Exploring the determinants of dual goal facilitation in Wason's 2-4-6 task

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Stage women, 1900–50

Stage women, 1900–50 explores the many ways in which women conceptualised, constructed and participated in networks of professional practice in the theatre and performance industries between 1900 and 1950. A timely volume full of original research, the book explores women’s complex negotiations of their agency over both their labour and public representation, and their use of personal and professional networks to sustain their careers. Including a series of case studies that explore a range of well-known and lesser-known women working in theatre, film and popular performance of the period. The volume is divided into two connected parts. ‘Female theatre workers in the social and theatrical realm’ looks at the relationship between women’s work – on- and offstage – and autobiography, activism, technique, touring, education and the law. Part II, ‘Women and popular performance’, focuses on the careers of individual artists, once household names, including Lily Brayton, Ellen Terry, radio star Mabel Constanduros, and Oscar-winning film star Margaret Rutherford. Overall, the book provides new and vibrant cultural histories of women’s work in the theatre and performance industries of the period

Sweating the small stuff: a meta-analysis of skin conductance on the Iowa gambling task

To systematically examine the role of anticipatory skin conductance responses (aSCRs) in predicting Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) performance. Secondly, to assess the quality of aSCR evidence for the Somatic Marker Hypothesis (SMH) during the IGT. Finally, to evaluate the reliability of current psychophysiological measurements on the IGT. Electronic databases, journals and reference lists were examined for inclusion. Data were extracted by two reviewers and validated by another reviewer, using a standardised extraction sheet along with a quality assessment. Two meta-analyses of aSCR measures were conducted to test the relationship between overall aSCR and IGT performance, and differences in aSCR between advantageous and disadvantageous decks. Twenty studies were included in this review. Quality assessment revealed that five studies did not measure anticipatory responses, and few stated they followed standard IGT and/or psychophysiological procedures. The first meta-analysis of 15 studies revealed a significant, small-to-medium relationship between aSCR and IGT performance (r= .22). The second meta-analysis of eight studies revealed a significant, small difference in aSCR between the advantageous and disadvantageous decks (r= .10); however, publication bias is likely to be an issue. Meta-analyses revealed aSCR evidence supporting the SMH. However, inconsistencies in the IGT and psychophysiological methods, along with publication bias, cast doubt on these effects. It is recommended that future tests of the SMH use a range of psychophysiological measures, a standardised IGT protocol, and discriminate between advantageous and disadvantageous decks.N/

Pupil dilation and cognitive reflection as predictors of performance on the Iowa Gambling Task

Risky decisions and implicit learning involve both cognitive and emotional factors. As the primary test-bed for the Somatic Marker Hypothesis (SMH), the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) was devised to examine these factors. Skin conductance evidence has shown anticipatory physiological responses to the deck contingencies which supports SMH. However, skin conductance is not without limitations and pupil dilation is an alternative physiological marker. In the present study, the predictive effects of anticipatory pupillary responses to positive and negative decks on IGT performance were examined in an extended version of the task. The extended Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) was used to examine the relationship between reflective thinking and IGT performance. Data demonstrated that reflective thinking correlated with performance from the second block onwards and that learning continued on the IGT into the additional sixth and seventh blocks, indicating that performance was not optimized until the final block. Regression analysis further showed that both anticipatory pupil dilation for disadvantageous and advantageous decks, and reflective thinking were strong predictors of overall IGT performance. Thus, while both emotional and reflective processes are implicated in IGT performance, analytic cognition plays a more salient role than traditionally acknowledged.N/

Daily physical activity and related risk factors in COPD

Background Factors associated with reduced daily physical activity (DPA) in patients with COPD are still controversial. Physical inactivity in COPD increases risk of cardiovascular disease, frequent exacerbations, reduced health status, and increased symptoms. We hypothesised that reduced DPA in patients with COPD is independent of traditional risk factors including age and spirometry. Methods In this cross-sectional study, DPA (over 7 days) was assessed on 88 community stable patients with COPD and 40 controls free from cardiorespiratory disease. Spirometry, body composition, number of exacerbations, handgrip strength (HGS), modified Medical Research Council (mMRC), arterial stiffness, 6-min walking distance (6MWD) and BODE index were also determined. Frequent exacerbation was defined as ≥2 and non-frequent exacerbation < 2. Results Patients with COPD had reduced DPA and exercise capacity compared with controls similar in age, BMI and gender, p  0.05. The level of breathlessness was superior to lung function in predicting the level of DPA. Conclusion The level of DPA in COPD was independent of traditional risk factors. Breathlessness score is a better predictor of the DPA than lung function and handgrip strength

Clusters of risk factors in metabolic syndrome and their influence on central blood pressure in a global study

The effect of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and clusters of its components on central blood pressure (CBP) has not been well characterized. We aimed to describe the effect of MetS and clusters of its components on CBP in a large population and to identify whether this effect differs in men and women. We studied 15,609 volunteers (43% women) from 10 cohorts worldwide who participated in the Metabolic syndrome and Artery REsearch Consortium. MetS was defined according to the NCEP-ATP III criteria (GHTBW, glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, blood pressure, waist circumference). CBP was measured noninvasively and acquired from pulse wave analysis by applanation tonometry. MetS was associated with a 50% greater odds of having higher CSBP. After controlling for age, male sex, non HDL cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, and mean arterial pressure, only specific clusters of MetS components were associated with a higher CSBP; and some of them were significant in women but not in men. We identified "risky clusters" of MetS variables associated with high CSBP. Future studies are needed to confirm they identify subjects at high risk of accelerated arterial aging and, thus, need more intensive clinical management

Genetic and Clinical Predictors of Age of ESKD in Individuals With Autosomal Dominant Tubulointerstitial Kidney Disease Due to UMOD Mutations

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