scholarly journals The impact of mind-body awareness training on the early learning of a brain-computer interface

TECHNOLOGY ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 02 (03) ◽  
pp. 254-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaitlin Cassady ◽  
Albert You ◽  
Alex Doud ◽  
Bin He
Keyword(s):  
Human Subjects ◽  
Brain Computer Interface ◽  
Body Awareness ◽  
Computer Interface ◽  
Awareness Training ◽  
One Dimensional ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Bci System

Brain-computer interface (BCI) systems allow users to interact with their environment by bypassing muscular control to tap directly into the users' thoughts. In the present study, we investigate the role of prior experience with yoga and meditation, examples of formalized mind-body awareness training (MBAT), in learning to use a one-dimensional sensorimotor rhythm based BCI. Thirty-six human subjects volunteered to participate in two different cohorts based on past experience with MBAT — experienced MBAT practitioners and controls. All subjects participated in three BCI experiments to achieve competency in controlling the BCI system. The MBAT cohort achieved BCI competency significantly faster than the control cohort. In addition, the MBAT cohort demonstrated enhanced ability to control the system on various measures of BCI performance and improved significantly more over time when compared to control. Our work provides insight into valuable strategies for reducing barriers to BCI fluency that limit the more widespread use of these systems.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Classification Techniques to Predict Brain-Computer Interfaces Accuracy Using Classifier-Based Latency Estimation

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 734
Author(s):  
Md Rakibul Mowla ◽  
Jesus D. Gonzalez-Morales ◽  
Jacob Rico-Martinez ◽  
Daniel A. Ulichnie ◽  
David E. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Discriminant Analysis ◽  
System Performance ◽  
Brain Computer Interface ◽  
Computer Interface ◽  
Linear Discriminant ◽  
Computer Interfaces ◽  
Classification Technique ◽  
Latency Jitter ◽  
Bci System

P300-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) performance is vulnerable to latency jitter. To investigate the role of latency jitter on BCI system performance, we proposed the classifier-based latency estimation (CBLE) method. In our previous study, CBLE was based on least-squares (LS) and stepwise linear discriminant analysis (SWLDA) classifiers. Here, we aim to extend the CBLE method using sparse autoencoders (SAE) to compare the SAE-based CBLE method with LS- and SWLDA-based CBLE. The newly-developed SAE-based CBLE and previously used methods are also applied to a newly-collected dataset to reduce the possibility of spurious correlations. Our results showed a significant (p<0.001) negative correlation between BCI accuracy and estimated latency jitter. Furthermore, we also examined the effect of the number of electrodes on each classification technique. Our results showed that on the whole, CBLE worked regardless of the classification method and electrode count; by contrast the effect of the number of electrodes on BCI performance was classifier dependent.

scholarly journals The MindGomoku: An Online P300 BCI Game Based on Bayesian Deep Learning

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1613
Author(s):  
Man Li ◽  
Feng Li ◽  
Jiahui Pan ◽  
Dengyong Zhang ◽  
Suna Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Computer Interface ◽  
Computer Interface ◽  
System Control ◽  
Average Accuracy ◽  
Training Samples ◽  
The Disabled ◽  
Limited Training Samples ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Electroencephalogram Eeg ◽  
Bci System

In addition to helping develop products that aid the disabled, brain–computer interface (BCI) technology can also become a modality of entertainment for all people. However, most BCI games cannot be widely promoted due to the poor control performance or because they easily cause fatigue. In this paper, we propose a P300 brain–computer-interface game (MindGomoku) to explore a feasible and natural way to play games by using electroencephalogram (EEG) signals in a practical environment. The novelty of this research is reflected in integrating the characteristics of game rules and the BCI system when designing BCI games and paradigms. Moreover, a simplified Bayesian convolutional neural network (SBCNN) algorithm is introduced to achieve high accuracy on limited training samples. To prove the reliability of the proposed algorithm and system control, 10 subjects were selected to participate in two online control experiments. The experimental results showed that all subjects successfully completed the game control with an average accuracy of 90.7% and played the MindGomoku an average of more than 11 min. These findings fully demonstrate the stability and effectiveness of the proposed system. This BCI system not only provides a form of entertainment for users, particularly the disabled, but also provides more possibilities for games.

