Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perspectives on prevention: the views of General Practitioners

Over the years there has been increasing support from a number of different sources for General Practitioners and their primary health care teams to have greater involvement in prevention. However, while attention has been paid to what leading figures and official bodies such as the Royal College of General Practitioners say there has been less emphasis upon what the rank-and-file of GPs themselves think and feel about prevention. Hence, this paper reports on the results of a small-scale exploratory study of 40 GPs' perceptions of coronary heart disease (CHD) prevention. In particular it addresses three main issues: first, the value which GPs place upon prevention and their concepts of prevention; second, the extent to which they view prevention as problematic and the reasons given; finally, in the light of these issues, the manner in which they attempt to resolve these dilemmas. Whilst GPs appeared to positively endorse the principle of prevention, they nonetheless tended to view it as problematic and had limited personal involvement. In this respect five key themes emerged in GPs' accounts: i) that health promotion and prevention was tedious, dull and boring; ii) the constraints of time and the manner in which it detracted from curative medicine; iii) the uncertainties of risk factor identification and interventions; iv) ambivalence towards the effectiveness of behavioural change and the problem of patient motivation, and finally; v) a concern that it represented a moral intrusion and inflated patients anxiety levels unnecessarily. Beyond the voicing of these concerns, the main way in which GPs attempted to resolve these dilemmas was by delegating much of this work to a new and relatively low-status member of the primary health care team: the practice nurse.
Stock Returns and Dividend Yields Revisited: A New Way to Look at an Old Problem

The problem of whether stock returns can be predicted from dividend yields is discussed. I apply a new statistical method for finding reliable confidence intervals for regression parameters in the context of dependent and possibly heteroscedastic data, called subsampling. The method works under very weak conditions and avoids the pitfalls of having to choose a structural model to fit to observed data. Appropriate simulation studies suggest that it has better small-sample properties than the generalized method of moments, which is also model free and works under weak conditions. Applying the subsampling method to three datasets, I do not find convincing evidence for the predictability of stock returns.
Changing the Image Repair Equation

Utilizing a 2 (race) × 2 (sex) × 3 (response strategy) factorial experiment, this study interrogates the extent to which an athlete’s race and gender impacts the image repair process, specifically within the hypermediated realm of athlete transgressions. Using a national sample of 287 participants, results supported for the effectiveness of the mortification strategy above reducing offensiveness and evading responsibility strategies. Moreover, regardless of the transgression response, Black athletes were consistently rated more positively than their White athletic counterparts, deviating from the majority of prior research. Discussion of the role of the Black athlete is offered in light of the unexpected findings, with explanations postulated based on expectancy violation theory and the principle of covariance.
The Immateriality of Circulating GDF 11

Recent portrayals of growth differentiation factor (GDF)-11 as an endocrine fountain of youth fail to consider the competitive influences of myostatin, a homologous protein with true endocrine action that binds the identical receptor, activin receptor IIb (ActRIIb). Subsequent studies have disproven the original premise that circulating levels of GDF11, but not those of myostatin, decline with age as the exact opposite seems to be true. These latter studies also seriously question the validity of data presented in the previous reports and indicate that myostatin circulates at levels 500× greater than those of GDF11; yet, both ligands share nearly identical affinities for ActRIIb. The compromised striated muscle function, neurogenesis, and vascular remodeling that occur with advanced age are, therefore, not caused by reduced circulating GDF11 as it could never outcompete myostatin for shared receptor-binding sites.
Anchoring the (Postmodern) Self? Body Modification, Fashion and Identity

Recent years have seen a considerable resurgence in the popularity of tattooing and piercing, a development that some have dismissed as a fashionable trend. Others have argued that the relative permanence of such forms of body modification militates against their full absorption into the fashion system. Drawing on interviews with a variety of body modifiers, the article examines this debate, and notes that certain tattooees and piercees appear, in some respects, to regard their tattoos and piercings as decorative accessories. At the same time, however, such corporeal artifacts are approached and experienced as distinct from other, more free-floating products in the `supermarket of style'. Whether or not their meaning is fixed in these terms, tattoos and piercings are employed by some as a form of anti-fashion and as a way of fixing or anchoring the reflexively constructed self. In this sense they share both affinities and differences with other forms of contemporary body project.
Identification of preleukemic precursors of hyperdiploid acute lymphoblastic leukemia in cord blood

Previous studies involving identical twins with concordant leukemia and retrospective scrutiny of archived neonatal blood spots have shown that common chromosome translocations of pediatric leukemia frequently arise before birth. The IGH/TCR clonotypic sequences used as surrogate molecular markers suggest this is also likely to be true for hyperdiploid acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Yet evidence that hyperdiploidy itself is an early or initiating event occurring prenatally has been limited. Now, however, we can provide direct evidence of this from our identification of CD34+/CD19+ B‐lineage progenitor cells with triploid chromosomes in the stored cord blood of an individual who subsequently developed hyperdiploid ALL. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Circadian rhythms of cardiovascular functions are modulated by the baroreflex and the autonomic nervous system in the rat.

