Ethnic differences in genital hygiene behaviors can explain a twofold increase in the risk of bacterial vaginosis in black Caribbean compared with white women. The role of vulval and vaginal cleaning practices in the development of bacterial vaginosis should be examined further in longitudinal or randomized controlled studies.

Background The burden of chronic disease is increasing, and research and quality improvement will be less effective if case finding strategies are suboptimal. Objective To describe an ontology-driven approach to case finding in chronic disease and how this approach can be used to create a data dictionary and make the codes used in case finding transparent. Method A five-step process: (1) identifying a reference coding system or terminology; (2) using an ontology-driven approach to identify cases; (3) developing metadata that can be used to identify the extracted data; (4) mapping the extracted data to the reference terminology; and (5) creating the data dictionary. Results Hypertension is presented as an exemplar. A patient with hypertension can be represented by a range of codes including diagnostic, history and administrative. Metadata can link the coding system

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Abstract. This paper discusses how quantitative data analysis in the social sciences can engage with and exploit an e-Infrastructure. We highlight how a number of activities which are central to quantitative data analysis, referred to as 'data management', can benefit from einfrastructure support. We conclude by discussing how these issues are relevant to the DAMES (Data Management through e-Social Science) research Node, an ongoing project that aims to develop e-Infrastructural resources for quantitative data analysis in the social sciences.

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