bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tex19.1Regulates Acetylated SMC3 Cohesin and Prevents Aneuploidy in Mouse Oocytes
Authors: Reichmann Judith , Dobie Karen , Lister Lisa M. , Best Diana , Crichton James H. , MacLennan Marie , Read David , Raymond Eleanor S. , Hung Chao-Chun , Boyle Shelagh , Shirahige Katsuhiko , Cooke Howard J. , Bickmore Wendy A. , Herbert Mary , Adams Ian R.
Published: February 2017

Age-dependent oocyte aneuploidy, a major cause of Down syndrome, is associated with declining sister chromatid cohesion in postnatal oocytes. Here we show that cohesion in postnatal mouse oocytes is regulated byTex19.1. We show thatTex19.1-/-oocytes have defects in the maintenance of chiasmata, mis-segregate their chromosomes during meiosis, and transmit aneuploidies to the next generation. By reconstituting aspects of this pathway in mitotic somatic cells, we show thatTex19.1regulates an acetylated SMC3-marked subpopulation of cohesin by inhibiting the activity of the E3 ubiquitin ligase UBR2 towards specific substrates, and that UBR2 itself has a previously undescribed role in negatively regulating acetylated SMC3. Lastly, we show that acetylated SMC3 is associated with meiotic chromosome axes in oocytes, but that this is reduced in the absence ofTex19.1. These findings indicate thatTex19.1maintains acetylated SMC3 and sister chromatid cohesion in postnatal oocytes, and prevents aneuploidy in the female germline.
Accumulation and retention of radioactive elements in biofilm communities surrounding the accident site of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
Authors: Moriya Shigeharu , Otsu Hideaki , Kihara Kumiko , Kato Yukari , Itouga Misao , Sakata Kenji , Kikuchi Jun , Yamakawa Hiroshi , Suga Jiro
Published: February 2017

After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, various surveys have been performed to measure the extent of radioactive contamination in marine sediments, surface waters, plankton, and fish. However, the radioactive contamination of one of the most important ecological niches, biofilms, has not been investigated. Therefore, in this study, we sampled biofilms from sea floor stones around Hisanohama Port, which is less than 30 km south of the accident site, and then analyzed the microbial community structure and element profiles, including those of radioactive elements, of these biofilms in order to determine the accumulation and retention of radioactive elements in them. Our results showed that the biofilm samples contained relatively high levels of radioactive cesium even when the sampling was performed 8–11 months after the accident. Our results also suggested that the structure of the biofilm organismal community is related to the element profile of radioactive cesium. Thus, our study suggests that biofilms are a possible radioactive compound accumulator in the natural environment and that they can retain radioactive material for at least 8–11 months.
Phenotype and gene ontology enrichment as guides for disease modeling inC. elegans
Authors: Angeles-Albores David , Lee Raymond YN , Chan Juancarlos , Sternberg Paul W
Published: February 2017

Genome-wide experiments have the capacity to generate massive amounts of unbiased data about an organism. In order to interpret this data, dimensionality reduction techniques are required. One approach is to annotate genes using controlled languages and to test experimental datasets for term enrichment using probabilistic methods. Although gene, phenotype and anatomy ontologies exist forC. elegans, no unified software offers enrichment analyses of all the ontologies using the same methodology. Here, we present the WormBase Enrichment Suite, which offers users the ability to test all nematode ontologies simultaneously. We show that the WormBase Enrichment Suite provides valuable insight into different biological problems. Briefly, we show that phenotype enrichment analysis (PEA) can help researchers identify disease phenologs, phenotypes that are homologous across species, which can inform disease modeling inC. elegans. The WormBase Enrichment Suite analysis can also shed light on RNA-seq datasets by showing what molecular functions are enriched, which phenotypes these functions are implicated in and what tissues are overrepresented in the dataset. Finally, we explore the phenotype-anatomy relationship, showing that a small subset of highly specific tissues are disproportionately likely to cause an Egl phenotype, but inferring tissue expression from an Egl phenotype is limited to the largest tissues.
Resistance genes in global crop breeding networks
Authors: Garrett K. A. , Andersen K. F. , Asche F. , Bowden R. L. , Forbes G. A. , Kulakow P. A. , Zhou B.
Published: February 2017

Resistance genes are a major tool for managing crop diseases. The crop breeder networks that exchange resistance genes and deploy them in varieties help to determine the global landscape of resistance and epidemics, an important system for maintaining food security. These networks function as a complex adaptive system, with associated strengths and vulnerabilities, and implications for policies to support resistance gene deployment strategies. Extensions of epidemic network analysis can be used to evaluate the multilayer agricultural networks that support and influence crop breeding networks. We evaluate the general structure of crop breeding networks for cassava, potato, rice, and wheat, which illustrate a range of public and private configurations. These systems must adapt to global change in climate and land use, the emergence of new diseases, and disruptive breeding technologies. Principles for maintaining system resilience can be applied to global resistance gene deployment. For example, both diversity and redundancy in the roles played by individual crop breeding groups (public versus private, global versus local) may support societal goals for crop production. Another principle is management of connectivity. Enhanced connectivity among crop breeders may benefit resistance gene deployment, but increase risks to the durability of resistance genes without effective policies regarding deployment.
Composite Likelihood Method for Inferring Local Pedigrees
Authors: Ko Amy , Nielsen Rasmus
Published: February 2017

