The Flare International Festival of New Theatre 2015/2017

34 performances by 70 artists from 7 countries, 12 published previews, 24 published reviews, presented at HOME, Royal Exchange Theatre, Contact Theatre, The Lowry and Martin Harris Centre, supported by Arts Council England, MMU, Contact, Royal Exchange Theatre, The Lowry, University of Manchester, Accion Cultural Espanola, Leeds Beckett University

A study of the developing use of the extreme in the plays of Franz Xaver Kroetz

The subject of this thesis is the identification, delineation and analysis of the depiction of the extreme in the dramatic work of the Bavarian playwright Franz Xaver Kroetz. This aspect is considered central to Kroetz's literary activity because of the light it sheds on the political implications of the plays, which ultimately merit as much attention as their literary value. This theme may be approached in a number of ways. The present study attempts to demonstrate its contentions in the context of a threefold division of the contents of Kroetz's plays into action, language and characters. This division is necessarily artificial: it has been chosen in order to illustrate that the same trends are visible and consistent in each of the three fields under analysis and thereby constitute an adequate reflection of a general development valid for the whole of Kroetz's literary activity. The early notoriety enjoyed by Kroetz was due almost entirely to the element of the extreme in his portrayals of acts of violence, inarticulacy and characters from the fringes of the social landscape; Kroetz was widely disqualified as a depictor of pornographic and irrelevant excesses. At all times, however, these alleged excesses have stood in the service of his political goal of revealing the brutality of the social system of which they are the products, thereby activating the insight and energy required to improve this social order. The elements of the extreme which characterise his early plays, however, were soon recognised as potentially inimical to this goal, in so far as they obscured their political statement by repelling or distracting their viewers. Aware of this inherent danger, Kroetz began to modify his depiction of the extreme in significant ways. In each of the fields under discussion there is a clear movement away from the depiction of the extreme, tempered by a reluctance to abandon it completely. The elements of the extreme either diminish in frequency and intensity or are accompanied by features emphasising their representative value and sociological significance. The demonstration of this development and the exposition of its implications form the substance of the three central sections of the present study. This central body of material and exegesis is framed by an introductory and a concluding chapter. In the introduction, following some brief autobiographical information, Kroetz's literary activity is outlined as a surrogate for political action, an undertaking which must be seen to be fraught with difficulties. By dint of its oppositional nature, Kroetz's literary production is destined to meet with massive resistance, in forms ranging from direct boycott to continual condemnation and patronising toleration at the pens of allegedly objective critics. These practical obstacles raise the question - not unique to Kroetz - of whether literature can ever be adequate as an instrument of political change. In conclusion to the three central chapters, which trace Kroetz's efforts to endow his literary work with maximum political efficacy, the final section attempts to apply conventional literary criteria to his work and to allocate it a place in dramatic taxonomy

Scottish Digital Network Panel: Final Report

The Panel was asked to make recommendations on how a Scottish Digital Network could be established and funded, taking as a starting point the conclusions of the Scottish Broadcasting Commission. The key requirement for the SDN is to "provide a secure and sustainable source of competition to the BBC for public service broadcasting within Scotland"

Mechanisms and Clinical Consequences of Vascular Calcification

Vascular calcification has severe clinical consequences and is considered an accurate predictor of future adverse cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction and stroke. Previously vascular calcification was thought to be a passive process which involved the deposition of calcium and phosphate in arteries and cardiac valves. However, recent studies have shown that vascular calcification is a highly regulated, cell-mediated process similar to bone formation. In this article, we outline the current understanding of key mechanisms governing vascular calcification and highlight the clinical consequences. By understanding better the molecular pathways and genetic circuitry responsible for the pathological mineralization process novel drug targets may be identified and exploited to combat and reduce the detrimental effects of vascular calcification on human health

Dominance behaviour in a non-aggressive flatfish, Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) and brain mRNA abundance of selected transcripts

