Selection of Learning Algorithm for Musical Tone Stimulated Wavelet De-Noised EEG Signal Classification

The task of classifying EEG signals pose a challenge in the selection of which learning algorithm is best to provide higher classification accuracy. In this study, five wellknown learning algorithms used in data mining were utilized. The task is to classify musical tone stimulated wavelet de-noised EEG signals. Classification tasks include whether the EEG signal is tone stimulated or not, and whether the EEG signal is stimulated by either the C, F or G tone. Results show higher correct classification instances (CCI) percentages and accuracies in the first classification task using the J48 decision tree as the learning algorithm. For the second classification task, the k-nn learning algorithm outruns the other classifiers but gave low accuracy and low correct classification percentage. The possibility of increasing the performance was explored by increasing the k (number of neighbors). With the increment, its produced directly proportionate in accuracy and correct classification percentage within a certain value of k. A larger k value will reduce the accuracy and the correct classification percentages

Sublittoral soft bottom communities and diversity of Mejillones Bay in northern Chile (Humboldt Current upwelling system)

The macrozoobenthos of Mejillones Bay (23°S; Humboldt Current) was quantitatively investigated over a 7-year period from austral summer 1995/1996 to winter 2002. About 78 van Veen grab samples taken at six stations (5, 10, 20 m depth) provided the basis for the analysis of the distribution of 60 species and 28 families of benthic invertebrates, as well as of their abundance and biomass. Mean abundance (2,119 individuals m-2) was in the same order compared to a previous investigation; mean biomass (966 g formalin wet mass m-2), however, exceeded prior estimations mainly due to the dominance of the bivalve Aulacomya ater. About 43% of the taxa inhabited the complete depth range. Mean taxonomic Shannon diversity (H', Log e) was 1.54 ± 0.58 with a maximum at 20 m (1.95 ± 0.33); evenness increased with depth. The fauna was numerically dominated by carnivorous gastropods, polychaetes and crustaceans (48%). About 15% of the species were suspensivorous, 13% sedimentivorous, 11% detritivorous, 7% omnivorous and 6% herbivorous. Cluster analyses showed a significant difference between the shallow and the deeper stations. Gammarid amphipods and the polychaete family Nephtyidae characterized the 5-mzone, the molluscs Aulacomya ater, Mitrella unifasciata and gammarids the intermediate zone, while the gastropod Nassarius gayi and the polychaete family Nereidae were most prominent at the deeper stations. The communities of the three depth zones did not appear to be limited by hypoxia during non-El Niño conditions. Therefore, no typical change in community structure occurred during El Niño 1997–1998, in contrast to what was observed for deeper faunal assemblages and hypoxic bays elsewhere in the coastal Humboldt Current system

Leucemia / linfoma T del adulto: Primer caso en Cuba

Se presentó el caso de una paciente con diagnóstico de linfoma no Hodgkin de histología agresiva, en el año 1990, que por los hallazgos clínicos y resultados de los exámenes complementarios realizados se sospechó la posibilidad de una leucemia / linfoma tipo T del adulto (LLTA) relacionada con la infección por el virus linfotrópico de células T humanas tipo I (conocido como HTLV-I), lo cual fue confirmado por los resultados de los estudios virológicos. Se observó comportamiento evolutivo y respuesta terapéutica tórpidos. Falleció en los primeros 4 meses de efectuado el diagnóstico, lo que corroboró lo publicado en la literatura médica sobre este tema. Este es el primer caso diagnosticado en Cuba de una leucemia / linfoma tipo T del adulto (LLTA) relacionada con la infección por el virus linfotrópico de células T humanas tipo I (HTLV-I)The case of a female patient with diagnosis of non Hodgkin lymphoma of aggressive histology in 1990 was presented .According to the clinical findings and to the results of the complementary tests made, it was suspected the possibility of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) related to human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-1) infection, which was confirmed by the results of the virological studies. It was observed a torpid evolutive behavior and therapeutic response. The patient died during the first 4 months of the diagnosis, which corroborated what is published in medical literature on this topic.This is the first case diagnosed in Cuba of an adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma associated with HTLV-1

Human Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals in the Spanish population

