The Literature of Early Modern Childhoods

The texts adapted for, printed for and marketed to children and youths in the 16th and 17th centuries, the books read by boys and girls in this period, and writings by Renaissance children constitute the literature of early modern childhoods. Yet traditional histories of children’s literature, posing narrow definitions of this genre, have largely overlooked this period. In the past decade, fresh work by early modern scholars attending to the diverse elements of the literature of early modern childhoods has flourished. This essay evaluates the absence of early modern children’s literature from early studies and considers the ways in which this recent work in Renaissance studies has vitally transformed the field through its exploration of alternative definitions of childhood and children’s literature. This work is at an early stage but it has placed the interconnections between early modern childhoods and children’s literature at the centre of both Renaissance studies and childhood studies and has established key topics for future research.

Effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on immune function in older people: A randomized controlled trial

Background: Fruit and vegetable (FV) intake, which is often low in older people, is associated with reduced chronic disease risk. Objective: We determined whether increased FV intake improves measures of immune function. Design: We conducted a randomized controlled trial (The Ageing and Dietary Intervention Trial) in 83 healthy volunteers aged 65-85 y with low FV intakes (=2 portions/d); 82 subjects completed the intervention. Participants were assigned to continue their normal diets or to consume =5 FV portions/d for 16 wk. At 12 wk, tetanus toxoid (0.5 mL intramuscular) and Pneumovax II vaccine (0.5 mL intramuscular; both vaccines from Sanofi Pasteur) were administered. FV intake was monitored by using diet histories, and biomarkers of nutritional status were assessed. The primary endpoint was the antibody response to vaccination. Specific antibodies binding to tetanus toxoid (total IgG) and pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide (total IgG and IgG2) were assessed at baseline and 16 wk. Participants were recruited between October 2006 and June 2008. Results: The change in FV consumption differed significantly between groups [mean change in number of portions (95% CI): in the 2-portion/d group, 0.4 portions/d (0.2, 0.7 portions/d); in the 5-portion/d group, 4.6 portions/d (4.1, 5.0 portions/d); P < 0.001)] and also in micronutrient status. Antibody binding to pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide (total IgG) increased more in the 5-portion/d group than in the 2-portion/d group [geometric mean (95% CI) of the week 16:baseline ratio: 3.1 (2.1, 4.4) and 1.7 (1.3, 2.1), respectively; P = 0.005)]. There was no significant difference in the increases in antibody binding to tetanus toxoid. Conclusion: Increased FV intake improves the Pneumovax II vaccination antibody response in older people, which links an achievable dietary goal with improved immune function. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00858728. © 2012 American Society for Nutrition.

Breast Cancer Risk in Relation to Occupations with Exposure to Carcinogens and Endocrine Disruptors:a Canadian Case-Control Study

Background

Endocrine disrupting chemicals and carcinogens, some of which may not yet have been classified as such, are present in many occupational environments and could increase breast cancer risk. Prior research has identified associations with breast cancer and work in agricultural and industrial settings. The purpose of this study was to further characterize possible links between breast cancer risk and occupation, particularly in farming and manufacturing, as well as to examine the impacts of early agricultural exposures, and exposure effects that are specific to the endocrine receptor status of tumours.

Methods

1005 breast cancer cases referred by a regional cancer center and 1147 randomly-selected community controls provided detailed data including occupational and reproductive histories. All reported jobs were industry- and occupation-coded for the construction of cumulative exposure metrics representing likely exposure to carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. In a frequency-matched case?control design, exposure effects were estimated using conditional logistic regression.

Results

Across all sectors, women in jobs with potentially high exposures to carcinogens and endocrine disruptors had elevated breast cancer risk (OR = 1.42; 95% CI, 1.18-1.73, for 10 years exposure duration). Specific sectors with elevated risk included: agriculture (OR = 1.36; 95% CI, 1.01-1.82); bars-gambling (OR = 2.28; 95% CI, 0.94-5.53); automotive plastics manufacturing (OR = 2.68; 95% CI, 1.47-4.88), food canning (OR = 2.35; 95% CI, 1.00-5.53), and metalworking (OR = 1.73; 95% CI, 1.02-2.92). Estrogen receptor status of tumors with elevated risk differed by occupational grouping. Premenopausal breast cancer risk was highest for automotive plastics (OR = 4.76; 95% CI, 1.58-14.4) and food canning (OR = 5.70; 95% CI, 1.03-31.5).

Conclusions

These observations support hypotheses linking breast cancer risk and exposures likely to include carcinogens and endocrine disruptors, and demonstrate the value of detailed work histories in environmental and occupational epidemiology.

