The Effect of Losses Disguised as Wins and Near Misses in Electronic Gaming Machines: A Systematic Review.

Near misses and losses disguised as wins have been of interest to gambling researchers and policymakers for many years (e.g., Griffiths in J Gambl Stud 9(2):101-120, 1993). This systematic literature review describes the behavioural, psychological, and psychobiological effects of near misses and losses disguised as wins (LDWs) in an effort to evaluate their precise influence on the player and to highlight areas requiring further investigation. A systematic search for relevant studies was conducted using Scopus, PubMed, PsycINFO, ProQuest Sociology databases, and the Gambling Research Exchange Ontario Knowledge Repository. A total of 51 (from an initial pool of 802) experimental peer-reviewed studies using human participants were found between 1991 and 2015. The systematic review revealed that near misses motivate continued play, but have varying effects on the emotional state or betting behaviour of the player. Near miss events were also shown to be associated with elevated skin conductance levels and diffuse activity across the brain, most consistently in areas processing reinforcement and reward. Re-examination of the studies of near misses events after classifying the type of game feedback suggested that the effectiveness of near misses is related to the phenomenology of a near miss itself rather than as a response to auditory or visual feedback provided by a slot machine. In contrast to near misses, the presence of LDWs was found to relate to an overestimation of how much a player is actually winning and was consistently viewed as an exciting event. The effect of LDWs appears to be driven by the presence of visuals and sounds most often associated with a true win. Practical implications and directions for future research are also discussed.

A hybrid bayesian approach for genome-wide association studies on related individuals.

MOTIVATION: Both single marker and simultaneous analysis face challenges in GWAS due to the large number of markers genotyped for a small number of subjects. This large p small n problem is particularly challenging when the trait under investigation has low heritability. METHOD: In this article, we propose a two-stage approach that is a hybrid method of single and simultaneous analysis designed to improve genomic prediction of complex traits. In the first stage, we use a Bayesian independent screening method to select the most promising SNPs. In the second stage, we rely on a hierarchical model to analyze the joint impact of the selected markers. The model is designed to take into account familial dependence in the different subjects, while using local-global shrinkage priors on the marker effects. RESULTS: We evaluate the performance in simulation studies, and consider an application to animal breeding data. The illustrative data analysis reveals an encouraging result in terms of prediction performance and computational cost.

The effect of pressure-induced structural transition on exchange interaction function and electronic structure in Gd-element.

In the present work, two models based on the mean field approximation and density functional theory are developed for two independent subsystems - the "local-spin exchange" and "conduction band" - in order to analysis the elimination of exchange anisotropy, where the possibility of Kondo-like behavior in gadolinium-element can be investigated. These models allow us to describe the coupled spin-lattice subsystems in direction to remove the intra-layer loop of exchange of "hexagonal" to lower symmetry of "rhombohedral" (crystallography slip). The intra-layer "a-b" loop exchange, which is the cause of exchange anisotropy, was calculated by the exchange eigenvalue-eigenfunction Jij(R(→) - R(→)') between two completely separate magnetic ions (Rij ≥ 3.6 Š≫ R4f ≈ 0.36 Å) in the metallic Gd-element, where there is no crystal field effect (L = 0) and to a good approximation no notable hybridization in the mean field approximation. In this regard, the pressure induced phase transition of Gd from hexagonal to rhombohedral as the result of the first principle density functional theory by using the Wien2K package within the PBE + U approximation, is investigated. We observed the leakage of d orbitals into f orbitals in the electronic structure of the Gd rhombohedral phase, as well as the coincidence of all three principal directions in the eigenvalue (λmin(K)). Both phenomena can predict the appearance of Kondo-like behavior in Gd.

Measurements of the magnetic-field-tuned conductivity of disordered two-dimensional Mo43Ge57 and InOx superconducting films: evidence for a universal minimum superfluid response.

Our measurements of the low frequency ac conductivity in strongly disordered two-dimensional films near the magnetic-field-tuned superconductor-to-insulator transition show a sudden drop in the phase stiffness of superconducting order with either increased temperature or magnetic field. Surprisingly, for two different material systems, the abrupt drop in the superfluid density in a magnetic field has the same universal value as that expected for a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition in a zero magnetic field. The characteristic temperature at which phase stiffness is suddenly lost can be tuned to zero at a critical magnetic field, following a power-law behavior with a critical exponent consistent with that obtained in previous dc transport studies on the dissipative side of the transition.

