Robust Brain-computer interface for virtual Keyboard (RoBIK): project results

Special issue : ANR TECSAN : Technologies for Health and AutonomyNational audienceBrain-ComputerInterface (BCI)is a technology that translatesthe brain electrical activity into a command for a device such as a robotic arm, a wheelchair or a spelling device. BCIs have long been described as an assistive technology forseverely disabled patients because they completely bypass the need for muscular activity. The clinical reality is however dramatically different and most patients who use BCIs today are doing so as part of constraining clinical trials. To achieve the technological transfer from bench to bedside, BCI must gain ease of use and robustness of bothmeasure (electroencephalography [EEG]) and interface (signal processing and applications).TheRobustBrain-computerInterface for virtual Keyboard (RoBIK) project aimed atthe development of aBCIsystemfor communication that could be used on a daily basis by patientswithoutthe help of a trained teamofresearchers.To guide further developments cliniciansfirst assessed patients' needs.The prototype subsequently developed consisted in a 14 felt-pad electrodes EEG headsetsampling at 256Hz by an electronic component capable of transmitting signals wirelessly. The application was a virtual keyboard generating a novelstimulation paradigm to elicit P300 Evoked Related Potentials(ERPs) for communication. Raw EEG signals were treated with OpenViBE open-source software including novelsignal processing and stimulation techniques

Robust Virtual Keyboard for Brain-Computer Interface (ROBIK): An Halfway Update on the Project

International audienceThe principle of a Brain-Computer Interface or BCI is to control a device through the extraction and interpretation of signal features from electroencephalograms (EEG) collected either from the surface of the scalp or through invasive measurements. This late idea of communication technique (Vidal 1973), offers the advantage of bypassing the need for muscle activity in the control chain and is therefore presented as a promising alternative to restore communication and control in severely disabled patients (Wolpow, et al. 2002). However, the lack of robustness and ergonomics of both available software and EEG measurement techniques have delayed the transfer of this technology to patients bedsides. The French Research Agency has funded a 3-year project gathering national leaders in microelectronics (CEA-Leti), EEG signal processing (Gipsa-Lab) and clinical management of severely disabled people (Raymond Poincar hospital). The aim of the project is the development and the clinical validation of a Brain-Computer Interface prototype for communication. As an initial step, a survey was carried out to assess patients' and users (family and caretakers) needs, which were translated into specifications, on the basis of which software and hardware were developed. The survey (n=45) highlighted the need for easy-to-setup systems (installation time=15min), which stresses the importance of mechanical comfort and customization of application. The development of signal processing techniques has led to improvements of the P3Speller paradigm. A first prototype of a 32-channel EEG recording system is under development. To ease the EEG measurements and reduce installation time, the system has a reduced size. It includes the analog amplification and digital conversion of 32 channels sampled at 1 kHz, as well as the wireless data transmission to a computer. First in vivo validations were performed on small animals. This system will be optimized and connected to a headset specifically designed to provide a comfortable and handy interface with dry electrodes. The present project will still run for one and a half years ,ending with its clinical validation in a population of severely disabled patients, which will compare performances of the system with existing assistive technologies. At this stage, the proposed system yields very promising results, and outperforms the current state-of-the-art. If such a system is shown to perform better than current users assistive technology, it could reach the commercial availability for severely disabled patients within the next 5 years

The association of socioeconomic status on treatment strategy in patients with stage I and II breast cancer in the Netherlands

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that socioeconomic status (SES) influences breast cancer therapy. However, these studies were performed in countries with unequal access to healthcare. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate whether SES also contributes to the likelihood of receiving a certain therapy in the Netherlands, a country with supposedly equal access to healthcare. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From the Netherlands Cancer Registry, 105,287 patients with newly diagnosed stage I or II breast cancer diagnosed between 2011 and 2018 were selected for analysis. SES was calculated from the average incomes of each postal code, which were divided into 10 deciles. Primary outcome was the effect of SES on the likelihood of undergoing surgery and secondary outcome was the effect of SES on the likelihood of the type of surgery. Both outcomes were corrected for patient, tumor, and hospital characteristics and were expressed as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: SES did not affect the likelihood of a breast cancer patient to undergo surgery (OR 1.00 per 10% stratum). In contrast, increased age and higher tumor stage were the most important factors determining whether patients underwent surgery. Patients with higher SES were less likely to undergo mastectomy (OR 0.98). Additionally, more recently diagnosed patients were less likely to undergo mastectomy (OR 0.93 per year) while patients with higher tumor stage were more likely to undergo mastectomy (OR 3.42). CONCLUSION: SES does not affect whether a patient undergoes surgery; however, higher SES increased the likelihood of BCT

TESS asteroseismology of the known red-giant host stars HD 212771 and HD 203949

International audienc

Integrating hydrological features and genetically validated occurrence data in occupancy modeling of an endemic and endangered semi-aquatic mammal species, Galemys pyrenaicus, in a Pyrenean catchment

