Dual Passive Reactive Brain Computer Interface: a Novel Approach to Human-Machine Symbiosis

The present study proposes a novel concept of neuroadaptive technology, namely a dual passive-reactive Brain-Computer Interface (BCI), that enables bi-directional interaction between humans and machines. We have implemented such a system in a realistic flight simulator using the NextMind classification algorithms and framework to decode pilots' intention (reactive BCI) and to infer their level of attention (passive BCI). Twelve pilots used the reactive BCI to perform checklists along with an anti-collision radar monitoring task that was supervised by the passive BCI. The latter simulated an automatic avoidance maneuver when it detected that pilots missed an incoming collision. The reactive BCI reached 100% classification accuracy with a mean reaction time of 1.6s when exclusively performing the checklist task. Accuracy was up to 98.5% with a mean reaction time of 2.5s when pilots also had to fly the aircraft and monitor the anti-collision radar. The passive BCI achieved a F1 score of 0.94. This first demonstration shows the potential of a dual BCI to improve human-machine teaming which could be applied to a variety of applications.

Universal kinetics of imperfect reactions in confinement

Chemical reactions generically require that particles come into contact. In practice, reaction is often imperfect and can necessitate multiple random encounters between reactants. In confined geometries, despite notable recent advances, there is to date no general analytical treatment of such imperfect transport-limited reaction kinetics. Here, we determine the kinetics of imperfect reactions in confining domains for any diffusive or anomalously diffusive Markovian transport process, and for different models of imperfect reactivity. We show that the full distribution of reaction times is obtained in the large confining volume limit from the knowledge of the mean reaction time only, which we determine explicitly. This distribution for imperfect reactions is found to be identical to that of perfect reactions upon an appropriate rescaling of parameters, which highlights the robustness of our results. Strikingly, this holds true even in the regime of low reactivity where the mean reaction time is independent of the transport process, and can lead to large fluctuations of the reaction time - even in simple reaction schemes. We illustrate our results for normal diffusion in domains of generic shape, and for anomalous diffusion in complex environments, where our predictions are confirmed by numerical simulations.

Nuts consumption and cognitive function

Background: Cognitive impairments has become a global public concern. A limited number of studies suggest a positive association between nuts intake and cognitive function. Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the association between nuts consumption and cognitive function and to test whether hypertension and diabetes mediate this association among adults in Qatar. Methods: Data from 1000 participants aged 20 and above who attended Qatar Biobank (QBB) were used. Nuts consumption was assessed by a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Blood samples were measured for magnesium and glucose. Cognitive function was assessed using computer self-administrated test to measure Mean Reaction Time (MRT). Linear regression was used to assess the association. Results: A total of 21.1% of the sample reported consuming nuts more than 4-6 times/week (high consumption) while 40.2% reported the consumption ≤1 time/month (low consumption). The mean MRT was 715.6 millisecond (SD 204.1). An inverse association was found between nuts consumption and MRT. Compared with those with a low consumption, high consumption of nuts had a regression coefficient of -36.95 (-68.09 to -5.82) after adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. The inverse association between nuts and MRT was mainly seen among those aged >50 years. There was an interaction between nuts consumption and hypertension. The association between nuts consumption and MRT was not mediated via hypertension, diabetes, and serum magnesium. Conclusion: There is a positive association between nuts consumption and cognitive function, especially among old adults.

Higher Habitual Nuts Consumption Is Associated with Better Cognitive Function among Qatari Adults

The association between nuts intake and cognitive function is inconclusive. We aimed to investigate the association between habitual nuts consumption and cognition among Qatari adults. Data from 1000 participants aged >20 years who attended Qatar Biobank (QBB) were used. Nuts consumption was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Blood samples were measured for magnesium, lipids and glucose. Mean reaction time (MRT) was used as an indicator of cognitive function. Linear regression was used to assess the association. A total of 21.1% of the participants reported consuming nuts ≥4–6 times/week (high consumption) while 40.2% reported consuming ≤1 time/month (low consumption). The mean MRT was 715.6 milliseconds (SD 204.1). An inverse association was found between nuts consumption and MRT. Compared to those with a low consumption, high consumption of nuts had a regression coefficient of −36.9 (95% CI −68.1 to −5.8) after adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. The inverse association between nuts and MRT was mainly seen among those >50 years. There was an interaction between nuts consumption and hypertension. The association between nuts consumption and MRT was not mediated by hypertension, diabetes, or serum magnesium. Habitual higher consumption of nuts is positively associated with cognitive function, especially among old adults.

