bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Environmentally induced dispersal‐related life‐history syndrome in the tropical butterfly, Bicyclus anynana
Authors: Saastamoinen M. , Brakefield P. M. , Ovaskainen O. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractDispersal is a key process for understanding the persistence of populations as well as the capacity of organisms to respond to environmental change. Therefore, understanding factors that may facilitate or constrain the evolution of dispersal is of crucial interest. Assessments of phenotypic variation in various behavioural, physiological and morphological traits related to insect dispersal and flight performance are common, yet very little is known about the genetic associations among these traits. We have used experiments on the butterfly Bicyclus anynana to estimate genetic variation and covariation in seven behavioural, physiological and morphological traits related to flight potential and hence dispersal. Our goal was to characterize the heritabilities and genetic correlations among these traits and thus to understand more about the evolution of dispersal‐related life‐history syndromes in butterflies. Using a version of the animal model, we showed that all of the traits varied between the sexes, and most were either positively or negatively (phenotypically and/or genetically) correlated with body size. Heritable variation was present in most traits, with the highest heritabilities estimated for body mass and thorax ratio. The variance in flight activity among multiple measurements for the same individual was high even after controlling for the prevailing environmental conditions, indicating the importance of behavioural switching and/or inherent randomness associated with this type of movement. A number of dispersal‐related traits showed phenotypic correlations among one another, but only a few of these were associated with significant genetic correlations indicating that covariances between these traits in Bicyclus anynana are mainly environmentally induced.
The Effects of Reduced Social Security Contributions on Employment: An Evaluation of the 2003 French Reform*
Authors: Bunel Mathieu , L'Horty Yannick 
Published: September 2012

AbstractIn 2003, the French government decided to reform the system managing the different minimum wage regulations and the targeted reductions to employers' social security contributions. The main objective of the Fillon reform was to simplify the complex regulations that were created by the progressive introduction of the 35‐hour week. The reform incidentally created large variations in labour costs, depending on the type of firm and the wage level within the firm. This paper presents an evaluation of the impact of this reform on employment using a balanced panel of firms with more than five employees, drawn from a matching between several administrative data sources from 2000 to 2005.
Low‐paid employment in Brazil
Authors: FONTES Adriana , PERO Valéria , BERG Janine 
Published: September 2012

Abstract:While low pay is prevalent in developing countries, the issue has not been studied in depth. To help fill this gap, the authors use panel data on six Brazilian metropolitan areas for the years 2002–09 to investigate the incidence, permanence and profile of low‐paid employment. Over the period, low‐paid work declined from 24.4 to 21.5 per cent of total wage employment. As in high‐income countries, the probability of being low‐paid was greater for women, non‐whites, younger workers and those with fewer years of education. A mobility analysis shows that job experience improved labour market prospects, even for low‐paid wage earners.
Thalidomide: features and potential significance in oral precancerous conditions and oral cancer
Authors: Jin Xin , Lu Shujing , Xing Xue , Wang Lili , Mu Dongliang , He Mingjing , Huang Haiyun , Zeng Xin , Chen Qianming 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundThalidomide was originally marked as a sedative and anti‐emetic, but was withdrawn after severe teratogenic effects had been discovered. More recently it has been claimed to alleviate a wide range of inflammatory disorders and malignancies. Studies showed that thalidomide might play a role in the management of some oral premalignant conditions and its potential to be an adjunct in the prevention of oral cancer.AimThe aim of this study is to summarize the characteristics and feasibility of thalidomide in the development and prevention of oral precancerosis, and to draw attentions of researchers to its therapeutic potential in oral cancer.MethodsDatabases were searched on the basis of PubMed and EMbase. Thalidomide associated with the oral lichen planus, chronic discoid lupus erythematosus (CDLE) and oral cancer were assessed.ResultsWe have summed up the structure and pharmacokinetics of thalidomide, possible role of thalidomide in cancer prevention, as well as the recent data concerning its effects in prevention of oral premalignant conditions and potential for the treatment of oral cancer.ConclusionsTherapeutic effects of thalidomide in oral lichen planus and CDLE have been discussed by clinical trials. And increasing evidences from in vitro and in vivo experiments show that thalidomide is a promising anticancerous agent for oral cancer, which should be paid attention to. It is necessary to perform more studies and clinical trials of large sample size to clarify underlying mechanisms and demonstrate the potential roles of thalidomide in clinical routine management of oral diseases.
