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In the domain of scratch card gambling, "pushes" refer to outcomes in which a prize is won that is equal to the cost of a scratch card game. Despite resulting in no net monetary gain, these outcomes are categorized as wins by lottery operators, effectively inflating published scratch card information (e.g., posted odds of winning). Additionally, the experience of obtaining a push shares similarities (e.g., the revealing of matching symbols) with the experience of obtaining a win and thus may be experienced similarly to wins by gamblers. Across four studies (N = 1502), we examined the impact of push outcomes on participants' perceptions of scratch card games. In Studies 1 and 2, participants reported feeling more likely to win, more excitement to play, and a stronger urge to gamble when presented with a scratch card that categorized push outcomes as wins compared to when presented a scratch card that did not categorize these outcomes as wins. In Study 3, participants experiencing a push outcome prior to a loss reported feeling more likely to win compared to those not experiencing a push outcome yet experiencing the same net monetary loss. In Study 4, push outcomes were found to elicit more excitement and a stronger urge to gamble compared to losses but less excitement and a weaker urge to gamble compared to wins. Overall, the present investigation suggests that push outcomes, a prevalent feature of scratch card games, can bias gambling-related judgments and increase the appeal of scratch card games. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past work has demonstrated that presenting statistical information in a foreground–background icon array can improve risk understanding, reduce decision-making biases, and decrease the salience of low-probability risks. In the present study, we assess whether presenting readily available gambling information within a foreground–background icon array influences individuals' gambling-related judgments (e.g., their perceived likelihood of winning a prize). Across two experiments (N = 1151), we find that using icon arrays to present gambling information reduces the appeal of scratch card games. That is, participants presented with gambling information in a foreground–background icon array, as opposed to a non-graphical numerical format, reported feeling less likely to win a prize, less excitement to play, and less urge to gamble on a scratch card game presented in a hypothetical gambling task. Overall, we conclude that presenting gambling information in an icon array format represents a simple yet promising tool for correcting gamblers' often overly-optimistic perceptions and reducing the appeal of negative expected value scratch card games. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Keats heuristic suggests that people find esthetically pleasing expressions more accurate than mundane expressions. We test this notion with chiastic statements. Chiasmus is a stylistic phenomenon in which at least two linguistic constituents are repeated in reverse order, conventionally represented by the formula A-B-B-A. Our study focuses on the specific form of chiasmus known as antimetabole, in which the reverse-repeated constituents are words (e.g., All for one and one for all; A = all, B = one). In three out of four experiments (N = 797), we find evidence that people judge antimetabolic statements (e.g., Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.) as more accurate than semantically equivalent nonantimetabolic statements (e.g., Success is getting what you wish. Happiness is wanting what you receive.). Furthermore, we evaluate fluency as a potential mechanism explaining the observed accuracy benefit afforded to antimetabolic statements, finding that the increased speed (i.e., fluency) with which antimetabolic statements were processed predicted judgments of accuracy. Overall, the present work is consistent with the growing literature on stylistic factors biasing assessments of truth, using the distinctive stylistic pattern of antimetabole. We find that information communicated using an antimetabolic structure is judged to be more accurate than nonantimetabolic paraphrases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate cancer germline testing informs precision therapy, screening, and hereditary cancer risk. Identifying and consenting for germline testing is complex, requiring new practice strategies. We identified multiple knowledge and practice gaps among a spectrum of providers which informed the development of Helix, a digital educational and clinical/family history collection tool. User testing was promising, supporting clinical use of Helix. Background: Prostate cancer (PCA) germline testing (GT) is now standard-of-care for men with advanced PCA. Thousands of men may consider GT due to clinical and family history (FH) features. Identifying and consenting men for GT can be complex. Here we identified barriers and facilitators of GT across a spectrum of providers which informed the development of Helix - an educational and clinical/FH collection tool to facilitate GT in practice. Materials and Methods: A 12-question survey assessing knowledge of genetics PCA risk and FH was administered December 2017 to March 2018 in the Philadelphia area and at the Mid-Atlantic AUA meeting (March 2018). Responses were analyzed using descr iptive statistics. Semi-str uctured interviews were conducted with medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and urologists across practice settings from March-October 2020 as part of a larger study based on the Tailored Implementation in Chronic Diseases framework. Helix was then developed followed by user testing. Results: Fifty-six providers (50% urologists) responded to the survey. Multiple FH and genetic knowledge gaps were identified: only 66% collected maternal FH and 43% correctly identified BRCA2 and association to aggressive PCA. Genetic counseling gaps included low rates of discussing genetic discrimination laws (45%). Provider interviews (n = 14) identified barriers to FH intake including access to details and time needed. In user testing (n = 10), providers found Helix helpful for FH collection. All providers found Helix easy to use, suggesting expanded clinical use. Conclusion: Helix addressed multiple GT knowledge and practice gaps across a spectrum of providers. This tool will become publicly available soon to facilitate PCA GT in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Case Presentation: A 54-year-old South African man with a medical history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, seizure disorder, OSA, and latent TB presented to the ER with gradually progressive dyspnea over months. He also reported occasional dry cough and fatigue at presentation but denied fever, chills, chest pain, leg swelling, palpitations, or lightheadedness. He was treated with a course of levofloxacin for presumed community-acquired pneumonia as an outpatient without improvement and had tested negative for COVID-19. He denied occupational or environmental exposures or sick contacts, though he had traveled back to South Africa 1 year before presentation. He had complex partial seizures for the past 22 years, which had been well controlled on phenytoin (300 mg daily). His other home medications included dulaglutide, sertraline, and atorvastatin and had no recent changes. He quit smoking 30 years ago after smoking one pack per day for 10 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of laparoscopic live-donor nephrectomy for renal transplantation has prompted the need to define the precise anatomical relations of the left renal vein (LRV) and its tributaries. The left kidney is preferred as the greater length of the LRV facilitates implantation in the recipient. While previous studies have described variations in the LRV system, the connections between the left ascending lumbar vein (LALV) and LRV tributaries have been less well-defined. This study aims to further characterise the LALV and proposes a novel classification for its relation to other veins. Dissection of the LRV system, including the left suprarenal vein (LSV), left gonadal vein (LGV) and LALV, was performed in 38 cadavers. Their drainage points into the LRV were recorded, and measurements taken of the distances from these points to the junction of the LRV and inferior vena cava (IVC). The position of the LRV in relation to the aorta was anterior in 35 cases (92%), entirely posterior in 1 case (3%), and circumaortic in 2 cases (5%). Duplication of the LSV and LGV occurred in 6 (16%) and 10 (27%) cases respectively. A direct posterior connection between the LALV and LRV was identified in 32 (86%) cases. The drainage point of the LALV into the LRV lay between the IVC and LGV in 8 (25%) cases. In 20 cases (63%), the drainage points of the LALV and LGV were equidistant from the IVC; and in 5 cases (16%), those of the LALV and posterior branch of the LRV were equidistant from the IVC. In these two groups, the vessels shared a confluent trunk in 10 and 4 cases respectively. In 