Pedigrees contain information about the genealogical relationships among individuals and are of fundamental importance in many areas of genetic studies. However, pedigrees are often unknown and must be inferred from genetic data. Despite the importance of pedigree inference, existing methods are limited to inferring only close relationships or analyzing a small number of individuals or loci. We present a simulated annealing method for estimating pedigrees in large samples of otherwise seemingly unrelated individuals using genome-wide SNP data. The method supports complex pedigree structures such as polygamous families, multi-generational families, and pedigrees in which many of the member individuals are missing. Computational speed is greatly enhanced by the use of a composite likelihood function which approximates the full likelihood. We validate our method on simulated data and show that it can infer distant relatives more accurately than existing methods. Furthermore, we illustrate the utility of the method on a sample of Greenlandic Inuit.

Author Summary

Pedigrees contain information about the genealogical relationships among individuals. This information can be used in many areas of genetic studies such as disease association studies, conservation efforts, and learning about the demographic history and social structure of a population. Despite their importance, pedigrees are often unknown and must be estimated from genetic information. However, pedigree inference remains a difficult problem due to the high cost of likelihood computation and the enormous number of possible pedigrees we must consider. These difficulties limit existing methods in their ability to infer pedigrees when the sample size or the number of markers is large, or when the sample contains only distant relatives. In this report, we present a method that circumvents these computational barriers in order to infer pedigrees of complex structure for a large number of individuals. From our simulation studies, we found that our method can infer distant relatives much more accurately than existing methods. Our ability to infer pedigrees with a greater accuracy opens up possibilities for developing or improving pedigree-based methods in many areas research such as linkage analysis, demographic inference, association studies, and conservation.
A simple centrifugation protocol leads to a 55-fold mitochondrial DNA enrichment and paves the way for future mitogenomic research
Authors: Macher Jan Niklas , Zizka Vera , Weigand Alexander Martin , Leese Florian
Published: February 2017

DNA (meta)barcoding is used to study biodiversity and is available for standardised assessments. However, it suffers from PCR bias, which can lead to the loss of specific taxa. PCR-free techniques such as shotgun metagenomics are therefore thought to be more suited for biodiversity assessments, but are currently limited by incomplete reference libraries.

The technique of ‘mitogenome-skimming’ or ‘mitogenomics’, in which complete mitochondrial genomes are sequenced, is ideal to bridge the techniques of (meta)barcoding and metagenomics. However, without the enrichment of mitochondria, roughly 99 % of all sequencing reads are of non-mitochondrial origin and mostly useless for common applications, e.g. species identification.

Here, we present a simple centrifugation protocol that leads to an average 140-fold enrichment of mitochondrial DNA. By sequencing six ‘mock’- communities – comprising the freshwater taxaCorbicula fluminea, Gammarus roeseliiandHydropsyche exocellataeach – we recovered whole mitochondrial genomes of these species and the acanthocephalan endoparasitePomphorhynchus laevis.

The presented protocol will greatly speed up building reference libraries for whole mitochondrial genomes, as dozens of species could be sequenced on a single MiSeq run. Subsequently, it will also allow biodiversity assessments using mitogenomics at greatly reduced costs in comparison to mitogenomic approaches without prior enrichment for mitochondria.
Deconvolution of membrane currents for low-crosstalk high-resolution membrane capacitance measurements
Authors: Hot’ka Matej , Zahradník Ivan
Published: February 2017

Many cellular activities involving cell membrane manifest through changes in membrane capacitance. The accuracy and precision of cell membrane capacitance measurement is limited by the measuring system, which distorts membrane current responses used for analysis of impedance parameters. We developed a practical deconvolution procedure for reconstruction of the time course of membrane current and applied it to current responses recorded at step voltage changes by the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. In contrast to the recorded current responses, the reconstructed current responses could be exactly described by adequate impedance models of the recorded circuit. Deconvolution of membrane currents improved the performance of the square-wave method of high-resolution membrane capacitance recording by providing higher accuracy in a wider range of cell sizes and by eliminating cross-talk errors in parameter estimates. This allowed resolving instabilities in the recording conditions arising from parasitic capacitance and seal resistance variation. Complex tests on hardware models, on simulated data sets, and on living cells confirmed reliability of the deconvolution method for membrane capacitance recording. The aptitude of the method was demonstrated in isolated cardiac myocytes by recording spontaneous vesicular events, by discerning formation of a fusion pore, and by revealing artefacts due to unstable seal resistance.
Engineered shell proteins confer improved encapsulated pathway behavior in a bacterial microcompartment
Authors: Slininger Lee Marilyn F. , Jakobson Christopher M. , Tullman-Ercek Danielle
Published: February 2017

