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Diversity and evolution of cerebellar folding in mammals
Get PDFThe process of brain folding is thought to play an important role in the development and organisation of the cerebrum and the cerebellum. The study of cerebellar folding is challenging due to the small size and abundance of its folia. In consequence, little is known about its anatomical diversity and evolution. We constituted an open collection of histological data from 56 mammalian species and manually segmented the cerebrum and the cerebellum. We developed methods to measure the geometry of cerebellar folia and to estimate the thickness of the molecular layer. We used phylogenetic comparative methods to study the diversity and evolution of cerebellar folding and its relationship with the anatomy of the cerebrum. Our results show that the evolution of cerebellar and cerebral anatomy follows a stabilising selection process. We observed two groups of phenotypes changing concertedly through evolution: a group of ‘diverse’ phenotypes – varying over several orders of magnitude together with body size, and a group of ‘stable’ phenotypes varying over less than 1 order of magnitude across species. Our analyses confirmed the strong correlation between cerebral and cerebellar volumes across species, and showed in addition that large cerebella are disproportionately more folded than smaller ones. Compared with the extreme variations in cerebellar surface area, folial anatomy and molecular layer thickness varied only slightly, showing a much smaller increase in the larger cerebella. We discuss how these findings could provide new insights into the diversity and evolution of cerebellar folding, the mechanisms of cerebellar and cerebral folding, and their potential influence on the organisation of the brain across species
The effectiveness of alcohol label information for increasing knowledge and awareness: a rapid evidence review
Get PDFBackground:-
Consumers have difficulty understanding alcoholic units and low risk drinking guidelines (LRDG). Labelling may improve comprehension. The aims of this rapid evidence review were to establish the effectiveness of on-bottle labelling for (i) improving comprehension of health risks; (ii) improving comprehension of unit and/or standard drink information and/or LRDG, and (iii) reducing self-reported intentions to drink/actual drinking.
Methods:-
Electronic database searches were carried out (January 2008-November 2018 inclusive). Papers were included if they were: published in English; from an Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development country; an experimental/quasi-experimental design. Papers were assessed for quality using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment tool. Ten papers were included. Most studies were moderate quality (n = 7).
Results:-
Five themes emerged: comprehension of health risks; self-reported drinking intentions; comprehension of unit/standard drink information and/or LRDG; outcome expectancies; and label attention. Labelling can improve awareness, particularly of health harms, but is unlikely to change behaviour. Improved comprehension was greatest for labels with unit information and LRDG.
Conclusions:-
Alcohol labelling can be effective in improving people’s comprehension of the health risks involved in drinking alcohol enabling them to make informed consumption decisions, and perhaps thereby provide a route to changing behaviour. Thus, effective alcohol labelling is an intervention that can be added to the broader suite of policy options. That being said, the literature reviewed here suggests that the specific format of the label matters, so careful consideration must be given to the design and placement of labels
Unravelling Cleopatra: a production history
No full textUsing a wealth of extant and previously unreferenced evidence, this critical history reconstructs, examines, and interrogates Fox’s production of Cleopatra (Mankiewicz, 1963, Fox) from 1958-1966. The absence to date of an objective critical account means that for 60 years Cleopatra has acquired near-mythical status as one of Hollywood’s biggest flops, obscuring its pivotal role in the shift from the classical to the modern Hollywood system, and the impact of that shift upon Cleopatra’s production and subsequent reception. The critical history at the heart of this research considers how key events and decisions informed Cleopatra’s reaction to, and impact on, the economic and ideological shifts changing America’s mainstream film industry as all Hollywood sought to find a new way of working. This study therefore considers a pivotal moment in Hollywood’s conversion from the Classical to the Modern Studio System
Disabled people’s experiences of the Coronavirus pandemic: a call to action for social change
Get PDFThe Coronavirus pandemic has caused significant disruption and change in most aspects of society, and there are concerns that disabled people may be particularly disadvantaged. This article, written by disabled activists and non‐disabled allies, shares data extrapolated from focus groups regarding the lived experiences of twelve disabled people and disability allies during the Covid‐19 pandemic, eleven of whom were based in the UK, and one based in Iraq. We describe the key issues and learning points from this data, arguing that the measures taken by the government and organisations to protect the public during the pandemic have instead brought to the fore long‐standing ableist narratives regarding which bodies are valuable in society. This ableist agenda has acted to control and silence the voices of disabled people by objectifying disability and defining “pre‐existing health conditions” as being more expendable, and therefore less worthy of attention during the pandemic. In presenting our position for change and call to action, we will argue that it is only when disabled people’s experiences and voices are heard in decision‐making that policymakers can begin to learn from the inequalities that have been demonstrated through the pandemic. Here, we will introduce our Wellcome Trust‐funded “We Are the People” Disability Research Collective programme (2021–2026). This programme develops a new disability activist‐led research network, whereby disabled people can conduct research into topics that are important to them
