A representação da transgressão Sexual em três produções portuguesas de Shakespeare

Tese de doutoramento.Esta dissertação analisa abordagens da transgressão sexual em três representações teatrais portuguesas dos finais da década de 90 do século XX: Medida por Medida apresentada pelo Teatro da Comuna (1997), Rei Lear pelo Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II (1998) e Noite de Reis pelo Teatro Nacional São João (1998). O objectivo principal é a análise de certos mecanismos performativos usados na representação da transgressão sexual e o contraste dos mesmos com os específicos ao texto dramático. Testa ainda a hipótese de que quanto maior a autonomia do texto performativo em relação ao texto dramático, maiores as possibilidades de representação da transgressão sexual. Teoricamente esta dissertação situa-se na intersecção de estudos sobre género, estudos queer e estudos de performance. Para descrever os vários modos pelos quais diferentes sistemas de encenação criam um significado teatral, é utilizada a noção de Marco de Marinis do “texto performativo”. O conceito do“enabling disruption” de Judith Butler, que aponta para processos de incoerência e de descontinuidade na relação entre corpo, género e sexualidade, enforma o conceito de transgressão sexual aqui usado. Distingue-se contudo entre transgressão sexual como transgressão de género e em termos de sexualidade, uma vez que a tese defende o facto de ambas serem usadas sem distinção no entendimento crítico da transgressão sexual. Os primeiros três capítulos têm como referente questões de género. Contrasta ocorrências de travestismo contempladas pelo texto dramático com exemplos de travestismo extra-textual em Twelfth Night e contempla estratégias performativias utilisadas contra a misoginia de King Lear. É analisada a alteração de concepções do papel de Isabella em Measure for Measure e se o maior contacto entre diferentes culturas teatrais facilitou este processo. Os três capítulos seguintes retomam as mesmas produções a partir da perspectiva da sexualidade. V: Queer Presence in Twelfth Night analisa como várias produções marcam a transgressividade do desejo sexual através da evocação de um tempo, um lugar e uma fisicalidade distintas do texto dramático. VI, Prostitution as Theatrical Metaphor in Measure for Measure, revisita a metáfora do teatro como forma de prostituição e examina o que representações contemporâneas da prostituição podem ensinar sobre as companhias teatrais que as produziram. VII: Theatrical and Sexual Transgression in King Lear, parte da porosidade das fronteiras entre teatro e outras formas de arte, e refere as suas próprias fronteiras entre teatro declamado e teatro físico e improvisado. As três produções portuguesas são comparadas com produções inglesas das mesmas peças para analisar a representação da transgressão sexual para além do contexto estritamente nacional. O capítulo VIII sublinha traços característicos da representação da transgressão sexual em produções portuguesas de Shakespeare na década de 90, registando um renovado enfâse sobre o corpo e uma alteração na relação entre o corpo e o texto como elementos transformativos das produções desta década. Discute-se a crescente integração das produções portuguesas de Shakespeare no contexto europeu. Retoma a hipótese esboçada no início da tese, delineando três categorias de análise da relação entre o texto dramático e o texto performativo, de relevância para a representação da transgressão sexual, a saber: literalização aplica-se a produções que dão uma leitura reducionista da transgressão sexual no texto escrito; constituição mútua aplica-se quando há procura de um equilíbrio entre o texto escrito e o texto performativo, com um certo grau de autonomia, permitindo a representação de momentos isolados de transgressão sexual; recriação autónoma Aplica-se quando se concede uma maior autonomia ao texto performativo. Estas produções usam esta maior autonomia do texto performativo de modo a estender e desenvolver a representação da transgressão sexual em relação ao texto escrito.This thesis examines how sexual transgression was represented onstage in three Portuguese theatre productions from the late 1990’s; the Teatro da Comuna Medida por Medida (1997), the Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II Rei Lear (1998), and the Teatro Nacional São João Noite de Reis (1998). It analyses performative mechanisms for the representation of sexual transgression and contrasts them with those of the dramatic text. It also sought to test this hypothesis: the greater the autonomy of the performance text from the written text, the wider the possibilities for the representation of sexual transgression. The theoretical approach is at an intersection between queer, gender and performance criticism. De Marinis’ notion of the “performance text” is here used to describe how different systems of staging create theatrical meaning and to signal distinctions between the dramatic text and theatrical performance. Judith Butler’s notion of the “enabling disruption”, which points to processes of incoherence and discontinuity in the relationship between body, gender and sexuality, underpins the thesis’ understanding of what constitutes sexual transgression. However, a methodological distinction is maintained between sexual transgression as gender transgression and sexual transgression in terms of sexuality as the thesis argues that the two are often inadvertently conflated in critical understandings of sexual transgression. Each production is analysed in two separate chapters of the thesis. The first three chapters deal with gender issues. Chapter II: Exploring the Other Side: The Performance of Gender in Twelfth Night, analyses the hybridity of the cross-dresser and how the actors/actresses playing them negotiated cultural notions of masculinity and femininity. It contrasts instances of cross-dressing in the dramatic text with performative examples of extra-textual cross-dressing. Chapter III: Taking the Woman’s Part: The Problem of Misogyny in King Lear argues that the demonisation of Goneril and Regan is part of a wider misogynistic bias in the play and examines performance strategies which have been used to challenge this. Chapter IV: Putting on the Destined Livery: Actresses Play Isabella in Measure for Measure, analyses how social change intersects with the representation of sexual transgression. It notes a change in conceptions of the role of Isabella and analyses the way wider contact bet ween theatrical cultures has facilitated this. The next three chapters revisit the same productions, but from the perspective of sexuality. Chapter V: Time Out, Space Beyond and the Other Body: Queer Presence in Twelfth Night, analyses how productions have signalled transgressive sexual desires through the evocation of a time, place and physicality distinct from that of the fiction of the dramatic text. Chapter VI: We’ll Strive to Please You Every Day: Prostitution as Theatrical Metaphor in Measure for Measure, recasts the early modern metaphor of theatre as a form of prostitution to see what contemporary representations of prostitution might tell us about the theatres that have produced them. Chapter VII: A Bastard Art: Theatrical and Sexual Transgression in King Lear, considers the porosity of theatre’s boundaries with other art forms as well as its own internal boundary between text-based and physical, improvisational forms. It also analyses the sexualized figure of Edmund the bastard and how productions which have foregrounded fluidity between art/media forms represent Edmund differently as a result

