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Sample records for large-scale brain networks

  1. Selective vulnerability related to aging in large-scale resting brain networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hong-Ying; Chen, Wen-Xin; Jiao, Yun; Xu, Yao; Zhang, Xiang-Rong; Wu, Jing-Tao

    2014-01-01

    Normal aging is associated with cognitive decline. Evidence indicates that large-scale brain networks are affected by aging; however, it has not been established whether aging has equivalent effects on specific large-scale networks. In the present study, 40 healthy subjects including 22 older (aged 60-80 years) and 18 younger (aged 22-33 years) adults underwent resting-state functional MRI scanning. Four canonical resting-state networks, including the default mode network (DMN), executive control network (ECN), dorsal attention network (DAN) and salience network, were extracted, and the functional connectivities in these canonical networks were compared between the younger and older groups. We found distinct, disruptive alterations present in the large-scale aging-related resting brain networks: the ECN was affected the most, followed by the DAN. However, the DMN and salience networks showed limited functional connectivity disruption. The visual network served as a control and was similarly preserved in both groups. Our findings suggest that the aged brain is characterized by selective vulnerability in large-scale brain networks. These results could help improve our understanding of the mechanism of degeneration in the aging brain. Additional work is warranted to determine whether selective alterations in the intrinsic networks are related to impairments in behavioral performance.

  2. Foundational perspectives on causality in large-scale brain networks

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    Mannino, Michael; Bressler, Steven L.

    2015-12-01

    A profusion of recent work in cognitive neuroscience has been concerned with the endeavor to uncover causal influences in large-scale brain networks. However, despite the fact that many papers give a nod to the important theoretical challenges posed by the concept of causality, this explosion of research has generally not been accompanied by a rigorous conceptual analysis of the nature of causality in the brain. This review provides both a descriptive and prescriptive account of the nature of causality as found within and between large-scale brain networks. In short, it seeks to clarify the concept of causality in large-scale brain networks both philosophically and scientifically. This is accomplished by briefly reviewing the rich philosophical history of work on causality, especially focusing on contributions by David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Bertrand Russell, and Christopher Hitchcock. We go on to discuss the impact that various interpretations of modern physics have had on our understanding of causality. Throughout all this, a central focus is the distinction between theories of deterministic causality (DC), whereby causes uniquely determine their effects, and probabilistic causality (PC), whereby causes change the probability of occurrence of their effects. We argue that, given the topological complexity of its large-scale connectivity, the brain should be considered as a complex system and its causal influences treated as probabilistic in nature. We conclude that PC is well suited for explaining causality in the brain for three reasons: (1) brain causality is often mutual; (2) connectional convergence dictates that only rarely is the activity of one neuronal population uniquely determined by another one; and (3) the causal influences exerted between neuronal populations may not have observable effects. A number of different techniques are currently available to characterize causal influence in the brain. Typically, these techniques quantify the statistical

  3. Complex modular structure of large-scale brain networks

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    Valencia, M.; Pastor, M. A.; Fernández-Seara, M. A.; Artieda, J.; Martinerie, J.; Chavez, M.

    2009-06-01

    Modular structure is ubiquitous among real-world networks from related proteins to social groups. Here we analyze the modular organization of brain networks at a large scale (voxel level) extracted from functional magnetic resonance imaging signals. By using a random-walk-based method, we unveil the modularity of brain webs and show modules with a spatial distribution that matches anatomical structures with functional significance. The functional role of each node in the network is studied by analyzing its patterns of inter- and intramodular connections. Results suggest that the modular architecture constitutes the structural basis for the coexistence of functional integration of distant and specialized brain areas during normal brain activities at rest.

  4. Development of large-scale functional brain networks in children.

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    Kaustubh Supekar

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available The ontogeny of large-scale functional organization of the human brain is not well understood. Here we use network analysis of intrinsic functional connectivity to characterize the organization of brain networks in 23 children (ages 7-9 y and 22 young-adults (ages 19-22 y. Comparison of network properties, including path-length, clustering-coefficient, hierarchy, and regional connectivity, revealed that although children and young-adults' brains have similar "small-world" organization at the global level, they differ significantly in hierarchical organization and interregional connectivity. We found that subcortical areas were more strongly connected with primary sensory, association, and paralimbic areas in children, whereas young-adults showed stronger cortico-cortical connectivity between paralimbic, limbic, and association areas. Further, combined analysis of functional connectivity with wiring distance measures derived from white-matter fiber tracking revealed that the development of large-scale brain networks is characterized by weakening of short-range functional connectivity and strengthening of long-range functional connectivity. Importantly, our findings show that the dynamic process of over-connectivity followed by pruning, which rewires connectivity at the neuronal level, also operates at the systems level, helping to reconfigure and rebalance subcortical and paralimbic connectivity in the developing brain. Our study demonstrates the usefulness of network analysis of brain connectivity to elucidate key principles underlying functional brain maturation, paving the way for novel studies of disrupted brain connectivity in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.

  5. Development of large-scale functional brain networks in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Supekar, Kaustubh; Musen, Mark; Menon, Vinod

    2009-07-01

    The ontogeny of large-scale functional organization of the human brain is not well understood. Here we use network analysis of intrinsic functional connectivity to characterize the organization of brain networks in 23 children (ages 7-9 y) and 22 young-adults (ages 19-22 y). Comparison of network properties, including path-length, clustering-coefficient, hierarchy, and regional connectivity, revealed that although children and young-adults' brains have similar "small-world" organization at the global level, they differ significantly in hierarchical organization and interregional connectivity. We found that subcortical areas were more strongly connected with primary sensory, association, and paralimbic areas in children, whereas young-adults showed stronger cortico-cortical connectivity between paralimbic, limbic, and association areas. Further, combined analysis of functional connectivity with wiring distance measures derived from white-matter fiber tracking revealed that the development of large-scale brain networks is characterized by weakening of short-range functional connectivity and strengthening of long-range functional connectivity. Importantly, our findings show that the dynamic process of over-connectivity followed by pruning, which rewires connectivity at the neuronal level, also operates at the systems level, helping to reconfigure and rebalance subcortical and paralimbic connectivity in the developing brain. Our study demonstrates the usefulness of network analysis of brain connectivity to elucidate key principles underlying functional brain maturation, paving the way for novel studies of disrupted brain connectivity in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.

  6. Integration and segregation of large-scale brain networks during short-term task automatization.

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    Mohr, Holger; Wolfensteller, Uta; Betzel, Richard F; Mišić, Bratislav; Sporns, Olaf; Richiardi, Jonas; Ruge, Hannes

    2016-11-03

    The human brain is organized into large-scale functional networks that can flexibly reconfigure their connectivity patterns, supporting both rapid adaptive control and long-term learning processes. However, it has remained unclear how short-term network dynamics support the rapid transformation of instructions into fluent behaviour. Comparing fMRI data of a learning sample (N=70) with a control sample (N=67), we find that increasingly efficient task processing during short-term practice is associated with a reorganization of large-scale network interactions. Practice-related efficiency gains are facilitated by enhanced coupling between the cingulo-opercular network and the dorsal attention network. Simultaneously, short-term task automatization is accompanied by decreasing activation of the fronto-parietal network, indicating a release of high-level cognitive control, and a segregation of the default mode network from task-related networks. These findings suggest that short-term task automatization is enabled by the brain's ability to rapidly reconfigure its large-scale network organization involving complementary integration and segregation processes.

  7. Episodic memory in aspects of large-scale brain networks

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    Jeong, Woorim; Chung, Chun Kee; Kim, June Sic

    2015-01-01

    Understanding human episodic memory in aspects of large-scale brain networks has become one of the central themes in neuroscience over the last decade. Traditionally, episodic memory was regarded as mostly relying on medial temporal lobe (MTL) structures. However, recent studies have suggested involvement of more widely distributed cortical network and the importance of its interactive roles in the memory process. Both direct and indirect neuro-modulations of the memory network have been tried in experimental treatments of memory disorders. In this review, we focus on the functional organization of the MTL and other neocortical areas in episodic memory. Task-related neuroimaging studies together with lesion studies suggested that specific sub-regions of the MTL are responsible for specific components of memory. However, recent studies have emphasized that connectivity within MTL structures and even their network dynamics with other cortical areas are essential in the memory process. Resting-state functional network studies also have revealed that memory function is subserved by not only the MTL system but also a distributed network, particularly the default-mode network (DMN). Furthermore, researchers have begun to investigate memory networks throughout the entire brain not restricted to the specific resting-state network (RSN). Altered patterns of functional connectivity (FC) among distributed brain regions were observed in patients with memory impairments. Recently, studies have shown that brain stimulation may impact memory through modulating functional networks, carrying future implications of a novel interventional therapy for memory impairment. PMID:26321939

  8. Episodic memory in aspects of large-scale brain networks

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    Woorim eJeong

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Understanding human episodic memory in aspects of large-scale brain networks has become one of the central themes in neuroscience over the last decade. Traditionally, episodic memory was regarded as mostly relying on medial temporal lobe (MTL structures. However, recent studies have suggested involvement of more widely distributed cortical network and the importance of its interactive roles in the memory process. Both direct and indirect neuro-modulations of the memory network have been tried in experimental treatments of memory disorders. In this review, we focus on the functional organization of the MTL and other neocortical areas in episodic memory. Task-related neuroimaging studies together with lesion studies suggested that specific sub-regions of the MTL are responsible for specific components of memory. However, recent studies have emphasized that connectivity within MTL structures and even their network dynamics with other cortical areas are essential in the memory process. Resting-state functional network studies also have revealed that memory function is subserved by not only the MTL system but also a distributed network, particularly the default-mode network. Furthermore, researchers have begun to investigate memory networks throughout the entire brain not restricted to the specific resting-state network. Altered patterns of functional connectivity among distributed brain regions were observed in patients with memory impairments. Recently, studies have shown that brain stimulation may impact memory through modulating functional networks, carrying future implications of a novel interventional therapy for memory impairment.

  9. Large-Scale Brain Networks Supporting Divided Attention across Spatial Locations and Sensory Modalities.

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    Santangelo, Valerio

    2018-01-01

    Higher-order cognitive processes were shown to rely on the interplay between large-scale neural networks. However, brain networks involved with the capability to split attentional resource over multiple spatial locations and multiple stimuli or sensory modalities have been largely unexplored to date. Here I re-analyzed data from Santangelo et al. (2010) to explore the causal interactions between large-scale brain networks during divided attention. During fMRI scanning, participants monitored streams of visual and/or auditory stimuli in one or two spatial locations for detection of occasional targets. This design allowed comparing a condition in which participants monitored one stimulus/modality (either visual or auditory) in two spatial locations vs. a condition in which participants monitored two stimuli/modalities (both visual and auditory) in one spatial location. The analysis of the independent components (ICs) revealed that dividing attentional resources across two spatial locations necessitated a brain network involving the left ventro- and dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex plus the posterior parietal cortex, including the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and the angular gyrus, bilaterally. The analysis of Granger causality highlighted that the activity of lateral prefrontal regions were predictive of the activity of all of the posteriors parietal nodes. By contrast, dividing attention across two sensory modalities necessitated a brain network including nodes belonging to the dorsal frontoparietal network, i.e., the bilateral frontal eye-fields (FEF) and IPS, plus nodes belonging to the salience network, i.e., the anterior cingulated cortex and the left and right anterior insular cortex (aIC). The analysis of Granger causality highlights a tight interdependence between the dorsal frontoparietal and salience nodes in trials requiring divided attention between different sensory modalities. The current findings therefore highlighted a dissociation among brain networks

  10. Large-Scale Brain Networks Supporting Divided Attention across Spatial Locations and Sensory Modalities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valerio Santangelo

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Higher-order cognitive processes were shown to rely on the interplay between large-scale neural networks. However, brain networks involved with the capability to split attentional resource over multiple spatial locations and multiple stimuli or sensory modalities have been largely unexplored to date. Here I re-analyzed data from Santangelo et al. (2010 to explore the causal interactions between large-scale brain networks during divided attention. During fMRI scanning, participants monitored streams of visual and/or auditory stimuli in one or two spatial locations for detection of occasional targets. This design allowed comparing a condition in which participants monitored one stimulus/modality (either visual or auditory in two spatial locations vs. a condition in which participants monitored two stimuli/modalities (both visual and auditory in one spatial location. The analysis of the independent components (ICs revealed that dividing attentional resources across two spatial locations necessitated a brain network involving the left ventro- and dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex plus the posterior parietal cortex, including the intraparietal sulcus (IPS and the angular gyrus, bilaterally. The analysis of Granger causality highlighted that the activity of lateral prefrontal regions were predictive of the activity of all of the posteriors parietal nodes. By contrast, dividing attention across two sensory modalities necessitated a brain network including nodes belonging to the dorsal frontoparietal network, i.e., the bilateral frontal eye-fields (FEF and IPS, plus nodes belonging to the salience network, i.e., the anterior cingulated cortex and the left and right anterior insular cortex (aIC. The analysis of Granger causality highlights a tight interdependence between the dorsal frontoparietal and salience nodes in trials requiring divided attention between different sensory modalities. The current findings therefore highlighted a dissociation among

  11. Low frequency steady-state brain responses modulate large scale functional networks in a frequency-specific means.

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    Wang, Yi-Feng; Long, Zhiliang; Cui, Qian; Liu, Feng; Jing, Xiu-Juan; Chen, Heng; Guo, Xiao-Nan; Yan, Jin H; Chen, Hua-Fu

    2016-01-01

    Neural oscillations are essential for brain functions. Research has suggested that the frequency of neural oscillations is lower for more integrative and remote communications. In this vein, some resting-state studies have suggested that large scale networks function in the very low frequency range (frequency characteristics of brain networks because both resting-state studies and conventional frequency tagging approaches cannot simultaneously capture multiple large scale networks in controllable cognitive activities. In this preliminary study, we aimed to examine whether large scale networks can be modulated by task-induced low frequency steady-state brain responses (lfSSBRs) in a frequency-specific pattern. In a revised attention network test, the lfSSBRs were evoked in the triple network system and sensory-motor system, indicating that large scale networks can be modulated in a frequency tagging way. Furthermore, the inter- and intranetwork synchronizations as well as coherence were increased at the fundamental frequency and the first harmonic rather than at other frequency bands, indicating a frequency-specific modulation of information communication. However, there was no difference among attention conditions, indicating that lfSSBRs modulate the general attention state much stronger than distinguishing attention conditions. This study provides insights into the advantage and mechanism of lfSSBRs. More importantly, it paves a new way to investigate frequency-specific large scale brain activities. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Network Dynamics with BrainX3: A Large-Scale Simulation of the Human Brain Network with Real-Time Interaction

    OpenAIRE

    Xerxes D. Arsiwalla; Riccardo eZucca; Alberto eBetella; Enrique eMartinez; David eDalmazzo; Pedro eOmedas; Gustavo eDeco; Gustavo eDeco; Paul F.M.J. Verschure; Paul F.M.J. Verschure

    2015-01-01

    BrainX3 is a large-scale simulation of human brain activity with real-time interaction, rendered in 3D in a virtual reality environment, which combines computational power with human intuition for the exploration and analysis of complex dynamical networks. We ground this simulation on structural connectivity obtained from diffusion spectrum imaging data and model it on neuronal population dynamics. Users can interact with BrainX3 in real-time by perturbing brain regions with transient stimula...

