The Independence and Economic Security of Older Women Living Alone

We study women aged 51-75 who live alone and are not married over the period 1969-1993 using national samples from The Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) and The Family Expenditure Survey (FAMEX). We examine Income and Expenditure Patterns over the period and find that: there have been substantial increases in real incomes of these women, particularly during the 1970's. The principal source of growth was government transfers and especially the growth in CPP incomes. Should governments withdraw this financial support, low incomes could quickly re-emerge. Incomes of those who were previously married and of the older group of these women (ages 60-75) grew more rapidly over the period. The growth in income has gone almost entirely into consumption. Some of these women are able to save, but like most sub-groups of the Canadian population there is tremendous variability in saving rates among older women.SCF; FAMEX; income; expenditure; older women

An experience of modularity through design

We aim to utilise the experiences of a marine industry-based design team to determine the need for research into a modular design methodology in an industrial environment. In order to achieve this we couple the outcome of a current design project with the findings of a recent literature survey with the objectives of firstly, clarifying why a methodology is required and, secondly, defining the key elements which the methodology would have to realise or address. The potential benefits of modularity have long been recognised in the shipbuilding industry. Many shipbuilders adopt a 'module' approach to ship construction whereby the ship structure is separated into a number of large structural 'blocks' to ease manufacture and manoeuvrability during construction. However, as understanding of the capabilities of modularity as a design tool develops there is increased interest in capitalising on the differing life phase benefits of modularity such as reduced design costs and time, increased ease of maintenance, upgrade, re-use, redesign and standardisation across individual products and product families. This is especially pertinent in naval shipbuilding where the maintenance of a class of ship requires that all previously designed ships in that class must be of similar outfitting and must be able to interface with the new ship, in terms of propulsion, weapons, communications and electronics, and thus often require some form of retrofit. Therefore, many shipbuilders are moving from viewing modularity as a purely 'manufacturing' principle to a design centred principle. However, as noted by Chang and Ward 'none of the design theories or tools in the mechanical world serves as an articulate procedure for designers to follow in practising modular design'. Thus, despite the identification of a need to introduce modular principles at an earlier stage than detail design and construction, there is little aid in the form of tools, techniques and methodologies for designers in practice

T cell growth factor receptors. Quantitation, specificity, and biological relevance

To examine directly the hypothesis that T cell growth factor (TCGF) interacts with target cells in a fashion similar to polypeptide hormones, the binding of radiolabeled TCGF to various cell populations was investigated. The results indicate that TCGF interacts with activated T cells via a receptor through which it initiates the T cell proliferative response. Internally radiolabeled TCGF, prepared from a human T leukemia cell line and purified by gel filtration and isoelectric focusing, retained biological activity and was uniform with respect to size and charge. Binding of radiolabeled TCGF to TCGF-dependent cytolytic T cells occurred rapidly (within 15 rain at 37 degrees C) and was both saturable and largely reversible. In addition, at 37 degrees C, a receptor- and lysosome-dependent degradation of TCGF occurred. Radiolabeled TCGF binding was specific for activated, TCGF-responsive T cells. Whereas unstimulated lymphocytes of human or murine origin and lipopolysaccharide-activated B cell blasts expressed few if any detectable binding sites, lectin- or alloantigen-activated cells had easily detectable binding sites. Moreover, compared with lectin- or alloantigen-activated T cells, long-term TCGF-dependent cytolytic and helper T cell lines and TCGF-dependent neo-plastic T cell lines bound TCGF with a similar affinity (dissociation constant of 5-25 pM) and expressed a similar number of receptor sites per cell (5,000-15,000). In contrast, a number of TCGF-independent cell lines of T cell, B cell, or myeloid origin did not bind detectable quantities of radiolabeled TCGF. Binding of radiolabeled TCGF to TCGF-responsive cells was specific, in that among several growth factors and polypeptide hormones tested, only TCGF competed for binding. Finally, the relative magnitude of T cell proliferation induced by a given concentration of TCGF closely paralleled the fraction of occupied receptor sites. As the extent of T cell clonal expansion depends on TCGF and on the TCGF receptor, the dissection of the molecular events surrounding the interaction of TCGF and its receptor that these studies permit, should provide new insight into the hormonelike regulation of the immune response by this lymphokine

Investigation of Substituted-Benzene Dopants for Charge Exchange Ionization of Nonpolar Compounds by Atmospheric Pressure Photoionization

Atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) using a dopant enables both polar and nonpolar compounds to be analyzed by LC/MS. To date, the charge exchange ionization pathway utilized for nonpolar compounds has only been efficient under restrictive conditions, mainly because the usual charge exchange reagent ions—the dopant photoions themselves—tend to be consumed in proton transfer reactions with solvent and/or dopant neutrals. This research aims to elucidate the factors affecting the reactivities of substituted-benzene dopant ions; another, overriding, objective is to discover new dopants for better implementing charge exchange ionization in reversed-phase LC/MS applications. The desirable properties for a charge exchange dopant include low reactivity of its photoions with solvent and dopant neutrals and high ionization energy (IE). Reactivity tests were performed for diverse substituted-benzene compounds, with substituents ranging from strongly electron withdrawing (EW) to strongly electron donating (ED). The results indicate that both the tendency of a dopant's photoions to be lost through proton transfer reactions and its IE depend on the electron donating/withdrawing properties of its substituent(s): ED groups decrease reactivity and IE, while EW groups increase reactivity and IE. Exceptions to the reactivity trend for dopants with ED groups occur when the substituent is itself acidic. All told, the desirable properties for a charge exchange dopant tend towards mutual exclusivity. Of the singly-substituted benzenes tested, chloro- and bromobenzene provide the best compromise between low reactivity and high IE. Several fluoroanisoles, with counteracting EW and ED groups, may also provide improved performance relative to the established dopants

Connective-tissue growth factor modulates WNT signalling and interacts with the WNT receptor complex

Connective-tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a member of the CCN family of secreted proteins. CCN family members contain four characteristic domains and exhibit multiple activities: they associate with the extracellular matrix, they can mediate cell adhesion, cell migration and chemotaxis, and they can modulate the activities of peptide growth factors. Many of the effects of CTGF are thought to be mediated by binding to integrins, whereas others may be because of its recently identified ability to interact with BMP4 and TGF?. We demonstrate, using Xenopus embryos, that CTGF also regulates signalling through the Wnt pathway, in accord with its ability to bind to the Wnt co-receptor LDL receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6). This interaction is likely to occur through the C-terminal (CT) domain of CTGF, which is distinct from the BMP- and TGF?-interacting domain. Our results define new activities of CTGF and add to the variety of routes through which cells regulate growth factor activity in development, disease and tissue homeostasis

Inequalities in cancer screening participation: examining differences in perceived benefits and barriers

Objective: Inequalities exist in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening uptake, with people from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds less likely to participate. Identifying the facilitators and barriers to screening uptake is important to addressing screening disparities. We pooled data from 2 trials to examine educational differences in psychological constructs related to guaiac fecal occult blood testing. Methods: Patients (n = 8576) registered at 7 general practices in England, within 15 years of the eligible age range for screening (45-59.5 years), were invited to complete a questionnaire. Measures included perceived barriers (emotional and practical) and benefits of screening, screening intentions, and participant characteristics including education. Results: After data pooling, 2181 responses were included. People with high school education or no formal education reported higher emotional and practical barriers and were less likely to definitely intend to participate in screening, compared with university graduates in analyses controlling for study arm and participant characteristics. The belief that one would worry more about CRC after screening and concerns about tempting fate were strongly negatively associated with education. In a model including education and participant characteristics, respondents with low emotional barriers, low practical barriers, and high perceived benefits were more likely to definitely intend to take part in screening. Conclusions: In this analysis of adults approaching the CRC screening age, there was a consistent effect of education on perceived barriers toward guaiac fecal occult blood testing, which could affect screening decision making. Interventions should target specific barriers to reduce educational disparities in screening uptake and avoid exacerbating inequalities in CRC mortality

Depression and anxiety among people living with and beyond cancer: a growing clinical and research priority

Background: A cancer diagnosis can have a substantial impact on mental health and wellbeing. Depression and anxiety may hinder cancer treatment and recovery, as well as quality of life and survival. We argue that more research is needed to prevent and treat co-morbid depression and anxiety among people with cancer and that it requires greater clinical priority. For background and to support our argument, we synthesise existing systematic reviews relating to cancer and common mental disorders, focusing on depression and anxiety. We searched several electronic databases for relevant reviews on cancer, depression and anxiety from 2012 to 2019. Several areas are covered: factors that may contribute to the development of common mental disorders among people with cancer; the prevalence of depression and anxiety; and potential care and treatment options. We also make several recommendations for future research. Numerous individual, psychological, social and contextual factors potentially contribute to the development of depression and anxiety among people with cancer, as well as characteristics related to the cancer and treatment received. Compared to the general population, the prevalence of depression and anxiety is often found to be higher among people with cancer, but estimates vary due to several factors, such as the treatment setting, type of cancer and time since diagnosis. Overall, there are a lack of high-quality studies into the mental health of people with cancer following treatment and among long-term survivors, particularly for the less prevalent cancer types and younger people. Studies that focus on prevention are minimal and research covering low- and middle-income populations is limited. Conclusion: Research is urgently needed into the possible impacts of long-term and late effects of cancer treatment on mental health and how these may be prevented, as increasing numbers of people live with and beyond cancer