Can the BBC survive the digital age?

The BBC is a public service broadcaster that is highly regarded by the British television audience. However, it is subject to increasing threats to its continuing viability from digital private sector television providers. A part of the threat to the BBC is the way in which it is funded through the TV licence. This article examines the threats to the survival of the BBC through a review of relevant literature and with reference to a survey conducted by the author. The research confirms the high regard in which the BBC is held by the British public and argues for its continuing existence

What Can Faith-Based Forms of Violent Conflict Prevention Teach Us About Liberal Peace?

Faith-based actors are often recognised as contributors to both conflict and peace. However, their work to prevent violent conflict, rather than bring an end to or recover from it, is largely unexplored. This is despite the growth of conflict prevention as a global social norm and field of practice. Based on collaborative research with faith groups and organisations in Nigeria, the Solomon Islands and Zanzibar (Tanzania), this paper examines faith-based forms of violent conflict prevention. It argues that faith-based approaches exist on a spectrum, from instinctive and ad hoc initiatives run by individuals and local places of worship to large-scale, systematised interventions led by global faith-based development organisations. Yet, while faith-based approaches to violent conflict prevention vary in form and function, they are consistent and distinctive in their emphasis on building resilient relationships at the local level, modelling forms of prevention embedded within local culture and that recognise the emotional and spiritual dimensions of transformative change. Faith-based approaches offer insights valuable to the wider conflict prevention field, which is increasingly critiqued for its liberal underpinnings and emphasis on technical and technological solutionism. Lessons emerge for others implementing prevention programmes, who could adapt elements of the unhurried, values-led, relationally sensitive approach demonstrated by some faith-based actors, albeit within their own structural limitations. Policymakers should support such adaptations and expand their view of prevention to explicitly include faith-based forms of activity, as to do otherwise risks missing opportunities and reproducing existing failures

Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is a common diagnosis seen in intensive care units worldwide. The incidence of pancreatitis has increased over the last decade. It ranks third amongst the gastrointestinal diseases resulting in hospital admissions. The destructive complications of pancreatitis make it a life-threatening disease. If pancreatitis progresses to the severe form the mortality rate significantly increase from one percent to upwards of thirty percent. Pancreatitis is associated with high rates of morbidity, mortality, and prolonged hospital admissions(Goozen, Besselink, Santroort, & Bollen, 2013). An increased understanding of the pathophysiology of pancreatitis has changed the approach to treatment from early surgical treatment to a more conservation and all encompassing approach utilizing antibiotic therapy, multidisciplinary team involvement, early nutrition, and other forms of supportive care. A majority of the supportive care is provided directly by the bedside nurse(Sahora, Jakesz, & Gotzinger, 2009). This topic was chosen to increase nurses\u27 knowledge of the pathophysiology of pancreatitis, the presentation of the disease symptoms, the treatment, and the implications that the care provided can have on patient outcomes

Can the BBC survive the digital age?