Analysis of membrane tank-tread of nonspherical capsules and red blood cells.

We present an analysis of membrane motion of deformable capsules and red blood cells suspended in a linear shear flow and undergoing swinging and tumbling motions using three-dimensional numerical simulations. This study is motivated by the theory of the shape-preserving cells which predicts that the direction of the membrane rotation depends on the cell orientation and reverses at every 45° inclination angle of the cell major axis with respect to the external flow direction. By considering large deformation of capsules and red blood cells, here we investigate how the shape oscillation affects the time dependence and the direction reversal of the membrane rotation. We find that the membrane tank-tread is highly time-dependent in nature and synchronized with the time-dependent deformation. The maximum and minimum of the tank-tread velocity occur at and near the minimum and maximum deformation, respectively. For the swinging capsules and red blood cells, the direction of the membrane rotation is always along the direction of the external fluid rotation; however, a direction reversal occurs during the tumbling motion in which case the membrane rotates in the direction of the external fluid rotation when the major axis is mostly in the extensional quadrant of the shear flow, and in the opposite direction when it is mostly in the compressional quadrant. Unlike the theory which predicts the direction reversal at every 45° inclination angle irrespective of the control parameters, namely, the capillary number, viscosity ratio, and asphericity, we find that the angle at which the direction reversal occurs depends on these parameters. In particular, if the tumbling motion occurs by decreasing the capillary number, the membrane rotation is in the direction of the external flow rotation in the entire extensional quadrant, but in the opposite direction in the compressional quadrant, irrespective of the specific values of the capillary number. If the tumbling motion occurs by increasing the viscosity ratio and asphericity, the angle at which the direction reversal occurs depends on the specific values of these two parameters. The spatial variation of the tank-tread velocity also is analyzed and attributed to the straining motion of the external flow.

Superconductivity in CuxBi2Se3 and its implications for pairing in the undoped topological insulator.

Bi2Se3 is one of a handful of known topological insulators. Here we show that copper intercalation in the van der Waals gaps between the Bi2Se3 layers, yielding an electron concentration of approximately 2x10{20} cm{-3}, results in superconductivity at 3.8 K in CuxBi2Se3 for 0.12

Identification & characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolates from patients with diarrhoea in Iran.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli are important serotypes of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) subgroup that cause attaching and effacing lesions in enterocytes by producing verotoxins or shiga-like toxins resulting in haemorrhagic colitis (HC) and haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The aim of this study was to detect these serotypes specially E. coli O157:H7 in stool samples of patients with diarrhoea and identification of virulence genes (STX1, STX2, Hly and EAE) in Shahrekord-Iran area using PCR technique. METHODS: Two hundred diarrhoeal stool samples of patients were collected through 2007-2008. Microbiological and biochemical examinations were done to detect the E. coli. Serological tests carried out to identify the O157 or O157:H7 serotypes. RESULTS: Of the 58 E. coli isolates, 16 (27.6%) were detected as STX1 carrying E. coli, four (6.9%) carrying STX2, eight (13.8%) carrying both STX1 and STX2, and 12 (20.7%) were Hly carrying E. coli, but none of the isolates contained EAE gene. None of the isolates were E. coli O157 or O157:H7 serotypes. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed that verotoxigenic E. coli isolates other than O157 serotype were involved in causing diarrhoea in Shahrekord-Iran.

Visualizing pair formation on the atomic scale and the search for the mechanism of superconductivity in high-T(c) cuprates.

We have developed several new experimental techniques, based on the scanning tunneling microscope, to visualize the process of pair formation on the atomic scale and to probe with high precision what controls the strength of pairing in high-T(c) cuprate superconductor compounds. These new experiments provide evidence that pairing in these exotic superconductors occurs above the bulk transition temperature and in nanoscale regions with sizes of 1-3 nm. The high temperature nucleation and proliferation of these nanoscale puddles have a strong connection to the temperature-doping phase diagram of these superconductors. On average we have found that the pairing gap Δ and the temperature at which they first nucleate T(p) follow the simple relation: 2Δ/k(B)T(p)∼8. Moreover, the variations of the pairing strength on the nanoscale can be examined to find microscopic clues to the mechanism of pairing. Specifically, we have found evidence that suggests that strong electronic correlation, as opposed to coupling of electrons to bosons, is responsible for the pairing mechanism in the cuprates. Surprisingly, we have found that nanoscale measurements of electronic correlations in the normal state (at temperatures as high as twice T(c)) can be used to predict the strength of the local pairing interaction at low temperatures.