scholarly journals Antioxidants Promote Intestinal Tumor Progression in Mice

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 241
Author(s):  
Zhiyuan V. Zou ◽  
Kristell Le Gal ◽  
Ahmed E. El Zowalaty ◽  
Lara E. Pehlivanoglu ◽  
Viktor Garellick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Tumor Progression ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Intestinal Tumor ◽  
Adenomatous Polyposis ◽  
Intestinal Tumors ◽  
The Impact

Dietary antioxidants and supplements are widely used to protect against cancer, even though it is now clear that antioxidants can promote tumor progression by helping cancer cells to overcome barriers of oxidative stress. Although recent studies have, in great detail, explored the role of antioxidants in lung and skin tumors driven by RAS and RAF mutations, little is known about the impact of antioxidant supplementation on other cancers, including Wnt-driven tumors originating from the gut. Here, we show that supplementation with the antioxidants N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and vitamin E promotes intestinal tumor progression in the ApcMin mouse model for familial adenomatous polyposis, a hereditary form of colorectal cancer, driven by Wnt signaling. Both antioxidants increased tumor size in early neoplasias and tumor grades in more advanced lesions without any impact on tumor initiation. Importantly, NAC treatment accelerated tumor progression at plasma concentrations comparable to those obtained in human subjects after prescription doses of the drug. These results demonstrate that antioxidants play an important role in the progression of intestinal tumors, which may have implications for patients with or predisposed to colorectal cancer.

scholarly journals Effect of Distracting Background Speech in an Auditory Brain–Computer Interface

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Álvaro Fernández-Rodríguez ◽  
Ricardo Ron-Angevin ◽  
Ernesto J. Sanz-Arigita ◽  
Antoine Parize ◽  
Juliette Esquirol ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Computer Interface ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Computer Interface ◽  
Cognitive Workload ◽  
Auditory Event ◽  
Shared Attention ◽  
Attentional Condition ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Auditory Bci

Studies so far have analyzed the effect of distractor stimuli in different types of brain–computer interface (BCI). However, the effect of a background speech has not been studied using an auditory event-related potential (ERP-BCI), a convenient option when the visual path cannot be adopted by users. Thus, the aim of the present work is to examine the impact of a background speech on selection performance and user workload in auditory BCI systems. Eleven participants tested three conditions: (i) auditory BCI control condition, (ii) auditory BCI with a background speech to ignore (non-attentional condition), and (iii) auditory BCI while the user has to pay attention to the background speech (attentional condition). The results demonstrated that, despite no significant differences in performance, shared attention to auditory BCI and background speech required a higher cognitive workload. In addition, the P300 target stimuli in the non-attentional condition were significantly higher than those in the attentional condition for several channels. The non-attentional condition was the only condition that showed significant differences in the amplitude of the P300 between target and non-target stimuli. The present study indicates that background speech, especially when it is attended to, is an important interference that should be avoided while using an auditory BCI.

scholarly journals Proliferation of Uterine Natural Killer Cells Is Induced by Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and Mediated via the Mannose Receptor

Endocrinology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 150 (6) ◽  
pp. 2882-2888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Kane ◽  
Rodney Kelly ◽  
Philippa T. K. Saunders ◽  
Hilary O. D. Critchley
Keyword(s):  
Natural Killer ◽  
Mannose Receptor ◽  
Lh Receptor ◽  
Uterine Natural Killer Cells ◽  
Unk Cells ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Unk Cell ◽  
Uterine Natural Killer

The endometrial lining of the human uterus contains a population of phenotypically distinct (CD56bright, CD16dim), tissue-specific, natural killer [uterine natural killer (uNK)] cells that play a key role in the establishment of a successful pregnancy. An increase in the number of endometrial uNK cells occurs when the conceptus implants, and there is a further increase during the early stages of placentation. Here, we describe studies that have identified human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), a glycoprotein synthesized by the preimplantation conceptus, as a novel regulator of uNK cell proliferation. The impact of hCG on uNK cells was mediated via the mannose receptor (CD206) rather than by the classical hCG/LH receptor that was not expressed. The mannose receptor and hCG were colocalized on the surface of uNK cells, and proliferation did not occur if cells were incubated with deglycosylated hCG or intact hCG in the presence of excess d-Mannose. These novel observations provide new insight into the endocrine-immune dialogue that exists between the conceptus and immune cells within the receptive endometrium, and have implications for the role of uNK cell-trophoblast interactions and pregnancy outcome.

