Spatial filters selection towards a rehabilitation BCI

Introducing BCI technology in supporting motor imagery (MI) training has revealed the rehabilitative potential of MI, contributing to significantly better motor functional outcomes in stroke patients. To provide the most accurate and personalized feedback during the treatment, several stages of the electroencephalographic signal processing have to be optimized, including spatial filtering. This study focuses on data-independent approaches to optimize spatial filtering step. Specific aims were: i) assessment of spatial filters' performance in relation to the hand and foot scalp areas; ii) evaluation of simultaneous use of multiple spatial filters; iii) minimization of the number of electrodes needed for training. Our findings indicate that different spatial filters showed different performance related to the scalp areas considered. The simultaneous use of EEG signals conditioned with different spatial filters could either improve classification performance or, at same level of performance could lead to a reduction of the number of electrodes needed for successive training, thus improving usability of BCIs in clinical rehabilitation context

The Promotoer: a successful story of translational research in BCI for motor rehabilitation

Several groups have recently demonstrated in the context of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) how sensorimotor Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) systems can be beneficial for post-stroke motor recovery. Following a successful RCT, at Fondazione Santa Lucia (FSL) a further translational effort was made with the implementation of the Promotœr, an all in-one BCIsupported MI training station. Up to now, 25 patients underwent training with the Promotɶr during their admission for rehabilitation purposes (in add-on to standard therapy). Two illustrative cases are presented. Though currently limited to FSL, the Promotɶr represents a successful story of translational research in BCI for stroke rehabilitation. Results are promising both in terms of feasibility of a BCI training in the context of a real rehabilitation program and in terms of clinical and neurophysiological benefits observed in the patients

Technical and Conceptual Considerations for Performing and Interpreting Functional MRI Studies in Awake Rats

Functional neuroimaging studies in rodents have the potential to provide insight into neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions. The strength of the technique lies in its non-invasive nature that can permit longitudinal functional studies in the same animal over its adult life. The relatively good spatial and temporal resolution and the ever-growing database on the biological and biophysical basis of the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal make it a unique technique in preclinical neuroscience research. Our laboratory has used imaging to investigate brain activation in awake rats following cocaine administration and during the presentation of lactation-associated sensory stimuli. Factors that deserve attention when planning functional magnetic resonance imaging studies in rats include technical issues, animal physiology and interpretability of the resulting data. The present review discusses the pros and cons of animal imaging with a particular focus on the technical aspects of studies with awake rats. Overall, the benefits of the technique outweigh its limitations and the rapidly evolving methods will open the way for more laboratories to employ the technique in neuroscience research

Resistencias femeninas al franquismo. Para un estado de la cuestión

The paper concentrates on the analysis of (i) the main interpretative clues concerning women commitment in the struggle against Franco, and ii) the different types of interventions in “female” living spaces and places traditionally considered of a secondary or supportive nature. The reformulation of the concept of resistance and the corresponding revaluation of struggling modalities associated to solidarity, survival, dissidence or personal revolt, have made visible, in recent years, a complex and articulated women participation. Similarly, the study of the dictatorship repression types may offer significant research clues with respect to the “consensus” during Franco’s regime.Este trabajo pretende señalar las pistas interpretativas fundamentales que han acompañado la reconstrucción del protagonismo femenino en la lucha antifranquista junto al análisis de formas de intervenciones en espacios y lugares “femeninos” tradicionalmente consideradas secundarias o de apoyo. La reformulación del concepto de resistencia y la consiguiente valoración de modalidades de lucha vinculadas a la solidaridad, la supervivencia, las disidencias y rebeldías personales han hecho visible, en los últimos años, una participación femenina articulada y compleja. Asimismo el estudio de la represión puede ofrecer resultados significativos también en relación a la reflexión sobre el “consenso” en el régimen franquista

Impacts of Transportation Planning on Economic Development: The relationship between economic, social, and environmental variables and transit hubs measured through spatial statistics

