Single-channel EEG sleep stage classification based on a streamlined set of statistical features in wavelet domain

The main objective of this study was to enhance the performance of sleep stage classification using single-channel electroencephalograms (EEGs), which are highly desirable for many emerging technologies, such as telemedicine and home care. The proposed method consists of decomposing EEGs by a discrete wavelet transform and computing the kurtosis, skewness and variance of its coefficients at selected levels. A random forest predictor is trained to classify each epoch into one of the Rechtschaffen and Kales’ stages. By performing a comprehensive set of tests on 106,376 epochs available from the Physionet public database, it is demonstrated that the use of these three statistical moments has enhanced performance when compared to their application in the time domain. Furthermore, the chosen set of features has the advantage of exhibiting a stable classification performance for all scoring systems, i.e., from 2- to 6-state sleep stages. The stability of the feature set is confirmed with ReliefF tests which show a performance reduction when any individual feature is removed, suggesting that this group of feature cannot be further reduced. The accuracies and kappa coefficients yield higher than 90 % and 0.8, respectively, for all of the 2- to 6-state sleep stage classification cases.     

Infections from Eating Raw or Undercooked Seafood

The bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases that may be contracted from eating raw or undercooked seafood are reviewed. Diseases from marine, as well as, freshwater fish are discussed. The Food and Drug Administration's sanitation program for shellfish and their guidelines for preparation of raw fish in restaurants are also described.     

The human meniscus: A review of anatomy,function, injury,and advances in treatment

Meniscal injuries are recognized as a cause of significant musculoskeletal morbidity. The menisci are vital for the normal function and long‐term health of the knee joint. The purpose of this review is to provide current knowledge regarding the anatomy and biomechanical functions of the menisci, incidence, injury patterns and the advancements in treatment options of meniscal injury. A literature search was performed by a review of PubMed, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, and OVID for all relevant articles published between 1897 and 2014. This study highlights the anatomical and biomechanical characteristics of the menisci, which may be relevant to injury patterns and treatment options. An understanding of the normal anatomy and biomechanical functions of the knee menisci is a necessary prerequisite to understanding pathologies associated with the knee. Clin. Anat. 28:269–287, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Giant trigeminal schwannoma with parapharyngeal extension: Report of a case

The authors present their experience in the treatment of a giant trigeminal schwannoma with wide extension in the parapharyngeal space using a combination of the orbito-zygomatic and the transcervical-transmandibular approaches. The clinical and radiological findings, advantages of surgical approach and clinical outcome will be discussed.