High prevalence of theNBN gene mutation c.657-661del5 in Southeast Germany

Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS), a rare autosomal recessive chromosomal instability disorder, is caused by mutations in theNBN gene. Most patients known so far are of Slavic origin and carry the major founder mutation c.657-661del5. Due to an unexpectedly high incidence of NBS patients (homozygous for the c.657-661del5 mutation) in a Northeast Bavarian region in Southeast Germany, we estimated the prevalence of this mutation in this area and compared it to another German region. We found a high carrier frequency of 1/176 for the c.657-661del5 mutation among newborns in Northeast Bavaria, while the frequency of the mutation in Berlin was 1/990. We further studied families from a Slavic population isolate, the Sorbs, in the Lusatian region in Northeast Saxony, and revealed a prevalence of the c.657-661del5 mutation of 1/34. Whereas the Slavic origin of the Sorbs has been known, we attribute the surprisingly high frequencies of c.657-661del5 mutation in Bavaria (similar to frequencies of this mutation in various Eastern European countries) to a high percentage of people of Slavic origin in Northeast Bavaria.     

Improving the Network Scale-Up Estimator: Incorporating Means of Sums,Recursive Back Estimation,and Sampling Weights

Researchers interested in studying populations that are difficult to reach through traditional survey methods can now draw on a range of methods to access these populations. Yet many of these methods are more expensive and difficult to implement than studies using conventional sampling frames and trusted sampling methods. The network scale-up method (NSUM) provides a middle ground for researchers who wish to estimate the size of a hidden population, but lack the resources to conduct a more specialized hidden population study. Through this method it is possible to generate population estimates for a wide variety of groups that are perhaps unwilling to self-identify as such (for example, users of illegal drugs or other stigmatized populations) via traditional survey tools such as telephone or mail surveys—by asking a representative sample to estimate the number of people they know who are members of such a “hidden” subpopulation. The original estimator is formulated to minimize the weight a single scaling variable can exert upon the estimates. We argue that this introduces hidden and difficult to predict biases, and instead propose a series of methodological advances on the traditional scale-up estimation procedure, including a new estimator. Additionally, we formalize the incorporation of sample weights into the network scale-up estimation process, and propose a recursive process of back estimation “trimming” to identify and remove poorly performing predictors from the estimation process. To demonstrate these suggestions we use data from a network scale-up mail survey conducted in Nebraska during 2014. We find that using the new estimator and recursive trimming process provides more accurate estimates, especially when used in conjunction with sampling weights.     

Reconstruction of the colonization route from glacial refugium to the northern distribution range of the European butterfly Polyommatus coridon (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

Genetic analyses are useful tools for reconstructing glacial distribution patterns and postglacial expansion corridors. However, little information is available about the latter. We reconstruct the expansion corridors of the butterfly Polyommatus coridon from its glacial refugium to the northern edge of its current distribution by comparing populations from southern Lower Saxony (central Germany) to other existing genetic data sets. The populations from Lower Saxony clearly belonged to a western lineage that expanded postglacially from the Adriatic‐Mediterranean region. They form part of a southern German group passing through the Burgundian Gap. In the southern German group, populations belong to a western subgroup. Therefore, expansion followed the Rhine valley and through Hesse, finally reaching southern Lower Saxony and western Thuringia in central Germany. Thus, we present a complete colonization route from the glacial refugium to the northern distribution range of P. coridon. Such data are useful for understanding the biogeographic structure and migration corridors for other mobile Mediterranean species.     

Preliminary studies of an interdisciplinary inquiry of the body height proportions of Germans in the 19th century and of the influence of living conditions. II. Original preliminary studies for Baden, Alsace-Lorraine, Bavaria, the whole German Reich, summarizing evaluation, historical nutritional references, literature

In Part I of this examinations, preliminary original researches about the constitutional situations in Germany from the North to the kingdom Württemberg has been presented. In this part II, such preliminary researches follow for the other southern part of the German settlement. With references to Baden, Alsace-Lorraine, and Bavaria first since the second part of the 19th century, comprehensive anthropological data exist, but these contain valuable and differentiated data material. A first analysis for this German data material does not reveal regular relation-ships between body-height, urban and rural life, and geographical altitude. But there are relation-ships between wealthy and poor social classes and between educated and heavily working people, and there exists a negative trend in the body-height-means from the North and South to the middle of the German settlement with minima in Saxony and in several regions in Southern Germany. As spread for the different means about 160 to more than 170 cm is to estimate. The spread seems to be broader in the second half of the 19th century, presumably because the better life-conditions does not hold for all Germans in the same manner. About of the beginning of the 20th century, the body-height-means show an increase with may by interpreted as an kind of rehabilitation after times of emergency in the early industrialization and of difficulties in food supply.     