  13. Network dynamics with BrainX3: a large-scale simulation of the human brain network with real-time interaction

    OpenAIRE

    Arsiwalla, Xerxes D.; Zucca, Riccardo; Betella, Alberto; Martínez, Enrique, 1961-; Dalmazzo, David; Omedas, Pedro; Deco, Gustavo; Verschure, Paul F. M. J.

    2015-01-01

    BrainX3 is a large-scale simulation of human brain activity with real-time interaction, rendered in 3D in a virtual reality environment, which combines computational power with human intuition for the exploration and analysis of complex dynamical networks. We ground this simulation on structural connectivity obtained from diffusion spectrum imaging data and model it on neuronal population dynamics. Users can interact with BrainX3 in real-time by perturbing brain regions with transient stimula...

  14. Large-Scale Brain Network Coupling Predicts Total Sleep Deprivation Effects on Cognitive Capacity.

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    Yu Lei

    Full Text Available Interactions between large-scale brain networks have received most attention in the study of cognitive dysfunction of human brain. In this paper, we aimed to test the hypothesis that the coupling strength of large-scale brain networks will reflect the pressure for sleep and will predict cognitive performance, referred to as sleep pressure index (SPI. Fourteen healthy subjects underwent this within-subject functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI study during rested wakefulness (RW and after 36 h of total sleep deprivation (TSD. Self-reported scores of sleepiness were higher for TSD than for RW. A subsequent working memory (WM task showed that WM performance was lower after 36 h of TSD. Moreover, SPI was developed based on the coupling strength of salience network (SN and default mode network (DMN. Significant increase of SPI was observed after 36 h of TSD, suggesting stronger pressure for sleep. In addition, SPI was significantly correlated with both the visual analogue scale score of sleepiness and the WM performance. These results showed that alterations in SN-DMN coupling might be critical in cognitive alterations that underlie the lapse after TSD. Further studies may validate the SPI as a potential clinical biomarker to assess the impact of sleep deprivation.

  15. Large-scale brain networks in affective and social neuroscience: Towards an integrative functional architecture of the brain

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    Barrett, Lisa Feldman; Satpute, Ajay

    2013-01-01

    Understanding how a human brain creates a human mind ultimately depends on mapping psychological categories and concepts to physical measurements of neural response. Although it has long been assumed that emotional, social, and cognitive phenomena are realized in the operations of separate brain regions or brain networks, we demonstrate that it is possible to understand the body of neuroimaging evidence using a framework that relies on domain general, distributed structure-function mappings. We review current research in affective and social neuroscience and argue that the emerging science of large-scale intrinsic brain networks provides a coherent framework for a domain-general functional architecture of the human brain. PMID:23352202

  16. Network dynamics with BrainX(3): a large-scale simulation of the human brain network with real-time interaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arsiwalla, Xerxes D; Zucca, Riccardo; Betella, Alberto; Martinez, Enrique; Dalmazzo, David; Omedas, Pedro; Deco, Gustavo; Verschure, Paul F M J

    2015-01-01

    BrainX(3) is a large-scale simulation of human brain activity with real-time interaction, rendered in 3D in a virtual reality environment, which combines computational power with human intuition for the exploration and analysis of complex dynamical networks. We ground this simulation on structural connectivity obtained from diffusion spectrum imaging data and model it on neuronal population dynamics. Users can interact with BrainX(3) in real-time by perturbing brain regions with transient stimulations to observe reverberating network activity, simulate lesion dynamics or implement network analysis functions from a library of graph theoretic measures. BrainX(3) can thus be used as a novel immersive platform for exploration and analysis of dynamical activity patterns in brain networks, both at rest or in a task-related state, for discovery of signaling pathways associated to brain function and/or dysfunction and as a tool for virtual neurosurgery. Our results demonstrate these functionalities and shed insight on the dynamics of the resting-state attractor. Specifically, we found that a noisy network seems to favor a low firing attractor state. We also found that the dynamics of a noisy network is less resilient to lesions. Our simulations on TMS perturbations show that even though TMS inhibits most of the network, it also sparsely excites a few regions. This is presumably due to anti-correlations in the dynamics and suggests that even a lesioned network can show sparsely distributed increased activity compared to healthy resting-state, over specific brain areas.

  17. Network dynamics with BrainX3: a large-scale simulation of the human brain network with real-time interaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arsiwalla, Xerxes D.; Zucca, Riccardo; Betella, Alberto; Martinez, Enrique; Dalmazzo, David; Omedas, Pedro; Deco, Gustavo; Verschure, Paul F. M. J.

    2015-01-01

    BrainX3 is a large-scale simulation of human brain activity with real-time interaction, rendered in 3D in a virtual reality environment, which combines computational power with human intuition for the exploration and analysis of complex dynamical networks. We ground this simulation on structural connectivity obtained from diffusion spectrum imaging data and model it on neuronal population dynamics. Users can interact with BrainX3 in real-time by perturbing brain regions with transient stimulations to observe reverberating network activity, simulate lesion dynamics or implement network analysis functions from a library of graph theoretic measures. BrainX3 can thus be used as a novel immersive platform for exploration and analysis of dynamical activity patterns in brain networks, both at rest or in a task-related state, for discovery of signaling pathways associated to brain function and/or dysfunction and as a tool for virtual neurosurgery. Our results demonstrate these functionalities and shed insight on the dynamics of the resting-state attractor. Specifically, we found that a noisy network seems to favor a low firing attractor state. We also found that the dynamics of a noisy network is less resilient to lesions. Our simulations on TMS perturbations show that even though TMS inhibits most of the network, it also sparsely excites a few regions. This is presumably due to anti-correlations in the dynamics and suggests that even a lesioned network can show sparsely distributed increased activity compared to healthy resting-state, over specific brain areas. PMID:25759649

  18. Network Dynamics with BrainX3: A Large-Scale Simulation of the Human Brain Network with Real-Time Interaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xerxes D. Arsiwalla

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available BrainX3 is a large-scale simulation of human brain activity with real-time interaction, rendered in 3D in a virtual reality environment, which combines computational power with human intuition for the exploration and analysis of complex dynamical networks. We ground this simulation on structural connectivity obtained from diffusion spectrum imaging data and model it on neuronal population dynamics. Users can interact with BrainX3 in real-time by perturbing brain regions with transient stimulations to observe reverberating network activity, simulate lesion dynamics or implement network analysis functions from a library of graph theoretic measures. BrainX3 can thus be used as a novel immersive platform for real-time exploration and analysis of dynamical activity patterns in brain networks, both at rest or in a task-related state, for discovery of signaling pathways associated to brain function and/or dysfunction and as a tool for virtual neurosurgery. Our results demonstrate these functionalities and shed insight on the dynamics of the resting-state attractor. Specifically, we found that a noisy network seems to favor a low firing attractor state. We also found that the dynamics of a noisy network is less resilient to lesions. Our simulations on TMS perturbations show that even though TMS inhibits most of the network, it also sparsely excites a few regions. This is presumably, due to anti-correlations in the dynamics and suggests that even a lesioned network can show sparsely distributed increased activity compared to healthy resting-state, over specific brain areas.

  19. Differences between child and adult large-scale functional brain networks for reading tasks.

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    Liu, Xin; Gao, Yue; Di, Qiqi; Hu, Jiali; Lu, Chunming; Nan, Yun; Booth, James R; Liu, Li

    2018-02-01

    Reading is an important high-level cognitive function of the human brain, requiring interaction among multiple brain regions. Revealing differences between children's large-scale functional brain networks for reading tasks and those of adults helps us to understand how the functional network changes over reading development. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging data of 17 adults (19-28 years old) and 16 children (11-13 years old), and graph theoretical analyses to investigate age-related changes in large-scale functional networks during rhyming and meaning judgment tasks on pairs of visually presented Chinese characters. We found that: (1) adults had stronger inter-regional connectivity and nodal degree in occipital regions, while children had stronger inter-regional connectivity in temporal regions, suggesting that adults rely more on visual orthographic processing whereas children rely more on auditory phonological processing during reading. (2) Only adults showed between-task differences in inter-regional connectivity and nodal degree, whereas children showed no task differences, suggesting the topological organization of adults' reading network is more specialized. (3) Children showed greater inter-regional connectivity and nodal degree than adults in multiple subcortical regions; the hubs in children were more distributed in subcortical regions while the hubs in adults were more distributed in cortical regions. These findings suggest that reading development is manifested by a shift from reliance on subcortical to cortical regions. Taken together, our study suggests that Chinese reading development is supported by developmental changes in brain connectivity properties, and some of these changes may be domain-general while others may be specific to the reading domain. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Large-scale brain networks are distinctly affected in right and left mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

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    de Campos, Brunno Machado; Coan, Ana Carolina; Lin Yasuda, Clarissa; Casseb, Raphael Fernandes; Cendes, Fernando

    2016-09-01

    Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) with hippocampus sclerosis (HS) is associated with functional and structural alterations extending beyond the temporal regions and abnormal pattern of brain resting state networks (RSNs) connectivity. We hypothesized that the interaction of large-scale RSNs is differently affected in patients with right- and left-MTLE with HS compared to controls. We aimed to determine and characterize these alterations through the analysis of 12 RSNs, functionally parceled in 70 regions of interest (ROIs), from resting-state functional-MRIs of 99 subjects (52 controls, 26 right- and 21 left-MTLE patients with HS). Image preprocessing and statistical analysis were performed using UF(2) C-toolbox, which provided ROI-wise results for intranetwork and internetwork connectivity. Intranetwork abnormalities were observed in the dorsal default mode network (DMN) in both groups of patients and in the posterior salience network in right-MTLE. Both groups showed abnormal correlation between the dorsal-DMN and the posterior salience, as well as between the dorsal-DMN and the executive-control network. Patients with left-MTLE also showed reduced correlation between the dorsal-DMN and visuospatial network and increased correlation between bilateral thalamus and the posterior salience network. The ipsilateral hippocampus stood out as a central area of abnormalities. Alterations on left-MTLE expressed a low cluster coefficient, whereas the altered connections on right-MTLE showed low cluster coefficient in the DMN but high in the posterior salience regions. Both right- and left-MTLE patients with HS have widespread abnormal interactions of large-scale brain networks; however, all parameters evaluated indicate that left-MTLE has a more intricate bihemispheric dysfunction compared to right-MTLE. Hum Brain Mapp 37:3137-3152, 2016. © 2016 The Authors Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 The Authors Human Brain Mapping Published by

  1. Large-scale brain networks underlying language acquisition in early infancy

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    Fumitaka eHomae

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available A critical issue in human development is that of whether the language-related areas in the left frontal and temporal regions work as a functional network in preverbal infants. Here, we used 94-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS to reveal the functional networks in the brains of sleeping 3-month-old infants with and without presenting speech sounds. During the first 3 min, we measured spontaneous brain activation (period 1. After period 1, we provided stimuli by playing Japanese sentences for 3 min (period 2. Finally, we measured brain activation for 3 min without providing the stimulus (period 3, as in period 1. We found that not only the bilateral temporal and temporoparietal regions but also the prefrontal and occipital regions showed oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb signal increases and deoxygenated hemoglobin (deoxy-Hb signal decreases when speech sounds were presented to infants. By calculating time-lagged cross-correlations and coherences of oxy-Hb signals between channels, we tested the functional connectivity for the 3 periods. The oxy-Hb signals in neighboring channels, as well as their homologous channels in the contralateral hemisphere, showed high correlation coefficients in period 1. Similar correlations were observed in period 2; however, the number of channels showing high correlations was higher in the ipsilateral hemisphere, especially in the anterior-posterior direction. The functional connectivity in period 3 showed a close relationship between the frontal and temporal regions, which was less prominent in period 1, indicating that these regions form the functional networks and work as a hysteresis system that has memory of the previous inputs. We propose a hypothesis that the spatiotemporally large-scale brain networks, including the frontal and temporal regions, underlie speech processing in infants and they might play important roles in language acquisition during infancy.

  2. Large-Scale Network Analysis of Whole-Brain Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Spinal Cord Injury: A Comparative Study.

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    Kaushal, Mayank; Oni-Orisan, Akinwunmi; Chen, Gang; Li, Wenjun; Leschke, Jack; Ward, Doug; Kalinosky, Benjamin; Budde, Matthew; Schmit, Brian; Li, Shi-Jiang; Muqeet, Vaishnavi; Kurpad, Shekar

    2017-09-01

    Network analysis based on graph theory depicts the brain as a complex network that allows inspection of overall brain connectivity pattern and calculation of quantifiable network metrics. To date, large-scale network analysis has not been applied to resting-state functional networks in complete spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. To characterize modular reorganization of whole brain into constituent nodes and compare network metrics between SCI and control subjects, fifteen subjects with chronic complete cervical SCI and 15 neurologically intact controls were scanned. The data were preprocessed followed by parcellation of the brain into 116 regions of interest (ROI). Correlation analysis was performed between every ROI pair to construct connectivity matrices and ROIs were categorized into distinct modules. Subsequently, local efficiency (LE) and global efficiency (GE) network metrics were calculated at incremental cost thresholds. The application of a modularity algorithm organized the whole-brain resting-state functional network of the SCI and the control subjects into nine and seven modules, respectively. The individual modules differed across groups in terms of the number and the composition of constituent nodes. LE demonstrated statistically significant decrease at multiple cost levels in SCI subjects. GE did not differ significantly between the two groups. The demonstration of modular architecture in both groups highlights the applicability of large-scale network analysis in studying complex brain networks. Comparing modules across groups revealed differences in number and membership of constituent nodes, indicating modular reorganization due to neural plasticity.

  3. GAT: a graph-theoretical analysis toolbox for analyzing between-group differences in large-scale structural and functional brain networks.

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    Hosseini, S M Hadi; Hoeft, Fumiko; Kesler, Shelli R

    2012-01-01

    In recent years, graph theoretical analyses of neuroimaging data have increased our understanding of the organization of large-scale structural and functional brain networks. However, tools for pipeline application of graph theory for analyzing topology of brain networks is still lacking. In this report, we describe the development of a graph-analysis toolbox (GAT) that facilitates analysis and comparison of structural and functional network brain networks. GAT provides a graphical user interface (GUI) that facilitates construction and analysis of brain networks, comparison of regional and global topological properties between networks, analysis of network hub and modules, and analysis of resilience of the networks to random failure and targeted attacks. Area under a curve (AUC) and functional data analyses (FDA), in conjunction with permutation testing, is employed for testing the differences in network topologies; analyses that are less sensitive to the thresholding process. We demonstrated the capabilities of GAT by investigating the differences in the organization of regional gray-matter correlation networks in survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and healthy matched Controls (CON). The results revealed an alteration in small-world characteristics of the brain networks in the ALL survivors; an observation that confirm our hypothesis suggesting widespread neurobiological injury in ALL survivors. Along with demonstration of the capabilities of the GAT, this is the first report of altered large-scale structural brain networks in ALL survivors.