OP12 Childhood Infectious Disease and Risk of Premature Death from Cancer: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Tennant PWG , Parker L , Thomas JE , Craft AW , Pearce MS 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundThe hygiene-hypothesis proposes that early-life infectious diseases may protect against a number of adverse health conditions later in life, most notably the development of cancer. Existing investigations of this association, however, have provided equivocal results, possibly due to inadequate adjustment for confounding or the use of retrospective exposure information. This study utilised longitudinal data from the Newcastle Thousand Families Study, a prospective cohort of 1147 individuals born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (UK) in 1947, to assess the impact of various childhood infectious diseases on death from cancer between ages 15 and 60 years.MethodsDetailed information was collected prospectively at birth and during childhood on a number of early life factors. Episodes of illness during the first 15 years were obtained routinely by health visitors, who regularly visited the participants’ homes, or directly from the family doctor or hospital. All study members were ‘flagged’ by the UK National Health Service Central Register when they died or emigrated. Deaths from cancer between ages 15 to 60 years were analysed in relation to childhood infections, adjusting for potential early-life confounders, using Cox proportional-hazards regression.ResultsOf the 1060 study members known to be alive at age 15 years, 88 died before aged 60 years, including 37 from cancer – the leading cause of death. Childhood history of measles and childhood history of influenza, were both independently associated with a lower risk of death from cancer during ages 15 to 60 years (influenza: adjusted hazard ratio, aHR=0.39, 95% CI: 0.17–0.88, p=0.03; measles: aHR=0.49, 95% CI: 0.24–0.98, p=0.04). In contrast, childhood history of whooping cough was associated with a higher risk of death from cancer during ages 15 to 60 years (adjusted HR, aHR=4.88, 95% CI: 2.29–10.39, p<0.0001). The association between whooping cough and cancer-related mortality was borderline significantly different between men and women (p=0.05), with a stronger association among women than men (women: aHR=12.20, 95% CI: 3.01–49.42, p=0.0005; men: aHR=2.10, 95% CI: 0.80–5.50, p=0.13).ConclusionIn a pre-vaccination cohort from the North of England, childhood infection with measles and influenza were associated with a reduced risk of death from cancer in adulthood, while childhood whooping cough was associated with an increased risk. These results suggest that there may be some disease-specific associations between childhood infectious diseases and death from adult cancer, however further studies are required to confirm the specific associations identified.
OP28 Diet Quality and Blood Pressure in Middle-Aged Men and Women
Authors: Harrington J , Fitzgerald AP , Kearney PM , McCarthy VJC , Browne G , Perry IJ 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundFindings from both observational and experimental studies (including the DASH Trial -Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) are consistent with a significant, causal role for dietary salt intake in the distribution of blood pressure (BP) in populations. The DASH diet quality score, based on the intervention arm in the DASH-trial, has emerged as a potentially useful measure of diet quality in adult populations. We have studied associations between DASH score and blood pressure, both clinic and 24 hour ambulatory measurements (ABPM) in middle-aged men and women.MethodsWe used cross-sectional data from two studies of men and women aged 50 to 69 years, recruited in 1998 (n=1018) and 2010 (n=2047). Participants completed a physical examination including three standardised clinical BP recordings and a general health and lifestyle questionnaire. A sub-sample (n=1189) in 2010 had 24hr ambulatory BP measurements (ABPM). Diet quality was assessed using a DASH score constructed from a standardised Willett FFQ. DASH scores were categorised into quintiles, with lower quintiles indicating less healthy diets. Hypertension was defined as clinic BP>140/90mmHg (mean of readings 2 and 3) and 24-hour ABPM >130/70mmHg.ResultsClear inverse trends were seen between DASH scores and systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) BP in clinic and ABPM recordings. The associations between DASH score and clinic BP were similar in the 1998 and 2010 datasets. In the 2010 data, clinic SBP increased by 7.5 mmHg in men and 5.1 mmHg in women between the highest and lowest DASH quintiles and 24-hour ABPM systolic BP increased by 6.3mmHg and 5.4mmHg in men and women respectively between the highest and lowest DASH quintiles. In fully adjusted analyses, the odds ratios (OR) for clinic hypertension and ABPM hypertension in participants with DASH score in the first relative to the fifth DASH score quintile were as follows: clinic hypertension: OR 1.60 (95% CI 0.9–2.8), ABPM hypertension: OR 4.2; 95 % CI [1.1–15.9]). Stratifying by gender, these trends persisted for men however they were attenuated for women.ConclusionThis study provides evidence of criterion validity for the use of DASH score as a measure of diet quality, especially in the diet-hypertension relationship in men. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that dietary patterns exert effects beyond the sum of the component parts. Public policy promoting a DASH-style healthy diet could have a significant impact on population health by reducing average blood pressure in the population.