Bacterial microcompartments are a class of proteinaceous organelles comprising a characteristic protein shell enclosing a set of enzymes. Compartmentalization can prevent escape of volatile or toxic intermediates, prevent off-pathway reactions, and create private cofactor pools. Encapsulation in synthetic microcompartment organelles will enhance the function of heterologous pathways, but to do so, it is critical to understand how to control diffusion in and out of the microcompartment organelle. To this end, we explored how small differences in the shell protein structure result in changes in the diffusion of metabolites through the shell. We found that the ethanolamine utilization (Eut) protein EutM properly incorporates into the 1,2-propanediol utilization (Pdu) microcompartment, altering native metabolite accumulation and the resulting growth on 1,2-propanediol as the sole carbon source. Further, we identified a single pore-lining residue mutation that confers the same phenotype as substitution of the full EutM protein, indicating that small molecule diffusion through the shell is the cause of growth enhancement. Finally, we show that the hydropathy index and charge of pore amino acids are important indicators to predict how pore mutations will affect growth on 1,2- propanediol, likely by controlling diffusion of one or more metabolites. This study highlights the success of two strategies to engineer microcompartment control over metabolite transport: altering the existing shell protein pore via mutation of the pore-lining residues, and generating chimeras using shell proteins with the desired pores.

TOC Abstract Graphic
A whole-genome-based approach for estimation and characterization of individual inbreeding
Authors: Druet T. , Gautier M.
Published: February 2017

Inbreeding results from the mating of related individuals and has negative consequence because it brings together deleterious variants in one individual. Inbreeding is associated with recessive diseases and reduced production or fitness. In general, inbreeding is estimated with respect to a base population that needs to be defined. Ancestors in generations anterior to the base population are considered unrelated. We herein propose a model that estimates inbreeding relative to multiple age-based classes. Each inbreeding distribution is associated to a different time in the past: recent inbreeding generating longer homozygous stretches than more ancient. Our model is a mixture of exponential distribution implemented in a hidden Markov model framework that uses marker allele frequencies, genetic distances, genotyping error rates and the sequences of observed genotypes. Based on simulations studies, we show that the inbreeding coefficients and the age of inbreeding are correctly estimated. Mean absolute errors of estimators are low, the efficiency depending on the available information. When several inbreeding classes are simulated, the model captures them if their ages are sufficiently different. Genotyping errors or low-fold sequencing data are easily accommodated in the hidden Markov model framework. Application to real data sets illustrate that the method can reveal recent different demographic histories among populations, some of them presenting very recent bottlenecks or founder effects. The method also clearly identifies individuals resulting from extreme consanguineous matings.
Single-cell transcriptomics of the human placenta: inferring the cell communication network of the maternal-fetal interface
Authors: Pavličev Mihaela , Wagner Günter P. , Chavan Arun Rajendra , Owens Kathryn , Maziarz Jamie , Dunn-Fletcher Caitlin , Kallapur Suhas G. , Muglia Louis , Jones Helen
Published: February 2017

Organismal function is, to a great extent, determined by interactions among their fundamental building blocks, the cells. In this work, we studied the cell-cell interactome of fetal placental trophoblast cells and maternal endometrial stromal cells, using single-cell transcriptomics. The placental interface mediates the interaction between two semiallogenic individuals, the mother and the fetus, and is thus the epitome of cell interactions. To study these, we inferred the cell-cell interactome by assessing the gene expression of receptor-ligand pairs across cell types. We find a highly cell-type-specific expression of G-protein-coupled receptors, implying that ligand-receptor profiles could be a reliable tool for cell type identification. Furthermore, we find that uterine decidual cells represent a cell-cell interaction hub with a large number of potential incoming and outgoing signals. Decidual cells differentiate from their precursors, the endometrial stromal fibroblasts, during uterine preparation for pregnancy. We show that decidualization (even in vitro) enhances the ability to communicate with the fetus, as most of the receptors and ligands up-regulated during decidualization have their counterpart expressed in trophoblast cells. Among the signals transmitted, growth factors and immune signals dominate, and suggest a delicate balance of enhancing and suppressive signals. Finally, this study provides a rich resource of gene expression profiles of term intravillous and extravillous trophoblasts, including the transcriptome of the multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast.
Slow development as an evolutionary cost of long life
Authors: Lind Martin I. , Chen Hwei‐yen , Meurling Sara , Guevara Gil Ana Cristina , Carlsson Hanne , Zwoinska Martyna K. , Andersson Johan , Larva Tuuli , Maklakov Alexei A.
Published: February 2017

Life‐history theory predicts a trade‐off between early‐life fitness and life span. While the focus traditionally has been on the fecundity‐life span trade‐off, there are strong reasons to expect trade‐offs with growth rate and/or development time.

