Kaon Photoproduction and the Λ Decay Parameter α_{-}.

The weak decay parameter α_{-} of the Λ is an important quantity for the extraction of polarization observables in various experiments. Moreover, in combination with α_{+} from Λ[over ¯] decay it provides a measure for matter-antimatter asymmetry. The weak decay parameter also affects the decay parameters of the Ξ and Ω baryons and, in general, any quantity in which the polarization of the Λ is relevant. The recently reported value by the BESIII Collaboration of 0.750(9)(4) is significantly larger than the previous PDG value of 0.642(13) that had been accepted and used for over 40 years. In this work we make an independent estimate of α_{-}, using an extensive set of polarization data measured in kaon photoproduction in the baryon resonance region and constraints set by spin algebra. The obtained value is 0.721(6)(5). The result is corroborated by multiple statistical tests as well as a modern phenomenological model, showing that our new value yields the best description of the data in question. Our analysis supports the new BESIII finding that α_{-} is significantly larger than the previous PDG value. Any experimental quantity relying on the value of α_{-} should therefore be reconsidered.

The effect of multimodal and enriched feedback on SMR-BCI performance.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effect of multimodal (visual and auditory) continuous feedback with information about the uncertainty of the input signal on motor imagery based BCI performance. A liquid floating through a visualization of a funnel (funnel feedback) provided enriched visual or enriched multimodal feedback. METHODS: In a between subject design 30 healthy SMR-BCI naive participants were provided with either conventional bar feedback (CB), or visual funnel feedback (UF), or multimodal (visual and auditory) funnel feedback (MF). Subjects were required to imagine left and right hand movement and were trained to control the SMR based BCI for five sessions on separate days. RESULTS: Feedback accuracy varied largely between participants. The MF feedback lead to a significantly better performance in session 1 as compared to the CB feedback and could significantly enhance motivation and minimize frustration in BCI use across the five training sessions. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that the BCI funnel feedback allows participants to modulate sensorimotor EEG rhythms. Participants were able to control the BCI with the funnel feedback with better performance during the initial session and less frustration compared to the CB feedback. SIGNIFICANCE: The multimodal funnel feedback provides an alternative to the conventional cursorbar feedback for training subjects to modulate their sensorimotor rhythms.

Clinical evaluation of BrainTree, a motor imagery hybrid BCI speller.

OBJECTIVE: While brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) for communication have reached considerable technical maturity, there is still a great need for state-of-the-art evaluation by the end-users outside laboratory environments. To achieve this primary objective, it is necessary to augment a BCI with a series of components that allow end-users to type text effectively. APPROACH: This work presents the clinical evaluation of a motor imagery (MI) BCI text-speller, called BrainTree, by six severely disabled end-users and ten able-bodied users. Additionally, we define a generic model of code-based BCI applications, which serves as an analytical tool for evaluation and design. MAIN RESULTS: We show that all users achieved remarkable usability and efficiency outcomes in spelling. Furthermore, our model-based analysis highlights the added value of human-computer interaction techniques and hybrid BCI error-handling mechanisms, and reveals the effects of BCI performances on usability and efficiency in code-based applications. SIGNIFICANCE: This study demonstrates the usability potential of code-based MI spellers, with BrainTree being the first to be evaluated by a substantial number of end-users, establishing them as a viable, competitive alternative to other popular BCI spellers. Another major outcome of our model-based analysis is the derivation of a 80% minimum command accuracy requirement for successful code-based application control, revising upwards previous estimates attempted in the literature.

Effects of the anti-androgen, bicalutamide, in a reduced life-cycle study with the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas).

In support of the environmental risk assessment (ERA) of the non-steroidal anti-androgen bicalutamide, a reduced fish full life-cycle (FFLC) was conducted. The traditional FFLC is deemed to be the "gold standard" for evaluating the potential environmental impact of human pharmaceuticals, covering all life-stages and measuring long term effects. However, such studies require large numbers of animals and take considerable effort and time. The reduced FFLC, employed here, used fewer animals and was shorter in duration, yet still included sensitive life-stages and measured long term effects to provide robust information in support of the ERA for an endocrine disrupting chemical. Fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) were held in breeding pairs and their reproductive performance assessed over 28 days. Embryos from at least two pairs per treatment were subsequently grown up until 85 days post hatch and a subset allowed to spawn to assess the developmental and reproductive effects of the parental exposure on this F1 generation. Fish were exposed in a flow-through system, at 25±1°C. Nominal (mean measured) test concentrations of bicalutamide were 0.01 (0.055), 0.10 (0.10), 1.0 (0.9), 10 (9.2) and 100 (92.1) µg L⁻¹. There were no significant effects on F0 fecundity or growth (wet weight and standard length), but a significant decrease in nuptial tubercle prominence (a secondary sexual characteristic, SSC) was observed in male fish exposed to 100 µg L⁻¹. In the F1 generation, there were no treatment-related effects on hatching success or SSC, but survival was significantly decreased in fish exposed to the top concentration (100 µg L⁻¹. In female fish, wet weight and standard length were also significantly increased at this concentration. Gonadal histopathology revealed no treatment related effects on sex ratio, sexual differentiation or sexual development. However, there was a concentration related effect on gonad lesion severity in female fish exposed to 100 µg L⁻¹ and reproduction (number of eggs spawned) was also significantly reduced in breeding groups exposed to this concentration. Taking into account these data, the overall no observed effect concentration and lowest observed effect concentration values for bicalutamide were 10 and 100 µg L⁻¹, respectively.

Combining Brain-Computer Interfaces and Assistive Technologies: State-of-the-Art and Challenges.