3 cases, connections were observed between all three vessels (LALV, LGV and posterior branch of LRV). No confluence trunk was shared by the LALV and LSV. These results confirm the high incidence of communicating LALVs, which represent a potentially troublesome source of operative bleeding if unrecognised. Confluent venous trunks may also present difficulties during vessel ligation prior to nephrectomy. It is suggested that a novel classification of the relation of the LALV based on these findings may assist in surgical planning and reduce complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lower Green River episodically narrowed between the mid-1930s and present day through deposition of new floodplains within a wider channel that had been established and/or maintained during the early twentieth century pluvial period. Comparison of air photos spanning a 74-yr period (1940-2014) and covering a 61 km study area shows that the channel narrowed by 12% from 138 ± 3.4 m to 122 ± 2.1 m. Stratigraphic and sedimentologic analysis and tree ring dating of a floodplain trench corroborates the air photo analysis and suggests that the initial phase of floodplain formation began by the mid-1930s, approximately the same time that the flow regime decreased in total annual and peak annual flow. Tamarisk, a nonnative shrub, began to establish in the 1930s as well. Narrowing from the 1940s to the mid-1980s was insignificant, because floodplain formation was approximately matched by bank erosion. Air photo analysis demonstrates that the most significant episode of narrowing was underway by the late 1980s, and analysis of the trench shows that floodplain formation had begun in the mid-1980s during a multi-year period of low peak annual flow. Air photo analysis shows that mean channel width decreased by ~7% between 1993 and 2009. A new phase of narrowing may have begun in 2003, based on evidence in the trench. Comparison of field surveys made in 1998 and 2015 in an 8.5 km reach near Fort Bottom suggests that narrowing continues and demonstrates that new floodplain formation has been a very small proportion of the total annual fine sediment flux of the Green River. Vertical accretion of new floodplains near Fort Bottom averaged 2.4 m between 1998 and 2015 but only accounted for ~1.5% of the estimated fine sediment flux during that period. Flood control by Flaming Gorge Dam after 1962 significantly influenced flow regime, reducing the magnitude of the annual snowmelt flood and increasing the magnitude of base flows. Though narrowing was initiated by changes in flow regime, native and nonnative riparian vegetation promoted floodplain formation and channel narrowing especially through establishment on channel bars and incipient floodplains during years of small annual floods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postmarketing safety surveillance studies address two actionable questions: (1) Is the test product riskier than a standard? (2) Is the risk associated with the test product within some tolerable margin by comparison to the standard? Established techniques, not commonly applied to the setting of such complementary one-sided hypotheses, lead to useful conclusions in practice. For two-group studies, a search over possible one-sided binomial test results yields sample sizes that guarantee that the confidence bounds exclude one or the other of the hypotheses. With continuous monitoring, simple curtailment reduces the sample size. Point and interval estimates follow from the binomial distribution of events at the end of the study or from component negative binomials for crossing a bound of simple curtailment with continuous monitoring and earlier stopping. An asymptotic derivation corresponds to the problem of constructing a confidence interval that is smaller than the distance between the parameter values for tolerable excess and the absence of excess risk. Studies with guaranteed rejection of one of the pair of complementary hypotheses are somewhat larger than corresponding studies of a single hypothesis under usual power requirements, but the increase may be tolerable in return for certainty that there will be an actionable conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza A virus encodes a viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (FluPolA), which is responsible for transcribing and replicating the negative-sense viral RNA (vRNA) genome. FluPolA transcribes vRNA using a host capped mRNA primer, and replicates it by synthesising a positive-sense complementary RNA (cRNA) intermediate which is copied back into vRNA. To carry out these functions, FluPolA interacts with vRNA and cRNA using conserved promoter elements at the 5' and 3' termini. Recent structural studies have identified a new surface binding site for the 3' vRNA and cRNA promoters on FluPolA, referred to as the Mode B site. However, the role of this binding site in FluPolA function is unknown. In this study we used a combination of cell-based and biochemical assays to show that the Mode B site is important for both viral genome transcription and replication. Furthermore, we show that the Mode B site is not needed for initiating transcription in vitro but is required to synthesise a full-length product. This is consistent with a model in which the 3' terminus of the vRNA template binds in the Mode B site during elongation. Our data provide the first functional insights into the role of the Mode B site on FluPolA, which advances our understanding of FluPolA function and influenza A virus replication. Importance Influenza viruses are responsible for up to 650000 deaths per year through seasonal epidemics, and pandemics have caused tens of millions of deaths in the past. Most current therapeutics suffer from widespread resistance, creating a need for new drug targets against influenza virus. The virus encodes an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, which replicates and transcribes the vRNA genome. The polymerase interacts with vRNA and the complementary replicative intermediate cRNA using several specific binding sites, however, the functions associated with these binding sites remain unknown. Here, we functionally characterise a binding site for the 3' vRNA and cRNA promoters. Our data offer insight into the mechanism of viral genome transcription by the influenza virus polymerase, and may be applicable to other related viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous work has demonstrated that peoples' gambling-related judgments (e.g., perceived likelihood of winning) are often biased by non-diagnostic unclaimed prize information (i.e., the number of prizes still available to be won) resulting in non-optimal scratch card preferences. Another line of research suggests that people make less biased decisions (e.g., are less affected by the framing of a gamble) when using a foreign language. In the current study, we investigated whether using a foreign language (as opposed to one's native language) reduced the biasing effects of unclaimed prize information and consequently led to more optimal scratch card preferences. Across three experiments (N = 409), we found that people were equally biased by unclaimed prize information regardless of whether they completed our scratch card gambling task in their native (Polish) or foreign (English) language. In conclusion, it appears that using a foreign language does not help people be less biased in utilizing gambling-related information, and consequently does not lead to more optimal scratch card preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For an integer b ⩾ 2 and a set S ⊂ { 0 , ... , b − 1 } , we define the Kempner set K (S , b) to be the set of all nonnegative integers whose base-b digital expansions contain only digits from S. These well-studied sparse sets provide a rich setting for additive number theory, and in this article we study various questions relating to the appearance of arithmetic progressions in these sets. In particular, for all b we determine exactly the maximal length of an arithmetic progression that omits a base-b digit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across four studies participants (N = 818) rated the profoundness of abstract art images accompanied with varying categories of titles, including: pseudo-profound bullshit titles (e.g., The Deaf Echo), mundane titles (e.g., Canvas 8), and no titles. Randomly generated pseudo-profound bullshit titles increased the perceived profoundness of computer-generated abstract art, compared to when no titles were present (Study 1). Mundane titles did not enhance the perception of profoundness, indicating that pseudo-profound bullshit titles specifically (as opposed to titles in general) enhance the perceived profoundness of abstract art (Study 2). Furthermore, these effects generalize to artist-created abstract art (Study 3). Finally, we report a large correlation between profoundness ratings for pseudo-profound bullshit and "International Art English" statements (Study 4), a mode and style of communication commonly employed by artists to discuss their work. This