Codeposition of organic carbon and arsenic in Bengal Delta aquifers

We present data showing that arsenic (As) was codeposited with organic carbon (OC) in Bengal Delta sediments as As and OC concentrations are highly (p <0.001) positively correlated in core profiles collected from widely dispersed geographical sites with different sedimentary depositional histories. Analysis of modern day depositional environments revealed that the As-OC correlations observed in cores are due to As retention and high OC inputs in vegetated zones of the deltaic environment. We hypothesize that elevated concentrations of As occur in vegetated wetland sediments due to concentration and retention of arsenate in aerated root zones and animal burrows where copious iron(III) oxides are deposited. On burial of the sediment, degradation of organic carbon from plant and animal biomass detritus provides the reducing conditions to dissolve iron(III) oxides and release arsenite into the porewater. As tubewell abstracted aquifer water is an invaluable resource on which much of Southeast Asia is now dependent, this increased understanding of the processes responsible for As buildup and release will identify, through knowledge of the palaeosedimentary environment, which sediments are at most risk of having high arsenic concentrations in porewater. Our data allow the development of a new unifying hypothesis of how As is mobilized into groundwaters in river flood plains and deltas of Southeast Asia, namely that in these highly biologically productive environments, As and OC are codeposited, and the codeposited OC drives As release from the sediments.

British Film in the 1970s: Capital, Culture and Creativity

Throughout the 1970s the British film industry struggled to produce films which performed well at the box office and appealed to audiences. As a result the decade has often been considered as one of the low points of British cinema. But was this really the case? Conventional film histories of the decade have emphasised key texts and specific genres, such as the Bond films, the Carry On series or low budget horror. Yet British cinema in this period offered a great deal more to audiences and careful study of original documents demonstrates the diversity and variety of an industry, and a decade, typically perceived as limited and unimaginative. An examination of important material – much of it newly discovered or previously underused – offers an insight into the industry in this decade while key case studies present a detailed picture of the eclectic, diverse and often challenging film culture of the period.

High-resolution reconstruction of atmospheric deposition of trace metals and metalloids since AD 1400 recorded by ombrotrophic peat cores in Hautes-Fagnes, Belgium

The objective of our study was to determine the trace metal accumulation rates in the Misten bog, Hautes-Fagnes, Belgium, and assess these in relation to established histories of atmospheric emissions from anthropogenic sources. To address these aims we analyzed trace metals and metalloids (Pb, Cu, Ni, As, Sb, Cr, Co, V, Cd and Zn), as well as Pb isotopes, using XRF, Q-ICP-MS and MC-ICP-MS, respectively in two 40-cm peat sections, spanning the last 600 yr. The temporal increase of metal fluxes from the inception of the Industrial Revolution to the present varies by a factor of 5–50, with peak values found between AD 1930 and 1990. A cluster analysis combined with Pb isotopic composition allows the identification of the main sources of Pb and by inference of the other metals, which indicates that coal consumption and metallurgical activities were the predominant sources of pollution during the last 600 years.

Affective disruption: Walter Benjamin and the 'history' of Ireland's industrial schools

What role do organizations play in writing history? In this paper, I address the part played by organizations in the enactment of large-scale violence, and focus on the ways in which the resulting histories come to be written. Drawing on the case of Ireland's industrial schools, I demonstrate how such accounts can act to serve the interests of those in power, effectively silencing and marginalizing weaker people. A theoretical lens that draws on ideas from Walter Benjamin and Judith Butler is helpful in understanding this; the concept of 'affective disruption' enables an exploration of how people's experiences of organizational violence can be reclaimed from the past, and protected in a continuous remembrance. Overall, this paper contributes a new perspective on the writing of organizational histories, particularly in relation to the enactment of violence. 

Co-deposition of organic carbon and arsenic in Bengal Delta aquifers.

We present data showing that arsenic (As) was codeposited with organic carbon (OC) in Bengal Delta sediments as As and OC concentrations are highly (p < 0.001) positively correlated in core profiles collected from widely dispersed geographical sites with different sedimentary depositional histories. Analysis of modern day depositional environments revealed that the As/OC correlations observed in cores are due to As retention and high OC inputs in vegetated zones of the deltaic environment. We hypothesize that elevated concentrations of As occur in vegetated wetland sediments due to concentration and retention of arsenate in aerated root zones and animal burrows where copious iron(III) oxides are deposited. On burial of the sediment, degradation of organic carbon from plant and animal biomass detritus provides the reducing conditions to dissolve iron(III) oxides and release arsenite into the porewater. As tubewell abstracted aquifer water is an invaluable resource on which much of Southeast Asia is now dependent, this increased understanding of the processes responsible for As buildup and release will identify, through knowledge of the palaeosedimentary environment, which sediments are at most risk of having high arsenic concentrations in porewater. Our data allow the development of a new unifying hypothesis of how As is mobilized into groundwaters in river flood plains and deltas of Southeast Asia, namely that in these highly biologically productive environments, As and OC are codeposited, and the codeposited OC drives As release from the sediments. We present data showing that arsenic (As) was codeposited with organic carbon (OC) in Bengal Delta sediments as As and OC concentrations are highly (p < 0.001) positively correlated in core profiles collected from widely dispersed geographical sites with different sedimentary depositional histories. Analysis of modern day depositional environments revealed that the As?OC correlations observed in cores are due to As retention and high OC inputs in vegetated zones of the deltaic environment. We hypothesize that elevated concentrations of As occur in vegetated wetland sediments due to concentration and retention of arsenate in aerated root zones and animal burrows where copious iron(III) oxides are deposited. On burial of the sediment, degradation of organic carbon from plant and animal biomass detritus provides the reducing conditions to dissolve iron(III) oxides and release arsenite into the porewater. As tubewell abstracted aquifer water is an invaluable resource on which much of Southeast Asia is now dependent, this increased understanding of the processes responsible for As buildup and release will identify, through knowledge of the palaeosedimentary environment, which sediments are at most risk of having high arsenic concentrations in porewater. Our data allow the development of a new unifying hypothesis of how As is mobilized into groundwaters in river flood plains and deltas of Southeast Asia, namely that in these highly biologically productive environments, As and OC are codeposited, and the codeposited OC drives As release from the sediments.

