Performing Identities in Scotland: Liz Lochhead’s Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off

[Abstract] It has been argued that Scottish culture has experienced a “Second Renaissance” in the last two decades, which has been identified with the works of Alasdair Gray, James Kelman, Jackie Kay, Janice Galloway or A. L. Kennedy. Liz Lochhead’s Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off is one of the most controversial texts of the period, because of its irreverent interrogation of Scotland’s past and its criticism of its present asymmetries. The aim of this paper is to analyse the subversive portrayal of Scottish tradition in the play, considering its emphasis on the performative nature of identities, as well as its examination of the transmission of values from one generation to another. Special attention will be given to the political side of the text and the strategies employed by the author to reflect on gender issues, England’s cultural colonialism over the nation or the resistance to accept difference in 1980’s Scotland. It will also be analysed how Lochhead manipulates the representation of Scotland’s past taking the last queen of Scotland as a symbol of the transformation undergone by all national signs, and the connections between the ideas expressed in the play and postmodern theories on nationalism

La negociación de la diferencia étnica en la literatura escocesa contemporánea

In the last three decades, Scottish writers have been engaged in the demarcation of a cultural and political detachment from English models. Since the 1970s, the works of Alasdair Gray, James Kelman or Liz Lochhead have been identified with a "second renaissance" of Scottish culture that reacted against the impositions of Britain's ideological centre, where Scottish voices were not represented. At the same time, some Scottish "ex-centric" voices were starting to become visible in the arts, revealing the complexities of their partial participation in the culture of Scotland. The aim of this paper is to analyse the negotiation of the Scottish national identity in the works of the Afro-Scottish writers Jackie Kay and Maud Sulter, focusing on their exploration of ethnic and sexual difference

The One-Carbon metabolic network, the L-Arginine pathway and hypertension in adults and during pregnancy.

La alteración del metabolismo de monocarbono (1CM) se ha asociado a la hipertensión y a la hipertensión inducida por el embarazo, aunque el mecanismo es desconocido. Durante la remetilación de la homocisteína, S-adenosilmetionina dona grupos metilo para metilar la L-Arginina, creando ADMA y SDMA, que perjudican la conversión de L-Arginina en óxido nítrico (NO) por la eNOS. Lo cual se ha asociado a la disfunción endotelial, ya que el NO es un vasodilatador. En una población representativa de 788 adultos tHcy, pero no el genotipo MTHFR C677T, se asoció con ADMA y SDMA. ADMA, el Ratio L-Arginina/ADMA y la variante del genotipo NOS G894T se asociaron con la hipertensión en adultos de más de 50 años. En el Reus-Tarragona Birth Cohort, se reclutaron 810 madres con <12 semanas de gestación. Las concentraciones plasmáticas maternas del primer trimestre de ADMA y SDMA fueron mayores en el tercil alto de tHcy del primer trimestre, en comparación con el bajo y menores en los participantes con el genotipo MTHFR TT frente al CC. El Ratio ADMA/SDMA en el plasma materno del primer trimestre se asoció con un mayor riesgo de hipertensión inducida por el embarazo. Los 416 padres que participaron con tHcy en el tertil más altos tenían concentraciones plasmáticas de ADMA y SDMA más altas en comparación con los tertiles más bajos. Las concentraciones paternas de ADMA y SDMA no difirieron entre los genotipos MTHFR C677T.L'alteració del metabolisme de *monocarbono (1CM) s'ha associat a la hipertensió i a la hipertensió induïda per l'embaràs, encara que el mecanisme és desconegut. Durant la remetilació de la *homocisteína, S-*adenosilmetionina dona grups metil per a *metilar la L-Arginina, creant *ADMA i *SDMA, que perjudiquen la conversió de L-Arginina en òxid nítric (NO) per la *eNOS. La qual cosa s'ha associat a la disfunció endotelial, ja que el NO és un vasodilatador. En una població representativa de 788 adults *tHcy, però no el genotip *MTHFR C677T, es va associar amb *ADMA i *SDMA. *ADMA, el Ràtio L-Arginina/*ADMA i la variant del genotip ENS G894T es van associar amb la hipertensió en adults de més de 50 anys. En el Reus-Tarragona *Birth *Cohort, es van reclutar 810 mares amb <12 setmanes de gestació. Les concentracions plasmàtiques maternes del primer trimestre de *ADMA i *SDMA van ser majors en el tercil alt de *tHcy del primer trimestre, en comparació amb el baix i menors en els participants amb el genotip *MTHFR *TT enfront del CC. El Ràtio *ADMA/*SDMA en el plasma matern del primer trimestre es va associar amb un major risc d'hipertensió induïda per l'embaràs. Els 416 pares que van participar amb *tHcy en el *tertil més alts tenien concentracions plasmàtiques de *ADMA i *SDMA més altes en comparació amb els *tertiles més baixos. Les concentracions paternes de *ADMA i *SDMA no van diferir entre els genotips *MTHFR C677T.Impaired One-Carbon metabolism (1CM) has been associated with hypertension and pregnancy-induced hypertension, although the mechanism is unknown. During homocysteine remethylation, S-adenosylmethionine donates methyl groups to methylate L-Arginine, creating ADMA and SDMA, which impair the conversion of L-Arginine to nitric oxide (NO) by eNOS. This has been associated with endothelial dysfunction, as NO is a vasodilator. In a representative population of 788 adults tHcy, but not the MTHFR C677T genotype, was associated with ADMA and SDMA. ADMA, the L-Arginine/ADMA Ratio and the NOS G894T genotype variant were associated with hypertension in adults over 50 years of age. In the Reus-Tarragona Birth Cohort, 810 mothers at <12 weeks of gestation were recruited. First-trimester maternal plasma concentrations of ADMA and SDMA were higher in the highest first-trimester tHcy tertile compared with the lowest, and lower in participants with the MTHFR TT versus CC genotype. The ADMA/SDMA Ratio in first- trimester maternal plasma was associated with an increased risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension. The 416 participating fathers with tHcy in the highest tertile had higher plasma ADMA and SDMA concentrations compared with the lowest tertiles. Paternal ADMA and SDMA concentrations did not differ between MTHFR C677T genotypes