  4. GAT: a graph-theoretical analysis toolbox for analyzing between-group differences in large-scale structural and functional brain networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S M Hadi Hosseini

    Full Text Available In recent years, graph theoretical analyses of neuroimaging data have increased our understanding of the organization of large-scale structural and functional brain networks. However, tools for pipeline application of graph theory for analyzing topology of brain networks is still lacking. In this report, we describe the development of a graph-analysis toolbox (GAT that facilitates analysis and comparison of structural and functional network brain networks. GAT provides a graphical user interface (GUI that facilitates construction and analysis of brain networks, comparison of regional and global topological properties between networks, analysis of network hub and modules, and analysis of resilience of the networks to random failure and targeted attacks. Area under a curve (AUC and functional data analyses (FDA, in conjunction with permutation testing, is employed for testing the differences in network topologies; analyses that are less sensitive to the thresholding process. We demonstrated the capabilities of GAT by investigating the differences in the organization of regional gray-matter correlation networks in survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL and healthy matched Controls (CON. The results revealed an alteration in small-world characteristics of the brain networks in the ALL survivors; an observation that confirm our hypothesis suggesting widespread neurobiological injury in ALL survivors. Along with demonstration of the capabilities of the GAT, this is the first report of altered large-scale structural brain networks in ALL survivors.

  5. Large-Scale Functional Brain Network Abnormalities in Alzheimer’s Disease: Insights from Functional Neuroimaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bradford C. Dickerson

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Functional MRI (fMRI studies of mild cognitive impairment (MCI and Alzheimer’s disease (AD have begun to reveal abnormalities in large-scale memory and cognitive brain networks. Since the medial temporal lobe (MTL memory system is a site of very early pathology in AD, a number of studies have focused on this region of the brain. Yet it is clear that other regions of the large-scale episodic memory network are affected early in the disease as well, and fMRI has begun to illuminate functional abnormalities in frontal, temporal, and parietal cortices as well in MCI and AD. Besides predictable hypoactivation of brain regions as they accrue pathology and undergo atrophy, there are also areas of hyperactivation in brain memory and cognitive circuits, possibly representing attempted compensatory activity. Recent fMRI data in MCI and AD are beginning to reveal relationships between abnormalities of functional activity in the MTL memory system and in functionally connected brain regions, such as the precuneus. Additional work with “resting state” fMRI data is illuminating functional-anatomic brain circuits and their disruption by disease. As this work continues to mature, it will likely contribute to our understanding of fundamental memory processes in the human brain and how these are perturbed in memory disorders. We hope these insights will translate into the incorporation of measures of task-related brain function into diagnostic assessment or therapeutic monitoring, which will hopefully one day be useful for demonstrating beneficial effects of treatments being tested in clinical trials.

  6. Large-scale brain network coupling predicts acute nicotine abstinence effects on craving and cognitive function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lerman, Caryn; Gu, Hong; Loughead, James; Ruparel, Kosha; Yang, Yihong; Stein, Elliot A

    2014-05-01

    Interactions of large-scale brain networks may underlie cognitive dysfunctions in psychiatric and addictive disorders. To test the hypothesis that the strength of coupling among 3 large-scale brain networks--salience, executive control, and default mode--will reflect the state of nicotine withdrawal (vs smoking satiety) and will predict abstinence-induced craving and cognitive deficits and to develop a resource allocation index (RAI) that reflects the combined strength of interactions among the 3 large-scale networks. A within-subject functional magnetic resonance imaging study in an academic medical center compared resting-state functional connectivity coherence strength after 24 hours of abstinence and after smoking satiety. We examined the relationship of abstinence-induced changes in the RAI with alterations in subjective, behavioral, and neural functions. We included 37 healthy smoking volunteers, aged 19 to 61 years, for analyses. Twenty-four hours of abstinence vs smoking satiety. Inter-network connectivity strength (primary) and the relationship with subjective, behavioral, and neural measures of nicotine withdrawal during abstinence vs smoking satiety states (secondary). The RAI was significantly lower in the abstinent compared with the smoking satiety states (left RAI, P = .002; right RAI, P = .04), suggesting weaker inhibition between the default mode and salience networks. Weaker inter-network connectivity (reduced RAI) predicted abstinence-induced cravings to smoke (r = -0.59; P = .007) and less suppression of default mode activity during performance of a subsequent working memory task (ventromedial prefrontal cortex, r = -0.66, P = .003; posterior cingulate cortex, r = -0.65, P = .001). Alterations in coupling of the salience and default mode networks and the inability to disengage from the default mode network may be critical in cognitive/affective alterations that underlie nicotine dependence.

  7. Large Scale Functional Brain Networks Underlying Temporal Integration of Audio-Visual Speech Perception: An EEG Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, G Vinodh; Halder, Tamesh; Jaiswal, Amit K; Mukherjee, Abhishek; Roy, Dipanjan; Banerjee, Arpan

    2016-01-01

    Observable lip movements of the speaker influence perception of auditory speech. A classical example of this influence is reported by listeners who perceive an illusory (cross-modal) speech sound (McGurk-effect) when presented with incongruent audio-visual (AV) speech stimuli. Recent neuroimaging studies of AV speech perception accentuate the role of frontal, parietal, and the integrative brain sites in the vicinity of the superior temporal sulcus (STS) for multisensory speech perception. However, if and how does the network across the whole brain participates during multisensory perception processing remains an open question. We posit that a large-scale functional connectivity among the neural population situated in distributed brain sites may provide valuable insights involved in processing and fusing of AV speech. Varying the psychophysical parameters in tandem with electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings, we exploited the trial-by-trial perceptual variability of incongruent audio-visual (AV) speech stimuli to identify the characteristics of the large-scale cortical network that facilitates multisensory perception during synchronous and asynchronous AV speech. We evaluated the spectral landscape of EEG signals during multisensory speech perception at varying AV lags. Functional connectivity dynamics for all sensor pairs was computed using the time-frequency global coherence, the vector sum of pairwise coherence changes over time. During synchronous AV speech, we observed enhanced global gamma-band coherence and decreased alpha and beta-band coherence underlying cross-modal (illusory) perception compared to unisensory perception around a temporal window of 300-600 ms following onset of stimuli. During asynchronous speech stimuli, a global broadband coherence was observed during cross-modal perception at earlier times along with pre-stimulus decreases of lower frequency power, e.g., alpha rhythms for positive AV lags and theta rhythms for negative AV lags. Thus, our

  8. An Efficient and Reliable Statistical Method for Estimating Functional Connectivity in Large Scale Brain Networks Using Partial Correlation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yikai; Kang, Jian; Kemmer, Phebe B; Guo, Ying

    2016-01-01

    Currently, network-oriented analysis of fMRI data has become an important tool for understanding brain organization and brain networks. Among the range of network modeling methods, partial correlation has shown great promises in accurately detecting true brain network connections. However, the application of partial correlation in investigating brain connectivity, especially in large-scale brain networks, has been limited so far due to the technical challenges in its estimation. In this paper, we propose an efficient and reliable statistical method for estimating partial correlation in large-scale brain network modeling. Our method derives partial correlation based on the precision matrix estimated via Constrained L1-minimization Approach (CLIME), which is a recently developed statistical method that is more efficient and demonstrates better performance than the existing methods. To help select an appropriate tuning parameter for sparsity control in the network estimation, we propose a new Dens-based selection method that provides a more informative and flexible tool to allow the users to select the tuning parameter based on the desired sparsity level. Another appealing feature of the Dens-based method is that it is much faster than the existing methods, which provides an important advantage in neuroimaging applications. Simulation studies show that the Dens-based method demonstrates comparable or better performance with respect to the existing methods in network estimation. We applied the proposed partial correlation method to investigate resting state functional connectivity using rs-fMRI data from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (PNC) study. Our results show that partial correlation analysis removed considerable between-module marginal connections identified by full correlation analysis, suggesting these connections were likely caused by global effects or common connection to other nodes. Based on partial correlation, we find that the most significant

  9. Spatial dependencies between large-scale brain networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Leech

    Full Text Available Functional neuroimaging reveals both increases (task-positive and decreases (task-negative in neural activation with many tasks. Many studies show a temporal relationship between task positive and task negative networks that is important for efficient cognitive functioning. Here we provide evidence for a spatial relationship between task positive and negative networks. There are strong spatial similarities between many reported task negative brain networks, termed the default mode network, which is typically assumed to be a spatially fixed network. However, this is not the case. The spatial structure of the DMN varies depending on what specific task is being performed. We test whether there is a fundamental spatial relationship between task positive and negative networks. Specifically, we hypothesize that the distance between task positive and negative voxels is consistent despite different spatial patterns of activation and deactivation evoked by different cognitive tasks. We show significantly reduced variability in the distance between within-condition task positive and task negative voxels than across-condition distances for four different sensory, motor and cognitive tasks--implying that deactivation patterns are spatially dependent on activation patterns (and vice versa, and that both are modulated by specific task demands. We also show a similar relationship between positively and negatively correlated networks from a third 'rest' dataset, in the absence of a specific task. We propose that this spatial relationship may be the macroscopic analogue of microscopic neuronal organization reported in sensory cortical systems, and that this organization may reflect homeostatic plasticity necessary for efficient brain function.

  10. Large Scale Computing for the Modelling of Whole Brain Connectivity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Albers, Kristoffer Jon

    organization of the brain in continuously increasing resolution. From these images, networks of structural and functional connectivity can be constructed. Bayesian stochastic block modelling provides a prominent data-driven approach for uncovering the latent organization, by clustering the networks into groups...... of neurons. Relying on Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulations as the workhorse in Bayesian inference however poses significant computational challenges, especially when modelling networks at the scale and complexity supported by high-resolution whole-brain MRI. In this thesis, we present how to overcome...... these computational limitations and apply Bayesian stochastic block models for un-supervised data-driven clustering of whole-brain connectivity in full image resolution. We implement high-performance software that allows us to efficiently apply stochastic blockmodelling with MCMC sampling on large complex networks...

  11. Large-scale network dynamics of beta-band oscillations underlie auditory perceptual decision-making

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohsen Alavash

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Perceptual decisions vary in the speed at which we make them. Evidence suggests that translating sensory information into perceptual decisions relies on distributed interacting neural populations, with decision speed hinging on power modulations of the neural oscillations. Yet the dependence of perceptual decisions on the large-scale network organization of coupled neural oscillations has remained elusive. We measured magnetoencephalographic signals in human listeners who judged acoustic stimuli composed of carefully titrated clouds of tone sweeps. These stimuli were used in two task contexts, in which the participants judged the overall pitch or direction of the tone sweeps. We traced the large-scale network dynamics of the source-projected neural oscillations on a trial-by-trial basis using power-envelope correlations and graph-theoretical network discovery. In both tasks, faster decisions were predicted by higher segregation and lower integration of coupled beta-band (∼16–28 Hz oscillations. We also uncovered the brain network states that promoted faster decisions in either lower-order auditory or higher-order control brain areas. Specifically, decision speed in judging the tone sweep direction critically relied on the nodal network configurations of anterior temporal, cingulate, and middle frontal cortices. Our findings suggest that global network communication during perceptual decision-making is implemented in the human brain by large-scale couplings between beta-band neural oscillations. The speed at which we make perceptual decisions varies. This translation of sensory information into perceptual decisions hinges on dynamic changes in neural oscillatory activity. However, the large-scale neural-network embodiment supporting perceptual decision-making is unclear. We addressed this question by experimenting two auditory perceptual decision-making situations. Using graph-theoretical network discovery, we traced the large-scale network

  12. Restoring large-scale brain networks in PTSD and related disorders: a proposal for neuroscientifically-informed treatment interventions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruth A. Lanius

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Three intrinsic connectivity networks in the brain, namely the central executive, salience, and default mode networks, have been identified as crucial to the understanding of higher cognitive functioning, and the functioning of these networks has been suggested to be impaired in psychopathology, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD. Objective: 1 To describe three main large-scale networks of the human brain; 2 to discuss the functioning of these neural networks in PTSD and related symptoms; and 3 to offer hypotheses for neuroscientifically-informed interventions based on treating the abnormalities observed in these neural networks in PTSD and related disorders. Method: Literature relevant to this commentary was reviewed. Results: Increasing evidence for altered functioning of the central executive, salience, and default mode networks in PTSD has been demonstrated. We suggest that each network is associated with specific clinical symptoms observed in PTSD, including cognitive dysfunction (central executive network, increased and decreased arousal/interoception (salience network, and an altered sense of self (default mode network. Specific testable neuroscientifically-informed treatments aimed to restore each of these neural networks and related clinical dysfunction are proposed. Conclusions: Neuroscientifically-informed treatment interventions will be essential to future research agendas aimed at targeting specific PTSD and related symptoms.

  13. Large scale network-centric distributed systems

    CERN Document Server

    Sarbazi-Azad, Hamid

    2014-01-01

    A highly accessible reference offering a broad range of topics and insights on large scale network-centric distributed systems Evolving from the fields of high-performance computing and networking, large scale network-centric distributed systems continues to grow as one of the most important topics in computing and communication and many interdisciplinary areas. Dealing with both wired and wireless networks, this book focuses on the design and performance issues of such systems. Large Scale Network-Centric Distributed Systems provides in-depth coverage ranging from ground-level hardware issu

  14. Large-Scale Functional Brain Network Reorganization During Taoist Meditation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jao, Tun; Li, Chia-Wei; Vértes, Petra E; Wu, Changwei Wesley; Achard, Sophie; Hsieh, Chao-Hsien; Liou, Chien-Hui; Chen, Jyh-Horng; Bullmore, Edward T

    2016-02-01

    Meditation induces a distinct and reversible mental state that provides insights into brain correlates of consciousness. We explored brain network changes related to meditation by graph theoretical analysis of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Eighteen Taoist meditators with varying levels of expertise were scanned using a within-subjects counterbalanced design during resting and meditation states. State-related differences in network topology were measured globally and at the level of individual nodes and edges. Although measures of global network topology, such as small-worldness, were unchanged, meditation was characterized by an extensive and expertise-dependent reorganization of the hubs (highly connected nodes) and edges (functional connections). Areas of sensory cortex, especially the bilateral primary visual and auditory cortices, and the bilateral temporopolar areas, which had the highest degree (or connectivity) during the resting state, showed the biggest decrease during meditation. Conversely, bilateral thalamus and components of the default mode network, mainly the bilateral precuneus and posterior cingulate cortex, had low degree in the resting state but increased degree during meditation. Additionally, these changes in nodal degree were accompanied by reorganization of anatomical orientation of the edges. During meditation, long-distance longitudinal (antero-posterior) edges increased proportionally, whereas orthogonal long-distance transverse (right-left) edges connecting bilaterally homologous cortices decreased. Our findings suggest that transient changes in consciousness associated with meditation introduce convergent changes in the topological and spatial properties of brain functional networks, and the anatomical pattern of integration might be as important as the global level of integration when considering the network basis for human consciousness.

