Seizure warning algorithm based on optimization and nonlinear dynamics

There is growing evidence that temporal lobe seizures are preceded by a preictal transition, characterized by a gradual dynamical change from asymptomatic interictal state to seizure. We herein report the first prospective analysis of the online automated algorithm for detecting the preictal transition in ongoing EEG signals. Such, the algorithm constitutes a seizure warning system. The algorithm estimates STL_max, a measure of the order or disorder of the signal, of EEG signals recorded from individual electrode sites. The optimization techniques were employed to select critical brain electrode sites that exhibit the preictal transition for the warning of epileptic seizures. Specifically, a quadratically constrained quadratic 0-1 programming problem is formulated to identify critical electrode sites. The automated seizure warning algorithm was tested in continuous, long-term EEG recordings obtained from 5 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. For individual patient, we use the first half of seizures to train the parameter settings, which is evaluated by ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curve analysis. With the best parameter setting, the algorithm applied to all cases predicted an average of 91.7% of seizures with an average false prediction rate of 0.196 per hour. These results indicate that it may be possible to develop automated seizure warning devices for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.Mathematics Subject Classification (1991):20E28, 20G40, 20C20     

Electroencephalogram (EEG) time series classification: Applications in epilepsy

Epilepsy is among the most common brain disorders. Approximately 25–30% of epilepsy patients remain unresponsive to anti-epileptic drug treatment, which is the standard therapy for epilepsy. In this study, we apply optimization-based data mining techniques to classify the brain's normal and epilepsy activity using intracranial electroencephalogram (EEG), which is a tool for evaluating the physiological state of the brain. A statistical cross validation and support vector machines were implemented to classify the brain's normal and abnormal activities. The results of this study indicate that it may be possible to design and develop efficient seizure warning algorithms for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Research was partially supported by the Rutgers Research Council grant-202018, the NSF grants DBI-980821, CCF-0546574, IIS-0611998, and NIH grant R01-NS-39687-01A1.     

The hydrolysis mechanism of bis(2,4-di-tert-butyl)pentaerythritol diphosphite (Alkanox P24): An atmospheric pressure photoionisation mass spectrometric study

Alkanox P24 is a commercial phosphite antioxidant, well known in the literature for its excellent processing stability. As in the case of many processing phosphites, however, Alkanox P24 might undergo hydrolysis when exposed to small amounts of water. A number of products proposed recently in the hydrolytic pathway of the phosphite [Ortuoste N, Allen NS, Papanastasiou M, McMahon A, Edge M, Johnson B, et al. Polym Degrad Stab; 2006;91:195-211] are investigated in this study by atmospheric pressure ionisation-mass spectrometry (API-MS). The applicability of atmospheric pressure photoionisation (APPI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI) ion sources is tested and the ion formation characteristics of Alkanox P24 are compared in both sources. In positive ion mode, ionisation of the parent phosphite occurred by protonation. In negative ion mode no pseudo-molecular ion peak was detected and the deprotonated species were more dominant in APPI. This source was employed further for the investigation of the hydrolysis products, since it exhibited lower limits of detection. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with single ion monitoring (SIM) detection was used for the separation of the species formed. Hydrolysis of the phosphite proceeded via the scission of the two P-O_phenol bonds exclusively to give 2,4-di-tert-butyl phenol quantitatively as a final product.     

Acid-base equilibria in binary water/organic solvent systems Dissociation of citric acid in water/dioxan and water/methanol solvent systems at 25 degrees

The thermodynamic constants of citric acid were determined at 25 degrees in water/dioxan and water/methanol mixtures with 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50% v/v organic co-solvent content. Simple relations allowing the calculation of palpha*(H) of citrate buffer solutions are proposed (alpha*(H) being the hydrogen-ion activity referred to the standard state in the corresponding medium). The palpha*(H) values of some citrate buffer solutions, suitable for standardization, are reported. The pK values obtained are discussed in relation to the nature and composition of the solvent, as well as the structure of the acid molecule.     

