bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Lymphangiogenesis in chronic inflammation in the testis
Authors: Hirai Shuichi , Naito Munekazu , Terayama Hayato , Qu Ning , Kuerban Maimaiti , Musha Muhetaerjiang , Itoh Masahiro 
Published: September 2012

SummaryLymphangiogenesis occurs in various organs under inflammatory conditions. Recently, it was demonstrated that activated macrophages play an important role in the process of lymphangiogenesis. However, lymphangiogenesis during testicular inflammation has not yet been studied. Here, we investigated lymphangiogenesis in experimental autoimmune orchitis, a immunologic male infertility model, in mice. Histological changes were observed using immunohistochemical staining with the monoclonal antibodies against F4/80 (mature macrophage marker), lymph vessel endothelium HA‐receptor 1 (LYVE‐1) (lymphatic endothelial cells marker) and CD31 (endothelial cells marker). The expression of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)‐A, VEGF‐C, VEGF‐D and TNF‐α, which are secreted by activated macrophages, were examined using real‐time RT‐PCR. The results showed that lymphangiogenesis occurred along the undersurface of the tunica albuginea but not into the interstitium proper between the seminiferous tubules (STs) during the orchitis. It was noted that some F4/80‐positive macrophages expressed LYVE‐1 at the undersurface of the tunica albuginea and also in the testicular interstitium proper. RT‐PCR analysis revealed that the expressions of VEGF‐A, VEGF‐D and TNF‐α were significantly increased but that of VEGF‐C remained unchanged in the inflammatory testes. This study suggests that testicular macrophages are involved in the specific lymphangiogenesis in the chronic inflammation.
Phosphorus Fertilization and Fungal Inoculations Affected the Physiology, Phosphorus Uptake and Growth of Spring Wheat Under Rainfed Conditions on the Canadian Prairies
Authors: Zhang B. B. , Liu W. Z. , Chang S. X. , Anyia A. O. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractSome fungal species have been shown to improve plant growth under drought conditions and to increase plant phosphorus (P) uptake from the soil. How moisture limitation, P availability and fungal inoculation interact to affect plant physiology and growth is, however, poorly understood. Here, we studied the combined effects of fungal (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) or Penicillium spp.) inoculations and phosphorus (P) fertilization (0, 45 and 90 kg ha−1) on the net rate of photosynthesis, water‐use efficiency, P uptake and growth of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum var. Superb) under field conditions at two locations (Castor and Vegreville) in Alberta, Canada. Both fungal inoculation and P application increased the rate of photosynthesis. Under the same P level, AMF inoculation had a greater positive effect on the rate of photosynthesis than Penicillium inoculation. The AMF inoculation increased the instantaneous water‐use efficiency (WUEi) of plants at Castor, but not at Vegreville. Leaf carbon isotope discrimination (CID, Δ13C) increased with the rate of P application but was not affected by fungal inoculations. Phosphorus concentrations of stem and seed increased with both fungal inoculation and P application irrespective of location, with AMF inoculation showing the largest effects. The interaction between P addition and fungal inoculation was significant for stem P concentration in Vegreville. Both fungal inoculation and P application increased the leaf area index (LAI), biomass production and grain yield at both locations. Under the same P level, AMF inoculation had a greater positive effect on LAI, biomass production and grain yields than Penicillium inoculation. Morphological characters such as spike length and kernels/spike were also improved by fungal inoculation and P application at both locations. We conclude that the studied sites were deficient in P availability, and both fungal inoculation and P application improved P uptake and crop productivity, while the effect of fungal inoculation on water‐use efficiency was site specific.