We investigated the roles of growth rate and development time in the evolution of life span in two independent selection experiments in the outcrossing nematode Caenorhabditis remanei.

First, we found that selection under heat‐shock leads to the evolution of increased life span without fecundity costs, but at the cost of slower development.

Thereafter, the putative evolutionary links between development time, growth rate, fecundity, heat‐shock resistance and life span were independently assessed in the second experiment by directly selecting for fast or slow development. This experiment confirmed our initial findings, since selection for slow development resulted in the evolution of long life span and increased heat‐shock resistance.

Because there were no consistent trade‐offs with growth rate or fecundity, our results highlight the key role of development rate – differentiation of the somatic cells per unit of time – in the evolution of life span.

Since development time is under strong selection in nature, reduced somatic maintenance resulting in shorter life span may be a widespread cost of rapid development.

A lay summary is available for this article.
Selective plant foraging and the top‐down suppression of native diversity in a restored prairie
Authors: Schneider Stefan , Steeves Royce , Newmaster Steve , MacDougall Andrew S.
Published: February 2017

Clarifying what species are being consumed at what times can improve our understanding of how anthropogenic change affects food web dynamics, with implications for community assembly including restoration. This includes human‐based changes to plant communities via species introductions, which can interact with consumer feeding preferences to indirectly alter assembly outcomes including reduced restoration success if planted species are preferentially targeted.

We used DNA barcoding of plant material in rodent scat, combined with field‐based feeding trials, rodent trapping, and rodent exclosures to test for dietary preferences and assembly impacts of native rodents on a restored and regionally rare tallgrass prairie of central North America. We examined whether native rodents preferred non‐targeted and mostly non‐native oldfield plants that are more locally abundant, thus protecting the rarer native planted species from consumption, or if rodents preferred native plants regardless of abundance.

Our results supported the latter outcome. Barcoding revealed that native rodents consumed mostly non‐planted oldfield species for 10 months of the year (92% of the diet). The exceptions were August–September, when planted prairie species accounted for 87% of plants consumed and coincided with their peak seed production. Cafeteria trials suggested diet seasonality to be explained by food limitation – native prairie seeds were consumed year‐round when made available. Non‐targeted oldfield species thus appeared to be of sufficient quality to support rodent populations (peaking at 23 individuals ha−1in summer), but without rescuing rarer prairie species from targeted granivory and resulting in reduced prairie diversity outside of experimental exclosures.

Synthesis and applications. Our work illustrates how anthropogenic‐based changes to producer communities may affect feeding pathways in grassland food webs, potentially facilitating establishment by non‐target species via indirect consumer effects that can be difficult to detect. These findings suggest that rodents may reduce the restoration success of tallgrass prairie in our region, with some planted species likely to suffer future recruitment difficulties due to granivory. Managers may need to consider multiple trophic levels with restoration, not just the commonly planted producer communities but also the consumers and predators associated with them.
Declines in low‐elevation subalpine tree populations outpace growth in high‐elevation populations with warming
Authors: Conlisk Erin , Castanha Cristina , Germino Matthew J. , Veblen Thomas T. , Smith Jeremy M. , Kueppers Lara M.
Published: February 2017

Species distribution shifts in response to climate change require that recruitment increase beyond current range boundaries. For trees with long life spans, the importance of climate‐sensitive seedling establishment to the pace of range shifts has not been demonstrated quantitatively.

Using spatially explicit, stochastic population models combined with data from long‐term forest surveys, we explored whether the climate‐sensitivity of recruitment observed in climate manipulation experiments was sufficient to alter populations and elevation ranges of two widely distributed, high‐elevation North American conifers.

Empirically observed, warming‐driven declines in recruitment led to rapid modelled population declines at the low‐elevation, ‘warm edge’ of subalpine forest and slow emergence of populations beyond the high‐elevation, ‘cool edge’. Because population declines in the forest occurred much faster than population emergence in the alpine, we observed range contraction for both species. For Engelmann spruce, this contraction was permanent over the modelled time horizon, even in the presence of increased moisture. For limber pine, lower sensitivity to warming may facilitate persistence at low elevations – especially in the presence of increased moisture – and rapid establishment above tree line, and, ultimately, expansion into the alpine.

Synthesis. Assuming 21st century warming and no additional moisture, population dynamics in high‐elevation forests led to transient range contractions for limber pine and potentially permanent range contractions for Engelmann spruce. Thus, limitations to seedling recruitment with warming can constrain the pace of subalpine tree range shifts.
Transmission and temporal dynamics of anther‐smut disease (Microbotryum) on alpine carnation (Dianthus pavonius)
Authors: Bruns Emily L. , Antonovics Janis , Carasso Valentina , Hood Michael
Published: February 2017

Theory has shown that sterilizing diseases with frequency‐dependent transmission (characteristics shared by many sexually transmitted diseases) can drive host populations to extinction.

