From Molecular Cores to Planet-forming Disks with SIRTF

The SIRTF mission and the Legacy programs will provide coherent data bases for extra-galactic and Galactic science that will rapidly become available to researchers through a public archive. The capabilities of SIRTF and the six legacy programs are described briefly. Then the cores to disks (c2d) program is described in more detail. The c2d program will use all three SIRTF instruments (IRAC, MIPS, and IRS) to observe sources from molecular cores to protoplanetary disks, with a wide range of cloud masses, stellar masses, and star-forming environments. The SIRTF data will stimulate many follow-up studies, both with SIRTF and with other instruments.Comment: 6 pages, from Fourth Cologne-Bonn-Zermatt-Symposium, The Dense Interstellar Matter in Galaxie

Clinical significance of prostate (18)F-labelled fluorodeoxyglucose uptake on positron emission tomography/computed tomography: A five-year review

AIM: To determine the significance and need for investigation of incidental prostatic uptake in men undergoing (18)F-labelled fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for other indications. METHODS: Hospital databases were searched over a 5-year period for patients undergoing both PET/CT and prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). For the initial analysis, the prostate was divided into six sectors and suspicious or malignant sectors were identified using MRI and histopathology reports respectively. Maximum and mean (18)F-FDG standardised uptake values were measured in each sector by an investigator blinded to the MRI and histopathology findings. Two age-matched controls were selected per case. Results were analysed using a paired t-test and one-way ANOVA. For the second analysis, PET/CT reports were searched for prostatic uptake reported incidentally and these patients were followed up. RESULTS: Over a 5-year period, 15 patients underwent both PET/CT and MRI and had biopsy-proven prostate cancer. Malignant prostatic sectors had a trend to higher (18)F-FDG uptake than benign sectors, however this was neither clinically nor statistically significant (3.13 ± 0.58 vs 2.86 ± 0.68, P > 0.05). (18)F-FDG uptake showed no correlation with the presence or histopathological grade of tumour. (18)F-FDG uptake in cases with prostate cancer was comparable to that from age-matched controls. Forty-six (1.6%) of 2846 PET/CTs over a 5-year period reported incidental prostatic uptake. Of these, 18 (0.6%) were investigated by PSA, 9 (0.3%) were referred to urology, with 3 (0.1%) undergoing MRI and/or biopsy. No cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed in patients with incidental (18)F-FDG uptake in our institute over a 5-year period. CONCLUSION: (18)F-FDG uptake overlaps significantly between malignant and benign prostatic conditions. Subsequent patient management was not affected by the reporting of incidental focal prostatic uptake in this cohort

Recent Basal Melting of a Mid-Latitude Glacier on Mars

Evidence for past basal melting of young (late Amazonian), debris-covered glaciers in Mars’ mid-latitudes is extremely rare. Thus, it is widely thought that these viscous flow features (VFFs) have been perennially frozen to their beds. We identify an instance of recent, localized wet-based mid-latitude glaciation, evidenced by a candidate esker emerging from a VFF in a tectonic rift in Tempe Terra. Eskers are sedimentary ridges deposited in ice-walled meltwater conduits and are indicative of glacial melting. We compare the candidate esker to terrestrial analogues, present a geomorphic map of landforms in the rift, and develop a landsystem model to explain their formation. We propose that the candidate esker formed during a transient phase of wet-based glaciation. We then consider the similarity between the geologic setting of the new candidate esker and that of the only other candidate esker to be identified in association with an existing mid-latitude VFF; both are within tectonic graben/rifts proximal to volcanic provinces. Finally, we calculate potential basal temperatures for a range of VFF thicknesses, driving stresses, mean annual surface temperatures, and geothermal heat fluxes, which unlike previous studies, include the possible role of internal strain heating. Strain heating can form an important additional heat source, especially in flow convergence zones, or where ice is warmer due to elevated surface temperatures or geothermal heat flux. Elevated geothermal heat flux within rifts, perhaps combined with locally-elevated strain heating, may have permitted wet-based glaciation during the late Amazonian, when cold climates precluded more extensive wet-based glaciation on Mars

Correction: How Long Is Too Long in Contemporary Peer Review? Perspectives from Authors Publishing in Conservation Biology Journals.