Dominance is defined as the preferential access to limited resources. The present study aimed to characterise dominance in a non-aggressive flatfish species, the Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) by 1) identifying dominance categories and associated behaviours and 2) linking dominance categories (dominant and subordinate) with the abundance of selected mRNA transcripts in the brain. Early juveniles (n= 74, 37 pairs) were subjected to a dyadic dominance test, related to feeding, and once behavioural phenotypes had been described the abundance of ten selected mRNAs related to dominance and aggressiveness was measured in the brain. Late juveniles were subjected to two dyadic dominance tests (n= 34, 17 pairs), related to feeding and territoriality and one group test (n= 24, 4 groups of 6 fish). Sole feeding first were categorized as dominant and sole feeding second or not feeding as subordinate. Three social behaviours (i. “Resting the head” on another fish, ii. “Approaching” another fish, iii. “Swimming above another” fish) were associated with dominance of feeding. Two other variables (i. Total time occupying the preferred area during the last 2 hours of the 24 h test, ii. Organisms occupying the preferred area when the test ended) were representative of dominance in the place preference test. In all tests, dominant fish compared to subordinate fish displayed a significantly higher number of the behaviours “Rest the head” and “Approaches”. Moreover, dominant sole dominated the sand at the end of the test, and in the group test dominated the area close to the feed delivery point before feed was delivered. The mRNA abundance of the selected mRNAs related to neurogenesis (nrd2) and neuroplasticity (c-fos) in dominant sole compared to subordinate were significantly different. This is the first study to characterise dominance categories with associated behaviours and mRNA abundance in Senegalese sole and provides tools to study dominance related problems in feeding and reproduction in aquaculture

Mixed-method exploratory study of general practitioner and nurse perceptions of a new community based nurse-led heart failure service

Introduction: The treatment of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) remains sub-optimal. Specialist CHF nurses are proven to improve care and reduce admission but developing such services, especially in remote areas, can be difficult. This study aimed: first, to assess the perceived acceptability and effectiveness of a new community based nurse-led heart failure service by general practitioners (GPs) in an area with a dispersed population; second, to assess the knowledge and learning needs of GPs; and third, to assess perceptions of the use of national guidelines and telehealth on heart failure management. Methods: The study was conducted in the Scottish Highlands, a large geographical area in the north of the UK which includes both rural and urban populations. The area has a total population of 240 000, approximately 60% of whom are within 1 hour travel time of the largest urban centre. A postal survey of all GPs (n = 260) and structured email survey of all CHF specialist nurses (n = 3) was performed. All responses were entered into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, summarised and subjected to thematic analysis. Differences between GPs in ‘rural’, ‘urban’ or both ‘urban & rural’ was investigated using an F-test for continuous variables and a three-sample test for equality of proportions for nominal data. Results: Questionnaires were returned from 83 GPs (32%) and all three CHF specialist nurses. In this sample there were only a few differences between GPs from ‘rural’, ‘urban’ and ‘urban & rural’. There also appeared to be little difference in responses between those who had the experience of the CHF nurse service and those who had not. Overall, 32 GPs (39%) wished better, local access to echocardiography, while 63 (76%) wished access to testing for brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). Only 27 GPs (33%) referred all patients with CHF to hospital. A number of GPs stated that this was dependant on individual circumstances and the patient’s ability to travel. The GPs were confident to initiate standard heart failure drugs although only 54 (65%) were confident in the initiation of beta-blockers. Most GPs (69%) had had experience of the CHF specialist nurse service and the responses were mixed. The GPs who had experienced the service appeared less confident that it would lead to reduced admission of patients to hospital (51% vs 77%, p = 0.046). Three main themes emerged from the nurse responses: service planning, communication and attitudinal changes after service embedment. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that a community based heart failure nurse service was not universally valued. Differences between urban and rural localities (communication) suggest that models of care derived from evidence based practice in urban areas may not be directly transferable to remote areas. Clearly, good communication among staff groups at all stages of implementation is important; however, despite best efforts and clinical trial evidence, specialist nurse services will not be welcomed by all doctors. Service providers and commissioners should be cognisant of the different roles of urban and rural GPs when designing such services. Among GPs there was a high degree of confidence with initiation and titration of drugs for heart failure with the exception of beta-blockers so clearly this is an area of ongoing educational need and support. Education and support should focus on ensuring that all doctors who care for patients with CHF have the skills and confidence to use medical therapies and specialist services as appropriate