OP03 Spatial Segregation and Socioeconomic Inequalities in Health in Brazilian Cities: Combining Spatial and Social Epidemiology
Authors: Chandola T 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundSpatial and socioeconomic inequalities in health are well-documented across the world, with poorer people, areas and regions experiencing poorer health and higher mortality risks than richer people, areas and regions. Furthermore, greater income inequality has also been linked to higher mortality rates. However, there has been less work on the spatial dimension of such socioeconomic inequalities in relation to inequalities in health. The UN-Habitat 2010–11 report on the state of the world’s cities identified the spatial isolation of poor people in cities (the “spatial poverty trap”) as one of the major challenges in developing countries. As people and cities in the developing world get richer, the worry is that the spatial socioeconomic segregation of poor people increases, which in turn may increase their risks of mortality and poor health.MethodsData from 15 major Brazilian cities were analysed, with spatial measures of socioeconomic segregation (“isolation of the poor”) estimated for Brazilian districts within cities. The association of the spatial isolation of the poor with district level mortality rates was examined using multiple membership multilevel Poisson regression models to take account of the multilevel (districts within cities) and spatial nature of the data.ResultsIncreasing spatial isolation of the poor tends to be associated with higher mortality rates, with an interaction between income and spatial isolation. There is not much difference in mortality rates among the poorest districts in terms of spatial isolation. However in the richest districts, districts where the poor are spatially isolated have the highest mortality rates, whereas districts where the poor are not isolated have the lowest mortality rates.ConclusionAs cities in the developing world get richer, there is a risk that this leads to increasing spatial socioeconomic segregation of the poor within those cities. The results from this study suggests that the spatial dimension of poverty within cities may be just as important to health as poverty levels.
OP05 From Trial to Population: Effect of a Weight Management Intervention on body Mass Index When Scaled Up
Authors: Fagg J , Cole T , Cummins S , Goldstein H , Roberts H , Law C 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundThe evidence base for effective interventions to manage childhood overweight and obesity is growing. However, results from research may not generalise to service delivery settings, and scaled-up interventions may not reduce health inequalities. We examine a scaled–up childhood weight management intervention, examining variations in body mass index by person, family, place and programme.MethodsMEND 7–13 (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do It!) is a multi-component family-based community weight management intervention shown to be effective in a randomised controlled trial (RCT). We used MEND service data from 10,080 children attending MEND programmes from 2007–10. Outcomes were: Change in Body Mass Index (BMI) change over the programme (10 weeks). Anthropometry is measured by trained staff following standardised procedures. We estimated associations between BMI change and participant, family, neighbourhood and programme factors – including pre-specified interactions and random slopes. Multilevel multivariate regression models were used with multiple imputation for missing values. We described participants by BMI at programme start (pre-BMI), age, sex and ethnicity; families by parent-reported employment, lone parent and housing tenure status; places by residential neighbourhood income deprivation, urbanicity, food and built environments; and programmes by the percentage of sessions attended and variables describing programme composition (e.g. group size).ResultsBMI was reduced by similar amounts in the RCT and service delivery (RCT BMI change = –0.91 [95%CI: –1.13 to –0.68]), service BMI change = –0.75 [–0.78 to –0.73]. Service BMI reductions were clinically significant in all socio-demographic groups analysed. However, in multilevel models, pre-BMI, age, ethnicity, unemployment status and programme attendance were independently associated with BMI change. For example, in comparison to white children, reductions in BMI were statistically significantly smaller for black and minority ethnic group children (Asian b=0.29, p<0.001, Black b=0.20, p<0.001, (positive coefficients indicate smaller BMI reduction)). Similarly, BMI fell less in children whose parents were unemployed (b=0.14, p<0.001, baseline employed parent). There were no significant differences by sex or neighbourhood factors. Tests of interactions and random slopes were non-significant.ConclusionClinically significant BMI changes, similar to those achieved under research conditions, may be replicable in service delivery settings for children of all socio-demographic groups analysed. However, at the population level, scaled up programmes may work better for some groups than others. Public health implications of these results for health inequalities will be discussed.
