The Effect of New Jersey Lottery Promotions on Consumer Demand and State Profits

We estimate elasticities of demand for New Jersey’s Pick 3 and Pick 4 midday/evening numbers games by exploiting random price variation generated by episodic promotions for each game. These Pick 3 Green Ball and Pick 4 Red Ball promotions lower the price of a lottery ticket for an evening numbers game by increasing prize payments during the 28-day promotion periods. The own-price elasticity of demand for the evening Pick 3 and Pick 4 games are both approximately -0.5. During the promotions, the loss in margin outweighs the gain in sales because of this inelastic demand. However, Green Ball promotions increase state profits by about $14.5 million because of the increase in sales of Pick 3/Pick 4 games and instant games after the promotion ends, and because of the complementarity of Pick 3 with Pick 4 and instant games during the promotion. Red Ball promotions reduce state profits by an estimated$2.6 million because increased evening Pick 4 sales after the promotion ends are not sufficient to offset the losses during the promotion, and the Pick 4 promotion has a net negative effect on other lottery games. (JEL D12, H71, L83, L98

Hydrochloric Acid Infusion for the Treatment of Metabolic Alkalosis in Surgical Intensive Care Unit Patients

Background: Older reports of use of hydrochloric acid (HCl) infusions for treatment of metabolic alkalosis document variable dosing strategies and risk. Objectives: This study sought to characterize use of HCl infusions in surgical intensive care unit patients for the treatment of metabolic alkalosis. Methods: This retrospective review included patients who received a HCl infusion for \u3e8 hours. The primary end point was to evaluate the utility of common acid-base equations for predicting HCl dose requirements. Secondary end points evaluated adverse effects, efficacy, duration of therapy, and total HCl dose needed to correct metabolic alkalosis. Data on demographics, potential causes of metabolic alkalosis, fluid volume, and duration of diuretics as well as laboratory data were collected. Results: A total of 30 patients were included, and the average HCl infusion rate was 10.5 ± 3.7 mEq/h for an average of 29 ± 14.6 hours. Metabolic alkalosis was primarily diuretic-induced (n = 26). Efficacy was characterized by reduction in the median total serum CO2 from 34 to 27 mM/L (P \u3c 0.001). The change in chloride ion deficit and change in apparent strong ion difference (SIDa) were not correlated with total HCl administered. There were no documented serious adverse effects related to HCl infusions. Conclusion: HCl was effective for treating metabolic alkalosis, and no serious adverse events were seen. In this clinical setting, the baseline chloride ion deficit and SIDa were not useful for prediction of total HCl dose requirement, and serial monitoring of response is recommended

Comparison of the microbial population in rabbits and guinea pigs by next generation sequencing

<div><p>This study aimed to determine the microbial composition of faeces from two groups of caecotrophagic animals; rabbits and guinea pigs. In addition the study aimed to determine the community present in the different organs in the rabbit. DNA was extracted from seven of the organs in wild rabbits (n = 5) and from faecal samples from domesticated rabbits (n = 6) and guinea pigs (n = 6). Partial regions of the small ribosomal sub-unit were amplified by PCR and then the sequences present in each sample were determined by next generation sequencing. Differences were detected between samples from rabbit and guinea pig faeces, suggesting that there is not a microbial community common to caecotrophagic animals. Differences were also detected in the different regions of the rabbits’ digestive tracts. As with previous work, many of the organisms detected were Firmicutes or unclassified species and there was a lack of Fibrobacteres, but for the first time we observed a high number of Bacteroidetes in rabbit samples. This work re-iterates high levels of Firmicutes and unclassified species are present in the rabbit gut, together with low number of Fibrobacteres. This suggests that in the rabbit gut, organisms other than the Fibrobacteres must be responsible for fibre digestion. However observation of high numbers of Bacteroidetes suggests that this phylum may indeed have a role to play in digestion in the rabbit gut.</p></div

A tankönyvellátás változásai a rendszerváltozás után

<p>Percentage of each phylum present in fresh faecal samples collected from domesticated rabbits and rectal samples collected from wild rabbits together with the percentage of sequences which could not be classified within a particular phylum.</p

Resource Planning for Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Control Programs: Feasibility Study of the Tool for Integrated Planning and Costing (TIPAC).

<p>Resource Planning for Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Control Programs: Feasibility Study of the Tool for Integrated Planning and Costing (TIPAC)</p

Temperature–time evolution of the Assynt Terrane of the Lewisian Gneiss Complex of Northwest Scotland from zircon U-Pb dating and Ti thermometry

