Finding Meaning in All the Right Places: A Novel Measurement of Dramatic Structure in Film and Television Narratives

This article summarizes an evidence-based study that adapts a breakpoint approach to investigate how elements of television narratives (two half-hour episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents: “Lamb to the Slaughter” and “The Case of Mr. Pelham”) were considered meaningful to viewers. Actions considered meaningful were found to be high in informational and emotional content, and primarily consisted of plot points where changes in narrative direction and protagonist's goals were perceived as interpretively salient. Viewers also registered as meaningful those scenes that were character centered and provided subjective access to the main characters. The article reviews segmentation behavior in the relevant film theory literature to contextualize study, and concludes by summarizing other potential applications of an adapted breakpoint approach beyond the investigation of dramatic structure

Non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD): Epidemiology, diagnosis and multidisciplinary management

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous environmental organisms that can cause significant disease in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals. The incidence of NTM pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) is rising globally. Diagnostic challenges persist and treatment efficacy is variable. This article provides an overview of NTM-PD for clinicians. We discuss how common it is, who is at risk, how it is diagnosed and the multidisciplinary approach to its clinical management. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.