Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Ben Lacey
Analyses of plasma protein levels in relation to body composition in the UK Biobank
Abstract Excess fat mass is causally linked to multiple diseases, but the use of existing therapies, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, is limited by varying effects and common side effects, including loss of fat-free mass. We aimed to identify proteins associated with fat mass, but ideally not also associated with fat-free mass, as potential drug targets for alternative therapeutic strategies.
Analyses of plasma protein levels in relation to body composition in the UK Biobank
Abstract Excess fat mass is causally linked to multiple diseases, but the use of existing therapies, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, is limited by varying effects and common side effects, including loss of fat-free mass. We aimed to identify proteins associated with fat mass, but ideally not also associated with fat-free mass, as potential drug targets for alternative therapeutic strategies.
Christian, Your Speech May Be Free in America — It’s Just Not Free in Heaven
BY BEN LACEY A little over a year ago, I deleted my X account. I told myself it was because of what I was seeing: Christians speaking about other people with contempt. Cruelty dressed up as conviction. Snark masquerading as prophetic boldness. Brothers and sisters reducing image-bearers to objects of public ridicule. Thankfully, my timeline was clean. I never posted a single snarky tweet. Whatever I lacked in prophetic unction I made up for in self-control. But then I realized something.
Social and spatial inequalities in premature mortality across Europe
Although some differences in health status between populations are inevitable, such as poorer health among older populations, differences in health linked with social and economic circumstances are not. These avoidable and unfair inequalities in health have been long recognised, 1 Social Determinants of Health. , 2 A typology of actions to tackle social inequalities in health. but addressing them remains a major challenge throughout the world.
Prospective study design and data analysis in UK Biobank
Naomi E. Allen https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1938-5038 naomi.allen@ndph.ox.ac.uk, Ben Lacey https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0139-2934, [...] , Deborah A. Lawlor, Jill P. Pell, [...] , John Gallacher https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2394-5299, Liam Smeeth https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9168-6022, Paul Elliott https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7511-5684, Paul M. Matthews https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1619-8328, Ronan A. Lyons https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5225-000X, [...] , Anthony D.
Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies over 18 months following infection: UK Biobank COVID-19 Serology Study
Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies over 18 months following infection: UK Biobank COVID-19 Serology Study Statistics from Altmetric.com Request Permissions If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.
Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies over 18 months following infection: UK Biobank COVID-19 Serology Study
Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies over 18 months following infection: UK Biobank COVID-19 Serology Study Statistics from Altmetric.com Request Permissions If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.
Association between coeliac disease and cardiovascular disease: prospective analysis of UK Biobank data
Results Of 502 459 UK Biobank participants, 469 095 were included in this study (33 364 participants had prevalent cardiovascular disease and were excluded from further analyses) and 2083 participants had coeliac disease. During follow-up, 1236 (0.3%) of participants were lost to follow-up (owing to leaving the UK), 1435 (0.3%) were diagnosed with coeliac disease, and 24 707 (5.3%) participants died.
Association of Smoking Initiation and Cessation Across the Life Course and Cancer Mortality
Identify all potential conflicts of interest that might be relevant to your comment. Conflicts of interest comprise financial interests, activities, and relationships within the past 3 years including but not limited to employment, affiliation, grants or funding, consultancies, honoraria or payment, speaker's bureaus, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, royalties, donation of medical equipment, or patents planned, pending, or issued. Err on the side of full disclosure.
United Kingdom Biobank (UK Biobank): JACC Focus Seminar 6/8
Abstract An increasing number of people are now living with cardiovascular disease (CVD), with concomitant CVD-related hospitalizations, operations, and prescriptions. To ultimately deliver optimal cardiovascular care, access to population-based biobanks with data on multiomics, phenotypes, and lifestyle risk factors are crucial.
Social inequality and the syndemic of chronic disease and COVID-19: county-level analysis in the USA
Social inequality and the syndemic of chronic disease and COVID-19: county-level analysis in the USA Free http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3982-4325Nazrul Islam1,2, Ben Lacey1, Sharmin Shabnam3, A Mesut Erzurumluoglu2, http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0175-443XHajira Dambha-Miller2,4, Gerardo Chowell5, Ichiro Kawachi6, Michael Marmot7 1 Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK 2 MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK 3 Leicester...