Reduction of conflict through contract terms
No full textThe issue of contractual disputes is one of the most significant issues that parties to a contract
confront while drafting and fulfilling contracts. Even the most painstakingly crafted contract
terms may contain words and provisions that give rise to a conflict between the parties
concerned. While it is typical for parties to a contact to disagree, this disagreement can grow if
left uncontrolled. The resolution of contractual conflicts requires a legal procedure to be carried
out, i.e. litigation and arbitration. However, disagreements not only harm business relationships
and their reputations but also are costly, risky and time-consuming to resolve via litigation and
arbitration. Still negotiators continue to focus largely on how to manage the repercussions of a
breach, failure, or disagreement rather than how to prevent them from occurring or procedures
that may drive contract compliance or renegotiation in order to achieve the parties’ main goals
by contract performance. It would always be more effective and efficient if the focus is shifted
from legal issues and legally significant facts to the fundamental causes of possible disputes
and conflicts. This presentation firstly argues that one of the goals of contract law should be the
reduction of conflict and by doing so the contract minimises the amount of time, effort, and
resources wasted on disagreements as well as the incidence of harm caused by these disputes.
Then, the second part of the presentation deals with the ways in which this goal can be realised
through the design of the contract between the parties
Urban youth unemployment, marginalization and politics in MENA
No full textThis book focuses on Arab youth marginalization along intersectional lines of gender, ethnicity and social class in four cities: Jerusalem, Amman, Cairo, and Tunis. The author explores how the political and economic climates in each city influence the life prospects of youth and uncovers their narratives around their aspirations, disappointments and life choices. Providing an interdisciplinary approach, the project will interest a wide range of audiences including graduate students, scholars, and policy makers in the fields of the Middle Eastern studies, political science, urban studies, and education
Literary liveness: dismantling barriers to a remote theatrical experience
No full textThe recent surge in remote theatre experiences has challenged theatres and theatre practitioners to think more than ever about remote audiences, their behaviours, their needs, the way they engage with and access work and the role they play in shaping a virtual performance. This paper seeks to understand how a remote theatre experience can be experienced by audiences, how they can be curated by theatre practitioners and explores emerging findings around liveness, hybridity and embodiment for remote audiences.
To do so, the paper presents a recent case study developed as part of MyWorld, a project supporting the development of the creative technology industry in the West of England. This case study follows the development of a remote performance of Nobel Prize winning author Olga Tokarczuk’s novel Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, involving collaboration between the international touring company Complicité, Bristol Old Vic and several universities in the UK. In this project, audience data, including heart rate, was gathered by a team of psychologists, led by University of Bristol, to track long-form continuous immersion measures of audiences and analysed to understand audience experience.
This paper presents key findings from this case study. It reflects on how we can seek to understand the experiences of remote audiences through the use of technologically-led audience research, examines the concepts of liveness and immersion and explores their impact on remote experiences
Incorporating the atoms: digital theatre for remote audiences
No full textThe recent surge in remote theatre experiences has challenged theatres and theatre practitioners to think more than ever about remote audiences, their behaviours, their needs, the way they engage with and access work and the role they play in shaping a virtual performance. This paper seeks to understand how a remote theatre experience can be experienced by audiences, how they can be curated by theatre practitioners and explores emerging findings around liveness, hybridity and embodiment for remote audiences.
To do so, the paper presents a recent case study developed as part of MyWorld, a project supporting the development of the creative technology industry in the West of England. This case study follows the development of a remote performance of Nobel Prize winning author Olga Tokarczuk’s novel Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, involving collaboration between the international touring company Complicité, Bristol Old Vic and several universities in the UK. In this project, audience data, including heart rate, was gathered by a team of psychologists, led by University of Bristol, to track long-form continuous immersion measures of audiences and analysed to understand audience experience.
This paper presents key findings from this case study. It reflects on how we can seek to understand the experiences of remote audiences through the use of technologically-led audience research, examines the concepts of liveness and immersion and explores their impact on remote experiences