OP29 Ethnic and Socioeconomic Influences on Childhood Blood Pressure: The Child Heart and Health Study in England (Chase)
Authors: Thomas C , Nightingale CM , Donin A , Rudnicka AR , Owen CG , Cook D , Whincup PH 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundCompared to UK white European adults, UK black African-Caribbean adults have higher mean systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure; UK South Asian adults have higher mean DBP but lower SBP. However, information on blood pressure in UK children from different ethnic groups is limited. The aim of this study was to compare blood pressure levels in UK children of black African-Caribbean, South Asian and white European origin.MethodsA cross sectional study of 5,666 UK primary school children of South Asian, black African Caribbean, and white European origin aged 9 to 10 years was undertaken. Ethnic and socioeconomic differences in SDP and DBP (as means and differences with their 95% confidence intervals) were obtained from multilevel linear regression models fitting school as a random effect in order to take account of the natural clustering of children within school. All analyses were adjusted for sex, age, month of assessment, blood pressure observer, room temperature and time of day of measurement fitted as fixed effects. The effects of adjustment for height, adiposity (fat mass index, sum of skinfolds) fitted as continuous variables, and socioeconomic circumstances on ethnic differences in blood pressure were then explored.ResultsAfter adjustment for height and adiposity, black African-Caribbean children had a lower mean SBP than white Europeans (mean difference 1.62 mmHg, 95% CI 0.86, 2.38 mmHg), while mean DBP was similar (mean difference 0.58 mmHg, 95%CI –0.12, 1.28 mmHg). The mean SBP difference was particularly marked in black African children. In similar analyses, South Asian children had a lower mean SBP (mean difference 1.10 mmHg, 95%CI 0.34, 1.86 mmHg) than white Europeans and a higher mean DBP (mean difference 1.07 mmHg, 95%CI 0.37, 1.76 mmHg). The mean DBP difference was particularly marked among Indian and Bangladeshi, rather than Pakistani, children. Blood pressure was largely unrelated to socioeconomic circumstances; the ethnic differences in blood pressure were not affected by socioeconomic adjustment.ConclusionA blood pressure pattern similar to that in adults is present in UK South Asian but not in UK black African-Caribbean children at 9–10 years. This suggests that key determinants of ethnic differences in blood pressure operate at different stages of the life course in these different ethnic groups. Understanding the reasons for the early emergence of ethnic differences in blood pressure (particularly among South Asians) is an important research priority.
