An invasive and a noninvasive approach for the automatic differentiation of obstructive and central hypopneas

The automatic differentiation of obstructive and central respiratory events is a major challenge in the diagnosis of sleep-disordered breathing. Esophageal pressure (Pes) measurement is the gold-standard method to identify these events. This study presents a new classifier that automatically differentiates obstructive and central hypopneas with the Pes signal and a new approach for an automatic noninvasive classifierwith nasal airflow. An overall of 28 patients underwent night polysomnography with Pes recording, and a total of 769 hypopneas were manually scored by human experts to create a gold-standard annotation set. Features were automatically extracted fromthe Pes signal to train and test the classifiers (discriminant analysis, support vector machines, and adaboost). After a significantly (p < 0.01) higher incidence of inspiratory flow limitation episodes in obstructive hypopneas was objectively, invasively assessed compared to central hypopneas, the feasibility of an automatic noninvasive classifier with features extracted from the airflow signal was demonstrated. The automatic invasive classifier achieved a mean sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 0.90 after a 100-fold cross validation. The automatic noninvasive feasibility study obtained similar hypopnea differentiation results as a manual noninvasive classification algorithm. Hence, both systems seem promising for the automatic differentiation of obstructive and central hypopneas.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Real time geotechnical field data acquistion using a distributed approach

A distributed geotechnical remote analysis of data system (Distributed G-RAD) can benefit both owners and contractors in providing better quality control and assurance on geotechnical projects. The Distributed G-RAD approach involves efficient data acquisition using PDAs with GPS capability, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags for labeling soil samples, laser scanning for measuring lift thickness and volumes of stockpiles and borrow pits. Spatial data storage is provided using a geographic information system (GIS). Portions of this system are already developed while other parts are still being considered. This paper also describes how RFID and laser scanning technologies can be used in the larger Distributed G-RAD system

Dünner als die Polizei erlaubt

Rezensiertes Werk: Philip W. Kupper, Die kommunalen Zürcher Polizeiverordnungen der Städte Zürich und Winterthur. Eine rechtshistorische Studie zu deren Entwicklung von Ende des 18. Jahrhunderts bis zur Gegenwart (Zürcher Studien zur Rechtsgeschichte 61), Zürich: Schulthess 2009, XXV, 138 S., ISBN 978-3-7255-5857-

Lücke, gefüllte?

Rezensiertes Werk:René Pahud de Mortanges, Schweizerische Rechtsgeschichte. Ein Grundriss, Zürich, St. Gallen: Dike Verlag 2007, XVI, 288 S., ISBN 978-3-03751-044-

Ergötzliches und Neues zur »Sandhaufentheorie der Freiheit«

Rezensiertes Werk:Götz Schulze, Die Naturalobligation. Rechtsfigur und Instrument des Rechtsverkehrs einst und heute – zugleich Grundlegung einer zivilrechtlichen Forderungslehre (Jus privatum 134), Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck 2008, XXIX u. 754 S., ISBN 978-3-16-149407-

Zeit für Zeitschriften

Rezensiertes Werk: Katharina M. Saleski, Theorie und Praxis des Rechts im Spiegel der frühen Zürcher und Schweizer juristischen Zeitschriften (Zürcher Studien zur Rechtsgeschichte 58), Zürich: Schulthess 2007, LI, 418 S., ISBN 978-3-7255-5521-

Caronisierung

Rezensiertes Werk:Pio Caroni, Die Einsamkeit des Rechtshistorikers. Notizen zu einem problematischen Lehrfach, Basel, Genf, München: Helbing & Lichtenhahn 2005, XIII, 175 S., ISBN 3-7190-2261-