Solvent effect on reaction rates: Reaction between sodium ethoxide and methyl iodide in ethanol + cyclohexane solvent systems

The kinetics of the reaction between sodium ethoxide and methyl iodide has been studied at 25°C in various cyclohexane-ethanol solvent mixtures with a cyclohexane content of 10 to 50% per volume. The determination of the rate constants att=0 were carried out by a new iterative method proposed in this investigation. The obtained results show that the reaction rate decreases with the increasing cyclohexane content. This behavior can be attributed to various solute-solvent interactions of electrostatic nature. On the other hand, the variation of ion and ion pairs rate constants with solvent composition permits the various solvation effects to be taken into account.     

Entropy and the First Law of Thermodynamics

Plancks work on the Second Law of Thermodynamics in combination with a simple thermodynamic approach developed by Blinder show that the concept of entropy is introduced from the First and not the Second Law of Thermodynamics. In particular, it is proved that the First Law of Thermodynamics leads directly to the following statement: For every system of whatever complexity there exists an extensive function of state S defined from dS = q_rev/T, where q_rev is the infinitesimal quantity of heat exchanged reversibly between the system and the surroundings and T is the absolute temperature of the system. Thus, for reversible adiabatic processes we readily have from the First Law that dS = 0. Therefore, the Second Law should be properly reformulated, restricted to the inequality dS 0 for irreversible processes only.     

Acid-base equilibria in ternary water/methanol/dioxane solvent systems : Determination of pKa values of some aliphatic monocarboxylic acids

The thermodynamic acidity constants of n-butanoic, n-pentanoic, n-hexanoic, and n-heptanoic acids were determined at 25°C in ternary water/dioxane/methanol mixtures. The results obtained show that the composite medium effect, expressed by a parameter b = dpK′/du (u being a variable expressing the solvent composition), depends on the ratio of the organic co-solvent concentrations. In the ternary mixtures, superposition of the various effects detected in the corresponding binary solvents (water/dioxane and water/methanol) enables simple interpolation formulae to be used to estimate the pK_a values in solution with any ratio of the three solvents.     

Synthesis of N-acyl-2-pyrrolidinones from the corresponding N-acyl-GABA derivatives

In this work, the synthesis of 1-(pyridine-3-carbonyl)pyrrolidin-2-one ( 1a ) and 1-(2-propyl-1-pentanoyl)pyrrolidin-2-one ( 1b ) by cyclization of the corresponding GABA derivatives, is reported. Two different methods are developed. For the synthesis of 1a , the parent molecule 4-[(pyridine-3-carbonyl)-amino]butanoic acid ( 2a ) is treated first with thionyl chloride and then with triethylamine. The second derivative, 1b , is produced by an intramolecular dehydration of 4-(2-propylpentanoylamino)butanoic acid ( 2b ) using an acid catalyst.     

Quantitative analysis of small pharmaceutical drugs using a high repetition rate laser matrix-assisted laser/desorption ionization source

In this work, a high repetition rate laser matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) source is studied on a quadrupole-time-of-flight (QqTOF) and a triple quadrupole (QqQ) mass spectrometer for rapid quantification of small pharmaceutical drugs. The high repetition rate laser allows an up to 100-fold higher pulse frequency as compared with regular MALDI lasers, resulting in much larger sample throughput and number of accumulated spectra. This increases the reproducibility of signal intensities considerably, with average values being around 5% relative standard deviation after taking into account the area ratio of the analyte to an internal standard. Experiments were conducted in MS/MS mode to circumvent the large chemical background due to MALDI matrix ions in the low mass range. The dynamic range of calibration curves on the QqTOF mass spectrometer extended over at least two orders of magnitude, whereas on the QqQ it extended over at least three orders of magnitude. Detection limits ranged from 60-400 pg/microL on the QqTOF and from 6-70 pg/microL on the QqQ for a series of benzodiazepines. The benzodiazepine content of commercial pill formulations was quantified, and less than 5% error was obtained between the present method and the manufacturer's certified values. Furthermore, a high sample throughput was achieved with this method, so that a single MALDI spot could be quantitatively scanned in as little as 15 s, and an entire 96-well MALDI plate in 24 min.