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Professor Gillian Bentley's Outputs (33)

Religious minority identity associates with stress and psychological health among Muslim and Hindu women in Bangladesh and London (2024)
Journal Article
Dornisch, S. J., Sievert, L. L., Sharmeen, T., Begum, K., Muttukrishna, S., Chowdhury, O., & Bentley, G. R. (2024). Religious minority identity associates with stress and psychological health among Muslim and Hindu women in Bangladesh and London. American Journal of Human Biology, https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.24057

This study examined the association of minority religious identification (Hindu or Muslim) with self-reported stress and psychological symptoms among sedentee and immigrant Bangladeshi women. Women, aged 35-59 (n = 531) were drawn from Sylhet, Bangla... Read More about Religious minority identity associates with stress and psychological health among Muslim and Hindu women in Bangladesh and London.

Sleep tight! Adolescent sleep quality across three distinct sleep ecologies (2023)
Journal Article
Silva-Caballero, A., Ball, H. L., Kramer, K. L., & Bentley, G. R. (2023). Sleep tight! Adolescent sleep quality across three distinct sleep ecologies. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, 11(1), 448-460. https://doi.org/10.1093/emph/eoad040

Background and objectives
Good sleep quality, associated with few arousals, no daytime sleepiness and self-satisfaction with one’s sleep, is pivotal for adolescent growth, maturation, cognition and overall health. This article aims to identify what... Read More about Sleep tight! Adolescent sleep quality across three distinct sleep ecologies.

Frequency of Phytoestrogen Consumption and Symptoms at Midlife among Bangladeshis in Bangladesh and London (2023)
Journal Article
Sievert, L. L., Sharmeen, T., Begum, K., Muttukrishna, S., Chowdhury, O., & Bentley, G. R. (2023). Frequency of Phytoestrogen Consumption and Symptoms at Midlife among Bangladeshis in Bangladesh and London. Nutrients, 15(17), Article 3676. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15173676

There is a longstanding interest in the relationship between diet and hot flash symptoms during midlife, especially in whether phytoestrogens ease menopausal symptoms. The purpose of this study was to examine hot flashes, night sweats, trouble sleepi... Read More about Frequency of Phytoestrogen Consumption and Symptoms at Midlife among Bangladeshis in Bangladesh and London.

Srd5a1 is differentially regulated and methylated during pre-pubertal development in the ovary and hypothalamus (2023)
Journal Article
Bar-Sadeh, B., Pnueli, L., Keestra, S., Bentley, G., & Melamed, P. (2023). Srd5a1 is differentially regulated and methylated during pre-pubertal development in the ovary and hypothalamus. Journal of the Endocrine Society, 7(10), Article bvad108. https://doi.org/10.1210/jendso/bvad108

5α-reductase-1 catalyzes production of various steroids, including neurosteroids. We reported previously that expression of its encoding gene, Srd5a1, drops in murine ovaries and hypothalamic pre-optic area (POA) after early-life immune stress, seemi... Read More about Srd5a1 is differentially regulated and methylated during pre-pubertal development in the ovary and hypothalamus.

Relationship of Estradiol and Progesterone with Partnership and Parity Among Bangladeshi and British Women of European Origin (2023)
Journal Article
Bentley, G. R., Núñez-de la Mora, A., Freed, M. C., Begum, K., Muttukrishna, S., Sharmeen, T., Murphy, L., Chatterton, R. T., Chowdhury, O., Gunu, R., & Leidy Sievert, L. (2023). Relationship of Estradiol and Progesterone with Partnership and Parity Among Bangladeshi and British Women of European Origin. Human Nature, 34(1), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-023-09442-6

Recent studies in social endocrinology have explored the effects of social relationships on female reproductive steroid hormones—estradiol and progesterone—investigating whether they are suppressed in partnered and parous women. Results have been mix... Read More about Relationship of Estradiol and Progesterone with Partnership and Parity Among Bangladeshi and British Women of European Origin.

Sleep deprivation among adolescents in urban and indigenous-rural Mexican communities (2023)
Journal Article
Silva-Caballero, A., Ball, H. L., Kramer, K. L., & Bentley, G. R. (2023). Sleep deprivation among adolescents in urban and indigenous-rural Mexican communities. Scientific Reports, 13(1), Article 1058. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-28330-8

Comparing the nature of adolescent sleep across urban and more isolated, rural settings through an ecological, cross-cultural perspective represents one way to inform sleep nuances and broaden our understanding of human development, wellbeing and evo... Read More about Sleep deprivation among adolescents in urban and indigenous-rural Mexican communities.