Can Consumers Make Affordable Care Affordable? The Value of Choice Architecture

Tens of millions of people are currently choosing health coverage on a state or federal health insurance exchange as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. We examine how well people make these choices, how well they think they do, and what can be done to improve these choices. We conducted 6 experiments asking people to choose the most cost-effective policy using websites modeled on current exchanges. Our results suggest there is significant room for improvement. Without interventions, respondents perform at near chance levels and show a significant bias, overweighting out-of-pocket expenses and deductibles. Financial incentives do not improve performance, and decision-makers do not realize that they are performing poorly. However, performance can be improved quite markedly by providing calculation aids, and by choosing a “smart” default. Implementing these psychologically based principles could save purchasers of policies and taxpayers approximately 10 billion dollars every year.     

How the Black Grouse was lost: historic reconstruction of its status and distribution in Lower Saxony (Germany)

In the Central European lowlands, the Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) is restricted to isolated remnant populations. Status reports have been published for some of them, but comparative analyses of Black Grouse dynamics across larger parts of the Central European range are missing. In this paper, we used published and unpublished historic information on local occurrences of Black Grouse in 37,000 km² of the German federal state of Lower Saxony to reconstruct changes in the species’ distribution and abundance since the 1950s. We calculated population trends over 52 years (1955–2006) using software trends and indices in monitoring data (TRIM). Results showed two phases: an initial crash phase (1950s–1980s) when many local populations went extinct, and a recovery phase (1990s–2000s) for the remnants of the initial distribution. Differences in timing and extent of the crash were related at habitat type. Our study indicates that reconstructing population trends and distributions across larger geographic areas from historic data may enable comparative analyses of drivers of population dynamics across sites, and thus contribute to a better understanding of the causes of Black Grouse decline.     

Estimating the Sizes of Populations at High Risk for HIV: A Comparison Study

Objectives

Behavioral interventions are effective strategies for HIV/AIDS prevention and control. However, implementation of such strategies relies heavily on the accurate estimation of the high-risk population size. The multiplier method and generalized network scale-up method were recommended to estimate the population size of those at high risk for HIV by UNAIDS/WHO in 2003 and 2010, respectively. This study aims to assess and compare the two methods for estimating the size of populations at high risk for HIV, and to provide practical guidelines and suggestions for implementing the two methods.

Methods

Studies of the multiplier method used to estimate the population prevalence of men who have sex with men in China published between July 1, 2003 and July 1, 2013 were reviewed. The generalized network scale-up method was applied to estimate the population prevalence of men who have sex with men in the urban district of Taiyuan, China.

Results

The median of studies using the multiplier method to estimate the population prevalence of men who have sex with men in China was 4–8 times lower than the national level estimate. Meanwhile, the estimate of the generalized network scale-up method fell within the range of national level estimate.

Conclusions

When high-quality existing data are not readily available, the multiplier method frequently yields underestimated results. We thus suggest that the generalized network scale-up method is preferred when sampling frames for the general population and accurate demographic information are available.     

Drastic increase in the prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis in foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in southern Bavaria, Germany

A survey on the prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis in foxes was conducted in the administrative district of Starnberg (federal state of Bavaria, Germany) and some adjacent municipalities from October 2002 to March 2003. The background to the study was the scarcity of recent data for Bavaria, where, in contrast to neighbouring regions, a general increase in the prevalence of the parasite has not yet been demonstrated. To estimate the current infection rate, a total of 268 shot foxes were examined using the intestinal scraping technique, resulting in an overall prevalence of 51%. This was compared with retrospective data collected during the period from 1989 to 2001. For the corresponding area and season, the retrospective prevalence was estimated at 32%, based on 222 shot foxes. The prevalence and its temporal development differ considerably on small spatial scales. The most conspicuous change has taken place in the western part of the study area, where a previous prevalence of 35% has increased to 80% in 2002/2003.     

Nitrogen accumulation in forests. Exposure monitoring by mosses

At present, there is still little information on nitrogen (N) accumulation in forests contrasting with the crucial importance of N in forest ecosystems. This work analyzes the N bioaccumulation in mosses from forested areas from Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia (two of 16 federal states of Germany), the Weser Ems Region (part of Lower Saxony), and the Euro Region Nissa (covering the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland). The studies involved samples collected from 190 sites between 1998 and 2005. Different spatial scales and regional differences in land use were chosen to assess the factors affecting N bioaccumulation in forested areas. A continuous reduction of N bioaccumulation was found from Lower Saxony (a region where agriculture is most predominant) to North Rhine-Westphalia (mostly urban). The Weser Ems Region (an agricultural region) showed a higher N concentration in mosses than the Euroregion Nissa (a former industrial region). Statistical analyses performed at the different spatial scales revealed that the areas showing greater agricultural and livestock spatial densities favor N bioaccumulation in mosses. N concentration in mosses was moderately correlated with the N concentration in the leaves and needles of the surrounding trees. No significant relationships were found regarding the crown density of forest trees or N deposition estimations from a combination of atmospheric models and deposition measurements.     