Anther‐smut disease (caused by Microbotryum sp.) has become a model plant pathogen system for studying the dynamics of vector‐ and sexually transmitted diseases: infected individuals are sterilized, producing spores instead of pollen, and the disease is spread between reproductive individuals by insect pollinators. We investigated anther‐smut disease in a heavily infected population of Dianthus pavonius (alpine carnation) over an 8‐year period to determine disease impacts on host population dynamics.

Over the 8 years, disease prevalence remained consistently high (>40%), while the host population numbers declined by over 50%.

The observed rate of vector transmission to reproductive, adult hosts was inadequate to explain the high disease prevalence. Additional density‐dependent aerial transmission to highly susceptible juveniles, indicated from experimental field and greenhouse studies, is likely to play a key role in maintaining the high disease prevalence.

Epidemiological models that accounted for the mixed transmission mode predicted an eventual decline in disease.

Synthesis. Our results demonstrate that high prevalence of a sterilizing disease does not necessarily drive host populations towards extinction and also highlights the importance of demographic studies for establishing the presence of alternative transmission modes.
Expansion of deciduous tall shrubs but not evergreen dwarf shrubs inhibited by reindeer in Scandes mountain range
Authors: Vowles Tage , Gunnarsson Bengt , Molau Ulf , Hickler Thomas , Klemedtsson Leif , Björk Robert G.
Published: February 2017

One of the most palpable effects of warming in Arctic ecosystems is shrub expansion above the tree line. However, previous studies have found that reindeer can influence plant community responses to warming and inhibit shrubification of the tundra.

We revisited grazed (ambient) and ungrazed study plots (exclosures), at the southern as well as the northern limits of the Swedish alpine region, to study long‐term grazing effects and vegetation changes in response to increasing temperatures between 1995 and 2011, in two vegetation types (shrub heath and mountain birch forest).

In the field layer at the shrub heath sites, evergreen dwarf shrubs had increased in cover from 26% to 49% but were unaffected by grazing. Deciduous dwarf and tall shrubs also showed significant, though smaller, increases over time. At the birch forest sites, the increase was similar for evergreen dwarf shrubs (20–48%) but deciduous tall shrubs did not show the same consistent increase over time as in the shrub heath.

The cover and height of the shrub layer were significantly greater in exclosures at the shrub heath sites, but no significant treatment effects were found on species richness or diversity.

July soil temperatures and growing season thawing degree days (TDD) were higher in exclosures at all but one site, and there was a significant negative correlation between mean shrub layer height and soil TDD at the shrub heath sites.

Synthesis. This study shows that shrub expansion is occurring rapidly in the Scandes mountain range, both above and below the tree line. Tall, deciduous shrubs had benefitted significantly from grazing exclosure, both in terms of cover and height, which in turn lowered summer soil temperatures. However, the overriding vegetation shift across our sites was the striking increase in evergreen dwarf shrubs, which were not influenced by grazing. As the effects of an increase in evergreen dwarf shrubs and more recalcitrant plant litter may to some degree counteract some of the effects of an increase in deciduous tall shrubs, herbivore influence on shrub interactions is potentially of great importance for shaping arctic shrub expansion and its associated ecosystem effects.
Institutionalising senile dementia in 19th‐century Britain
Authors: Andrews Emily Stella
Published: February 2017

This article explains how old, poor people living with dementia came to be institutionalised in 19th‐century Britain (with a focus on London), and how they were responded to by the people who ran those institutions. The institutions in question are lunatic asylums, workhouses and charitable homes. Old people with dementia were admitted to lunatic asylums, workhouses and charitable homes, but were not welcome there. Using the records of Hanwell lunatic asylum, published texts of psychiatric theory, and the administrative records that all of these institutions generated at local and national levels, this article argues that ‘the senile’ were a perpetual classificatory residuum in the bureaucracy of 19th‐century health and welfare. They were too weak and unresponsive to adhere to the norms of the asylum regime, yet too challenging in their behaviour to conform to that of the workhouse, or the charitable home. Across all of these institutions, old people with dementia were represented as an intractable burden, many decades before the ‘ageing society’ became a demographic reality.
Shifting dementia discourses from deficit to active citizenship
Authors: Birt Linda , Poland Fiona , Csipke Emese , Charlesworth Georgina
Published: February 2017