  15. A triple network connectivity study of large-scale brain systems in cognitively normal APOE4 carriers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xia Wu

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The triple network model, consisting of the central executive network, salience network and default mode network, has been recently employed to understand dysfunction in core networks across various disorders. Here we used the triple network model to investigate the large-scale brain networks in cognitively normal APOE4 carriers who are at risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD. To explore the functional connectivity for each of the three networks and the effective connectivity among them, we evaluated 17 cognitively normal individuals with a family history of AD and at least one copy of the apolipoprotein e4 (APOE4 allele and compared the findings to those of 12 individuals who did not carry the APOE4 gene or have a family history of AD, using independent component analysis and Bayesian network approach. Our findings indicated altered within-network connectivity that suggests future cognitive decline risk, and preserved between-network connectivity that may support their current preserved cognition in the cognitively normal APOE4 allele carries. The study provides novel sights into our understanding of the risk factors for AD and their influence on the triple network model of major psychopathology.

  16. Spatiotemporal dynamics of large-scale brain activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neuman, Jeremy

    Understanding the dynamics of large-scale brain activity is a tough challenge. One reason for this is the presence of an incredible amount of complexity arising from having roughly 100 billion neurons connected via 100 trillion synapses. Because of the extremely high number of degrees of freedom in the nervous system, the question of how the brain manages to properly function and remain stable, yet also be adaptable, must be posed. Neuroscientists have identified many ways the nervous system makes this possible, of which synaptic plasticity is possibly the most notable one. On the other hand, it is vital to understand how the nervous system also loses stability, resulting in neuropathological diseases such as epilepsy, a disease which affects 1% of the population. In the following work, we seek to answer some of these questions from two different perspectives. The first uses mean-field theory applied to neuronal populations, where the variables of interest are the percentages of active excitatory and inhibitory neurons in a network, to consider how the nervous system responds to external stimuli, self-organizes and generates epileptiform activity. The second method uses statistical field theory, in the framework of single neurons on a lattice, to study the concept of criticality, an idea borrowed from physics which posits that in some regime the brain operates in a collectively stable or marginally stable manner. This will be examined in two different neuronal networks with self-organized criticality serving as the overarching theme for the union of both perspectives. One of the biggest problems in neuroscience is the question of to what extent certain details are significant to the functioning of the brain. These details give rise to various spatiotemporal properties that at the smallest of scales explain the interaction of single neurons and synapses and at the largest of scales describe, for example, behaviors and sensations. In what follows, we will shed some

  17. Growth Limits in Large Scale Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knudsen, Thomas Phillip

    limitations. The rising complexity of network management with the convergence of communications platforms is shown as problematic for both automatic management feasibility and for manpower resource management. In the fourth step the scope is extended to include the present society with the DDN project as its......The Subject of large scale networks is approached from the perspective of the network planner. An analysis of the long term planning problems is presented with the main focus on the changing requirements for large scale networks and the potential problems in meeting these requirements. The problems...... the fundamental technological resources in network technologies are analysed for scalability. Here several technological limits to continued growth are presented. The third step involves a survey of major problems in managing large scale networks given the growth of user requirements and the technological...

  18. Communication efficiency and congestion of signal traffic in large-scale brain networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mišić, Bratislav; Sporns, Olaf; McIntosh, Anthony R

    2014-01-01

    The complex connectivity of the cerebral cortex suggests that inter-regional communication is a primary function. Using computational modeling, we show that anatomical connectivity may be a major determinant for global information flow in brain networks. A macaque brain network was implemented as a communication network in which signal units flowed between grey matter nodes along white matter paths. Compared to degree-matched surrogate networks, information flow on the macaque brain network was characterized by higher loss rates, faster transit times and lower throughput, suggesting that neural connectivity may be optimized for speed rather than fidelity. Much of global communication was mediated by a "rich club" of hub regions: a sub-graph comprised of high-degree nodes that are more densely interconnected with each other than predicted by chance. First, macaque communication patterns most closely resembled those observed for a synthetic rich club network, but were less similar to those seen in a synthetic small world network, suggesting that the former is a more fundamental feature of brain network topology. Second, rich club regions attracted the most signal traffic and likewise, connections between rich club regions carried more traffic than connections between non-rich club regions. Third, a number of rich club regions were significantly under-congested, suggesting that macaque connectivity actively shapes information flow, funneling traffic towards some nodes and away from others. Together, our results indicate a critical role of the rich club of hub nodes in dynamic aspects of global brain communication.

  19. Direction of information flow in large-scale resting-state networks is frequency-dependent

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hillebrand, Arjan; Tewarie, Prejaas; Van Dellen, Edwin; Yu, Meichen; Carbo, Ellen W S; Douw, Linda; Gouw, Alida A.; Van Straaten, Elisabeth C W; Stam, Cornelis J.

    2016-01-01

    Normal brain function requires interactions between spatially separated, and functionally specialized, macroscopic regions, yet the directionality of these interactions in large-scale functional networks is unknown. Magnetoencephalography was used to determine the directionality of these

  20. Abnormal binding and disruption in large scale networks involved in human partial seizures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bartolomei Fabrice

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available There is a marked increase in the amount of electrophysiological and neuroimaging works dealing with the study of large scale brain connectivity in the epileptic brain. Our view of the epileptogenic process in the brain has largely evolved over the last twenty years from the historical concept of “epileptic focus” to a more complex description of “Epileptogenic networks” involved in the genesis and “propagation” of epileptic activities. In particular, a large number of studies have been dedicated to the analysis of intracerebral EEG signals to characterize the dynamic of interactions between brain areas during temporal lobe seizures. These studies have reported that large scale functional connectivity is dramatically altered during seizures, particularly during temporal lobe seizure genesis and development. Dramatic changes in neural synchrony provoked by epileptic rhythms are also responsible for the production of ictal symptoms or changes in patient’s behaviour such as automatisms, emotional changes or consciousness alteration. Beside these studies dedicated to seizures, large-scale network connectivity during the interictal state has also been investigated not only to define biomarkers of epileptogenicity but also to better understand the cognitive impairments observed between seizures.

  1. Variety in emotional life: within-category typicality of emotional experiences is associated with neural activity in large-scale brain networks

    OpenAIRE

    Wilson-Mendenhall, Christine D.; Barrett, Lisa Feldman; Barsalou, Lawrence W.

    2014-01-01

    The tremendous variability within categories of human emotional experience receives little empirical attention. We hypothesized that atypical instances of emotion categories (e.g. pleasant fear of thrill-seeking) would be processed less efficiently than typical instances of emotion categories (e.g. unpleasant fear of violent threat) in large-scale brain networks. During a novel fMRI paradigm, participants immersed themselves in scenarios designed to induce atypical and typical experiences of ...

  2. PKI security in large-scale healthcare networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mantas, Georgios; Lymberopoulos, Dimitrios; Komninos, Nikos

    2012-06-01

    During the past few years a lot of PKI (Public Key Infrastructures) infrastructures have been proposed for healthcare networks in order to ensure secure communication services and exchange of data among healthcare professionals. However, there is a plethora of challenges in these healthcare PKI infrastructures. Especially, there are a lot of challenges for PKI infrastructures deployed over large-scale healthcare networks. In this paper, we propose a PKI infrastructure to ensure security in a large-scale Internet-based healthcare network connecting a wide spectrum of healthcare units geographically distributed within a wide region. Furthermore, the proposed PKI infrastructure facilitates the trust issues that arise in a large-scale healthcare network including multi-domain PKI infrastructures.

  3. Large-scale functional MRI analysis to accumulate knowledge on brain functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwartz, Yannick

    2015-01-01

    How can we accumulate knowledge on brain functions? How can we leverage years of research in functional MRI to analyse finer-grained psychological constructs, and build a comprehensive model of the brain? Researchers usually rely on single studies to delineate brain regions recruited by mental processes. They relate their findings to previous works in an informal way by defining regions of interest from the literature. Meta-analysis approaches provide a more principled way to build upon the literature. This thesis investigates three ways to assemble knowledge using activation maps from a large amount of studies. First, we present an approach that uses jointly two similar fMRI experiments, to better condition an analysis from a statistical standpoint. We show that it is a valuable data-driven alternative to traditional regions of interest analyses, but fails to provide a systematic way to relate studies, and thus does not permit to integrate knowledge on a large scale. Because of the difficulty to associate multiple studies, we resort to using a single dataset sampling a large number of stimuli for our second contribution. This method estimates functional networks associated with functional profiles, where the functional networks are interacting brain regions and the functional profiles are a weighted set of cognitive descriptors. This work successfully yields known brain networks and automatically associates meaningful descriptions. Its limitations lie in the unsupervised nature of this method, which is more difficult to validate, and the use of a single dataset. It however brings the notion of cognitive labels, which is central to our last contribution. Our last contribution presents a method that learns functional atlases by combining several datasets. [Henson 2006] shows that forward inference, i.e. the probability of an activation given a cognitive process, is often not sufficient to conclude on the engagement of brain regions for a cognitive process

  4. Large-scale functional networks connect differently for processing words and symbol strings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liljeström, Mia; Vartiainen, Johanna; Kujala, Jan; Salmelin, Riitta

    2018-01-01

    Reconfigurations of synchronized large-scale networks are thought to be central neural mechanisms that support cognition and behavior in the human brain. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings together with recent advances in network analysis now allow for sub-second snapshots of such networks. In the present study, we compared frequency-resolved functional connectivity patterns underlying reading of single words and visual recognition of symbol strings. Word reading emphasized coherence in a left-lateralized network with nodes in classical perisylvian language regions, whereas symbol processing recruited a bilateral network, including connections between frontal and parietal regions previously associated with spatial attention and visual working memory. Our results illustrate the flexible nature of functional networks, whereby processing of different form categories, written words vs. symbol strings, leads to the formation of large-scale functional networks that operate at distinct oscillatory frequencies and incorporate task-relevant regions. These results suggest that category-specific processing should be viewed not so much as a local process but as a distributed neural process implemented in signature networks. For words, increased coherence was detected particularly in the alpha (8-13 Hz) and high gamma (60-90 Hz) frequency bands, whereas increased coherence for symbol strings was observed in the high beta (21-29 Hz) and low gamma (30-45 Hz) frequency range. These findings attest to the role of coherence in specific frequency bands as a general mechanism for integrating stimulus-dependent information across brain regions.

  5. Congenital blindness is associated with large-scale reorganization of anatomical networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasson, Uri; Andric, Michael; Atilgan, Hicret; Collignon, Olivier

    2016-03-01

    Blindness is a unique model for understanding the role of experience in the development of the brain's functional and anatomical architecture. Documenting changes in the structure of anatomical networks for this population would substantiate the notion that the brain's core network-level organization may undergo neuroplasticity as a result of life-long experience. To examine this issue, we compared whole-brain networks of regional cortical-thickness covariance in early blind and matched sighted individuals. This covariance is thought to reflect signatures of integration between systems involved in similar perceptual/cognitive functions. Using graph-theoretic metrics, we identified a unique mode of anatomical reorganization in the blind that differed from that found for sighted. This was seen in that network partition structures derived from subgroups of blind were more similar to each other than they were to partitions derived from sighted. Notably, after deriving network partitions, we found that language and visual regions tended to reside within separate modules in sighted but showed a pattern of merging into shared modules in the blind. Our study demonstrates that early visual deprivation triggers a systematic large-scale reorganization of whole-brain cortical-thickness networks, suggesting changes in how occipital regions interface with other functional networks in the congenitally blind. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Using large-scale Granger causality to study changes in brain network properties in the Clinically Isolated Syndrome (CIS) stage of multiple sclerosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abidin, Anas Z.; Chockanathan, Udaysankar; DSouza, Adora M.; Inglese, Matilde; Wismüller, Axel

    2017-03-01

    Clinically Isolated Syndrome (CIS) is often considered to be the first neurological episode associated with Multiple sclerosis (MS). At an early stage the inflammatory demyelination occurring in the CNS can manifest as a change in neuronal metabolism, with multiple asymptomatic white matter lesions detected in clinical MRI. Such damage may induce topological changes of brain networks, which can be captured by advanced functional MRI (fMRI) analysis techniques. We test this hypothesis by capturing the effective relationships of 90 brain regions, defined in the Automated Anatomic Labeling (AAL) atlas, using a large-scale Granger Causality (lsGC) framework. The resulting networks are then characterized using graph-theoretic measures that quantify various network topology properties at a global as well as at a local level. We study for differences in these properties in network graphs obtained for 18 subjects (10 male and 8 female, 9 with CIS and 9 healthy controls). Global network properties captured trending differences with modularity and clustering coefficient (pdifferences in some regions of the inferior frontal and parietal lobe. We conclude that multivariate analysis of fMRI time-series can reveal interesting information about changes occurring in the brain in early stages of MS.

  7. Large-scale brain network associated with creative insight: combined voxel-based morphometry and resting-state functional connectivity analyses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogawa, Takeshi; Aihara, Takatsugu; Shimokawa, Takeaki; Yamashita, Okito

    2018-04-24

    Creative insight occurs with an "Aha!" experience when solving a difficult problem. Here, we investigated large-scale networks associated with insight problem solving. We recruited 232 healthy participants aged 21-69 years old. Participants completed a magnetic resonance imaging study (MRI; structural imaging and a 10 min resting-state functional MRI) and an insight test battery (ITB) consisting of written questionnaires (matchstick arithmetic task, remote associates test, and insight problem solving task). To identify the resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) associated with individual creative insight, we conducted an exploratory voxel-based morphometry (VBM)-constrained RSFC analysis. We identified positive correlations between ITB score and grey matter volume (GMV) in the right insula and middle cingulate cortex/precuneus, and a negative correlation between ITB score and GMV in the left cerebellum crus 1 and right supplementary motor area. We applied seed-based RSFC analysis to whole brain voxels using the seeds obtained from the VBM and identified insight-positive/negative connections, i.e. a positive/negative correlation between the ITB score and individual RSFCs between two brain regions. Insight-specific connections included motor-related regions whereas creative-common connections included a default mode network. Our results indicate that creative insight requires a coupling of multiple networks, such as the default mode, semantic and cerebral-cerebellum networks.