OP30 Are the Associations Between Adiposity, Insulin Resistance and Circulating Glucose Concentrations in Childhood Influenced by Ethnicity? Evidence from the Child Heart and Health Study in England (CHASE)
Authors: Nightingale CM , Rudnicka AR , Owen CG , Sattar N , Cook DG , Whincup PH 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundEthnic differences in type 2 diabetes risk between South Asians and white Europeans originate before adult life. Although South Asian adults have greater metabolic sensitivity to adiposity this has been little studied in childhood. We have therefore examined the associations between adiposity, insulin and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in children of South Asian and white European origin. Data on children of black African-Caribbean origin are also reported.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional school-based study of 4633 nine and ten year-old children (response rate 68%) predominantly of South Asian, black African-Caribbean and white European origin. Participants had detailed assessments of adiposity (including body mass index, skinfold thicknesses and fat mass index from bioimpedance) and provided fasting blood samples for assessment of HbA1c and insulin resistance (Homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance; HOMA-IR). Associations between HOMA-IR (log transformed), HbA1c and adiposity markers were estimated using multilevel linear regression.ResultsAll adiposity measures were positively associated with insulin resistance in all ethnic groups. However there were clear ethnic differences in the strength of association (p ethnic difference <0.001). The percentage increase in HOMA-IR for a one SD increase in fat mass index was 36.3% (95% CI 32.1%, 40.5%) for South Asians and 25.1% (95% CI 21.1%, 29.3%) for white Europeans; black African-Caribbeans were similar to white Europeans (26.4%, 95% CI 22.5%, 30.4%). All adiposity markers were positively associated with HbA1c in both South Asians and black African-Caribbeans: the percentage increase in HbA1c for a one SD increase in fat mass index in was 0.04% (95% CI 0.02%, 0.06%) in both ethnic groups. However there was no association among white Europeans (0.01%, 95% CI 0.00%, 0.03%).ConclusionEven in childhood, both insulin resistance and HbA1c levels appear more sensitive to adiposity in South Asians. Among children of black African-Caribbean origin, HbA1c levels but not insulin resistance appear more sensitive to adiposity. The reasons for these differences in sensitivity to adiposity need to be understood. The results imply that early prevention of childhood obesity among South Asians and black African-Caribbeans is a particular priority for future control of type 2 diabetes in these high risk ethnic groups.
OP31 Ethnic Differences in the Development of Disability Over 20 Years: Results from the Sabre Study
Authors: Williams ED , Tillin T , Chaturvedi N 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundAs life expectancy increases, healthy ageing becomes more salient, and therefore it is important to understand how conditions such as disability may affect the later years of our extended lives. Ethnic differences in disability have been observed in some countries, however there is a lack of evidence from British ethnic groups.MethodsFollow-up data over 20 years from 1789 White, Indian Asian and African Caribbean men and women were examined from a community-based study in West London. Disability was measured using the performance-based test of locomotor function and self-reported functional limitation, instrumental and basic activities of daily living (IADL/ADL) questionnaires. Logistic regression analyses examined ethnic group differences in disability, adjusting for socioeconomic, behavioural, adiposity and chronic disease risk factors.ResultsAfter full adjustment, Indian Asian people were significantly more likely to have developed all of the disability outcomes, compared with UK Whites (locomotor dysfunction: OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.56–3.11; functional limitation: OR 2.77, 2.01–3.81; IADL impairment: OR 3.12, 2.20–4.41; ADL impairment: OR 1.56, 1.11–2.24). Health behaviours, central adiposity, and chronic disease burden explained only a proportion of this excess risk. There were no ethnic group differences in locomotor dysfunction, functional limitation and IADL impairment between African Caribbean and White participants, however African Caribbean people showed a reduced risk of ADL impairment (OR 0.59, 0.38–0.93), after multivariate adjustment.ConclusionThese findings demonstrate dramatic ethnic group differences in performance-based and self-reported disability between White, Indian Asian, and African Caribbean people in the UK. The excessive risk experienced by Indian Asian people was partly explained by health behaviours, adiposity, and chronic disease, however considerable inequalities remained. Other possible explanations for this vulnerability to disability among Indian Asian people will be discussed. Such inequalities are likely to have a detrimental impact on quality of life and morbidity in later years, and therefore, more research is urgently needed to understand these large ethnic inequalities in disability.
