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This thesis attempts to examine the works of Marguerite Duras up to the year 1970. Duras has written novels and plays, and more recently film-scenarios; she has also directed films based on her own works. All these aspects of her output are discussed. After a brief introduction outlining Marguerite Duras's life and artistic development, the thesis divides into two parts: "Thematic Continuity" and "Technique and Style". In the first part Duras's works are studied for their close thematic similarities. In her outlook on the human condition, Duras wavers between optimism and pessimism. She writes principally about love, which according to her can offer self-fulfilment and spiritual release; it is an intensely passionate experience; yet its survival is never guaranteed and it may lead to unhappiness (ch.l). Duras is obsessed by the idea of loneliness, though she always holds out the possibility that men and women will enter into contact (ch.2). Human existence is presented as claustrophobic, often painful, yet Duras shows how ordinary people are capable of escaping from it, or of rebelling against it (chapters 3» 4). Time, too, can be both friend and enemy, fulfilling an individual's aspirations, but more frequently bringing change for the worse (ch. 5 ). A further theme in her work, related to that of time, is the way in which individuals are linked with their past through the processes of memory (ch.6). Since 1964, the majority of Duras's works have centred on madness, and the next two chapters cover what she considers at present her most important ideas (chapters 7, 8). Madness is seen as a means of self-liberation. The idea is crucial to Duras's present political concerns, since madness offers the key to transcendence and a new fora of Communism, as Duras conceives it. The ninth chapter covers two minor themes: the relationship between parent and child, and the effect of sexuality upon personal development. The second part of the thesis studies Duras's experiments in form, which throw light on meaning and the writer's attitude to her material. Duras's novel-techniques have been dictated by her rejection of authorial omniscience and the novel "S. la Balzac". The angle of vision is severely restricted. Duras has dispensed with psychological analysis of all characters save the central figure. Conversation therefore assumes capital importance in her aesthetic; it is skilfully fashioned to hint at psychic states and unarticulated thoughts (ch.10). Chapter 11 deals with technique in the plays, which again are totally dependent upon conversation; the tempo of the dialogue gives the plays their shape. Both as script-writer and film-director, Duras exploits the resources of the cinema for dramatic effect and to underline theme (ch.12). In chapter 13, the essential aspects of Duras's style are examined. The discussion is primarily concerned with style in the novels, but shows how stylistic devices have been transferred from one genre to another. The thesis concludes by describing Duras's position as a writer today.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) causes progressive decline of cognition and function. There is a lack of systematic literature reviews on prognostic and predictive factors in its early clinical stages (eAD), i.e., mild cognitive impairment due to AD and mild AD dementia., Objective: To identify prognostic factors affecting eAD progression and predictive factors for treatment efficacy and safety of approved and/or under late-stage development disease-modifying treatments., Methods: Databases were searched (August 2022) for studies reporting prognostic factors associated with eAD progression and predictive factors for treatment response. The Quality in Prognostic Factor Studies tool or the Cochrane risk of bias tool were used to assess risk of bias. Two reviewers independently screened the records. A single reviewer performed data extraction and quality assessment. A second performed a 20% check. Content experts reviewed and interpreted the data collected., Results: Sixty-one studies were included. Self-reporting, diagnosis definition, and missing data led to high risk of bias. Population size ranged