Evaluation of effectiveness of local insulin injection in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patient with carpal tunnel syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common type of peripheral nerve entrapment and is a significant cause of morbidity. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) has more incidences in diabetic patients. It has been suggested that insulin has an effect on nerve regeneration similar to that of nerve growth factor (NGF). Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of local insulin injection on the median nerve in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) who have mild-to-moderate carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We carried out a prospective, randomized, single-blind, case-controlled study in these patients. We randomly selected 50 patients, 20 of whom had bilateral mild-moderate CTS. Therefore we had 70 hands and categorized them into two groups. At the baseline we injected NPH insulin (10U) directly into the carpal tunnel in group 1, and performed physiotherapy for the other group (group 2). Two weeks later, NPH insulin (10U) was injected into the carpal tunnel again and we continued physiotherapy for group 2. Electrodiagnostic study was performed for these two groups before treatment and 4 weeks after the last injection and physiotherapy. The patients were followed up for 6 weeks. RESULTS: In both groups decrement of distal motor latency (DML) of the median nerves statistically was significant. In both groups, the increment of the sensory nerve conduction velocity was statistically significant. Also the decrement of pain, paresthesia, numbness, weakness/clumsiness and nocturnal awaking was statistically significant in both groups. But there was no significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Local insulin injection is an effective and safe treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome in NIDDM patients as physiotherapy

The diagnostic value of ultrasonography in patients with electrophysiologicaly confirmed carpal tunnel syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic value of ultrasonography in patients with electrophysiologically confirmed carpal tunnel syndrome. DESIGN: A prospective ultrasonographic study of 70 wrists with electrophysiologically confirmed carpal tunnel syndrome and of 80 normal wrists. Receiver-operating-characteristics curves for the ultrasonographic measurements of median nerve were plotted to identify the most optimal cutoff values. RESULTS: The ultrasonographic measurements of median nerves were found to be increased significantly in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome when compared with controls, particularly in terms of cross-sectional area (P <0.001). According to receiver-operating-characteristics curve results, the most optimal cutoff value for the cross-sectional area of the median nerve was obtained at the level of middle carpal tunnel, which was 9.3 mm2, with a sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 77.5%. CONCLUSION: Ultrasonographic examination of the median nerve seems to be a promising method in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome, evaluating the morphologic changes of the median nerve in patients with clinical signs and symptoms. Further studies with wider series are needed to confirm our preliminary results.

Evaluation of endothelial and inducible nitric oxide synthase genes expression in the heart of broiler chickens with experimental pulmonary hypertension.

1. To clarify the effect of T(3)-induced pulmonary hypertension on endothelial and inducible nitric oxide synthase (eNOS and iNOS) mRNA expression in the ventricles of the heart, semi quantitative reverse transcription-PCR was performed on total RNAs isolated from broiler chicken hearts after feeding supplementary T(3) (15 mg T3/kg) for 6 weeks. NO metabolites (nitrite/nitrate) of serum were measured. 2. The eNOS and iNOS genes were expressed in the right and left ventricles of control and T(3)-treated broilers at 12, 28 and 49 d of age. The relative amount of eNOS mRNA expression in the right and left ventricles did not significantly differ between control and T(3)-treated broilers at any age. 3. The relative amount of iNOS mRNA expression in the right and left ventricles was lower in T(3)-treated broilers than in control broilers at 49 d of age, but not at 12 or 28 d. 4. The amount of NO metabolites was reduced in the serum of T(3)-treated chickens at 49 d of age when compared with the control. 5. It is concluded that eNOS and iNOS genes are normally expressed in the heart of broilers. It is probable that impaired NO synthesis and reduction of iNOS gene expression in the heart ventricles are involved in the pathophysiology of cardiac function in broilers with pulmonary hypertension.

