Observational Constraints on Exponential Gravity

We study the observational constraints on the exponential gravity model of f(R)=-beta*Rs(1-e^(-R/Rs)). We use the latest observational data including Supernova Cosmology Project (SCP) Union2 compilation, Two-Degree Field Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS), Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 (SDSS DR7) and Seven-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP7) in our analysis. From these observations, we obtain a lower bound on the model parameter beta at 1.27 (95% CL) but no appreciable upper bound. The constraint on the present matter density parameter is 0.245< Omega_m^0<0.311 (95% CL). We also find out the best-fit value of model parameters on several cases.Comment: 14pages, 3 figures, accepted by PR

Synthesis and reactivity of N-allenyl cyanamides

N-Allenyl cyanamides have been accessed via a one-pot deoxycyanamidation–isomerization approach using propargyl alcohol and N-cyano-N-phenyl-p-methylbenzenesulfonamide. The utility of this novel class of allenamide was explored through derivatization, with hydroarylation, hydroamination, and cycloaddition protocols employed to access an array of cyanamide products that would be challenging to access using existing methods

Association of Gender and Personal Choices with Salaries of New Emergency Medicine Graduates

Objective: The medical literature has demonstrated disparities and variability in physician salaries and, specifically, emergency physician (EP) salaries. We sought to investigate individual physician characteristics, including sex and educational background, together with individual preferences of graduating EPs, and their association with the salary of their first job. Methods: The American College of Emergency Physicians and the George Washington University Mullan Institute surveyed 2019 graduating EPs. The survey included respondents’ demographic and educational background, post-training job characteristics and location, hospital characteristics, importance of different personal priorities, and starting salaries. We performed a multivariable regression analysis to determine how salaries were associated with job types and individuals’ characteristics. Results: We sent surveys to 2,192 graduating residents in 2019. Of these, 487 (22.2%) responded, and 270 (55.4%) accepted first-time clinical jobs and included salary data (12.3% of all surveys sent). Male sex, osteopathic training, and full-time work were significantly associated with higher salary. Men and women prioritized different factors in their job search. Women were more likely to consider such factors as parental leave policy, proximity to family, desired practice setting, type of hospital, and desired location as important. Salary/compensation was considered very important by 51.8% of men and 29.6%of women. Men’s median salary was $30,000 more than women’s (p= 0.01, 95$6,929 ± $53,071), a significant pay differential. Conclusion: Salaries of graduating emergency medicine residents are associated with the resident’s sex and degree type: doctor of osteopathic medicine or doctor of allopathic medicine. Multiple factors may contribute to men having higher salaries than women, and some of this difference reflects different priorities in their job search. Women were more likely to consider job conditions and setting to be more important, while men considered salary and compensation more important

Safety assessment of high-dose narcotic analgesia for emergency department procedures

Study objective:To evaluate the safety of high-dose IV narcotics in patients requiring analgesia for painful emergency department procedures.Design:Prospective multicenter clinical trial.Setting:Five adult urban EDs.Methods and measurements:All patients received IV meperidine (1.5 to 3.0 mg/kg) titrated to analgesia followed by a painful procedure. Vital signs and alertness scale were recorded at regular intervals, and patients were observed for four hours. Adverse events were monitored and documented. Comparisons between baseline and postanalgesia intervals were made with a repeated measures ANOVA (Dunnett's test).Results:Although statistically significant changes in vital signs and alertness scale occurred, they were not clinically significant. Opiate reversal with naloxone was not needed in any patient, and no significant respiratory or circulatory compromise occurred.Conclusion:This study of 72 patients demonstrates that high-dose narcotic analgesia is appropriate, well tolerated, and safe when used in selected patients before painful procedures in the ED. Narcotic antagonists and resuscitation equipment nonetheless should be available to maximize safety.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/30581/1/0000218.pd

Analytic philosophy for biomedical research: the imperative of applying yesterday's timeless messages to today's impasses

The mantra that "the best way to predict the future is to invent it" (attributed to the computer scientist Alan Kay) exemplifies some of the expectations from the technical and innovative sides of biomedical research at present. However, for technical advancements to make real impacts both on patient health and genuine scientific understanding, quite a number of lingering challenges facing the entire spectrum from protein biology all the way to randomized controlled trials should start to be overcome. The proposal in this chapter is that philosophy is essential in this process. By reviewing select examples from the history of science and philosophy, disciplines which were indistinguishable until the mid-nineteenth century, I argue that progress toward the many impasses in biomedicine can be achieved by emphasizing theoretical work (in the true sense of the word 'theory') as a vital foundation for experimental biology. Furthermore, a philosophical biology program that could provide a framework for theoretical investigations is outlined

Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) Conceptual Design Report Volume 2: The Physics Program for DUNE at LBNF

The Physics Program for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) at the Fermilab Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) is described

Objectively measured short sleep duration and later sleep midpoint in pregnancy are associated with a higher risk of gestational diabetes

BACKGROUND: Experimental and epidemiologic data suggest that among nonpregnant adults, sleep duration may be an important risk factor for chronic disease. Although pregnant women commonly report poor sleep, few studies objectively evaluated the quality of sleep in pregnancy or explored the relationship between sleep disturbances and maternal and perinatal outcomes. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to examine the relationship between objectively assessed sleep duration, timing, and continuity (measured via wrist actigraphy) and maternal cardiovascular and metabolic morbidity specific to pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective cohort study of nulliparous women. Women were recruited between 16 0/7 and 21 6/7 weeks' gestation. They were asked to wear a wrist actigraphy monitor and complete a daily sleep log for a period of 7 consecutive days. The primary sleep exposure variables were the averages of the following over the total valid nights (minimum 5, maximum 7 nights): short sleep duration during the primary sleep period (5 am), and top quartile of minutes of wake time after sleep onset and sleep fragmentation index. The primary outcomes of interest were a composite of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (mild, severe, or superimposed preeclampsia; eclampsia; or antepartum gestational hypertension) and gestational diabetes mellitus. We used χ2 tests to assess associations between sleep variables and categorical baseline characteristics. Crude odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated from univariate logistic regression models to characterize the magnitude of the relationship between sleep characteristics and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and gestational diabetes. For associations significant in univariate analysis, multiple logistic regression was used to explore further the association of sleep characteristics with pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS: In all, 901 eligible women consented to participate; 782 submitted valid actigraphy studies. Short sleep duration and a later sleep midpoint were associated with an increased risk of gestational diabetes (odds ratio, 2.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-4.53; and odds ratio, 2.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.24-5.36, respectively) but not of hypertensive disorders. A model with both sleep duration and sleep midpoint as well as their interaction term revealed that while there was no significant interaction between these exposures, the main effects of both short sleep duration and later sleep midpoint with gestational diabetes remained significant (adjusted odds ratio, 2.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-4.19; and adjusted odds ratio, 2.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-4.97, respectively). Additionally, after adjusting separately for age, body mass index, and race/ethnicity, both short sleep duration and later sleep midpoint remained associated with gestational diabetes. No associations were demonstrated between the sleep quality measures (wake after sleep onset, sleep fragmentation) and hypertensive disorders or gestational diabetes. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate a relationship between short sleep duration and later sleep midpoint with gestational diabetes. Our data suggest independent contributions of these 2 sleep characteristics to the risk for gestational diabetes in nulliparous women

The genomes of two key bumblebee species with primitive eusocial organization

Background: The shift from solitary to social behavior is one of the major evolutionary transitions. Primitively eusocial bumblebees are uniquely placed to illuminate the evolution of highly eusocial insect societies. Bumblebees are also invaluable natural and agricultural pollinators, and there is widespread concern over recent population declines in some species. High-quality genomic data will inform key aspects of bumblebee biology, including susceptibility to implicated population viability threats. Results: We report the high quality draft genome sequences of Bombus terrestris and Bombus impatiens, two ecologically dominant bumblebees and widely utilized study species. Comparing these new genomes to those of the highly eusocial honeybee Apis mellifera and other Hymenoptera, we identify deeply conserved similarities, as well as novelties key to the biology of these organisms. Some honeybee genome features thought to underpin advanced eusociality are also present in bumblebees, indicating an earlier evolution in the bee lineage. Xenobiotic detoxification and immune genes are similarly depauperate in bumblebees and honeybees, and multiple categories of genes linked to social organization, including development and behavior, show high conservation. Key differences identified include a bias in bumblebee chemoreception towards gustation from olfaction, and striking differences in microRNAs, potentially responsible for gene regulation underlying social and other traits. Conclusions: These two bumblebee genomes provide a foundation for post-genomic research on these key pollinators and insect societies. Overall, gene repertoires suggest that the route to advanced eusociality in bees was mediated by many small changes in many genes and processes, and not by notable expansion or depauperation