The objective of this research is to identify the rate of change surrounding transit lines in the regions of Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto. The rate of change is observed through a sustainability lens bringing to light the economic, social and environmental perspective. The shift between once rural to urban settlement had advanced the study of globalization research. Through the adoption of Canadian census and satellite imaging a 25-year rate of change analysis is performed. A total of seven variables are measured to identify whether a consistent rate of change could be retrieved between the 1981 and 2006 census years: (1) average dwelling value; (2) average number of rooms per dwelling; (3) average gross monthly rent; (4) average household income represent economic variables; (5) population density; (6) average number of persons per household represent social variables; and (7) the removal of green space represents environmental variables. In the case of Metropolitan Vancouver, data shows a strong relationship between the rates of change in variables over the 25-year period meaning growth and development occurred along transit. In the case of the City of Toronto, data points to moderate development along the selected transit line. In the case of Metropolitan Montreal, no distinct rate of change was observed meaning that transit did not foster urban development growth

Paleoceanography of the Gulf of Papua using multiple geophysical and micropaleontological proxies

Recent marine and late Pleistocene sediments examined from the Gulf of Papua (GoP), Papua New Guinea investigate the flux and fate of detrital sediments and organic carbon over the last glacial-interglacial cycle. Based on surface sediment magnetic susceptibility (MS) and calcium carbonate concentrations, recent marine sediment is exported off the narrow shelf and into deeper regions via the Kerema Canyon of the northern Pandora Trough. Detrital clastic sediment is then dispersed deeper into the central and southern Pandora Trough. Except for pelagic deposition, very little detrital material reaches the Ashmore Trough and Eastern Plateau adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef. Rock-Eval pyrolysis data and organic petrography indicate that late Pleistocene and recent organic matter were strongly degraded prior to burial. Late Pleistocene depositional records come from two, 12 m piston cores retrieved from the slope of the northern Pandora Trough. MV-54 was taken at the mid-slope of the central Pandora Trough (923 m) and MV-51 was collected from a bathymetric high in the northeastern Pandora Trough (804 m). Core sediments were analyzed with MS, calcium carbonate, organic geochemistry, and benthic foraminiferal assemblages. Both cores show two periods of rapid sediment accumulation. High accumulation rates characterize 15,800-17,700 Cal. yrs B.P. in MV-54 and correspond to the early transgression when rivers delivered sediments closer to the shelf-edge. Benthic foraminiferal assemblages in MV-51 indicate a seasonally variable flux of organic carbon during late LGM (~18,400-20,400 Cal. yrs B.P.), suggesting enhanced contrast between monsoon seasons. The oldest section, \u3e32,000 14C yrs B.P., contains the highest mass accumulation rates and TOC fluxes, with \u3e50% of the organic carbon derived from C3 vascular plant matter. MS and benthic foraminiferal accumulation rates are orders of magnitude higher during this interval than any younger time indicating a greater influence of detrital minerals and labile organic carbon. Because mineralogy and detrital input are shown to be the main controls on MS variability, the MS data in this interval suggest more direct dispersal pathways from central and eastern PNG Rivers to the core site when sea level was lower and dispersal gradients were higher

