Under siege: Isolated tributaries are threatened by regionally impaired metacommunities

Pristine streams are often targeted as conservation priorities because of their ability to preserve regional biodiversity. However, isolation within heavily degraded regions likely alters important metapopulation and metacommunity processes (e.g., rescue and mass effects), affecting the ability of in-tact communities to boost regional conditions. To test this hypothesis, we sampled invertebrate communities and physicochemical conditions from 168 streams within the mountaintop removal-valley fill mining region of West Virginia. We used redundancy analysis to first test for significant effects of local (observed physicochemical conditions) and neighborhood (streams within a 5km buffer) degradation on assemblage structure across all taxa and stress tolerance (low, moderate, high) and dispersal (low, high) categories. We then used generalized linear and hurdle models to characterize changes in community metrics and individual taxa, respectively. Local condition consistently explained the majority of variation (partial R(2) up to 5× those of neighborhood condition) in community structure and was the only factor affecting sensitive taxa. Neighborhood condition explained significant variation in moderately tolerant taxa with low dispersal capacity and highly tolerant taxa, regardless of dispersal. Decreased occurrence (Baetis) and abundance (Maccaffertium) of key taxa and corresponding metrics (%E, %EPT) suggest decreased dispersal and associated mass and rescue effects within degraded neighborhoods. Decreased neighborhood conditions also resulted in the proliferation of tolerant taxa (Chironomidae, Chimarra, Hemerodromia). Our results suggest communities within even the most pristine streams are at risk when isolated within heavily impacted regions. Consequently, protection of regional species' pools in heavily impacted regions will require more than simply conserving un-impacted streams.

mclust 5: Clustering, Classification and Density Estimation Using Gaussian Finite Mixture Models

Finite mixture models are being used increasingly to model a wide variety of random phenomena for clustering, classification and density estimation. mclust is a powerful and popular package which allows modelling of data as a Gaussian finite mixture with different covariance structures and different numbers of mixture components, for a variety of purposes of analysis. Recently, version 5 of the package has been made available on CRAN. This updated version adds new covariance structures, dimension reduction capabilities for visualisation, model selection criteria, initialisation strategies for the EM algorithm, and bootstrap-based inference, making it a full-featured R package for data analysis via finite mixture modelling.

Nitrogen-Mediated Interaction: A Walnut-Aphid-Parasitoid System

The effects of plant quality on natural enemies are often overlooked in planning and executing biological control programs for insect pests in agriculture. Plant quality, however, could help to explain some of the observed variation in effectiveness of biological control, as it can indirectly influence natural enemy populations. In this study, we used the walnut aphid Chromaphis juglandicola (Kaltenbach) to address the effect of increased nitrogen availability to the host plant on parasitism by the specialist parasitoid Trioxys pallidus (Haliday). In laboratory experiments with walnut seedlings, a higher chlorophyll content index of the foliage in response to added nitrogen was correlated with a decrease in the number of mummies produced by female parasitoids over a 24-h period but an increase in the proportion and the size of female offspring. In field sampling of walnut orchards, there was no relationship between the percent parasitism of walnut aphids by T. pallidus and the chlorophyll content index of the trees. Nitrogen fertilizer and plant quality can clearly affect biological control and should be given greater consideration in integrated pest management.

Goal directed hemodynamic therapy based in esophageal Doppler flow parameters: A systematic review, meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis

BACKGROUND

Numerous studies have compared perioperative esophageal doppler monitoring (EDM) guided intravascular volume replacement strategies with conventional clinical volume replacement in surgical patients. The use of the EDM within hemodynamic algorithms is called 'goal directed hemodynamic therapy' (GDHT).

METHODS

Meta-analysis of the effects of EDM guided GDHT in adult non-cardiac surgery on postoperative complications and mortality using PRISMA methodology. A systematic search was performed in Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library (last update, March 2015).

INCLUSION CRITERIA

Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in which perioperative GDHT was compared to other fluid management.

PRIMARY OUTCOMES

Overall complications.

SECONDARY OUTCOMES

Mortality; number of patients with complications; cardiac, renal and infectious complications; incidence of ileus. Studies were subjected to quantifiable analysis, pre-defined subgroup analysis (stratified by surgery, type of comparator and risk); pre-defined sensitivity analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA).

RESULTS

Fifty six RCTs were initially identified, 15 fulfilling the inclusion criteria, including 1,368 patients. A significant reduction was observed in overall complications associated with GDHT compared to other fluid therapy (RR=0.75; 95%CI: 0.63-0.89; P=0.0009) in colorectal, urological and high-risk surgery compared to conventional fluid therapy. No differences were found in secondary outcomes, neither in other subgroups. The impact on preventing the development of complications in patients using EDM is high, causing a relative risk reduction (RRR) of 50% for a number needed to treat (NNT)=6.

CONCLUSIONS

GDHT guided by EDM decreases postoperative complications, especially in patients undergoing colorectal surgery and high-risk surgery. However, no differences versus restrictive fluid therapy and in intermediate-risk patients were found.

Evidence of a bacterial core in the stored products pest Plodia interpunctella: the influence of different diets

The potential influence of insects' feeding behaviour on their associated bacterial communities is currently a matter of debate. Using the major pest of commodities, Plodia interpunctella, as a model and adopting a culture-independent approach, the impact of different diets on the host-associated microbiota was evaluated. An analysis of similarity showed differences among the microbiotas of moths fed with five substrates and provided evidence that diet represents the only tested factor that explains this dissimilarity. Bacteria shared between food and insects provide evidence for a limited conveyance to the host of the bacteria derived from the diet; more likely, the content of carbohydrates and proteins in the diets promotes changes in the insect's microbiota. Moth microbiotas were characterized by two robust entomotypes, respectively, associated with a carbohydrate-rich diet and a protein-rich diet. These results were also confirmed by the predicted metagenome functional potential. A core microbiota, composed of six taxa, was shared between eggs and adults, regardless of the origin of the population. Finally, the identification of possible human and animal pathogens on chili and associated with the moths that feed on it highlights the possibility that these bacteria may be conveyed by moth frass.