Within western cultures, portrayals of dementia as ‘a living death’ are being challenged by people living with the diagnosis. Yet dementia remains one of the most feared conditions. The sociological lens of citizenship provides a conceptual framework for reviewing the role of society and culture in repositioning dementia away from deficit to a discourse of agency and interdependence. Awareness of cognitive change, and engaging with the diagnostic process, moves people into a transitional, or ‘liminal’ state of uncertainty. They are no longer able to return to their previous status, but may resist the unwanted status of ‘person with dementia’. Drawing on qualitative studies on social participation by people with dementia, we suggest that whether people are able to move beyond the liminal phase depends on acceptance of the diagnosis, social capital, personal and cultural beliefs, the responses of others and comorbidities. Some people publicly embrace a new identity whereas others withdraw, or are withdrawn, from society to live in the shadow of the fourth age. We suggest narratives of deficit fail to reflect the agency people with dementia can enact to shape their social worlds in ways which enable them to establish post‐liminal citizen roles. (A Virtual Abstract of this paper can be viewed at:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_979cmCmR9rLrKuD7z0ycA)
Ultrasound bladder wall thickness and detrusor overactivity: a multicentre test accuracy study
Authors: Latthe P , Middleton L , Rachaneni S , McCooty S , Daniels J , Coomarasamy A , Balogun M , Duckett J , Thakar R , Goranitis I , Roberts T , Deeks J ,   the BUS Collaborative Group
Published: February 2017

Objective

Women with overactive bladder (OAB) often undergo urodynamics before invasive treatments are considered. Ultrasound measurement of bladder wall thickness (BWT) is a less invasive, less expensive and widely available test. It has the potential to diagnose the presence of detrusor overactivity (DO). We aimed to evaluate the accuracy of BWT in the diagnosis of DO.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Twenty‐two UK clinics (university and district general hospitals).

Methods

Consecutive eligible women with OAB symptoms had transvaginal ultrasound to estimate BWT (index test). The reference standard for the diagnosis of DO was urodynamic testing with multichannel subtracted cystometry.

Main outcome measures

The sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratios using a BWT threshold of ≥5 mm were used to indicate the presence of DO, and the area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve to give an overall estimate of BWT accuracy.

Results

Between March 2011 and 2013, 644/687 (94%) women recruited had both tests. The mean age was 52.7 years (standard deviation 13.9) and DO was diagnosed in 399/666 (60%) women. BWT had a sensitivity of 43% [95% confidence interval (CI) 38–48%], specificity of 62% (95% CI 55–68%), and likelihood ratios of 1.11 (95% CI 0.92–1.35) and 0.93 (95% CI 0.82–1.06) for positive and negative tests, respectively. The area under the ROC curve was 0.53 (95% CI 0.48–0.57). Extensive sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses were carried out, but did not alter the interpretation.

Conclusions

BWT is not a good replacement test for urodynamics in women with overactive bladder.

Tweetable abstract

Bladder wall thickness is not a good replacement test for urodynamics in women with overactive bladder.
The Impact of Child Support on the Household Income and Labour Supply of Payee Lone Mothers
Authors: Fisher Hayley
Published: February 2017

One objective of child support schemes is to reduce the reliance of lone parents on government transfers. I estimate the effect of receiving child support on the household income and labour market activity of payee lone mothers in Australia. I use variation in the amount of child support received driven by the employment status of the paying parent, and find that receiving any child support reduces government transfers, increases labour force participation, and increases household income in excess of the amount of child support received. Increasing the amount of child support received does not decrease the employment rate or hours worked of lone mothers.
Explaining non‐participation in deliberative mini‐publics
Authors: JACQUET VINCENT
Published: February 2017

This article investigates citizens’ refusal to take part in participatory and deliberative mechanisms. An increasing number of scholars and political actors support the development of mini‐publics – that is, deliberative forums with randomly selected lay citizens. It is often argued that such innovations are a key ingredient to curing the democratic malaise of contemporary political regimes because they provide an appropriate means to achieve inclusiveness and well considered judgment. Nevertheless, real‐life experience shows that the majority of citizens refuse the invitation when they are recruited. This raises a challenging question for the development of a more inclusive democracy: Why do citizens decline to participate in mini‐publics? This article addresses this issue through a qualitative analysis of the perspectives of those who have declined to participate in three mini‐publics: the G1000, the G100 and the Climate Citizens Parliament. Drawing on in‐depth interviews, six explanatory logics of non‐participation are distinguished: concentration on the private sphere; internal political inefficacy; public meeting avoidance; conflict of schedule; political alienation; and mini‐public's lack of impact on the political system. This shows that the reluctance to take part in mini‐publics is rooted in the way individuals conceive their own roles, abilities and capacities in the public sphere, as well as in the perceived output of such democratic innovations.
Do People with Health Insurance Coverage Who Live in Areas with High Uninsurance Rates Pay More for Emergency Department Visits?
Authors: Kirby James B. , Cohen Joel W.
Published: February 2017

Objective

To investigate the relationship between the percent uninsured in a county and expenditures associated with the typical emergency department visit.