Voluntary Health Insurance Coverage in California, 1961: A Report of the Bureau of Research and Planning, California Medical Association

Almost 7 out of every 10 of the estimated population of 16.2 million persons in California, were covered under some form of voluntary health insurance at the end of 1961. The forms of protection included hospital, surgical, regular medical and major medical expense benefits. The per cent of the civilian population of California covered for surgical benefits was slightly over 66 per cent, while 56 per cent were covered for regular medical expense benefits. Comparable percentages for the United States are approximately 74 per cent (hospital), 69 per cent (surgical), and 51 per cent (regular medical). While the percentage of the State's population covered for hospital and surgical expenses is below that for the United States, it is higher for regular medical expense benefits. The rate of increase in coverage for the different forms of health care protection in California exceeded the rate of population growth during the one-year period ending 1961. The foregoing summary and the information in the accompanying text, does not reflect the total number of persons in California who receive or are eligible for health care services. A large variety of government financed programs on local, state and federal levels either finance or provide such services to an estimated 40 to 50 per cent of the California population, which does not have voluntary health insurance coverage. No current data are available regarding the number of persons who do not desire voluntary health insurance coverage for a variety of personal or financial reasons.     

Computational analysis of human protein interaction networks

Large amounts of human protein interaction data have been produced by experiments and prediction methods. However, the experimental coverage of the human interactome is still low in contrast to predicted data. To gain insight into the value of publicly available human protein network data, we compared predicted datasets, high-throughput results from yeast two-hybrid screens, and literature-curated protein-protein interactions. This evaluation is not only important for further methodological improvements, but also for increasing the confidence in functional hypotheses derived from predictions. Therefore, we assessed the quality and the potential bias of the different datasets using functional similarity based on the Gene Ontology, structural iPfam domain-domain interactions, likelihood ratios, and topological network parameters. This analysis revealed major differences between predicted datasets, but some of them also scored at least as high as the experimental ones regarding multiple quality measures. Therefore, since only small pair wise overlap between most datasets is observed, they may be combined to enlarge the available human interactome data. For this purpose, we additionally studied the influence of protein length on data quality and the number of disease proteins covered by each dataset. We could further demonstrate that protein interactions predicted by more than one method achieve an elevated reliability.     

Health Insurance Status as a Barrier to Ideal Cardiovascular Health for U.S. Adults: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

Background

Little is known about the association between cardiovascular (CV) health and health insurance status. We hypothesized that U.S. adults without health insurance coverage would have a lower likelihood of ideal cardiovascular health.

Methods and Results

Using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2007–2010, we examined the relationship between health insurance status and ideal CV health in U.S. adults aged ≥19 years and <65 (N = 3304). Ideal CV health was defined by the American Heart Association (AHA) as the absence of clinically manifested CV disease and the simultaneous presence of 6–7 “ideal” CV health factors and behaviors. Logistic regression modeling was used to determine the relationship between health insurance status and the odds of ideal CV health. Of the U.S. adult population, 5.4% attained ideal CV health, and 23.5% were without health insurance coverage. Those without health insurance coverage were more likely to be young (p<0.0001), male (p<0.0001), non-white (p<0.0001), with less than a high school degree (p<0.0001), have a poverty-to-income ratio less than 1 (p<0.0001) and unemployed (p<0.0001) compared to those with coverage. Lack of health insurance coverage was associated with a lower likelihood of ideal CV health; however, this relationship was attenuated by socioeconomic status.

Conclusions

U.S. adults without health insurance coverage are less likely to have ideal CV health. Population-based strategies and interventions directed at the community-level may be one way to improve overall CV health and reach this at-risk group.     

Grauspecht-WeibchenPicus canus als Helfer an der Bruth?hle

Summary In 1991 a second female Grey-headed WoodpeckerPicus canus rearing the young was recorded. This seems to be the first case of helping recorded in European woodpeckers so far. The conditions and advantages of helping and being helped are described with regard to the special situation of an isolated population in the north-west of Lower Saxony, Germany. Compared to other pairs in the east of Lower Saxony the pair with helper raised more offspring (4 vs. 1 young/breeding pair).     

Prevalence and Correlates of Night Eating in the German General Population

Recently, night eating syndrome (NES) was included into the DSM-5 as an example of “Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders.” The study provides insight into the population prevalence of NES using a large representative German population sample (n = 2,460) with a wide age range (14–85 years). The prevalence of NES was 1.1% using a cut-off on the Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ) of 25. A positive screening for NES was positively associated with depression and anxiety, eating disorder psychopathology, and body weight.     