Extended Learning Time

Abstract Research suggests that regular participation in programs that provide academic and social activities contribute positively to children’s academic and social development (National Education Association, 2004). However, existing literature on teachers’ and parents’ views on extended learning time is limited. A lot of emphasis has been placed on after-school programs for three primary reasons. First, attendance in after-school programs can provide children with supervision during a time when many might be exposed to and engage in more anti-social and destructive behaviors. Second, after-school programs can provide enriching experiences that broaden children’s perspectives and improve their socialization. Third, after-school programs may help to improve the academic achievement of students who are not achieving as well as they need to during regular school hours. Many children, especially those from poor and minority families, are placed at risk by school practices that are based on a sorting paradigm, in which some students receive high-expectation instruction while the rest are relegated to lower quality education. The role of home-based or neighborhood-based activities for children under the supervision of parents has declined, and the role of structured, school-based activities under the supervision of professionals has increased. A large part of this can be explained by the growth in single-parent households and families in which both parents work full time. For children who face academic and/or behavioral issues that hinder their success during regular school hours, the after-school hours can be a time to attempt to eliminate these barriers, improve education, and expose them to new experiences they would otherwise never had been exposed to. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore middle school teachers’ and parents’ perceptions of extended learning time. This case study employs a semi-structured interview as the main tool for data collection from the participants. Utilizing a case study approach brings a humanistic point of view to the field of education, one that is not simply bound in numbers and statistics. Krathwohl (1998) describes semi-structured interviews as having prepared open-ended questions and a predetermined order. The interview questions were designed to allow participants a means as well as a tool to express their opinions and beliefs on extended learning time. This study employs a purposeful sampling procedure. Krathwohl (1998) states that purposive sampling is a common and important tool in which individuals are chosen to fulfill a purpose and is “most often used in qualitative research to select individuals or behaviors that will better inform the researcher regarding the current focus of the [case study]” (p. 172). In this case, subjects were selected based on the grade levels that were preselected by the principal to participate in extended learning time. If you must be vague, you are only given license to do so when you can talk about orders-of-magnitude improvement. There is a tension here in that you should not provide numbers that can be easily misinterpreted, but on the other hand, you do not have room for all the caveats. Principals should have the opportunity to tailor the extended learning time to meet the needs of the students. No longer are community schools housing local students and families; now with the Newark One, where students are being bused from near and far, principals face a challenge in how to better equip the teachers with the necessary tools to educate students. Policy and educational leaders are promoting and funding opportunities for expanded learning time as a key strategy to address opportunity gaps that torment high-poverty schools (National Center on Time and Learning, 2013). If school leaders want to implement extended learning time, then it needs to be clear across the board, with parents, teachers, and community stakeholders being made aware of the policy and held accountable. The U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate adopted bills calling for National Extended Learning Time. Schools adopting extended learning time expand the amount of time students spend in school by lengthening the school day and/or year. Through the extended learning time initiative, schools agree to increase learning time for their students by at least 30% in exchange for an increase in their state per-pupil funding. According to Ricci (2000), providing curriculum-related, real-life opportunities for students that allow them to apply their skills can be challenging. Warren (1999) and Moores (1999) state that working with community volunteers provides students with positive role models, but also gives them the chance to see themselves as productive citizens. This provides students a chance to dive into their community as more than just observers and gives them more control over their experience and learning. When students feel in control, they are less likely to give up that control to other environmental hazards. As Moores (1999) states, it enables the [students] to develop confidence in their abilities to be successful

EEG Resting-State Brain Topological Reorganization as a Function of Age

Resting state connectivity has been increasingly studied to investigate the effects of aging on the brain. A reduced organization in the communication between brain areas was demonstrated b y combining a variety of different imaging technologies (fMRI, EEG, and MEG) and graph theory. In this paper, we propose a methodology to get new insights into resting state connectivity and its variations with age, by combining advanced techniques of effective connectivity estimation, graph theoretical approach, and classification by SVM method. We analyzed high density EEG signal srecordedatrestfrom71healthysubjects(age:20–63years). Weighted and directed connectivity was computed by means of Partial Directed Coherence based on a General Linear Kalman filter approach. To keep the information collected by the estimator, weighted and directed graph indices were extracted from the resulting networks. A relation between brain network properties and age of the subject was found, indicating a tendency of the network to randomly organize increasing with age. This result is also confirmed dividing the whole population into two subgroups according to the age (young and middle-aged adults): significant differences exist in terms of network organization measures. Classification of the subjects by means of such indices returns an accuracy greater than 80

GUIDER: a GUI for semiautomatic, physiologically driven EEG feature selection for a rehabilitation BCI

GUIDER is a graphical user interface developed in MATLAB software environment to identify electroencephalography (EEG)-based brain computer interface (BCI) control features for a rehabilitation application (i.e. post-stroke motor imagery training). In this context, GUIDER aims to combine physiological and machine learning approaches. Indeed, GUIDER allows therapists to set parameters and constraints according to the rehabilitation principles (e.g. affected hemisphere, sensorimotor relevant frequencies) and foresees an automatic method to select the features among the defined subset. As a proof of concept, we compared offline performances between manual, just based on operator’s expertise and experience, and GUIDER semiautomatic features selection on BCI data collected from stroke patients during BCI-supported motor imagery training. Preliminary results suggest that this semiautomatic approach could be successfully applied to support the human selection reducing operator dependent variability in view of future multi-centric clinical trials