Chicken Run: A Chicken-Centred Design Research Project

Chicken Run, an experimental project still in development, sees designers and scientists working together to explore ideas to improve poultry welfare in commercial facilities, applying user-centred design to all key stakeholders: farmer, consumer and chicken. Exploring various aspects of the chicken’s journey from egg to plate, the process has allowed researchers to better understand their needs and to maximise joined-up positive impact. The paper describes the ongoing process where Initial proposals including perches, bales and an app to enable consumers to make the right chicken purchase choices have been developed and tested. Co-authored by leaders of the design and scientific communities involved in the project, the paper describes the issues, design methods used, as well as some of the learning from the cross-disciplinary process. It also provides an update on progress of selected design ideas that are currently being developed with a commercial poultry farm, drawing out the challenges and successes encountered

Impact of Long COVID on productivity and informal caregiving

BackgroundAround 2 million people in the UK suffer from Long COVID (LC). Of concern is the disease impact on productivity and informal care burden. This study aimed to quantify and value productivity losses and informal care receipt in a sample of LC patients in the UK.MethodsThe target population comprised LC patients referred to LC specialist clinics. The questionnaires included a health economics questionnaire (HEQ) measuring productivity impacts, informal care receipt and service utilisation, EQ-5D-5L, C19-YRS LC condition-specific measure, and sociodemographic and COVID-19 history variables. Outcomes were changes from the incident infection resulting in LC to the month preceding the survey in paid work status/h, work income, work performance and informal care receipt. The human capital approach valued productivity losses; the proxy goods method valued caregiving hours. The values were extrapolated nationally using published prevalence data. Multilevel regressions, nested by region, estimated associations between the outcomes and patient characteristics.Results366 patients responded to HEQ (mean LC duration 449.9 days). 51.7% reduced paid work hours relative to the pre-infection period. Mean monthly work income declined by 24.5%. The average aggregate value of productivity loss since incident infection was £10,929 (95% bootstrap confidence interval £8,844-£13,014) and £5.7 billion (£3.8-£7.6 billion) extrapolated nationally. The corresponding values for informal caregiving were £8,726 (£6,247-£11,204) and £4.8 billion (£2.6-£7.0 billion). Multivariate analyses found significant associations between each outcome and health utility and C19-YRS subscale scores.ConclusionLC significantly impacts productivity losses and provision of informal care, exacerbated by high national prevalence of LC

Changes in the Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cell Proteome with Ageing.

Following central nervous system (CNS) demyelination, adult oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) can differentiate into new myelin-forming oligodendrocytes in a regenerative process called remyelination. Although remyelination is very efficient in young adults, its efficiency declines progressively with ageing. Here we performed proteomic analysis of OPCs freshly isolated from the brains of neonate, young and aged female rats. Approximately 50% of the proteins are expressed at different levels in OPCs from neonates compared with their adult counterparts. The amount of myelin-associated proteins, and proteins associated with oxidative phosphorylation, inflammatory responses and actin cytoskeletal organization increased with age, whereas cholesterol-biosynthesis, transcription factors and cell cycle proteins decreased. Our experiments provide the first ageing OPC proteome, revealing the distinct features of OPCs at different ages. These studies provide new insights into why remyelination efficiency declines with ageing and potential roles for aged OPCs in other neurodegenerative diseases