What To Look For When Hiring An SEO Specialist
Lacey Tech Solutions are pleased to have been given the award for Best Website Development & SEO Agency 2019! Every small business wants to produce organic traffic from Google. Online search engine optimisation, or SEO, is a cost-efficient tool for increasing your brand’s presence on the search engines. The best method to get your small business noticed on the search engines is to hire a local SEO service provider. After all, they’re the experts in their field.
Alcohol consumption and cause-specific mortality in Cuba: prospective study of 120 623 adults
Abstract Background The associations of cause-specific mortality with alcohol consumption have been studied mainly in higher-income countries. We relate alcohol consumption to mortality in Cuba. Methods In 1996-2002, 146 556 adults were recruited into a prospective study from the general population in five areas of Cuba. Participants were interviewed, measured and followed up by electronic linkage to national death registries until January 1, 2017.
The arm’s length test
Is there a legal requirement to have a commercial lease in place with unrelated tenants? While the SIS Act does not expressly require a commercial lease agreement to be in place for directly held property, that is not the end of the story. There are certain trustee obligations and SIS Act rules that imply that a written commercial lease is needed to satisfy SMSF compliance requirements. You may have heard of the arm’s length test contained within section 109 of the SIS Act.
Social inequality and the syndemic of chronic disease and COVID-19: county-level analysis in the USA
Social inequality and the syndemic of chronic disease and COVID-19: county-level analysis in the USA Free http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3982-4325Nazrul Islam1,2, Ben Lacey1, Sharmin Shabnam3, A Mesut Erzurumluoglu2, http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0175-443XHajira Dambha-Miller2,4, Gerardo Chowell5, Ichiro Kawachi6, Michael Marmot7 1Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK 2MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK 3Leicester Diabetes...
Social inequality and the syndemic of chronic disease and COVID-19: county-level analysis in the USA
Social inequality and the syndemic of chronic disease and COVID-19: county-level analysis in the USA Free http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3982-4325Nazrul Islam1,2, Ben Lacey1, Sharmin Shabnam3, A Mesut Erzurumluoglu2, http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0175-443XHajira Dambha-Miller2,4, Gerardo Chowell5, Ichiro Kawachi6, Michael Marmot7 1Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK 2MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK 3Leicester Diabetes...
What “Medicare for All” Could Mean for US Medical Research
Healthcare in the United States is currently provided and financed by a variety of public and private institutions, resulting in a fragmented healthcare system.
Body-mass index, blood pressure, and cause-specific mortality in India: a prospective cohort study of 500 810 adults
In this South Asian population, we found little association between BMI and either cardiac or stroke mortality, even though BMI is a strong determinant of blood pressure and diabetes, both of which are strong determinants of vascular mortality.
Is Drupal the right platform for my website?
The First Step Into Web 2.0 You may have built websites in the past only to find that they quickly fall behind the times. We’re shifting into a more dynamic age now. Web 2.0 isn’t just a new paint of coat on the same old websites. It’s about the shift from static websites to dynamic pages with content fed from multiple users. That means your website isn’t done after it’s built. Rather, you can keep building it and evolving it as time goes on.
Is Drupal the right platform for my website?
You may have built websites in the past only to find that they quickly fall behind the times. We’re shifting into a more dynamic age now. Web 2.0 isn’t just a new paint of coat on the same old websites. It’s about the shift from static websites to dynamic pages with content fed from multiple users. That means your website isn’t done after it’s built. Rather, you can keep building it and evolving it as time goes on.
Age-specific association between blood pressure and vascular and non-vascular chronic diseases in 0·5 million adults in China: a prospective cohort study
In this Chinese population, usual blood pressure was positively and log-linearly associated with risk of ischaemic heart disease, ischaemic stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage, and the aggregate of all major vascular diseases. These relationships continued down to at least 120 mm Hg systolic blood pressure and 75 mm Hg diastolic blood pressure, below which the evidence was scarce.