correlation suggests that these two independently developed communicative modes share underlying cognitive mechanisms in their interpretations. We discuss the potential for these results to be integrated into a larger, new theoretical framework of bullshit as a low-cost strategy for gaining advantages in prestige awarding domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The domain of gambling is rife with both diagnostic and non-diagnostic information. Previous studies examining scratch card gambling have demonstrated that people are often biased by intuitively appealing, yet non-diagnostic information (i.e., unclaimed prize information). The current study investigated how varying the presentation format of a diagnostic piece of information (i.e., payback percentage) could influence participants' use of this information when in conflict with unclaimed prize information. We hypothesized that when payback percentage information was presented in a graphical, as opposed to a numerical format, participants would be better at ignoring unclaimed prize information and correspondingly have their preferences become congruent with the true value of the presented scratch cards. In Experiment 1 (N = 201), with payback percentage presented in a numerical format, participants displayed a non-optimal preference for cards with greater numbers of unclaimed prizes and lower payback percentages. This preference was reversed in Experiment 2 (N = 201) when payback percentage was presented in a graphical format. In conclusion, the results of the current study demonstrate how judgments in a scratch card gambling domain can be improved by simply changing the presentation format of a single piece of information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influenza virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) cleaves the 5′ end of nascent capped host RNAs and uses the capped RNA fragment to prime viral transcription in a mechanism called 'cap snatching'. Cap snatching requires an intimate association between influenza RdRP and cellular RNA polymerase II (Pol II), which is the source of nascent capped host RNAs targeted by influenza virus. Recent structural studies have revealed how influenza RdRP binds to Pol II and how this binding promotes the initiation of viral transcription by influenza RdRP. In this review we focus on these recent insights into the mechanism of cap snatching by influenza virus and the impact of cap snatching on host gene expression during influenza virus infection. Highlights Influenza virus RdRP associates with cellular Pol II. This provides influenza RdRP with a source of nascent capped host RNAs which it targets in a process called 'cap snatching' to generate primers for viral transcription. Influenza RdRP makes direct interactions with the Pol II C terminal domain (CTD). Molecular details of these interactions have recently been determined, and there is evidence that Pol II CTD binding promotes viral transcription by modulating the conformation of influenza RdRP. Influenza RdRP cap snatches small nuclear/nucleolar RNAs most frequently. When cap snatching generates suboptimal capped RNA fragments, influenza RdRP can use a prime-and-realign mechanism to promote transcription initiation. Influenza virus infection reduces Pol II abundance in gene bodies, suggesting that cap snatching contributes to host shut-off. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has demonstrated a link between illusory pattern perception and various irrational beliefs. On this basis, we hypothesized that participants who displayed greater degrees of illusory pattern perception would also be more likely to rate pseudo-profound bullshit statements as profound. We find support for this prediction across three experiments (N = 627) and four distinct measures of pattern perception. We further demonstrate that this observed relation is restricted to illusory pattern perception, with participants displaying greater endorsement of non-illusory patterns being no more likely to rate pseudo-profound bullshit statements as profound. Additionally, this relation is not a product of a general proclivity to rate all statements as profound and is not accounted for by individual differences in analytic thinking. Overall, we demonstrate that individuals with a tendency to go beyond the available data such that they uncritically endorse patterns where no patterns exist are also more likely to create and endorse false-meaning in meaningless pseudo-profound statements. These findings are discussed in the context of a proposed framework that views individuals' receptivity to pseudo-profound bullshit as, in part, an unfortunate consequence of an otherwise adaptive process: that of pattern perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has revealed that intuitive confidence is an important predictor of how people choose between an intuitive and non-intuitive alternative when faced with information that opposes the intuitive response. In the current study, we investigated the speed of intuition generation as a predictor of intuitive confidence and participant choice in choice conflict situations. Participants predicted the outcomes of several National Basketball Association games, both with and without reference to a point spread. As hypothesized, the faster participants were to predict the outright winner of a game (i.e., generate an intuition) the more likely they were to predict the favourite against the point spread for that game (i.e., endorse the intuitive response). Overall, our findings are consistent with the notion that the speed of intuition generation acts as a determinant of intuitive confidence and a predictor of choice in situations featuring equally valid intuitive and non-intuitive alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Scratch cards are a popular form of lottery gambling available in many jurisdictions. However, there is a paucity of research that examines associations between individual differences in thinking style, participation in scratch card gambling, and problem gambling severity. Methods: In three studies, we sought to examine the relationships among these variables in large, online samples of participants. Participants completed the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT), the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), the Actively Open-Minded Thinking Scale, and self-reported their frequency of scratch card gambling. Results: Throughout all three studies, specific associations were reliably established. Specifically, negative associations were observed between participants' CRT and PGSI scores, as well as between participants' CRT scores and scratch card gambling frequency. In addition, we found a positive association between problem gambling severity and scratch card gambling frequency. Finally, problem gambling severity was shown to correlate positively with participants' willingness to pay for irrelevant information in a scratch card gambling scenario. Discussion and conclusions: Overall, we observed that problem gambling severity is associated with an individuals' thinking style and scratch card gambling behavior. This study adds to the existing literature examining problem gambling, and highlights the role of thinking style in understanding gambling behavior and problematic gambling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unclaimed prize information (i.e., the number of prizes still available to be won) is information commonly provided to scratch card gamblers. However, unless the number of tickets remaining to be purchased is also provided, this information is uninformative. Despite its lack of utility in assisting gamblers in choosing the most favourable type of scratch card to play, we hypothesized that unclaimed prize information would bias participants' judgments within a scratch card gambling context. In Experiment 1 (N = 201), we showed that participants are influenced by this information such that they felt more likely to win, were more excited to play, and preferred to hypothetically purchase more of the scratch card with the greatest number of unclaimed prizes. In Experiment 2 (N = 201), we attempted to ameliorate this bias by providing participants with the number of tickets remaining to be purchased and equating the payback percentages of all three games. The bias, although attenuated, still persisted in these conditions. Finally, in Experiment 3 (N = 200), we manipulated the hypothetical scratch cards such that games with the highest number of unclaimed prizes were the least favourable, and vice versa. As in Experiment 2, participants still favoured cards with greater numbers of unclaimed prizes. Possible mechanisms underlying this bias are discussed. In conclusion, across three experiments, we demonstrate that salient unclaimed prize information is capable of exerting a strong effect over judgments related to scratch card games. