Deep learning with convolutional neural networks for decoding and visualization of EEG pathology

We apply convolutional neural networks (ConvNets) to the task of distinguishing pathological from normal EEG recordings in the Temple University Hospital EEG Abnormal Corpus. We use two basic, shallow and deep ConvNet architectures recently shown to decode task-related information from EEG at least as well as established algorithms designed for this purpose. In decoding EEG pathology, both ConvNets reached substantially better accuracies (about 6% better, ~85% vs. ~79%) than the only published result for this dataset, and were still better when using only 1 minute of each recording for training and only six seconds of each recording for testing. We used automated methods to optimize architectural hyperparameters and found intriguingly different ConvNet architectures, e.g., with max pooling as the only nonlinearity. Visualizations of the ConvNet decoding behavior showed that they used spectral power changes in the delta (0-4 Hz) and theta (4-8 Hz) frequency range, possibly alongside other features, consistent with expectations derived from spectral analysis of the EEG data and from the textual medical reports. Analysis of the textual medical reports also highlighted the potential for accuracy increases by integrating contextual information, such as the age of subjects. In summary, the ConvNets and visualization techniques used in this study constitute a next step towards clinically useful automated EEG diagnosis and establish a new baseline for future work on this topic.Comment: Published at IEEE SPMB 2017 https://www.ieeespmb.org/2017

Quasi-normal modes for doubly rotating black holes

Based on the work of Chen, L\"u and Pope, we derive expressions for the $D\geq 6$ dimensional metric for Kerr-(A)dS black holes with two independent rotation parameters and all others set equal to zero: $a_1\neq 0, a_2\neq0, a_3=a_4=...=0$. The Klein-Gordon equation is then explicitly separated on this background. For $D\geq 6$ this separation results in a radial equation coupled to two generalized spheroidal angular equations. We then develop a full numerical approach that utilizes the Asymptotic Iteration Method (AIM) to find radial Quasi-Normal Modes (QNMs) of doubly rotating flat Myers-Perry black holes for slow rotations. We also develop perturbative expansions for the angular quantum numbers in powers of the rotation parameters up to second order.Comment: RevTeX 4-1, various figure

Viewpoint: ‘When black lives matter all lives will matter’ − a teacher and three students discuss the BLM movement

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement is generating a new appetite for understanding the ubiquity of systemic racism. In this short piece, a professor and three newly graduated students from different racialized groups reflect on the reproduction of social inequalities in key institutions and on what decolonization means for the nation, not just for education

A case study on practical live event sound exposure monitoring

The recently launched WHO Global Standard for Safe Listening Venues and Events aims to make listening safer and more enjoyable for audiences around the world. Some key questions remain on how to practically monitor sound exposure as well as on how patrons’ hearing may be affected after significant exposure. This paper presents a case study where various sound exposure monitoring systems and methods were trialed in an indoor music venue. The aim of the work was to develop and validate a practical, accurate and repeatable technique to track sound exposure across music venues that can be presented in real-time. Results indicate that this can be achieved with no more than four, and as few as two, sound level monitoring locations alongside fixed calibration measurements and a small number of spot measurements at the mix position during a performance

The influence of anaesthetic drug selection for scoliosis surgery on the management of intraoperative haemodynamic stability and postoperative pain – pharmaceutical care programme

Aim: The aim of this study was to conduct a pharmaceutical care programme for two different anaesthetic methods used during scoliosis surgery, to investigate which method ensured better intraoperative haemodynamic stability and postoperative pain control.Methods: A clinical pharmacist actively participated in a prospective randomised double blind study for 40 patients who had a physical status class I-II ASA, scheduled for scoliosis surgery, who were randomly allocated into two groups, 20 in each group. Both groups received midazolam preoperatively, propofol, sevuflorane, atracurium, and either remifentanil infusion 0.2 &mu;g/kg/min for (Group 1 = G1), or the same dose of remifentanil infusion and low dose ketamine infusion 1 &mu;g/kg/min (Group 2 = G2), antidote medications and postoperative morphine. Patients were subject to a pharmaceutical care programme. Heart rate HR, MAP, vital signs, surgical bleeding, urine output, time to accomplish the wake up test, duration of surgery and duration of anesthesia were recorded. In postanesthesia care unit (PACU) for 24 hours, the recoverytime, the first pain score and analgesic requirements were assessed. All drugs used were documented in medical charts for statistical analysis.Results: Intraoperative heart rate and arterial blood pressure were significantly less (p < 0.05) in G1 as compared with G2. In the (PACU) the first pain score recordings were significantly less (p < 0.05) in G2 than G1. The time which passed until the first patient analgesia demand dose was greater in G2 and morphine consumption was greater in G1 than G2 (p < 0.05). The rest of the results were not significantly different between the two groups. None of the patients had any allergic or adverse drug reaction to any of the medications.Conclusions: Adding a low dose ketamine hydrochloride infusion during scoliosis surgery could be applied as a routine therapy to improve the haemodynamic stability during the surgery and reduce the postoperative morphine consumption. A pharmaceutical care programme tested in this study gave a high score for patient satisfaction.Keywords: scoliosis; remifentanil; ketamin

Zeta Functions in Brane World Cosmology

We present a calculation of the zeta function and of the functional determinant for a Laplace-type differential operator, corresponding to a scalar field in a higher dimensional de Sitter brane background, which consists of a higher dimensional anti-de Sitter bulk spacetime bounded by a de Sitter section, representing a brane. Contrary to the existing examples, which all make use of conformal transformations, we evaluate the zeta function working directly with the higher dimensional wave operator. We also consider a generic mass term and coupling to curvature, generalizing previous results. The massless, conformally coupled case is obtained as a limit of the general result and compared with known calculations. In the limit of large anti-de Sitter radius, the zeta determinant for the ball is recovered in perfect agreement with known expressions, providing an interesting check of our result and an alternative way of obtaining the ball determinant.Comment: 14 pages, 1 figur