5 Time Saving Tips for Social Media Success
For small business, time is precious so we’ve listed 5 time saving tips to help you get the most out of social media without it taking hours! Your Social Media profiles are fast becoming one of the most important ingredients in your recipe for success but so business owners don’t have time for Social Media – but we’re going to change that! But is updating it becoming a bit of a chore? Have you signed up for various platforms and are now wondering what to do next?
Have Child Actors Become Less Punch-able? 'Stranger Things' Has Happened.
The old warning says 'never work with children or animals,' and the quality of children's roles in television and film has rarely done much to dispute this adage. But have recent productions finally cracked it? Are we now going to be treated to child actors bringing immense talent to well-written, interesting, developed and realistic roles? 'Stranger Things' has Happened. The film and television industries have long been plagued by a lack of diversification.
Why Were 'Deadpool' and 'Logan' So Successful? Violence Isn't The Answer.
Last year Deadpool fired a gratuitous amount of lead and crude perversion into the notion that Superhero movies had to be child-friendly and relatively bloodless affairs. This year Logan rammed three adamantium claws into its still twitching body. The success of R-Rated superhero movies is undeniable. Deadpool cleared $783 million at the box office and Logan, out for only ten days at time of writing, has taken a cool $438 million.
The Troubling Truth About 'Taboo'. James Delaney: Man or Devil?
The internet is abuzz with fascinating theories and speculations concerning the enigmatic James Delaney. However the vast majority seem to take more notice of possibility two. Possibility one deserves more attention. I believe the evidence is mounting that James Delaney is no devil. Its much darker than that. He is a man twisted not by the supernatural but by the world people built around him. He is a victim of abuse, and an abuser.
5 'Should-be' Action Movie Heroes.
Connor McGregor recently turned down the lead role in an upcoming Predator movie. He isn't the first person outside the world of acting to be offered the lead in an action movie. Traditionally it seems that filling out 'can bicep curl houses' in the relevant experience section of the application is more impressive to casting agents than four years at RADA. And,to be fair, most action movie scripts require a talking stuntman more than a ripped McKellen.
The Art of Translation: 5 Adaptations More Faithful to the Book Than They Get Credit For.
There are great adaptations like The Godfather and terrible adaptations like Fifty Shades of Grey. Going from paperback to bluray is not easy. Much like with reboots and sequels there is a lot of vested interest in such projects from day one. There are a lot of pre-existing fans to satisfy if you don't want your films water-cooler review to be the classic refrain: 'the books better.' The creators of Fifty Shades are fortunate that would have meant praising the book.
The 5 Best Presidential Assassinations in TV and Film.
An unprompted look at some of the most iconic presidential assassinations in popular culture. This is probably the most famous assassination, in history, and on film. And who better to make the three hour canonical epic, than America's beloved controversial director Oliver Stone. It received as many condemnations as Oscar award nominations. For many it is Kevin Costner and the magic bullet theory that is their abiding memory of JFK's assassination.
'Taboo' Episode Two Speculation: Delaney, Empire, Abolition and Diamond Conspiracies.
Our second roam around Taboo's labyrinth of darkened alleyways, quick blades and hushed conversations felt simultaneously less mysterious and more intriguing. And the answer to the series' first question, sparkled in the darkness and, possibly illuminated the shows shadowy narrative. In Episode Two we saw Delaney dig up his leather pouch, and inside it; diamonds. He gave one to his sister, a rough uncut diamond. This is more than a frivolous gift. It gives Zilpha financial independence.
Why 'Assassin's Creed' Cinematic Story Never Would Have Been Approved as A Game
Altaïr Ibn-La'AhadThe highest rated video-game adaptation of all time, according to Rotten Tomatoes, is The Angry Birds Movie. Despite its ornithological inaccuracies the stunning quality of its cinematography secured it 44%. The struggle of video games is often their source-material. Games don't have to rely on storytelling to create an experience. Some classic video game characters have as much complexity as a triangle drawn on paint.