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Scratch cards are a popular form of lottery gambling available in many jurisdictions. However, there is a paucity of research that examines associations between individual differences in thinking style, participation in scratch card gambling, and problem gambling severity. Methods: In three studies, we sought to examine the relationships among these variables in large, online samples of participants. Participants completed the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT), the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), the Actively Open-Minded Thinking Scale, and self-reported their frequency of scratch card gambling. Results: Throughout all three studies, specific associations were reliably established. Specifically, negative associations were observed between participants' CRT and PGSI scores, as well as between participants' CRT scores and scratch card gambling frequency. In addition, we found a positive association between problem gambling severity and scratch card gambling frequency. Finally, problem gambling severity was shown to correlate positively with participants' willingness to pay for irrelevant information in a scratch card gambling scenario. Discussion and conclusions: Overall, we observed that problem gambling severity is associated with an individuals' thinking style and scratch card gambling behavior. This study adds to the existing literature examining problem gambling, and highlights the role of thinking style in understanding gambling behavior and problematic gambling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, cross-task interactions between number order and sound intensity judgments were assessed using a dual-task paradigm. Participants first categorized numerical sequences composed of Arabic digits as either ordered (ascending, descending) or non-ordered. Following each number sequence, participants then had to judge the intensity level of a target sound. Experiment 1 emphasized processing the two tasks independently (serialprocessing), while Experiments 2 and 3 emphasized processing the two tasks simultaneously (parallelprocessing). Cross-task interference occurred only when the task required parallel processing and was specific to ascending numerical sequences, which led to a higher proportion ofloudersound intensity judgments. In Experiment 4 we examined whether this unidirectional interaction was the result of participants misattributing enhanced processing fluency experienced on ascending sequences as indicating a louder target sound. The unidirectional finding could not be entirely attributed to misattributed processing fluency, and may also be connected to experientially derived conceptual associations between ascending number sequences and greater magnitude, consistent with conceptual mapping theory. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) catalyzes the final step in monolignol biosynthesis, reducing sinapaldehyde, coniferaldehyde, and p-coumaraldehyde to their corresponding alcohols in an NADPH-dependent manner. Because of its terminal location in monolignol biosynthesis, the variation in substrate specificity and activity of CAD can result in significant changes in overall composition and amount of lignin. Our in-depth characterization of two major CAD isoforms, SbCAD2 (Brown midrib 6 [bmr6]) and SbCAD4, in lignifying tissues of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), a strategic plant for generating renewable chemicals and fuels, indicates their similarity in both structure and activity to Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) CAD5 and Populus tremuloides sinapyl alcohol dehydrogenase, respectively. This first crystal structure of a monocot CAD combined with enzyme kinetic data and a catalytic model supported by site-directed mutagenesis allows full comparison with dicot CADs and elucidates the potential signature sequence for their substrate specificity and activity. The L119W/G301F-SbCAD4 double mutant displayed its substrate preference in the order coniferaldehyde > p-coumaraldehyde > sinapaldehyde, with higher catalytic efficiency than that of both wild-type SbCAD4 and SbCAD2. As SbCAD4 is the only major CAD isoform in bmr6 mutants, replacing SbCAD4 with L119W/G301F-SbCAD4 in bmr6 plants could produce a phenotype that is more amenable to biomass processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cinnamoyl-coenzyme A reductase (CCR) catalyzes the reduction of hydroxycinnamoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) esters using NADPH to produce hydroxycinnamyl aldehyde precursors in lignin synthesis. The catalytic mechanism and substrate specificity of cinnamoyl-CoA reductases from sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), a strategic plant for bioenergy production, were deduced from crystal structures, site-directed mutagenesis, and kinetic and thermodynamic analyses. Although SbCCR1 displayed higher affinity for caffeoyl-CoA or p-coumaroyl-CoA than for feruloyl-CoA, the enzyme showed significantly higher activity for the latter substrate. Through molecular docking and comparisons between the crystal structures of the Vitis vinifera dihydroflavonol reductase and SbCCR1, residues threonine-154 and tyrosine-310 were pinpointed as being involved in binding CoA-conjugated phenylpropanoids. Threonine-154 of SbCCR1 and other CCRs likely confers strong substrate specificity for feruloyl-CoA over other cinnamoyl-CoA thioesters, and the T154Y mutation in SbCCR1 led to broader substrate specificity and faster turnover. Through data mining using our structural and biochemical information, four additional putative CCR genes were discovered from sorghum genomic data. One of these, SbCCR2, displayed greater activity toward p-coumaroyl-CoA than did SbCCR1, which could imply a role in the synthesis of defense-related lignin. Taken together, these findings provide knowledge about critical residues and substrate preference among CCRs and provide, to our knowledge, the first three-dimensional structure information for a CCR from a monocot species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caffeoyl-coenzyme A 3-O-methyltransferase (CCoAOMT) is an S-adenosyl methionine (SAM)-dependent O-methyltransferase responsible for methylation of the meta-hydroxyl group of caffeoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) on the pathway to monolignols, with their ring methoxylation status characteristic of guaiacyl or syringyl units in lignin. In order to better understand the unique class of type 2 O-methyltransferases from monocots, we have characterized CCoAOMT from sorghum (Sorghum bicolor; SbCCoAOMT), including the SAM binary complex crystal structure and steady-state enzyme kinetics. Key amino acid residues were validated with site-directed mutagenesis. Isothermal titration calorimetry data indicated a sequential binding mechanism for SbCCoAOMT, wherein SAM binds prior to caffeoyl-CoA, and the enzyme showed allosteric behavior with respect to it. 5-Hydroxyferuloyl-CoA was not a substrate for SbCCoAOMT. We propose a catalytic mechanism in which lysine-180 acts as a catalytic base and deprotonates the reactive hydroxyl group of caffeoyl-CoA. This deprotonation is facilitated by the coordination of the reactive hydroxyl group by Ca2+ in the active site, lowering the pKa of the 3'-OH group. Collectively, these data give a new perspective on the catalytic mechanism of CCoAOMTs and provide a basis for the functional diversity exhibited by type 2 plant OMTs that contain a unique insertion loop (residues 208-231) conferring affinity for phenylpropanoid-CoA thioesters. The structural model of SbCCoAOMT can serve as the basis for protein engineering approaches to enhance the nutritional, agronomic, and industrially relevant properties of sorghum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To describe how computer-assisted presentation of case data can lead experts to infer machine-implementable rules for case definition in electronic health records. As an illustration the technique has been applied to obtain a definition of acute liver dysfunction (ALD) in persons with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).Methods: The technique consists of repeatedly sampling new batches of case candidates from an enriched pool of persons meeting presumed minimal inclusion criteria, classifying the candidates by a machine-implementable candidate rule and by a human expert, and then updating the rule so that it captures new distinctions introduced by the expert. Iteration continues until an update results in an acceptably small number of changes to form a final case definition.Results: The technique was applied to structured data and terms derived by natural language processing from text records in 29,336 adults with IBD. Over three rounds the technique led to rules with increasing predictive value, as the experts identified exceptions, and increasing sensitivity, as the experts identified missing inclusion criteria. In the final rule inclusion and exclusion terms were often keyed to an ALD onset date. When compared against clinical review in an independent test round, the derived final case definition had a sensitivity of 92% and a positive predictive value of 79%.Conclusion: An iterative technique of machine-supported expert review can yield a case definition that accommodates available data, incorporates pre-existing medical knowledge, is transparent and is open to continuous improvement. The expert updates to rules may be informative in themselves. In this limited setting, the final case definition for ALD performed better than previous, published attempts using expert definitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, we examined how the contextual repetition of magnitude information presented in either symbolic (Arabic digits) or nonsymbolic (numerosities) formats impacted on the perceived duration of a later occurring target number. The results of the current study demonstrated a time-magnitude bias in which, on average, large magnitude target numbers were judged to last for longer durations relative to small magnitude target numbers, regardless of notation (symbolic number and numerosity). Furthermore, context effects were found, in which a greater discrepancy in the target’s magnitude from the initial context led to longer perceived duration ratings. However, this was found to be asymmetrical, occurring only for large magnitude targets. Additionally, the type of context effect was shown to be determined by whether the context was presented in the same notation as the target or a different notation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cross-modal impact of number magnitude (i.e. Arabic digits) on perceived sound loudness was examined. Participants compared a target sound's intensity level against a previously heard reference sound (which they judged as quieter or louder ). Paired with each target sound was a task irrelevant Arabic digit that varied in magnitude, being either small (1, 2, 3) or large (7, 8, 9). The degree to which the sound and the digit were synchronized was manipulated, with the digit and sound occurring simultaneously in Experiment 1, and the digit preceding the sound in Experiment 2. Firstly, when target sounds and digits occurred simultaneously, sounds paired with large digits were categorized as loud more frequently than sounds paired with small digits. Secondly, when the events were separated, number magnitude ceased to bias sound intensity judgments. In Experiment 3, the events were still separated, however the participants held the number in short-term memory. In this instance the bias returned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increased prevalence of obesity worldwide, the incidence of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) has risen substantially. OSA is now also more commonly recognized within the pregnant population. The diagnosis of OSA during pregnancy is logistically difficult for many reasons. The symptoms of an uncomplicated pregnancy are traditionally believed to include sleep disruption and daytime sleepiness, without many specific data differentiating 'normal' from 'pathological', thus complicating the screening process for a true sleep disorder based on symptoms alone. Untreated OSA during pregnancy is associated with a variety of gestational health disorders, along with increased complications during delivery. Although screening protocols and increased healthcare provider awareness have led to earlier diagnosis and treatment of OSA in the general population, their implementation in the pregnant population is lacking. Studies on the use of continuous positive airway pressure in pregnancy have demonstrated its safety, but further research is needed to determine its benefits in this cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy ( NAION), a rare visual disorder, has been reported in men using phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors ( PDE5i) for erectile dysfunction. Aim We examined whether intermittent use of PDE5i is associated with acute NAION onset within approximately five half-lives following drug ingestion. Methods One hundred two ophthalmology centers in the United States and Europe identified potential cases of NAION. An expert adjudication committee conducted a blind review of the records of those with recent PDE5i use to classify cases as Definite, Possible, or not NAION. Subjects provided information on PDEi use via telephone interview. Each NAION case's PDE5i exposure immediately prior to onset was compared against his recent patterns of use in an observational case-crossover design. A sample size of 40 cases with intermittent PDE5i exposure in the 30 days prior to NAION onset was needed to detect an odds ratio ( OR) of 3.0 with 80% power. Main Outcome Measures The daily relative risk for acute NAION on days within five half-lives of PDE5i use vs. other days was estimated via an OR obtained from conditional logistic regression. Results Among 43 Definite NAION cases with PDE5i exposure in the prior 30 days, the OR was 2.15 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.06, 4.34). When 21 Possible NAION cases were included (n = 64), the OR was 2.36 (95% CI: 1.33, 4.19). Conclusions We found an approximately twofold increased risk of acute NAION within five half-lives of PDE5i use compared with use in a more prior time period. Bias from inaccurate recall of exposure was unlikely to have substantially affected the results. Based on our results, we estimate that weekly use of PDE5i adds three NAION cases per 100,000 men 50 years and older annually. Campbell UB, Walker AM, Gaffney M, Petronis KR, Creanga D, Quinn S, Klein BEK, Laties AM, Lewis M, Sharlip ID, Kolitsopoulos F, Klee BJ, Mo J, and Reynolds RF. Acute nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and exposure to phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors. J Sex Med 2015;12:139-151. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The coefficient series of the holomorphic Picard–Fuchs differential equation associated with the periods of elliptic curves often have surprising number-theoretic properties. These have been widely studied in the case of the torsion-free, genus zero congruence subgroups of index 6 and 12 (e.g. the Beauville families). Here, we consider arithmetic properties of the Picard–Fuchs solutions associated to general elliptic families, with a particular focus on the index 24 congruence subgroups. We prove that elliptic families with rational parameters admit linear reparametrizations such that their associated Picard–Fuchs solutions lie in . A sufficient condition is given such that the same holds for holomorphic solutions at infinity. An Atkin–Swinnerton-Dyer congruence is proven for the coefficient series attached to . We conclude with a consideration of asymptotics, wherein it is proved that many coefficient series satisfy asymptotic expressions of the form . Certain arithmetic results extend to the study of general holonomic recurrences. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: To illustrate that matching on provider may exacerbate, not remove, bias. Study Design and Setting: The degree of confounding bias depends in part on the proportions of treatment variation that can be ascribed to confounders and to instruments, respectively. This commentary raises the specific example of bias by matching on hospital induced in a study of coronary artery bypass graft surgery patients and illustrates the effect of matching on provider in a constructed example. Results: Matching on provider removes a "benign" source of treatment variability, leaving unmeasured confounders as potentially the most important determinants of treatment. Conclusions: Researchers need to articulate the presumed source of pseudorandom variation in observational studies and need to take care not to reduce their effect through unnecessary control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals often assess themselves as being less susceptible to common biases compared to others. This bias blind spot (BBS) is thought to represent a metacognitive error. In this research, we tested three explanations for the effect: The cognitive sophistication hypothesis posits that individualswho display the BBS more strongly are actually less biased than others. The introspection bias hypothesis posits that the BBS occurs because people rely on introspection morewhen assessing themselves compared to others. The conversational processes hypothesis posits that the effect is largely a consequence of the pragmatic aspects of the experimental situation rather than true metacognitive error. In two experiments (N = 1057) examining 18 social/motivational and cognitive biases, therewas strong evidence of theBBS.Among the three hypotheses examined, the conversational processes hypothesis attracted the greatest support, thus raising questions about the extent to which the BBS is a metacognitive effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In-situ multiple sulphur isotopes from the Andromeda prospect of the Fraser Zone. • The material analysed includes brecciated orebody and host rock sulphides. • Significant sulphur sources likely include seawater and host lithologies. • MIF-S signature inherited via fluid flow along a proximal transcrustal shear