Geographies of fear in the domestic noir: Paula hawkins's the girl on the train

The aim of this article is to analyse the revision of social constructions of spaces of safety and danger in urban environments as represented in Paula Hawkins’s 2015 domestic noir novel The Girl on the Train. As such, it draws from affect and space theory in order to study the interaction of emotions and space —both public and private— in relation to its three first-person female narrative voices and their affective attachments. Special attention is paid to the representation of geographies of fear and security, so as to explore the construction and performance of hierarchical relations based on emotions —fundamentally love and fear— as well as the performance and spatial embodiment of these affects. This work argues that the construction of alternative emotional patterns, namely, alternative embodied displacements and emotional attachments to spaces and relationships, serves to unveil patterns of domination that would otherwise remain hidden in the realm of the home.El propósito de este artículo es analizar la revisión de la construcción social de los espacios de seguridad y peligro en los ambientes urbanos según aparecen representados en la novela de 2015 de Paula Hawkins The Girl on the Train, enmarcada en el subgénero del domestic noir. Con este fin, este artículo utiliza las teorías sobre el afecto y el espacio —tanto público como privado— en relación con las tres voces en primera persona que narran la novela y sus vínculos afectivos. Presta especial atención a la representación de las geografías del miedo y la seguridad para explorar la construcción de la representación (performance) de las relaciones jerárquicas basadas en las emociones —fundamentalmente el amor y el miedo— así como la representación y la incorporación espacial de estos afectos. Analiza cómo la construcción de patrones emocionales alternativos, es decir, los desplazamientos incorporados alternativos y los vínculos emocionales que se establecen con los espacios y las relaciones permiten poner al descubierto patrones de dominación que, de otro modo, permanecerían ocultos en el ámbito del hogar

