Rethinking Nathaniel Dance’s Portraiture: Sociability, Masculinity and Celebrity

Nathaniel Dance (1735-1811) was a leading portraitist in London who worked alongside luminaries such as Reynolds, Romney and Gainsborough in the Golden Age of British portraiture. Dance’s contemporaries have been subject to considerable research, however, analysis of Dance has been limited with only one major study of his work undertaken in the 1970s. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Dance’s upper-middle class family were already established in London’s sociable society. His career and his works afford a different perspective from which to examine portraiture as part of Britain’s sociable society. In more recent years eighteenth-century art history research has diversified to include the complex cultural mores and behaviours of Britain’s sociable society. From stockings, buttons, books and swords to ideas of sociability, masculinity and the public sphere, a wide range of topics have become the purview of the art historian. These approaches provide the framework for rethinking Dance’s portraiture, establishing the foundation for assessing his work in a dynamic and complex way. Dance’s practices reveal the multifaceted connections between portraiture, the artist, the sitter, and the audience. This thesis argues that Dance’s portraits operated as instruments of influence in the networks and affiliations of sociable society and that a range of factors are critical to fully understand Dance’s work, including, the complex nature of sociability, changing concepts of masculinity and the rise of celebrity. This research expands our knowledge of the importance of business and social networks and the role of the portrait for communicating connections and social position of the sitters. Duplicated portraits, which are a prominent feature in Dance’s portraiture business, reveal the extent that this medium connected sitters within Dance’s social sphere and in turn facilitated the expansion of Dance’s own networks

Food and work - A sociological study of the eating habits of shift workers.

This thesis is a sociological study of the eating habits of shiftworkers. It explores the relationship of male and female shiftworkers to food purchase, food preparation and food consumption in the home and at their place of work. This included exploration of the interaction of attitudes and beliefs about food and health on shiftworkers' diets and patterns of eating, and their perceptions of the influence of shiftworking on food consumption and eating patterns.The research used a mixed methods approach and collected both quantitative and qualitative data; two workplaces were observed, 120 shiftworkers responded to a self-completion questionnaire and 43 semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sub-sample of shiftworkers employed in a variety of industries in Sheffield. A critical review of the background academic literature also informed the study.Quantitative data was analysed to provide a description of the facilities available to obtain food at work and the patterns of eating of shiftworkers on their last working and last non-working day. A typology of eating patterns, and profiles of the eating patterns types which were more associated with various groups of shiftworkers, were also developed through analysis of the data.Qualitative analysis explored the interaction of attitudes and beliefs about food and eating on shiftworkers' diets and patterns of eating both at home and at work, and their perceptions of the factors influencing their eating patterns. Conceptions of the 'proper' meal and 'family' meal were important influences, particularly on female shiftworkers' ideas of appropriate patterns of eating in the home. Factors within the workplace also constrained shiftworkers' eating patterns at work; notably the facilities available to obtain food at work; formal rules and regulations within the workplace; the organisation of the labour process, and informal social norms relating to uses of food.Gender appeared as an important influence on the relationship of male and female shiftworkers to food and eating. The study explored gender divisions of labour in foodwork in shiftworkers' households and found that female shiftworkers were primarily responsible for food purchase and preparation.The study found shiftworkers were dissatisfied with their eating patterns at work and at home as a result of what they perceived to be the constraints of shiftwork. The study contributes to increasing theoretical and practical understanding of the social influences on food purchase, preparation and consumption at home and at work

Nature, Nurture, and the Meaning of Educational Attainment: Differences by Sex and Socioeconomic Status

Estimated heritability of educational attainment (EA) varies widely, from 23% to 80%, with growing evidence suggesting the degree to which genetic variation contributes to individual differences in EA is highly dependent upon situational factors. We aimed to decompose EA into influences attributable to genetic propensity and to environmental context and their interplay, while considering influences of rearing household economic status (HES) and sex. We use the Project Talent Twin and Sibling Study, drawn from the population-representative cohort of high school students assessed in 1960 and followed through 2014, to ages 68−72. Data from 3552 twins and siblings from 1741 families were analyzed using multilevel regression and multiple group structural equation models. Individuals from less-advantaged backgrounds had lower EA and less variation. Genetic variance accounted for 51% of the total variance, but within women and men, 40% and 58% of the total variance respectively. Men had stable genetic variance on EA across all HES strata, whereas high HES women showed the same level of genetic influence as men, and lower HES women had constrained genetic influence on EA. Unexpectedly, middle HES women showed the largest constraints in genetic influence on EA. Shared family environment appears to make an outsized contribution to greater variability for women in this middle stratum and whether they pursue more EA. Implications are that without considering early life opportunity, genetic studies on education may mischaracterize sex differences because education reflects different degrees of genetic and environmental influences for women and men

