Combined EEG and eye tracking in sports skills training and performance analysis

The use of mobile EEG brainwave monitoring and eye-tracking recorded synchronously during the training of sports skills offers significant opportunities but creates challenges. Opportunities: ♦ Measuring neurocognitive activity and visual focus in real time which can be used to provide immediate feedback to the coach, in ‘real world’ settings, for optimising training protocols for the individual athlete. ♦ Use of sound output (‘sonification’) in proportion to EEG regions of interest as a neurofeedback mechanism for athlete self-training. ♦ Application of visualisation protocols and ‘EEG-driven’ PC games where game feedback based on state of mind is used to optimise mental state prior to performance. ♦ Examining the relationship between eye movement and neuro activity (e.g. saccades and gamma waves) and in athlete coaching interventions such as sports visual scanning strategies, Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, focussed relaxation, etc. Challenges: ♦ The recording of EEG during gross motor behaviour is subject to non-brain artefacts in the raw (time-domain) EEG, due to the much larger (than EEG) electrical voltages arising from muscle and eye movements. Practical approaches and signal processing (frequency domain spectrum) techniques to address these problems will be discussed. ♦ The synchronisation of data recorded on different types of equipment (e.g. EEG, eyetracker, video, sound, EMG, etc.) with different ‘clocks’ and diverse data formats is difficult – both in terms of time-stamping the original recordings across all the systems and playing them back synchronously for subsequent performance analysis. Progress on creating real-time data export methods which allow synchronous data recording and playback will be reported. Examples of studies carried out in archery, golf, motorsport, football and skiing will be discussed, with a focus on archery where: ♦ Measurements were taken from intermediate, county level, near elite and elite archers. ♦ Archery was chosen to demonstrate the real-time and in-situ quantification of neural activity compared with target-based measures of performance that archery provides, over a range of time-spans and skills. ♦ Results demonstrate that there are significant and measurable changes in EEG patterns during a shot with evidence suggesting that the patterns vary as a function of skill level, but not simply as a function of score. Significance of each of these studies for goal-directed learning and performance enhancement are discussed

Data mining of portable EEG brain wave signals for sports performance analysis: An Archery case study

BACKGROUND ♦ Achievement in high performance sport requires an appropriate ‘state of mind’, which is trained alongside the physical skills. ♦ However, quantification of mental state during coaching is often difficult. ♦ With the advent of a new generation of portable compact EEGs and wireless eye tracking devices, one can measure the neurocognitive activity of an athlete’s brain and their visual focus simultaneously in ecologically representative training scenarios. AIM/OBJECTIVES ♦ We present evidence suggesting that the ‘state of mind’ of an athlete can be measured and compared with target-based performance measures. METHOD ♦ Measurements were taken from intermediate, county level, near elite and elite archers investigating: o quantification of EEG brain wave signals comparing archers of different abilities o correlation of EEG data across shots as a function of marksmanship o prototyping real-time EEG data feedback using sound during training o synchronous EEG and eye tracking ♦ Archery was chosen to demonstrate the real-time and in-situ quantification of neural activity compared with target-based measures of performance that archery provides, over a range of timespans and skills. ♦ Mental performance was explored during stages of a shot, across shots within a set, or across different sessions. RESULTS ♦ Results demonstrate that there are significant and measurable changes in EEG patterns during a shot with evidence suggesting that the patterns vary as a function of skill level, but not simply as a function of score. ♦ Significance of each of these outcomes for goal-directed learning and performance enhancement are discussed. DISCUSSION ♦ This may provide coaches and athletes with real-time EEG feedback to identify differing mental skill execution compared to a baseline or aspirational measurement from another athlete. ♦ Future work includes injury recovery/prevention and welfare, rehabilitation, and work with mobility-challenged non-athletes

The equine gastrointestinal microbiome: impacts of weight-loss

Context. The formation of water on the dust grains in the interstellar medium may proceed with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as an intermediate. Recently gas-phase H2O2 has been detected in {\rho} Oph A with an abundance of ~1E-10 relative to H2. Aims. We aim to reproduce the observed abundance of H2O2 and other species detected in {\rho} Oph A quantitatively. Methods. We make use of a chemical network which includes gas phase reactions as well as processes on the grains; desorption from the grain surface through chemical reaction is also included. We run the model for a range of physical parameters. Results. The abundance of H2O2 can be best reproduced at ~6E5 yr, which is close to the dynamical age of {\rho} Oph A. The abundances of other species such as H2CO, CH3OH, and O2 can be reasonably reproduced also at this time. In the early time the gas-phase abundance of H2O2 can be much higher than the current detected value. We predict a gas phase abundance of O2H at the same order of magnitude as H2O2, and an abundance of the order 1E-8 for gas phase water in {\rho} Oph A. A few other species of interest are also discussed. Conclusions. We demonstrate that H2O2 can be produced on the dust grains and released into the gas phase through non-thermal desorption via surface exothermic reactions. The H2O2 molecule on the grain is an important intermediate in the formation of water. The fact that H2O2 is over-produced in the gas phase for a range of physical conditions suggests that its destruction channel in the current gas phase network may be incomplete.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&