Abstract The BBC is a public service broadcaster that is highly regarded by the British television audience. However, it is subject to increasing threats to its continuing viability from digital private sector television providers. A part of the threat to the BBC is the way in which it is funded through the TV licence. This article examines the threats to the survival of the BBC through a review of relevant literature and with reference to a survey conducted by the author. The research confirms the high regard in which the BBC is held by the British public and argues for its continuing existence. 2 The BBC has been an extremely successful broadcasting company. However in the approach to the Digital Switchover it faces increasing uncertainty because of competition with new digital commercial channels which hold niche audiences. The future of broadcast television such as the BBC is uncertain, and there are many reasons why it may not survive; 'the predictions of the death of broadcast television are every bit as loud now as were those of the end of cinema in the face of competition from television' (Ellis, 2002, p.175). The BBC sees its purpose to support British interests in the world and has a reputation for its impartiality. The BBC is committed to the concept of public broadcasting, providing a platform for local and national debate. It has three main aims; to inform, educate and entertain. In 2001 and 2002 the BBC started operating four free to air digital television channels: 'BBC 3, a mixed genre, entertainment-led youth channel; BBC 4, a channel for culture, science, the arts and ideas; and two children's channels' (Brown, 2004, p.486). These channels differed from other digital TV channels because they are connected to the people of Britain as a collective group rather than being tailored to a specific audience In order to take on the opposition of other digital commercial channels BBC has devised several strategies to keep its audience. In 2005 job cuts were announced to release money to fund more quality programming (BBC News Channel, 2005, p.1). As a result of these job cuts the BBC now relies more on freelance film makers and private sector providers for its programming. However, this can be regarded as a positive move because it brings out a more vibrant diversity in programming; 'the BBC are now legally obliged to commission at least 25 per cent of programming from independent production companies' (Shepherd, 1997, p7.) In bringing private talent and programming onto the BBC's channels it is creating a more experimental range of programmes that have new ideas and can push boundaries. 3 To compete against the new DTV channels the BBC also needed to adapt to the new multichannel era of television. In 2002 the BBC launched Freeview in partnership with BSkyB and Crown Castle. The BBC promoted Freeview during its own programming schedule as an easy one off payment which gave viewers access to thirty channels with no extra charge. With the promotion of free digital channels, the BBC had created BSkyB's biggest rival. Freeview was a chance for people to dip into digital television without committing to a subscription: 'Within a year of its launch, it became BSkyB's main competitor, pushing the take-up of DTV to over 50 per cent of households.' (Wells cited in Brown, 2004, p.487). The BBC also promoted the BBC HD channel with clever and impressive advertising with the title "TV goes cinematic", which was to be available on Sky, Virgin Media and FreeSat. The advert for the new channel included a fictional dramatic scene based on the BBC's own 'Antiques RoadShow', where the actions were made cinematic with special effects. In 2003, all the BBC channels were offered free-to-air with an alternative satellite facility: 'the BBC withdrew from BSkyB's satellite encryption service, saving £85 million' (Brown, 2004, p.487), giving the BBC a further advantage. Despite the opposition of commercial digital channels, research has shown that the 'BBC 1 still reaches 86 per cent of the population, the highest reach of any of the big channels&apos

Movement-Based Embodied Contemplative Practices: Definitions and Paradigms

Over the past decades, cognitive neuroscience has witnessed a shift from predominantly disembodied and computational views of the mind, to more embodied and situated views of the mind. These postulate that mental functions cannot be fully understood without reference to the physical body and the environment in which they are experienced. Within the field of contemplative science, the directing of attention to bodily sensations has so far mainly been studied in the context of seated meditation and mindfulness practices. However, the cultivation of interoceptive, proprioceptive and kinesthetic awareness is also said to lie at the core of many movement-based contemplative practices such as Yoga, Qigong, and Tai Chi. In addition, it likely plays a key role in the efficacy of modern somatic therapeutic techniques such as the Feldenkrais Method and the Alexander Technique. In the current paper we examine how these practices are grounded in the concepts of embodiment, movement and contemplation, as we look at them primarily through the lens of an enactive approach to cognition. Throughout, we point to a series of challenges that arise when Western scientists study practices that are based on a non-dualistic view of mind and body

A Phase I Feasibility Study of Yoga on the Physical Health and Coping of Informal Caregivers

Family and friends who provide unpaid care to an individual with a disease or disability (known as informal caregivers) experience numerous threats to their physical health as a result of providing care. In spite of evidence that participation in physical and leisure activities can be health promoting, informal caregivers have reported diminished or completely absent leisure participation. Hatha yoga has documented therapeutic benefits, including reduced anxiety, as well as improved muscle strength and endurance and flexibility. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of conducting an 8-week yoga program with informal caregivers, and to gather pilot data on the effects of yoga on the physical fitness and coping of informal caregivers. Caregivers were randomized into a yoga intervention (n = 8) or control group (n = 9). The yoga sessions were 2.5 hours/week for 8 weeks and consisted of a variety of pranayama (breathing) and asana (postures) activities and were led by a certified yoga instructor. Four caregivers (two in each group) dropped out of the study. After the conclusion of the 8-week yoga program, lower body strength increased significantly for those in the yoga group and other notable trends occurred in terms of coping, upper body strength and aerobic endurance. Caregivers in the control group experienced an unexpected increase in lower body flexibility. These findings indicate that caregivers in a yoga program may receive some benefits. Future studies are encouraged to test the efficacy of yoga as an intervention for caregivers

The Summon Discovery Tool: Its Implementation and Impact on Usage Statistics at Maynooth University

Poster presented at: CONUL (Consortium of National and University Libraries) Annual Conference 201

Terrariums

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