Analysis of Your Professional Liability Insurance Policy

The most important lessons for the physician to learn in regard to his professional liability insurance coverage are the following:1. The physician should carefully read his professional liability policy and should secure the educated aid of his attorney and his insurance broker, if they are conversant with this field.2. He should particularly read the definition of coverage and carefully survey the exclusion clauses which may deny him coverage under certain circumstances.3. If the physician is in partnership or in a group, he should be certain that he has contingent partnership coverage.4. The physician should accept coverage only from an insurance carrier of sufficient size and stability that he can be sure his coverage will be guaranteed for “latent liability” claims as the years go along—certainly for his lifetime.5. The insurance carrier offering the professional liability policy should be prepared to offer coverages up to at least $100,000/$300,000.6. The physician should be assured that the insurance carrier has claims-handling personnel and legal counsel who are experienced and expert in the professional liability field and who are locally available for service.7. The physician is best protected by a local or state group program, next best by a national group program, and last, by individual coverage.8. The physician should look with suspicion on a cancellation clause in which his policy may be summarily cancelled on brief notice.9. The physician should not buy professional liability insurance on the basis of price alone; adequacy of coverage and service and a good insurance company for his protection should be the deciding factors.     

Die ostrakoden des kalkig entwickelten Unter-Hauterivium im östlichen Niedersächsischen Becken und seine Mikrofauna und Fazies

Three thin sequences in Lower Saxony and a borehole section from southwestern Brandenburg are described as examples of the calcareous lower Hauterivian facies in the eastern part of the Lower Saxony basin. Lithology, microfacies, and biostratigraphic (ostracodes and foraminifers) data are presented. The ostracodes in the eastern part of the Lower Saxony basin are more diverse than those in the central part. These ostracodes, which developed in a warmer climate than today under the influence of the Tethys, preferred shallow, high-energy, coastal environments. Three new ostracod species (Valendocythere jerxheimensis n. sp.,Valendocythere robustireticulata n. sp. andAmphicytherura arcuata n. sp.) and a new subspecies (Protocythere triplicata marginopunctata n. subsp.) are presented. They have been found only in the sections examined in this study.     

Population size estimation of men who have sex with men through the network scale-up method in Japan

Background

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are one of the groups most at risk for HIV infection in Japan. However, size estimates of MSM populations have not been conducted with sufficient frequency and rigor because of the difficulty, high cost and stigma associated with reaching such populations. This study examined an innovative and simple method for estimating the size of the MSM population in Japan. We combined an internet survey with the network scale-up method, a social network method for estimating the size of hard-to-reach populations, for the first time in Japan.

Methods and Findings

An internet survey was conducted among 1,500 internet users who registered with a nationwide internet-research agency. The survey participants were asked how many members of particular groups with known population sizes (firepersons, police officers, and military personnel) they knew as acquaintances. The participants were also asked to identify the number of their acquaintances whom they understood to be MSM. Using these survey results with the network scale-up method, the personal network size and MSM population size were estimated. The personal network size was estimated to be 363.5 regardless of the sex of the acquaintances and 174.0 for only male acquaintances. The estimated MSM prevalence among the total male population in Japan was 0.0402% without adjustment, and 2.87% after adjusting for the transmission error of MSM.

Conclusions

The estimated personal network size and MSM prevalence seen in this study were comparable to those from previous survey results based on the direct-estimation method. Estimating population sizes through combining an internet survey with the network scale-up method appeared to be an effective method from the perspectives of rapidity, simplicity, and low cost as compared with more-conventional methods.     

Subfossil bog-pine horizons document climate and ecosystem changes during the Mid-Holocene

Extended dendrochronological investigations were performed on subfossil pine entombed in peat layers of former raised bogs in Lower Saxony (NW Germany). The aim was to study of dynamics in bog development in response to local environmental conditions and regional changes in climate throughout the Holocene. To date, 1702 samples have been collected from 36 locations. Crossdating with the Lower Saxony Bog Oak Chronology (LSBOC) resulted in five absolutely dated pine chronologies covering large parts of the period from 5600 BC to 2200 BC. Radiocarbon dating of eight additional chronologies extends this time-span from 7000 BC to 1500 BC. By combining dendrochronology with information on stratigraphic position as well as stem and root morphology we found that major changes in site hydrology cause changes in growth pattern and population dynamics of subfossil pine whereas storm and fire were of minor importance. The fact that shifts in growth patterns and population dynamics occurred simultaneously in trees from different sites indicates regional climate changes as main drivers of pines forest development in peatland ecosystems.