The equine gastrointestinal microbiome: impacts of weight-loss

BACKGROUND: Obesity is an important equine welfare issue. Whilst dietary restriction is the most effective weight-loss tool, individual animals range in their weight-loss propensity. Gastrointestinal-derived bacteria play a fundamental role in host-health and have been associated with obesity and weight-loss in other species. This study evaluated the faecal microbiome (next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA genes) of 15 obese Welsh Mountain pony mares, in the same 11-week period across 2 years (n = 8 Year 1; n = 7 Year 2). Following a 4-week acclimation period (pre-diet phase) during which time individuals were fed the same hay to maintenance (2% body mass (BM) as daily dry matter (DM) intake), animals underwent a 7-week period of dietary restriction (1% BM hay as daily DM intake). Faeces were sampled on the final 3 days of the pre-diet phase and the final 3 days of the dietary restriction phase. Bacterial communities were determined using Next Generation Sequencing of amplified V1-V2 hypervariable regions of bacterial 16S rRNA.RESULTS: Losses in body mass ranged from 7.11 to 11.59%. Changes in the faecal microbiome composition following weight-loss included a reduction in the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Tenericutes and a reduction in indices of bacterial diversity. Pre-diet diversity was negatively associated with weight-loss. Pre-diet faecal acetate concentration was a strong predictor of subsequent weight-loss and negatively associated with Sphaerochaeta (Spirochaetes phylum) abundance. When animals were divided into 3 groups (high, mid, low) based overall weight loss, pre-diet bacterial community structure was found to have the greatest divergence between the high and low weight-loss groups (R = 0.67, p &lt;  0.01), following PERMANOVA and ANOSIM analysis.CONCLUSIONS: Weight-loss in this group of ponies was associated with lower pre-diet faecal bacterial diversity and greater pre-diet acetate concentration. Overall, these data support a role for the faecal microbiome in weight-loss propensity in ponies and provide a baseline for research evaluating elements of the faecal microbiome in predicting weight-loss success in larger cohorts.</p

Effect of age and the individual on the gastrointestinal bacteriome of ponies fed a high-starch diet

Bacteria residing in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals are crucial for the digestion of dietary nutrients. Bacterial community composition is modified by age and diet in other species. Although horses are adapted to consuming fibre-based diets, high-energy, often high-starch containing feeds are increasingly used. The current study assessed the impact of age on the faecal bacteriome of ponies transitioning from a hay-based diet to a high-starch diet. Over two years, 23 Welsh Section A pony mares were evaluated (Controls, 5-15 years, n = 6/year, 12 in total; Aged, ≥19 years, n = 6 Year 1; n = 5 Year 2, 11 in total). Across the same 30-week (May to November) period in each year, animals were randomly assigned to a 5-week period of study and were individually fed the same hay to maintenance (2% body mass as daily dry matter intake) for 4-weeks. During the final week, 2g starch per kg body mass (micronized steam-flaked barley) was incorporated into the diet (3-day transition and 5 days at maximum). Faecal samples were collected for 11 days (final 3 days hay and 8 days hay + barley feeding). Bacterial communities were determined using Ion Torrent Sequencing of amplified V1-V2 hypervariable regions of 16S rRNA. Age had a minimal effect on the bacteriome response to diet. The dietary transition increased Candidatus Saccharibacteria and Firmicutes phyla abundance and reduced Fibrobactres abundance. At the genera level, Streptococcus abundance was increased but not consistently across individual animals. Bacterial diversity was reduced during dietary transition in Streptococcus 'responders'. Faecal pH and VFA concentrations were modified by diet but considerable inter-individual variation was present. The current study describes compositional changes in the faecal bacteriome associated with the transition from a fibre-based to a high-starch diet in ponies and emphasises the individual nature of dietary responses, which may reflect functional differences in the bacterial populations present in the hindgut

Fault-tolerant formation driving mechanism designed for heterogeneous MAVs-UGVs groups

A fault-tolerant method for stabilization and navigation of 3D heterogeneous formations is proposed in this paper. The presented Model Predictive Control (MPC) based approach enables to deploy compact formations of closely cooperating autonomous aerial and ground robots in surveillance scenarios without the necessity of a precise external localization. Instead, the proposed method relies on a top-view visual relative localization provided by the micro aerial vehicles flying above the ground robots and on a simple yet stable visual based navigation using images from an onboard monocular camera. The MPC based schema together with a fault detection and recovery mechanism provide a robust solution applicable in complex environments with static and dynamic obstacles. The core of the proposed leader-follower based formation driving method consists in a representation of the entire 3D formation as a convex hull projected along a desired path that has to be followed by the group. Such an approach provides non-collision solution and respects requirements of the direct visibility between the team members. The uninterrupted visibility is crucial for the employed top-view localization and therefore for the stabilization of the group. The proposed formation driving method and the fault recovery mechanisms are verified by simulations and hardware experiments presented in the paper

