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Developing an effective automatic classifier to separate genuine sources from artifacts is essential for transient follow-ups in wide-field optical surveys. The identification of transient detections from the subtraction artifacts after the image differencing process is a key step in such classifiers, known as real-bogus classification problem. We apply a self-supervised machine learning model, the deep-embedded self-organizing map (DESOM) to this ‘real-bogus’ classification problem. DESOM combines an autoencoder and a self-organizing map to perform clustering in order to distinguish between real and bogus detections, based on their dimensionality-reduced representations. We use 32 × 32 normalized detection thumbnails as the input of DESOM. We demonstrate different model training approaches, and find that our best DESOM classifier shows a missed detection rate of $6.6{{\ \rm per\,cent}}$ with a false-positive rate of $1.5{{\ \rm per\,cent}}$. DESOM offers a more nuanced way to fine-tune the decision boundary identifying likely real detections when used in combination with other types of classifiers, e.g. built on neural networks or decision trees. We also discuss other potential usages of DESOM and its limitations.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of using the critical velocity (CV) concept to prescribe two separate high-intensity interval training (HIT) exercise programs aimed at enhanci...

THIS GUIDE IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A PRACTICAL REFERENCE FOR TEACHERS PLANNING INSTRUCTION CONCERNING ELECTRICITY IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL INDUSTRIAL ARTS CLASSES. THE GUIDE IS FOR A 10-WEEK COURSE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE THE STUDENT WITH EXPLORATORY EXPERIENCES INVOLVING THE BASIC PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS OF ELECTRICITY AND ELECTRONICS. THE PROPER USE OF APPROPRIATE TOOLS, MATERIALS, AND EQUIPMENT IS DESCRIBED. PROJECTS AND EXPERIMENTS INCLUDE (1) SOURCES OF ELECTRICITY, (2) TRANSMISSION AND CONTROL, (3) COMMUNICATIONS, (4) MEASUREMENT, (5) CONVERSIONS, AND (6) SHOP PRACTICE. A SAFETY GUIDE FOR THE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL ELECTRICAL SHOP IS ALSO INCLUDED. (DH)

The Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO) is an array of wide-field optical telescopes, designed to exploit new discoveries from the next generation of gravitational wave detectors (LIGO, Virgo, KAGRA), study rapidly evolving transients, and exploit multi-messenger opportunities arising from neutrino and very high energy gamma-ray triggers. In addition to a rapid response mode, the array will also perform a sensitive, all-sky transient survey with few day cadence. The facility features a novel, modular design with multiple 40-cm wide-field reflectors on a single mount. In June 2017 the GOTO collaboration deployed the initial project prototype, with 4 telescope units, at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (ORM), La Palma, Canary Islands. Here we describe the deployment, commissioning, and performance of the prototype hardware, and discuss the impact of these findings on the final GOTO design. We also offer an initial assessment of the science prospects for the full GOTO facility that employs 32 telescope units across two sites., 19 pages, 16 Figures, accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

OBJECTIVE To examine associations among objectively measured physical activity (PA), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in firefighters. METHODS Career firefighters (n = 29; male = 100%) wore accelerometers to assess PA. BMI and WC classified obesity. Each participant completed a stage-graded exercise test to determine maximal oxygen uptake ((Equation is included in full-text article.)). RESULTS Two linear regression models were used to investigate whether PA intensities, step count, BMI, or WC were predictive of "true" (Equation is included in full-text article.). Vigorous physical activity (VPA) was predictive of "true" (Equation is included in full-text article.)(F[1,27] = 7.89, R = 0.23, P

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore relationships among three primary variables: sports spectatorship of intercollegiate football, university brand equity and student satisfaction. The primary purpose is to understand the extent to which athletic programs influence campus culture, sense of community and the satisfaction of undergraduate students. A secondary purpose is to probe the factor structure, reliability and validity of a recently developed sports spectatorship scale. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected data through an online survey of 419 undergraduate students enrolled at three separate Midwestern universities, using previously developed and validated survey scales. Findings Relationships between brand equity and student satisfaction suggest that athletic programs provide a benefit to universities by improving students’ psychological sense of community and emotional connection to the institution. Furthermore, correlations between sports spectatorship and brand equity measures suggest an internal advertising effect. Originality/value The results contribute to the understanding of the role of intercollegiate athletic programs, in this case from the perspective of enrolled undergraduate students. Additionally, the findings recommend ways that universities might maximize some of the benefits by emphasizing the emotional connection of the student body to the teams. The paper also contributes to the validation of the sports spectatorship scale as a tool for further research.