Data Sources

The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey linked to county‐level data from the American Community Survey, the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, and the Area Health Resources Files.

Study Design

We use a nationally representative sample of emergency department visits that took place between 2009 and 2013 to estimate the association between the percent uninsured in counties and the amount paid for a typical visit. Final estimates come from a diagnosis‐level fixed‐effects model, with additional controls for a wide variety of visit, individual, and county characteristics.

Principal Findings

Among those with private insurance, we find that an increase of 1 percentage point in the county uninsurance rate is associated with a $20 increase in the mean emergency department payment. No such association is observed among visits covered by other insurance types.

Conclusions

Results provide tentative evidence that the costs associated with high uninsurance rates spill over to those with insurance, but future research needs to replicate these findings with longitudinal data and methods before drawing causal conclusions. Recent data on changes in area uninsurance rates following the ACA's insurance expansions and subsequent changes in emergency department expenditures afford a valuable opportunity to do this.
Effects of Automating Recidivism Risk Assessment on Reliability, Predictive Validity, and Return on Investment (ROI)
Authors: Duwe Grant , Rocque Michael
Published: February 2017

Research Summary

The relationship between reliability and validity is an important but often overlooked topic of research on risk assessment tools in the criminal justice system. By using data from the Minnesota Screening Tool Assessing Recidivism Risk (MnSTARR), a risk assessment instrument the Minnesota Department of Corrections (MnDOC) developed and began using in 2013, we evaluated the impact of inter‐rater reliability (IRR) on predictive performance (validity) among offenders released in 2014. After comparing the reliability of a manual scoring process with an automated one, we found the MnSTARR was scored with a high degree of consistency by MnDOC staff as intraclass correlation (ICC) values ranged from 0.81 to 0.94. But despite this level of IRR, we still observed a degradation in predictive validity given that automated assessments significantly outperformed those that had been scored manually. Additional analyses revealed that the more inter‐rater disagreement increased, the more predictive performance decreased. The results from our cost–benefit analyses, which examined the anticipated impact of the MnDOC's efforts to automate the MnSTARR, showed that for every dollar to be spent on automation, the estimated return will be at least $4.35 within the first year and as much as $21.74 after the fifth year.

Policy Implications

Although it is unclear the degree to which our findings, which are somewhat preliminary, are generalizable to other offender populations and correctional systems, we believe the results are sufficiently promising to warrant greater interest in automating the assessment of risk and need. We anticipate many, if not most, correctional systems may need to invest in upgrading their IT infrastructure to support the use of automated instruments. But we also anticipate this investment would deliver a favorable return for our results suggest that automation reduces inter‐rater disagreement, which in turn improves predictive performance. Even if automation did not improve performance, the increased efficiency it produces would create reinvestment opportunities within correctional systems.
Antimicrobial Activities of Phenolic Extracts Derived from Seed Coats of Selected Soybean Varieties
Authors: Abutheraa Rajaa , Hettiarachchy Navam , Kumar‐Phillips Geetha , Horax Ronny , Chen Pengyin , Morawicki Ruben , Kwon Young Min
Published: February 2017

Soybean hulls or seed coats consist of complex carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and polyphenols such as anthocyanidins, proanthocyanidins, and isoflavones. The polyphenolics in the seed coats give them various colors such as black, brown, green, yellow, or even a mottled appearance. In this study, the antimicrobial effects of phenolic extracts from the seed coats of different colored soybeans (yellow, dark brown, brown, and black) were evaluated against foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Campylobacter jejuni in broth‐cultures as well as on chicken skin. The highest total phenolic content was observed for the phenolic extract from soybean variety (R07‐1927) with black colored seed coat (74.1 ± 2.1 mg chlorogenic acid equivalent [CAE]/g extract) and was significantly different (P <0.0001) from the extract of the conventional soybean variety (R08‐4004) with yellow colored seed coat (7.4 ± 1.2 mg CAE/g extract). The extract from black colored soybean produced reductions of 2.10 ± 0.08 to 2.20 ± 0.08‐log CFU/mL for both E. coli O157:H7 and C. jejuni after 3 d when incubated in broth‐culture having 4‐log CFU/mL of bacteria, whereas a 6 d incubation was found to reduce S. Typhimurium and E. coli O157:H7 at 2.03 ± 0.05 and 3.3 ± 0.08‐log CFU/mL, respectively. The extract also reduced S. Typhimurium and E. coli O157:H7 attached to chicken skin by 1.39 ± 0.03 and 1.24 ± 0.06‐log CFU/g, respectively, upon incubation for 6 d. Soybean seed coat extracts may have a potency as antimicrobial agents to reduce foodborne bacteria contaminating poultry products.
Predictors of type 1 diabetes mellitus outcomes in young adults after transition from pediatric care
Authors: Alassaf Abeer , Gharaibeh Lubna , Grant Christina , Punthakee Zubin
Published: February 2017

Background

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a common chronic disease. Poor health outcomes are often noted after transfer to adult health care. It is important to determine the predictors of such outcomes to decrease morbidity and mortality.

