Exploring music with a probabilistic projection interface

We present the design and evaluation of an in- teractive tool for music exploration, with musi- cal mood and genre inferred directly from tracks. It uses probabilistic representations of multivari- able predictions of subjective characteristics of the music to give users subtle, nuanced visuali- sations of the 2D map. These explicitly repre- sent the uncertainty and overlap among features and support music exploration and casual playlist generation. A longitudinal trial in users’ homes showed that probabilistic highlighting of subjec- tive features led to more focused exploration in mouse activity logs, and 6 of 8 users preferred the probabilistic highlighting

Blood group substances as differentiation markers in human dento-gingival epithelium

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65594/1/j.1600-0765.1987.tb02054.x.pd

A 200-year 210Pb record from Greenland

A continuous profile of 210Pb activity extending back to 1766 has been developed for a firn/ice core collected at Site D in central Greenland in 1984. Unexpectedly high activities of 210Pb were found at the base of this core (0.032 pCi kg−1 in samples more than 200 years old), calling into question the common assumption that supported 210Pb can be neglected when constructing chronologies in glacial snow and ice. It is problematic to assert that all of the 210Pb measured at depth should be attributed to the supported fraction, given previous estimates of dust loading in Greenland ice cores. However, even if an estimated constant value of 0.032 pCi supported210Pb kg−1 is subtracted from the measured values to estimate excess 210Pb, the 210Pb chronology for Site D yields ages that are significantly younger (mean accumulation rate too high) than an independent depth-age scale based on annual layer counting. It is apparent that the flux of excess and/or supported 210Pb to this site must have decreased over the past 2 centuries, with decreasing trends in both fractions most likely. Previously published 210Pb profiles for cores from Summit and Dye 3, Greenland, show similar trends, which had been interpreted as decreasing fluxes of excess 210Pb only. For all three sites, it is not possible to separate variations in the fluxes of the excess and supported fractions of 210Pb, but variations in the total 210Pb flux will impact 210Pb-based chronologies generally if these variations have not been restricted to the Greenland ice sheet

Clinical Effects of Electromagnetic Stimulation as an Adjunct to Periodontal Therapy

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141604/1/jper0046.pd

Plasma level of mannose-binding lectin is associated with the risk of recurrent pregnancy loss but not pregnancy outcome after the diagnosis

STUDY QUESTION: Are low or high plasma mannose-binding lectin (p-MBL) levels associated with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and the reproductive and perinatal outcomes before and after RPL? SUMMARY ANSWER: The prevalence of low p-MBL levels was significantly higher in RPL patients, while high levels were significantly less prevalent. No association was found between p-MBL level and reproductive and perinatal outcomes before and after RPL. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is an important component in the innate immune system. Low p-MBL levels have been associated with RPL, while the correlation with high levels has been poorly studied. Adverse perinatal outcomes are generally more frequent among RPL patients, but reports concerning the association between maternal p-MBL levels and perinatal outcomes, including birth weight (BW) and gestational age (GA), are conflicting. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This study was a combined cross-sectional and cohort study of 267 RPL patients admitted to the RPL Center of Western Denmark between January 2016 and March 2020. RPL patients were followed until birth of a liveborn child or until end of follow-up, March 2021. A sample of 185 healthy female blood donors of reproductive age was used as a MBL reference group. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: All RPL patients had ≥3 consecutive pregnancy losses, a regular menstrual cycle and no known significant chromosomal or uterine malformations. At the first consultation, routine blood samples including p-MBL measurement and detailed obstetrical and perinatal information were collected. p-MBL levels in RPL patients were compared to the MBL reference group. A logistic regression analysis adjusted for relevant confounders assessed the association between low p-MBL levels and an unsuccessful reproductive outcome in RPL patients in first pregnancy after admission. Perinatal outcomes before and after RPL were compared between RPL subgroups according to low (≤500 µg/l), intermediate (501–3000 µg/l) and high (>3000 µg/l) p-MBL levels. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Significantly more RPL patients had low p-MBL levels (prevalence proportion ratio (PPR): 1.79, 95% CI: 1.34–2.38) and fewer had high p-MBL levels (PPR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.40–0.79) compared to the reference group, while the prevalence of intermediate p-MBL level was not different between the groups (PPR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.69–1.08). In the prospective study, low p-MBL level was not a significant risk factor for a pregnancy loss in the first pregnancy after admission after adjustment for age, BMI and smoking. Neither before nor after the RPL diagnosis were maternal p-MBL levels significantly associated with BW or GA. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Only 161 (60.3%) patients had given birth after RPL during the follow-up period, which limited the possibility to detect clear associations between p-MBL levels and perinatal outcomes after RPL. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: In agreement with several previous studies, low p-MBL levels are strongly associated with RPL, while this study for the first time documents that high levels may play a protective role, which suggests a causal relationship. We suggest that larger prospective studies evaluate the association between p-MBL levels and RPL prognosis. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): No external funding was received. We acknowledge the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Aalborg University Hospital for financial support. U.S.K. has reported personal fees from Merck, consulting fees from IBSA Nordic, and a grant from Gedeon Richter, Merck and IBSA Nordic outside of the submitted work. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ID from clinicaltrials.gov is NCT04017754

Assessing the reproductive biology of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus)

The Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus, Squaliformes: Somniosidae) is a long-lived Arctic top predator, which in combination with the high historical and modern fishing pressures, has made it subject to increased scientific focus in recent years. Key aspects of reproduction are not well known as exemplified by sparse and contradictory information e.g. on birth size and number of pups per pregnancy. This study represents the first comprehensive work on Greenland shark reproductive biology based on data from 312 specimens collected over the past 60 years. We provide guidelines quantifying reproductive parameters to assess specific maturation stages, as well as calculate body length-at-maturity (TL50) which was 2.84±0.06 m for males and 4.19±0.04 m for females. From the available information on the ovarian fecundity of Greenland sharks as well as a meta-analysis of Squaliform reproductive parameters, we estimate up to 200–324 pups per pregnancy (depending on maternal size) with a body length-at-birth of 35–45 cm. These estimates remain to be verified by future observations from gravid Greenland sharks