An integrative network approach to social anxiety disorder: The complex dynamic interplay among attentional bias for threat, attentional control, and symptoms

Cognitive models posit that social anxiety disorder (SAD) is associated with and maintained by biased attention allocation vis-à-vis social threat. However, over the last decade, there has been intense debate regarding whether AB in SAD results from preferential engagement with or difficulty in disengaging from social threat. Further, recent evidence suggests that AB may merely result from top-down attentional impairments vis-à-vis non-emotional material. Consequently, uncertainty still abounds regarding both the relative importance and the mutual interactions of these different processes and SAD symptoms. Inspired by novel network approaches to psychopathology that conceptualize symptoms as complex dynamic systems of mutually interacting variables, we computed weighted directed networks to investigate potential causal relations among laboratory measures of attentional components and symptoms of social anxiety disorder. Global and local connectivity of network structures revealed that the three most central variables were the orienting component of attention as well as both avoidance and fear of social situations. Neither preferential attention engagement with threat nor difficulty disengaging from threat exhibited high relative importance as predictors of symptoms in the network. Together, these findings suggest the value of extending the network approach beyond self-reported clinical symptoms to incorporate process-level measures from laboratory tasks to gain new insight into the mechanisms of SAD.

The relationships of meteorological factors and nutrient levels with phytoplankton biomass in a shallow eutrophic lake dominated by cyanobacteria, Lake Dianchi from 1991 to 2013

Long-term interannual (1991-2013) and monthly (1999-2013) data were analyzed to elucidate the effects of meteorological factors and nutrient levels on phytoplankton biomass in the cyanobacteria-dominated Waihai basin of Lake Dianchi. The interannual ln(chl. a) exhibited positive correlations with the mean air temperature, mean minimum air temperature, and mean maximum air temperature; in addition, a positive relationship between Δln(chl. a) and ΔTP was observed throughout the period. Additionally, ln(chl. a) exhibited a positive correlation with the TP concentration, negative correlations with the sunshine hours and wind speed during the dry season, and positive correlations with the TN and TP concentrations during the rainy season. Furthermore, TP was the most influential factor affecting cyanobacterial bloom dynamics throughout the entire period and during the dry season, and TN and TP were the most important factors during the rainy season, as determined by relative importance analysis. The results of this study based on interannual analysis demonstrated that both meteorological factors and nutrient levels have important roles in controlling cyanobacterial bloom dynamics. The relative importance of these factors may change according to precipitation patterns. Thus, climate change regulation and eutrophication management should be considered in strategies for bloom control. Decreasing the TP load should be prioritized throughout the entire period and during the dry season, and decreasing the TN and TP loads should be considered initially during the rainy season. In addition, further studies of more frequent and complete data acquired over a longer period of time should be conducted in the future.

Changes in vegetation cover and composition in the Swedish mountain region

Climate change, higher levels of natural resource demands, and changing land use will likely lead to changes in vegetation configuration in the mountain regions. The aim of this study was to determine if the vegetation cover and composition have changed in the Swedish region of the Scandinavian Mountain Range, based on data from the long-term landscape biodiversity monitoring program NILS (National Inventory of Landscapes in Sweden). Habitat type and vegetation cover were assessed in 1740 systematically distributed permanent field plots grouped into 145 sample units across the mountain range. Horvitz-Thompson estimations were used to estimate the present areal extension of the alpine and the mountain birch forest areas of the mountain range, the cover of trees, shrubs, and plants, and the composition of the bottom layer vegetation. We employed the data from two subsequent 5-year monitoring periods, 2003-2007 and 2008-2012, to determine if there have been any changes in these characteristics. We found that the extension of the alpine and the mountain birch forest areas has not changed between the inventory phases. However, the total tree canopy cover increased in the alpine area, the cover of graminoids and dwarf shrubs and the total cover of field vegetation increased in both the alpine area and the mountain birch forest, the bryophytes decreased in the alpine area, and the foliose lichens decreased in the mountain birch forest. The observed changes in vegetation cover and composition, as assessed by systematic data in a national and regional monitoring scheme, can validate the results of local studies, experimental studies, and models. Through benchmark assessments, monitoring data also contributes to governmental policies and land-management strategies as well as to directed cause and effect analyses.

Urine Protein/Creatinine Ratios during Labor: A Prospective Observational Study

Purpose

To evaluate the utility of urine protein/creatinine ratio (uPCR) measurements among healthy parturients at term we performed a prospective cohort study at a community teaching hospital.

Methods

Serial urine samples were collected. Ninety-three women contributed 284 urine samples. uPCRs were determined. Multiple imputation and paired sampled analysis was performed when appropriate.

Results

Two-thirds (63/93) of women had at least one measured uPCR ≥ 0.3. One-third (31/93) had a uPCR ≥ 0.3 at admission, including 39.1% (9/23) of women not in labor. Median (IQR) uPCRs increased during labor and after delivery: latent phase/no labor, 0.15 (0.06–0.32); active phase, 0.29 (0.10–0.58); early postpartum, 0.45 (0.18–1.36) (all p < 0.04). Median uPCRs were significantly < 0.3 in the latent phase and significantly > 0.3 in the immediate postpartum period (p < 0.01). Women who labored before cesarean delivery had the highest early postpartum uPCRs: median (IQR) 1.16 (0.39–1.80). A negative urine dipstick protein result did not exclude uPCR ≥ 0.3. uPCRs were similar when compared by method of urine collection.

Conclusion

uPCR ≥ 0.3 is common among healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies at term. uPCR increases during labor and is not a reliable measure of pathologic proteinuria at term or during the peripartum period.

Association of waist and hip circumference and waist-hip ratio with type 2 diabetes risk in first-degree relatives

AIMS

To evaluate the association of type 2 diabetes risk in first-degree relatives of diabetics with waist and hip circumference (WC and HC) and waist-hip ratio (WHR).

METHODS

We retrieved the data of 1319 subjects who had at least two visits during 2003-2010 and had been examined for diabetes status, WC and HC. Joint survival-longitudinal analysis and Cox regression were performed and the results were compared.

RESULTS

There was a significant direct relationship between diabetes risk and WC and WHR. The risk increased by 23% (95% CI: 5%-38%) and by 28% (95% CI: 9%-58%) respectively, for every 10cm increase in WC and 10% increase in WHR. Post-hoc subgroup analysis showed that these findings were present in females, but not in males. No significant association was seen for HC. Simple Cox regression showed direct association with WC and HC and no association with WHR.