  8. Large-scale changes in network interactions as a physiological signature of spatial neglect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldassarre, Antonello; Ramsey, Lenny; Hacker, Carl L; Callejas, Alicia; Astafiev, Serguei V; Metcalf, Nicholas V; Zinn, Kristi; Rengachary, Jennifer; Snyder, Abraham Z; Carter, Alex R; Shulman, Gordon L; Corbetta, Maurizio

    2014-12-01

    The relationship between spontaneous brain activity and behaviour following focal injury is not well understood. Here, we report a large-scale study of resting state functional connectivity MRI and spatial neglect following stroke in a large (n=84) heterogeneous sample of first-ever stroke patients (within 1-2 weeks). Spatial neglect, which is typically more severe after right than left hemisphere injury, includes deficits of spatial attention and motor actions contralateral to the lesion, and low general attention due to impaired vigilance/arousal. Patients underwent structural and resting state functional MRI scans, and spatial neglect was measured using the Posner spatial cueing task, and Mesulam and Behavioural Inattention Test cancellation tests. A principal component analysis of the behavioural tests revealed a main factor accounting for 34% of variance that captured three correlated behavioural deficits: visual neglect of the contralesional visual field, visuomotor neglect of the contralesional field, and low overall performance. In an independent sample (21 healthy subjects), we defined 10 resting state networks consisting of 169 brain regions: visual-fovea and visual-periphery, sensory-motor, auditory, dorsal attention, ventral attention, language, fronto-parietal control, cingulo-opercular control, and default mode. We correlated the neglect factor score with the strength of resting state functional connectivity within and across the 10 resting state networks. All damaged brain voxels were removed from the functional connectivity:behaviour correlational analysis. We found that the correlated behavioural deficits summarized by the factor score were associated with correlated multi-network patterns of abnormal functional connectivity involving large swaths of cortex. Specifically, dorsal attention and sensory-motor networks showed: (i) reduced interhemispheric functional connectivity; (ii) reduced anti-correlation with fronto-parietal and default mode

  9. Automatic Generation of Connectivity for Large-Scale Neuronal Network Models through Structural Plasticity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diaz-Pier, Sandra; Naveau, Mikaël; Butz-Ostendorf, Markus; Morrison, Abigail

    2016-01-01

    With the emergence of new high performance computation technology in the last decade, the simulation of large scale neural networks which are able to reproduce the behavior and structure of the brain has finally become an achievable target of neuroscience. Due to the number of synaptic connections between neurons and the complexity of biological networks, most contemporary models have manually defined or static connectivity. However, it is expected that modeling the dynamic generation and deletion of the links among neurons, locally and between different regions of the brain, is crucial to unravel important mechanisms associated with learning, memory and healing. Moreover, for many neural circuits that could potentially be modeled, activity data is more readily and reliably available than connectivity data. Thus, a framework that enables networks to wire themselves on the basis of specified activity targets can be of great value in specifying network models where connectivity data is incomplete or has large error margins. To address these issues, in the present work we present an implementation of a model of structural plasticity in the neural network simulator NEST. In this model, synapses consist of two parts, a pre- and a post-synaptic element. Synapses are created and deleted during the execution of the simulation following local homeostatic rules until a mean level of electrical activity is reached in the network. We assess the scalability of the implementation in order to evaluate its potential usage in the self generation of connectivity of large scale networks. We show and discuss the results of simulations on simple two population networks and more complex models of the cortical microcircuit involving 8 populations and 4 layers using the new framework.

  10. Direction of information flow in large-scale resting-state networks is frequency-dependent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hillebrand, Arjan; Tewarie, Prejaas; van Dellen, Edwin; Yu, Meichen; Carbo, Ellen W S; Douw, Linda; Gouw, Alida A; van Straaten, Elisabeth C W; Stam, Cornelis J

    2016-04-05

    Normal brain function requires interactions between spatially separated, and functionally specialized, macroscopic regions, yet the directionality of these interactions in large-scale functional networks is unknown. Magnetoencephalography was used to determine the directionality of these interactions, where directionality was inferred from time series of beamformer-reconstructed estimates of neuronal activation, using a recently proposed measure of phase transfer entropy. We observed well-organized posterior-to-anterior patterns of information flow in the higher-frequency bands (alpha1, alpha2, and beta band), dominated by regions in the visual cortex and posterior default mode network. Opposite patterns of anterior-to-posterior flow were found in the theta band, involving mainly regions in the frontal lobe that were sending information to a more distributed network. Many strong information senders in the theta band were also frequent receivers in the alpha2 band, and vice versa. Our results provide evidence that large-scale resting-state patterns of information flow in the human brain form frequency-dependent reentry loops that are dominated by flow from parieto-occipital cortex to integrative frontal areas in the higher-frequency bands, which is mirrored by a theta band anterior-to-posterior flow.

  11. Large-scale simulations of plastic neural networks on neuromorphic hardware

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James Courtney Knight

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available SpiNNaker is a digital, neuromorphic architecture designed for simulating large-scale spiking neural networks at speeds close to biological real-time. Rather than using bespoke analog or digital hardware, the basic computational unit of a SpiNNaker system is a general-purpose ARM processor, allowing it to be programmed to simulate a wide variety of neuron and synapse models. This flexibility is particularly valuable in the study of biological plasticity phenomena. A recently proposed learning rule based on the Bayesian Confidence Propagation Neural Network (BCPNN paradigm offers a generic framework for modeling the interaction of different plasticity mechanisms using spiking neurons. However, it can be computationally expensive to simulate large networks with BCPNN learning since it requires multiple state variables for each synapse, each of which needs to be updated every simulation time-step. We discuss the trade-offs in efficiency and accuracy involved in developing an event-based BCPNN implementation for SpiNNaker based on an analytical solution to the BCPNN equations, and detail the steps taken to fit this within the limited computational and memory resources of the SpiNNaker architecture. We demonstrate this learning rule by learning temporal sequences of neural activity within a recurrent attractor network which we simulate at scales of up to 20000 neurons and 51200000 plastic synapses: the largest plastic neural network ever to be simulated on neuromorphic hardware. We also run a comparable simulation on a Cray XC-30 supercomputer system and find that, if it is to match the run-time of our SpiNNaker simulation, the super computer system uses approximately more power. This suggests that cheaper, more power efficient neuromorphic systems are becoming useful discovery tools in the study of plasticity in large-scale brain models.

  12. Large-scale networks in engineering and life sciences

    CERN Document Server

    Findeisen, Rolf; Flockerzi, Dietrich; Reichl, Udo; Sundmacher, Kai

    2014-01-01

    This edited volume provides insights into and tools for the modeling, analysis, optimization, and control of large-scale networks in the life sciences and in engineering. Large-scale systems are often the result of networked interactions between a large number of subsystems, and their analysis and control are becoming increasingly important. The chapters of this book present the basic concepts and theoretical foundations of network theory and discuss its applications in different scientific areas such as biochemical reactions, chemical production processes, systems biology, electrical circuits, and mobile agents. The aim is to identify common concepts, to understand the underlying mathematical ideas, and to inspire discussions across the borders of the various disciplines.  The book originates from the interdisciplinary summer school “Large Scale Networks in Engineering and Life Sciences” hosted by the International Max Planck Research School Magdeburg, September 26-30, 2011, and will therefore be of int...

  13. Lifespan Development of the Human Brain Revealed by Large-Scale Network Eigen-Entropy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yiming Fan

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Imaging connectomics based on graph theory has become an effective and unique methodological framework for studying functional connectivity patterns of the developing and aging brain. Normal brain development is characterized by continuous and significant network evolution through infancy, childhood, and adolescence, following specific maturational patterns. Normal aging is related to some resting state brain networks disruption, which are associated with certain cognitive decline. It is a big challenge to design an integral metric to track connectome evolution patterns across the lifespan, which is to understand the principles of network organization in the human brain. In this study, we first defined a brain network eigen-entropy (NEE based on the energy probability (EP of each brain node. Next, we used the NEE to characterize the lifespan orderness trajectory of the whole-brain functional connectivity of 173 healthy individuals ranging in age from 7 to 85 years. The results revealed that during the lifespan, the whole-brain NEE exhibited a significant non-linear decrease and that the EP distribution shifted from concentration to wide dispersion, implying orderness enhancement of functional connectome over age. Furthermore, brain regions with significant EP changes from the flourishing (7–20 years to the youth period (23–38 years were mainly located in the right prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia, and were involved in emotion regulation and executive function in coordination with the action of the sensory system, implying that self-awareness and voluntary control performance significantly changed during neurodevelopment. However, the changes from the youth period to middle age (40–59 years were located in the mesial temporal lobe and caudate, which are associated with long-term memory, implying that the memory of the human brain begins to decline with age during this period. Overall, the findings suggested that the human connectome

  14. Network-dependent modulation of brain activity during sleep.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watanabe, Takamitsu; Kan, Shigeyuki; Koike, Takahiko; Misaki, Masaya; Konishi, Seiki; Miyauchi, Satoru; Miyahsita, Yasushi; Masuda, Naoki

    2014-09-01

    Brain activity dynamically changes even during sleep. A line of neuroimaging studies has reported changes in functional connectivity and regional activity across different sleep stages such as slow-wave sleep (SWS) and rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep. However, it remains unclear whether and how the large-scale network activity of human brains changes within a given sleep stage. Here, we investigated modulation of network activity within sleep stages by applying the pairwise maximum entropy model to brain activity obtained by functional magnetic resonance imaging from sleeping healthy subjects. We found that the brain activity of individual brain regions and functional interactions between pairs of regions significantly increased in the default-mode network during SWS and decreased during REM sleep. In contrast, the network activity of the fronto-parietal and sensory-motor networks showed the opposite pattern. Furthermore, in the three networks, the amount of the activity changes throughout REM sleep was negatively correlated with that throughout SWS. The present findings suggest that the brain activity is dynamically modulated even in a sleep stage and that the pattern of modulation depends on the type of the large-scale brain networks. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Understanding emotion with brain networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pessoa, Luiz

    2018-02-01

    Emotional processing appears to be interlocked with perception, cognition, motivation, and action. These interactions are supported by the brain's large-scale non-modular anatomical and functional architectures. An important component of this organization involves characterizing the brain in terms of networks. Two aspects of brain networks are discussed: brain networks should be considered as inherently overlapping (not disjoint) and dynamic (not static). Recent work on multivariate pattern analysis shows that affective dimensions can be detected in the activity of distributed neural systems that span cortical and subcortical regions. More broadly, the paper considers how we should think of causation in complex systems like the brain, so as to inform the relationship between emotion and other mental aspects, such as cognition.

  16. Large-scale cortico-subcortical functional networks in focal epilepsies: The role of the basal ganglia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Výtvarová

    2017-01-01

    Significance: Focal epilepsies affect large-scale brain networks beyond the epileptogenic zones. Cortico-subcortical functional connectivity disturbance was displayed in LTLE, FLE, and POLE. Significant changes in the resting-state functional connectivity between cortical and subcortical structures suggest an important role of the BG and thalamus in focal epilepsies.

  17. Inter-subject FDG PET Brain Networks Exhibit Multi-scale Community Structure with Different Normalization Techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sperry, Megan M; Kartha, Sonia; Granquist, Eric J; Winkelstein, Beth A

    2018-07-01

    Inter-subject networks are used to model correlations between brain regions and are particularly useful for metabolic imaging techniques, like 18F-2-deoxy-2-(18F)fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET). Since FDG PET typically produces a single image, correlations cannot be calculated over time. Little focus has been placed on the basic properties of inter-subject networks and if they are affected by group size and image normalization. FDG PET images were acquired from rats (n = 18), normalized by whole brain, visual cortex, or cerebellar FDG uptake, and used to construct correlation matrices. Group size effects on network stability were investigated by systematically adding rats and evaluating local network connectivity (node strength and clustering coefficient). Modularity and community structure were also evaluated in the differently normalized networks to assess meso-scale network relationships. Local network properties are stable regardless of normalization region for groups of at least 10. Whole brain-normalized networks are more modular than visual cortex- or cerebellum-normalized network (p network resolutions where modularity differs most between brain and randomized networks. Hierarchical analysis reveals consistent modules at different scales and clustering of spatially-proximate brain regions. Findings suggest inter-subject FDG PET networks are stable for reasonable group sizes and exhibit multi-scale modularity.

  18. Meeting the memory challenges of brain-scale network simulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susanne eKunkel

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The development of high-performance simulation software is crucial for studying the brain connectome. Using connectome data to generate neurocomputational models requires software capable of coping with models on a variety of scales: from the microscale, investigating plasticity and dynamics of circuits in local networks, to the macroscale, investigating the interactions between distinct brain regions. Prior to any serious dynamical investigation, the first task of network simulations is to check the consistency of data integrated in the connectome and constrain ranges for yet unknown parameters. Thanks to distributed computing techniques, it is possible today to routinely simulate local cortical networks of around 10^5 neurons with up to 10^9 synapses on clusters and multi-processor shared-memory machines. However, brain-scale networks are one or two orders of magnitude larger than such local networks, in terms of numbers of neurons and synapses as well as in terms of computational load. Such networks have been studied in individual studies, but the underlying simulation technologies have neither been described in sufficient detail to be reproducible nor made publicly available. Here, we discover that as the network model sizes approach the regime of meso- and macroscale simulations, memory consumption on individual compute nodes becomes a critical bottleneck. This is especially relevant on modern supercomputers such as the Bluegene/P architecture where the available working memory per CPU core is rather limited. We develop a simple linear model to analyze the memory consumption of the constituent components of a neuronal simulator as a function of network size and the number of cores used. This approach has multiple benefits. The model enables identification of key contributing components to memory saturation and prediction of the effects of potential improvements to code before any implementation takes place.

  19. Working memory training mostly engages general-purpose large-scale networks for learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salmi, Juha; Nyberg, Lars; Laine, Matti

    2018-03-21

    The present meta-analytic study examined brain activation changes following working memory (WM) training, a form of cognitive training that has attracted considerable interest. Comparisons with perceptual-motor (PM) learning revealed that WM training engages domain-general large-scale networks for learning encompassing the dorsal attention and salience networks, sensory areas, and striatum. Also the dynamics of the training-induced brain activation changes within these networks showed a high overlap between WM and PM training. The distinguishing feature for WM training was the consistent modulation of the dorso- and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC/VLPFC) activity. The strongest candidate for mediating transfer to similar untrained WM tasks was the frontostriatal system, showing higher striatal and VLPFC activations, and lower DLPFC activations after training. Modulation of transfer-related areas occurred mostly with longer training periods. Overall, our findings place WM training effects into a general perception-action cycle, where some modulations may depend on the specific cognitive demands of a training task. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Comparative Analysis of Different Protocols to Manage Large Scale Networks

    OpenAIRE

    Anil Rao Pimplapure; Dr Jayant Dubey; Prashant Sen

    2013-01-01

    In recent year the numbers, complexity and size is increased in Large Scale Network. The best example of Large Scale Network is Internet, and recently once are Data-centers in Cloud Environment. In this process, involvement of several management tasks such as traffic monitoring, security and performance optimization is big task for Network Administrator. This research reports study the different protocols i.e. conventional protocols like Simple Network Management Protocol and newly Gossip bas...

  1. Mapping human whole-brain structural networks with diffusion MRI.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patric Hagmann

    Full Text Available Understanding the large-scale structural network formed by neurons is a major challenge in system neuroscience. A detailed connectivity map covering the entire brain would therefore be of great value. Based on diffusion MRI, we propose an efficient methodology to generate large, comprehensive and individual white matter connectional datasets of the living or dead, human or animal brain. This non-invasive tool enables us to study the basic and potentially complex network properties of the entire brain. For two human subjects we find that their individual brain networks have an exponential node degree distribution and that their global organization is in the form of a small world.

