Diversity, difference and nation: indigenous peoples on screen in Mexico

This paper draws on constructivist theories of identity that regard the self as, paradoxically, coming into existence through interaction with the other, to investigate the discursive formation of indigenous people in the forging of Mexican national identity. The aim of the essay is to show how difference has been managed and deployed in the establishment of national Mexican identities from independence until the present. This is done with reference to visual culture and film and illustrated with examples from the ‘Golden Age’ as well as ‘the New Mexican Cinema’.

The role of area-level deprivation and gender in participation in population-based faecal immunochemical test (FIT) colorectal cancer screening

This study aimed to investigate the effects of sex and deprivation on participation in a population-based faecal immunochemical test (FIT) colorectal cancer screening programme. The study population included 9785 individuals invited to participate in two rounds of a population-based biennial FIT-based screening programme, in a relatively deprived area of Dublin, Ireland. Explanatory variables included in the analysis were sex, deprivation category of area of residence and age (at end of screening). The primary outcome variable modelled was participation status in both rounds combined (with “participation” defined as having taken part in either or both rounds of screening). Poisson regression with a log link and robust error variance was used to estimate relative risks (RR) for participation. As a sensitivity analysis, data were stratified by screening round. In both the univariable and multivariable models deprivation was strongly associated with participation. Increasing affluence was associated with higher participation; participation was 26% higher in people resident in the most affluent compared to the most deprived areas (multivariable RR = 1.26: 95% CI 1.21–1.30). Participation was significantly lower in males (multivariable RR = 0.96: 95%CI 0.95–0.97) and generally increased with increasing age (trend per age group, multivariable RR = 1.02: 95%CI, 1.01–1.02). No significant interactions between the explanatory variables were found. The effects of deprivation and sex were similar by screening round. Deprivation and male gender are independently associated with lower uptake of population-based FIT colorectal cancer screening, even in a relatively deprived setting. Development of evidence-based interventions to increase uptake in these disadvantaged groups is urgently required.

The Irish credit union movement: member participation and organisational effectiveness

This thesis explores the relationship between organisational effectiveness and member participation in Irish credit unions. It is hypothesised that a positive relationship exists between both variables. Co-operative literature suggests that co-operatives require the involvement of the members in identifying and meeting their own needs in order to be effective organisations. Previous research studies into the issue across a variety of organisational types have shown mixed results. Related research into credit unions is sparse. The primary research undertaken is both quantitative and qualitative in approach. Organisational effectiveness is examined in both quantitative and qualitative terms. Member participation, being an organisational process, is examined in qualitative terms. Indicators of organisational effectiveness, specific to credit unions, are drawn up and form a framework through which effectiveness is examined. A typology and indicators of member participation are also developed and form a framework through which member participation is examined. The case study method is used primarily, to examine organisational effectiveness and member participation in Irish credit unions. A case study of a theoretical credit union, which is based on a composite of good practice in credit unions in Ireland and internationally, is also drawn up to develop the analysis further. The case studies allow an analysis of both organisational effectiveness and member participation, as well as an exploration of the relationship between the two. The findings support the hypothesis that there is a direct relationship between the two variables. In order to be effective, credit unions must involve their members in identifying their needs and in designing services to meet these needs. At present, they do not do this to any large extent. In order to continue to meet the needs of their members and to compete in the financial services sector, credit unions will need to find ways of involving members, drawing on good practice in other co-operatives. This will be critical to their continued success.

A study of diet and health in the elderly; the gut microbiota as a source of bioactive agents

The global proportion of older persons is increasing rapidly. Diet and the intestinal microbiota independently and jointly contribute to health in the elderly. The habitual dietary patterns and functional microbiota components of elderly subjects were investigated in order to identify specific effector mechanisms. A study of the dietary intake of Irish community-dwelling elderly subjects showed that the consumption of foods high in fat and/or sugar was excessive, while consumption of dairy foods was inadequate. Elderly females typically had a more nutrient- dense diet than males and a considerable proportion of subjects, particularly males, had inadequate intakes of calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, folate, zinc and vitamin C. The association between dietary patterns, glycaemic index and cognitive function was also investigated. Elderly subjects consuming ‘prudent’ dietary patterns had better cognitive function compared to those consuming ‘Western’ dietary patterns. Furthermore, fully-adjusted regression models revealed that a high glycaemic diet was associated with poor cognitive function, demonstrating a new link between nutrition and cognition. An extensive screening study of the elderly faecal-derived microbiota was also undertaken to examine the prevalence of antimicrobial production by intestinal bacteria. A number of previously characterised bacteriocins were isolated (gassericin T, ABP-118, mutacin II, enterocin L-50 and enterocin P) in this study. Interestingly, a Lactobacillus crispatus strain was found to produce a potentially novel antimicrobial compound. Full genome sequencing of this strain revealed the presence of three loci which exhibited varying degrees of homology with the genes responsible for helveticin J production in Lb. helveticus. An additional study comparing the immunomodulatory capacity of ‘viable’ and ‘non-viable’ Bifidobacterium strains found that Bifidobacterium-fermented milks (BFMs) containing ‘non-viable’ cells could stimulate levels of IL-10 and TNF-α in a manner similar to those stimulated by BFMs containing ‘viable’ cells in vitro.

Totality of experience: sound, music and mythology in Gus Van Sant’s “Death Quartet”

Reflecting on Gus Van Sant’s films Gerry (2003) Elephant (2004) and Last Days (2005), the director’s long-term sound-designer Leslie Shatz observed that “You have to get into the totality of the experience and not just the dialogue”. Shatz’s comment expresses something fundamental about the experimental approach to cinema and to soundscapes undertaken by Van Sant in these three films, unofficially known as the “Death Trilogy”. This thesis contends that Van Sant makes deliberate aesthetic choices which do indicate a distinctly “auteurist” leaning. However, I also argue that intertextual elements, prior knowledge, and audience participation in meaningmaking enhance the experience of, and reveal the nuances in, the soundtracks themselves. This thesis aims to contribute to a growing body of work within filmmusic scholarship concerned with resisting a traditional bias in the field: that film music should be understood as a means of characterisation and as emotional signifier. The films of the “Death Quartet”, which includes Paranoid Park (2007), I believe, offer fertile ground on which to explore these new approaches. It is my contention that these films deconstruct the traditional approach to soundtracking and the relationship between soundtrack and character, and that only an approach sensitive to the aesthetic and philosophical functions of music and sound can adequately acknowledge their unique cinematic qualities.