CONCLUSIONS

In addition to dependence on measurement time, results from Cox model were inconclusive. The joint model showed a direct effect of WC and WHR albeit weaker than those in the general population, suggesting the possibility that factors other than the obesity indices are playing a stronger role in the elevated risk in this population. Multivariate models are needed for shedding light on the association.

Prevalence and determinants of metabolic syndrome in patients with schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of Indian studies

INTRODUCTION

Several authors have studied prevalence of metabolic syndrome (Met-S) in schizophrenia patients. Studies conducted in Indian scenario have shown conflicting results. Community based studies reported extremely low prevalence of metabolic syndrome in contrast to hospital based studies reporting higher rates. In this systematic review we summarize results of studies conducted in India and discuss possible reasons for these discrepancies.

METHODS

Literature search was conducted with keywords metabolic, schizophrenia and India in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct database. Studies assessing prevalence of metabolic syndrome using IDF or NCEP-ATP III criteria, conducted in hospital and community setting were included.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies conducted in hospital setting and two studies conducted in community were included for analysis. Pooled prevalence of Met-S in patients with schizophrenia was 29.83%. Pooled prevalence in community based studies was 10.81% significantly lower than in hospital based studies 33.05%. Overall meta-analysis of studies with case control design showed an OR 3.03 for prevalence in cases compared to controls. Except in one study conducted in a rural community, all other studies reported higher prevalence of Met-S in schizophrenia patients compared to controls. Drug-naïve patients had a pooled prevalence of 11.86%.

CONCLUSION

In India, prevalence rates of Met-S in schizophrenia patients are comparable to the rates reported in western studies. Community based studies highlight a significantly lower prevalence compared to hospital studies. More community based studies will enhance our understanding of prevalence and determinants of Met-S in patients with schizophrenia.

Electrical capacitance as a predictor of root dry weight in shrub willow (Salix; Salicaceae) parents and progeny

PREMISE OF THE STUDY

Root biomass is an important trait often disregarded in woody perennial selection due to the challenge and expense of accurately and efficiently measuring large populations. In this study, we aim to develop a simple method that can predict root dry weight within a diverse shrub willow (Salix) breeding population representing species hybrids and their parents using root electrical capacitance (REC).

METHODS

The REC method was tested on plants started from cuttings and grown in pots with potting mix in the greenhouse for 11 wk to assess the relationship of REC with 24 biomass traits and its usefulness in allometric models for root and stem dry biomass.

RESULTS

Strong linear and positive correlations were found between REC and root dry biomass (r = 0.88). The total proportion of variance of root and stem dry biomass explained by predictors in multiple regression was 85% and 69%, respectively. The relative importance of predictor variables in allometric models was dominated by the contribution of REC.

DISCUSSION

This work provides an efficient and nondestructive technique to indirectly quantify root biomass of genetically diverse shrub willow progeny, which has great promise for selection of genotypes with varying root biomass and for the accurate estimation of belowground carbon sequestration.

Stress level, parasite load, and movement pattern in a small-mammal reservoir host for Lyme disease

Occurrence of Lyme disease has increased rapidly in Canada in the past 5 years. The emergence of Lyme disease coincides with the range expansion of the primary host, the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque, 1818)), in the region. We evaluated the effects of stress level, parasite load, and forest-patch characteristics on P. leucopus movement pattern. We found negative relations between on the one hand the adrenal gland size, a proxy for stress level, and population density, and on the other hand, home-range area and movement rate of mouse individuals, suggesting that stressed mice cannot maintain a large home range. Population density was also related with excursion (outside the forest patch) and exploration (outside the home range) rates, either directly or through its effect on home-range area and movement rate. Finally, movement rate and excursion rate were lower in individuals infested with more black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis Say, 1821). Our results have implication for the mechanism of Lyme disease emergence in the region: individual hosts that carry more ticks and are thus more likely to be spreading the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease are dispersing less than tick-free individuals. Monitoring of Lyme disease should thus consider how the characteristics of host communities modulate the spread of the disease across the landscape.

Conservation Beyond Park Boundaries: The Impact of Buffer Zones on Deforestation and Mining Concessions in the Peruvian Amazon

Many researchers have tested whether protected areas save tropical forest, but generally focus on parks and reserves, management units that have internationally recognized standing and clear objectives. Buffer zones have received considerably less attention because of their ambiguous rules and often informal status. Although buffer zones are frequently dismissed as ineffective, they warrant attention given the need for landscape-level approaches to conservation and their prevalence around the world-in Peru, buffer zones cover >10 % of the country. This study examines the effectiveness of buffer zones in the Peruvian Amazon to (a) prevent deforestation and (b) limit the extent of mining concessions. We employ covariate matching to determine the impact of 13 buffer zones on deforestation and mining concessions from 2007 to 2012. Despite variation between sites, these 13 buffer zones have prevented ~320 km(2) of forest loss within their borders during the study period and ~1739 km(2) of mining concessions, an outcome associated with the special approval process for granting formal concessions in these areas. However, a closer look at the buffer zone around the Tambopata National Reserve reveals the difficulties of controlling illegal and informal activities. According to interviews with NGO employees, government officials, and community leaders, enforcement of conservation is limited by uncertain institutional responsibilities, inadequate budgets, and corruption, although formal and community-based efforts to block illicit mining are on the rise. Landscape-level conservation not only requires clear legal protocol for addressing large-scale, formal extractive activities, but there must also be strategies and coordination to combat illegal activities.

A sparse Laguerre-Volterra autoregressive model for seizure prediction in temporal lobe epilepsy

A sparse Laguerre-Volterra autoregressive model has been developed as feature extraction from subdural human EEG data for seizure prediction in temporal lobe epilepsy. The use of Laguerre-Volterra kernel can compactly yield an autoregressive model of longer system memory without increasing the number of the coefficients. In 6 sets of seizure, we used a sparse Laguerre-Volterra autoregressive model with 6 coefficients and the decay parameter of 0.2 and obtained the 10-fold cross-validation prediction results of high Matthews correlation coefficients (0.7-1) and low prediction errors (<;15%). These results demonstrate that the sparse Laguerre-Volterra autoregressive model is effective in the feature extraction for seizure prediction. Finally, this sparse Laguerre-Volterra method can be easily adapted to a potentially more powerful nonlinear autoregressive model as the feature extraction rather than linear autoregressive model that we are currently using.