The Equine Gastrointestinal Microbiome:Impacts of Age and Obesity

Gastrointestinal microbial communities are increasingly being implicated in host susceptibilities to nutritional/metabolic diseases; such conditions are more prevalent in obese and/or older horses. This controlled study evaluated associations between host-phenotype and the fecal microbiome / metabolome. Thirty-five, Welsh Mountain pony mares were studied across 2 years (Controls, n = 6/year, 5–15 years, Body Condition Score (BCS) 4.5–6/9; Obese, n = 6/year, 5–15 years, BCS > 7/9; Aged, n = 6 Year 1; n = 5 Year 2, ≥19 years old). Animals were individually fed the same hay to maintenance (2% body mass as daily dry matter intake) for 2 (aged / obese) or 4 (control), 4-week periods in a randomized study. Outset phenotype was determined (body fat%, markers of insulin sensitivity). Feces were sampled on the final 3 days of hay feeding-periods and communities determined using Next Generation Sequencing of amplified V1–V2 hypervariable regions of bacterial 16S rRNA. Copy numbers for fecal bacteria, protozoa and fungi were similar across groups, whilst bacterial diversity was increased in the obese group. Dominant bacterial phyla in all groups were Bacteroidetes > Firmicutes > Fibrobacter. Significant differences in the bacterial communities of feces were detected between host-phenotype groups. Relative to controls, abundances of Proteobacteria were increased for aged animals and Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria were increased for obese animals. Over 500 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) differed significantly between host-phenotype groups. No consistent pattern of changes in discriminant OTUs between groups were maintained across groups and between years. The core bacterial populations contained 21 OTUs, 6.7% of recovered sequences. Distance-based Redundancy Analyses separated fecal bacterial communities with respect to markers of obesity and insulin dysregulation, as opposed to age. Host-phenotype had no impact on the apparent digestibility of dietary GE or DM, fecal volatile fatty acid concentrations or the fecal metabolome (FT-IR). The current study demonstrates that host-phenotype has major effects on equine fecal microbial population structure. Changes were predominantly associated with the obese state, confirming an obesity-associated impact in the absence of nutritional differences. Clear biomarkers of animal-phenotype were not identified within either the fecal microbiome or metabolome, suggesting functional redundancy within the gut microbiome and/or metabolome.</p

Evidence for susceptibility genes to familial Wilms tumour in addition to WT1, FWT1 and FWT2

Three loci have been implicated in familial Wilms tumour: WT1 located on chromosome 11p13, FWT1 on 17q12-q21, and FWT2 on 19q13. Two out of 19 Wilms tumour families evaluated showed strong evidence against linkage at all three loci. Both of these families contained at least three cases of Wilms tumour indicating that they were highly likely to be due to genetic susceptibility and therefore that one or more additional familial Wilms tumour susceptibility genes remain to be found. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig

A mission control architecture for robotic lunar sample return as field tested in an analogue deployment to the Sudbury impact structure

A Mission Control Architecture is presented for a Robotic Lunar Sample Return Mission which builds upon the experience of the landed missions of the NASA Mars Exploration Program. This architecture consists of four separate processes working in parallel at Mission Control and achieving buy-in for plans sequentially instead of simultaneously from all members of the team. These four processes were: Science Processing, Science Interpretation, Planning and Mission Evaluation. Science Processing was responsible for creating products from data downlinked from the field and is organized by instrument. Science Interpretation was responsible for determining whether or not science goals are being met and what measurements need to be taken to satisfy these goals. The Planning process, responsible for scheduling and sequencing observations, and the Evaluation process that fostered inter-process communications, reporting and documentation assisted these processes. This organization is advantageous for its flexibility as shown by the ability of the structure to produce plans for the rover every two hours, for the rapidity with which Mission Control team members may be trained and for the relatively small size of each individual team. This architecture was tested in an analogue mission to the Sudbury impact structure from June 6-17, 2011. A rover was used which was capable of developing a network of locations that could be revisited using a teach and repeat method. This allowed the science team to process several different outcrops in parallel, downselecting at each stage to ensure that the samples selected for caching were the most representative of the site. Over the course of 10 days, 18 rock samples were collected from 5 different outcrops, 182 individual field activities - such as roving or acquiring an image mosaic or other data product - were completed within 43 command cycles, and the rover travelled over 2,200 m. Data transfer from communications passes were filled to 74%. Sample triage was simulated to allow down-selection to 1kg of material for return to Earth