The Project Talent Twin and Sibling Study: Zygosity and New Data Collection

The Project Talent Twin and Sibling (PTTS) study includes 4481 multiples and their 522 nontwin siblings from 2233 families. The sample was drawn from Project Talent, a U.S. national longitudinal study of 377,000 individuals born 1942–1946, first assessed in 1960 and representative of U.S. students in secondary school (Grades 9–12). In addition to the twins and triplets, the 1960 dataset includes 84,000 siblings from 40,000 other families. This design is both genetically informative and unique in facilitating separation of the ‘common’ environment into three sources of variation: shared by all siblings within a family, specific to twin-pairs, and associated with school/community-level factors. We term this the GIFTS model for genetics, individual, family, twin, and school sources of variance. In our article published in a previous Twin Research and Human Genetics special issue, we described data collections conducted with the full Project Talent sample during 1960–1974, methods for the recent linking of siblings within families, identification of twins, and the design of a 54-year follow-up of the PTTS sample, when participants were 68–72 years old. In the current article, we summarize participation and data available from this 2014 collection, describe our method for assigning zygosity using survey responses and yearbook photographs, illustrate the GIFTS model applied to 1960 vocabulary scores from more than 80,000 adolescent twins, siblings and schoolmates and summarize the next wave of PTTS data collection being conducted as part of the larger Project Talent Aging Study

An Application of Electromyographic Biofeedback to Aphasia/Apraxia Treatment

TB

P-624: Changes in plasma renin match the antihypertensive effects of aliskiren in patients with hypertension: Placebo/irbesartan-controlled trial with the orally active renin inhibitor aliskiren

For several decades, the lack of oral availability and poor antihypertensive effects of renin inhibitors (RI), despite seemingly powerful inhibition of conventionally measured plasma renin activity (PRA), have discredited RI as cardiovascular drugs. Aliskiren is a novel orally effective RI with antihypertensive potency comparable to losartan or irbesartan. The present study investigated the effects of aliskiren and irbesartan on PRA, measured by the reliable antibody trapping technique, as well as on plasma active renin concentration (ARC) and sitting systolic blood pressure (SBP). In 569 patients with mild to moderate hypertension (baseline sphygmomanometric sitting blood pressure 152±12/99±4 mmHg, mean±SD), PRA and ARC, as well as SBP were measured before and after 8 weeks of treatment with once daily oral doses of aliskiren (150, 300 or 600mg), irbesartan 150mg or placebo. The effects of study treatments on PRA, ARC and SBP are summarized in the Table. Treatment N PRA (ng/mL/h) ARC (pg/mL) SBP (mmHg) Baseline Week 8 Baseline Week 8 Baseline Week 8 Placebo 111 0.72 0.64 6.2 5.6 152 ± 12 147 ± 18 Aliskiren 150mg 112 0.66 0.20 6.0 15.3 151 ± 11 140 ± 14 Aliskiren 300mg 115 0.59 0.17 6.1 21.0 152 ± 10 137 ± 14 Aliskiren 600mg 113 0.64 0.16 5.8 34.9 153 ± 12 137 ± 16 Irbesartan 150mg 118 0.64 1.33 5.5 11.3 153 ± 11 140 ± 16 PRA and ARC values are geometric means; SBP values are mean ± SD Aliskiren reduced PRA by 69%, 71% and 75% at 150, 300 and 600mg respectively, while irbesartan doubled PRA. Most of the antihypertensive effect of aliskiren was obtained with the lowest dose, but higher doses slightly further decreased SBP. Aliskiren 150mg and irbesartan 150mg provided similar increases in ARC and hence comparably blocked the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), and the achieved SBP was also the same. Aliskiren 300mg and 600mg caused greater increases in ARC compared with irbesartan 150mg (p<0.05), and further decreases in SBP. The dose-dependent increases in ARC observed with aliskiren document increasing blockade of the RAS. In conclusion, aliskiren provides a parallel reduction in PRA and SBP, a dose-dependent blockade of the RAS and is at least as effective as irbesartan at comparable dosages (150mg

Renal effects and associated outcomes during angiotensin-neprilysin inhibition in heart failure