Squatting, Pelvic Morphology, and a Reconsideration of Childbirth Difficulties (2022)
Journal Article
Gorman, J., Roberts, C. A., Newsham, S., & Bentley, G. R. (2022). Squatting, Pelvic Morphology, and a Reconsideration of Childbirth Difficulties. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, 10(1), 243-255. https://doi.org/10.1093/emph/eoac017

Childbirth is commonly viewed as difficult in human females, encompassed by the “Obstetrical Dilemma” (OD) described by early palaeoanthropologists as an evolved trade-off between a narrow pelvis necessitated by bipedalism and a large-brained fetal h... Read More about Squatting, Pelvic Morphology, and a Reconsideration of Childbirth Difficulties.

Epigenetic regulation of 5α reductase-1 underlies adaptive plasticity of reproductive function and pubertal timing (2022)
Journal Article
Bar-Sadeh, B., Amichai, O. E., Pnueli, L., Begum, K., Leeman, G., Emes, R. D., Stöger, R., Bentley, G. R., & Melamed, P. (2022). Epigenetic regulation of 5α reductase-1 underlies adaptive plasticity of reproductive function and pubertal timing. BMC Biology, 20(1), Article 11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-021-01219-6

Women facing increased energetic demands in childhood commonly have altered adult ovarian activity and shorter reproductive lifespan, possibly comprising a strategy to optimize reproductive success. Here we sought to understand the mechanisms of earl... Read More about Epigenetic regulation of 5α reductase-1 underlies adaptive plasticity of reproductive function and pubertal timing.

Early Life, Life Course and Gender Influences on Levels of C-Reactive Protein among Migrant Bangladeshis in the UK (2021)
Journal Article
Begum, K., Cooper, G. D., Nahar, P., Akhter, N., Kasim, A., & Bentley, G. R. (2022). Early Life, Life Course and Gender Influences on Levels of C-Reactive Protein among Migrant Bangladeshis in the UK. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, 10(1), 21-35. https://doi.org/10.1093/emph/eoab041

Background and objectives: Humans co-evolved with pathogens, especially helminths, that educate the immune system during development and lower inflammatory responses. Absence of such stimuli in industrialized countries is associated with higher basel... Read More about Early Life, Life Course and Gender Influences on Levels of C-Reactive Protein among Migrant Bangladeshis in the UK.

No impact of developmental conditions on serum estradiol levels among Bangladeshi women in the UK and Bangladesh (2021)
Journal Article
Chaney, C., Begum, K., Núñez-de la Mora, A., Sievert, L., Muttukrishna, S., Harries, V., Sharmeen, T., Murphy, L., Gunu, T., Chowdhury, O., & Bentley, G. (2022). No impact of developmental conditions on serum estradiol levels among Bangladeshi women in the UK and Bangladesh. American Journal of Human Biology, 34(3), Article e23631. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23631

Introduction: While many aspects of female ovarian function respond to environmental stressors, estradiol (E2) appears less sensitive to stressors than progesterone, except under extreme ecological conditions. However, earlier studies relied on saliv... Read More about No impact of developmental conditions on serum estradiol levels among Bangladeshi women in the UK and Bangladesh.

Risk factors for Non-Communicable Diseases Related to Obesity among First- and Second-Generation Bangladeshi Migrants Living in North-east or South-east England (2021)
Journal Article
Akhter, N., Begum, K., Nahar, P., Cooper, G., Vallis, D., Kasim, A., & Bentley, G. R. (2021). Risk factors for Non-Communicable Diseases Related to Obesity among First- and Second-Generation Bangladeshi Migrants Living in North-east or South-east England. International Journal of Obesity, 45(7), 1588-1598. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-021-00822-5

Background: Obesity is a global burden, which significantly increases the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). More than a quarter of adults in the United Kingdom are obese, but prevalence varies by ethnicity, and South Asians have the largest b... Read More about Risk factors for Non-Communicable Diseases Related to Obesity among First- and Second-Generation Bangladeshi Migrants Living in North-east or South-east England.

Mismatch: A comparative study of vitamin D status in British-Bangladeshi migrants (2021)
Journal Article
Smith, N., Sievert, L. L., Muttukrishna, S., Begum, K., Murphy, L., Sharmeen, T., Gunu, R., Chowdhury, O., & Bentley, G. R. (2021). Mismatch: A comparative study of vitamin D status in British-Bangladeshi migrants. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, 9(1), 164-173. https://doi.org/10.1093/emph/eoab001

Background and objectives Low levels of vitamin D among dark-skinned migrants to northern latitudes and increased risks for associated pathologies illustrate an evolutionary mismatch between an environment of high ultraviolet (UV) radiation to which... Read More about Mismatch: A comparative study of vitamin D status in British-Bangladeshi migrants.