  2. Nicotine increases brain functional network efficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wylie, Korey P; Rojas, Donald C; Tanabe, Jody; Martin, Laura F; Tregellas, Jason R

    2012-10-15

    Despite the use of cholinergic therapies in Alzheimer's disease and the development of cholinergic strategies for schizophrenia, relatively little is known about how the system modulates the connectivity and structure of large-scale brain networks. To better understand how nicotinic cholinergic systems alter these networks, this study examined the effects of nicotine on measures of whole-brain network communication efficiency. Resting state fMRI was acquired from fifteen healthy subjects before and after the application of nicotine or placebo transdermal patches in a single blind, crossover design. Data, which were previously examined for default network activity, were analyzed with network topology techniques to measure changes in the communication efficiency of whole-brain networks. Nicotine significantly increased local efficiency, a parameter that estimates the network's tolerance to local errors in communication. Nicotine also significantly enhanced the regional efficiency of limbic and paralimbic areas of the brain, areas which are especially altered in diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. These changes in network topology may be one mechanism by which cholinergic therapies improve brain function. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  3. A Topology Visualization Early Warning Distribution Algorithm for Large-Scale Network Security Incidents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hui He

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available It is of great significance to research the early warning system for large-scale network security incidents. It can improve the network system’s emergency response capabilities, alleviate the cyber attacks’ damage, and strengthen the system’s counterattack ability. A comprehensive early warning system is presented in this paper, which combines active measurement and anomaly detection. The key visualization algorithm and technology of the system are mainly discussed. The large-scale network system’s plane visualization is realized based on the divide and conquer thought. First, the topology of the large-scale network is divided into some small-scale networks by the MLkP/CR algorithm. Second, the sub graph plane visualization algorithm is applied to each small-scale network. Finally, the small-scale networks’ topologies are combined into a topology based on the automatic distribution algorithm of force analysis. As the algorithm transforms the large-scale network topology plane visualization problem into a series of small-scale network topology plane visualization and distribution problems, it has higher parallelism and is able to handle the display of ultra-large-scale network topology.

  4. Resolving structural variability in network models and the brain.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Florian Klimm

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Large-scale white matter pathways crisscrossing the cortex create a complex pattern of connectivity that underlies human cognitive function. Generative mechanisms for this architecture have been difficult to identify in part because little is known in general about mechanistic drivers of structured networks. Here we contrast network properties derived from diffusion spectrum imaging data of the human brain with 13 synthetic network models chosen to probe the roles of physical network embedding and temporal network growth. We characterize both the empirical and synthetic networks using familiar graph metrics, but presented here in a more complete statistical form, as scatter plots and distributions, to reveal the full range of variability of each measure across scales in the network. We focus specifically on the degree distribution, degree assortativity, hierarchy, topological Rentian scaling, and topological fractal scaling--in addition to several summary statistics, including the mean clustering coefficient, the shortest path-length, and the network diameter. The models are investigated in a progressive, branching sequence, aimed at capturing different elements thought to be important in the brain, and range from simple random and regular networks, to models that incorporate specific growth rules and constraints. We find that synthetic models that constrain the network nodes to be physically embedded in anatomical brain regions tend to produce distributions that are most similar to the corresponding measurements for the brain. We also find that network models hardcoded to display one network property (e.g., assortativity do not in general simultaneously display a second (e.g., hierarchy. This relative independence of network properties suggests that multiple neurobiological mechanisms might be at play in the development of human brain network architecture. Together, the network models that we develop and employ provide a potentially useful

  5. PKI security in large-scale healthcare networks

    OpenAIRE

    Mantas, G.; Lymberopoulos, D.; Komninos, N.

    2012-01-01

    During the past few years a lot of PKI (Public Key Infrastructures) infrastructures have been proposed for healthcare networks in order to ensure secure communication services and exchange of data among healthcare professionals. However, there is a plethora of challenges in these healthcare PKI infrastructures. Especially, there are a lot of challenges for PKI infrastructures deployed over large-scale healthcare networks. In this paper, we propose a PKI infrastructure to ensure security in a ...

  6. Resting-state functional under-connectivity within and between large-scale cortical networks across three low-frequency bands in adolescents with autism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Xujun; Chen, Heng; He, Changchun; Long, Zhiliang; Guo, Xiaonan; Zhou, Yuanyue; Uddin, Lucina Q; Chen, Huafu

    2017-10-03

    Although evidence is accumulating that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with disruption of functional connections between and within brain networks, it remains largely unknown whether these abnormalities are related to specific frequency bands. To address this question, network contingency analysis was performed on brain functional connectomes obtained from 213 adolescent participants across nine sites in the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) multisite sample, to determine the disrupted connections between and within seven major cortical networks in adolescents with ASD at Slow-5, Slow-4 and Slow-3 frequency bands and further assess whether the aberrant intra- and inter-network connectivity varied as a function of ASD symptoms. Overall under-connectivity within and between large-scale intrinsic networks in ASD was revealed across the three frequency bands. Specifically, decreased connectivity strength within the default mode network (DMN), between DMN and visual network (VN), ventral attention network (VAN), and between dorsal attention network (DAN) and VAN was observed in the lower frequency band (slow-5, slow-4), while decreased connectivity between limbic network (LN) and frontal-parietal network (FPN) was observed in the higher frequency band (slow-3). Furthermore, weaker connectivity within and between specific networks correlated with poorer communication and social interaction skills in the slow-5 band, uniquely. These results demonstrate intrinsic under-connectivity within and between multiple brain networks within predefined frequency bands in ASD, suggesting that frequency-related properties underlie abnormal brain network organization in the disorder. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. New Visions for Large Scale Networks: Research and Applications

    Data.gov (United States)

    Networking and Information Technology Research and Development, Executive Office of the President — This paper documents the findings of the March 12-14, 2001 Workshop on New Visions for Large-Scale Networks: Research and Applications. The workshops objectives were...

  8. Speech networks at rest and in action: interactions between functional brain networks controlling speech production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuertinger, Stefan

    2015-01-01

    Speech production is one of the most complex human behaviors. Although brain activation during speaking has been well investigated, our understanding of interactions between the brain regions and neural networks remains scarce. We combined seed-based interregional correlation analysis with graph theoretical analysis of functional MRI data during the resting state and sentence production in healthy subjects to investigate the interface and topology of functional networks originating from the key brain regions controlling speech, i.e., the laryngeal/orofacial motor cortex, inferior frontal and superior temporal gyri, supplementary motor area, cingulate cortex, putamen, and thalamus. During both resting and speaking, the interactions between these networks were bilaterally distributed and centered on the sensorimotor brain regions. However, speech production preferentially recruited the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) and cerebellum into the large-scale network, suggesting the importance of these regions in facilitation of the transition from the resting state to speaking. Furthermore, the cerebellum (lobule VI) was the most prominent region showing functional influences on speech-network integration and segregation. Although networks were bilaterally distributed, interregional connectivity during speaking was stronger in the left vs. right hemisphere, which may have underlined a more homogeneous overlap between the examined networks in the left hemisphere. Among these, the laryngeal motor cortex (LMC) established a core network that fully overlapped with all other speech-related networks, determining the extent of network interactions. Our data demonstrate complex interactions of large-scale brain networks controlling speech production and point to the critical role of the LMC, IPL, and cerebellum in the formation of speech production network. PMID:25673742

  9. Group Centric Networking: Large Scale Over the Air Testing of Group Centric Networking

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-11-01

    Large Scale Over-the-Air Testing of Group Centric Networking Logan Mercer, Greg Kuperman, Andrew Hunter, Brian Proulx MIT Lincoln Laboratory...performance of Group Centric Networking (GCN), a networking protocol developed for robust and scalable communications in lossy networks where users are...devices, and the ad-hoc nature of the network . Group Centric Networking (GCN) is a proposed networking protocol that addresses challenges specific to

  10. Aggregated Representation of Distribution Networks for Large-Scale Transmission Network Simulations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Göksu, Ömer; Altin, Müfit; Sørensen, Poul Ejnar

    2014-01-01

    As a common practice of large-scale transmission network analysis the distribution networks have been represented as aggregated loads. However, with increasing share of distributed generation, especially wind and solar power, in the distribution networks, it became necessary to include...... the distributed generation within those analysis. In this paper a practical methodology to obtain aggregated behaviour of the distributed generation is proposed. The methodology, which is based on the use of the IEC standard wind turbine models, is applied on a benchmark distribution network via simulations....

  11. Aging brain from a network science perspective: something to be positive about?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michelle W Voss

    Full Text Available To better understand age differences in brain function and behavior, the current study applied network science to model functional interactions between brain regions. We observed a shift in network topology whereby for older adults subcortical and cerebellar structures overlapping with the Salience network had more connectivity to the rest of the brain, coupled with fragmentation of large-scale cortical networks such as the Default and Fronto-Parietal networks. Additionally, greater integration of the dorsal medial thalamus and red nucleus in the Salience network was associated with greater satisfaction with life for older adults, which is consistent with theoretical predictions of age-related increases in emotion regulation that are thought to help maintain well-being and life satisfaction in late adulthood. In regard to cognitive abilities, greater ventral medial prefrontal cortex coherence with its topological neighbors in the Default Network was associated with faster processing speed. Results suggest that large-scale organizing properties of the brain differ with normal aging, and this perspective may offer novel insight into understanding age-related differences in cognitive function and well-being.

  12. Resting state brain networks in the prairie vole.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortiz, Juan J; Portillo, Wendy; Paredes, Raul G; Young, Larry J; Alcauter, Sarael

    2018-01-19

    Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) has shown the hierarchical organization of the human brain into large-scale complex networks, referred as resting state networks. This technique has turned into a promising translational research tool after the finding of similar resting state networks in non-human primates, rodents and other animal models of great value for neuroscience. Here, we demonstrate and characterize the presence of resting states networks in Microtus ochrogaster, the prairie vole, an extraordinary animal model to study complex human-like social behavior, with potential implications for the research of normal social development, addiction and neuropsychiatric disorders. Independent component analysis of rsfMRI data from isoflurane-anestethized prairie voles resulted in cortical and subcortical networks, including primary motor and sensory networks, but also included putative salience and default mode networks. We further discuss how future research could help to close the gap between the properties of the large scale functional organization and the underlying neurobiology of several aspects of social cognition. These results contribute to the evidence of preserved resting state brain networks across species and provide the foundations to explore the use of rsfMRI in the prairie vole for basic and translational research.

  13. Shapley ratings in brain networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rolf Kötter

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Recent applications of network theory to brain networks as well as the expanding empirical databases of brain architecture spawn an interest in novel techniques for analyzing connectivity patterns in the brain. Treating individual brain structures as nodes in a directed graph model permits the application of graph theoretical concepts to the analysis of these structures within their large-scale connectivity networks. In this paper, we explore the application of concepts from graph and game theory toward this end. Specifically, we utilize the Shapley value principle, which assigns a rank to players in a coalition based upon their individual contributions to the collective profit of that coalition, to assess the contributions of individual brain structures to the graph derived from the global connectivity network. We report Shapley values for variations of a prefrontal network, as well as for a visual cortical network, which had both been extensively investigated previously. This analysis highlights particular nodes as strong or weak contributors to global connectivity. To understand the nature of their contribution, we compare the Shapley values obtained from these networks and appropriate controls to other previously described nodal measures of structural connectivity. We find a strong correlation between Shapley values and both betweenness centrality and connection density. Moreover, a stepwise multiple linear regression analysis indicates that approximately 79% of the variance in Shapley values obtained from random networks can be explained by betweenness centrality alone. Finally, we investigate the effects of local lesions on the Shapley ratings, showing that the present networks have an immense structural resistance to degradation. We discuss our results highlighting the use of such measures for characterizing the organization and functional role of brain networks.

  14. Multistability in Large Scale Models of Brain Activity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mathieu Golos

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Noise driven exploration of a brain network's dynamic repertoire has been hypothesized to be causally involved in cognitive function, aging and neurodegeneration. The dynamic repertoire crucially depends on the network's capacity to store patterns, as well as their stability. Here we systematically explore the capacity of networks derived from human connectomes to store attractor states, as well as various network mechanisms to control the brain's dynamic repertoire. Using a deterministic graded response Hopfield model with connectome-based interactions, we reconstruct the system's attractor space through a uniform sampling of the initial conditions. Large fixed-point attractor sets are obtained in the low temperature condition, with a bigger number of attractors than ever reported so far. Different variants of the initial model, including (i a uniform activation threshold or (ii a global negative feedback, produce a similarly robust multistability in a limited parameter range. A numerical analysis of the distribution of the attractors identifies spatially-segregated components, with a centro-medial core and several well-delineated regional patches. Those different modes share similarity with the fMRI independent components observed in the "resting state" condition. We demonstrate non-stationary behavior in noise-driven generalizations of the models, with different meta-stable attractors visited along the same time course. Only the model with a global dynamic density control is found to display robust and long-lasting non-stationarity with no tendency toward either overactivity or extinction. The best fit with empirical signals is observed at the edge of multistability, a parameter region that also corresponds to the highest entropy of the attractors.

  15. Speech networks at rest and in action: interactions between functional brain networks controlling speech production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simonyan, Kristina; Fuertinger, Stefan

    2015-04-01

    Speech production is one of the most complex human behaviors. Although brain activation during speaking has been well investigated, our understanding of interactions between the brain regions and neural networks remains scarce. We combined seed-based interregional correlation analysis with graph theoretical analysis of functional MRI data during the resting state and sentence production in healthy subjects to investigate the interface and topology of functional networks originating from the key brain regions controlling speech, i.e., the laryngeal/orofacial motor cortex, inferior frontal and superior temporal gyri, supplementary motor area, cingulate cortex, putamen, and thalamus. During both resting and speaking, the interactions between these networks were bilaterally distributed and centered on the sensorimotor brain regions. However, speech production preferentially recruited the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) and cerebellum into the large-scale network, suggesting the importance of these regions in facilitation of the transition from the resting state to speaking. Furthermore, the cerebellum (lobule VI) was the most prominent region showing functional influences on speech-network integration and segregation. Although networks were bilaterally distributed, interregional connectivity during speaking was stronger in the left vs. right hemisphere, which may have underlined a more homogeneous overlap between the examined networks in the left hemisphere. Among these, the laryngeal motor cortex (LMC) established a core network that fully overlapped with all other speech-related networks, determining the extent of network interactions. Our data demonstrate complex interactions of large-scale brain networks controlling speech production and point to the critical role of the LMC, IPL, and cerebellum in the formation of speech production network. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

  16. Base Station Placement Algorithm for Large-Scale LTE Heterogeneous Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Seungseob; Lee, SuKyoung; Kim, Kyungsoo; Kim, Yoon Hyuk

    2015-01-01

    Data traffic demands in cellular networks today are increasing at an exponential rate, giving rise to the development of heterogeneous networks (HetNets), in which small cells complement traditional macro cells by extending coverage to indoor areas. However, the deployment of small cells as parts of HetNets creates a key challenge for operators' careful network planning. In particular, massive and unplanned deployment of base stations can cause high interference, resulting in highly degrading network performance. Although different mathematical modeling and optimization methods have been used to approach various problems related to this issue, most traditional network planning models are ill-equipped to deal with HetNet-specific characteristics due to their focus on classical cellular network designs. Furthermore, increased wireless data demands have driven mobile operators to roll out large-scale networks of small long term evolution (LTE) cells. Therefore, in this paper, we aim to derive an optimum network planning algorithm for large-scale LTE HetNets. Recently, attempts have been made to apply evolutionary algorithms (EAs) to the field of radio network planning, since they are characterized as global optimization methods. Yet, EA performance often deteriorates rapidly with the growth of search space dimensionality. To overcome this limitation when designing optimum network deployments for large-scale LTE HetNets, we attempt to decompose the problem and tackle its subcomponents individually. Particularly noting that some HetNet cells have strong correlations due to inter-cell interference, we propose a correlation grouping approach in which cells are grouped together according to their mutual interference. Both the simulation and analytical results indicate that the proposed solution outperforms the random-grouping based EA as well as an EA that detects interacting variables by monitoring the changes in the objective function algorithm in terms of system

