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Representations of Migrants in Twenty-First-Century European Cinema: A Survey of Films from the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
No full textThis study explores the cinematic representation of migrants in European cinema. The case studies focus on films from the five European countries that have the highest levels of foreign-born population as of January 2018. These countries are: the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. These five nations were colonisers of various countries at certain points since the seventeenth century. The countries also are the five biggest film producing countries in Europe.
The main aim of the research is to identify current and recurring themes in migrant and diasporic cinema and to identify the contemporary cinematic discourses that prevail in relation to issues of immigration, race and ethnicity.
A corpus of twenty-one films dealing with migration is analysed. The films are selected based on their relevance to the topic of migration and migrant experiences in European cinema in the twenty-first century. The films included in the corpus do not represent an exhaustive list of all European films dealing with migration. Documentary films are excluded as are non-feature length films and films made for television. The research findings reported on reveal that the media continue to dehumanise and criminalise migrants through the deployment of negative stereotypes. Also, The Research findings reveal that migrants are generally represented as struggling to assimilate or integrate hence excelling in Europe is portrayed as a significant challenge for them. Given the limited amount of films tackling the issue of migrants and migration and the lack of accessibility of many of these, the research raises concerns about whether migrants are being represented accurately
Mechanisms underlying cholinergic contractions of airway smooth muscle and their regulation by beta-adrenoreceptor agonists
No full textMuscarinic (MR) antagonists and b-adrenoreceptor (b-AR) agonists are the most commonly used bronchodilators in COPD and asthma. The reversal of bronchoconstriction by muscarinic antagonists is thought to be mediated by their action on M3R, and not M2Rs. Despite the prevalence of M2Rs in the airways, their exact contribution to cholinergic contractions remains elusive, however, several studies indicated that knockout of both M2R and M3R is required to abolish cholinergic responses. Activation of M2Rs has also been shown to offset cAMP-dependent relaxations by supressing AC activity, whereas beta-AR agonists activate AC which ultimately leads to airway smooth muscle (ASM) relaxation. The primary aim of this study was to examine the contribution of post-junctional M2Rs to cholinergic contractions of ASM and to determine if these responses are modulated by beta-AR agonists.
Isometric tension recordings were performed on murine bronchial rings and intracellular Ca2+ levels were recorded from isolated ASM cells using confocal microscopy. The main findings of the present study were as follows: 1) A reduction of stimulus interval increased the amplitude of EFS-evoked contractions of ASM. This effect was apparent at a stimulus frequency of 2 Hz but not 20 Hz; 2) This potentiation was mediated by M2Rs as it was prevented by the M2R antagonists methoctramine and AFDX116 and was absent in M2R KO mice; 3) Methoctramine inhibited cholinergic contractions evoked by low concentrations of carbachol (CCh) suggesting that these responses also involve M2Rs; 4) The beta1-AR agonist denopamine mimicked the effects of the M2R antagonists methoctramine and AFDX116 and was less effective in M2R KO mice, suggesting that it exerts part of its effect by inhibiting M2R-dependent responses; 5) M2R-dependent responses involve Ca2+ influx via voltage- dependent calcium channels (VDCC) and can be regulated by modulation of K+ channels and calcium activated chloride channels (CaCC).