OP06 Well London: Results of a Cluster-Randomised Trial of a Community Development Approach to Improving Health Behaviours and Mental Wellbeing in Deprived Inner-City Neighbourhoods
Authors: Phillips G , Hayes R , Bottomley C , Petticrew M , Watts P , Lock K , Clow A , Draper A , Moore D , Schmidt E , Tobi P , Lais S , Yu G , Barrow-Guevara G , Renton A 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundFew public health interventions combining modification of the social and built environment with individual-level health promotion have been robustly evaluated in the UK. Well London is an assets-based community development programme designed to improve physical activity, healthy eating and mental wellbeing in highly deprived inner-city communities. The programme, delivered between 2007 and 2011, comprised a mix of projects delivering traditional health promotion, community development and changes to the physical neighbourhood environment. The objectives of the study are to: (i) determine the effectiveness ofWell Londonfor improving healthy eating, physical activity and mental wellbeing in deprived inner-city communities; (ii) examine the effects in population subgroups linked to health inequalities in the UK.MethodsWe used a pair-matched, cluster-randomised trial with 20 control neighbourhoods matched within London boroughs to 20 programme delivery neighbourhoods. The trial outcomes in adult residents (aged ≥16 years) were collected using a structured electronic household survey, administered by fieldworkers to 100 randomly sampled residents in each intervention and control neighbourhood. The main outcome measures were: physical activity: meeting UK Chief Medical Officer-recommended five sessions of 30 minutes moderate intensity activity per week (self-report International Physical Activity Questionnaire); healthy eating: eating at least five portions of fruit/vegetables per day (food frequency questionnaire from the Health Survey for England); and mental wellbeing: abnormal score on 12-item General Health Questionnaire; Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale score.ResultsThe baseline survey in 2008 showed that the intervention and control populations are comparable on socio-demographic/economic characteristics and primary trial outcomes. At baseline, 37% of adults met the five-a-day (healthy eating), 60% met the five-a-week (physical activity), and 18% reported experiencing anxiety or depression. Results from the follow-up survey will be available in April 2012. We will present the effects of Well London on the primary outcomes and subgroup analyses by gender, age, ethnicity and level of education.ConclusionIn a health system where less than 1% of the research budget is spent on primary preventive interventions for non-communicable diseases, robust evidence about the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of upstream interventions is essential for action on health inequalities and reductions in healthcare spending recommended by the Marmot Review (2010) and the Wanless report (2004).
OP07 What Shapes Participation in a Community-Based Intervention? Evidence from a Qualitative Evaluation of the Well London Project
Authors: Jain S , Draper A , Clow A , Lynch R , Derges J 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundThis paper examines how individual and area-level contextual factors shape participation in a community-based development and health promotion intervention.Well Londonwas a 3-year community development and health promotion programme for improving health behaviours (physical activity and healthy eating) and mental health and wellbeing in areas of high deprivation. The programme aimed to improve individual level health outcomes through a combination of neighbourhood and individual level interventions. Community engagement/participation was a central strategy of these interventions.MethodsA quantitative cluster randomised trial (CRT) was used to evaluateWell Londonin 20 neighbourhoods defined as Census Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs). A qualitative study was nested within the trial to examine mechanisms and complexity. This study employed critical case sampling to select three intervention LSOAs that reflected a range of pre-existing community engagement and activities. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 59 respondents purposively sampled from each of 3 distinct areas. Each area reflected differences in implementation, nature of community life, and pre-existing community activities. Interviews addressed three topics: experiences of area, individual health & well-being, and knowledge of and involvement inWell London. Transcripts were coded and thematic analysis undertaken using NVIVO software.ResultsAnalysis found that area level and individual-level characteristics interacted to shape specific models of individual participation in each area. In an area with a ‘dispersed’ community, limited pre-existing activities and implementation through formal institutions, participation was attributed by respondents to self-motivation and responses to deprivation. In contrast, in the 2nd area,Well Londonimplementation centred on an individual community organizer operating in a geographically close-knit area. Strong community interest and participation was shaped by the ability of this individual to inspire a sense of change. Finally, in an area with a ‘saturation’ of pre-existing activities, participation inWell Londonwas part of a socially accepted pattern of community involvement. For new people to the area, involvement was viewed as aiding integration while for long-standing residents this was seen as a strategy to contribute to community life.ConclusionRecent reviews on community participation present evidence of a causal link between participation and positive health outcomes. However, the mechanisms underlying this are not clear. The reasons people participate inWell Londonare shaped by interactions between individual and area-level factors. This suggests that understanding the link between community participation and health outcomes requires a contextualized analysis of why people participate and the meanings they associate with this.
