bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
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

Summary

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

AbstractThis 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

AbstractWithin 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

ObjectiveWomen 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.DesignProspective cohort study.SettingTwenty‐two UK clinics (university and district general hospitals).MethodsConsecutive 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 measuresThe 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.ResultsBetween 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.ConclusionsBWT is not a good replacement test for urodynamics in women with overactive bladder.Tweetable abstractBladder wall thickness is not a good replacement test for urodynamics in women with overactive bladder.
Explaining non‐participation in deliberative mini‐publics
Authors: JACQUET VINCENT 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThis 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

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between the percent uninsured in a county and expenditures associated with the typical emergency department visit.Data SourcesThe 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 DesignWe 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 FindingsAmong 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.ConclusionsResults 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 SummaryThe 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 ImplicationsAlthough 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

AbstractSoybean 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

AbstractBackgroundType 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.MethodsThe 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.ResultsIn 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).ConclusionYoung 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

AbstractThe 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

BackgroundFetal 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.MethodsThe 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.ResultsA 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.ConclusionsEven 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

SummarySalmonella 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.
Sterol regulatory element binding protein‐1 (SREBP1) gene expression is similarly increased in polycystic ovary syndrome and endometrial cancer
Authors: Shafiee Mohamad N. , Mongan Nigel , Seedhouse Claire , Chapman Caroline , Deen Suha , Abu Jafaru , Atiomo William 
Published: February 2017

AbstractIntroductionWomen with polycystic ovary syndrome have a three‐fold higher risk of endometrial cancer. Insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia may be pertinent factors in the pathogenesis of both conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate endometrial sterol regulatory element binding protein‐1 gene expression in polycystic ovary syndrome and endometrial cancer endometrium, and to correlate endometrial sterol regulatory element binding protein‐1 gene expression with serum lipid profiles.Material and methodsA cross‐sectional study was performed at Nottingham University Hospital, UK. A total of 102 women (polycystic ovary syndrome, endometrial cancer and controls; 34 participants in each group) were recruited. Clinical and biochemical assessments were performed before endometrial biopsies were obtained from all participants. Taqman real‐time polymerase chain reaction for endometrial sterol regulatory element binding protein‐1 gene and its systemic protein expression were analyzed.ResultsThe body mass indices of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (29.28 ± 2.91 kg/m2) and controls (28.58 ± 2.62 kg/m2) were not significantly different. Women with endometrial cancer had a higher mean body mass index (32.22 ± 5.70 kg/m2). Sterol regulatory element binding protein‐1 gene expression was significantly increased in polycystic ovary syndrome and endometrial cancer endometrium compared with controls (p < 0.0001). Sterol regulatory element binding protein‐1 gene expression was positively correlated with body mass index (r = 0.017, p = 0.921) and waist–hip ratio (r = 0.023, p = 0.544) in polycystic ovary syndrome, but this was not statistically significant. Similarly, statistically insignificant positive correlations were found between endometrial sterol regulatory element binding protein‐1 gene expression and body mass index in endometrial cancer (r = 0.643, p = 0.06) and waist–hip ratio (r = 0.096, p = 0.073). Sterol regulatory element binding protein‐1 gene expression was significantly positively correlated with triglyceride in both polycystic ovary syndrome and endometrial cancer (p = 0.028 and p = 0.027, respectively). Quantitative serum sterol regulatory element binding protein‐1 gene correlated with endometrial gene expression (p < 0.05).ConclusionsSterol regulatory element binding protein‐1 gene expression is significantly increased in the endometrium of women with polycystic ovary syndrome and women with endometrial cancer compared with controls and positively correlates with serum triglyceride in both polycystic ovary syndrome and endometrial cancer.