  17. Variety in emotional life: within-category typicality of emotional experiences is associated with neural activity in large-scale brain networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson-Mendenhall, Christine D; Barrett, Lisa Feldman; Barsalou, Lawrence W

    2015-01-01

    The tremendous variability within categories of human emotional experience receives little empirical attention. We hypothesized that atypical instances of emotion categories (e.g. pleasant fear of thrill-seeking) would be processed less efficiently than typical instances of emotion categories (e.g. unpleasant fear of violent threat) in large-scale brain networks. During a novel fMRI paradigm, participants immersed themselves in scenarios designed to induce atypical and typical experiences of fear, sadness or happiness (scenario immersion), and then focused on and rated the pleasant or unpleasant feeling that emerged (valence focus) in most trials. As predicted, reliably greater activity in the 'default mode' network (including medial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate) was observed for atypical (vs typical) emotional experiences during scenario immersion, suggesting atypical instances require greater conceptual processing to situate the socio-emotional experience. During valence focus, reliably greater activity was observed for atypical (vs typical) emotional experiences in the 'salience' network (including anterior insula and anterior cingulate), suggesting atypical instances place greater demands on integrating shifting body signals with the sensory and social context. Consistent with emerging psychological construction approaches to emotion, these findings demonstrate that is it important to study the variability within common categories of emotional experience. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. Multilayer Brain Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaiana, Michael; Muldoon, Sarah Feldt

    2018-01-01

    The field of neuroscience is facing an unprecedented expanse in the volume and diversity of available data. Traditionally, network models have provided key insights into the structure and function of the brain. With the advent of big data in neuroscience, both more sophisticated models capable of characterizing the increasing complexity of the data and novel methods of quantitative analysis are needed. Recently, multilayer networks, a mathematical extension of traditional networks, have gained increasing popularity in neuroscience due to their ability to capture the full information of multi-model, multi-scale, spatiotemporal data sets. Here, we review multilayer networks and their applications in neuroscience, showing how incorporating the multilayer framework into network neuroscience analysis has uncovered previously hidden features of brain networks. We specifically highlight the use of multilayer networks to model disease, structure-function relationships, network evolution, and link multi-scale data. Finally, we close with a discussion of promising new directions of multilayer network neuroscience research and propose a modified definition of multilayer networks designed to unite and clarify the use of the multilayer formalism in describing real-world systems.

  19. Enhanced Network Efficiency of Functional Brain Networks in Primary Insomnia Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaofen Ma

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Accumulating evidence from neuroimaging studies suggests that primary insomnia (PI affects interregional neural coordination of multiple interacting functional brain networks. However, a complete understanding of the whole-brain network organization from a system-level perspective in PI is still lacking. To this end, we investigated in topological organization changes in brain functional networks in PI. 36 PI patients and 38 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls were recruited. All participants underwent a series of neuropsychological assessments and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. Individual whole-brain functional network were constructed and analyzed using graph theory-based network approaches. There were no significant differences with respect to age, sex, or education between groups (P > 0.05. Graph-based analyses revealed that participants with PI had a significantly higher total number of edges (P = 0.022, global efficiency (P = 0.014, and normalized global efficiency (P = 0.002, and a significantly lower normalized local efficiency (P = 0.042 compared with controls. Locally, several prefrontal and parietal regions, the superior temporal gyrus, and the thalamus exhibited higher nodal efficiency in participants with PI (P < 0.05, false discovery rate corrected. In addition, most of these regions showed increased functional connectivity in PI patients (P < 0.05, corrected. Finally, altered network efficiency was correlated with neuropsychological variables of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Insomnia Severity Index in patients with PI. PI is associated with abnormal organization of large-scale functional brain networks, which may account for memory and emotional dysfunction in people with PI. These findings provide novel implications for neural substrates associated with PI.

  20. Sensitivity analysis of human brain structural network construction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuang Wei

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Network neuroscience leverages diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and tractography to quantify structural connectivity of the human brain. However, scientists and practitioners lack a clear understanding of the effects of varying tractography parameters on the constructed structural networks. With diffusion images from the Human Connectome Project (HCP, we characterize how structural networks are impacted by the spatial resolution of brain atlases, total number of tractography streamlines, and grey matter dilation with various graph metrics. We demonstrate how injudicious combinations of highly refined brain parcellations and low numbers of streamlines may inadvertently lead to disconnected network models with isolated nodes. Furthermore, we provide solutions to significantly reduce the likelihood of generating disconnected networks. In addition, for different tractography parameters, we investigate the distributions of values taken by various graph metrics across the population of HCP subjects. Analyzing the ranks of individual subjects within the graph metric distributions, we find that the ranks of individuals are affected differently by atlas scale changes. Our work serves as a guideline for researchers to optimize the selection of tractography parameters and illustrates how biological characteristics of the brain derived in network neuroscience studies can be affected by the choice of atlas parcellation schemes. Diffusion tractography has been proven to be a promising noninvasive technique to study the network properties of the human brain. However, how various tractography and network construction parameters affect network properties has not been studied using a large cohort of high-quality data. We utilize data provided by the Human Connectome Project to characterize the changes to network properties induced by varying the brain parcellation atlas scales, the number of reconstructed tractography tracks, and the degree of grey

  1. Multi-Scale Factor Analysis of High-Dimensional Brain Signals

    KAUST Repository

    Ting, Chee-Ming

    2017-05-18

    In this paper, we develop an approach to modeling high-dimensional networks with a large number of nodes arranged in a hierarchical and modular structure. We propose a novel multi-scale factor analysis (MSFA) model which partitions the massive spatio-temporal data defined over the complex networks into a finite set of regional clusters. To achieve further dimension reduction, we represent the signals in each cluster by a small number of latent factors. The correlation matrix for all nodes in the network are approximated by lower-dimensional sub-structures derived from the cluster-specific factors. To estimate regional connectivity between numerous nodes (within each cluster), we apply principal components analysis (PCA) to produce factors which are derived as the optimal reconstruction of the observed signals under the squared loss. Then, we estimate global connectivity (between clusters or sub-networks) based on the factors across regions using the RV-coefficient as the cross-dependence measure. This gives a reliable and computationally efficient multi-scale analysis of both regional and global dependencies of the large networks. The proposed novel approach is applied to estimate brain connectivity networks using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. Results on resting-state fMRI reveal interesting modular and hierarchical organization of human brain networks during rest.

  2. Localization Algorithm Based on a Spring Model (LASM for Large Scale Wireless Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuai Li

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available A navigation method for a lunar rover based on large scale wireless sensornetworks is proposed. To obtain high navigation accuracy and large exploration area, highnode localization accuracy and large network scale are required. However, thecomputational and communication complexity and time consumption are greatly increasedwith the increase of the network scales. A localization algorithm based on a spring model(LASM method is proposed to reduce the computational complexity, while maintainingthe localization accuracy in large scale sensor networks. The algorithm simulates thedynamics of physical spring system to estimate the positions of nodes. The sensor nodesare set as particles with masses and connected with neighbor nodes by virtual springs. Thevirtual springs will force the particles move to the original positions, the node positionscorrespondingly, from the randomly set positions. Therefore, a blind node position can bedetermined from the LASM algorithm by calculating the related forces with the neighbornodes. The computational and communication complexity are O(1 for each node, since thenumber of the neighbor nodes does not increase proportionally with the network scale size.Three patches are proposed to avoid local optimization, kick out bad nodes and deal withnode variation. Simulation results show that the computational and communicationcomplexity are almost constant despite of the increase of the network scale size. The time consumption has also been proven to remain almost constant since the calculation steps arealmost unrelated with the network scale size.

  3. Event management for large scale event-driven digital hardware spiking neural networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caron, Louis-Charles; D'Haene, Michiel; Mailhot, Frédéric; Schrauwen, Benjamin; Rouat, Jean

    2013-09-01

    The interest in brain-like computation has led to the design of a plethora of innovative neuromorphic systems. Individually, spiking neural networks (SNNs), event-driven simulation and digital hardware neuromorphic systems get a lot of attention. Despite the popularity of event-driven SNNs in software, very few digital hardware architectures are found. This is because existing hardware solutions for event management scale badly with the number of events. This paper introduces the structured heap queue, a pipelined digital hardware data structure, and demonstrates its suitability for event management. The structured heap queue scales gracefully with the number of events, allowing the efficient implementation of large scale digital hardware event-driven SNNs. The scaling is linear for memory, logarithmic for logic resources and constant for processing time. The use of the structured heap queue is demonstrated on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) with an image segmentation experiment and a SNN of 65,536 neurons and 513,184 synapses. Events can be processed at the rate of 1 every 7 clock cycles and a 406×158 pixel image is segmented in 200 ms. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Brain anatomical networks in early human brain development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Yong; Shi, Feng; Smith, Jeffrey Keith; Lin, Weili; Gilmore, John H; Shen, Dinggang

    2011-02-01

    Recent neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that human brain networks have economic small-world topology and modular organization, enabling efficient information transfer among brain regions. However, it remains largely unknown how the small-world topology and modular organization of human brain networks emerge and develop. Using longitudinal MRI data of 28 healthy pediatric subjects, collected at their ages of 1 month, 1 year, and 2 years, we analyzed development patterns of brain anatomical networks derived from morphological correlations of brain regional volumes. The results show that the brain network of 1-month-olds has the characteristically economic small-world topology and nonrandom modular organization. The network's cost efficiency increases with the brain development to 1 year and 2 years, so does the modularity, providing supportive evidence for the hypothesis that the small-world topology and the modular organization of brain networks are established during early brain development to support rapid synchronization and information transfer with minimal rewiring cost, as well as to balance between local processing and global integration of information. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  5. Automatic segmentation of MR brain images with a convolutional neural network

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moeskops, P.; Viergever, M.A.; Mendrik, A.M.; de Vries, L.S.; Benders, M.J.N.L.; Išgum, I.

    2016-01-01

    Automatic segmentation in MR brain images is important for quantitative analysis in large-scale studies with images acquired at all ages. This paper presents a method for the automatic segmentation of MR brain images into a number of tissue classes using a convolutional neural network. To ensure

  6. Automatic recognition of holistic functional brain networks using iteratively optimized convolutional neural networks (IO-CNN) with weak label initialization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yu; Ge, Fangfei; Liu, Tianming

    2018-07-01

    fMRI data decomposition techniques have advanced significantly from shallow models such as Independent Component Analysis (ICA) and Sparse Coding and Dictionary Learning (SCDL) to deep learning models such Deep Belief Networks (DBN) and Convolutional Autoencoder (DCAE). However, interpretations of those decomposed networks are still open questions due to the lack of functional brain atlases, no correspondence across decomposed or reconstructed networks across different subjects, and significant individual variabilities. Recent studies showed that deep learning, especially deep convolutional neural networks (CNN), has extraordinary ability of accommodating spatial object patterns, e.g., our recent works using 3D CNN for fMRI-derived network classifications achieved high accuracy with a remarkable tolerance for mistakenly labelled training brain networks. However, the training data preparation is one of the biggest obstacles in these supervised deep learning models for functional brain network map recognitions, since manual labelling requires tedious and time-consuming labours which will sometimes even introduce label mistakes. Especially for mapping functional networks in large scale datasets such as hundreds of thousands of brain networks used in this paper, the manual labelling method will become almost infeasible. In response, in this work, we tackled both the network recognition and training data labelling tasks by proposing a new iteratively optimized deep learning CNN (IO-CNN) framework with an automatic weak label initialization, which enables the functional brain networks recognition task to a fully automatic large-scale classification procedure. Our extensive experiments based on ABIDE-II 1099 brains' fMRI data showed the great promise of our IO-CNN framework. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Consciousness, cognition and brain networks: New perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aldana, E M; Valverde, J L; Fábregas, N

    2016-10-01

    A detailed analysis of the literature on consciousness and cognition mechanisms based on the neural networks theory is presented. The immune and inflammatory response to the anesthetic-surgical procedure induces modulation of neuronal plasticity by influencing higher cognitive functions. Anesthetic drugs can cause unconsciousness, producing a functional disruption of cortical and thalamic cortical integration complex. The external and internal perceptions are processed through an intricate network of neural connections, involving the higher nervous activity centers, especially the cerebral cortex. This requires an integrated model, formed by neural networks and their interactions with highly specialized regions, through large-scale networks, which are distributed throughout the brain collecting information flow of these perceptions. Functional and effective connectivity between large-scale networks, are essential for consciousness, unconsciousness and cognition. It is what is called the "human connectome" or map neural networks. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  8. Large-Scale Cooperative Task Distribution on Peer-to-Peer Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    SUBTITLE Large-scale cooperative task distribution on peer-to-peer networks 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6...disadvantages of ML- Chord are its fixed size (two layers), and limited scala - bility for large-scale systems. RC-Chord extends ML- D. Karrels et al...configurable before runtime. This can be improved by incorporating a distributed learning algorithm to tune the number and range of the DLoE tracking

  9. Coarse-Grain Bandwidth Estimation Scheme for Large-Scale Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, Kar-Ming; Jennings, Esther H.; Sergui, John S.

    2013-01-01

    A large-scale network that supports a large number of users can have an aggregate data rate of hundreds of Mbps at any time. High-fidelity simulation of a large-scale network might be too complicated and memory-intensive for typical commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) tools. Unlike a large commercial wide-area-network (WAN) that shares diverse network resources among diverse users and has a complex topology that requires routing mechanism and flow control, the ground communication links of a space network operate under the assumption of a guaranteed dedicated bandwidth allocation between specific sparse endpoints in a star-like topology. This work solved the network design problem of estimating the bandwidths of a ground network architecture option that offer different service classes to meet the latency requirements of different user data types. In this work, a top-down analysis and simulation approach was created to size the bandwidths of a store-and-forward network for a given network topology, a mission traffic scenario, and a set of data types with different latency requirements. These techniques were used to estimate the WAN bandwidths of the ground links for different architecture options of the proposed Integrated Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) Network. A new analytical approach, called the "leveling scheme," was developed to model the store-and-forward mechanism of the network data flow. The term "leveling" refers to the spreading of data across a longer time horizon without violating the corresponding latency requirement of the data type. Two versions of the leveling scheme were developed: 1. A straightforward version that simply spreads the data of each data type across the time horizon and doesn't take into account the interactions among data types within a pass, or between data types across overlapping passes at a network node, and is inherently sub-optimal. 2. Two-state Markov leveling scheme that takes into account the second order behavior of

  10. Structural Quality of Service in Large-Scale Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Jens Myrup

    , telephony and data. To meet the requirements of the different applications, and to handle the increased vulnerability to failures, the ability to design robust networks providing good Quality of Service is crucial. However, most planning of large-scale networks today is ad-hoc based, leading to highly...... complex networks lacking predictability and global structural properties. The thesis applies the concept of Structural Quality of Service to formulate desirable global properties, and it shows how regular graph structures can be used to obtain such properties.......Digitalization has created the base for co-existence and convergence in communications, leading to an increasing use of multi service networks. This is for example seen in the Fiber To The Home implementations, where a single fiber is used for virtually all means of communication, including TV...