In recent years, new research has brought the field of electroencephalogram (EEG)-based brain-computer interfacing (BCI) out of its infancy and into a phase of relative maturity through many demonstrated prototypes such as brain-controlled wheelchairs, keyboards, and computer games. With this proof-of-concept phase in the past, the time is now ripe to focus on the development of practical BCI technologies that can be brought out of the lab and into real-world applications. In particular, we focus on the prospect of improving the lives of countless disabled individuals through a combination of BCI technology with existing assistive technologies (AT). In pursuit of more practical BCIs for use outside of the lab, in this paper, we identify four application areas where disabled individuals could greatly benefit from advancements in BCI technology, namely, "Communication and Control", "Motor Substitution", "Entertainment", and "Motor Recovery". We review the current state of the art and possible future developments, while discussing the main research issues in these four areas. In particular, we expect the most progress in the development of technologies such as hybrid BCI architectures, user-machine adaptation algorithms, the exploitation of users' mental states for BCI reliability and confidence measures, the incorporation of principles in human-computer interaction (HCI) to improve BCI usability, and the development of novel BCI technology including better EEG devices.

Gaussian process functional regression modeling for batch data.

A Gaussian process functional regression model is proposed for the analysis of batch data. Covariance structure and mean structure are considered simultaneously, with the covariance structure modeled by a Gaussian process regression model and the mean structure modeled by a functional regression model. The model allows the inclusion of covariates in both the covariance structure and the mean structure. It models the nonlinear relationship between a functional output variable and a set of functional and nonfunctional covariates. Several applications and simulation studies are reported and show that the method provides very good results for curve fitting and prediction.

European union system for the evaluation of substances: the second version.

This publication presents major changes in the assessment of the risks of chemicals to human health and the environment as implemented in the second version of the European Union System for the Evaluation of Substances, EUSES 2.0. EUSES is a harmonised quantitative risk assessment tool for chemicals. It is the PC-implementation of the technical guidelines developed within the framework of EU chemical legislation for industrial chemicals and biocides. As such, it is designed to support decision making by risk managers in government and industry and to assist scientific institutions in the risk assessment for these substances. The development of EUSES 2.0 is a co-ordinated project of the European Chemicals Bureau, EU Member States and the European chemical industry. Several model concepts, the technical background and the user interface of EUSES have been improved considerably. Major changes in the environmental assessment such as the implementation of emission scenario documents for industrial chemicals and biocides, the addition of the marine risk assessment, the enhancement of the regional model to include global scales, and improvements in the secondary poisoning and environmental effects modelling will be discussed. The update of the human risk assessment module in EUSES focuses on the risk characterisation for both threshold and non-threshold substances with, among others, the introduction of assessment factors. The performance of EUSES is illustrated in an example showing the human and environmental risk assessment of a sanitation disinfectant for private use.

Monitoring, modelling and environmental exposure assessment of industrial chemicals in the aquatic environment.

Monitoring and laboratory data play integral roles alongside fate and exposure models in comprehensive risk assessments. The principle in the European Union Technical Guidance Documents for risk assessment is that measured data may take precedence over model results but only after they are judged to be of adequate reliability and to be representative of the particular environmental compartments to which they are applied. In practice, laboratory and field data are used to provide parameters for the models, while monitoring data are used to validate the models' predictions. Thus, comprehensive risk assessments require the integration of laboratory and monitoring data with the model predictions. However, this interplay is often overlooked. Discrepancies between the results of models and monitoring should be investigated in terms of the representativeness of both. Certainly, in the context of the EU risk assessment of existing chemicals, the specific requirements for monitoring data have not been adequately addressed. The resources required for environmental monitoring, both in terms of manpower and equipment, can be very significant. The design of monitoring programmes to optimise the use of resources and the use of models as a cost-effective alternative are increasing in importance. Generic considerations and criteria for the design of new monitoring programmes to generate representative quality data for the aquatic compartment are outlined and the criteria for the use of existing data are discussed. In particular, there is a need to improve the accessibility to data sets, to standardise the data sets, to promote communication and harmonisation of programmes and to incorporate the flexibility to change monitoring protocols to amend the chemicals under investigation in line with changing needs and priorities.

Side effects of normalising radial basis function networks.

Normalisation of the basis function activations in a Radial Basis Function (RBF) network is a common way of achieving the partition of unity often desired for modelling applications. It results in the basis functions covering the whole of the input space to the same degree. However, normalisation of the basis functions can lead to other effects which are sometimes less desirable for modelling applications. This paper describes some side effects of normalisation which fundamentally alter properties of the basis functions, e.g. the shape is no longer uniform, maxima of basis functions can be shifted from their centres, and the basis functions are no longer guaranteed to decrease monotonically as distance from their centre increases--in many cases basis functions can 'reactivate', i.e. re-appear far from the basis function centre. This paper examines how these phenomena occur, discusses their relevance for non-linear function approximation and examines the effect of normalisation on the network condition number and weights.

Extending the functional equivalence of radial basis function networks and fuzzy inference systems.

We establish the functional equivalence of a generalized class of Gaussian radial basis function (RBFs) networks and the full Takagi-Sugeno model (1983) of fuzzy inference. This generalizes an existing result which applies to the standard Gaussian RBF network and a restricted form of the Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy system. The more general framework allows the removal of some of the restrictive conditions of the previous result.

Determination of gold in copper-bearing sulphide ores and metallurgical flotation products by atomic-absorption spectrometry.

A method is described which is specific for the determination of gold in sulphide copper ores and concentrates. Direct decomposition with aqua regia was found to be incomplete. A carefully controlled roasting stage followed by treatment with hydrochloric acid and then aqua regia was effective for dissolving all the gold. The gold is extracted into 4-methylpentan-2-one (methyli-sobutylketone) then aspirated into a very lean air-acetylene flame and the gold determined by atomic-absorption spectrometry. No interferences were observed from large concentrations of copper, iron or nickel.