OP08 Evaluating the Health Inequalities Impact of the New Deal for Communities Initiative
Authors: Popay J , Whitehead M , Badland H , Stafford M , Nazroo J , Dibbens C , Halliday E , Povall S 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundNew Deal for Communities (NDC), a 10-year area-based regeneration initiative begun in 1999 in 39 disadvantaged neighbourhoods in England, has the potential to reduce health inequalities because it focuses on key social determinants of these inequalities: unemployment, crime, education, housing and the physical environment. This study assesses whether the NDC initiative impacted on health inequalities across the socioeconomic spectrum of areas in England.MethodsThe study primarily utilises secondary data including household surveys undertaken as part of a national evaluation of the NDC initiative led by Sheffield University. Representative samples of 500 residents per NDC area and matched comparator area in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008 provide data on health, lifestyles, wellbeing, demography and social determinants of health. The Health Survey for England in the same years provides information for representative samples drawn from across the socioeconomic spectrum, here categorised as highest, middle and lowest tertile of area deprivation. Logistic regression was used to estimate baseline differences in health and its social determinants, the time trend and differential time trends in NDC and non-intervention areas adjusted for sex, age, ethnicity and baseline education based on over 125,000 observations across eight years. Outcomes of interest included self-rated health, mental health inventory, smoking, employment status and housing tenure.ResultsInitial analyses indicated a higher likelihood of smoking in non-intervention areas of medium deprivation (OR; 95%CI: 1.33; 1.10, 1.60), non-intervention areas of high deprivation (1.80; 1.48, 2.19), matched comparator areas (1.77; 1.46, 2.15) and NDC areas (1.97; 1.68, 2.31) compared with reference areas of low deprivation. Smoking declined over time but there was no evidence of differential rates of decline in the different areas. The likelihood of unemployment was considerably higher in all areas compared with the reference (for example, 4.29; 3.55, 5.18 in NDC areas). The likelihood of unemployment dropped over time in NDC areas but not in other areas (OR for time by NDC interaction: 0.93; 0.89, 0.96). Results for other outcomes are also available.ConclusionThe study indicates that the NDC intervention may have contributed to reducing a key social determinant of health inequalities, namely unemployment. Similar reductions were not observed in non-intervention high, medium or low deprivation areas in England which may eventually feed through into a narrowing of health inequalities between NCD and other areas. This initial work will be extended to examine impact across different intervention approaches and historical and current contexts.
