Observations of cosmic ray induced phosphenes

Phosphene observations by astronauts on flights near and far from earth atmosphere are discussed. It was concluded that phosphenes could be observed by the naked eye. Further investigation is proposed to determine realistic human tolerance levels for extended missions and to evaluate the need to provide special spacecraft shielding

Management of septic shock: a protocol-less approach

Citation\ud ProCESS Investigators, Yealy DM, Kellum JA, Huang DT, Barnato AE, Weissfeld LA, Pike F, Terndrup T, Wang HE, Hou PC, LoVecchio F, Filbin MR, Shapiro NI, Angus DC. A randomized trial of protocol-based care for early septic shock. N Engl J Med. 2014; 370:1683–93.\ud \ud Background\ud In a single-center study published more than a decade ago involving patients presenting to the emergency department with severe sepsis and septic shock, mortality was markedly lower among those who were treated according to a 6-h protocol of early goal-directed therapy (EGDT), in which intravenous fluids, vasopressors, inotropes, and blood transfusions were adjusted to reach central hemodynamic targets including central venous pressure, central venous oxygen saturation, and indirect estimates of cardiac output, than among those receiving usual care.\ud \ud Methods\ud Objective: The objective was to determine whether these EGDT findings were generalizable and whether all aspects of the EGDT protocol were necessary to achieve those outcomes.\ud \ud Design: A multicenter randomized three-arm controlled trial.\ud \ud Setting: Thirty-one academic emergency departments in the United States.\ud \ud Subjects: Patients older than 18 years of age presenting to the emergency department with septic shock.\ud \ud Intervention: Patients were assigned to one of three groups for 6 h of resuscitation: protocol-based EGDT as defined by River and colleagues; protocol-based standard therapy that did not require the placement of a central venous catheter, administration of inotropes, or blood transfusions; and usual care which mandated no specific monitoring or management approaches.\ud \ud Outcomes: The primary end point was 60-day in-hospital mortality. Also tested sequentially was whether protocol-based care (EGDT and standard therapy groups combined) was superior to usual care and whether protocol-based EGDT was superior to protocol-based standard therapy. Secondary outcomes included longer-term mortality and the need for organ support.\ud \ud Results\ud A total of 1,351 patients were enrolled, of whom 1,341 were evaluable due to patient/family request: 439 were randomly assigned to protocol-based EGDT, 446 to protocol-based standard therapy, and 456 to usual care. Resuscitation strategies differed significantly with respect to the monitoring of central venous pressure and central venous oxygen and the use of intravenous fluids, vasopressors, inotropes, and blood transfusions. By 60 days, there were 92 deaths in the protocol-based EGDT group (21.0 %), 81 in the protocol-based standard therapy group (18.2 %), and 86 in the usual care group (18.9 %) (relative risk with protocol-based therapy versus usual care, 1.04; 95 % confidence interval, 0.82 to 1.31; P = 0.83; relative risk with protocol-based EGDT versus protocol-based standard therapy, 1.15; 95 % CI, 0.88 to 1.51; P = 0.31). There were no significant differences in 90-day mortality, 1-year mortality, or the need for organ support.\ud \ud Conclusions\ud In a multicenter trial conducted in the tertiary care setting, protocol-based resuscitation of patients in whom septic shock was diagnosed in the emergency department did not improve outcomes

Effects of the components of positive airway pressure on work of breathing during bronchospasm