Author Correction: Layer-dependent quantum cooperation of electron and hole states in the anomalous semimetal WTe2.

This Article contains an error in the spelling of the author A. Yazdani, which is incorrectly given as A. Yadzani. The error has not been fixed in the original PDF and HTML versions of the Article.

Brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) in brucellosis.

BACKGROUND: Brucellosis is a zoonosis still endemic in many parts of the world including coastal countries of Mediterranean Sea, Middle East regions and Central and South America. Now in this study we surveyed whether patients with systemic brucellosis, BAEP differ from healthy persons or not. This will help us later, when the patients with brucellosis refer to perform BAEP to prevent misdiagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen patients with acute systemic brucellosis without neurological involvement and 15 apparently healthy persons underwent a brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) study. RESULTS: Comparison of pooled data between the systemic brucellosis and healthy groups showed no significant differences in all BAEP parameters. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, BAEP parameters in brucellosis group did not differ from healthy persons. Thus in interpretation of BAEP in patients that referred for another reason and have systemic brucellosis, it is not necessary to consider about the effect of brucellosis on BAEP.

Receptor for hyaluronan mediated motility (RHAMM/HMMR) is a novel target for promoting subcutaneous adipogenesis.

Hyaluronan, CD44 and the Receptor for Hyaluronan-Mediated Motility (RHAMM, gene name HMMR) regulate stem cell differentiation including mesenchymal progenitor differentiation. Here, we show that CD44 expression is required for subcutaneous adipogenesis, whereas RHAMM expression suppresses this process. We designed RHAMM function blocking peptides to promote subcutaneous adipogenesis as a clinical and tissue engineering tool. Adipogenic RHAMM peptides were identified by screening for their ability to promote adipogenesis in culture assays using rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, mouse pre-adipocyte cell lines and primary human subcutaneous pre-adipocytes. Oil red O uptake into fat droplets and adiponectin production were used as biomarkers of adipogenesis. Positive peptides were formulated in either collagen I or hyaluronan (Orthovisc) gels then assessed for their adipogenic potential in vivo following injection into dorsal rat skin and mammary fat pads. Fat content was quantified and characterized using micro CT imaging, morphometry, histology, RT-PCR and ELISA analyses of adipogenic gene expression. Injection of screened peptides increased dorsal back subcutaneous fat pad area (208.3 ± 10.4 mm2versus control 84.11 ± 4.2 mm2; p < 0.05) and mammary fat pad size (45 ± 11 mg above control background, p = 0.002) in female rats. This effect lasted >5 weeks as detected by micro CT imaging and perilipin 1 mRNA expression. RHAMM expression suppresses while blocking peptides promote expression of PPARγ, C/EBP and their target genes. Blocking RHAMM function by peptide injection or topical application is a novel and minimally invasive method for potentially promoting subcutaneous adipogenesis in lipodystrophic diseases and a complementary tool to subcutaneous fat augmentation techniques.

Two-dimensional chiral topological superconductivity in Shiba lattices.

The chiral p-wave superconductor is the archetypal example of a state of matter that supports non-Abelian anyons, a highly desired type of exotic quasiparticle. With this, it is foundational for the distant goal of building a topological quantum computer. While some candidate materials for bulk chiral superconductors exist, they are subject of an ongoing debate about their actual paring state. Here we propose an alternative route to chiral superconductivity, consisting of the surface of an ordinary superconductor decorated with a two-dimensional lattice of magnetic impurities. We furthermore identify a promising experimental platform to realize this proposal.

Causal Inference in the Age of Decision Medicine.

Causal analyses and causal inference is a growing area of biostatics. In parallel, there is increasing focus on using genomic information to guide medical practice, i.e. personalized medicine or decision medicine. This perspective discusses causal inference in the context of personalized or decision medicine, including the assumptions and the concept that the task is different depending on whether the primary goal is the average response of treatment in the population or the ability to characterize the response for an individual or a subgroup. This perspective provides a tutorial of modern causal inference and then provides suggestions how application of specific kinds of causal inference would promote advances in translational sciences. The concept of the subpopulation causal effect is one path toward improved decision medicine. A dataset containing cardiovascular disease risk factor levels and genomic information is analyzed and different causal effects are estimated.