INTRODUCTION: Microgravity leads to a progressive loss in muscular strength, endurance, and aerobic capacity (Vo2peak). Blood flow restricted (BFR) exercise has been shown to elicit rapid gains in muscular strength and Vo2peak. Rowing exercise combined with BFR could be a supplemental countermeasure to maintain preflight muscle function and Vo2peak, especially within future space vehicles with restricted physical volume.METHODS: There were 20 men who completed 19 min of rowing exercise during CON or BFR in a randomized order. Exercise intensity for all sets was 30% of peak work load achieved during a separate incremental maximal exercise test. Kaatsu training cuffs were inflated around each leg during BFR. Muscle oxygen saturation (Smo₂) and heart rate (HR) were measured throughout exercise and rest. Rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and muscle activation, using surface electromyography (sEMG), were measured during the last 30 s of each exercise set. Blood pressure (BP) and whole blood lactate ([La-]b) were measured at rest and postexercise.RESULTS: Smo₂ declined significantly in BFR during exercise and rest by 13% and 14%, respectively. HR and RPE showed significant increases during BFR (120.5 ± 5.53 vs. 128.9 ± 9.86 bts · min-1) (9.8 ± 1.85 vs. 11.8 ± 1.88 arbitrary units). No differences were observed for BP, [La-]b, and sEMG.DISCUSSION: Findings indicate exercise intensity and cuff pressure elicited acute muscular, cardiovascular, and perceptual responses. BFR rowing exercise could be advantageous as an adjunct for future exercise countermeasures where aerobic and anaerobic exercise may be performed on one device or in limited physical space.Mahoney SJ, Dicks ND, Lyman KJ, Christensen BK, Hackney KJ. Acute cardiovascular, metabolic, and muscular responses to blood flow restricted rowing exercise. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2019; 90(5):440-446.

Introduction The purpose of the current study was to examine if isometric peak force and rate of force development (RFD) were related to the ability to successfully perform a simulated casualty evacuation task in both unweighted and weighted conditions. Methods Eighteen male participants from Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) completed a maximum isometric deadlift on a force plate (IRB#HE16227). Isometric peak force and RFD were calculated from ground reaction force. Two simulated casualty evacuation performance trials were then completed. The unweighted trial consisted of lifting and carrying a 75 kg dummy as quickly as possible for 50 m. The weighted trial was similar except 9 kg vests were added to both the simulation dummy and the participant to represent 18 kg of duty gear. Independent sample t-tests and Pearson correlations were performed to compare the characteristics of those who passed and failed the weighted trial. Results All of the participants (n = 18) completed the unweighted casualty evacuation trial, while 72% (n = 13) were able to complete the weighted casualty evacuation trial. The participants that successfully completed the weighted evacuation trial had significantly (p < 0.05) greater isometric peak force (1420 ± 165 vs. 1076 ± 256 N) and lean mass (74.18 ± 3.89 vs. 65.34 ± 3.89 kg) when compared to participants (n = 5) that could not complete the weighted evacuating task trial. Additionally, greater Army Physical Fitness Test scores (288 ± 13 vs. 269 ± 16 arbitrary units) and significantly faster (30.34 ± 4.41 vs. 44.92 ± 10.62 seconds) unweighted evacuation trial times were observed in participants that could complete the weighted evacuation task. Peak force was also significantly correlated with lean mass (r = 0.51, p < 0.05). There was no relationship between RFD and performance of the unweighted or weight trial. Conclusion Isometric deadlift peak force represents an important determinant for the success of a simulated casualty evacuation task and may be a useful marker to include in periodic fitness evaluations of military personnel.