Translation and validation of the Cardiac Depression Scale to Arabic

BACKGROUND

The Cardiac Depression Scale (CDS) has been designed to measure depressive symptoms in patients with heart disease. There is no Arabic version of the CDS. We translated and validated the CDS in an Arabic sample of patients with heart disease.

METHODS

Forward and back translation of the CDS was followed by assessment of cultural relevance and content validity. The Arabic version of the CDS (A-CDS) and the Arabic version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (A-HADS) were then administered to 260 Arab in-patients with heart disease from 18 Arabic countries. Construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis with polychoric correlations. Internal consistency was assessed using ordinal reliability alpha and item-to-factor polychoric correlations. Concurrent validity was assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficient between the A-CDS and the depression subscale of the A-HADS (A-HADS-D).

RESULTS

Cultural relevance and content validity of the A-CDS were satisfactory. Exploratory factor analysis revealed three robust factors, without cross-loadings, that formed a single dimension. Internal consistency was high (ordinal reliability alpha for the total scale and the three factors were .94, .91, .86, and .87, respectively; item-to-factor correlations ranged from .77 to .91). Concurrent validity was high (r=.72). The A-CDS demonstrated a closer to normal distribution of scores than the A-HADS-D.

LIMITATIONS

Sensitivity and specificity of the A-CDS were not objectively assessed.

CONCLUSIONS

The A-CDS appears to be a valid and reliable instrument to measure depressive symptoms in a representative sample of Arab in-patients with heart disease.

Factors Affecting Physicians' Intentions to Communicate Personalized Prognostic Information to Cancer Patients at the End of Life: An Experimental Vignette Study

PURPOSE

To explore the effects of personalized prognostic information on physicians' intentions to communicate prognosis to cancer patients at the end of life, and to identify factors that moderate these effects.

METHODS

A factorial experiment was conducted in which 93 family medicine physicians were presented with a hypothetical vignette depicting an end-stage gastric cancer patient seeking prognostic information. Physicians' intentions to communicate prognosis were assessed before and after provision of personalized prognostic information, while emotional distress of the patient and ambiguity (imprecision) of the prognostic estimate were varied between subjects. General linear models were used to test the effects of personalized prognostic information, patient distress, and ambiguity on prognostic communication intentions, and potential moderating effects of 1) perceived patient distress, 2) perceived credibility of prognostic models, 3) physician numeracy (objective and subjective), and 4) physician aversion to risk and ambiguity.

RESULTS

Provision of personalized prognostic information increased prognostic communication intentions (P < 0.001, η(2) = 0.38), although experimentally manipulated patient distress and prognostic ambiguity had no effects. Greater change in communication intentions was positively associated with higher perceived credibility of prognostic models (P = 0.007, η(2) = 0.10), higher objective numeracy (P = 0.01, η(2) = 0.09), female sex (P = 0.01, η(2) = 0.08), and lower perceived patient distress (P = 0.02, η(2) = 0.07). Intentions to communicate available personalized prognostic information were positively associated with higher perceived credibility of prognostic models (P = 0.02, η(2) = 0.09), higher subjective numeracy (P = 0.02, η(2) = 0.08), and lower ambiguity aversion (P = 0.06, η(2) = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Provision of personalized prognostic information increases physicians' prognostic communication intentions to a hypothetical end-stage cancer patient, and situational and physician characteristics moderate this effect. More research is needed to confirm these findings and elucidate the determinants of prognostic communication at the end of life.

The effects of cannabis intoxication on motor vehicle collision revisited and revised

AIMS

To determine whether and to what extent acute cannabis intoxication increases motor vehicle crash risk.

DESIGN

Study 1 replicates two published meta-analyses, correcting for methodological shortcomings. Study 2 is an updated meta-analysis using 28 estimates from 21 observational studies. These included studies from three earlier reviews, supplemented by results from a structured search in Web of Science and Google Scholar, and by the personal libraries of the research team. Risk estimates were combined using random-effects models and meta-regression techniques.

SETTING

Study 1 replicates the analysis of Asbridge et al., based on nine studies from five countries, published 1982-2007; and Li et al., based on nine studies from six countries, published 2001-10. Study 2 involves studies from 13 countries published in the period 1982-2015.

PARTICIPANTS

In study 1, total counts extracted totalled 50 877 (27 967 cases, 22 910 controls) for Asbridge et al. and 93 229 (4236 cases and 88 993 controls) for Li et al. Study 2 used confounder-adjusted estimates where available (combined sample size of 222 511) and crude counts from the remainder (17 228 total counts), giving a combined sample count of 239 739.

MEASUREMENTS

Odds ratios (OR) were used from case-control studies and adjusted OR analogues from culpability studies. The impact of the substantial variation in confounder adjustment was explored in subsample analyses.

FINDINGS

Study 1 substantially revises previous risk estimates downwards, with both the originally reported point estimates lying outside the revised confidence interval. Revised estimates were similar to those of study 2, which found cannabis-impaired driving associated with a statistically significant risk increase of low-to-moderate magnitude [random-effects model OR 1.36 (1.15-1.61), meta-regression OR 1.22 (1.1-1.36)]. Subsample analyses found higher OR estimates for case-control studies, low study quality, limited control of confounders, medium-quality use data and not controlling for alcohol intoxication.

CONCLUSIONS

Acute cannabis intoxication is associated with a statistically significant increase in motor vehicle crash risk. The increase is of low to medium magnitude. Remaining selection effects in the studies used may limit causal interpretation of the pooled estimates.

Automated otolith image classification with multiple views: an evaluation on Sciaenidae

Combined multiple 2D views (proximal, anterior and ventral aspects) of the sagittal otolith are proposed here as a method to capture shape information for fish classification. Classification performance of single view compared with combined 2D views show improved classification accuracy of the latter, for nine species of Sciaenidae. The effects of shape description methods (shape indices, Procrustes analysis and elliptical Fourier analysis) on classification performance were evaluated. Procrustes analysis and elliptical Fourier analysis perform better than shape indices when single view is considered, but all perform equally well with combined views. A generic content-based image retrieval (CBIR) system that ranks dissimilarity (Procrustes distance) of otolith images was built to search query images without the need for detailed information of side (left or right), aspect (proximal or distal) and direction (positive or negative) of the otolith. Methods for the development of this automated classification system are discussed.

