Objectives: This paper focusses on the person identification problem based on features extracted from the ElectroEncephaloGram (EEG). A bilinear rather than a purely linear model is fitted on the EEG signal, prompted by the existence of non-linear components in the EEG signal – a conjecture already investigated in previous research works. The novelty of the present work lies in the comparison between the linear and the bilinear results, obtained from real field EEG data, aiming towards identification of healthy subjects rather than classification of pathological cases for diagnosis. Methods: The EEG signal of a, in principle, healthy individual is processed via (non)linear (AR, bilinear) methods and classified by an artificial neural network classifier. Results: Experiments performed on real field data show that utilization of the bilinear model parameters as features improves correct classification scores at the cost of increased complexity and computations. Results are seen to be statistically significant at the 99.5% level of significance, via the χ² test for contingency. Conclusions: The results obtained in the present study further corroborate existing research, which shows evidence that the EEG carries individual-specific information, and that it can be successfully exploited for purposes of person identification and authentication.

A direct connection between the electroencephalogram (EEG) and the genetic information of an individual has been suspected and investigated by neurophysiologists and psychiatrists since 1960. However, most of this early as well as more recent research focuses on the classification of pathological EEG cases, aiming to construct tests for purposes of diagnosis. On the contrary, our work focuses on healthy individuals and aims to establish an one-to-one correspondence between the genetic information of the individual and certain features of his/her EEG, as an intermediate step towards the further goal of developing a test for person identification based on features extracted from the EEG. Potential applications include, among others, information encoding and decoding and access to secure information. At the present stage the proposed method uses spectral information extracted from the EEG non-parametrically via the FFT and employs a neural network (a learning vector quantizer-LVQ) to classify unknown EEGs as belonging to one of a finite number of individuals. Correct classification scores ranging from 80% to 100% in experiments conducted on real data, show evidence that the EEG indeed carries genetic information and that the proposed method can be used to construct person identification tests based on EEG features.

The aim of this paper is to survey recent research publications that use Soft Computing methods to answer education-related problems based on the analysis of educational data ‘mined’ mainly from interactive/e-learning systems. Such systems are known to generate and store large volumes of data that can be exploited to assess the learner, the system and the quality of the interaction between them. Educational Data Mining (EDM) and Learning Analytics (LA) are two distinct and yet closely related research areas that focus on this data aiming to address open education-related questions or issues. Besides ‘classic’ data analysis methods such as clustering, classification, identification or regression/analysis of variances, soft computing methods are often employed by EDM and LA researchers to achieve their various tasks. Their very nature as iterative optimization algorithms that avoid the exhaustive search of the solutions space and go for possibly suboptimal solutions yet at realistic time and effort, along with their heavy reliance on rich data sets for training, make soft computing methods ideal tools for the EDM or LA type of problems. Decision trees, random forests, artificial neural networks, fuzzy logic, support vector machines and genetic/evolutionary algorithms are a few examples of soft computing approaches that, given enough data, can successfully deal with uncertainty, qualitatively stated problems and incomplete, imprecise or even contradictory data sets – features that the field of education shares with all humanities/social sciences fields. The present review focuses, therefore, on recent EDM and LA research that employs at least one soft computing method, and aims to identify (i) the major education problems/issues addressed and, consequently, research goals/objectives set, (ii) the learning contexts/settings within which relevant research and educational interventions take place, (iii) the relation between classic and soft computing methods employed to solve specific problems/issues, and (iv) the means of dissemination (publication journals) of the relevant research results. Selection and analysis of a body of 300 journal publications reveals that top research questions in education today seeking answers through soft computing methods refer directly to the issue of quality – a critical issue given the currently dominant educational/pedagogical models that favor e-learning or computer- or technology-mediated learning contexts. Moreover, results identify the most frequently used methods and tools within EDM/LA research and, comparatively, within their soft computing subsets, along with the major journals relevant research is being published worldwide. Weaknesses and issues that need further attention in order to fully exploit the benefits of research results to improve both the learning experience and the learning outcomes are discussed in the conclusions.

Purpose – The target of the current work is the creation of a model for the prediction of the air permeability of the woven fabrics and the water content of the fabrics after the vacuum drying. Design/methodology/approach – There have been produced 30 different woven fabrics under certain weft and warp densities. The values of the air permeability and water content after the vacuum drying have been measured using standard laboratory techniques. The structural parameters of the fabrics and the measured values have been correlated using techniques like multiple linear regression and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). The ANN and especially the generalized regression ANN permit the prediction of the air permeability of the fabrics and consequently of the water content after vacuum drying. The performance of the related models has been evaluated by comparing the predicted values with the respective experimental ones. Findings – The predicted values from the nonlinear models approach satisfactorily the experimental results. Although air permeability of the textile fabrics is a complex phenomenon, the nonlinear modeling becomes a useful tool for its prediction based on the structural data of the woven fabrics. Originality/value – The air permeability and water content modeling support the prediction of the related physical properties of the fabric based on the design parameters only. The vacuum drying performance estimation supports the optimization of the industrial drying procedure.