Matching matched filtering with deep networks in gravitational-wave astronomy

We report on the construction of a deep convolutional neural network that can reproduce the sensitivity of a matched-filtering search for binary black hole gravitational-wave signals. The standard method for the detection of well modeled transient gravitational-wave signals is matched filtering. However, the computational cost of such searches in low latency will grow dramatically as the low frequency sensitivity of gravitational-wave detectors improves. Convolutional neural networks provide a highly computationally efficient method for signal identification in which the majority of calculations are performed prior to data taking during a training process. We use only whitened time series of measured gravitational-wave strain as an input, and we train and test on simulated binary black hole signals in synthetic Gaussian noise representative of Advanced LIGO sensitivity. We show that our network can classify signal from noise with a performance that emulates that of match filtering applied to the same datasets when considering the sensitivity defined by Reciever-Operator characteristics.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to PR

Reproducibility of the bronchoconstrictive response to eucapnic voluntary hyperpnoea

Background: Eucapnic voluntary hyperpnoea (EVH) is considered an effective bronchoprovocation challenge for identifying exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). However, the reproducibility of the hyperpnoea-induced bronchoconstriction (HIB) response elicited by EVH remains unknown and was therefore the focus of this study. Methods: Two cohorts of 16 physically active males (each cohort comprised 8 controls and 8 with physician diagnosis of asthma) participated in two studies of the short- and long-term reproducibility of the bronchoconstrictive response to an EVH test with dry air. EVH was performed on days 0, 7, 14, and 21 (short-term study), and 0, 35, and 70 (long-term study). HIB was diagnosed by a ≥10% fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) after EVH. Results: On day 0 of the short-term study, FEV1 fell by 2 ± 1% (P < 0.05) and 27 ± 18% (P < 0.01) from pre-to post-EVH in control and HIB-positive groups respectively. The post-EVH fall in FEV1 did not differ across the short-term study test days. In the HIB-positive group, the day-to-day coefficient of variation, reproducibility, and smallest meaningful change for the fall in FEV1 were 12%, 328 mL, and 164 mL, respectively. On day 0 of the long-term study, FEV1 fell by 2 ± 2% and 25 ± 18% (P < 0.01) after EVH in control and HIB-positive groups respectively. The post-EVH fall in FEV1 did not differ across the long-term study test days. In the HIB-positive group, the day-to-day coefficient of variation, reproducibility, and smallest meaningful change for the fall in FEV1 were 10%, 196 mL, and 98 mL respectively. Conclusion: The EVH test elicits a reproducible bronchoconstrictive response in physically active males with physician diagnosed asthma. These data thus support the clinical utility of the EVH test for EIB screening and monitoring

Directing For the Small Professional Theatre: Directing Nothing Sacred

The challenges of producing and directing small professional theatre in any metropolitan area are many. This thesis is concerned with the process of finding a producing theatre, casting, rehearsal and staging the play, Nothing Sacred by George F. Walker, in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Unlike many thesis projects this one was conducted completely outside of the university setting and is thus a true reflection of the small professional theatre community

Cannabinoid Receptor 2 Expression and its Role in Echinacea Signaling

Echinacea, a commonly used herbal supplement, is publicized for its antioxidant and immunostimulatory properties. It has been used to treat the common cold and upper respiratory infections but has more recently been touted as a potential target for chemotherapeutic treatment. Echinacea is believed to work through the cannabinoid receptor 2 (CBR2), a G-protein coupled receptor primarily expressed in inflammatory and immune-competent cells. Activation of CBR2 is believed to induce the MAPK pathway as well as increase levels of cAMP. Recent research has shown tumor expression of CBR2 which has been correlated to a decreased patient prognosis though the cellular pathway has not yet been elucidated. This study was designed to gain a clearer understanding of the relationship between Echinacea, the cell cycle and CBR2. To assess the effect of Echinacea on cell growth, HeLa and human diploid fibroblast (HDF) cells were seeded and treated for 24 hours with 0, 25, 50 or 100 ug/ml of the water solubilized extract. The effect on cyclin A, cyclin E levels was assessed using the luciferase reporter assay. Additionally the presence of the CBR2 receptor was determined by using immunofluorescence and immunoblot analysis. Our results show that cyclin activity appeared to be positively correlated to tumor cell proliferation following increased treatments of Echinacea. Expression of CBR2 was visualized using immunofluorescence and accumulated protein levels were assessed by imunoblot analysis. CBR2 was detected in both cell lines at varying levels. With these results it is hypothesized that the Echinacea may be activating CBR2 and inducing the MAPK pathway. In turn, the MAPK pathway activated the cyclins and caused increased cell proliferation

