Haunted television : trauma and the specter in the archive

On television, the ghost enables a revisitation of traumatic histories and a revelation of injustice beyond death, in genres as diverse as the ghost drama and the public information film. In these texts, the ghost brings about awareness and acceptance of past trauma, or avoidance of the repetition of the mistakes of the past. However, if television haunts us – not only in Sconce’s sense of a form of ‘occult liveness’ (2000) but in its ability to reanimate the dead – then the recent resurfacing of Jimmy Savile, a dead television celebrity and serial rapist, might be seen as a more troubling and problematic form of televisual haunting. This article explores the ideas that television itself can be ‘haunting’, that television companies and their archives might become haunted, and that the production of programming, from documentary to drama, can sometimes act as a form of exorcism, or at least a working through, of the traumas and hidden histories that the spectral figure represents. It explores the discourse of haunting that permeates the reception of Savile’s posthumous image, and thinks about what viewing Savile as a spectre reveals about the television archive. The article not only looks at documentary programming about Savile and his crimes, but also thinks about how dramas such as National Treasure (Channel 4, 2016) and the Sherlock episode The Lying Detective’ (BBC1, tx. 1/8/17) are haunted by his spectre

Gothic television

This thesis examines forms of Gothic fiction on television, and defines the ways in which television produces Gothic drama which is medium-specific (e.g. formally distinct from versions of the genre in other media). This work employs a textual analysis to explore Gothic television, and combines this with archival research and an examination of the changing climate of television production in a range of national and historical contexts. The thesis is organised into four case studies, each dealing with different national industries during different periods: British anthology drama of the 1960s and 70s (e.g. Mystery and Imagination (ABC/Thames, 1966-70), Ghost Story for Christmas (BBC1, 1971-78)); Danish art television in the mid-nineties (Riget (Danmarks Radio/Zentropa, 1994); British adaptations of female Gothic literature, (e.g. Rebecca (BBC2, 1979), The Wyvern Mystery (BBC1/The Television Production Company, 2000); and big-budget, effects-laden series from North America in the 1990s (e.g. American Gothic (CBS/Renaissance, 1995-96), Millennium (20th Century Fox/10:13, 1996-1999). I argue that Gothic television plays on the genre's inherent fascination with the domestic/familial, to produce television drama with an overt consciousness of the contexts in which the programmes are being viewed, a consciousness which is locatable within the text itself; as such, the thesis defines the Gothic as a genre which is well suited to presentation on television. Furthermore, an examination is offered of the 'model' viewer as presented within the television text, enabling an understanding of the ways in which conceptions of television viewership are inscribed into television drama at the moment of production. I also interrogate the notion that television is an 'uncanny' medium by locating the precise sources of uncanniness with Gothic television, and delineate the ways in which innovations in television production have been showcased through the representation of the supernatural and the uncanny with Gothic Television

LIFE: Costing the digital preservation lifecycle

Having confidence in the permanence of a digital resource requires a deep understanding of the preservation activities that will need to be performed throughout its lifetime, and an ability to plan and resource for those activities. The LIFE (Lifecycle Information for E-Literature) Project1 has advanced understanding of the short and long-term costs in this complex area, facilitating better planning, comparison and evaluation of digital lifecycles. The LIFE Project created a digital lifecycle model based on previous work undertaken on the lifecycles of paper-based materials. It applied the model to real-life collections, modelling their lifecycles and studying their constituent processes. The results were then used to estimate the costs of each element of the digital lifecycle. Organisations can now apply this process, enabling evaluation and refinement of their existing lifecycles and facilitating more effective planning for the preservation of newly acquired content. Phase 2 of the LIFE Project began in February 2007. It is evaluating and refining the models and methodology developed in the first phase of the project and developing lifecycle costings for a range of further case studies

Memory, nostalgia and the material heritage of children’s television in the museum

‘The Story of Children’s Television, from 1946 to Now’ was an exhibition co-conceived by the authors and colleagues from the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry, UK, running from 2015 to 2017 through a national tour. At the exhibition, objects from children’s television history sat alongside screens showing the programmes to visitors. Our research explores how children’s television culture operates as a site of memory and nostalgia, through which we can investigate forms of (inter)generational cultural memory. This paper explores the reconnections and disconnections that emerge in encounters with the material heritage of children’s television in Britain

Optimal dosage determination of a hypocholesterolemic bitter yam proprietary preparation in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic mice

Coronary heart disease, a condition associated with dyslipidemias including hyperlipidemia and low HDL-C levels, has been an increasing problem in the developing world. Conventional treatment for hyperlipidemia often present with unfavourable side effects, leading to the need for development of drugs from natural products. The hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic properties of the Jamaican bitter yam have previously been demonstrated however consumption at a high dosage presents with various adverse effects. This study is therefore geared towards the determination of an optimal dosage for the consumption of a proprietary preparation made from this yam species. Hypercholesterolemic mice were fed the preparation at various dosages (4, 2, 1, 0.5%) for 3 weeks after which they were phlebotomized then euthanized. Organs were stored at -80°C until required for analysis. The optimal dosage for supplementation, which resulted in significant decreases in serum cholesterol and oxidative stress without eliciting adverse effects, was found to be 2%. The results from this study points to the need for future in-depth studies involving dietary supplementation at the 2% supplementation level.&nbsp

Associations between fitness, physical activity and mental health in a community sample of young British adolescents: baseline data from the Fit to Study trial