As freshwater habitats are among the most endangered, there is an urgent need to identify critical areas for conservation, especially those that are home to endangered species. The Pyrenean desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) is a semi-aquatic mammal whose basic ecological requirements are largely unknown, hindering adequate conservation planning even though it is considered as a threatened species. Species distribution modelling is challenging for freshwater species. Indeed, the complexity of aquatic ecosystems (e.g., linear and hierarchical ordering) must be taken into account as well as imperfect sampling. High-quality and relevant hydrological descriptors should also be used. To understand the influence of environmental covariates on the occupancy and detection of the Pyrenean desman, we combine both a robust sign-survey data set (i.e. with genetic validation ensuring true presence information) and a hydrological model to simulate the flow regime across a whole catchment. Markovian site-occupancy analysis, taking into account sign detection and based on spatially adjacent replicates, indicated a positive influence of heterogeneity of substrate and shelters, and a negative influence of flow variability on Pyrenean desman detection. This valuable information should help to improve monitoring programs for this endangered species. Our results also highlighted a spatially clustered distribution and a positive influence of stream flow and number of tributaries on occupancy. Hence, modifications of flow regime (e.g. hydropower production, irrigation, climate change) and habitat fragmentation appear to be major threats for this species, altering the connectivity between tributaries and the mainstream river as well as between adjacent sub-catchments

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

Mitochondrial physiology

As the knowledge base and importance of mitochondrial physiology to evolution, health and disease expands, the necessity for harmonizing the terminology concerning mitochondrial respiratory states and rates has become increasingly apparent. The chemiosmotic theory establishes the mechanism of energy transformation and coupling in oxidative phosphorylation. The unifying concept of the protonmotive force provides the framework for developing a consistent theoretical foundation of mitochondrial physiology and bioenergetics. We follow the latest SI guidelines and those of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on terminology in physical chemistry, extended by considerations of open systems and thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The concept-driven constructive terminology incorporates the meaning of each quantity and aligns concepts and symbols with the nomenclature of classical bioenergetics. We endeavour to provide a balanced view of mitochondrial respiratory control and a critical discussion on reporting data of mitochondrial respiration in terms of metabolic flows and fluxes. Uniform standards for evaluation of respiratory states and rates will ultimately contribute to reproducibility between laboratories and thus support the development of data repositories of mitochondrial respiratory function in species, tissues, and cells. Clarity of concept and consistency of nomenclature facilitate effective transdisciplinary communication, education, and ultimately further discovery

Mitochondrial physiology

As the knowledge base and importance of mitochondrial physiology to evolution, health and disease expands, the necessity for harmonizing the terminology concerning mitochondrial respiratory states and rates has become increasingly apparent. The chemiosmotic theory establishes the mechanism of energy transformation and coupling in oxidative phosphorylation. The unifying concept of the protonmotive force provides the framework for developing a consistent theoretical foundation of mitochondrial physiology and bioenergetics. We follow the latest SI guidelines and those of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on terminology in physical chemistry, extended by considerations of open systems and thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The concept-driven constructive terminology incorporates the meaning of each quantity and aligns concepts and symbols with the nomenclature of classical bioenergetics. We endeavour to provide a balanced view of mitochondrial respiratory control and a critical discussion on reporting data of mitochondrial respiration in terms of metabolic flows and fluxes. Uniform standards for evaluation of respiratory states and rates will ultimately contribute to reproducibility between laboratories and thus support the development of data repositories of mitochondrial respiratory function in species, tissues, and cells. Clarity of concept and consistency of nomenclature facilitate effective transdisciplinary communication, education, and ultimately further discovery

Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections, 11 countries in Europe and Israel, 2011 to 2016

Background: Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia, with large epidemics previously described to occur every 4 to 7 years. Aim: To better understand the diagnostic methods used to detect M. pneumoniae; to better understand M. pneumoniae testing and surveillance in use; to identify epidemics; to determine detection number per age group, age demographics for positive detections, concurrence of epidemics and annual peaks across geographical areas; and to determine the effect of geographical location on the timing of epidemics. Methods: A questionnaire was sent in May 2016 to Mycoplasma experts with national or regional responsibility within the ESCMID Study Group for Mycoplasma and Chlamydia Infections in 17 countries across Europe and Israel, retrospectively requesting details on M. pneumoniae-positive samples from January 2011 to April 2016. The Moving Epidemic Method was used to determine epidemic periods and effect of country latitude across the countries for the five periods under investigation. Results: Representatives from 12 countries provided data on M. pneumoniae infections, accounting for 95,666 positive samples. Two laboratories initiated routine macrolide resistance testing since 2013. Between 2011 and 2016, three epidemics were identified: 2011/12, 2014/15 and 2015/16. The distribution of patient ages for M. pneumoniae-positive samples showed three patterns. During epidemic years, an association between country latitude and calendar week when epidemic periods began was noted. Conclusions: An association between epidemics and latitude was observed. Differences were noted in the age distribution of positive cases and detection methods used and practice. A lack of macrolide resistance monitoring was noted