BACKGROUND We assessed the hypothesis that the baroreflex and the autonomic nervous system are important in the control of the circadian rhythms of cardiovascular functions. METHODS AND RESULTS We continuously measured blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and locomotor activity in sinoaortic denervated (SAD), sympathectomized, and atropine-injected rats by use of a radiotelemetry system. The circadian rhythm of mean blood pressure (MBP) was selectively disrupted in SAD rats under 12-hour light-dark (LD12:12) cycles as a result of an increase in MBP during the light period and disappeared under constant darkness (DD). The locomotor activity and HR were not remarkably affected by SAD. The circadian rhythm of MBP was suppressed in sympathectomized rats by a decrease in the MBP during the dark period, and the abrupt changes in MBP when the lighting was altered were not seen under LD. Under DD, an MBP rhythm similar to that observed under LD was obtained. Sympathectomized rats also showed lower HR levels during the dark period than intact rats under LD cycles. In atropine-injected rats, the MBP and HR increased, especially during the light period, resulting in a reduction of light-dark differences in MBP and HR. The locomotor activity showed an apparent 24-hour variation in the sympathectomized and atropine-injected rats. CONCLUSIONS The disruption of the baroreflex selectively eliminates the circadian rhythm of BP, and the circadian rhythms of BP and HR are modulated by the autonomic nervous system in rats. The circadian rhythms of BP and HR are regulated by different mechanisms involving the autonomic nervous system.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction program in coronary heart disease: A randomized control trial

BACKGROUND Psychological risk factors such as anxiety and depression have been associated with coronary heart disease (CHD). Stress can have an impact on the risk factors for the disease, such as high blood pressure (BP), physical inactivity and being overweight. AIMS Examine the effect of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program on symptoms of anxiety and depression, perceived stress, BP and body mass index (BMI) in patients with CHD. SETTINGS AND DESIGN Intervention was carried out at an Outpatient clinic. Parallel group - MBSR group; and treatment-as-usual group (TAU) - randomized control design with pre- (baseline), post-intervention and follow-up assessments was adopted. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty male patients, age range (30-65 years) with CHD were randomly allocated to either group. The therapeutic program comprised of eight weekly sessions of structured MBSR intervention for the MBSR group and one health education session for the TAU group. Regular medical intervention and monthly consultations with the cardiologist were consistent for both groups. The main outcome measures were: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Perceived Stress Scale (perceived stress), BP and BMI. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Independent sample t-tests, chi square test and paired sample t-test were used. RESULTS All patients completed intervention in the MBSR group. Significant reduction was observed in symptoms of anxiety and depression, perceived stress, BP and BMI in patients of the MBSR group after the completion of intervention assessment. At 3-month follow-up, therapeutic gains were maintained in patients of the MBSR group. CONCLUSION The MBSR program is effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, perceived stress, BP and BMI in patients with CHD.
How specialized is teaching children with disabilities and difficulties?

How specialized is the teaching of the group of learners with disabilities and difficulties? This is one of the most basic and perplexing questions in the education of this group. This is a highly significant question in the context of current education policy and practice. There has been a growing awareness of the need for universalizing curricula; however there have been few attempts to clarify the nature, rationale, and evidence‐base for particular modifications. We summarize the findings that have emerged from two successive strands of critique focused on our opening question. We argue that research‐led understanding and explication of ‘special’ pedagogies need to integrate teacher knowledge about learning processes and about the nature of disability, curriculum, and pedagogic strategy.
Using Meta-Logic to Reconcile Reactive with Rational Agents

In this paper I outline an attempt to reconcile the traditional Artii-cial Intelligence notion of a logic-based rational agent with the contrary notion of a reactive agent that acts \instinctively" in response to conditions that arise in its environment. For this purpose, I will use the tools of meta-logic programming to deene the observation-thought-action cycle of an agent that combines the ability to perform resource-bounded reasoning, which can be interrupted and resumed any time, with the ability to act when it is necessary.
Prognostic Value of Clinical Variables at Presentation in Patients with Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes: Results of the Proyecto de Estudio del Pronóstico de la Angina (PEPA)