Habitual Tea and Coffee Consumption and Mean Reaction Time Among Qatari Adults

Background: Tea and coffee consumption is associated with cognitive function in some studies. Objective: We aimed to identify tea and coffee drinking patterns and their association with mean reaction time among Qatari adults. Method: The study included 1,000 adults aged 20 years and above attending the Qatar Biobank Study (QBB). Habitual tea and coffee consumption during the previous year was assessed by questionnaire. Tea and coffee drinking patterns were identified using factor analysis. In a computer-based self-administered touch screens test, mean reaction time (MRT) was used as an indicator of cognitive function. Results: The mean age of the participants was 35.8 (SD 10.3) years. Herbal tea and regular coffee consumption was inversely associated with MRT. In the multivariable model, compared with non-consumers, the regression coefficients for MRT were –34.3 (–65.4, –3.3) and –37.9 (–71.0, –4.7) for daily consumers of herbal tea and regular coffee, respectively. Of the two tea and coffee drinking patterns identified, pattern 1 (high consumption of tea, Arabic coffee, and herbal tea) was not associated with MRT but pattern 2 (high loadings of instant coffee, regular coffee, and Karak) was inversely associated with MRT in the unadjusted model. There was a significant interaction between pattern 2 and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in relation to MRT. Pattern 2 was inversely associated with MRT among those with a low LDL. Conclusion: There was an inverse association between regular coffee and herbal tea consumption with mean reaction time. There was an interaction between Western coffee pattern and LDL.

Evaluation of analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of the Allium cepa extract in rats

Background: The onion plant (Allium cepa) is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. It has antibiotic, antidiabetic, antihypercholesterolemic, antioxidant, hemostatic, antimutagenic effects. The current study is aimed to evaluate analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of Allium cepa extracts in rat models.Methods: In this study analgesic activity in rats is tested by Eddy’s hot plate method, tail flick method. In Eddy’s hot plate method rats are individually placed on the heated plate of the analgesic meter maintained at 550C and mean reaction time was calculated at regular time intervals. In tail flick method the tail withdrawal from the heat (flicking response) is taken as the end point. Anti-inflammatory property is studied by carrageenan induced paw edema model, in which the paw volume is measured with a plethysmograph.Results: In Eddy’s hot plate method the mean reaction time increased significantly (p<0.05) with high dose of Allium cepa at 1 hour and 2 hours when compared to control. In tail flick method the mean reaction time is increased significantly (p<0.05) with high dose of Allium cepa at 1 hour and 1.5 hour when compared to control. In carrageenan induced paw edema method Allium cepa exhibited anti-inflammatory activity by significant (p<0.05) suppression of paw edema when compare to control at 1 hour after carrageenan injection to rat paw.Conclusions: Allium cepa has significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity in hot plate, tail flick and carrageenan induced paw edema model.

STUDENTS’ CONCEPT ORGANISATION REGARDING CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM IN UPPER-SECONDARY EDUCATION: BASED ON REACTION TIME TECHNIQUE

Chemical equilibrium is so important domain knowledge in chemistry that the corresponding organisation of concepts in students has been an interesting but unsolved issue. A deeper understanding of how students organise the relevant concepts in long-term memory is beneficial to develop more targeted teaching practices. This research utilized the reaction time technique as a new approach to exploring upper-secondary school students’ organisation of concepts regarding chemical equilibrium. A category judgment task involving 247 Chinese twelfth-grade students from two upper-secondary schools was conducted. The results showed that a significant difference was between the reaction time of concept dimensions. The mean reaction time of the dimension ‘reversible reaction’ was the shortest, but the dimension ‘representation of state’ had the longest mean reaction time. Next, there was no significant difference in the organisation of concepts between students studying chemistry at different levels of academic achievement. These findings provide a new and essential picture to deeply understand the organisation of concepts regarding chemical equilibrium and help focus on the relations between some relevant concepts. This research represents that the reaction time technique can be utilized in the research on organisation of science concepts. Keywords: category judgment task, chemical equilibrium, organisation of concepts, reaction time