Measuring spore settling velocity for an improved assessment of dispersal rates in mosses

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The settling velocity of diaspores is a key parameter for the measurement of dispersal ability in wind-dispersed plants and one of the most relevant parameters in explicit dispersal models, but remains largely undocumented in bryophytes. The settling velocities of moss spores were measured and it was determined whether settling velocities can be derived from spore diameter using Stokes' Law or if specific traits of spore ornamentation cause departures from theoretical expectations.

METHODS

A fall tower design combined with a high-speed camera was used to document spore settling velocities in nine moss species selected to cover the range of spore diameters within the group. Linear mixed effect models were employed to determine whether settling velocity can be predicted from spore diameter, taking specific variation in shape and surface roughness into account.

KEY RESULTS

Average settling velocity of moss spores ranged from 0·49 to 8·52 cm s(-1) There was a significant positive relationship between spore settling velocity and size, but the inclusion of variables of shape and texture of spores in the best-fit models provides evidence for their role in shaping spore settling velocities.

CONCLUSIONS

Settling velocities in mosses can significantly depart from expectations derived from Stokes' Law. We suggest that variation in spore shape and ornamentation affects the balance between density and drag, and results in different dispersal capacities, which may be correlated with different life-history traits or ecological requirements. Further studies on spore ultrastructure would be necessary to determine the role of complex spore ornamentation patterns in the drag-to-mass ratio and ultimately identify what is the still poorly understood function of the striking and highly variable ornamentation patterns of the perine layer on moss spores.

Detecting rare and common haplotype-environment interaction under uncertainty of gene-environment independence assumption

Finding rare variants and gene-environment interactions (GXE) is critical in dissecting complex diseases. We consider the problem of detecting GXE where G is a rare haplotype and E is a nongenetic factor. Such methods typically assume G-E independence, which may not hold in many applications. A pertinent example is lung cancer-there is evidence that variants on Chromosome 15q25.1 interact with smoking to affect the risk. However, these variants are associated with smoking behavior rendering the assumption of G-E independence inappropriate. With the motivation of detecting GXE under G-E dependence, we extend an existing approach, logistic Bayesian LASSO, which assumes G-E independence (LBL-GXE-I) by modeling G-E dependence through a multinomial logistic regression (referred to as LBL-GXE-D). Unlike LBL-GXE-I, LBL-GXE-D controls type I error rates in all situations; however, it has reduced power when G-E independence holds. To control type I error without sacrificing power, we further propose a unified approach, LBL-GXE, to incorporate uncertainty in the G-E independence assumption by employing a reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo method. Our simulations show that LBL-GXE has power similar to that of LBL-GXE-I when G-E independence holds, yet has well-controlled type I errors in all situations. To illustrate the utility of LBL-GXE, we analyzed a lung cancer dataset and found several significant interactions in the 15q25.1 region, including one between a specific rare haplotype and smoking.

Play-solicitation gestures in chimpanzees in the wild: flexible adjustment to social circumstances and individual matrices

Social play is a frequent behaviour in great apes and involves sophisticated forms of communicative exchange. While it is well established that great apes test and practise the majority of their gestural signals during play interactions, the influence of demographic factors and kin relationships between the interactants on the form and variability of gestures are relatively little understood. We thus carried out the first systematic study on the exchange of play-soliciting gestures in two chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) communities of different subspecies. We examined the influence of age, sex and kin relationships of the play partners on gestural play solicitations, including object-associated and self-handicapping gestures. Our results demonstrated that the usage of (i) audible and visual gestures increased significantly with infant age, (ii) tactile gestures differed between the sexes, and (iii) audible and visual gestures were higher in interactions with conspecifics than with mothers. Object-associated and self-handicapping gestures were frequently used to initiate play with same-aged and younger play partners, respectively. Our study thus strengthens the view that gestures are mutually constructed communicative means, which are flexibly adjusted to social circumstances and individual matrices of interactants.

Mortality related to cold and heat. What do we learn from dairy cattle?

Extreme temperatures are associated with increased mortality among humans. Because similar epidemiologic studies in animals may add to the existing evidence, we investigated the association between ambient temperature and the risk of mortality among dairy cattle. We used data on 87,108 dairy cow deaths in Belgium from 2006 to 2009, and we combined a case-crossover design with distributed lag non-linear models. Province-specific results were combined in a multivariate meta-analysis. Relative to the estimated minimum mortality temperature of 15.4°C (75th percentile), the pooled cumulative relative risks over lag 0-25 days were 1.26 (95% CI: 1.11, 1.42) for extreme cold (1st percentile, -3.5°C), 1.35 (95% CI: 1.19, 1.54) for moderate cold (5th percentile, -0.3°C), 1.09 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.17) for moderate heat (95th percentile, 19.7°C), and 1.26 (95% CI: 1.08; 1.48) for extreme heat (99th percentile, 22.6°C). The temporal pattern of the temperature-mortality association was similar to that observed in humans, i.e. acute effects of heat and delayed and prolonged effects of cold. Seasonal analyses suggested that most of the temperature-related mortality, including cold effects, occurred in the warm season. Our study reinforces the evidence on the plausibility of causal effects in humans.

Post-Colonoscopy Complications: A Systematic Review, Time Trends, and Meta-Analysis of Population-Based Studies

OBJECTIVES

Many studies around the world addressed the post-colonoscopy complications, but their pooled prevalence and time trends are unknown. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based studies to examine the pooled prevalence of post-colonoscopy complications ("perforation", "bleeding", and "mortality"), stratified by colonoscopy indication. Temporal variability in the complication rate was assessed.

METHODS

We queried Pubmed, Embase, and the Cochrane library for population-based studies examining post-colonoscopy complications (within 30 days), performed from 2001 to 2015 and published by 1 December 2015. We determined pooled prevalence of perforations, post-colonoscopy bleeding, post-polypectomy bleeding, and mortality.