This study provides evidence of a novel and profound M2R-mediated hypersensitisation of M3R-dependent contractions of ASM, evident at low stimulus frequencies and intervals. We speculate that this occurs via stimulation of extra-junctional M2Rs through overspill of subthreshold ACh concentrations is the likely cause of this phenomena. Therefore, a small increase in ambient ACh concentration in the airways could be a causative factor in the generation of airway hyperresponsiveness in diseases such as asthma and COPD
Regulation of airway smooth muscle contraction by PGE2
Get PDFProtease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2)is the most abundant PAR in the human lung and is expressed in bronchial epithelium and smooth muscle. There are conflicting reports on the precise role of PAR2 in the airways and studies have shown it can induce both bronchoconstriction and bronchodilation effects. While PAR2 is present on airway smooth muscle cells, it has been suggested that the inhibitory effects of PAR2 in the airways could be mediated via endogenous prostanoids.Prostaglandin E2(PGE2)is the most abundantly produced prostanoid in the body andexerts its biological effects through activation of four prostanoid E receptors(EPRs). Activation of EP1and EP3Rspromotes airway inflammation and cough, whereas EP2and EP4Rsinducepotent bronchodilation (Aso et al. 2013; Sastre and del Pozo 2012; Tilley et al.2003), however, the precise cellular mechanisms underlying the effects of PGE2in airway smooth musclehave not been fully elucidated. The aims of this study were to: 1) investigate the mechanisms underlying PAR2 mediated relaxations in murine airway smooth muscle; 2) identifythe EP receptor subtype responsible for the inhibitoryeffects of PGE2in murine airway smooth muscle;3) examine the underlying cellular processesand possible roleof K+channels inPGE2-induced relaxationsof airway smooth muscleand4) investigate if PGE2affected calcium signalling in isolated airway smooth muscle cells. Isometric tension recordings were obtainedfrom murine bronchial rings and intracellular calcium measurements were recordedfrom isolated airway smooth muscle cells using confocal microscopy. Transcriptional expression ofEPRsubtypes in whole bronchial tissueand isolatedairway smooth muscle cellswas investigatedusing RT-PCR and RT-quantification was determinedusing qPCR. The key findings of this study were: 1)PAR2 activation elicited potent relaxation of bronchial rings pre-contracted with EFS and the cholinergic agonist CCh (1PM) via releaseof endogenous PGE2; 2) Exogenous application of PGE2relaxedbronchial rings in a concentration-dependent manner;3) The inhibitoryeffects ofPGE2were reduced in the presence of an EP2R antagonist but not an EP4Rantagonist;4) PGE2-induced inhibitionof EFS-evoked contractions were also reduced by an EP2R antagonist, but not an EP4R antagonist, however 7inhibitory effects of the EP4R antagonist were unmasked when it was applied in the presence of the EP2R antagonist;5) PGE2-induced relaxations of CCh and EFS-evoked contractions were reduced in the presence of the BK channel blocker,iberiotoxinbut not by the Kv7 channel blocker,XE-991;6) PGE2reduced the frequency and amplitude of CCh-induced calcium oscillations in isolated murine airway smooth muscle cells;7) These effects were mimicked by the EP2R agonist, (R)-Butaprost, the AC activator, forskolin,the exchange protein activated by cAMP (EPAC) activator, 007-AM,the PKA activator, 6-MB-cAMP, and were partially reduced by the PKA inhibitor, Rp-8-CPT-cAMP; 8) CCh-induced calcium oscillations were inhibited by the IP3R inhibitor, 2-APB, the RyRinhibitor, tetracaine and, to a lesser extent, removal of calcium from the extracellular solution; 9) Caffeine-induced calcium transients in isolated airway smooth muscle cells were not affected by addition of PGE2; 10) All EPR subtypes were expressed in whole bronchial tissue, but EP4R was not detected in isolated airway smooth muscle cells.Taken together, these data suggest a role for EP2Rs in PGE2-induced inhibition of cholinergic responses in murine airway smooth muscle. These effects may involve activation of BK channels and inhibition of calcium oscillations through upregulation of PKA, and possibly EPAC, to inhibit IP3R evoked calcium release
Measurement of Heart Rate Using the Withings ScanWatch Device during Free-Living Activities: A Validation Study
Get PDFBackground: Wrist-worn devices that incorporate photoplethysmography (PPG) sensing represent an exciting means of measuring heart rate (HR). A number of studies have evaluated the accuracy of HR measurements produced by these devices in controlled laboratory environments. However, it is also important to establish the accuracy of measurements produced by these devices outside the laboratory, in real-world, consumer use conditions.