zone. • Multiple sulphur cycling pathways operating within a Proterozoic mineralised system. Sulphur isotope analysis can be used to fingerprint sulphur sources within mineral systems and trace sulphur cycles through geological time. In this work we present petrographic and in-situ sulphur isotope analyses of sulphide minerals from the Zn–Cu–Au–Ag Andromeda volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) prospect, Fraser Zone, Albany-Fraser Orogen, Australia. Sulphide mineral assemblages of pyrrhotite, pyrite, chalcopyrite and sphalerite occur within deformed lenses of sulphide breccia at Andromeda, with the presence of sphalerite contrasting with typical magmatic sulphide mineral assemblages recorded elsewhere within the Fraser Zone. The δ 34S values of Andromeda sulphides range from 4.50‰ to 6.70‰, characteristic of Archaean and Proterozoic VMS-style deposits worldwide. The Δ33S data show evidence of mass-independent fractionation of sulphur (MIF-S), which indicates that sulphur from Archaean sediments was included within Andromeda sulphides, which formed in close proximity to the Fraser Shear Zone (FSZ). This contrasts with the findings of previous studies of sulphur isotopes within magmatic sulphides elsewhere in the Fraser Zone, which are distal to major shear zones, and in which sulphur derived from Archaean sediments is absent. The absence of a MIF-S signature from the magmatic sulphides is interpreted to reflect cycling of surface-derived sulphur through the ocean prior to incorporation into the magmatic sulphides. The presence of Archaean sedimentary sulphur at Andromeda is attributed to transport from a reservoir of sulphur recording MIF-S within the older Biranup Zone, which is in close proximity to the FSZ, a lithosphere-scale structure. Fluid movement through the FSZ is a viable mechanism that might have transferred sulphur recording MIF-S from Archaean sulphur-bearing pyrite in the Biranup Zone to sulphides at Andromeda. These findings support multiple modes of sulphur cycling within a single Proterozoic mineralised setting and imply that similar polymodal sulphur cycling might have occurred on other Proterozoic continental margins worldwide, with implications for mineralisation and global sulphur cycle systematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across six studies (N = 2646), we demonstrate the role that perceptions of predictability play in judgments of moral character, finding that people demonstrate a moral preference for more predictable immoral actors. Participants judged agents performing an immoral action (e.g., assault) for an unintelligible reason as less predictable and less moral than agents performing the same immoral action, along with an additional immoral action (e.g., theft), for a well-understood immoral reason (Studies 1–4). Additionally, agents performing an immoral action for an unintelligible reason were judged as less predictable and less moral compared to agents performing the same immoral act for an unstated reason (Studies 3–5). This moral preference persisted when participants viewed video footage of each agent's immoral action (Study 5). Finally, agents performing immoral actions in an unusual way were judged as less predictable and less moral than those performing the same actions in a more common manner (Study 6). The present research demonstrates how immoral actions performed without a clear motive or in an unpredictable way are perceived to be especially indicative of poor moral character. In revealing peoples' moral preference for predictable immoral actors, we propose that perceptions of predictability play an important, yet overlooked, role in judgments of moral character. Furthermore, we propose that predictability influences judgments of moral character for its ultimate role in reducing social uncertainty and facilitating cooperation with trustworthy individuals and discuss how these findings may be accommodated by person-centered theories of moral judgment and theories of morality-as-cooperation. • We investigate the role perceptions of predictability play in judgments of morality. • Participants judged the morality of predictable and unpredictable immoral actors. • Unpredictable actors were judged as less moral even when performing fewer immoral acts. • Overall, we observed a moral preference for more predictable immoral actors. • Perceptions of predictability play an important role in judgments of moral character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across six studies (N = 1988 US residents and 81 traditional people of Papua), participants judged agents acting in sacrificial moral dilemmas. Utilitarian agents, described as opting to sacrifice a single individual for the greater good, were perceived as less predictable and less moral than deontological agents whose inaction resulted in five people being harmed. These effects generalize to a non-Western sample of the Dani people, a traditional indigenous society of Papua, and persist when controlling for homophily and notions of behavioral typicality. Notably, deontological agents are no longer morally preferred when the actions of utilitarian agents are made to seem more predictable. Lastly, we find that peoples' lay theory of predictability is flexible and multi-faceted, but nevertheless understood and used holistically in assessing the moral character of others. On the basis of our findings, we propose that assessments of predictability play an important role when judging the morality of others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxycinnamoyltransferase (HCT) from sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) participates in an early step of the phenylpropanoid pathway, exchanging coenzyme A (CoA) esterified to p-coumaric acid with shikimic or quinic acid as intermediates in the biosynthesis of the monolignols coniferyl alcohol and sinapyl alcohol. In order to elucidate the mode of action of this enzyme, we have determined the crystal structures of SbHCT in its apo-form and ternary complex with shikimate and p-coumaroyl-CoA, which was converted to its product during crystal soaking. The structure revealed the roles of threonine-36, serine-38, tyrosine-40, histidine-162, arginine-371, and threonine-384 in catalysis and specificity. Based on the exact chemistry of p-coumaroyl-CoA and shikimic acid in the active site and an analysis of kinetic and thermodynamic data of the wild type and mutants, we propose a role for histidine-162 and threonine-36 in the catalytic mechanism of HCT. Considering the calorimetric data, substrate binding of SbHCT should occur sequentially, with p-coumaroyl-CoA binding prior to the acyl acceptor molecule. While some HCTs can use both shikimate and quinate as an acyl acceptor, SbHCT displays low activity toward quinate. Comparison of the structure of sorghum HCT with the HCT involved in chlorogenic acid synthesis in coffee (Coffea canephora) revealed many shared features. Taken together, these observations explain how CoA-dependent transferases with similar structural features can participate in different biochemical pathways across species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating risks associated with the use of childhood vaccines is challenging. The authors propose a new approach for studying short-term vaccine-related risks. The method uses a cubic smoothing spline to flexibly estimate the daily risk of an event after vaccination. The predicted incidence rates from the spline regression are then compared with the expected rates under a log-linear trend that excludes the days surrounding vaccination. The 2 models are then used to estimate the excess cumulative incidence attributable to the vaccination during the 42-day period after vaccination. Confidence intervals are obtained using a model-based bootstrap procedure. The method is applied to a study of known effects (positive controls) and expected noneffects (negative controls) of the measles, mumps, and rubella and measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccines among children who are 1 year of age. The splines revealed well-resolved spikes in fever, rash, and adenopathy diagnoses, with the maximum incidence occurring between 9 and 11 days after vaccination. For the negative control outcomes, the spline model yielded a predicted incidence more consistent with the modeled day-specific risks, although there was evidence of increased risk of diagnoses of congenital malformations after vaccination, possibly because of a “provider visit effect.” The proposed approach may be useful for vaccine safety surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the developing liver, bipotent epithelial progenitor cells undergo lineage segregation to form hepatocytes, which constitute the bulk of the liver parenchyma, and biliary epithelial cells (cholangiocytes), which comprise the bile duct (a complex tubular network that is critical for normal liver function). Notch and TGFβ signalling promote the formation of a sheet of biliary epithelial cells, the ductal plate, that organises into discontinuous tubular structures. How these