Looking in The Hat for Rabbits: The Who's Who of 'Taboo' ('Taboo' Episode 1 Recap)
The brand new series 'Taboo' is a, delightfully murky, enigma shrouded in a mystery wrapped in uncertainties. It looks set to be another of the big budget, high quality television series that we've been spoiled with recently. There were a lot of hooded figures, shady characters and backstories made twice as mysterious by Hardy's finest cockney McConaughey impression. At times Hardy even surpassed his own record for mumbliest performance, without the aid of a face covering respirator.
From The Hobbit to Rogue One: How Hollywood Learned to Make Prequels the Hard Way.
Hollywood is now packed with franchises, with reboots, sequels and prequels. I believe the reason for this is twofold. One, easy money. Two, human nature. When respect for one, is placed above two on that list the public is subjected to a gluttony of low caliber film-making. That isn't to say that studios can't make money, but that they should be producing quality in return. Star Wars: Rogue One is a sparkling example of a well-made prequel.
5 Festive Film Characters That Teach Us The True Meaning of Christmas.
Christmas films with Christmas Characters are enjoyed by millions at Christmas. It is in a strange way its own subculture, confined to one month of the year. There is a hallowed cultural cannon and a curious cultural consumption pattern. Songs, films and foods that the rest of the year round are, at best roundly ignored at worst, actively avoided are devoured avariciously for around two weeks.
How Adult Cartoons Became the Unlikely Savior of Satire.
In the tenth and final episode of his podcast Revisionist History, entitled 'The Satire Paradox,' Malcolm Gladwell suggests very convincingly that satire is dead. Not only this but that its been dead, at least in the U.S and the UK, for sometime now. Though it seems to me, that like Nietzsche's 1882 memo concerning the big man, not everyone got it.
Arnold, a ghost in the hosts? Unraveling 'Westworld' Episode 6.
Westworld is proving to be as baffling, intriguing, disturbing and full of potential for violent revolution as the current Western world. So like an intrepid political commentator lets try to get to grips with what's going on, where on earth we're going and try to discern which of the major players are in fact robots in flesh suits. Episode Six, 'The Adversary' was perhaps the best episode yet.
The Man in Black Is White Hat William. What We Learnt From 'Westworld,' Episode Four.
Episode Four, Cognitive Dissonance, is titled like a Big Bang Theory episode. Cognitive dissonance theory relates to the human necessity for consistency and sense between their actions, beliefs, ideals and values. When this consistency is challenged by new information or situations, the individual alters their beliefs or values to overcome said dissonance. Episode Four certainly introduced new information, and frankly, I think we're all beginning to question our beliefs (or at least some of them).
Who's a host and who's Arnold? Getting to grips with 'Westworld' Episode Three
If you've just digested Episode 3, and there's a lot to digest, other than lamenting the decision to, do a Lost, and fill the fist forty minutes with circular meaningless narrative and then kick into things big time with just enough running time to park every character, host and human, in the most precarious of cliffhangers, then its time to get pseudo-academic, triumphantly wield your Arnold given consciousness and, in a worryingly obsessive manner, breakdown what's going on.
The 5 Best Mockumentaries on Netflix
The mockumentary is an underused genre and there simply aren't that many around. To-camera interviews and the pretense of reality are a potent mix for comedy. The mockumentary lives in the off-beat, the moments when it seems as if the facade has fallen away and the characters reveal their true colours. It requires a subtlety and provides a great intimacy.
Entering the Maze. 'Westworld' Episode 2 Review.
This week there was no drop in excitement or intrigue, there was however a strange shift in scope. The guiding threads of last week, Delores and Teddy, were noticable by their absence (other than another routine Teddy dispatch). Instead we followed majoratively two new guests in the park and dug much deeper into Maeve Milay's life (a bit part hookerbot in episode one).
Entering The Maze. 'Westworld' Episode Two (Recap, Review and PREDICTIONS)
*Scroll down for some under-educated guesses. This week there was no drop in excitement or intrigue, there was however a strange shift in scope. The guiding threads of last week, Delores and Teddy, were noticable by their absence (other than another routine Teddy dispatch). Instead we followed majoratively two new guests in the park and dug much deeper into Maeve Milay's life (a bit part hookerbot in episode one).
