Asymmetric evaluations: Government popularity and economic performance in the United Kingdom

This article introduces a new method for testing asymmetric, reference-point-dependent behaviour in economic voting. Specifically, prospect theory suggests that people exhibit loss aversion, which crucially depends on a reference point. In practice, this reference point is often unknown. This article proposes a procedure to estimate reference points from the data using threshold models, and then test whether above- and below reference point effects are equivalent, or whether negative changes have stronger effects as predicted by prospect theory. This method is applied to the relationship between economic performance and government popularity in the United Kingdom, using monthly time series data over the last thirty years. The results show that there is asymmetric, reference-point-dependent behaviour, most notably in the relationship between unemployment and government popularity

5-Acetyl-4-(2-chloro­phen­yl)-6-methyl-3,4-dihydro­pyrimidin-2(1H)-one

In the title mol­ecule, C13H13ClN2O2, the heterocyclic ring adopts a flattened boat conformation with the plane through the four coplanar atoms making a dihedral angle of 89.16 (5)° with the benzene ring, which adopts an axial orientation. The carbonyl, acetyl and methyl groups each have an equatorial orientation. In the crystal structure, inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds lead to a tape motif. The H atoms of the methyl group at position 6 are disordered over two positions of opposite orientation

The Effect of the Religious Environment on Teenage Birth Rates in the United States

This article tests whether there exists a relationship between the religious environment and teenage birth rates. Specifically, it is hypothesized that in the USA, the presence of a greater number of religious congregations and a greater number of religious adherents in a county are associated with higher teenage birth rates in this county. The data analysis is based on public health records from the CDC, and county religiosity data from the “Religious Congregations and Membership Survey” by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB). The data analysis broadly supports the hypothesis

Ethyl 2-(2-acetoxy­benzyl­idene)-7-methyl-3-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-5H-1,3-thia­zolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine-6-carboxyl­ate1

In the title mol­ecule, C25H22N2O5S, the atoms of the thia­zolopyrimidine ring system, with the exception of the phenyl-bearing C atom [deviation = 0.177 (2) Å], are essentially planar [r.m.s deviation = 0.100 (2) °] and the mean plane of these atoms forms dihedral angles of 89.86 (10) and 7.97 (8)° with the phenyl and benzene rings, respectively. In the crystal, co-operative C—H⋯O and C—H⋯π inter­actions lead to a supra­molecular chain along the a axis. These chains are connected via π–π inter­actions [centroid–centroid = 3.7523 (13) Å]

Accumulation of the solvent vehicle sulphobutylether beta cyclodextrin sodium in critically ill patients treated with intravenous voriconazole under renal replacement therapy

BACKGROUND: Voriconazole was introduced for the treatment of life-threatening fungal infections. The intravenous form includes the solvent vehicle sulphobutylether beta cyclodextrin sodium which shows an impaired clearance under intermittent dialysis therapy. This investigation aimed to determine first clinical data on sulphobutylether beta cyclodextrin sodium blood levels to verify the risk for accumulation. METHODS: In four patients suffering from renal insufficiency and intermittent dialysis therapy who needed a treatment with intravenous voriconazole as a reserve antifungal at the intensive care unit of the Mainz University Hospital the trough levels of voriconazole and sulphobutylether beta cyclodextrin sodium were measured. RESULTS: A 75-year-old woman showed a maximal sulphobutylether beta cyclodextrin sodium plasma level of 145 μg/ml in the initial phase. After a few days renal function recovered and the plasma levels came down to less than 20 μg/ml. In contrast to this patient with a recovery of renal function the remaining three patients showed renal failure during the complete period of intravenous treatment with voriconazole. In these patients an accumulation of sulphobutylether beta cyclodextrin sodium plasma levels was determined with a maximum of 523 μg/ml in a 18-year-old man, 409 μg/ml in a 57-year-old man, and 581 μg/ml in a 47-year-old man. CONCLUSION: The present data indicate an accumulation of sulphobutylether beta cyclodextrin sodium in patients treated with intravenous voriconazole and dialysis therapy. Fortunately, no toxic effects were observed, although the accumulated dose values were lower but comparable with those used in previous toxicity studies with animals

Institutional Experience with Voriconazole Compared with Liposomal Amphotericin B as Empiric Therapy for Febrile Neutropenia

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90034/1/phco.27.7.970.pd

The Transmembrane Isoform of Plasmodium falciparum MAEBL Is Essential for the Invasion of Anopheles Salivary Glands

Malaria transmission depends on infective stages in the mosquito salivary glands. Plasmodium sporozoites that mature in midgut oocysts must traverse the hemocoel and invade the mosquito salivary glands in a process thought to be mediated by parasite ligands. MAEBL, a homologue of the transmembrane EBP ligands essential in merozoite invasion, is expressed abundantly in midgut sporozoites. Alternative splicing generates different MAEBL isoforms and so it is unclear what form is functionally essential. To identify the MAEBL isoform required for P. falciparum (NF54) sporozoite invasion of salivary glands, we created knockout and allelic replacements each carrying CDS of a single MAEBL isoform. Only the transmembrane form of MAEBL is essential and is the first P. falciparum ligand validated as essential for invasion of Anopheles salivary glands. MAEBL is the first P. falciparum ligand experimentally determined to be essential for this important step in the life cycle where the vector becomes infectious for transmitting sporozoites to people. With an increasing emphasis on advancing vector-based transgenic methods for suppression of malaria, it is important that this type of study, using modern molecular genetic tools, is done with the agent of the human disease. Understanding what P. falciparum sporozoite ligands are critical for mosquito transmission will help validate targets for vector-based transmission-blocking strategies

Herd-level animal management factors associated with the occurrence of bovine neonatal pancytopenia in calves in a multicountry study

Since 2007, mortality associated with a previously unreported haemorrhagic disease has been observed in young calves in several European countries. The syndrome, which has been named ‘bovine neonatal pancytopenia’ (BNP), is characterised by thrombocytopenia, leukocytopenia and a panmyelophthisis. A herd-level case-control study was conducted in four BNP affected countries (Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands) to identify herd management risk factors for BNP occurrence. Data were collected using structured face-to-face and telephone interviews of farm managers and their local veterinarians. In total, 363 case farms and 887 control farms were included in a matched multivariable conditional logistic regression analysis. Case-control status was strongly associated with the odds of herd level use of the vaccine PregSure® BVD (PregSure, Pfizer Animal Health) (matched adjusted odds ratio (OR) 107.2; 95% CI: 41.0–280.1). This was also the case for the practices of feeding calves colostrum from the calf’s own dam (OR 2.0; 95% CI: 1.1–3.4) or feeding pooled colostrum (OR 4.1; 95% CI: 1.9–8.8). Given that the study had relatively high statistical power and represented a variety of cattle production and husbandry systems, it can be concluded with some confidence that no other herd level management factors are competent causes for a sufficient cause of BNP occurrence on herd level. It is suggested that genetic characteristics of the dams and BNP calves should be the focus of further investigations aimed at identifying the currently missing component causes that together with PregSure vaccination and colostrum feeding represent a sufficient cause for occurrence of BNP in calves