<p>Correction: How Long Is Too Long in Contemporary Peer Review? Perspectives from Authors Publishing in Conservation Biology Journals</p

Quantifying aviation's contribution to global warming

Growth in aviation contributes more to global warming than is generally appreciated because of the mix of climate pollutants it generates. Here, we model the CO2 and non-CO2 effects like nitrogen oxide emissions and contrail formation to analyse aviation's total warming footprint. Aviation contributed approximately 4% to observed human-induced global warming to date, despite being responsible for only 2.4% of global annual emissions of CO2. Aviation is projected to cause a total of about 0.1 °C of warming by 2050, half of it to date and the other half over the next three decades, should aviation's pre-COVID growth resume. The industry would then contribute a 6%-17% share to the remaining 0.3 °C-0.8 °C to not exceed 1.5 °C-2 °C of global warming. Under this scenario, the reduction due to COVID-19 to date is small and is projected to only delay aviation's warming contribution by about five years. But the leveraging impact of growth also represents an opportunity: aviation's contribution to further warming would be immediately halted by either a sustained annual 2.5% decrease in air traffic under the existing fuel mix, or a transition to a 90% carbon-neutral fuel mix by 2050

The metabolic effects of intermittent versus continuous feeding in critically ill patients.

Intermittent (or bolus) feeding regimens in critically ill patients have been of increasing interest to clinicians and scientists. Changes in amino acid, fat and carbohydrate metabolites over time might yet deliver other benefits (e.g. modulation of the circadian rhythm and sleep, and impacts on ghrelin secretion, insulin resistance and autophagy). We set out to characterise these changes in metabolite concentration. The Intermittent versus Continuous Feeding in Critically Ill paitents study (NCT02358512) was an eight-centre single-blinded randomised controlled trial. Patients were randomised to received a continuous (control arm) or intermittent (6x/day, intervention arm) enteral feeding regimen. Blood samples were taken on trial days 1, 7 and 10 immediately before and 30 min after intermittent feeds, and at equivalent timepoints in the control arm. A pre-planned targeted metabolomic analysis was performend using Nuclear Resonance Spectroscopy. Five hundred and ninety four samples were analysed from 75 patients. A total of 24 amino acid-, 19 lipid based-, and 44 small molecule metabolite features. Across the main two axes of variation (40-60% and 6-8% of variance), no broad patterns distinguished between intermittent or continuous feeding arms, across intra-day sampling times or over the 10 days from initial ICU admission. Logfold decreases in abundance were seen in metabolites related to amino acids (Glutamine - 0.682; Alanine - 0.594), ketone body metabolism (Acetone - 0.64; 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid - 0.632; Acetonacetic Acid - 0.586), fatty acid (carnitine - 0.509) and carbohydrate metabolism ( Maltose - 0.510; Citric Acid - 0.485). 2-3 Butanediol, a by-product of sugar-fermenting microbial metabolism also decreased (- 0.489). No correlation was seen with change in quadriceps muscle mass for any of the 20 metabolites varying with time (all p > 0.05). Increasing severity of organ failure was related to increasing ketone body metabolism (3 Hydroxybutyric Acid-1 and - 3; p = 0.056 and p = 0.014), carnitine deficiency (p = 0.002) and alanine abundancy (p - 0.005). A 6-times a day intermittent feeding regimen did not alter metabolite patterns across time compared to continuous feeding in critically ill patients, either within a 24 h period or across 10 days of intervention. Future research on intermittent feeding regimens should focus on clinical process benefits, or extended gut rest and fasting

The metabolic effects of intermittent versus continuous feeding in critically ill patients

Intermittent (or bolus) feeding regimens in critically ill patients have been of increasing interest to clinicians and scientists. Changes in amino acid, fat and carbohydrate metabolites over time might yet deliver other benefits (e.g. modulation of the circadian rhythm and sleep, and impacts on ghrelin secretion, insulin resistance and autophagy). We set out to characterise these changes in metabolite concentration. The Intermittent versus Continuous Feeding in Critically Ill paitents study (NCT02358512) was an eight-centre single-blinded randomised controlled trial. Patients were randomised to received a continuous (control arm) or intermittent (6x/day, intervention arm) enteral feeding regimen. Blood samples were taken on trial days 1, 7 and 10 immediately before and 30 min after intermittent feeds, and at equivalent timepoints in the control arm. A pre-planned targeted metabolomic analysis was performend using Nuclear Resonance Spectroscopy. Five hundred and ninety four samples were analysed from 75 patients. A total of 24 amino acid-, 19 lipid based-, and 44 small molecule metabolite features. Across the main two axes of variation (40–60% and 6–8% of variance), no broad patterns distinguished between intermittent or continuous feeding arms, across intra-day sampling times or over the 10 days from initial ICU admission. Logfold decreases in abundance were seen in metabolites related to amino acids (Glutamine − 0.682; Alanine − 0.594), ketone body metabolism (Acetone − 0.64; 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid − 0.632; Acetonacetic Acid − 0.586), fatty acid (carnitine − 0.509) and carbohydrate metabolism (Maltose − 0.510; Citric Acid − 0.485). 2–3 Butanediol, a by-product of sugar-fermenting microbial metabolism also decreased (− 0.489). No correlation was seen with change in quadriceps muscle mass for any of the 20 metabolites varying with time (all p > 0.05). Increasing severity of organ failure was related to increasing ketone body metabolism (3 Hydroxybutyric Acid-1 and − 3; p = 0.056 and p = 0.014), carnitine deficiency (p = 0.002) and alanine abundancy (p − 0.005). A 6-times a day intermittent feeding regimen did not alter metabolite patterns across time compared to continuous feeding in critically ill patients, either within a 24 h period or across 10 days of intervention. Future research on intermittent feeding regimens should focus on clinical process benefits, or extended gut rest and fasting