INTRODUCTION: Partial assist ventilation reduces work of breathing in patients with bronchospasm; however, it is not clear which components of the ventilatory cycle contribute to this process. Theoretically, expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP), by reducing expiratory breaking, may be as important as inspiratory positive airway pressure (IPAP) in reducing work of breathing during acute bronchospasm. METHOD: We compared the effects of 10 cmH(2)O of IPAP, EPAP, and continuous positive airwaypressure (CPAP) on inspiratory work of breathing and end-expiratory lung volume (EELV) in a canine model of methacholine-induced bronchospasm. RESULTS: Methacholine infusion increased airway resistance and work of breathing. During bronchospasm IPAP and CPAP reduced work of breathing primarily through reductions in transdiaphragmatic pressure per tidal volume (from 69.4 ± 10.8 cmH(2)O/l to 45.6 ± 5.9 cmH(2)O/l and to 36.9 ± 4.6 cmH(2)O/l, respectively; P < 0.05) and in diaphragmatic pressure–time product (from 306 ± 31 to 268 ± 25 and to 224 ± 23, respectively; P < 0.05). Pleural pressure indices of work of breathing were not reduced by IPAP and CPAP. EPAP significantly increased all pleural and transdiaphragmatic work of breathing indices. CPAP and EPAP similarly increased EELV above control by 93 ± 16 ml and 69 ± 12 ml, respectively. The increase in EELV by IPAP of 48 ± 8 ml (P < 0.01) was significantly less than that by CPAP and EPAP. CONCLUSION: The reduction in work of breathing during bronchospasm is primarily induced by the IPAP component, and that for the same reduction in work of breathing by CPAP, EELV increases more

Open and Closed Seascapes: Where Does Habitat Patchiness Create Populations with High Fractions of Self-Recruitment?

Which populations are replenished primarily by immigrants (open) and which by local production (closed) remains an important question for management with implications for response to exploitation, protection, and disturbance. However, we lack methods for predicting population openness. Here, we develop a model for openness and show that considering habitat isolation explains the existence of surprisingly closed populations in high-dispersal species, including many marine organisms. Relatively closed populations are expected when patch spacing is more than twice the standard deviation of a species\u27 dispersal kernel. In addition, natural scales of habitat patchiness on coral reefs are sufficient to create both largely open and largely closed populations. Contrary to some previous interpretations, largely closed marine populations do not require mean dispersal distances that are unusually short, even for species with relatively long pelagic larval durations. We predict that habitat patchiness has strong control over population openness for many marine and terrestrial species with a highly dispersive life stage and relatively sedentary adults. This information can be used to make initial predictions about where populations will be more or less resilient to local exploitation and disturbance

Projecting shifts in thermal habitat for 686 species on the North American continental shelf

Recent shifts in the geographic distribution of marine species have been linked to shifts in preferred thermal habitats. These shifts in distribution have already posed challenges for living marine resource management, and there is a strong need for projections of how species might be impacted by future changes in ocean temperatures during the 21st century. We modeled thermal habitat for 686 marine species in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans using long-term ecological survey data from the North American continental shelves. These habitat models were coupled to output from sixteen general circulation models that were run under high (RCP 8.5) and low (RCP 2.6) future greenhouse gas emission scenarios over the 21st century to produce 32 possible future outcomes for each species. The models generally agreed on the magnitude and direction of future shifts for some species (448 or 429 under RCP 8.5 and RCP 2.6, respectively), but strongly disagreed for other species (116 or 120 respectively). This allowed us to identify species with more or less robust predictions. Future shifts in species distributions were generally poleward and followed the coastline, but also varied among regions and species. Species from the U.S. and Canadian west coast including the Gulf of Alaska had the highest projected magnitude shifts in distribution, and many species shifted more than 1000 km under the high greenhouse gas emissions scenario. Following a strong mitigation scenario consistent with the Paris Agreement would likely produce substantially smaller shifts and less disruption to marine management efforts. Our projections offer an important tool for identifying species, fisheries, and management efforts that are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts

Spectral simplicity and asymptotic separation of variables

We describe a method for comparing the real analytic eigenbranches of two families of quadratic forms that degenerate as t tends to zero. One of the families is assumed to be amenable to `separation of variables' and the other one not. With certain additional assumptions, we show that if the families are asymptotic at first order as t tends to 0, then the generic spectral simplicity of the separable family implies that the eigenbranches of the second family are also generically one-dimensional. As an application, we prove that for the generic triangle (simplex) in Euclidean space (constant curvature space form) each eigenspace of the Laplacian is one-dimensional. We also show that for all but countably many t, the geodesic triangle in the hyperbolic plane with interior angles 0, t, and t, has simple spectrum.Comment: 53 pages, 2 figure