structures elongate and connect to form a continuous duct remains undefined. We aimed to define the mechanisms by which the ductal plate transitions from a simple sheet of epithelial cells into a complex and connected bile duct. By combining single-cell RNA sequencing of embryonic mouse livers with genetic tools and organoid models we functionally dissected the role of planar cell polarity in duct patterning. We show that the planar cell polarity protein VANGL2 is expressed late in intrahepatic bile duct development and patterns the formation of cell-cell contacts between biliary cells. The patterning of these cell contacts regulates the normal polarisation of the actin cytoskeleton within biliary cells and loss of Vangl2 function results in the abnormal distribution of cortical actin remodelling, leading to the failure of bile duct formation. Planar cell polarity is a critical step in the post-specification sculpture of the bile duct and is essential for establishing normal tissue architecture. Like other branched tissues, such as the lung and kidney, the bile ducts use planar cell polarity signalling to coordinate cell movements; however, how these biochemical signals are linked to ductular patterning remains unclear. Here we show that the core planar cell polarity protein VANGL2 patterns how cell-cell contacts form in the mammalian bile duct and how ductular cells transmit confluent mechanical changes along the length of a duct. This work sheds light on how biological tubes are patterned across mammalian tissues (including within the liver) and will be important in how we promote ductular growth in patients where the duct is mis-patterned or poorly formed. [Display omitted] • Bile ducts express high levels of planar cell polarity genes when they are undergoing morphogenesis. • VANGL2 physically interacts with desmosome protein DSG1A and patterns cell-cell contacts. • Loss of functional VANGL2 prevents ducts from coordinating their actin cytoskeleton normally. • Ducts with dysregulated cytoskeletal dynamics because of dysfunctional VANGL2 fail to connect and form a continuous biliary tree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Animal studies on refractory ceramic fiber (RCF) have led to the suggestion that RCF might resemble asbestos in carcinogenicity. Human data are available to test this hypothesis. Methods: We compared the occurrence of lung cancer and mesothelioma in 605 men engaged in the manufacture of RCF and followed since 1987 to cancer rates that would have been anticipated if airborne RCF were carcinogenic to the same degree as are crocidolite, amosite or chrysotile asbestos. We integrated the results of workplace exposure monitoring with mortality follow-up using formulas presented by Hodgson and Darnton (2000) to estimate hypothesized risks under different asbestos scenarios. Results: During 15,281 person-years of observation, there were 12 deaths from lung cancer. General population rates predicted 11.8 cases expected for an observed/expected (O/E) ratio of 1.0. Anticipated numbers of deaths from lung cancer under hypotheses of carcinogenicity similar to that of amphiboles and chrysotile were 62 and 17, allowing for rejection of amphibole-like effects ( p < 10−5) but not chrysotile-like carcinogenicity ( p = 0.15). There were no cases of mesothelioma, as compared to 4.9 anticipated under a crocidolite-like hypothesis ( p = 0.007 to reject), 1.0 for amosite ( p = 0.38) and 0.05 for chrysotile ( p = 0.95). Conclusion: There was no increase in lung cancer or mesothelioma in these workers exposed to RCF. If the cohort had the same exposure to crocidolite asbestos the number of lung cancer and mesothelioma cases would have been significantly greater than observed. The data do not yet permit a similar conclusion with respect to chrysotile asbestos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Task performance while sleep deprived may be moderated by the controlled attention required by the task (Pilcher, Band, Odle-Dusseau, & Muth, 2007). This study examined the effects of 28 h of sleep deprivation on respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) during tasks with low and high controlled attention demands. The results showed that RSA increased throughout the night for both task types, but was consistently reduced during the low compared to high controlled attention tasks. The increase in RSA was linear for the high controlled attention tasks but curvilinear for the low ones. Hence, RSA followed a circadian pattern during the low controlled attention tasks but not the high ones. These results suggest that the effects of sleep deprivation on task performance may be moderated by parasympathetic activity and task type, and this has implications for task assignment during sustained operations that cause sleep deprivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a vision for a national-scale heavy mineral (HM) map generated through automated mineralogical identification and quantification of HMs contained in floodplain sediments from large catchments covering most of Australia. The composition of the sediments reflects the dominant rock types in each catchment, with the generally resistant HMs largely preserving the mineralogical fingerprint of their host protoliths through the weathering-transport-deposition cycle. Heavy mineral presence/absence, absolute and relative abundance, and co-occurrence are metrics useful to map, discover and interpret catchment lithotype(s), geodynamic setting, magmatism, metamorphic grade, alteration and/or mineralization. Underpinning this vision is a pilot project, focusing on a subset from the national sediment sample archive, which is used to demonstrate the feasibility of the larger, national-scale project. We preview a bespoke, cloud-based mineral network analysis (MNA) tool to visualize, explore and discover relationships between HMs as well as between them and geological settings or mineral deposits. We envisage that the Heavy Mineral Map of Australia and MNA tool will contribute significantly to mineral prospectivity analysis and modeling, particularly for technology critical elements and their host minerals, which are central to the global economy transitioning to a more sustainable, lower carbon energy model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: To identify predictors of colon ischemia, we examined demographic and clinical characteristics of patients, as well as their prior health care utilization.METHODS: Using insurance data, we identified 700 persons at least 20-yr old with presumed colon ischemia between 1995 and 1999, and 6,440 controls. Case identification was based on diagnosis and procedure codes in insurance claims for which we used a previously reported, validated algorithm. We ascertained preceding medical diagnoses and the use of drugs and health services from the insurance claims files.RESULTS: Patients with colon ischemia were nearly three times as likely to have IBS than controls. A history of nonspecific colitis, lower gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage, systemic rheumatologic disorders, and ischemic heart disease in the preceding 6 months, and abdominal surgery in the past month were also much more common in colon ischemia cases than controls. Use of a drug to treat diarrhea was strongly associated with risk. The most prevalent risk factor for colon ischemia was the use of drugs with a side effect of constipation, found in one-third of cases and one in nine controls. Cases had seen physicians, particularly gastroenterologists, much more commonly in the preceding 6 months than had controls.CONCLUSIONS: Clinically evident colon ischemia arises preferentially in persons with prior abdominal complaints, many of whom carry a diagnosis of IBS. Drugs that reduce bowel motility may constitute a widespread and potentially avoidable risk factor. The frequency of preceding doctor visits, without a specific diagnosis, suggests that colon ischemia may have a prolonged subacute presentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation quantified the effect of statins on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in an observational setting where fluvastatin represented most of the statin use. The study applied propensity scores to match statin initiators to statin noninitiators and followed them for the occurrence of AMI. Serum low-density lipoprotein levels were reduced by statin therapy, and there were fewer incidents of AMI in statin initiators than in noninitiators. