Musical politics: Protest and dissent in Aotearoa New Zealand

Popular songs play an important role in mobilising political campaigns by creating platforms for voices of protest and dissent in the discussion of significant issues that questions those in power. This research considers the role songs of protest and political dissent have played over the past 60 years of Aotearoa New Zealand’s postcolonial history. Political messages have been embedded in musical texts reflecting the region’s unique historical and cultural development, especially the positioning of its Pacific peoples (indigenous Māori and immigrants from other Pacific Islands) in issues and processes of political protest. In the 1960s and 1970s, when global human rights movements were gaining traction, in Aotearoa intense feelings over inequities and injustices manifested themselves in song. Māori land rights, sporting relations with the apartheid regime in South Africa and the programme of nuclear testing pursued by the French in the Pacific were all issues of major concern, provoking marches, occupations and boycotts. The social reforms and domestic processes experienced in the separation from Britain (1947) included a ‘coming out’ of difference and dissent and a ‘coming in’ of new cultural influences into the music industry by new waves of migration and the birth of the local recording industry (1960–1986). This case study features 17 representative recordings that cover a range of themes (racism, land rights, nuclear tests, climate change and political discontent) that attracted media attention and public debate. The results presented show how protest songs in Aotearoa continue to play an important role in mobilising political campaigns in the Pacific

Go Outdoors! Guidance and Good Practice on Encouraging Outdoor Activities in Residential Child Care

This resource is a fantastic tool for managers of residential services or individual residential practitioners. It's also ideal for local authority outdoor education staff. It promotes the right of young people living in a residential setting, to be allowed to participate in everyday activities like riding a bike, while allowing managers to carry out their duty of care safely and responsibly

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research

Bi-allelic Loss-of-Function CACNA1B Mutations in Progressive Epilepsy-Dyskinesia.

The occurrence of non-epileptic hyperkinetic movements in the context of developmental epileptic encephalopathies is an increasingly recognized phenomenon. Identification of causative mutations provides an important insight into common pathogenic mechanisms that cause both seizures and abnormal motor control. We report bi-allelic loss-of-function CACNA1B variants in six children from three unrelated families whose affected members present with a complex and progressive neurological syndrome. All affected individuals presented with epileptic encephalopathy, severe neurodevelopmental delay (often with regression), and a hyperkinetic movement disorder. Additional neurological features included postnatal microcephaly and hypotonia. Five children died in childhood or adolescence (mean age of death: 9 years), mainly as a result of secondary respiratory complications. CACNA1B encodes the pore-forming subunit of the pre-synaptic neuronal voltage-gated calcium channel Cav2.2/N-type, crucial for SNARE-mediated neurotransmission, particularly in the early postnatal period. Bi-allelic loss-of-function variants in CACNA1B are predicted to cause disruption of Ca2+ influx, leading to impaired synaptic neurotransmission. The resultant effect on neuronal function is likely to be important in the development of involuntary movements and epilepsy. Overall, our findings provide further evidence for the key role of Cav2.2 in normal human neurodevelopment.MAK is funded by an NIHR Research Professorship and receives funding from the Wellcome Trust, Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital Charity, and Rosetrees Trust. E.M. received funding from the Rosetrees Trust (CD-A53) and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. K.G. received funding from Temple Street Foundation. A.M. is funded by Great Ormond Street Hospital, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), and Biomedical Research Centre. F.L.R. and D.G. are funded by Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. K.C. and A.S.J. are funded by NIHR Bioresource for Rare Diseases. The DDD Study presents independent research commissioned by the Health Innovation Challenge Fund (grant number HICF-1009-003), a parallel funding partnership between the Wellcome Trust and the Department of Health, and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (grant number WT098051). We acknowledge support from the UK Department of Health via the NIHR comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre award to Guy's and St. Thomas' National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust in partnership with King's College London. This research was also supported by the NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre. J.H.C. is in receipt of an NIHR Senior Investigator Award. The research team acknowledges the support of the NIHR through the Comprehensive Clinical Research Network. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, Department of Health, or Wellcome Trust. E.R.M. acknowledges support from NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, an NIHR Senior Investigator Award, and the University of Cambridge has received salary support in respect of E.R.M. from the NHS in the East of England through the Clinical Academic Reserve. I.E.S. is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (Program Grant and Practitioner Fellowship)