Objective: This study sought to examine the accuracy of HR measurements produced by the Withings ScanWatch during free-living activities.
Methods: A sample of convenience of 7 participants volunteered (3 male and 4 female; mean age 64, SD 10 years; mean height 164, SD 4 cm; mean weight 77, SD 16 kg) to take part in this real-world validation study. Participants were instructed to wear the ScanWatch for a 12-hour period on their nondominant wrist as they went about their day-to-day activities. A Polar H10 heart rate sensor was used as the criterion measure of HR. Participants used a study diary to document activities undertaken during the 12-hour study period. These activities were classified according to the 11 following domains: desk work, eat or drink, exercise, gardening, household activities, self-care, shopping, sitting, sleep, travel, and walking. Validity was assessed using the Bland-Altman analysis, concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE).
Results: Across all activity domains, the ScanWatch measured HR with MAPE values <10%, except for the shopping activity domain (MAPE=10.8%). The activity domains that were more sedentary in nature (eg, desk work, eat or drink, and sitting) produced the most accurate HR measurements with a small mean bias and MAPE values <5%. Moderate to strong correlations (CCC=0.526-0.783) were observed between devices for all activity domains, except during the walking activity domain, which demonstrated a weak correlation (CCC=0.164) between devices.
Conclusions: The results of this study show that the ScanWatch measures HR with a degree of accuracy that is acceptable for general consumer use; however, it would not be suitable in circumstances where more accurate measurements of HR are required, such as in health care or in clinical trials. Overall, the ScanWatch was less accurate at measuring HR during ambulatory activities (eg, walking, gardening, and household activities) compared to more sedentary activities (eg, desk work, eat or drink, and sitting). Further larger-scale studies examining this device in different populations and during different activities are required
From Isolation to Icons: Three Women Artists in Irish Country Music
Get PDFThis PhD examines women and their lived experience in Irish country music. Through the use of case studies of Philomena Begley, Margo O’Donnell and Susan McCann, this thesis explores how these women have negotiated identity, meaningfulness, and legacy in Irish country music.
By examining how these themes are evident in the lived experience of these three artists, this thesis critically discusses gender roles, identity formations, and cultural reflections in Irish country music. This thesis provides a comprehensive understanding of Irish country music from
the female perspective through a critical and in-depth investigation of gender roles, identity formations and cultural expectations. Through an examination of how women in Irish country music negotiate their gender identity, this thesis demonstrates how this music reflects Irish culture and cultural expectations. It questions how women artists’ portrayal of gender reflect cultural expectations and norms, while it also explores how their actions contributed to a
reimagination of gender norms in Irish country music. By engaging with scholarship on gender, this dissertation examines how women artists create and negotiate their gender roles within music, reinforcing cultural and community identity. It also provides a new discourse on how meaningfulness is created through song lyrics and performance, and finally explores how legacy is created in Irish country music
Virtual Musicking During COVID-19: Maintaining a Music Ensemble Community
Get PDFThe propensity of choirs and music ensembles to support their members, develop social skills and nurture wellbeing is well documented but, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the possibility of such groups to come together to rehearse, perform and socialize was removed. This paper focuses on the Oriel Traditional Orchestra (OTO), a voluntary, intergenerational, cross-border community orchestra of approximately 80 members spread over four counties in the border region of the north-east of Ireland. This paper reflects on the feedback from two surveys with the ensemble, undertaken before and during the COVID-19 restrictions in Ireland. These surveys highlight the importance to the ensemble of developing a social network for members, their sense of community, and the link between social activities connected to participation in music-making and wellbeing. During the period of restrictions resulting from COVID-19 virtual engagement in musicking contributed to wellness and the wellbeing of members but a desire for face-to�face activities remained. The paper details how the OTO has responded to the crisis to support its members and continue its social role for members