title: Benchmarking attribute selection techniques for discrete class data mining

authors: Hall, Mark A.

subjects: computer science

abstract: Data engineering is generally considered to be a central issue in the development of data mining applications.  The success of many learning schemes, in their attempts to construct models of data, hinges on the reliable identification of a small set of highly predictive attributes.  The inclusion of irrelevant, redundant and noisy attributes in the model building process phase can result in poor predictive performance and increased computation. 
Attribute selection generally involves a combination of search and attribute utility estimation plus evaluation with respect to specific learning schemes.  This leads to a large number of possible permutation and has led to a situation where very few benchmark studies have been conducted.
This paper presents a benchmark comparison of several attribute selection methods for supervised classification.  All the methods produce an attribute ranking, a useful devise for isolating the individual merit of an attribute. Attribute selection is achieved by cross-validating the attribute rankings with respect to a classification learner to find the best attributes.  Results are reported for a selection of standard data sets and two diverse learning schemes C4.5 and naïve Bayes.

text: Benchmarking attribute selection techniques for discrete class data mining Data engineering is generally considered to be a central issue in the development of data mining applications.  The success of many learning schemes, in their attempts to construct models of data, hinges on the reliable identification of a small set of highly predictive attributes.  The inclusion of irrelevant, redundant and noisy attributes in the model building process phase can result in poor predictive performance and increased computation. 
Attribute selection generally involves a combination of search and attribute utility estimation plus evaluation with respect to specific learning schemes.  This leads to a large number of possible permutation and has led to a situation where very few benchmark studies have been conducted.
This paper presents a benchmark comparison of several attribute selection methods for supervised classification.  All the methods produce an attribute ranking, a useful devise for isolating the individual merit of an attribute. Attribute selection is achieved by cross-validating the attribute rankings with respect to a classification learner to find the best attributes.  Results are reported for a selection of standard data sets and two diverse learning schemes C4.5 and naïve Bayes.

year: 2002-04

title: The Bispectral Index: A measure of depth of sleep?

authors: Sleigh, James W.

subjects: BIS

abstract: How does physiological sleep affect the Bispectral Index (BIS)? We collected electroencephalographic (EEG) data from five subjects during the early part of the night, comparing the changes in the BIS with the conventional EEG stages of sleep. We found that the BIS was a consistent marker of depth of sleep. Light sleep occurred at BIS values of 75–90, slow-wave sleep occurred at BIS values of 20–70, and rapid eye movement sleep occurred at BIS values of 75–92. The effects of natural sleep on the BIS seem to be similar to the effects of general anesthesia on the BIS. The BIS may have a role in monitoring depth of sleep. Implications: Electroencephalographic data were collected from five subjects during sleep. We found that the Bispectral Index decreased during increasing depth of sleep in a fashion very similar to the decrease in Bispectral Index that occurs during general anesthesia. This study further highlights the electroencephalographic similarities of states of sleep and general anesthesia.

text: The Bispectral Index: A measure of depth of sleep? How does physiological sleep affect the Bispectral Index (BIS)? We collected electroencephalographic (EEG) data from five subjects during the early part of the night, comparing the changes in the BIS with the conventional EEG stages of sleep. We found that the BIS was a consistent marker of depth of sleep. Light sleep occurred at BIS values of 75–90, slow-wave sleep occurred at BIS values of 20–70, and rapid eye movement sleep occurred at BIS values of 75–92. The effects of natural sleep on the BIS seem to be similar to the effects of general anesthesia on the BIS. The BIS may have a role in monitoring depth of sleep. Implications: Electroencephalographic data were collected from five subjects during sleep. We found that the Bispectral Index decreased during increasing depth of sleep in a fashion very similar to the decrease in Bispectral Index that occurs during general anesthesia. This study further highlights the electroencephalographic similarities of states of sleep and general anesthesia.

year: 1999

title: From colonial categories to local culture: Evolving state practices of ethnic enumeration in Oceania, 1965-2014

authors: Kukutai, Tahu

subjects: Social Sciences

abstract: Numerous scholars have examined how governments in particular times and places have classified their populations by ethnicity, but studies that are both cross-national and longitudinal are rare. Using a unique database of census questionnaires, we examine state practices of ethnic enumeration over a 50-year period (1965–2014) in the 24 countries and areas that comprise Oceania. The region’s extraordinary linguistic and cultural diversity, combined with its complex colonial history and indigenous politics, make it an ideal site for comparative analyses. We find a shift from biological conceptions of difference to a more cultural understanding of group identity, exemplified by a sharp rise in language questions and the decline of race-based inquiries. While local identity labels have largely displaced colonial categories, the imprimatur of previous regimes still lingers, particularly in Melanesia. These shifts in official constructions of ethnoracial differences reflect a gradual lessening of colonial influences on demographic practices.

text: From colonial categories to local culture: Evolving state practices of ethnic enumeration in Oceania, 1965-2014 Numerous scholars have examined how governments in particular times and places have classified their populations by ethnicity, but studies that are both cross-national and longitudinal are rare. Using a unique database of census questionnaires, we examine state practices of ethnic enumeration over a 50-year period (1965–2014) in the 24 countries and areas that comprise Oceania. The region’s extraordinary linguistic and cultural diversity, combined with its complex colonial history and indigenous politics, make it an ideal site for comparative analyses. We find a shift from biological conceptions of difference to a more cultural understanding of group identity, exemplified by a sharp rise in language questions and the decline of race-based inquiries. While local identity labels have largely displaced colonial categories, the imprimatur of previous regimes still lingers, particularly in Melanesia. These shifts in official constructions of ethnoracial differences reflect a gradual lessening of colonial influences on demographic practices.

year: 2016