The need for speed in a crisis discipline: Perspectives on peer-review duration and implications for conservation science

Scholarly peer review relies on rigorous yet fair assessments of articles by qualified referees in a timely manner. We considered the extent to which a prolonged peer-review process can delay the dissemination of results in a conservation context by combining insight from a survey with our own perspectives. A survey of authors who published peer-reviewed articles in biodiversity and conservation in 2012 and 2013 yielded 461 responses from participants in 119 countries. Approximately 44% of respondents thought that slow review times might hamper conservation, while only ~5% provided specific examples of how slow reviews had actually impeded conservation actions or policy formation. When queried about the value of expediting the review process for studies of high policy or conservation relevance, ca. 1/3 of respondents thought it was a worthwhile idea in principle, though mechanics of implementing such practices are unclear. Author self-identification of potentially important papers could lead to requesting a rapid review provided that a paper meets certain criteria-an approach already used by some generalist journals. Given the urgency of many conservation-oriented initiatives, we encourage the entire editor - ial team (staff, editors, referees, authors) to make a concerted effort towards improving the speed of the peer-review process while maintaining quality. Such efforts would reflect the notion that timeliness is a key component of scientific relevance to practitioners and policy makers in a crisis discipline. We conclude that there is a 'need for speed' and advocate that rapid, rigorous and thorough peer review can be accomplished and can provide collective benefits to the scientific community and global biodiversity

Geocoding rural addresses in a community contaminated by PFOA: a comparison of methods

BACKGROUND: Location is often an important component of exposure assessment, and positional errors in geocoding may result in exposure misclassification. In rural areas, successful geocoding to a street address is limited by rural route boxes. Communities have assigned physical street addresses to rural route boxes as part of E911 readdressing projects for improved emergency response. Our study compared automated and E911 methods for recovering and geocoding valid street addresses and assessed the impact of positional errors on exposure classification. METHODS: The current study is a secondary analysis of existing data that included 135 addresses self-reported by participants of a rural community study who were exposed via public drinking water to perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) released from a DuPont facility in Parkersburg, West Virginia. We converted pre-E911 to post-E911 addresses using two methods: automated ZP4 address-correction software with the U.S. Postal Service LACS database and E911 data provided by Wood County, West Virginia. Addresses were geocoded using TeleAtlas, an online commercial service, and ArcView with StreetMap Premium North America NAVTEQ 2008 enhanced street dataset. We calculated positional errors using GPS measurements collected at each address and assessed exposure based on geocoded location in relation to public water pipes. RESULTS: The county E911 data converted 89% of the eligible addresses compared to 35% by ZP4 LACS. ArcView/NAVTEQ geocoded more addresses (n = 130) and with smaller median distance between geocodes and GPS coordinates (39 meters) than TeleAtlas (n = 85, 188 meters). Without E911 address conversion, 25% of the geocodes would have been more than 1000 meters from the true location. Positional errors in TeleAtlas geocoding resulted in exposure misclassification of seven addresses whereas ArcView/NAVTEQ methods did not misclassify any addresses. CONCLUSIONS: Although the study was limited by small numbers, our results suggest that the use of county E911 data in rural areas increases the rate of successful geocoding. Furthermore, positional accuracy of rural addresses in the study area appears to vary by geocoding method. In a large epidemiological study investigating the health effects of PFOA-contaminated public drinking water, this could potentially result in exposure misclassification if addresses are incorrectly geocoded to a street segment not serviced by public water