The Evolution of Easy, Breezy, Beautiful

Examines the changes in the CoverGirl brand over time from its origination to now

An argument-based approach to reasoning with clinical knowledge

Better use of biomedical knowledge is an increasingly pressing concern for tackling challenging diseases and for generally improving the quality of healthcare. The quantity of biomedical knowledge is enormous and it is rapidly increasing. Furthermore, in many areas it is incomplete and inconsistent. The development of techniques for representing and reasoning with biomedical knowledge is therefore a timely and potentially valuable goal. In this paper, we focus on an important and common type of biomedical knowledge that has been obtained from clinical trials and studies. We aim for (1) a simple language for representing the results of clinical trials and studies; (2) transparent reasoning with that knowledge that is intuitive and understandable to users; and (3) simple computation mechanisms with this knowledge in order to facilitate the development of viable implementations. Our approach is to propose a logical language that is tailored to the needs of representing and reasoning with the results of clinical trials and studies. Using this logical language, we generate arguments and counterarguments for the relative merits of treatments. In this way, the incompleteness and inconsistency in the knowledge is analysed via argumentation. In addition to motivating and formalising the logical and argumentation aspects of the framework, we provide algorithms and computational complexity results

Recruitment and Retention Insights for the Hotel Industry

Recruiting talented managerial employees for the hotel industry is a constant challenge. Identifying and training supervisors and junior level managers for senior positions seems to be one solution. The authors explore the career influences confronting these individuals and make recommendations for recruitment and retention

Effect of Brief Biofeedback via a Smartphone App on Stress Recovery: Randomized Experimental Study.

BACKGROUND:Smartphones are often vilified for negatively influencing well-being and contributing to stress. However, these devices may, in fact, be useful in times of stress and, in particular, aid in stress recovery. Mobile apps that deliver evidence-based techniques for stress reduction, such as heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB) training, hold promise as convenient, accessible, and effective stress-reducing tools. Numerous mobile health apps that may potentially aid in stress recovery are available, but very few have demonstrated that they can influence health-related physiological stress parameters (eg, salivary biomarkers of stress). The ability to recover swiftly from stress and reduce physiological arousal is particularly important for long-term health, and thus, it is imperative that evidence is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of stress-reducing mobile health apps in this context. OBJECTIVE:The purpose of this research was to investigate the physiological and psychological effects of using a smartphone app for HRVB training following a stressful experience. The efficacy of the gamified Breather component of the Happify mobile health app was examined in an experimental setting. METHODS:In this study, participants (N=140) underwent a laboratory stressor and were randomly assigned to recover in one of three ways: with no phone present, with a phone present, with the HRBV game. Those in the no phone condition had no access to their phone. Those in the phone present condition had their phone but did not use it. Those in the HRVB game condition used the serious game Breather on the Happify app. Stress recovery was assessed via repeated measures of salivary alpha amylase, cortisol, and self-reported acute stress (on a 1-100 scale). RESULTS:Participants in the HRVB game condition had significantly lower levels of salivary alpha amylase during recovery than participants in the other conditions (F2,133=3.78, P=.03). There were no significant differences among the conditions during recovery for salivary cortisol levels or self-reported stress. CONCLUSIONS:These results show that engaging in a brief HRVB training session on a smartphone reduces levels of salivary alpha amylase following a stressful experience, providing preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of Breather in improving physiological stress recovery. Given the known ties between stress recovery and future well-being, this study provides a possible mechanism by which gamified biofeedback apps may lead to better health