Multi-objective particle swarm optimization for channel selection in brain-computer interfaces

This paper presents a novel application of a multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) method to solve the problem of effective channel selection for Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) systems. The proposed method is tested on 6 subjects and compared to another search based method, Sequential Floating Forward Search (SFFS). The results demonstrate the effectiveness of MOPSO in selecting a fewer number of channels with insignificant sacrifice in accuracy, which is very important to build robust online BCI systems

A method for classifying mental tasks in the space of EEG transforms

In this article we describe a new method for supervised classification of EEG signals. This method applies to the power spectrum density data and assigns class-dependent information weights to individual pixels, so that the decision is defined by the summary weights of the most informative pixel features. We experimentally analyze several versions of the approach. The informative features appear to be rather similar among different individuals, thus supporting the view that there are subject independent general brain patterns for the same mental task

A study on temporal segmentation strategies for extracting common spatial patterns for brain computer interfacing

Brain computer interfaces (BCI) create a new approach to human computer communication, allowing the user to control a system simply by performing mental tasks such as motor imagery. This paper proposes and analyses different strategies for time segmentation in extracting common spatial patterns of the brain signals associated to these tasks leading to an improvement of BCI performance

Wavelet design by means of multi-objective GAs for motor imagery EEG analysis

Wavelet-based analysis has been broadly used in the study of brain-computer interfaces (BCI), but in most cases these wavelet functions have not been designed taking into account the requirements of this field. In this study we propose a method to automatically generate wavelet-like functions by means of genetic algorithms. Results strongly indicate that it is possible to generate (evolve) wavelet functions that improve the classification accuracy compared to other well-known wavelets (e.g. Daubechies and Coiflets)

Prognostic variables and scores identifying the last year of life in COPD: a systematic review protocol

Introduction People living with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suffer from significant morbidity, reduced quality of life and high mortality, and are likely to benefit from many aspects of a palliative care approach. Prognostic estimates are a meaningful part of decision-making and better evidence for such estimates would facilitate advance care planning. We aim to provide quality evidence on known prognostic variables and scores which predict a prognosis in COPD of <12 months for use in the community. Methods and analysis We will conduct a systematic review of randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials, prospective and retrospective longitudinal cohort and case–control studies on prognostic variables, multivariate scores or models for COPD. The search will cover the period up to April 2016. Study selection will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, with data extraction using fields from the Critical Appraisal and Data Extraction for Systematic Reviews of Prediction Modelling Studies (CHARMS) checklist for multivariate models, and study quality will be assessed using a modified version of the Quality In Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool. Ethics and dissemination The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and national and international conference presentations

Recombinant Vgr-1/BMP-6-expressing tumors induce fibrosis and endochondral bone formation in vivo.

Members of the TGF-beta superfamily appear to modulate mesenchymal differentiation, including the processes of cartilage and bone formation. Nothing is yet known about the function of the TGF-beta-related factor vgr-1, also called bone morphogenetic protein-6 (BMP-6), and only limited studies have been conducted on the most closely related factors BMP-5, osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1) or BMP-7, and OP-2. Because vgr-1 mRNA has been localized in hypertrophic cartilage, this factor may play a vital role in endochondral bone formation. We developed antibodies to vgr-1, and documented that vgr-1 protein was expressed in hypertrophic cartilage of mice. To further characterize the role of this protein in bone differentiation, we generated CHO cells that overexpressed recombinant murine vgr-1 protein. Western blot analysis documented that recombinant vgr-1 protein was secreted into the media and was proteolytically processed to yield the mature vgr-1 molecule. To assess the biological activity of recombinant vgr-1 in vivo, we introduced the vgr-1-expressing CHO cells directly into the subcutaneous tissue of athymic nude mice. CHO-vgr-1 cells produced localized tumors, and the continuous secretion of vgr-1 resulted in tumors with a strikingly different gross and histological appearance as compared to the parental CHO cells. The tumors of control CHO cells were hemorrhagic, necrotic, and friable, whereas the CHO-vgr-1 tumors were dense, firm, and fibrotic. In contrast with control CHO tumors, the nests of CHO-vgr-1 tumor cells were surrounded by extensive connective tissue, which contained large regions of cartilage and bone. Further analysis indicated that secretion of vgr-1 from the transfected CHO tumor cells induced the surrounding host mesenchymal cells to develop along the endochondral bone pathway. These findings suggest that endochondral bone formation

Uncertain news: Trust and preventive practices in respiratory infectious diseases

Trust influences a range of human behaviors including health decision making. Over the past 60 years a significant industry has sprung up to influence public opinion and mobilize grassroots challenges against evidence-based threats to vested interests. Simultaneously, media reports of scientific fraud, misrepresentation, constantly changing “evidence” for health, and “hyped” predictions of disasters that were ultimately less significant amplify doubts about the reliability of scientific evidence and technology when hazards arise. This has contributed to the appearance of decay of trust in the veracity of scientific claims. Population responses during communicable disease epidemics illustrate these interacting processes that simultaneously create uncertainty and significant discomfort within communities. Research on the relative influences of formal versus informal information sources in driving protective behavior during recent influenza epidemics shows how both the uptake of everyday preventive practices such as hand hygiene, and specific health interventions, such as vaccination are affected by these processes. We review recent work on influenza-related personal preventive practices, with a particular focus on the shifting roles and utility of formal and informal sources in decision making among the public, and consider the implications within the context of prevailing levels of trust, uncertainty, and doubt surrounding health care recommendations.postprin

Rescoring the NIH chronic prostatitis symptom index: nothing new.

The National Institutes of Health-chronic prostatitis symptom index (NIH-CPSI) is a commonly used 13-item questionnaire for the assessment of symptom severity in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). For each item, score ranges are 0-1 (6 items), 0-3 (2 items), 0-5 (3 items), 0-6 (1 item) and 0-10 (1 item). This scoring system is straightforward, but items with wider score ranges are de facto weighted more, which could adversely affect the performance characteristics of the questionnaire. We rescored the NIH-CPSI so that equal weights were assigned to each item, and compared the performance of the standard and rescored questionnaires using the original validation dataset. Both the original and revised versions of the scoring algorithm discriminated similarly among groups of men with CP (n=151), benign prostatic hyperplasia (n=149) and controls (n=134). The internal consistency of the questionnaire was slightly better with the revised scoring, but values with the standard scoring were sufficiently high (Cronbach's &gt;or=0.80). We conclude that although the rescored NIH-CPSI provides better face validity than the standard scoring algorithm, it requires additional calculation efforts and yields only marginal improvements in performance

A query suggestion method combining TF-IDF and Jaccard Coefficient for interactive web search

This paper proposes a query suggestion method combining two ranked retrieval methods: TF-IDF and Jaccard coefficient. Four performance criteria plus user evaluation have been adopted to evaluate this combined method in terms of ranking and relevance from different perspectives. Two experiments have been conducted using carefully designed eighty test queries which are related to eight topics. One experiment aims to evaluate the quality of the query suggestions generated by the proposed method, and the other aims to evaluate the improvement of the relevance of retuned documents in interactive web search by using thequery suggestions so as to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed method. The experimental results show that the method developed in this paper is the best method for query suggestion among the methods evaluated, significantly outperforming the most popularly used TF-IDF method. In addition, the query suggestions generated by the proposed method significantly improve the relevance of returned documents in interactive web search in terms of increasing the precision or the number of highly relevant documents