OP38 Accounting for Non-Uptake of Bowel Cancer Screening: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Palmer C , Thomas M , Raine R , Wagner C Von 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundSince being established in 2006, the English NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (NHS BCSP) offers the faecal occult blood (FOB) test to adults aged 60 – 74. This bowel cancer screening test is sent by post every two years to recipients who are required to provide six small samples of faeces from three bowel movements. The kit is returned by post to be tested for minute traces of blood that may be an early warning sign for the development of bowel cancer. Analysis shows that approximately 53% of people offered bowel cancer screening by FOB test take it up, and that uptake varies from 35% to 60% in the most and least deprived areas, respectively.MethodsWe used a qualitative approach to explore views and experiences about bowel cancer screening in people who did not take part in the screening programme when invited to do so. We conducted 16 focus groups in London and South Yorkshire to generate extensive textual data, and analysed our data thematically using grounded theory techniques to explore and examine accounts of non-uptake. Previous research examining ‘non-uptake’, of this and other medical interventions has identified considerable challenges in terms of identifying and recruiting individuals who may be defined in this way. We therefore used a novel recruitment approach, working with the National BCSP Hubs to identify and recruit ‘non-uptakers’ of bowel cancer screening. We present the findings from our thematic analysis of 16 focus groups undertaken with people who did not participate in bowel cancer screening and explore the complexity of ‘non-uptakers’’ accounts.Results & ConclusionDuring preliminary analyses, we identified common accounts through which participants rationalised non-uptake and which present one or several barriers to undertaking bowel cancer screening. Participants rationalised their non-uptake of screening in a number of ways, for example by making reference to perceptions of low personal risk informed by ‘feeling well’ or having had no family history of bowel cancer. Others expressed sophisticated doubts about the benefits or value of the FOB test specifically, or in relation to diagnostic or treatment interventions for cancer more generally. Finally, the necessity to provide samples of faeces to complete the FOB test emerged repeatedly as a troubling aspect of the bowel cancer screening methodology offered by the English NHS BCSP.
OP39 Protection by BCG Against Tuberculosis: Systematic Review and Meta-Regression Analysis
Authors: Mangtani P , Ariti C , Rodrigues L , Abubakar I , Pimpin L , Fine P , Smith P , Sterne J 
Published: September 2012

SettingReasons for variation in BCG protection against tuberculosis are not well understood. We therefore estimated the protection provided by BCG vaccination against tuberculosis and examined reasons for variation in different settings.MethodsWe systematically searched English and non-English articles in 10 databases from inception to May 2009 as well as sources such as Google Scholar and trial registers to October 2009. Search terms included tuberculosis, tubercle bacill*,M. tuberculosis,M. bovis,M. africanum,M. canetti,M. microtiandM. tuberculosis. Terms for the intervention included BCG Vaccine, BCG, BCG Vacc*, BCG Imm*, bacillus calmette.Two reviewers independently screened studies for inclusion. Data (including results and domains of study quality) were extracted by one reviewer and checked by another. Pooled analyses were based on random and fixed effects meta-analysis. Heterogeneity was quantified using tau-squared (t2) statistics. Random-effects meta-regression was used to investigate associations of study characteristics with intervention effect estimates.ResultsOf 21,030 references we identified 21 trials reporting tuberculosis outcomes. Protection against tuberculosis disease was variable (t2=0.292). BCG efficacy was high at higher latitude or when BCG was given only to infants (62%, 95% CI 48–72%) or to children after strict screening for tuberculin sensitivity (72% 95% CI 60–81%) Protection against meningeal and miliary tuberculosis combined was higher in infants (90%) and children with stringent testing respectively (92%). The observed protective effect of BCG did not differ by the strain of BCG vaccine used. Stringency of tuberculin testing to exclude those infected or sensitised to mycobacteria explained a good proportion of the observed variation with latitude (t2=0.292 in the null model, 0.100 in the bivariate model). In a multivariable meta-regression analysis there was strong evidence that infant vaccination or stringent prior tuberculin testing before BCG in childhood was associated with increased efficacy (p=0.02) after taking into account latitude and a measure of study quality-diagnostic detection bias.ConclusionBCG protection against tuberculosis varies between settings to an extent which cannot be attributed to chance alone. More efficacious results were seen in studies of individuals screened using stringent criteria (to exclude those already sensitized to mycobacteria), and those at a greater latitude from the equator.