Welcome To 'Westworld.' Episode One. (Recap, Review and Predictions)
*Editorial note: RRP is my own swanky lingo for 'Recap, Review & Predictions.' In that order. Feel free to skip. Capitalisation essential. Patent pending. A fantastic opening episode. Episode One moves at a breakneck pace but still expertly ensures you get to grips with the characters and the strange rules of the world whilst planting little bundles of figurative (though I feel it could become literal) TNT all over. If this is a sign of whats to come, West World will be a must watch.
Why NEW 'Westworld' Should be Your Next Televisual Obsession.
This week I had the undeniable pleasure of stumbling across a programme that grabbed me with such force, it nearly took of my lapels and gave me hairline fractures in both collar bones. The excitement of such a discovery only matched by the smug self-satisfaction of knowing I am the first among my friends to discover what's surely going to be the next big thing. Hopefully silencing once and for all that smug self-satisfied bastard John who discovered Breaking Bad first.
Berg Strikes Black Gold With 'Deepwater Horizon'
Worth-A-Watch? Deepwater Horizon is an 'edge of your seat' action movie, with surprising depth and sensitivity to its subject matter. Highly impactful drama, if a little too 'Hollywood' at times. Solid but not career defining performances from a stellar cast of old hands; Wahlberg, Russell and Malkovich, and impressive new talents Gina Rodriguez and Dylan O'Brian.
From Hamilton To Luke Cage: Our Top Picks From This Week's New Creators!
Good morning, afternoon or evening, depending on where you are! He's to saddling up for the weekend ahead! Fall is in full swing, but let us be honest now, those falling leaves ain't got nothing on a certain event that will be taking place in a month's time. Whilst we wait for that, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome a couple of cool new Creators who have blessed us with there fantastic, intriguing, and creative content.
Have an Interactive Cinema Experience...
What would you say if I told you some incredibly creative and intelligent people had come together to create an original cinematic experience? One in which you are the main character, or at least some strange hybrid of your decision making power and a fully fledged three dimensional character's behavior and characteristics. An experience that could last days, demands constant complete engagement and talent to progress.
Suicide Squad (2016); Sadistic Screen work.
As the market in superhero films has become so saturated and formulaic the promise of a film that casts the villains as protagonists is tantalising. Especially one that sets out with an incredible cast of seasoned and respected actors, including Jared Leto (Dallas Buyer’s Club, Mr Nobody), Margot Robbie (Wolf of Wall Street) and Will Smith (Will Smith). But Suicide Squad succeeds only in snuffing out any prospect of something new or noteworthy.
Narcos Withdrawal
Narcos is about as addictive as, well, pure Colombian cocaine. If you’ve already finished all ten hours of the new season and you’re lying in bed, itching for another fix and debating stealing from your friends and loved ones to foot the bill for an Amazon Prime membership in the vague hope that they have some sort of Narcos derivative, then let me facilitate.
Laiko and Knight make beautiful music with 'Kubo and the Two Strings.'
Worth-A-Watch? Kubo is an incredible visual feast, I would not advise missing, accompanied by a, less stunning, but wholly enjoyable delight of a story At the very outset of the film Kubo tells us if we need to blink do it now. Its good advice. The stop motion animation, created by Laika Studios, is utterly captivating and you won’t want to miss a moment of its sumptuous beauty. The most striking thing about Kubo and the Two Strings is its art style, every character and set was hand crafted.
The Burden of Hypertension and Associated Risk for Cardiovascular Mortality in China
Importance Hypertension is a leading cause of premature death in China, but limited evidence is available on the prevalence and management of hypertension and its effect on mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Objectives To examine the prevalence, diagnosis, treatment, and control of hypertension and to assess the CVD mortality attributable to hypertension in China.
Back to School - Short Film
All of the above plus exclusive link to the finished film 'Back to School'. You will be the first to see the premiere. The stream can be delivered to you anywhere in the world. This film will not be available to the general public for months after you've seen it.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Ben
Contact Ben, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack