Ageing

• A rebellious, freedom-fighting Romantic poet, Byron’s reputation is the stuff of legend, his legacy assured and revered in the European literary canon.
• While the star of Byron’s literary fame rose, however, many fell by the wayside, cruelly discarded by the poet.
• It was the summer of 1816, dubbed the “year without a summer”“ thanks to a volcanic eruption in Indonesia.
• She later described it in her author’s introduction to the 1831 edition of her terrifying and groundbreaking novel.

A different perspective

• Viewed from the perspective of Claire Clairmont – but not narrated by her – the novel imagines and explores the feelings of the person who propelled Shelley and Mary Godwin to accompany her to Lake Geneva so that she could pursue her passion for Byron.
• She leaves Byron’s bed one morning, intoxicated by the illusion that: "She’s a lover of a Great One.
• Elsewhere, Byron calls her a handmaiden, making his feelings for her brutally clear by shaming her in front of the other guests.
• The story is narrated across three different decades of Clairmont’s life, with chapters on the three decades interspersed throughout the novel.

Life after Byron

• Byron of course looms large, first in his attempts to end Clairmont’s pregnancy, and then in his insistence that their daughter, Allegra, live with him, only then to send her away to school.
• The novel also portrays the absence of empathy between Godwin and Clairmont throughout their lives, by drawing from correspondence and journal entries.
• Byron and Shelley both died young, and in middle age, the mutual suspicion between the two surviving women persists.
• It explores the painful sacrifice and erasure of female suffering at the altar of more “heroic” male narratives of love, idealism and creation.

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Angela Wright does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• My recent study looked at the inequalities rural and regional young classical musicians face, which are unknown to their city-based counterparts.
• There are systemic music inequalities in Australia based on where you live and where you go to school.
• Inner-city, private school kids are often the most likely to access music education.
• These challenges compound and these students may be less likely to go on to tertiary education and careers in classical music.

‘Right from square one’

• So, they were set up with amazing technique and they had the opportunity to go to schools that had an amazing music program.
• To compare my journey to some of my peers who’ve grown up in the city, some of them learned from a teacher who had reached an elite level, a professional level, on the instrument […] right from square one.
• My study participants often struggled to find a sense of belonging in communities where classical music was not visible or popular.
• One musician reflected on their feelings of isolation and lack of understanding from their non-music peers:
  I am really into classical music.

‘My first experience with a real orchestra’

• One initiative to address music inequality is the Regional Youth Orchestra NSW, created by regional conservatoriums.
• The NSW regional conservatoriums are located in diverse communities and aim to address disadvantage by offering inclusive music opportunities.
• The youth orchestra program brings together young musicians from across rural and regional NSW several times a year for intensive residential music camps.
• It was actually my first experience with a real orchestra […] I’m very fortunate for that, and I’m really glad I got to do that […] I’d never really even met an oboist before.

‘It doesn’t matter where you come from’

• As one told me:
  I’m determined to prove that it doesn’t matter where you come from.
• I’m determined to prove that it doesn’t matter where you come from.
• Read more:
  Arts organisations say they want to be 'cultural leaders' – but are they living up to their goals?

Mandy Hughes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• The multivalent candidate was selected from a comprehensive Phase 1 part, which tested vaccine candidates with up to eight separate mRNA constructs per candidate.
• Targeted optimizations to further improve immune responses against influenza B strains will be tested in an additional Phase 2 study.
• “The Phase 2 interim data show that CureVac’s highly effective and flexible mRNA technology platform puts us on the right track to advance our joint seasonal influenza vaccine program,” said Dr. Myriam Mendila, Chief Development Officer of CureVac.
• For older adults, immune responses were compared to a high dose seasonal flu vaccine.

• The SARA-INT phase 2 study showed promising results on physical performance, with significant improvement in the 400 Meter Walking Test, reaching 0.07 m/s in the Full Analysis Set population and 0.09 m/s in the Per Protocol population.
• Based on outcome of the SARA-INT phase 2 study and on results from the SPRINTT and LIFE studies, Biophytis designed an interventional, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical phase 3 study (the SARA-31 study), expected to include 932 subjects.
• The poster presented at the ICFSR conference, which details the objectives and the design of the study, can be viewed by clicking on this link .
• Stanislas Veillet, CEO of Biophytis, stated: "The SARA-31 phase 3 study will assess the efficacy and safety of RuvembriTM in the treatment of sarcopenic patients at risk of functional decline and disability.