OP09 Life-Course Body Mass Index, Birthweight And Lipid Levels in Mid-Adulthood: A Nationwide Birth Cohort Study
Authors: Pereira SM Pinto , Power C 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major public health problem. Clinical trials have shown that lowering total- and/or low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol reduces the risk of CVD. Therefore, to reduce the burden of CVD, improvement in lipid profiles is an important goal. To achieve this, a better understanding is needed of biological pathways leading to lipid levels. Lipid levels track from childhood to adulthood, implying that influences on adult cholesterol levels begin at young ages. There is scant evidence on the role of growth, including trajectories of body mass index (BMI) across the life-course with respect to lipids. We aimed to determine whether there are phases of the life-course that are particularly important for adult lipid levels.MethodsIn the 1958 British Birth Cohort weight and height were recorded at birth (weight only), 7y, 11y, 16y, 23y, 33y and 45y. In 3,927 men and 3,897 women we assessed whether (i) birthweight was associated with 45y lipids and whether associations were due to catch-up growth to 7y; (ii) there were particular periods when BMI, or change in BMI, influenced subsequent lipid levels; (iii) associations between current BMI and lipid levels were modified by BMI at younger ages; and (iv) duration of obesity was associated with lipid levels. Analyses were sex specific, adjusted for covariates and used multiple imputation to account for missing data.ResultsBirthweight was inversely associated with triglycerides and in women with total- and LDL-cholesterol; associations persisted after adjustment for 7y BMI. Associations with lipids strengthened with age of BMI measurement, e.g. per standard deviation (SD) higher BMI at 11y and 45y triglycerides were higher by 4.01% (95% confidence interval: 2.26%, 5.75%) and 19.75% (18.18%, 21.32%) respectively in women. BMI change was related to lipids, with strongest associations for the interval preceding lipid measurement: per SD increase in BMI 33–45y total-cholesterol and triglycerides were higher by ∼3% and ∼21% respectively. Associations between 45y BMI and lipids were stronger for those with lower than higher BMI at younger ages (P for interactions: <0.01 to ≤0.05). This effect-modification was seen from childhood (7y in women; 11y in men). Obesity in childhood but not thereafter and longer duration of obesity were unrelated to adult lipid levels.ConclusionOur study suggests that life-course trajectories of body size influence adult lipid levels, with the consequences of a high adult BMI for adult lipid levels being particularly adverse for those with lower BMI at earlier life-stages.
OP11 The Association of Childhood Adiposity, and its Distribution, with Cardiometabolic Outcomes: Results from 13 European Cohorts
Authors: Patel S , Lawlor DA 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundAdiposity in childhood has been associated with increased cardiovascular risk which may be established in childhood and adolescence. Also centrally distributed fat (waist circumference) has been suggested to be a better marker of cardiometabolic risk compared to body mass index (BMI). We aimed to assess the association of adiposity measures with cardiometabolic outcomes in children and consider if the magnitude of these associations differ by adiposity measurement.MethodsEuropean cohorts with data available on BMI and waist circumference and cardiometabolic outcomes (at least blood pressure) were invited to participate in the collaborative project. Cross-sectional associations between adiposity measures (age- and gender-standardised z scores) and cardiometabolic outcomes and prospective associations (cardiometabolic outcomes measured at least 12 months after adiposity measurement) were examined. Results from individual cohorts were pooled using a random-effect meta-analysis and heterogeneity between them explored.ResultsA total of 13 cohorts (n=3644–17186 for different outcomes) were included in the cross-sectional analysis. BMI and waist circumference were both positively associated with diastolic and systolic blood pressure (DBP, SBP) and with total cholesterol, LDLc, triglycerides, insulin and CRP, with the magnitudes of association with each outcome being similar for BMI and waist. For example, the mean difference in DBP per standard deviation (SD) increase in BMI was 0.90 mmHg (95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.55, 1.24) and per SD waist was 0.73 mmHg (95%CI 0.33, 1.12); similar results for SBP were 1.73 mmHg (95%CI 1.28, 2.18) and 1.33 mmHg (95%CI 0.83, 1.81). In prospective analysis (6 cohorts, n=3708–7073 for different outcomes) BMI and waist circumference were positively associated with SBP and total cholesterol and inversely with HDLc associations were similar for the two adiposity measurements or were stronger for BMI. For example a 1SD greater BMI was associated with 1.36 mmHg higher SBP (95%CI 0.67, 2.05) compared with 0.96 mmHg (95% CI 0.35, 1.57) for waist. Direct measurements of fat mass, such as DXA or bioelectrical impedance, did not exhibit stronger associations with risk factors than did BMI. Age at adiposity measurement did not consistently influence the heterogeneity of association between studies.ConclusionAdiposity in childhood and adolescence is associated with adverse cardiometabolic outcomes. This suggests that interventions should be considered earlier before adverse effects become established. The magnitude of the association is similar between BMI, waist circumference and direct measures of adipostiy. Therefore BMI alone could be considered an adequate measure in public health and health surveillance systems.