Effect of shift work on fatigue and sleep in neonatal registrars

Objective We aimed to study fatigue and sleep in registrars working 12-hour rotating shifts in our tertiary neonatal intensive unit. Methods and participants This study involved neonatal registrar’s working day (08:00–21:00) and night (20:30–08:30) shifts. Participants maintained a sleep diary, answered a self-reported sleepiness questionnaire assessing subjective sleepiness, and performed a 10-minute psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) at the start and end of each shift. Primary outcomes: (1) Fatigue at the (i) “start vs end” of day and night shifts, (ii) end of the “day vs night” shifts, and (iii) end of “first vs last shift” in block of day and night shifts. (2) Duration and quality of sleep before the “day vs night” shifts. Mean reaction time (RTM), relative coefficient of variation (RTCV), and lapses (reaction time > 500ms) were used as measures of fatigue on PVT. Secondary outcome: Subjective sleepiness (self-reported sleepiness questionnaire) at the ‘start vs end” of day and night shifts. Results Fifteen registrars completed the study. Acuity was comparable for all shifts. (1) Psychomotor responses were impaired at the end vs start of day shifts [RTM (p = 0.014), lapses (p = 0.001)], end vs start of night shifts [RTM (p = 0.007), RTCV (p = 0.003), lapses (p<0.001)] and end of night vs day shifts [RTM (p = 0.007), RTCV (p = 0.046), lapses (p = 0.001)]. Only lapses were significantly increased at the end of the last (p = 0.013) vs first shift (p = 0.009) in a block of day and night shifts. (2) Duration of sleep before the night (p = 0.019) and consecutive night shifts was decreased significantly (p = 0.034). Subjective sleepiness worsened after day (p = 0.014) and night shifts (p<0.001). Conclusion Fatigue worsened after the 12-hour day and night shifts with a greater change after night shifts. Lapses increased after block of day and night shifts. Sleep was decreased before night shifts. Our findings need to be confirmed in larger studies.

Serum Magnesium and Cognitive Function among Qatari Adult

Background: Previous studies found that low levels of magnesium can increase the risk of several diseases including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and hypertension which are associated with cognitive dysfunction. Objective: Examine the association between serum magnesium and cognitive function among Qatari adults. In addition to assessing the interaction relation between low serum magnesium, hypertension, and diabetes in relation to cognitive function. Methods: Data from 1000 Qatari participants aged ≥20 years attending the Qatar Biobank Study were analyzed. Serum magnesium was measured by an automated calorimetric method and suboptimal magnesium was characterized by <0.85 mmol/L. Cognitive function was measured by a computer-based selfadministered test focusing on mean reaction time (MRT). Multivariable linear regression and logistic regression were used. Results: The prevalence of suboptimal magnesium was 57.1%. Across the quartiles of serum magnesium from high to low, the regression coefficients (95% CI) for MRT were 0, -17.79, -18.27, and -31.93 (95%CI 2.38–3.05), respectively (p for trend <0.033). The presence of hypertension and diabetes significantly increased the MRT along with a wide range of low serum magnesium. Women with diabetes or hypertension were affected the greatest by low magnesium levels. Conclusion: There was a positive association between serum magnesium and cognitive function. Low magnesium levels were associated with a longer MRT.

The Effect of a Competitive Futsal Match on Psychomotor Vigilance in Referees

Context: Referees’ physical and cognitive performance are important for successful officiating in team sports. There is a lack of research on cognitive performance of referees in general, and none in futsal. Purpose: To assess referees’ performance on the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) before and after competitive futsal matches during the Football Association (FA) National Futsal League 2015/16. Methods: Fourteen futsal referees (mean [SD] age 34.3 [10.0] y) from the FA National Futsal group were included. The referees were required to undertake a 10-min PVT 60 min before the match kickoff time (pretest) and immediately after matches (posttest). They also completed the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) questionnaire before the prematch PVT and after the postmatch PVT. Result: Data were analyzed by paired t tests comparing prematch and postmatch results. There was a significant difference in BRUMS parameters vigor (9.5 [2.5] prematch vs 6.3 [2.4] postmatch, P = .001) and fatigue (1.4 [1.3] prematch vs 5.6 [3.1] postmatch, P < .001). However, PVT performance was significantly improved (mean reaction time 248.3 [26.2] ms prematch vs 239.7 [22.4] ms postmatch, P = .023). Conclusions: The present results show, contrary to the authors’ initial hypothesis, that psychomotor performance is improved as opposed to decreased after a single match. The postmatch improvement suggests that exercise can acutely enhance cognitive performance, which could be used to inform warm-up practices (eg, optimal duration and intensity) geared toward optimizing referees’ cognitive performance during matches.