Public-private partnership in tuberculosis control: experience in Hyderabad, India.

SETTING: Hyderabad, India. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether private practitioners and the government can collaborate with a nongovernmental intermediary to implement DOTS effectively. DESIGN: A non-profit hospital provided DOTS services to a population of 100000 for 3 years, then expanded coverage to 500000 in October 1998. A hospital physician visited all private practitioners, encouraged them to refer patients, and gave feedback on each patient referred. After diagnosis, patients received directly observed treatment free of charge at the trust hospital or at 30 conveniently located small hospitals operated by local private practitioners. No financial incentives were used to encourage physicians to refer patients or to provide treatment observation. Diagnosis, treatment, and case and outcome definitions were performed as per DOTS policies; medicines and laboratory reagents were provided by the government. RESULTS: All 244 allopathic and 114 non-allopathic physicians practising in the area agreed to participate; 59% referred at least one patient. Of 2244 persons referred, 969 (43%) had tuberculosis. Physicians had obtained chest radiographs on 80% of patients before referral for sputum microscopy. The detection rate increased from 50 to 200/100000 over the first 2-3 years of the project, and has increased gradually since expansion; 90% of new smear-positive patients and 77% of re-treatment patients were successfully treated. Compared with those treated at a neighbouring government DOTS centre, patients in this project paid less for diagnosis ($5 vs. $20) and treatment ($1 vs. $11), largely due to lower transport costs. CONCLUSIONS: Collaborative efforts between private practitioners and the government can achieve moderate-high rates of case detection and high rates of treatment success. Public-private services appeared to be more convenient to patients, who paid less for care and were less likely to miss work in order to participate in DOTS. Clearly defined roles and expectations and frequent communication are essential to success. An institution such as a non-profit hospital can serve as an effective intermediary between the government DOTS programme and private practitioners.

Transport and deposition of pharmaceutical particles in three commercial spacer-MDI combinations.

Respiratory drug delivery has been under the research spotlight for the past few decades, mainly due to the high incidence of pulmonary diseases and the fact that this type of delivery offers the highest efficiency for treatment. Despite its invaluable benefits, there are some major drawbacks to respiratory drug delivery, the most important of which being poor delivery efficiency and relatively high drug deposition in undesirable regions, such as the mouth cavity. One way to improve the efficiency of respiratory drug delivery with metered-dose inhalers is placing a respiratory spacer between the inhaler exit and the mouth. It is argued that high drug deposition in the immediate airways of the respiratory system is strongly affected by relatively high initial momentum of pharmaceutical particles leaving the inhaler. A respiratory spacer, however, can provide an expansion region in which the initial momentum of particles can subside. As a result, particles enter the patient׳s oral cavity more gradually and are more likely to reach the desired regions. In this study, the effectiveness of using three commercial spacers paired with a commercial inhaler is examined through numerical investigation of fluid flow and particle transport phenomena. Particles ranging from 1 to 50 µm in diameter are tracked using a Lagrangian point of view and fluid flow fields are resolved using the LRN k-ω turbulence model. A novel particle injection method is introduced and is demonstrated to be able to adequately capture the effects of particle initial momentum. Lastly, a few design suggestions are made.

Design and performance of an ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscope operating at dilution refrigerator temperatures and high magnetic fields.

We describe the construction and performance of a scanning tunneling microscope capable of taking maps of the tunneling density of states with sub-atomic spatial resolution at dilution refrigerator temperatures and high (14 T) magnetic fields. The fully ultra-high vacuum system features visual access to a two-sample microscope stage at the end of a bottom-loading dilution refrigerator, which facilitates the transfer of in situ prepared tips and samples. The two-sample stage enables location of the best area of the sample under study and extends the experiment lifetime. The successful thermal anchoring of the microscope, described in detail, is confirmed through a base temperature reading of 20 mK, along with a measured electron temperature of 250 mK. Atomically resolved images, along with complementary vibration measurements, are presented to confirm the effectiveness of the vibration isolation scheme in this instrument. Finally, we demonstrate that the microscope is capable of the same level of performance as typical machines with more modest refrigeration by measuring spectroscopic maps at base temperature both at zero field and in an applied magnetic field.