Effect of increased fruit and vegetable consumption on bone turnover in older adults:a randomised controlled trial

Evidence suggests that increased fruit and vegetable (FV) intake may be associated with improved bone health, but there is limited evidence from intervention trials to support this. This 16-week study showed that increased FV consumption (five or more portions per day) does not have any effect on the markers of bone health in older adults. INTRODUCTION: Observational evidence suggests that increased FV consumption may be associated with improved bone health. However, there is lack of evidence from intervention trials to support this. This study examined the effect of increased FV consumption on bone markers among healthy, free-living older adults. METHODS: A randomised controlled trial was undertaken. Eighty-three participants aged 65-85 years, habitually consuming less than or equal to two portions of FV per day, were randomised to continue their normal diet or to consume five or more portions of FV per day for 16 weeks. FV were delivered to all participants each week, free of charge. Compliance was assessed at baseline and at 6, 12 and 16 weeks by diet histories and biomarkers of micronutrient status. Fasting serum bone markers (osteocalcin (OC) and C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTX)) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Eighty-two participants completed the intervention. The five portions per day group showed a significantly greater change in daily FV consumption compared to the two portions per day group (p?

Weathering rinds as mirror images of palaeosols: Examples from the Western Alps with correlation to Antarctica and Mars

Weathering rinds have been used for decades as relative age indicators to differentiate glacial deposits in long Quaternary sequences, but only recently has it been shown that rinds contain long and extensive palaeoenvironmental records that often extend far beyond mere repositories of chemical weathering on both Earth and Mars. When compared with associated palaeosols in deposits of the same age, rinds often carry a zonal weathering record that can be correlated with palaeosol horizon characteristics, with respect to both abiotic and biotic parameters. As demonstrated with examples from the French and Italian Alps, rinds in coarse clastic sediment contain weathering zones that correlate closely with horizon development in associated palaeosols of presumed Late Glacial age. In addition to weathering histories in both rinds and palaeosols, considerable evidence exists to indicate that the black mat impact (12.8 ka) reached the European Alps, a connection with the Younger Dryas readvance supported by both mineral and chemical composition. Preliminary metagenomic microbial analysis using density gradient gel electrophoresis suggests that the eubacterial microbial population found in at least one Ah palaeosol horizon associated with a rind impact site is different from that in other Late Glacial and Younger Dryas surface palaeosol horizons. © 2013 The Geological Society of London.

Portrush: Architecture for the North Irish Coast

The North Irish coast resembles one of the unique landscapes that define the scenic character of the place. To understand place you need to engage with stories and histories behind it. The search for Portrush has to start from Ulster. This book offers a journey to explore histories, traditions, festivities and the architecture of the Irish town. Approaching Portrush as a field of experimental architectural studio, the studio at Queen’s University Belfast teamed up to rediscover the Irish coastal condition and have a rethink about the origins and ingredients of Irish architecture and landscape. This book records and discusses this ambitious project and its outcome. Divided into two parts, the book introduces a comprehensive contextual and historical investigation into the heritage, culture and architecture followed by a display of students’ theoretical encounters and designs.

Transgressing Contemporary Boundaries:The Narrator as True Custodian of Cultural Knowledge in Ulster Society

Historically in Gaelic culture, the bard was greatly valued and admired as an important and integral part of society. Travelled, schooled and specifically trained in their art, the bard helped ensure identity and reassurance for Gaelic families by grounding them both temporarily and spatially into their landscape. Entrusted with the duty and responsibility of recording place and event, the bards worked without writing and by transgressing man-made boundaries, travelled throughout the land weaving their histories into the very fabric of society.