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the renal effects of sacubitril/valsartan in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction. Background: Renal function is frequently impaired in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and may deteriorate further after blockade of the renin–angiotensin system. Methods: In the PARADIGM-HF (Prospective Comparison of ARNI with ACE inhibition to Determine Impact on Global Mortality and Morbidity in Heart Failure) trial, 8,399 patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction were randomized to treatment with sacubitril/valsartan or enalapril. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was available for all patients, and the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) was available in 1872 patients, at screening, randomization, and at fixed time intervals during follow-up. We evaluated the effect of study treatment on change in eGFR and UACR, and on renal and cardiovascular outcomes, according to eGFR and UACR. Results: At screening, the eGFR was 70 ± 20 ml/min/1.73 m2 and 2,745 patients (33%) had chronic kidney disease; the median UACR was 1.0 mg/mmol (interquartile range: 0.4 to 3.2 mg/mmol) and 24% had an increased UACR. The decrease in eGFR during follow-up was less with sacubitril/valsartan compared with enalapril (−1.61 ml/min/1.73 m2/year; [95% confidence interval: −1.77 to −1.44 ml/min/1.73 m2/year] vs. −2.04 ml/min/1.73 m2/year [95% CI: −2.21 to −1.88 ml/min/1.73 m2/year ]; p &lt; 0.001) despite a greater increase in UACR with sacubitril/valsartan than with enalapril (1.20 mg/mmol [95% CI: 1.04 to 1.36 mg/mmol] vs. 0.90 mg/mmol [95% CI: 0.77 to 1.03 mg/mmol]; p &lt; 0.001). The effect of sacubitril/valsartan on cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization was not modified by eGFR, UACR (p interaction = 0.70 and 0.34, respectively), or by change in UACR (p interaction = 0.38). Conclusions: Compared with enalapril, sacubitril/valsartan led to a slower rate of decrease in the eGFR and improved cardiovascular outcomes, even in patients with chronic kidney disease, despite causing a modest increase in UACR

Sacubitril/valsartan reduces serum uric acid concentration, an independent predictor of adverse outcomes in PARADIGM-HF

Aims: Elevated serum uric acid concentration (SUA) has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but this may be due to unmeasured confounders. We examined the association between SUA and outcomes as well as the effect of sacubitril/valsartan on SUA in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in PARADIGM-HF. Methods and results: The association between SUA and the primary composite outcome of cardiovascular death or heart failure (HF) hospitalization, its components, and all-cause mortality was examined using Cox regression analyses among 8213 patients using quintiles (Q1–Q5) of SUA adjusted for baseline prognostic variables including estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), diuretic dose, and log N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide. Change in SUA from baseline over 12 months was also evaluated in each treatment group. Patients in Q5 (SUA ≥8.6 mg/dL) compared with Q1 (&lt;5.4 mg/dL) were younger (62.8 vs. 64.2 years), more often male (88.7% vs. 63.1%), had lower systolic blood pressure (119 vs. 123 mmHg), lower eGFR (57.4 vs. 76.6 mL/min/1.73 m2), and greater diuretic use. Higher SUA was associated with a higher risk of the primary outcome (adjusted hazard ratios) Q5 vs. Q1 = 1.28 [95% confidence intervals (1.09–1.50), P = 0.003], cardiovascular death [1.44 (1.11–1.77), P = 0.001], HF hospitalization [1.37 (1.11–1.70), P = 0.004], and all-cause mortality [1.36 (1.13–1.64), P = 0.001]. Compared with enalapril, sacubitril/valsartan reduced SUA by 0.24 (0.17–0.32) mg/dL over 12 months (P &lt; 0.0001). Sacubitril/valsartan improved outcomes, irrespective of SUA concentration. Conclusion: Serum uric acid concentration was an independent predictor of worse outcomes after multivariable adjustment in patients with HFrEF. Compared with enalapril, sacubitril/valsartan reduced SUA and improved outcomes irrespective of SUA

Body traits associated with heat adaptation in naturalized Brazilian cattle breeds

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar medidas corporais associadas à tolerância ao calor em bovinos. Utilizaram-se 64 animais das raças naturalizadas Curraleiro (15), Mocho Nacional (7), Crioulo Lageano (7), Pantaneira (14) e Junqueira (11), e 26 animais de duas raças comerciais: Nelore (15) e Holandesa (11). Foram analisados dados sobre comprimento corporal, perímetro de canela, altura de cernelha, perímetro torácico, espessura da pele, espessura do pêlo, número de pêlos, comprimento de pêlos, pigmentação da epiderme e pelame. A raça Curraleiro apresentou menor perímetro torácico, tendo diferido das outras raças, principalmente da Mocho Nacional. As raças Crioulo Lageano e Pantaneira apresentaram maior espessura de pêlo; a raça Mocho Nacional apresentou maior espessura de pele. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que as raças Curraleiro e Junqueira são mais tolerantes ao calor que as demais raças naturalizadas.The aim of this work was to evaluate physical aspects of heat tolerance in cattle. Sixty-four animals from five naturalized breeds were used, including Curraleiro (15 animals), Mocho Nacional (7), Crioulo Lageano (17), Pantaneira (14) and Junqueira (11), as well as twenty-six animals from two commercial breeds: Nellore (15) and Holstein (11). Measurements on shoulder height, girth, body length, cannon bone circumference, skin and hair thickness were analysed as well as hair density and hair and skin pigmentation. Girth in Curraleiro was significantly smaller than in other breeds, especially Mocho Nacional. Crioulo Lageano and Pantaneira had the thickest hair and Mocho Nacional the thickest skin. Curraleiro and Junqueira were shown to be the most heat tolerant of the naturalized breeds