Don’t Blame the BAME: Ethnic and Structural Inequalities in Susceptibilities to COVID-19 (2020)
Journal Article
Bentley, G. (2020). Don’t Blame the BAME: Ethnic and Structural Inequalities in Susceptibilities to COVID-19. American Journal of Human Biology, 32(5), https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23478

This article has been written from the UK, using British terminology to refer to ethnic minorities where BAME (Black, Asian, minority ethnic groups) is a commonly used and recognized acronym. In the United Kingdom, Asian also generally refers to mino... Read More about Don’t Blame the BAME: Ethnic and Structural Inequalities in Susceptibilities to COVID-19.

Unravelling the role of epigenetics in reproductive adaptations to early-life environment (2020)
Journal Article
Melamed, P., Bar-Sadeh, B., Rudnizky, S., Pnueli, L., Bentley, G., Stoger, R., & Kaplan, A. (2020). Unravelling the role of epigenetics in reproductive adaptations to early-life environment. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 16, 519-533. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-020-0370-8

Reproductive function adjusts in response to environmental conditions in order to optimize success. In humans, this plasticity includes age of pubertal onset, hormone levels and age at menopause. These reproductive characteristics vary across populat... Read More about Unravelling the role of epigenetics in reproductive adaptations to early-life environment.

The timing of adrenarche in Maya girls, Merida, Mexico (2020)
Journal Article
Keestra, S. M., Bentley, G. R., Núñez-de la Mora, A., Houghton, L. C., Wilson, H., Vázquez-Vázquez, A., Cooper, G. D., Dickinson, F., Griffiths, P., Bogin, B. A., & Varela-Silva, M. I. (2021). The timing of adrenarche in Maya girls, Merida, Mexico. American Journal of Human Biology, 33(2), Article e23465. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23465

Aims: To investigate adrenarcheal age among Maya girls and its association with body composition and dietary variables. We hypothesized adrenarche would occur earlier given the current dual burden of nutrition in Mexico. Materials and Methods: 25 May... Read More about The timing of adrenarche in Maya girls, Merida, Mexico.

Assessing Endogenous and Exogenous Hormone Exposures and Breast Development in a Migrant Study of Bangladeshi and British Girls (2020)
Journal Article
Howland, R., Deziel, N., Bentley, G., Booth, M., Choudhury, O., Hofmann, J., Hoover, R., Katki, H., Trabert, B., Fox, S., Troisi, R., & Houghton, L. (2020). Assessing Endogenous and Exogenous Hormone Exposures and Breast Development in a Migrant Study of Bangladeshi and British Girls. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(4), Article 1185. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17041185

Timing of breast development (or thelarche) and its endogenous and exogenous determinants may underlie global variation in breast cancer incidence. The study objectives were to characterize endogenous estrogen levels and bisphenol A (BPA) exposure us... Read More about Assessing Endogenous and Exogenous Hormone Exposures and Breast Development in a Migrant Study of Bangladeshi and British Girls.

Beyond the Sex Doll: Post-Human Companionship and the Rise of the ‘Allodoll’ (2018)
Journal Article
Langcaster-James, M., & Bentley, G. R. (2018). Beyond the Sex Doll: Post-Human Companionship and the Rise of the ‘Allodoll’. Robotics, 7(4), https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics7040062

The increasing market for realistic sex dolls has led to heated debate about future relationships with these entities and whether they could lead to an increasing objectification of women or possibly encourage abuse. However, limited academic researc... Read More about Beyond the Sex Doll: Post-Human Companionship and the Rise of the ‘Allodoll’.

Childhood ecology influences salivary testosterone, pubertal age and stature of Bangladeshi UK migrant men (2018)
Journal Article
Magid, K., Chatterton, R. T., Ahamed, F. U., & Bentley, G. R. (2018). Childhood ecology influences salivary testosterone, pubertal age and stature of Bangladeshi UK migrant men. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 2(7), 1146-1154. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-018-0567-6

Male reproductive investment is energetically costly, and measures of human reproductive steroid hormones (testosterone), developmental tempo (pubertal timing) and growth (stature) correlate with local ecologies at the population level. It is unclear... Read More about Childhood ecology influences salivary testosterone, pubertal age and stature of Bangladeshi UK migrant men.