Introducción: En el concepto de disruptor endocrino se incluye un amplio grupo de compuestos químicos, con diversas estructuras moleculares, que comparten su capacidad de interferir sobre el sistema hormonal. Los disruptores endocrinos están presentes en útiles y elementos de uso cotidiano, desde plásticos, papel reciclado a plaguicidas y cosméticos. Numerosos estudios han demostrado efectos adversos sobre la salud humana derivados de la exposición a disruptores endocrinos, como alteraciones reproductivas y aumento de ciertos tipos de cáncer. Objetivo: Recopilar información acerca del grado de exposición de la población general española a disruptores endocrinos. Metodología: Revisión sistemática de todas las publicaciones científicas de los últimos 5 años acerca de exposición humana a disruptores endocrinos, en muestras de población general española. Discusión: De la revisión realizada se deduce que la población española está expuesta de forma frecuente a disruptores endocrinos, ya que se encuentran niveles detectables de estos compuestos en diferentes matrices biológicas de diversos grupos de población. La progresiva incorporación de nuevas sustancias en el mercado, así como la falta de estudios científicos que evalúen la incertidumbre en torno al efecto combinado de múltiples residuos, hacen que la exposición humana a estos compuestos continúe siendo un problema para la salud pública.Introduction: Endocrine disruptors are a wide group of chemicals, with diverse structures, capable of interfering with the endocrine system. These chemicals are present in several items, such as plastics, recycled paper, pesticides and cosmetics. Several studies have reported adverse health effects derived from the exposure to endocrine disruptors, e.g. reproductive disorders and higher rate of certain types of cancer. Objective: To gather information concerning the exposure of the Spanish general population to endocrine disruptors. Methodology: Systematic review of the publications indexed in the last 5 years concerning human exposure to endocrine disruptors in samples of general population from Spain. Discussion/Conclusions: From this review, we concluded that the Spanish population is frequently exposed to endocrine disruptors, due to the presence of detectable levels of these chemicals in different samples of population. The introduction of new substances in the market, as well as the lack of scientific studies that explore the combined effect of multiple chemicals, make the exposure a problem for Public Health

Recovery course of foveal microstructure in the nonsurgical resolution of full-thickness macular hole

Purpose To analyze the recovery course of foveal microstructures in eyes with nonsurgical healing of full-thickness macular hole (FTMH). Methods By serial OCT scans, the temporal healing sequences were analyzed in ocular trauma, vitreomacular traction (VMT), cystoid macular edema (CME), and the remaining group. We evaluated correlations between the final best-corrected spectacle visual acuity and reconstruction time of external limiting membrane (ELM), and inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS). Results The healing (mean +/- standard deviation in months) most involved fusion at the level of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) (6.3 +/- 10.5) followed by restoration of ELM (9.1 +/- 13.8), and lastly, by IS/OS regeneration (13.1 +/- 19.5). In severe blunt ocular trauma, healing was fast and involved subretinal zipper glue-like reapposition with resulting outer retinal atrophy. Best spectacle-corrected visual acuity correlated with normalization of the clivus (p=0.012), faster ELM (p=0.006), and IS/OS reconstitution (p=0.024). Recurrence of FTMH occurred when the healing was halted (3 eyes) or was aberrant by lamellar hole epiretinal proliferation (LHEP) (3 eyes) or by the persistence of VMT (1 eye). Conclusion Recovery sequences proceeded from the ONL to the deeper layers with BCVA correlating absolutely and temporally with the restoration of outer retinal layer integrity

Calculation and meaning of feasible band boundaries in multivariate curve resolution of a two-component system

Results obtained by model-free multivariate curve resolution (MCR) methods often are complicated by rotational and scale ambiguities, meaning that a range of feasible solutions describing and fitting experimental data equally well and fulfilling the constraints of the system are possible. In this work, two recent proposals to examine this problem and their relation are compared and discussed for the case of a two-component system. In one of these approaches, a systematic grid search of all feasible solutions is performed, and the results are displayed in appropriate mesh and contour plots which reveal their boundaries. In a second approach, an objective function is defined in terms of the relative signal contribution of every chemical species, and this function is maximized and minimized to get its extreme values that satisfy the constraints. These extreme values can also be represented graphically in the previously obtained mesh and contour plots. It turns out that the results obtained by these two approaches are in agreement and that the same extreme values are identified as boundaries of the band of feasible solutions, proving their reliability and their possible general application for the validation of MCR results