Measuring disadvantage in the early years in the UK: A systematic scoping review

Background: The relationship between disadvantage and child health in the early years is well established. For this evidence base to most helpfully inform services, we need to better understand how disadvantage is conceptualised and measured in the literature. We aimed to conceptualise disadvantage measured in child health literature and explore the associations between disadvantage and child health using these measures. Method: We conducted a scoping review using systematic methods to identify key concepts of disadvantage used in empirical child health literature. We searched MEDLINE, Scopus, and grey literature for studies exploring the association between disadvantage and child health outcomes for children aged 0-5 in the United Kingdom. We extracted and analysed data from 86 studies. Results: We developed a framework describing two domains, each with two attributes conceptualising disadvantage: level of disadvantage indicator (individual and area) and content of disadvantage indicator (social and economic). Individual-level measures of disadvantage tended to identify stronger associations between disadvantage and child health compared with area-level measures. Conclusion: The choice of disadvantage indicators, particularly whether individual- or area-level, can affect the inferences made about the relationship between disadvantage and child health. Better access to individual-level disadvantage indicators in administrative data could support development and implementation of interventions aimed at reducing child health inequalities in the early years

Not all risks are equal: The risk taking inventory for high-risk sports

Although high-risk sport participants are typically considered a homogenous risk-taking population, attitudes to risk within the high-risk domain can vary considerably. As no validated measure allows researchers to assess risk taking within this domain, we validated the Risk Taking Inventory (RTI) for high-risk sport across four studies. The RTI comprises seven items across two factors: deliberate risk taking and precautionary behaviors. In Study 1 (n = 341), the inventory was refined and tested via a confirmatory factor analysis used in an exploratory fashion. The subsequent three studies confirmed the RTI's good model-data fit via three further separate confirmatory factor analyses. In Study 2 (n = 518) and in Study 3 (n = 290), concurrent validity was also confirmed via associations with other related traits (sensation seeking, behavioral activation, behavioral inhibition, impulsivity, self-esteem, extraversion, and conscientiousness). In Study 4 (n = 365), predictive validity was confirmed via associations with mean accidents and mean close calls in the high-risk domain. Finally, in Study 4, the self-report version of the inventory was significantly associated with an informant version of the inventory. The measure will allow researchers and practitioners to investigate risk taking as a variable that is conceptually distinct from participation in a high-risk spor

Modulation of neutrophil function by the tripeptide feG

BACKGROUND: Neutrophils are critical in the defense against potentially harmful microorganisms, but their excessive and inappropriate activation can contribute significantly to tissue damage and a worsening pathology. Through the release of endocrine factors submandibular glands contribute to achieving a balance in neutrophil function by modulating the state of activation and migratory potential of circulating neutrophils. A putative hormonal candidate for these effects on neutrophils was identified as a heptapeptide named submandibular gland peptide T (SGP-T; sequence = TDIFEGG). Since the tripeptide FEG, derived from SGP-T, and its D-amino acid analogue feG had similar inhibitory effects on inflammatory reactions, we investigated the effects of feG on human and rat neutrophil function. RESULTS: With human neutrophils feG had no discernible effect on oxidative burst or phagocytosis, but in picomolar amounts it reduced PAF-induced neutrophil movement and adhesion, and the binding of CD11b by 34% and that of CD16b close to control values. In the rat feG (10(-11)M) reduced the binding of CD11b and CD16 antibodies to PAF-stimulated circulating neutrophils by 35% and 43%, respectively, and at 100 micrograms/kilograms intraperitoneally feG reduced neutrophil in vivo migration by 40%. With ovalbumin-sensitized rats that were challenged with antigen, feG inhibited binding of antibodies against CD16b but not CD11b, on peritoneal leukocytes. CONCLUSIONS: The inhibitory effect of feG on neutrophil movement may be mediated by alterations in the co-stimulatory molecules CD11b and CD16

Sensitive and specific discrimination of pathogenic and nonpathogenic Escherichia coli using Raman spectroscopy - a comparison of two multivariate analysis techniques

The determination of bacterial identity at the strain level is still a complex and time-consuming endeavor. In this study, visible wavelength spontaneous Raman spectroscopy has been used for the discrimination of four closely related Escherichia coli strains: pathogenic enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 and non-pathogenic E. coli C, E. coli Hfr K-12, and E. coli HF4714. Raman spectra from 600 to 2000 cm-1 were analyzed with two multivariate chemometric techniques, principal component-discriminant function analysis and partial least squares-discriminant analysis, to determine optimal parameters for the discrimination of pathogenic E. coli from the non-pathogenic strains. Spectral preprocessing techniques such as smoothing with windows of various sizes and differentiation were investigated. The sensitivity and specificity of both techniques was in excess of 95%, determined by external testing of the chemometric models. This study suggests that spontaneous Raman spectroscopy with visible wavelength excitation is potentially useful for the rapid identification and classification of clinically-relevant bacteria at the strain level

Domestic thermal upgrades, community action and energy saving: a three-year experimental study of prosperous households

A three-year field experiment was conducted with 185 prosperous households to assess whether behavioural interventions by a community environmental group during and after thermal upgrades (cavity wall and/or loft insulation) can achieve reductions in households’ energy use, including reductions in direct and indirect rebound. The engineering interventions on the thermal efficiency of dwellings appear effective in reducing energy use in both treatment and control groups: a direct rebound effect is estimated to be at most 40 per cent from the engineering interventions. However, across a range of measures of energy use, we observe no significant effect of the community behavioural intervention across the total lifetime of the project. Qualitative data collected on similar community groups suggests substantial constraints on their capacity to realise reductions in energy use amongst households

Review of UK microgeneration. Part 1 : policy and behavioural aspects

A critical review of the literature relating to government policy and behavioural aspects relevant to the uptake and application of microgeneration in the UK is presented. Given the current policy context aspiring to zero-carbon new homes by 2016 and a variety of minimum standards and financial policy instruments supporting microgeneration in existing dwellings, it appears that this class of technologies could make a significant contribution to UK energy supply and low-carbon buildings in the future. Indeed, achievement of a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 80% (the UK government's 2050 target) for the residential sector may entail substantial deployment of microgeneration. Realisation of the large potential market for microgeneration relies on a variety of inter-related factors such as microeconomics, behavioural aspects, the structure of supporting policy instruments and well-informed technology development. This article explores these issues in terms of current and proposed policy instruments in the UK. Behavioural aspects associated with both initial uptake of the technology and after purchase are also considered

Characterization of envelope function of transmitted viruses circulating in Mbeya, Tanzania, and its impact on disease progression

An understanding of the biological characteristics of transmitted viruses provides important insights into HIV pathogenesis and informs vaccine development. The aim of the study was to characterize env function of transmitted viruses and its role in disease progression

Membrane Traffic and Muscle: Lessons from Human Disease

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73369/1/j.1600-0854.2008.00716.x.pd