Fatigue in children using motor imagery and P300 brain-computer interfaces.

BACKGROUND: Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology offers children with quadriplegic cerebral palsy unique opportunities for communication, environmental exploration, learning, and game play. Research in adults demonstrates a negative impact of fatigue on BCI enjoyment, while effects on BCI performance are variable. To date, there have been no pediatric studies of BCI fatigue. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of two different BCI paradigms, motor imagery and visual P300, on the development of self-reported fatigue and an electroencephalography (EEG) biomarker of fatigue in typically developing children. METHODS: Thirty-seven typically-developing school-aged children were recruited to a prospective, crossover study. Participants attended three sessions: (A) motor imagery-BCI, (B) visual P300-BCI, and (C) video viewing (control). The motor imagery task involved an imagined left- or right-hand squeeze. The P300 task involved attending to one square on a 3 × 3 grid during a random single flash sequence. Each paradigm had respective calibration periods and a similar visual counting game. Primary outcomes were self-reported fatigue and the power of the EEG alpha band both collected during resting-state periods pre- and post-task. Self-reported fatigue was measured using a 10-point visual analog scale. EEG alpha band power was calculated as the integrated power spectral density from 8 to 12 Hz of the EEG spectrum. RESULTS: Thirty-two children completed the protocol (age range 7-16, 63% female). Self-reported fatigue and EEG alpha band power increased across all sessions (F(1,155) = 33.9, p < 0.001; F = 5.0(1,149), p = 0.027 respectively). No differences in fatigue development were observed between session types. There was no correlation between self-reported fatigue and EEG alpha band power change. BCI performance varied between participants and paradigms as expected but was not associated with self-reported fatigue or EEG alpha band power. CONCLUSION: Short periods (30-mintues) of BCI use can increase self-reported fatigue and EEG alpha band power to a similar degree in children performing motor imagery and P300 BCI paradigms. Performance was not associated with our measures of fatigue; the impact of fatigue on useability and enjoyment is unclear. Our results reflect the variability of fatigue and the BCI experience more broadly in children and warrant further investigation.

Iterative Development of a Software to Facilitate Independent Home Use of BCI Technologies for Children with Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are emerging as a new solution for children with severe disabilities to interact with the world. However, BCI technologies have yet to reach end-users in their daily lives due to significant translational gaps. To address these gaps, we applied user-centered design principles to establish a home BCI program for children with quadriplegic cerebral palsy. This work describes the technical development of the software we designed to facilitate BCI use at home. Children and their families were involved at each design stage to evaluate and provide feedback. Since deployment, seven families have successfully used the system independently at home and continue to use BCI at home to further enable participation and independence for their children. Clinical relevance- The design and successful implementation of user-centered software for home use will both inform on the feasibility of BCI as a long-term access solution for children with neurological disabilities as well as decrease barriers of accessibility and availability of BCI technologies for end-users.

An integrated modelling approach to derive the grey water footprint of veterinary antibiotics.

Water pollution by veterinary antibiotics (VAs) resulting from livestock production is associated with severe environmental and human health risks. While upward trends in global animal product consumption signal that these risks might exacerbate toward the future, VA related water pollution is currently insufficiently understood. To increase this understanding, the present research assesses processes influencing VA pollution from VA administration to their discharge into freshwater bodies, using an integrated modelling approach (IMA). For the VAs amoxicillin, doxycycline, oxytetracycline, sulfamethazine, and tetracycline we estimate loads administered to livestock, excretion, degradation during manure storage, fate in soil and transport to surface water. Fate and transport are modelled using the VA transport model (VANTOM), which is fed with estimates from the Pan-European Soil Erosion Risk Assessment (PESERA). The grey water footprint (GWF) is used to indicate the severity of water pollution in volumetric terms by combining VA loads and predicted no effect concentrations. We apply our approach to the German-Dutch Vecht river catchment, which is characterized by high livestock densities. Results show a VA mass load decrease larger than 99% for all substances under investigation, from their administration to surface water emission. Due to metabolization in the body, degradation during manure storage and degradation in soil, VA loads are reduced by 45%, 80% and 90% on average, respectively. While amoxicillin and sulfamethazine dissipate quickly after field application, significant fractions of doxycycline, oxytetracycline and tetracycline accumulate in the soil. The overall Vecht catchment's GWF is estimated at 250,000 m3 yr-1, resulting from doxycycline (81% and 19% contribution from the German and Dutch catchment part respectively). Uncertainty ranges of several orders of magnitude, as well as several remaining limitations to the presented IMA, underscore the importance to further develop and refine the approach.

Spatial and temporal evaluation of soil erosion in Turkey under climate change scenarios using the Pan-European Soil Erosion Risk Assessment (PESERA) model.

The impacts of climate change on soil erosion are mainly caused by the changes in the amount and intensity of rainfall and rising temperature. The combination of rainfall and temperature change is likely to be accompanied by negative or positive variations in agricultural and forest management. Turkey contains vast fertile plains, high mountain chains and semi-arid lands, with a climate that ranges from marine to continental and therefore is susceptible to soil erosion under climate change, particularly on high gradients and in semi-arid areas. This study aims to model the soil erosion risk under climate change scenarios in Turkey using the Pan-European Soil Erosion Assessment (PESERA) model, predicting the likely effects of land use/cover and climate change on sediment transport and soil erosion in the country. For this purpose, PESERA was applied to estimate the monthly and annual soil loss for 12 land use/cover types in Turkey. The model inputs included 128 variables derived from soil, climate, land use/cover and topography data. The total soil loss from the land surface is speculated to be approximately 285.5 million tonnes per year. According to the IPCC 5th Assessment Report of four climate change scenarios, the total soil losses were predicted as 308.9, 323.5, 320.3 and 355.3 million tonnes for RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6.0 and RCP8.5 scenarios respectively from 2060 to 2080. The predicted amounts of fertile soil loss from agricultural land in a year were predicted to be 55.5 million tonnes at present, and 62.7, 59.9, 61.7 and 58.1 under RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6.0 and RCP8.5 respectively. This confirms that approximately 30% of the total erosion occurs over the agricultural lands. In this respect, degraded forests, scrub and arable lands were subjected to the highest erosion rate (68%) of the total, whereas, fruit trees and berry plantations reflected the lowest erosion rates. Low soil organic carbon, sparse vegetation cover and variable climatic conditions significantly enhanced the erosion of the cultivated lands by primarily removing the potential food for organisms. Finally, process-based models offer a valuable resource for decision-makers when improving environmental management schemes and also decrease uncertainty when considering risks.