Modal expansions and non-perturbative quantum field theory in Minkowski space

We introduce a spectral approach to non-perturbative field theory within the periodic field formalism. As an example we calculate the real and imaginary parts of the propagator in 1+1 dimensional phi^4 theory, identifying both one-particle and multi-particle contributions. We discuss the computational limits of existing diagonalization algorithms and suggest new quasi-sparse eigenvector methods to handle very large Fock spaces and higher dimensional field theories.Comment: new material added, 12 pages, 6 figure

Lyapunov exponent of the random Schr\"{o}dinger operator with short-range correlated noise potential

We study the influence of disorder on propagation of waves in one-dimensional structures. Transmission properties of the process governed by the Schr\"{o}dinger equation with the white noise potential can be expressed through the Lyapunov exponent $\gamma$ which we determine explicitly as a function of the noise intensity \sigma and the frequency \omega. We find uniform two-parameter asymptotic expressions for $\gamma$ which allow us to evaluate $\gamma$ for different relations between \sigma and \omega. The value of the Lyapunov exponent is also obtained in the case of a short-range correlated noise, which is shown to be less than its white noise counterpart.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figure

Depressive symptoms and alcohol correlates among Brazilians aged 14 years and older: a cross-sectional study

Background: the associations between depressive symptoms and alcohol-related disorders, drinking patterns and other characteristics of alcohol use are important public health issues worldwide. This study aims to study these associations in an upper middle-income country, Brazil, and search for related socio-demographic correlations in men and women.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2005 and April 2006. the sample of 3,007 participants, selected using a multistage probabilistic sampling method, represents the Brazilian population aged 14 and older. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and alcohol dependence was assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Associations assessed using bi-variate analysis were tested using Rao-Scott measures. Gender specific multinomial logistic regression models were developed.Results: Among the participants with alcohol dependence, 46% had depressive symptoms (17.2% mild/moderate and 28.8% major/severe; p < 0.01); 35.8% (p = 0.08) of those with alcohol abuse and 23.9% (p < 0.01) of those with a binge-drinking pattern also had depressive symptoms. Alcohol abstainers and infrequent drinkers had the highest prevalence of major/severe depressive symptoms, whereas frequent heavy drinkers had the lowest prevalence of major/severe depressive symptoms. in women, alcohol dependence and the presence of one or more problems related to alcohol consumption were associated with higher risks of major/severe depressive symptoms. Among men, alcohol dependence and being = 45 years old were associated with higher risks of major/severe depressive symptoms.Conclusions: in Brazil, the prevalence of depressive symptoms is strongly related to alcohol dependence; the strongest association was between major/severe depressive symptoms and alcohol dependence in women. This survey supports the possible association of biopsychosocial distress, alcohol consumption and the prevalence of depressive symptoms in Brazil. Investing in education, social programs, and care for those with alcohol dependence and major/severe depressive symptoms, especially for such women, and the development of alcohol prevention policies may be components of a strategic plan to reduce the prevalence of depression and alcohol problems in Brazil. Such a plan may also promote the socio-economic development of Brazil and other middle-income countries.Universidade Federal de São Paulo UNIFESP, Department Psychiat, BR-15085420 Sao Jos Rio Preto, SP, BrazilUniv São Paulo FMRP, Ribeirao Preto Med Sch, Dept Social Med, BR-14049900 Ribeirao Preto, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Santa Catarina, Ctr Ciencias Saude, Dept Clin Med, BR-88040900 Florianopolis, SC, BrazilUniv Texas Dallas, Dallas Reg Campus, Sch Publ Hlth, Dallas, TX 75390 USAUniv São Paulo, FMRP USP, Ribeirao Preto Med Sch, Dept Neurosci & Behav, BR-14048900 Ribeirao Preto, SP, BrazilINCT Translat Med, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo UNIFESP, Department Psychiat, BR-15085420 Sao Jos Rio Preto, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc

A Time Purified Separated Antiproton Beam At The AGS

Physic