Recognizing the challenges of determining the relative contribution of different drug metabolizing enzymes to the metabolism of slowly metabolized compounds, a cytochrome P450 reaction phenotyping (CRP) method using cocultured human hepatocytes (HEPATOPAC) has been established. In this study, the emphasis on the relative contribution of different cytochrome P450 (P450) isoforms was assessed by persistently inhibiting P450 isoforms over 7 days with human HEPATOPAC. P450 isoform-selective inhibition was achieved with the chemical inhibitors furafylline (CYP1A2), tienilic acid (CYP2C9), (+)-N-3-benzylnirvanol (CYP2C19), paroxetine (CYP2D6), azamulin (CYP3A), and a combination of 1-aminobenzotriazole and tienilic acid (broad spectrum inhibition of P450s). We executed this CRP method using HEPATOPAC by optimizing for the choice of P450 inhibitors, their selectivity, and the temporal effect of inhibitor concentrations on maintaining selectivity of inhibition. In general, the established CRP method using potent and selective chemical inhibitors allows to measure the relative contribution of P450s and to calculate the fraction of metabolism (fm) of low-turnover compounds. Several low-turnover compounds were used to validate this CRP method by determining their hepatic intrinsic clearance and fm, with comparison with literature values. We established the foundation of a robust CRP for low-turnover compound test system which can be expanded to include inhibition of other drug metabolizing enzymes. This generic CRP assay, using human long-term hepatocyte cultures, will be an essential tool in drug development for new chemical entities in the quantitative assessment of the risk as a victim of drug-drug interactions. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT An ongoing trend is to develop drug candidates which have limited metabolic clearance. The current studies report a generic approach to conducting reaction phenotyping studies with human HEPATOPAC, focusing on P450 metabolism of low-turnover compounds. Potent and selective chemical inhibitors were used to assess the relative contribution of the major human P450s. Validation was achieved by confirming hepatic intrinsic clearance and fraction of metabolism for previously reported low-turnover compounds. This approach is adaptable for assessment of all drug metabolizing enzymes.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of using the critical velocity (CV) concept to prescribe two separate high-intensity interval training (HIT) exercise programs aimed at enhancing CV and load carriage performance. 20 young adult participants (male = 15, female = 5) underwent a 4-week training period where they exercised 2 d

The coverage of transport and transformation processes in toxicity tests will, in many cases, have to go well beyond simple measurement of the water quality parameters that control many of them, such as temperature, pH, redox potential, suspended solids, dissolved organic matter, ionic strength, and hardness. In the atmosphere and in the aquatic environment, movement of the chemical is more a function of the characteristic transport processes and the effect of the properties of the chemical being transported is minimal. The inorganic mineral fractions of soil are repositories of water and plant nutrients. The mineral fraction is composed primarily of layer silicates, metal hydroxides, and oxygen. The pore water fraction of a soil is a critical component related to sorption. The composition of this pore water may be significantly different from that of an overlying stream or lake. Transfer of organic vapors at the air-water interface is often predicted from a two-film diffusion model.

Aims: Many students resist the possibility of working with older adults, however, few prior studies have focused on undergraduate exercise science students. The purpose of this exploratory study wa...

Proteins involved in lipid homeostasis are often regulated through the nuclear peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR). PPARα is the target for the fibrate-class of drugs. Fenofibrate has been approved for its lipid-lowering effects in patients with hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia. We were interested in understanding the expression of the energy transporters in energy-utilizing tissues like liver, heart, muscle, and adipose tissues in rat with the hypothesis that the change in transporter expression would align with the known lipid-lowering effects of PPARα agonists like fenofibrate. We found that several fatty-acid transporter proteins had significantly altered levels following 8 days of fenofibrate dosing. The mRNA levels of the highly abundant Fatp2 and Fatp5 in rat liver increased approximately twofold and decreased fourfold, respectively. Several fatty-acid-binding proteins and acyl-CoA-binding proteins had a significant increase in mRNA abundance but not the major liver fatty-acid-binding protein, Fabp1. Of particular interest was the increased liver expression of Fabp3 also known as heart-fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP or FABP3). FABP3 has been proposed as a circulating clinical biomarker for cardiomyopathy and muscle toxicity, as well as a preclinical marker for PPARα-induced muscle toxicity. Here, we show that fenofibrate induces liver mRNA levels of Fabp3 ~5000-fold resulting in an approximately 50-fold increase in FABP3 protein levels in the whole liver. This increased liver expression complicates the interpretation and potential use of FABP3 as a specific biomarker for PPARα-induced muscle toxicities.