Long Covid active case finding study protocol: A co-produced community-based pilot within the STIMULATE-ICP study (Symptoms, Trajectory, Inequalities and Management: Understanding Long-COVID to Address and Transform Existing Integrated Care Pathways)

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Long Covid is a significant public health concern with potentially negative implications for health inequalities. We know that those who are already socially disadvantaged in society are more exposed to COVID-19, experience the worst health outcomes and are more likely to suffer economically. We also know that these groups are more likely to experience stigma and have negative healthcare experiences even before the pandemic. However, little is known about disadvantaged groups' experiences of Long Covid, and preliminary evidence suggests they may be under-represented in those who access formal care. We will conduct a pilot study in a defined geographical area in London, United Kingdom to test the feasibility of a community-based approach of identifying Long Covid cases that have not been clinically diagnosed and have not been referred to Long Covid specialist services. We will explore the barriers to accessing recognition, care, and support, as well as experiences of stigma and perceived discrimination. METHODS: This protocol and study materials were co-produced with a Community Advisory Board (CAB) made up primarily of people living with Long Covid. Working with voluntary organisations, a study leaflet will be distributed in the local community to highlight Long Covid symptoms and invite those experiencing them to participate in the study if they are not formally diagnosed. Potential participants will be assessed according to the study's inclusion criteria and offered the opportunity to participate if they fit them. Awareness of Long Covid and associated symptoms, experiences of trying to access care, as well as stigma and discrimination will be explored through qualitative interviews with participants. Upon completion of the interviews, participants will be offered a referral to the local social prescribing team to receive support that is personalised to them potentially including, but not restricted to, liaising with their primary care provider and the regional Long Covid clinic

Large expert-curated database for benchmarking document similarity detection in biomedical literature search

Document recommendation systems for locating relevant literature have mostly relied on methods developed a decade ago. This is largely due to the lack of a large offline gold-standard benchmark of relevant documents that cover a variety of research fields such that newly developed literature search techniques can be compared, improved and translated into practice. To overcome this bottleneck, we have established the RElevant LIterature SearcH consortium consisting of more than 1500 scientists from 84 countries, who have collectively annotated the relevance of over 180 000 PubMed-listed articles with regard to their respective seed (input) article/s. The majority of annotations were contributed by highly experienced, original authors of the seed articles. The collected data cover 76% of all unique PubMed Medical Subject Headings descriptors. No systematic biases were observed across different experience levels, research fields or time spent on annotations. More importantly, annotations of the same document pairs contributed by different scientists were highly concordant. We further show that the three representative baseline methods used to generate recommended articles for evaluation (Okapi Best Matching 25, Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency and PubMed Related Articles) had similar overall performances. Additionally, we found that these methods each tend to produce distinct collections of recommended articles, suggesting that a hybrid method may be required to completely capture all relevant articles. The established database server located at https://relishdb.ict.griffith.edu.au is freely available for the downloading of annotation data and the blind testing of new methods. We expect that this benchmark will be useful for stimulating the development of new powerful techniques for title and title/abstract-based search engines for relevant articles in biomedical research.Peer reviewe

Increasing frailty is associated with higher prevalence and reduced recognition of delirium in older hospitalised inpatients: results of a multi-centre study

Purpose: Delirium is a neuropsychiatric disorder delineated by an acute change in cognition, attention, and consciousness. It is common, particularly in older adults, but poorly recognised. Frailty is the accumulation of deficits conferring an increased risk of adverse outcomes. We set out to determine how severity of frailty, as measured using the CFS, affected delirium rates, and recognition in hospitalised older people in the United Kingdom. Methods: Adults over 65 years were included in an observational multi-centre audit across UK hospitals, two prospective rounds, and one retrospective note review. Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), delirium status, and 30-day outcomes were recorded. Results: The overall prevalence of delirium was 16.3% (483). Patients with delirium were more frail than patients without delirium (median CFS 6 vs 4). The risk of delirium was greater with increasing frailty [OR 2.9 (1.8–4.6) in CFS 4 vs 1–3; OR 12.4 (6.2–24.5) in CFS 8 vs 1–3]. Higher CFS was associated with reduced recognition of delirium (OR of 0.7 (0.3–1.9) in CFS 4 compared to 0.2 (0.1–0.7) in CFS 8). These risks were both independent of age and dementia. Conclusion: We have demonstrated an incremental increase in risk of delirium with increasing frailty. This has important clinical implications, suggesting that frailty may provide a more nuanced measure of vulnerability to delirium and poor outcomes. However, the most frail patients are least likely to have their delirium diagnosed and there is a significant lack of research into the underlying pathophysiology of both of these common geriatric syndromes