Territorio, pobreza y concreción de derechos : una relación estratégica

Fil: Rodríguez, María Carla. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales; ArgentinaEl territorio es medio para la construcción social y la defensa de derechos. Derechos que cientos de\ncomunidades y organizaciones construyen y disputan cotidianamente a través de prácticas,\nproyectos y propuestas de políticas que en materia de vivienda, trabajo, salud y educación, perfilan\nlos hilos de una trama activa y compleja. Cada lugar, cada ámbito, cada territorio, implican una\nespecífica estructura social y particulares relaciones de poder espacializadas

La ecuación vivienda-trabajo en las políticas argentinas del nuevo milenio

Este artículo analiza la relación entre vivienda y trabajo en las políticas públicas de hábitat que se definieron e implementaron en el contexto posterior a la crisis argentina de 2001. Con base en el Area Metropolitana de Buenos Aires, se analizan y comparan el Programa Federal de Construcción de Viviendas PFCV, el Programa Federal de Emergencia Habitacional PFEH y la autogestión cooperativa del hábitat Ley 341-PAV durante el período 2003-2008. Se afirma que las variaciones en los modos de articular ambas dimensiones, sumado a las modalidades de producción e inserción urbana de cada caso, adquieren significado más allá del plano estrictamente sectorial, y nos hablan de las características medulares de un orden social desigual tanto como de cauces hacia su posible transformación

Alcohol regulation, communication strategies and underage alcohol consumption in Spain: Implications for social marketing

Purpose. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it examines the communication strategies pursued by firms related to alcohol beverages in Spain during a decade with major changes in alcohol marketing regulations. Second, it analyzes the relationship between these strategies and underage alcohol consumption before and after 2007. Design/methodology/approach. Panel data methodology is implemented using data from ESTUDES national survey (average sample size 26,000 interviews, 2004-2010) and INFOADEX (nationwide advertising expenditure, 1999-2013). Findings. The results show that, under a restrictive alcohol marketing framework, firms related to alcohol beverages adapt their communication strategies: budget deviation from advertising to sponsorship. Regarding alcohol quantity and frequency models, the relationship between alcohol advertising expenditure and underage alcohol consumption after 2007 is very small but still positive and significant. However, contrary to expectations, in the case of alcohol sponsorship, the relationship between expenditure and underage alcohol consumption has not been affected by the observed budget deviation from advertising to sponsorship after 2007. Research limitations/implications. Changes in alcohol advertising and sponsorship regulation lead firms related to alcohol beverages to change their communication strategies to overcome new regulatory restrictions and to reach their target group. Overall, despite the relationships between both advertising and sponsorship expenditure and underage alcohol consumption diminish between periods, they still remain positive and significant. Closer and updated monitoring of alcohol communication strategies pursued by firm is needed to keep controlling the alcohol advertising and sponsorship exposure to under age people. Originality/value. This is a pioneer study in analyzing communication strategies within the Spanish alcohol beverages sector and in proposing a model to analyze the dynamic effect of such strategies on underage alcohol consumption

AI-discovery of a new charging protocol in a micromaser quantum battery

We propose a general computational framework for optimizing model-dependent parameters in quantum batteries (QB). We apply this method to two different charging scenarios in the micromaser QB and we discover a new charging protocol for stabilizing the battery in upper-laying Hilbert space chambers in a controlled and automatic way. This protocol is found to be stable and robust, and it leads to an improved charging efficiency in micromaser QBs. Moreover, our optimization framework is highly versatile and efficient, holding great promise for the advancement of QB technologies at all scales.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure

Sustainability in the Beverage Industry: A Research Agenda from the Demand Side

Sustainability has become one of the most important challenges for the beverage industry over the last few decades. In fact, many producers have implemented environmental, social, or economic aspects of sustainability at several stages of their production process. One of the reasons that might explain this interest in sustainability is that consumers are changing their behavior to integrate sustainable and environmental considerations into their purchase behavior. Accordingly, some consumers’ purchasing decisions are based not only on how well products satisfy their needs but also on how these products affect the environment or society at large. Within this context, designing appropriate interventions to fostering sustainable consumption requires deeper knowledge about its underlying determinants. In this paper, we focus on some of the most important challenges that might drive future research within this area