The Lewisian Gneiss Complex of Northwest Scotland is a classic Precambrian basement gneiss complex. The Lewisian is divided into a number of terranes on the basis of structural, metamorphic and geochronological evidence. The most well-studied of these is the Assynt Terrane, which forms the central part of the Lewisian outcrop on the Scottish mainland. Field evidence shows that it has a complex tectonothermal history, the early stages of which remain poorly constrained. This paper sets out to better understand the chronology and thermal evolution of the Assynt Terrane through zircon U-Pb dating and Ti-in-zircon thermometry, the latter applied to the Lewisian for the first time. This is placed in context by integration with detailed field mapping, sample petrography, zircon cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging and rare earth element (REE) analysis. Zircons from six tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG) gneiss samples and two metasedimentary gneiss samples were analysed. The TTG gneisses were predominantly retrogressed to amphibolite-facies; zircons showed a range of CL zoning patterns and REE profiles were similar to those expected for magmatic zircon grains. Zircons from the metasedimentary gneisses also displayed a range of CL zoning patterns and are depleted relative to chondrite in heavy REEs due to the presence of garnet. Zircon analysis records a spread of concordant U-Pb ages from ∼2500 to 3000 Ma. There is no evident correlation of ages with location in the crystal or with CL zoning pattern. A weighted average of 207Pb/206Pb ages from the oldest igneous zircon cores from the TTG gneiss samples gives an age of 2958 ± 7 Ma, interpreted to be a magmatic protolith crystallisation age. A weighted average of 207Pb/206Pb ages of the youngest metamorphic rims yields an age of 2482 ± 6 Ma, interpreted to represent the last high-grade metamorphism to affect these rocks. Ti-in-zircon thermometry records minimum temperatures of 710–834 °C, interpreted to reflect magmatic crystallisation. REE profiling enabled the zircons in the metasedimentary rocks to be linked to the presence of metamorphic garnet, but resetting of U-Pb systematics precluded the determination of either protolith or metamorphic ages. Zircons from the metasedimentary gneisses generally record higher minimum temperatures (803–847 °C) than the TTG gneisses, interpreted to record zircon crystallisation in an unknown protolith

Perceptions on diversity in cardiology: A survey of cardiology fellowship training program directors

Background The lack of diversity in the cardiovascular physician workforce is thought to be an important driver of racial and sex disparities in cardiac care. Cardiology fellowship program directors play a critical role in shaping the cardiology workforce. Methods and Results To assess program directors\u27 perceptions about diversity and barriers to enhancing diversity, the authors conducted a survey of 513 fellowship program directors or associate directors from 193 unique adult cardiology fellowship training programs. The response rate was 21% of all individuals (110/513) representing 57% of US general adult cardiology training programs (110/193). While 69% of respondents endorsed the belief that diversity is a driver of excellence in health care, only 26% could quote 1 to 2 references to support this statement. Sixty-three percent of respondents agreed that our program is diverse already so diversity does not need to be increased. Only 6% of respondents listed diversity as a top 3 priority when creating the cardiovascular fellowship rank list. Conclusions These findings suggest that while program directors generally believe that diversity enhances quality, they are less familiar with the literature that supports that contention and they may not share a unified definition of diversity. This may result in diversity enhancement having a low priority. The authors propose several strategies to engage fellowship training program directors in efforts to diversify cardiology fellowship training programs

Progress of Trachoma Mapping in Mainland Tanzania: Results of Baseline Surveys from 2012 to 2014.

PURPOSE: Following surveys in 2004-2006 in 50 high-risk districts of mainland Tanzania, trachoma was still suspected to be widespread elsewhere. We report on baseline surveys undertaken from 2012 to 2014. METHODS: A total of 31 districts were surveyed. In 2012 and 2013, 12 at-risk districts were selected based on proximity to known trachoma endemic districts, while in 2014, trachoma rapid assessments were undertaken, and 19 of 55 districts prioritized for baseline surveys. A multi-stage cluster random sampling methodology was applied whereby 20 villages (clusters) and 36 households per cluster were surveyed. Eligible participants, children aged 1-9 years and people aged 15 years and older, were examined for trachoma using the World Health Organization simplified grading system. RESULTS: A total of 23,171 households were surveyed and 104,959 participants (92.3% of those enumerated) examined for trachoma signs. A total of 44,511 children aged 1-9 years and 65,255 people aged 15 years and older were examined for trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) and trichiasis, respectively. Prevalence of TF varied by district, ranging from 0.0% (95% confidence interval, CI 0.0-0.1%) in Mbinga to 11.8% (95% CI 6.8-16.5%) in Chunya. Trichiasis prevalence was lowest in Urambo (0.03%, 95% CI 0.00-0.24%) and highest in Kibaha (1.08%, 95% CI 0.74-1.43%). CONCLUSION: Only three districts qualified for mass drug administration with azithromycin. Trichiasis is still a public health problem in many districts, thus community-based trichiasis surgery should be considered to prevent blindness due to trachoma. These findings will facilitate achievement of trachoma elimination objectives

Lawmakers\u27 Use of Scientific Evidence Can Be Improved

Core to the goal of scientific exploration is the opportunity to guide future decision-making. Yet, elected officials often miss opportunities to use science in their policymaking. This work reports on an experiment with the US Congress-evaluating the effects of a randomized, dual-population (i.e., researchers and congressional offices) outreach model for supporting legislative use of research evidence regarding child and family policy issues. In this experiment, we found that congressional offices randomized to the intervention reported greater value of research for understanding issues than the control group following implementation. More research use was also observed in legislation introduced by the intervention group. Further, we found that researchers randomized to the intervention advanced their own policy knowledge and engagement as well as reported benefits for their research following implementation