RESULTS

We retrieved 1,074 studies, of which 21 met the inclusion criteria. Overall, pooled prevalences for perforation, post-colonoscopy bleeding, and mortality were 0.5/1,000 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.4-0.7), 2.6/1,000 (95% CI 1.7-3.7), and 2.9/100,000 (95% CI 1.1-5.5) colonoscopies. Colonoscopy with polypectomy was associated with a perforation rate of 0.8/1,000 (95% CI 0.6-1.0) and a post-polypectomy bleeding rate of 9.8/1,000 (95% CI 7.7-12.1). Complication rate was lower for screening/surveillance than for diagnostic examinations. Time-trend analysis showed that post-colonoscopy bleeding declined from 6.4 to 1.0/1,000 colonoscopies, whereas the perforation and mortality rates remained stable from 2001 to 2015. Overall, considerable heterogeneity was observed in most of the analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

Worldwide, the post-colonoscopy complication rate remained stable or even declined over the past 15 years. The findings of this meta-analysis encourage continued efforts to achieve and maintain safety targets in colonoscopy practice.

Sex-specific responses to climate change in plants alter population sex ratio and performance

Males and females are ecologically distinct in many species, but whether responses to climate change are sex-specific is unknown. We document sex-specific responses to climate change in the plant Valeriana edulis (valerian) over four decades and across its 1800-meter elevation range. Increased elevation was associated with increased water availability and female frequency, likely owing to sex-specific water use efficiency and survival. Recent aridification caused male frequency to move upslope at 175 meters per decade, a rate of trait shift outpacing reported species' range shifts by an order of magnitude. This increase in male frequency reduced pollen limitation and increased seedset. Coupled with previous studies reporting sex-specific arthropod communities, these results underscore the importance of ecological differences between the sexes in mediating biological responses to climate change.

Hierarchical Models for Multiple, Rare Outcomes Using Massive Observational Healthcare Databases

Clinical trials often lack power to identify rare adverse drug events (ADEs) and therefore cannot address the threat rare ADEs pose, motivating the need for new ADE detection techniques. Emerging national patient claims and electronic health record databases have inspired post-approval early detection methods like the Bayesian self-controlled case series (BSCCS) regression model. Existing BSCCS models do not account for multiple outcomes, where pathology may be shared across different ADEs. We integrate a pathology hierarchy into the BSCCS model by developing a novel informative hierarchical prior linking outcome-specific effects. Considering shared pathology drastically increases the dimensionality of the already massive models in this field. We develop an efficient method for coping with the dimensionality expansion by reducing the hierarchical model to a form amenable to existing tools. Through a synthetic study we demonstrate decreased bias in risk estimates for drugs when using conditions with different true risk and unequal prevalence. We also examine observational data from the MarketScan Lab Results dataset, exposing the bias that results from aggregating outcomes, as previously employed to estimate risk trends of warfarin and dabigatran for intracranial hemorrhage and gastrointestinal bleeding. We further investigate the limits of our approach by using extremely rare conditions. This research demonstrates that analyzing multiple outcomes simultaneously is feasible at scale and beneficial.

Elevational divergence and clinal variation in floral color and leaf chemistry in Silene vulgaris

PREMISE OF STUDY

Environmental heterogeneity over a species range can lead to divergent selection among populations, leading to phenotypic differences. The plant flavonoid pathway controls key reproductive and defense-related traits and responds to selection and environmental stressors, allowing for hypotheses about phenotypic divergence across environmental gradients. We hypothesized that with increasing elevation, more flavonoids would be produced as a response to increased UV radiation and that plants would be better defended against herbivores.

METHODS

We measured floral color, flavonoids, and herbivory in natural populations of Silene vulgaris (Caryophyllaceae) along elevational transects in the French Alps. We correlated phenotypes with environmental variables and calculated genotypic divergence (FST) to compare with phenotypic divergence (PST).

KEY RESULTS

We found significant phenotypic variation in S. vulgaris along elevational gradients. Strong positive correlations were observed between floral color, leaf non-anthocyanidin flavonoid concentration, and elevation. Floral anthocyanin and leaf non-anthocyanidin flavonoid phenotypes negatively covaried with temperature and precipitation seasonality. Comparisons of PST to FST provided evidence for stabilizing selection on floral color among transects and divergent selection along the elevational gradient.

CONCLUSIONS

Flavonoid production increases along elevational gradients in S. vulgaris, with clinal variation in calyx anthocyanins and increasing leaf non-anthocyanin flavonoid concentrations. Despite the photoprotective and antiherbivore properties of some flavonoids, flavonoid production in flowers and leaves was correlated with population microclimatic variables: temperature and precipitation. Taken together, the results suggest that different flavonoid groups are targeted by selection in different tissues and provide evidence for divergent patterns of selection for flavonoids between high and low elevations.

Time-dependent ROC methodology to evaluate the predictive accuracy of semiparametric multi-state models in the presence of competing risks: An application to peritoneal dialysis programme

Abstract:

The evaluation of peritoneal dialysis (PD) programmes requires the use of statistical methods that suit the complexity of such programmes. Multi-state regression models taking competing risks into account are a good example of suitable approaches. In this work, multi-state structured additive regression (STAR) models combined with penalized splines (P-splines) are proposed to evaluate peritoneal dialysis programmes. These models are very flexible since they may consider smooth estimates of baseline transition intensities and the inclusion of time-varying and smooth covariate effects at each transition. A key issue in survival analysis is the quantification of the time-dependent predictive accuracy of a given regression model, which is typically assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC)’based methodologies. The main objective of the present study is to adapt the concept of time-dependent ROC curve, and their corresponding area under the curve (AUC), to a multi-state competing risks framework. All statistical methodologies discussed in this work were applied to PD survival data. Using a multi-state competing risks framework, this study explored the effects of major clinical covariates on survival such as age, sex, diabetes and previous renal replacement therapy. Such multi-state model was composed of one transient state (peritonitis) and several absorbing states (death, transfer to haemodialysis and renal transplantation). The application of STAR models combined with time-dependent ROC curves revealed important conclusions not previously reported in the nephrology literature when using standard statistical methodologies. For practical application, all the statistical methods proposed in this article were implemented in R and we wrote and made available a script named as NestedCompRisks.