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In millennia past, and until recently, among hunter-gatherers and like populations, in all populations, in measure, down through the ages, the securing of sufficient food was life’s primary purpose. Virtually all people were physically very active during early life and later in their everyday occupations. In contrast, nowadays, in Western populations, with relative abundance of food, the way of life is mainly one of enjoyment of meals, of work, and of leisure time, in a context of as few as one child per family, and with long survival times of about 75 to 80 y, due in large part to much reduced child mortality and the effective treatments of disorders and diseases. As to changes in food consumption, compared with the erratic and often monotonous fares of the past, both far and not so distant, everyday diets have changed tremendously in variety, nutritional value, and palatability such that, inter alia, overeating is almost inevitable. Compounding the latter, sedentariness is the rule, in contrast to the previously very high level of everyday physical activity in the masses of populations. In consequence, one speculation is that, by 2230, “all Americans will be obese.” Although the living of much longer lives is highly gratifying, understandably, all wish to have longer “healthy life expectancy,” i.e. to suffer as little as possible before death. However, with regard to the present-day “passive consumer,” although the practical recommendations for leading still healthier lives, dietarily and non-dietarily, are well known, very few are interested, and still fewer practice them. Nevertheless, for the few who, with determination, are eager to improve their lifestyles, there could be highly profitable lengthening of years of “healthy life expectancy” by eating less, eating more plant foods, being much more physically active, and restricting non-dietary risk factors (smoking, alcohol consumption). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: We sought to develop a ranking scheme that assigns a probability of having one of four psychiatric disorders to children based on their scores on a symptom scale. We then estimated the impact of each scale symptom on the prevalence of the disorder in the population. Method: Logistic regressions were specified for ADHD, ODD, depressive, and conduct disorders using all the individual symptoms in the pertinent scale as predictors. Individual fitted values from the regression function then served as a probability scale measure. We combined the prevalence and influence of each scale symptom to calculate its overall impact on the prevalence of the disorder. Results: Probability distributions had a wide range of values and discriminated between cases and non-cases. Those having a disorder were consistently associated with higher probabilities in the scale. The estimated probability corresponds to the empiric prevalence of the diagnosis in a group of persons sharing the same estimated probabilities. Symptoms varied on their impact on the prevalence of the disorder. Conclusions: We recommend the estimated probability of the disorder based on the empirically defined scales as dimensional measures that complement prevalence of the disorder. Different symptoms are identified as targets for screening when selection is based on their impact on the prevalence of the disorder than when selection is based on the strength of the association with the disorder. We recommend using a common nosology with different classification schemes; the categorical definition of the disorder, the probability of having the disorder, and the impact of each symptom in the prevalence. Different measures serve different purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although workers in refractory ceramic fibers (RCF) manufacturing facilities have experienced no elevations in lung cancer or mesothelioma rates, the historical experience of asbestos together with animal studies of RCF have led to ongoing studies of the respiratory health of RCF workers. We have compared lung cancer and mesothelioma in the accumulated mortality experience of a cohort of male RCF production workers (Lemasters et al., 2001, submitted for publication) to that which would have been expected if RCF had a carcinogenic potency similar to that of various forms of asbestos. To accomplish this, we used risk models recently formalized by Hodgson and Darnton (2000, Ann. Occup. Hyg.41, 13–36) for asbestos cohorts together with the RCF exposure measurements and historical reconstructions of Rice and colleagues (1997, Appl. Occup. Environ. Hyg.12, 54–61). Deaths from lung cancer in the RCF cohort are statistically significantly below that which would be expected if RCF had the potency of either crocidolite or amosite. The mortality is also lower than would be expected if RCF had the potency of chrysotile, but the difference is not statistically significant. For mesothelioma, the anticipated numbers of deaths under hypotheses of asbestos-like potency are too small to be rejected by the zero cases seen in the RCF cohorts. The current epidemiologic studies do not rule out risk, but they clearly do rule out lung cancer risks like those of crocidolite or amosite. The residual uncertainty justifies ongoing workplace surveillance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In many Sub-Saharan African populations, in particular urban dwellers, there have been marked rises in the prevalences of obesity in women, hypertension, diabetes, and cerebral vascular disease. Yet there have been only slight rises in coronary heart disease. To learn more of the roles of the various influencing factors in the puzzling situations described, some aspects of the past and present occurrences of these diseases are described and discussed, with comparisons being made with corresponding situations in African Americans, as well as in certain white populations. Despite increases in the knowledge of influencing factors, such fail to explain fully the epidemiologic situations described. As to the future, judging from the experiences of other populations, despite continuing indigence, within the next generation significant rises in coronary heart disease in certain African populations seem to be inevitable. However, in many of those populations, in particular those in the South, the extent of changes, apart from those linked with level of socioeconomic state, will be strongly affected by the rising epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Focuses on the transitional change of nutrition and aging of elderly in Africa. Growth in elderly population; Survival rate of the aged; Foods the preferred by old people; Causes of geriatric diseases; Determination of nutritional intakes.

The subject of the future regarding nutritional status and food security, and of their ramifications in terms of nutrition-related disorders/diseases in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) populations, is a complex one. As well as social unrest, a country’s socioeconomic situation may affect food availability and, crucially, influence the generally low proportions of the Gross National Product devoted to health services. Additional determinants include changes in the roles of non-dietary adverse factors (i.e. smoking practice, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity) and of infections (i.e. gastroenteritis, malaria, tuberculosis and, particularly, HIV). As to future health in 2020, major increases in socioeconomic status are very unlikely; in fact, there has been a deterioration in some countries with food shortages affecting nutrition status and food security. However, with some measures of prosperity there are likely to be decreases in family size and falls in the proportions of children born with low birthweights or with protein-energy-malnutrition (PEM), and of children lying under the 5th percentile of growth reference standards. Simultaneously, though. there will be variable rises, especially in urban dwellers, in the occurrence of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. Improvements in the health status of both children and adults are likely to be strongly affected by whether HIV infection can be controlled or whether it becomes rampant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work (N = 1906 U.S. residents) investigates the extent to which peoples' evaluations of actions can be biased by the strategic use of euphemistic (agreeable) and dysphemistic (disagreeable) terms. We find that participants' evaluations of actions are made more favorable by replacing a disagreeable term (e.g., torture) with a semantically related agreeable term (e.g., enhanced interrogation) in an act's description. Notably, the influence of agreeable and disagreeable terms was reduced (but not eliminated) when making actions less ambiguous by providing participants with a detailed description of each action. Despite their influence, participants judged both agreeable and disagreeable action descriptions as largely truthful and distinct from lies, and judged agents using such descriptions as more trustworthy and moral than liars. Overall, the results of the current study suggest that a strategic speaker can, through the careful use of language, sway the opinions of others in a preferred direction while avoiding many of the reputational costs associated with less subtle forms of linguistic manipulation (e.g., lying). Like the much-studied phenomenon of "fake news," manipulative language can serve as a tool for misleading the public, doing so not with falsehoods but rather the strategic use of language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]