What makes court-referred mediation effective?

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amira Galin
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Process And Outcome ◽  
Refusal To Participate ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Theoretical Insight ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Low Rate

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to obtain insight into court-referred mediation in the Israeli Labor Courts, by analyzing its processes and outcomes, as a function of tactics used by both the disputants and the mediator. Design/methodology/approach – Observation of 103 court-referred mediations, for each of which a detailed process and outcome were documented. Data on disputants' refusal to participate in the mediation was also collected. At the end of each mediation case, disputants were given a questionnaire in which they expressed their satisfaction with the outcome and their evaluation of the mediator's contribution. Findings – A low rate of refusal to participate in court-referred mediation was found. Also, the higher the ratio of soft tactics to pressure tactics employed (by all parties involved) during the process, the higher the rate of agreements. Mediators use significantly more soft tactics than disputants, and are more active in using tactics. The two significant variables that predict the mediation's agreement are the ratio between soft tactics to pressure tactics used by all parties, and mediator contribution to the process. Practical implications – The significant role of soft tactics in the process, outcome, and satisfaction of court-referred mediation may serve as a guideline for disputants and mediators. Originality/value – This unique research, which examines the impact of tactics on court-referred mediation, may provide added and significant theoretical insight into its process and outcome, as well as a better understanding of other “hybrid” (compulsory at the beginning, voluntary at the end) mediations.

Disrupting Settler-Colonialism or Enforcing the Liberal ‘Peace’? Transitional (In)justice in Palestine-Israel

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Brendan Ciarán Browne
Keyword(s):  
Transitional Justice ◽  
Settler Colonialism ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Violent Conflict ◽  
Peace Building ◽  
Liberal Peace ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Liberal Peacebuilding ◽  
Insight Into

The growing interest in ‘During Conflict Justice’ (DCJ) in areas experiencing ongoing, sustained violent ‘conflict’ has further demonstrated the confluence between transitional justice and liberal peacebuilding approaches. Nowhere so is this more evident than in the case of Palestine-Israel where an ongoing process of Israeli settler-colonialism in historic Palestine continues, with the further spotlighting of ‘justice’ issues that are longstanding and unresolved. This article critiques the application of TJ/DCJ in Palestine-Israel and calls for a radicalisation of its application so as to ensure a platforming of conversation around decolonisation. It does so by critiquing the impact of discourse, specifically the framing of the ‘conflict’ and focuses on the nefarious role of a liberal peace building agenda in Palestine-Israel, a process that has embedded a deeply unjust and inequitable status quo. An insight into several ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ strategies of TJ/DCJ in Palestine-Israel is provided, with the conclusion reached that; any TJ/DCJ praxis that does not platform meaningful conversation around decolonisation in the region will ultimately amount to the individualisation of ‘justice’ whilst failing to address root causes.

scholarly journals Evolution in the cold

2000 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 257-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Clarke
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Antarctic Fish ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Evolutionary Studies ◽  
Adaptive Radiations ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Insight Into

Theodosius Dobzhansky once remarked that nothing in biology makes sense other than in the light of evolution, thereby emphasising the central role of evolutionary studies in providing the theoretical context for all of biology. It is perhaps surprising then that evolutionary biology has played such a small role to date in Antarctic science. This is particularly so when it is recognised that the polar regions provide us with an unrivalled laboratory within which to undertake evolutionary studies. The Antarctic exhibits one of the classic examples of a resistance adaptation (antifreeze peptides and glycopeptides, first described from Antarctic fish), and provides textbook examples of adaptive radiations (for example amphipod crustaceans and notothenioid fish). The land is still largely in the grip of major glaciation, and the once rich terrestrial floras and faunas of Cenozoic Gondwana are now highly depauperate and confined to relatively small patches of habitat, often extremely isolated from other such patches. Unlike the Arctic, where organisms are returning to newly deglaciated land from refugia on the continental landmasses to the south, recolonization of Antarctica has had to take place by the dispersal of propagules over vast distances. Antarctica thus offers an insight into the evolutionary responses of terrestrial floras and faunas to extreme climatic change unrivalled in the world. The sea forms a strong contrast to the land in that here the impact of climate appears to have been less severe, at least in as much as few elements of the fauna show convincing signs of having been completely eradicated.

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