Fluctuations in Trypanosoma cruzi discrete typing unit composition in two naturally infected triatomines: Mepraia gajardoi and M. spinolai after laboratory feeding

Mepraia species are hematophagous insects and the most important wild vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease in southeastern South America. Because the domestic Triatoma infestans is already controlled, the transmission of different T. cruzi discrete typing units (DTUs) by Mepraia species deserves attention. Our aim is to gather information on the diversity of T. cruzi DTUs circulating in natural insect populations. Two groups of naturally infected bugs 21 Mepraia gajardoi and 26 Mepraia spinolai were followed-up after two or more laboratory feedings by means of minicircle-PCR assays to evaluate the composition of four T. cruzi DTUs by hybridization tests. Fluctuations from positive T. cruzi detection to negative and the converse, as well as single to mixed infections with different T. cruzi DTUs and the opposite were frequent observations after laboratory feeding in both Mepraia species. Single and mixed infections with more than two T. cruzi DTUs were detected after the first feeding; however mainly mixed infections prevailed after the second feeding. Laboratory feeding on three or more occasions resulted in a decreasing trend of the parasite burden. In a comparison with 28 infected and fed M. gajardoi collected one year before from the same vector colony T. cruzi DTUs composition changed, indicating that temporal variations occur in T. cruzi. Natural populations of Mepraia species can transmit complex mixtures T. cruzi DTUs which fluctuate over time after feeding, with a tendency to eliminate the parasitism after prolonged feeding.

Impact of polygenic schizophrenia-related risk and hippocampal volumes on the onset of psychosis

Alterations in hippocampal volume are a known marker for first-episode psychosis (FEP) as well as for the clinical high-risk state. The Polygenic Schizophrenia-related Risk Score (PSRS), derived from a large case-control study, indicates the polygenic predisposition for schizophrenia in our clinical sample. A total of 65 at-risk mental state (ARMS) and FEP patients underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging. We used automatic segmentation of hippocampal volumes using the FSL-FIRST software and an odds-ratio-weighted PSRS based on the publicly available top single-nucleotide polymorphisms from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium genome-wide association study (GWAS). We observed a negative association between the PSRS and hippocampal volumes (β=-0.42, P=0.01, 95% confidence interval (CI)=(-0.72 to -0.12)) across FEP and ARMS patients. Moreover, a higher PSRS was significantly associated with a higher probability of an individual being assigned to the FEP group relative to the ARMS group (β=0.64, P=0.03, 95% CI=(0.08-1.29)). These findings provide evidence that a subset of schizophrenia risk variants is negatively associated with hippocampal volumes, and higher values of this PSRS are significantly associated with FEP compared with the ARMS. This implies that FEP patients have a higher genetic risk for schizophrenia than the total cohort of ARMS patients. The identification of associations between genetic risk variants and structural brain alterations will increase our understanding of the neurobiology underlying the transition to psychosis.

Bet-hedging against larval herbivory and seed bank mortality in the evolution of heterocarpy

PREMISE OF THE STUDY

Bet-hedging strategies maximize long-term geometric fitness at the cost of reduced arithmetic fitness by offsetting different mortality risks. Heterocarpic systems accomplish bet-hedging through the production of two or more fruit types that vary in dormancy and dispersal ability. It is unknown whether heterocarpy also offsets predispersal mortality risks. To address this question, we investigated whether heterocarpy in Grindelia ciliata (Asteraceae) also offsets mortality risks posed by a seed predator Schinia mortua (Noctuidae) to increase plant fitness.

METHODS

We conducted two manipulative experiments to quantify critical life history components of this plant-insect interaction. We measured predispersal achene mortality from herbivory, postdispersal achene mortality in the seed bank, and seedling emergence. These measurements were then used in deterministic models to evaluate evolutionary consequences of predispersal seed mortality in G. ciliata.

KEY RESULTS

Dormant achene types were less vulnerable to herbivory but more susceptible to mortality in the seed bank due to delayed seed emergence. Nondormant achene types experienced high predispersal mortality but low seed bank mortality due to rapid germination. Our herbivore-dependent model improved fit between observed and expected proportions of dormant and nondormant G. ciliata achenes and showed that heterocarpy could evolve in the absence of postgermination mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides empirical support of how predispersal herbivory can be equally important to postdispersal seed mortality risks in the evolution and maintenance of a heterocarpic reproductive system and expands understanding of how bet-hedging theory can be used to understand this unique reproductive strategy.

Meta-analysis of theory of mind in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: A specific İmpairment of cognitive perspective taking in anorexia nervosa?

OBJECTIVE

Deficits in theory of mind (ToM), ability to infer mental states of others, can play a significant role in interpersonal difficulties and/or unawareness of illness observed in AN and other eating disorders including bulimia Nervosa (BN).

METHOD

Current meta-analysis aimed to summarize available evidence for deficits in ToM in AN and BN and examine the effects of number of study-level variables on observed findings. In this meta-analysis, 15 studies (22 samples with eating disorders) investigating ToM performances of 677 individuals with AN or BN and 514 healthy controls were included.

RESULTS

AN was associated with significant deficits in ToM (d = 0.59) which were more pronounced in the acute patients (d = 0.67). Small sized deficits in ToM were observed in BN (d = 0.34) and recovered AN (d = 0.35). Both cognitive perspective-taking (ToM-PT) (d = 0.99) and decoding mental states (ToM-decoding) (d = 0.61) aspects of ToM were impaired in acute AN. ToM-decoding impairment in BN was modest. There was no evidence for significant ToM-PT deficit in BN. Several study-level variables including longer duration of illness, lower BMI, and depressive symptoms were associated with more severe deficits in ToM in AN.

DISCUSSION

ToM deficits, particularly in ToM-PT, can be a specific feature of AN but not BN. ToM impairment can contribute to poor insight, treatment resistance, and social impairment in AN. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. RESUMEN META ANÁLISIS DE LA TEORÍA DE LA MENTE EN ANOREXIA NERVOSA Y BULIMIA NERVOSA: ¿Un deterioro de la toma de perspectiva cognitiva en Anorexia Nervosa?

OBJETIVO

Las deficiencias en la teoría de la mente (ToM), la habilidad parar inferir los estados mentales de otros, pueden jugar una función significativa en las dificultades interpersonales y/o falta de reconocimiento de la enfermedad observada en Anorexia Nervosa (AN) y otros trastornos de la conducta alimentaria incluyendo la Bulimia Nervosa (BN).

