The
Aim
DChaos
represents a symbiotic relationship between the traditionalist
homeostatic and the mathematical chaotic approaches to the predicition
of the behaviour of a physiological system under both normalcy, and
conditions of pathology. Such a relationship is being extensively researched
in many aspects of physiology and pathophysiology, but of special interest
to the authors is the drive towards a methodology for the predicition
of fibrillation in the ventricular myocardium of the heart in the onset
of sudden cardiac death.
The
People
Dr
Gary Bass graduated with Honours from the Medical School at
the Royal College of Surgeons
in Ireland in 2008, and is currently practicing in Dublin, Ireland. He has an MSc (by research)
in Physiology from the National University of Ireland (University College Dublin,
2005), where he also earned a BSc(Hons) in Physiology in 2001. His Masters thesis
details his studies
of the effects of respiratory-cycle phase and superior laryngeal denervation
on upper airway reflexes.
Dr Redmond Shouldice received
his PhD from University College Dublin, Ireland in digital signal processing
techniques in biomedical engineering, including
analysis of autonomic neural cardiac influence using characteristic
electrocardiogram intervals and obstructive sleep apnoea assessment
and using automated classification techniques. His primary degree
is a BE in Electronic Engineering, and he is a Chartered Engineer (CEng
MIEI). Redmond was elected to the
Royal Dublin Society Science & Technology Committee in 2004
and currently holds the position of Chair. He is a reviewer for the
journals 'Sleep', 'Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing',
'Medical Science Monitor' and the 'International Journal of Cardiology'.
He is currently working for a biomedical company focused on the development
of leading edge technology for personalised health and well-being monitoring.
Both have a keen interest in biomedical engineering and the study of
physiological processes.
The
Concept
DChaos
is a contraction of the term "deterministic chaos", a pattern
of seemingly stochastic fluctuations (those caused by random external
forces) actually produced in a determined manner by the progression
of nonlinear pathways. These patterns are very sensitive to variation
in initial conditions, so the occurence of chaotic processes in pathophysiology
has the potential of providing a model from which the "future-path"
of these processes may be predicted.
The Origins
The
origin of the authors' interest in this field stem from background reading
for an essay submitted in 1994 by Redmond Shouldice for the 'Technology
Ireland' / RDS Young Science Writers Competition, entitled "The
Spiral Dance - Nature At Work And Play". This essay was successful
in winning the competition and was published in 'Technology Ireland'
in April 1994.
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