Methods

The present retrospective study included patients followed for ≥1 year before and ≥1 year after transfer to adult care in a Canadian tertiary diabetes center. Data including demographics, education, comorbidity and pediatric diabetes management‐related factors were analyzed as possible independent predictors of adult HbA1c, number of adult diabetes‐related hospitalizations, and clinic visits.

Results

In all, 102 youths were followed to a mean (±SD) age of 21.8 ± 1.5 years. Predictors of mean adult HbA1c using linear regression were the presence of any comorbidity (0.71%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.15–1.27; P = 0.01) and pediatric HbA1c (0.67% per 1% increase in HbA1c; 95% CI 0.51–0.84; P < 0.001). Predictors of hospitalization for hyperglycemia were a history of pediatric hospitalization for hyperglycemia (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.20; 95% CI 1.02–1.41; P = 0.029) and high school vs university education (IRR 3.13; 95% CI 1.12–8.73; P = 0.030).

Conclusion

Young adults with complicated health histories and less education are more likely to experience poor diabetes outcomes in the years after transfer to adult care. These features may highlight youth requiring closer attention or may be targets for intervention.
Regional Challenges to Global Governance
Authors: Kahler Miles
Published: February 2017

The latest wave of regional organizations may pose a more serious risk of fragmentation in global governance than earlier regional initiatives. Although these new organizations offer additional resources for global ends, the benefits of specialization, and innovation that could improve global governance, they also risk uncoordinated fragmentation, competition that undermines global norms, and a neglect of important global policy aims. Reinforcing global institutions, building consensus on global purposes and a global‐regional division of labor, and establishing informal and formal organizational links between regional and global institutions can offset risks and expand the benefits of the new regionalism.
Impact of the CHOICES Intervention in Preventing Alcohol‐Exposed Pregnancies in American Indian Women
Authors: Hanson Jessica D. , Nelson Morgan E. , Jensen Jamie L. , Willman Amy , Jacobs‐Knight Jacque , Ingersoll Karen
Published: February 2017

Background

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) comprise a continuum of lifelong outcomes in those born prenatally exposed to alcohol. Although studies have shown no differences in rates by race, FASD is of particular concern for American Indian communities. One tribally run prevention program is the Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST) CHOICES Program, which is modeled after the evidence‐based CHOICES program that was focused on preconceptional prevention of alcohol‐exposed pregnancy (AEP) by reducing risky drinking in women at risk for pregnancy and/or preventing unintended pregnancy.

Methods

The OST CHOICES Program was made culturally appropriate for American Indian women and implemented with 3 communities, 2 on the reservation and 1 off. Data on drinking, sexual activity, and contraception use were collected at baseline and 3 and 6 months postintervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, 1‐way analysis of variance, and a random intercept generalized estimating equation model.

Results

A total of 193 nonpregnant American Indian women enrolled in the OST CHOICES Program, and all were at risk for AEP because of binge drinking and being at risk for an unintended pregnancy. Fifty‐one percent of participants completed both 3‐ and 6‐month follow‐ups. Models showed a significant decrease in AEP risk from baseline at both 3‐ and 6‐month follow‐ups, indicating the significant impact of the OST CHOICES intervention. Women in the OST CHOICES Program were more likely to reduce their risk for AEP by utilizing contraception, rather than decreasing binge drinking.

Conclusions

Even with minor changes to make the CHOICES intervention culturally and linguistically appropriate and the potential threats to program validity those changes entail, we found a significant impact in reducing AEP risk. This highlights the capacity for the CHOICES intervention to be implemented in a wide variety of settings and populations.
Identification of the crucial genes in the elimination and survival process of Salmonella enterica ser. Pullorum in the chicken spleen
Authors: Ma T. , Xu L. , Wang H. , Guo X. , Li Z. , Wan F. , Chen J. , Liu L. , Liu X. , Chang G. , Chen G.
Published: February 2017

Salmonella enterica ser. Pullorum is one of the most easily re‐infecting pathogens in poultry production because of its mechanism of escaping from immune elimination. We used the transcriptome method to investigate the variation in gene expression in chicken spleen resulting from the interaction between hosts and S. Pullorum in the survival process. The expression of various genes related to the maturation and activation of B cells was activated before S. Pullorum was eliminated, which might help S. Pullorum escape from the elimination process. The suppression of some genes involved in the fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes, such as MYO6, was identified and may be regulated by the secretion systems of S. Pullorum. In addition, a large proportion of these differentially expressed genes could be localized in the identified quantitative trait loci regions associated with the antibody response to bacteria. Collectively, these identified genes provided an outline for further understanding the interaction between chicken immune cells and S. Pullorum in chicken spleen.