Patients with suspected non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTEACS) constitute a heterogeneous population with variable outcomes. Risk stratification in this population of patients is difficult due to the complexity in patient risk profile. We conducted this study to characterize the value of clinical and electrocardiographic variables for risk stratification in an unselected population of consecutive patients with NSTEACS on admission. Thirty-five clinical and electrocardiographic variables at presentation in the emergency room of 18 hospitals were prospectively analyzed in 4,115 patients with NSTEACS and related with the outcomes at 90 days. We also developed a risk score using the variables found to be independent predictors of ischemic events to facilitate risk stratification.Cardiovascular mortality was 4.3% and the rate for the outcome of either cardiovascular death or nonfatal myocardial infarction was 6.9%. The only independent predictors of mortality were age, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, postinfarction angina, Killip class ≥2, ST-segment depression, and elevation of cardiac markers. A risk profile using the variables found to be independent predictors of events was calculated for cardiovascular mortality and for the combination of either death or nonfatal myocardial infarction. Event rates increased significantly in all subgroups of patients based on the number of independent risk factors as the risk score increased. Using these factors, 90-day mortality ranged from as low as 0.4% in patients with no risk factors to 21.1% for those with more than 4 risk factors.In conclusion, simple clinical and electrocardiographic data obtained at hospital admission allow an accurate risk stratification of patients with NSTEACS. In the PEPA registry, simple variables easy to obtain at admission appear to be a valuable tool in discerning between patients at very low and very high risk according to the cluster of factors for each patient. The risk score developed was obtained from an unselected population, representative of the whole spectrum of patients with NSTEACS, allowing identification of patients at different risks for adverse outcomes, and, therefore, permitting optimization of therapy.
Negative life events and psychological distress among young adults

This study examines the relationship between college career stage, negative life events, and psychological distress. Young adults enrolled in three universities completed a survey, which included a life events inventory and several psychological distress scales (depression, anxiety, anger/hostility). As expected, negative experiences in affiliative opportunities (peer relationships) were most predictive of distress; younger students were vulnerable to negative life events across domains. Surprisingly, younger students were more likely than older students to be angry/hostile (rather than consistently depressed or anxious) about negative life events. We believe that younger adults either lack the psychological resources of maturity and experience or adopt ineffective coping strategies when faced with stressful situations.
1452 RESTING T CELL ACTIVATION BY ANTIRECEPTOR

The structure of the putative T cell antigen receptor has been defined using monoclonal antibodies (mAb) 1 prepared against various monoclonal T cell populations in several laboratories (1-3), including our own (4, 5). These reagents have defined an 80-90 kilodalton (kD) disulfide-linked heterodimer usually composed of a 49-53 kD alpha chain of acidic pI and a 41-43 kD beta chain of more basic pI. These heterodimeric molecules fulfill certain anticipated characteristics for the T cell antigen receptor, i.e., the presence of idiotypy (1-6), homology of the gene sequences to immunoglobulin (7-10), and the capacity to block the function of antigen-specific T cell lines or hybridomas when complexed with mAb that detect private idiotypes on the molecule (2, 3, 6). An additional functional characteristic expected of the T cell receptor is the ability to specifically mediate stimulation of resting T cells after interaction with antigen. This issue has been approached previously by using mAb that bind to the variable region of the antigen receptor on activated cells, such as interleukin 2 (IL-2)dependent T cell lines, T-T hybridomas, or human T cell leukemias that express the Tac antigen. When present either as soluble or Sepharose-bound antibody, these mAb have been shown (2, 3, 5, 6) to specifically increase IL-2 production or DNA synthesis in these previously activated cells. However, since these antibodies bind to private idiotypic specificities, they have not been useful in demonstrating a comparable pattern of activation with normal resting T cells. Recently, heteroantisera (11, 12) and mAb (4, 13) have been described that detect common determinants on the T cell antigen receptor expressed on normal T cells. Although these reagents confirm the presence of this molecule on normal T cells, they have not been reported to stimulate the reactive cells. In a previous report (4), we described an antibody reacting with the T cell antigen receptor on a subpopulation of normal circulating human T cells. This mAb, $511, was produced using a human T cell leukemia as the immunogen and was shown to immunoprecipitate an 80 kD, disulfide-linked heterodimer
Targeting PI3Kδ and PI3Kγ signalling disrupts human AML survival and bone marrow stromal cell mediated protection

Phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) is an enzyme group, known to regulate key survival pathways in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). It generates phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-triphosphate, which provides a membrane docking site for protein kinaseB activation. PI3K catalytic p110 subunits are divided into 4 isoforms; α,β,δ and γ. The PI3Kδ isoform is always expressed in AML cells, whereas the frequency of PI3Kγ expression is highly variable. The functions of these individual catalytic enzymes have not been fully resolved in AML, therefore using the PI3K p110δ and p110γ-targeted inhibitor IPI-145 (duvelisib) and specific p110δ and p110γ shRNA, we analysed the role of these two p110 subunits in human AML blast survival. The results show that PI3Kδ and PI3Kγ inhibition with IPI-145 has anti-proliferative activity in primary AML cells by inhibiting the activity of AKT and MAPK. Pre-treatment of AML cells with IPI-145 inhibits both adhesion and migration of AML blasts to bone marrow stromal cells. Using shRNA targeted to the individual isoforms we demonstrated that p110δ-knockdown had a more significant anti-proliferative effect on AML cells, whereas targeting p110γ-knockdown significantly inhibited AML migration. The results demonstrate that targeting both PI3Kδ and PI3Kγ to inhibit AML-BMSC interactions provides a biologic rationale for the pre-clinical evaluation of IPI-145 in AML.
Fringe benefits: valuing the visual in narratives of hairdressers’ identities at work

In this article, we focus on the use of respondent-led photography, as a narrative method through which we may research identity at work. We base our argument on empirical data drawn from a wider research study, the aim of which was to explore the identities of hairdressers through the spaces and objects they experience and encounter in their everyday workplace; hair salons. After making a case for the value and benefits of using visual methods in identity research in a work context, we present four key methodological themes that emerged from our own reflection on the research project. The first discusses the ‘self-portraits’ captured by the respondents; the second explores how images reveal ‘spaces’ of identity construction in the background of the photograph; the third presents the unexpected and unusual objects of identity construction; and the fourth looks at those images ‘taken by accident’ and the important emotional narratives they produce. We argue that relying on solely textual narratives in researching identity at work misses vital performative and contextual data that enrich our understanding of organisational life.
Tipping Point Forewarnings in Climate Change Communication: Some Implications of an Emerging Trend

Prominent British and American sources now seek to structure public understanding of climate change by issuing “tipping point” forewarnings of danger with increasing frequency. This emerging trend announces a shift in the way we are likely to perceive and respond to climate change dangers. This paper reviews key statements to suggest a significant dimension of this trend is its enrollment of epidemiological terminology to communicate urgent and uncertain threats. First, key events in the popular employment of epidemiological and public health models of explanation are reviewed. Second, the author discusses the climate change “debate” to illuminate the limitations involved in treating climate change as a public issue detached from other problems involving atmospheric science. Third, the author reconstructs the tipping point tendency in this context. The essay concludes that the use of this concept signals a broader trend toward epidemiological models of explanation likely to activate public health styles of intervention for addressing climate change impacts. Some implications are briefly discussed.
Perceptions of Racial Discrimination among Black Professionals in Rio De Janeiro

Most Brazilians believe that racial and socioeconomic inequalities tend to overlap—in other words, blacks are poorer because they have less education and worse jobs. In the past few years, however, several quantitative studies have presented an interesting puzzle: racial inequalities are strongest among those at the top of the socioeconomic hierarchy. This article explores the "elitist profile" of racial discrimination through eighty in-depth interviews with black professionals in Rio de Janeiro. The results show that interviewees describe their trajectories of social mobility through mechanisms that involve both socioeconomic and racial exclusion. Their perceptions of injustice, however, are more directly related to experiences of racial discrimination. In narrating incidents of discrimination, interviewees stress the distinction and tensions between what we call generalized prejudice and particularized universalism.
Structural Variation within the Amygdala and Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Predicts Memory for Impressions in Older Adults

Research has shown that lesions to regions involved in social and emotional cognition disrupt socioemotional processing and memory. We investigated how structural variation of regions involved in socioemotional memory [ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), amygdala], as opposed to a region implicated in explicit memory (hippocampus), affected memory for impressions in young and older adults. Anatomical MRI scans for 15 young and 15 older adults were obtained and reconstructed to gather information about cortical thickness and subcortical volume. Young adults had greater amygdala and hippocampus volumes than old, and thicker left vmPFC than old, although right vmPFC thickness did not differ across the age groups. Participants formed behavior-based impressions and responded to interpersonally meaningful, social but interpersonally irrelevant, or non-social prompts, and completed a memory test. Results showed that greater left amygdala volume predicted enhanced overall memory for impressions in older but not younger adults. Increased right vmPFC thickness in older, but not younger, adults correlated with enhanced memory for impressions formed in the interpersonally meaningful context. Hippocampal volume was not predictive of social memory in young or older adults. These findings demonstrate the importance of structural variation in regions linked to socioemotional processing in the retention of impressions with age, and suggest that the amygdala and vmPFC play integral roles when encoding and retrieving social information.