Performance networks: Indian cultural production in Aotearoa/New Zealand

In the globalised environment of the twenty-first century, sustainable/successful event production requires a variety of interacting relationships that link producers to the range of resources necessary for their events. These resources may include local and/or international artists, audiences, sponsorship, media, and technical support. These event production networks may last no longer than a single event, or they may persist across multiple events and years. They usually involve a wide range of cultural actors and production relationships. The manner in which individual producers, organisations and cultures construct, use, rearrange and maintain production networks offers insight into how cultures market and represent themselves. This research identifies the processes through which local and global network formations shape Indian cultural performance events in Aotearoa and the consequent images of India that are received/consumed by the wider New Zealand audience. The central research question asks: What are the processes and relationships that support the production of cultural events, with specific reference to events that are of interest to and/or produced by Aotearoa’s Indian communities? This ethnographic study begins with an investigation of a wide range of local and international socio-economic and cultural relationships generated by a number of different kinds of shared interests and identities that determine not only the nature of the events but their relevance to various audiences. Subsequently, it goes on to identify how local and global network formations in Indian culture and the performing arts interact so as to allow the development of events from their conceptual stages into actual productions. Finally, this research develops a model for the graphic representation of stakeholder and resource production networks that analyses the underlying structures and complex socio-economic interactions that enable cultural performances. Taken as a whole, this research demonstrates the centrality of relationship networks as the key to the relative success or failure of the events studied. From the perspective of event production needs, the flexibility and event-specific nature of those networks is made clear. At the same time, it is apparent that there are a range of culturally driven factors that affect event production practice as well as network formation, utilisation and maintenance. Identity and community, feasibility and power emerge as explanatory and analytical themes that help understand the relationships activated to create the networks that are central to the production of events. This study focuses on the pragmatic business of cultural production, often within the context of the music industry. Methodologically, it draws from ethnomusicology, event management, social science and industry practice to achieve a multidisciplinary approach to this applied research project. The rich, thick descriptions provide insight into how Indian communities are represented locally and globally by producers internal and external to the culture being represented. Cultural events are a powerful factor in the visibility of cultural communities and social cohesion. It is the continuous formal and informal processes, systems, structures, and relationships that create sustainable production networks. The findings contribute to a growing literature in the field of event management in which a need to apply phenomenology (hermeneutics) and experiential assessment methods through participant observation and experimental research techniques has been identified as well as the need for ethnographic research that focuses on the event experience. The findings in this research demonstrate that that success is much more than a simple measure of monetary profit, and that the ability to assert authority is imperative to the success of cultural representation across the performance industry

Performance networks: Indian cultural production in Aotearoa/New Zealand

In the globalised environment of the twenty-first century, sustainable/successful event production requires a variety of interacting relationships that link producers to the range of resources necessary for their events. These resources may include local and/or international artists, audiences, sponsorship, media, and technical support. These event production networks may last no longer than a single event, or they may persist across multiple events and years. They usually involve a wide range of cultural actors and production relationships. The manner in which individual producers, organisations and cultures construct, use, rearrange and maintain production networks offers insight into how cultures market and represent themselves. This research identifies the processes through which local and global network formations shape Indian cultural performance events in Aotearoa and the consequent images of India that are received/consumed by the wider New Zealand audience. The central research question asks: What are the processes and relationships that support the production of cultural events, with specific reference to events that are of interest to and/or produced by Aotearoa’s Indian communities? This ethnographic study begins with an investigation of a wide range of local and international socio-economic and cultural relationships generated by a number of different kinds of shared interests and identities that determine not only the nature of the events but their relevance to various audiences. Subsequently, it goes on to identify how local and global network formations in Indian culture and the performing arts interact so as to allow the development of events from their conceptual stages into actual productions. Finally, this research develops a model for the graphic representation of stakeholder and resource production networks that analyses the underlying structures and complex socio-economic interactions that enable cultural performances. Taken as a whole, this research demonstrates the centrality of relationship networks as the key to the relative success or failure of the events studied. From the perspective of event production needs, the flexibility and event-specific nature of those networks is made clear. At the same time, it is apparent that there are a range of culturally driven factors that affect event production practice as well as network formation, utilisation and maintenance. Identity and community, feasibility and power emerge as explanatory and analytical themes that help understand the relationships activated to create the networks that are central to the production of events. This study focuses on the pragmatic business of cultural production, often within the context of the music industry. Methodologically, it draws from ethnomusicology, event management, social science and industry practice to achieve a multidisciplinary approach to this applied research project. The rich, thick descriptions provide insight into how Indian communities are represented locally and globally by producers internal and external to the culture being represented. Cultural events are a powerful factor in the visibility of cultural communities and social cohesion. It is the continuous formal and informal processes, systems, structures, and relationships that create sustainable production networks. The findings contribute to a growing literature in the field of event management in which a need to apply phenomenology (hermeneutics) and experiential assessment methods through participant observation and experimental research techniques has been identified as well as the need for ethnographic research that focuses on the event experience. The findings in this research demonstrate that that success is much more than a simple measure of monetary profit, and that the ability to assert authority is imperative to the success of cultural representation across the performance industry

On the welfare implications of firing costs

This is a paper on the theory of institutions. It provides a rationale for the presence of firing costs in OECD countries based on a market failure that takes the form of an externality. Workers have firm-specific and industry-specific skills, and in each period there is a nonzero probability that a worker quits. The quitting probability makes the private discount rate (used by firms in making decisions about firing workers) higher than the social discount rate. This generates a “quitting externality”, where firms lay off too many workers in a recession. Firms are too quick to dispose of their human capital in a cyclical downturn because it is of less value to them than it is to society. State-mandated redundancy payments become a second-best remedy to overcome the market failure

A Study on the Wall Paintings in Cave 9 and 10 at Ajanta - With Special Reference to Their Chronological Problems

Objectives of the Project Advisory Group. (PDF 181 kb

Trade Union Presence and Employer-Provided Training in Great Britain

Using linked employer-employee data from the 1998 Workplace Employee Relations Survey (WERS), we estimate the correlation between union presence and private sector employer-provided training in Great Britain. Our measure of union presence is workplace union recognition. We find this is positively correlated with the individual training probability for non-manual men and women and manual men (but not for manual women) and we offer some explanations for this correlation. We then investigate various avenues through which union recognition might affect training by interacting recognition with three types of bargaining institution: the closed shop, the level at which pay-bargaining takes place, and multi-unionism. We also investigate whether or not training is increased by direct negotiation between management and worker representatives