from 110 to 11,451. Analyses found data indicating that older age was and depression may be associated with progression. Greater baseline cognitive impairment was associated with progression. APOE4 may be a prognostic factor, a predictive factor for treatment efficacy and predicts an adverse response (ARIA). Elevated biomarkers (CSF/plasma p-tau, CSF t-tau, and plasma neurofilament light) were associated with disease progression., Conclusions: Age was the strongest risk factor for progression. Biomarkers were associated with progression, supporting their use in trial selection and aiding diagnosis. Baseline cognitive impairment was a prognostic factor. APOE4 predicted ARIA, aligning with emerging evidence and relevant to treatment initiation/monitoring., Competing Interests: Jeffrey Cummings has provided consultation to Acadia, Actinogen, Acumen, AlphaCognition, Aprinoia, AriBio, Artery, Biogen, BioVie, Cassava, Cerecin, Diadem, EIP Pharma, Eisai, GemVax, Genentech, GAP Innovations, Janssen, Jocasta, Karuna, Lilly, Lundbeck, LSP, Merck, NervGen, Novo Nordisk, Oligomerix, Optoceutics, Ono, Otsuka, PRODEO, Prothena, ReMYND, Roche, Sage Therapeutics, Signant Health, Simcere, Sunbird Bio, Suven, SynapseBio, TrueBinding, Vaxxinity, and Wren pharmaceutical, assessment, and investment companies. Jeffrey Cummings is supported by NIGMS grant P20GM109025; NINDS grant U01NS093334; NIA grant R01AG053798; NIA grant P20AG068053; NIA grant P30AG072959; NIA grant R35AG71476; Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF); Ted and Maria Quirk Endowment; and the Joy Chambers-Grundy Endowment. Independent of this work, Nicolas Villian received research support from Fondation Bettencourt-Schueller, Fondation Servier, Union Nationale pour les Intérêts de la Médecine (UNIM), Fondation Claude Pompidou, Fondation Alzheimer and Fondation pour la Recherche sur l’Alzheimer; travel grant from the Movement Disorders Society, Merz-Pharma, UCB Pharma, and GE Healthcare SAS; is an unpaid local principal investigator or sub-investigator in NCT04241068 and NCT05310071 (aducanumab, Biogen), NCT04437511 (donanemab, Eli-Lilly), NCT05463731 (remternetug, Eli-Lilly), NCT04592341 (gantenerumab, Roche), NCT03887455 (lecanemab, Eisai), NCT03352557 (gosuranemab, Biogen), NCT03828747 and NCT03289143 (semorinemab, Roche), NCT04619420 (JNJ-63733657, Janssen –Johnson & Johnson), NCT04374136 (AL001, Alector), NCT04592874 (AL002, Alector), NCT04867616 (bepranemab, UCB Pharma), NCT04777396 and NCT04777409 (semaglutide, Novo Nordisk), NCT05469360 (NIO752, Novartis), is an unpaid national coordinator for NCT05564169 (masitinib, ABScience), NCT (AD04, ADvantage Therapeutics GmbH); and has given unpaid lectures in symposia organized by Eisai and the Servier Foundation. Oskar Hansson has acquired research support (for the institution) from ADx, AVID Radiopharmaceuticals, Biogen, Eli Lilly, Eisai, Fujirebio, GE Healthcare, Pfizer, and Roche. In the past 2 years, he has received consultancy/speaker fees from AC Immune, Amylyx, Alzpath, BioArctic, Biogen, Cerveau, Eisai, Eli Lilly, Fujirebio, Merck, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Roche, Sanofi and Siemens. Work at the authors’ research center was supported by the Swedish Research Council (2022-00775), ERA PerMed (ERAPERMED2021-184), the Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundation (2017-0383), the Strategic Research Area MultiPark (Multidisciplinary Research in Parkinson’s disease) at Lund University, the Swedish Alzheimer Foundation (AF-980907), the Swedish Brain Foundation (FO2021-0293), The Parkinson foundation of Sweden (1412/22), the Cure Alzheimer’s fund, the Konung Gustaf V:s och Drottning Victorias Frimurarestiftelse, the Skåne University Hospital Foundation (2020-O000028), Regionalt Forskningsstöd (2022-1259) and the Swedish federal government under the ALF agreement (2022-Projekt0080). Takeshi Iwatsubo has provided consultation to Biogen, Eisai, Eli Lilly, and Roche/Chugai. Maria João Garcia and Sasha Bozeat are employees of and hold shares in F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Ltd. Regina Leadley, Janine Ross, and Gabrielle Redhead are employees of Mtech Access., (© 2024 – The authors. Published by IOS Press.)