Objectives. To examine relationships between fitness, physical activity and psychosocial problems among English secondary school pupils and to explore how components of physically active lifestyles are associated with mental health and well-being. Methods. A total of 7385 participants aged 11–13 took a fitness test and completed self-reported measures of physical activity, attitudes to activity, psychosocial problems and self-esteem during the Fit to Study trial. Multilevel regression, which modelled school-level cluster effects, estimated relationships between activity, fitness and psychosocial problems; canonical correlation analysis (CCA) explored modes of covariation between active lifestyle and mental health variables. Models were adjusted for covariates of sex, free school meal status, age, and time and location of assessments. Results. Higher fitness was linked with fewer internalising problems (β=−0.23; 95% CI −0.26 to −0.21; p<0.001). More activity was also related to fewer internalising symptoms (β=−0.24; 95% CI −0.27 to −0.20; p<0.001); the relationship between activity and internalising problems was significantly stronger for boys than for girls. Fitness and activity were also favourably related to externalising symptoms, with smaller effect sizes. One significant CCA mode, with a canonical correlation of 0.52 (p=0.001), was characterised high cross-loadings for positive attitudes to activity (0.46) and habitual activity (0.42) among lifestyle variables; and for physical and global self-esteem (0.47 and 0.42) among mental health variables. Conclusion. Model-based and data-driven analysis methods indicate fitness as well as physical activity are linked to adolescent mental health. If effect direction is established, fitness monitoring could complement physical activity measurement when tracking public health

Fit to Study: Reflections on designing and implementing a large-scale randomized controlled trial in secondary schools

Background. The randomised controlled trial (RCT) design is increasingly common among studies seeking good-quality evidence to advance educational neuroscience, but conducting RCTs in schools is challenging. Fit to Study, one of six such trials funded by the Education Endowment Foundation and Wellcome Trust, tested an intervention to increase vigorous physical activity during PE lessons on maths attainment among pupils aged 12–13. This review of designing and conducting an RCT in 104 schools is intended as a resource on which researchers might draw for future studies. Method. We consider intervention design and delivery; recruitment, retention, trial management, data collection and analysis including ethical considerations and working with evaluators. Results. Teacher training, intervention delivery and data collection during large-scale RCTs require a flexible approach appropriate to educational settings, which in turn entails planning and resources. Conclusion. Simple interventions, with few outcome measures and minimal missing data, are preferable to more complex designs

Unspoken playground rules discourage adolescent physical activity in school : a focus group study of constructs in the Prototype Willingness Model

The health benefits of exercise in school are recognised, yet physical activity continues to decline during early adolescence despite numerous interventions. In this study we investigated whether the Prototype Willingness Model, an account of adolescent decision-making that includes both reasoned behavioural choices and unplanned responses to social environments, might improve understanding of physical activity in school. We conducted focus groups with British pupils aged 12-13 and used deductive thematic analysis to search for themes relating to the model. Participants described reasoned decisions about physical activity outside school and unplanned choices to be inactive during break, in response to social contexts described as more ‘judgmental’ than in primary school. Social contexts appeared characterised by anxiety about competence, negative peer evaluation and inactive playground norms. The Prototype Willingness Model might more fully explain physical activity in school than reasoned behavioural models alone, indicating potential for interventions targeting anxieties about playground social environments

Lee Silverman voice treatment versus standard NHS speech and language therapy versus control in Parkinson's disease (PD COMM pilot):study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Parkinson’s disease is a common movement disorder affecting approximately 127,000 people in the UK, with an estimated two thirds having speech-related problems. Currently there is no preferred approach to speech and language therapy within the NHS and there is little evidence for the effectiveness of standard NHS therapy or Lee Silverman voice treatment. This trial aims to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of randomizing people with Parkinson’s disease-related speech or voice problems to Lee Silverman voice treatment or standard speech and language therapy compared to a no-intervention control. Methods/Design: The PD COMM pilot is a three arm, assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Randomization will be computer-generated with participants randomized at a ratio of 1:1:1. Participants randomized to intervention arms will be immediately referred to the appropriate speech and language therapist. The target population are patients with a confirmed diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease who have problems with their speech or voice. The Lee Silverman voice treatment intervention group will receive the standard regime of 16 sessions between 50 and 60 minutes in length over four weeks, with extra home practice. The standard speech and language therapy intervention group will receive a dose determined by patients’ individual needs, but not exceeding eight weeks of treatment. The control group will receive standard care with no speech and language therapy input for at least six months post-randomization. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline (pre-randomization) and post- randomization at three, six, and 12 months. The outcome measures include patient-reported voice measures, quality of life, resource use, and assessor-rated speech recordings. The recruitment aim is at least 60 participants over 21 months from 11 sites, equating to at least 20 participants in each arm of the trial. This trial is ongoing and recruitment commenced in May 2012. Discussion: This study will provide information on the feasibility and acceptability of randomizing participants to different speech and language therapies or control/deferred treatment. The findings relating to recruitment, treatment compliance, outcome measures, and effect size will inform a future phase III randomized controlled trial

Monitoring anaerobic digestion: a 2-year brewery case study

Operational data from an anaerobic wastewater treatment plant (expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor) were analysed before and after a defect with the solids separator. The results presented suggest that a newly available method for the analysis of total volatile fatty acids (VFAs) was ideal as a rapid, onsite, operational indicator of reactor stability. These total VFAs were shown to provide an earlier warning of the separator problem than the other rapid routine methods of monitoring digesters such as alkalinity and suspended solids. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, pH and gas yield were not as useful for monitoring because of their slow response. The results are from a high rate reactor; the loads were 18kg COD/m3/d in the first year and 26 in the second with 4·4 d hydraulic retention time. The results for both years of operation demonstrate a 95% conversion of COD into gas with an additional contribution from solids digestion (specific gas yield of 0·4 l methane (CH4)/g CODrem). This high performance was attributed to the solubility of the COD and the efficient EGSB mixing