Now no longer with us, we find ourselves without the distinguished chronicler to undertake this duty. Yet the responsibility of the Gaelic bard is one still shared by all artists today; to facilitate memory and identity, whether good or bad. Many Ulster writers, by happenstance and geography have found themselves located in a place of painful histories. An immediate difficulty for those local writers becomes manifest by being intrinsically implicated into those histories – whilst having first-hand knowledge and comprehension beyond that of the outsider, the local writer is automatically damned by association and relationship, thereby tarnishing their voice in comparison to the perceived impartiality of others.
Some writers however have successfully sought ways to escape this limitation and have worked in ways that can transgress the restrictions of prejudgement. John Hewitt, by purposely becoming a self-imposed tourist was able to distance himself to write impartially about the past, recognising that ’the place without its ghosts is a barren place.’1 In ‘The Colony’,2 tradition, peoples and mapping of the land are all narrated by Hewitt in a similar way to the Gaelic bardic topographic poems of Sean O'Dubhagain and Giolla Na Naomh O'Huidhrin3 in compiling a rich cultural atlas.

Similarly the Belfast poet and novelist Ciaran Carson also writes and records the city from an intermediary position; that of translator. Mediating between reader and aisling,4 Carson himself takes the reader on a journey into name, meaning, time and place, focusing primarily on the city of Belfast, familiar in name but impenetrable in depth to most.

Furthermore, this once-forgotten tradition to chronicle is now being continued by the new breed of Irish crime writers where the likes of Brian McGilloway, Stuart Neville and Adrian McKinty can, by way of the crime novel, accurately record contemporary society. Thus, ghost estates, listed buildings, archaeological digs, street and city have all provided setting and subject matter for recent novels. Moreover by choosing the ‘outsider from within’ as their chief protagonist, whether detective or criminal, each author is able to transgress the boundaries of prejudice and preconception that hinder genuine understanding and knowledge.

Looking in turn at the Gaelic bard, the twentieth century Ulster poet and the new breed of Irish crime writer, the authors will outline the real value of the narrator, by being able to act as cultural transgressor beyond the seeming and alleged as the true chronicler in society, and then with specific reference to city and countryside in Ireland, as a valuable custodian of knowledge in architecture and place.

Keywords
Architecture, Crime Fiction, Cultural Atlas, Place, Poetry.

1 From ‘The Bloody Brae’, a one act play written by John Hewitt in the 1930’s.
2 Hewitt, J. (1968) published in Collected Poems 1932-67. London:McGibbon & Kee.
3 Lengthy and detailed medieval Gaelic poems composed in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries first edited by John O'Donovan in 1862 for the Irish Archaeological and Celtic Society in Dublin.
4 The aisling is the Irish song or poem genre when the poet is visited by their muse in a daydream or dream-vision state.

Anniversaries

The hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War is only the first of a large number of major European historical anniversaries that will occur in the coming four years. Other twentieth-century anniversaries include that of the Russian Revolution and the Easter Uprising; notable corollaries from earlier centuries include the Battle of Bannockburn, the Hanoverian succession, the Battle of Waterloo and, perhaps most significant of all, the five hundredth anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation. Rather than commission special issues or other features to tie in to individual anniversaries centred on or relevant to German history in a manner which repeats unthinkingly the conventions of scholarly and popular culture, the editors elected to reflect more fundamentally on what might be at stake in major anniversaries for professional scholars of history. In anticipation of the major wave of scholarly and popular publications, commemorative activities and memory conflicts that each of these will generate, and in order to reflect upon the dynamics of German history, memory and commemoration in a more overtly comparative context, the editors invited a number of scholars working on different national histories to reflect on the possibilities and potential pitfalls such anniversaries offer to historians who tie their work in to such moments. They are Jörg Arnold (Nottingham), Thomas A. Brady (Berkeley), Fearghal McGarry (Queen’s University, Belfast), Tim Grady (Chester) and Dan Healey (St Antony’s College, Oxford). The questions were posed by the editors.

Empowering Art: Reconfiguring narratives of trauma and hope in the Australian national imaginary

Aboriginal art has been the source of much contention between art curators, gallery owners, art critics and Aboriginal artists themselves. Early aesthetic debates about whether so-called traditional works should be considered ethnographic or artistic have led, at times, to conflicts over the rights of Aboriginal people to have their works exhibited according to the criteria applied to other kinds of Western artworks. This article explores how the dilemmas of troubled ethno-histories are critically embodied and reconfigured in texture and colour. It considers the problems that silenced histories pose for those responsible for their display to the public. As Aboriginal images often conceal troubled intercultural encounters it asks how artworks can be used to provide a counter-polemic to national rhetoric as artists seek to reshape and improve intergenerational futures. This text is published as a counterpart to the contribution to Disturbing Pasts from the artist Heather Kamarra Shearer.