How the Dimension of Space Affects the Products of Pre-Biotic Evolution: The Spatial Population Dynamics of Structural Complexity and The Emergence of Membranes

We show that autocatalytic networks of epsilon-machines and their population dynamics differ substantially between spatial (geographically distributed) and nonspatial (panmixia) populations. Generally, regions of spacetime-invariant autocatalytic networks---or domains---emerge in geographically distributed populations. These are separated by functional membranes of complementary epsilon-machines that actively translate between the domains and are responsible for their growth and stability. We analyze both spatial and nonspatial populations, determining the algebraic properties of the autocatalytic networks that allow for space to affect the dynamics and so generate autocatalytic domains and membranes. In addition, we analyze populations of intermediate spatial architecture, delineating the thresholds at which spatial memory (information storage) begins to determine the character of the emergent auto-catalytic organization.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables; http://cse.ucdavis.edu/~cmg/compmech/pubs/ss.ht

Native Amazonian children forego egalitarianism in merit-based tasks when they learn to count

Cooperation often results in a final material resource that must be shared, but deciding how to distribute that resource is not straightforward. A distribution could count as fair if all members receive an equal reward (egalitarian distributions), or if each member's reward is proportional to their merit (merit-based distributions). Here, we propose that the acquisition of numerical concepts influences how we reason about fairness. We explore this possibility in the Tsimane’, a farming-foraging group who live in the Bolivian rainforest. The Tsimane’ learn to count in the same way children from industrialized countries do, but at a delayed and more variable timeline, allowing us to de-confound number knowledge from age and years in school. We find that Tsimane’ children who can count produce merit-based distributions, while children who cannot count produce both merit-based and egalitarian distributions. Our findings establish that the ability to count – a non-universal, language-dependent, cultural invention – can influence social cognition.National Science Foundation (U.S.). Research and Evaluation on Education in Science and Engineering Program (Grant 1022684)University of Rocheste

Rapid elimination of CO through the lungs: coming full circle 100 years on

At the start of the 20th century, CO poisoning was treated by administering a combination of CO2 and O2 (carbogen) to stimulate ventilation. This treatment was reported to be highly effective, even reversing the deep coma of severe CO poisoning before patients arrived at the hospital. The efficacy of carbogen in treating CO poisoning was initially attributed to the absorption of CO2; however, it was eventually realized that the increase in pulmonary ventilation was the predominant factor accelerating clearance of CO from the blood. The inhaled CO2 in the carbogen stimulated ventilation but prevented hypocapnia and the resulting reductions in cerebral blood flow. By then, however, carbogen treatment for CO poisoning had been abandoned in favour of hyperbaric O2. Now, a half-century later, there is accumulating evidence that hyperbaric O2 is not efficacious, most probably because of delays in initiating treatment. We now also know that increases in pulmonary ventilation with O2-enriched gas can clear CO from the blood as fast, or very nearly as fast, as hyperbaric O2. Compared with hyperbaric O2, the technology for accelerating pulmonary clearance of CO with hyperoxic gas is not only portable and inexpensive, but also may be far more effective because treatment can be initiated sooner. In addition, the technology can be distributed more widely, especially in developing countries where the prevalence of CO poisoning is highest. Finally, early pulmonary CO clearance does not delay or preclude any other treatment, including subsequent treatment with hyperbaric O2

How the Dimension of Space Affects the Products of Pre-Biotic Evolution: The Spatial Population Dynamics of Structural Complexity and The Emergence of Membranes

We show that autocatalytic networks of epsilon-machines and their population dynamics differ substantially between spatial (geographically distributed) and nonspatial (panmixia) populations. Generally, regions of spacetime-invariant autocatalytic networks---or domains---emerge in geographically distributed populations. These are separated by functional membranes of complementary epsilon-machines that actively translate between the domains and are responsible for their growth and stability. We analyze both spatial and nonspatial populations, determining the algebraic properties of the autocatalytic networks that allow for space to affect the dynamics and so generate autocatalytic domains and membranes. In addition, we analyze populations of intermediate spatial architecture, delineating the thresholds at which spatial memory (information storage) begins to determine the character of the emergent auto-catalytic organization

Fatal Case of Chronic Jamestown Canyon Virus Encephalitis Diagnosed by Metagenomic Sequencing in Patient Receiving Rituximab.

A 56-year-old man receiving rituximab who had months of neurologic symptoms was found to have Jamestown Canyon virus in cerebrospinal fluid by clinical metagenomic sequencing. The patient died, and postmortem examination revealed extensive neuropathologic abnormalities. Deep sequencing enabled detailed characterization of viral genomes from the cerebrospinal fluid, cerebellum, and cerebral cortex

HLA-haploidentical bone marrow transplantation for hematologic malignancies using nonmyeloablative conditioning and high-dose, posttransplantation cyclophosphamide.

We evaluated the safety and efficacy of high-dose, posttransplantation cyclophosphamide (Cy) to prevent graft rejection and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after outpatient nonmyeloablative conditioning and T cell-replete bone marrow transplantation from partially HLA-mismatched (haploidentical) related donors. Patients with advanced hematologic malignancies (n = 67) or paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (n = 1) received Cy 50 mg/kg i.v. on day 3 (n = 28) or on days 3 and 4 (n = 40) after transplantation. The median times to neutrophil (>500/microL) and platelet recovery (>20,000/microL) were 15 and 24 days, respectively. Graft failure occurred in 9 of 66 (13%) evaluable patients, and was fatal in 1. The cumulative incidences of grades II-IV and grades III-IV acute (aGVHD) by day 200 were 34% and 6%, respectively. There was a trend toward a lower risk of extensive chronic GVHD (cGVHD) among recipients of 2 versus 1 dose of posttransplantation Cy (P = .05), the only difference between these groups. The cumulative incidences of nonrelapse mortality (NRM) and relapse at 1 year were 15% and 51%, respectively. Actuarial overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) at 2 years after transplantation were 36% and 26%, respectively. Patients with lymphoid malignancies had an improved EFS compared to those with myelogenous malignancies (P = .02). Nonmyeloablative HLA-haploidentical BMT with posttransplantation Cy is associated with acceptable rates of fatal graft failure and severe aGVHD or cGVHD