MÉTODO

Los meta análisis actuales dirigidos a resumir la evidencia disponible sobre el déficit en ToM en AN y BN y examinar los efectos de un número de variables a nivel estudio en los resultados observados. En este meta análisis fueron incluidos 15 estudios (22 muestras con trastornos alimenticios) investigando la función de ToM de 677 individuos con AN o BN y 514 controles sanos.

RESULTADOS

La AN fue relacionada con déficit significativo en ToM (d=0.59) los cuales fueron pronunciados en los pacientes agudos (d=0.67). Se observaron déficits de tamaño pequeño en BN (d=0.34) y AN recuperada (d=0.35). La toma de perspectiva cognitiva (ToM-PT) (d=0.99) y la descodificación de los procesos mentales (descodificación de ToM) (d=0.61) fueron deteriorados en la AN aguda. El deterioro en la descodificación de ToM en BN fue moderado. No se encontró evidencia significativa de déficit en ToM-PT en BN. Algunas variables a nivel estudio incluyendo la larga duración de la enfermedad, índice de masa corporal (IMC) bajo y síntomas depresivos fueron asociados con mayores déficit severos en ToM en AN. DISCUSIÓN: El déficit en ToM, particularmente en ToM-PT puede ser una característica específica en la AN pero no en la BN. El deterioro en la descodificación de ToM puede contribuir a mala percepción, resistencia al tratamiento y deterioro social en AN. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.(Int J Eat Disord 2016; 49:739-749).

Comparative idiosyncrasies in life extension by reduced mTOR signalling and its distinctiveness from dietary restriction

Reduced mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling extends lifespan in yeast, nematodes, fruit flies and mice, highlighting a physiological pathway that could modulate aging in evolutionarily divergent organisms. This signalling system is also hypothesized to play a central role in lifespan extension via dietary restriction. By collating data from 48 available published studies examining lifespan with reduced mTOR signalling, we show that reduced mTOR signalling provides similar increases in median lifespan across species, with genetic mTOR manipulations consistently providing greater life extension than pharmacological treatment with rapamycin. In contrast to the consistency in changes in median lifespan, however, the demographic causes for life extension are highly species specific. Reduced mTOR signalling extends lifespan in nematodes by strongly reducing the degree to which mortality rates increase with age (aging rate). By contrast, life extension in mice and yeast occurs largely by pushing back the onset of aging, but not altering the shape of the mortality curve once aging starts. Importantly, in mice, the altered pattern of mortality induced by reduced mTOR signalling is different to that induced by dietary restriction, which reduces the rate of aging. Effects of mTOR signalling were also sex dependent, but only within mice, and not within flies, thus again species specific. An alleviation of age‐associated mortality is not a shared feature of reduced mTOR signalling across model organisms and does not replicate the established age‐related survival benefits of dietary restriction.

Hampered performance of migratory swans: intra- and inter-seasonal effects of avian influenza virus

The extent to which animal migrations shape parasite transmission networks is critically dependent on a migrant's ability to tolerate infection and migrate successfully. Yet, sub-lethal effects of parasites can be intensified through periods of increased physiological stress. Long-distance migrants may, therefore, be especially susceptible to negative effects of parasitic infection. Although a handful of studies have investigated the short-term, transmission-relevant behaviors of wild birds infected with low-pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIV), the ecological consequences of LPAIV for the hosts themselves remain largely unknown. Here, we assessed the potential effects of naturally-acquired LPAIV infections in Bewick's swans, a long-distance migratory species that experiences relatively low incidence of LPAIV infection during early winter. We monitored both foraging and movement behavior in the winter of infection, as well as subsequent breeding behavior and inter-annual resighting probability over 3 years. Incorporating data on infection history we hypothesized that any effects would be most apparent in naïve individuals experiencing their first LPAIV infection. Indeed, significant effects of infection were only seen in birds that were infected but lacked antibodies indicative of prior infection. Swans that were infected but had survived a previous infection were indistinguishable from uninfected birds in each of the ecological performance metrics. Despite showing reduced foraging rates, individuals in the naïve-infected category had similar accumulated body stores to re-infected and uninfected individuals prior to departure on spring migration, possibly as a result of having higher scaled mass at the time of infection. And yet individuals in the naïve-infected category were unlikely to be resighted 1 year after infection, with 6 out of 7 individuals that never resighted again compared to 20 out of 63 uninfected individuals and 5 out of 12 individuals in the re-infected category. Collectively, our findings indicate that acute and superficially harmless infection with LPAIV may have indirect effects on individual performance and recruitment in migratory Bewick's swans. Our results also highlight the potential for infection history to play an important role in shaping ecological constraints throughout the annual cycle.

Gene expression, methylation and neuropathology correlations at progressive supranuclear palsy risk loci

To determine the effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified in a genome-wide association study of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), we tested their association with brain gene expression, CpG methylation and neuropathology. In 175 autopsied PSP subjects, we performed associations between seven PSP risk variants and temporal cortex levels of 20 genes in-cis, within ±100 kb. Methylation measures were collected using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing in 43 PSP brains. To determine whether SNP/expression associations are due to epigenetic modifications, CpG methylation levels of associated genes were tested against relevant variants. Quantitative neuropathology endophenotypes were tested for SNP associations in 422 PSP subjects. Brain levels of LRRC37A4 and ARL17B were associated with rs8070723; MOBP with rs1768208 and both ARL17A and ARL17B with rs242557. Expression associations for LRRC37A4 and MOBP were available in an additional 100 PSP subjects. Meta-analysis revealed highly significant associations for PSP risk alleles of rs8070723 and rs1768208 with higher LRRC37A4 and MOBP brain levels, respectively. Methylation levels of one CpG in the 3' region of ARL17B associated with rs242557 and rs8070723. Additionally, methylation levels of an intronic ARL17A CpG associated with rs242557 and that of an intronic MOBP CpG with rs1768208. MAPT and MOBP region risk alleles also associated with higher levels of neuropathology. Strongest associations were observed for rs242557/coiled bodies and tufted astrocytes; and for rs1768208/coiled bodies and tau threads. These findings suggest that PSP variants at MAPT and MOBP loci may confer PSP risk via influencing gene expression and tau neuropathology. MOBP, LRRC37A4, ARL17A and ARL17B warrant further assessment as candidate PSP risk genes. Our findings have implications for the mechanism of action of variants at some of the top PSP risk loci.