  11. Limitations and tradeoffs in synchronization of large-scale networks with uncertain links

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diwadkar, Amit; Vaidya, Umesh

    2016-01-01

    The synchronization of nonlinear systems connected over large-scale networks has gained popularity in a variety of applications, such as power grids, sensor networks, and biology. Stochastic uncertainty in the interconnections is a ubiquitous phenomenon observed in these physical and biological networks. We provide a size-independent network sufficient condition for the synchronization of scalar nonlinear systems with stochastic linear interactions over large-scale networks. This sufficient condition, expressed in terms of nonlinear dynamics, the Laplacian eigenvalues of the nominal interconnections, and the variance and location of the stochastic uncertainty, allows us to define a synchronization margin. We provide an analytical characterization of important trade-offs between the internal nonlinear dynamics, network topology, and uncertainty in synchronization. For nearest neighbour networks, the existence of an optimal number of neighbours with a maximum synchronization margin is demonstrated. An analytical formula for the optimal gain that produces the maximum synchronization margin allows us to compare the synchronization properties of various complex network topologies. PMID:27067994

  12. Investigating the effects of streamline-based fiber tractography on matrix scaling in brain connective network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jan, Hengtai; Chao, Yi-Ping; Cho, Kuan-Hung; Kuo, Li-Wei

    2013-01-01

    Investigating the brain connective network using the modern graph theory has been widely applied in cognitive and clinical neuroscience research. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of streamline-based fiber tractography on the change of network properties and established a systematic framework to understand how an adequate network matrix scaling can be determined. The network properties, including degree, efficiency and betweenness centrality, show similar tendency in both left and right hemispheres. By employing the curve-fitting process with exponential law and measuring the residuals, the association between changes of network properties and threshold of track numbers is found and an adequate range of investigating the lateralization of brain network is suggested. The proposed approach can be further applied in clinical applications to improve the diagnostic sensitivity using network analysis with graph theory.

  13. Learning Traffic as Images: A Deep Convolutional Neural Network for Large-Scale Transportation Network Speed Prediction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Xiaolei; Dai, Zhuang; He, Zhengbing; Ma, Jihui; Wang, Yong; Wang, Yunpeng

    2017-04-10

    This paper proposes a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based method that learns traffic as images and predicts large-scale, network-wide traffic speed with a high accuracy. Spatiotemporal traffic dynamics are converted to images describing the time and space relations of traffic flow via a two-dimensional time-space matrix. A CNN is applied to the image following two consecutive steps: abstract traffic feature extraction and network-wide traffic speed prediction. The effectiveness of the proposed method is evaluated by taking two real-world transportation networks, the second ring road and north-east transportation network in Beijing, as examples, and comparing the method with four prevailing algorithms, namely, ordinary least squares, k-nearest neighbors, artificial neural network, and random forest, and three deep learning architectures, namely, stacked autoencoder, recurrent neural network, and long-short-term memory network. The results show that the proposed method outperforms other algorithms by an average accuracy improvement of 42.91% within an acceptable execution time. The CNN can train the model in a reasonable time and, thus, is suitable for large-scale transportation networks.

  14. Rounding of abrupt phase transitions in brain networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martín, Paula Villa; Moretti, Paolo; Muñoz, Miguel A

    2015-01-01

    The observation of critical-like behavior in cortical networks represents a major step forward in elucidating how the brain manages information. Understanding the origin and functionality of critical-like dynamics, as well as its robustness, is a major challenge in contemporary neuroscience. Here, we present an extensive numerical study of a family of simple dynamical models, which describe activity propagation in brain networks through the integration of different neighboring spiking potentials, mimicking basic neural interactions. The requirement of signal integration may lead to discontinuous phase transitions in networks that are well described by the mean-field approximation, thus preventing the emergence of critical points in such systems. Brain networks, however, are finite dimensional and exhibit a heterogeneous hierarchical structure that cannot be encoded in mean-field models. Here we propose that, as a consequence of the presence of such a heterogeneous substrate with its concomitant structural disorder, critical-like features may emerge even in the presence of integration. These conclusions may prove significant in explaining the observation of traits of critical behavior in large-scale measurements of brain activity. (paper)

  15. Experimental performance evaluation of software defined networking (SDN) based data communication networks for large scale flexi-grid optical networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yongli; He, Ruiying; Chen, Haoran; Zhang, Jie; Ji, Yuefeng; Zheng, Haomian; Lin, Yi; Wang, Xinbo

    2014-04-21

    Software defined networking (SDN) has become the focus in the current information and communication technology area because of its flexibility and programmability. It has been introduced into various network scenarios, such as datacenter networks, carrier networks, and wireless networks. Optical transport network is also regarded as an important application scenario for SDN, which is adopted as the enabling technology of data communication networks (DCN) instead of general multi-protocol label switching (GMPLS). However, the practical performance of SDN based DCN for large scale optical networks, which is very important for the technology selection in the future optical network deployment, has not been evaluated up to now. In this paper we have built a large scale flexi-grid optical network testbed with 1000 virtual optical transport nodes to evaluate the performance of SDN based DCN, including network scalability, DCN bandwidth limitation, and restoration time. A series of network performance parameters including blocking probability, bandwidth utilization, average lightpath provisioning time, and failure restoration time have been demonstrated under various network environments, such as with different traffic loads and different DCN bandwidths. The demonstration in this work can be taken as a proof for the future network deployment.

  16. Active self-testing noise measurement sensors for large-scale environmental sensor networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Domínguez, Federico; Cuong, Nguyen The; Reinoso, Felipe; Touhafi, Abdellah; Steenhaut, Kris

    2013-12-13

    Large-scale noise pollution sensor networks consist of hundreds of spatially distributed microphones that measure environmental noise. These networks provide historical and real-time environmental data to citizens and decision makers and are therefore a key technology to steer environmental policy. However, the high cost of certified environmental microphone sensors render large-scale environmental networks prohibitively expensive. Several environmental network projects have started using off-the-shelf low-cost microphone sensors to reduce their costs, but these sensors have higher failure rates and produce lower quality data. To offset this disadvantage, we developed a low-cost noise sensor that actively checks its condition and indirectly the integrity of the data it produces. The main design concept is to embed a 13 mm speaker in the noise sensor casing and, by regularly scheduling a frequency sweep, estimate the evolution of the microphone's frequency response over time. This paper presents our noise sensor's hardware and software design together with the results of a test deployment in a large-scale environmental network in Belgium. Our middle-range-value sensor (around €50) effectively detected all experienced malfunctions, in laboratory tests and outdoor deployments, with a few false positives. Future improvements could further lower the cost of our sensor below €10.

  17. Large-scale grid management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langdal, Bjoern Inge; Eggen, Arnt Ove

    2003-01-01

    The network companies in the Norwegian electricity industry now have to establish a large-scale network management, a concept essentially characterized by (1) broader focus (Broad Band, Multi Utility,...) and (2) bigger units with large networks and more customers. Research done by SINTEF Energy Research shows so far that the approaches within large-scale network management may be structured according to three main challenges: centralization, decentralization and out sourcing. The article is part of a planned series

  18. Using Agent Base Models to Optimize Large Scale Network for Large System Inventories

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shameldin, Ramez Ahmed; Bowling, Shannon R.

    2010-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to use Agent Base Models (ABM) to optimize large scale network handling capabilities for large system inventories and to implement strategies for the purpose of reducing capital expenses. The models used in this paper either use computational algorithms or procedure implementations developed by Matlab to simulate agent based models in a principal programming language and mathematical theory using clusters, these clusters work as a high performance computational performance to run the program in parallel computational. In both cases, a model is defined as compilation of a set of structures and processes assumed to underlie the behavior of a network system.

  19. Unified Tractable Model for Large-Scale Networks Using Stochastic Geometry: Analysis and Design

    KAUST Repository

    Afify, Laila H.

    2016-12-01

    The ever-growing demands for wireless technologies necessitate the evolution of next generation wireless networks that fulfill the diverse wireless users requirements. However, upscaling existing wireless networks implies upscaling an intrinsic component in the wireless domain; the aggregate network interference. Being the main performance limiting factor, it becomes crucial to develop a rigorous analytical framework to accurately characterize the out-of-cell interference, to reap the benefits of emerging networks. Due to the different network setups and key performance indicators, it is essential to conduct a comprehensive study that unifies the various network configurations together with the different tangible performance metrics. In that regard, the focus of this thesis is to present a unified mathematical paradigm, based on Stochastic Geometry, for large-scale networks with different antenna/network configurations. By exploiting such a unified study, we propose an efficient automated network design strategy to satisfy the desired network objectives. First, this thesis studies the exact aggregate network interference characterization, by accounting for each of the interferers signals in the large-scale network. Second, we show that the information about the interferers symbols can be approximated via the Gaussian signaling approach. The developed mathematical model presents twofold analysis unification for uplink and downlink cellular networks literature. It aligns the tangible decoding error probability analysis with the abstract outage probability and ergodic rate analysis. Furthermore, it unifies the analysis for different antenna configurations, i.e., various multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. Accordingly, we propose a novel reliable network design strategy that is capable of appropriately adjusting the network parameters to meet desired design criteria. In addition, we discuss the diversity-multiplexing tradeoffs imposed by differently favored

  20. Cortical Network Dynamics of Perceptual Decision-Making in the Human Brain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Markus eSiegel

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Goal-directed behavior requires the flexible transformation of sensory evidence about our environment into motor actions. Studies of perceptual decision-making have shown that this transformation is distributed across several widely separated brain regions. Yet, little is known about how decision-making emerges from the dynamic interactions among these regions. Here, we review a series of studies, in which we characterized the cortical network interactions underlying a perceptual decision process in the human brain. We used magnetoencephalography (MEG to measure the large-scale cortical population dynamics underlying each of the sub-processes involved in this decision: the encoding of sensory evidence and action plan, the mapping between the two, and the attentional selection of task-relevant evidence. We found that these sub-processes are mediated by neuronal oscillations within specific frequency ranges. Localized gamma-band oscillations in sensory and motor cortices reflect the encoding of the sensory evidence and motor plan. Large-scale oscillations across widespread cortical networks mediate the integrative processes connecting these local networks: Gamma- and beta-band oscillations across frontal, parietal and sensory cortices serve the selection of relevant sensory evidence and its flexible mapping onto action plans. In sum, our results suggest that perceptual decisions are mediated by oscillatory interactions within overlapping local and large-scale cortical networks.

  1. A review of structural and functional brain networks: small world and atlas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Zhijun; Hu, Bin; Xie, Yuanwei; Moore, Philip; Zheng, Jiaxiang

    2015-03-01

    Brain networks can be divided into two categories: structural and functional networks. Many studies of neuroscience have reported that the complex brain networks are characterized by small-world or scale-free properties. The identification of nodes is the key factor in studying the properties of networks on the macro-, micro- or mesoscale in both structural and functional networks. In the study of brain networks, nodes are always determined by atlases. Therefore, the selection of atlases is critical, and appropriate atlases are helpful to combine the analyses of structural and functional networks. Currently, some problems still exist in the establishment or usage of atlases, which are often caused by the segmentation or the parcellation of the brain. We suggest that quantification of brain networks might be affected by the selection of atlases to a large extent. In the process of building atlases, the influences of single subjects and groups should be balanced. In this article, we focused on the effects of atlases on the analysis of brain networks and the improved divisions based on the tractography or connectivity in the parcellation of atlases.

  2. Constructing fine-granularity functional brain network atlases via deep convolutional autoencoder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yu; Dong, Qinglin; Chen, Hanbo; Iraji, Armin; Li, Yujie; Makkie, Milad; Kou, Zhifeng; Liu, Tianming

    2017-12-01

    State-of-the-art functional brain network reconstruction methods such as independent component analysis (ICA) or sparse coding of whole-brain fMRI data can effectively infer many thousands of volumetric brain network maps from a large number of human brains. However, due to the variability of individual brain networks and the large scale of such networks needed for statistically meaningful group-level analysis, it is still a challenging and open problem to derive group-wise common networks as network atlases. Inspired by the superior spatial pattern description ability of the deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs), a novel deep 3D convolutional autoencoder (CAE) network is designed here to extract spatial brain network features effectively, based on which an Apache Spark enabled computational framework is developed for fast clustering of larger number of network maps into fine-granularity atlases. To evaluate this framework, 10 resting state networks (RSNs) were manually labeled from the sparsely decomposed networks of Human Connectome Project (HCP) fMRI data and 5275 network training samples were obtained, in total. Then the deep CAE models are trained by these functional networks' spatial maps, and the learned features are used to refine the original 10 RSNs into 17 network atlases that possess fine-granularity functional network patterns. Interestingly, it turned out that some manually mislabeled outliers in training networks can be corrected by the deep CAE derived features. More importantly, fine granularities of networks can be identified and they reveal unique network patterns specific to different brain task states. By further applying this method to a dataset of mild traumatic brain injury study, it shows that the technique can effectively identify abnormal small networks in brain injury patients in comparison with controls. In general, our work presents a promising deep learning and big data analysis solution for modeling functional connectomes, with

  3. Putting age-related task activation into large-scale brain networks: A meta-analysis of 114 fMRI studies on healthy aging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Hui-Jie; Hou, Xiao-Hui; Liu, Han-Hui; Yue, Chun-Lin; Lu, Guang-Ming; Zuo, Xi-Nian

    2015-10-01

    Normal aging is associated with cognitive decline and underlying brain dysfunction. Previous studies concentrated less on brain network changes at a systems level. Our goal was to examine these age-related changes of fMRI-derived activation with a common network parcellation of the human brain function, offering a systems-neuroscience perspective of healthy aging. We conducted a series of meta-analyses on a total of 114 studies that included 2035 older adults and 1845 young adults. Voxels showing significant age-related changes in activation were then overlaid onto seven commonly referenced neuronal networks. Older adults present moderate cognitive decline in behavioral performance during fMRI scanning, and hypo-activate the visual network and hyper-activate both the frontoparietal control and default mode networks. The degree of increased activation in frontoparietal network was associated with behavioral performance in older adults. Age-related changes in activation present different network patterns across cognitive domains. The systems neuroscience approach used here may be useful for elucidating the underlying network mechanisms of various brain plasticity processes during healthy aging. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  4. Directionality of large-scale resting-state brain networks during eyes open and eyes closed conditions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zhang, Delong; Liang, Bishan; Wu, Xia; Wang, Zengjian; Xu, Pengfei; Chang, Song; Liu, Bo; Liu, Ming; Huang, Ruiwang

    2015-01-01

    The present study examined directional connections in the brain among resting-state networks (RSNs) when the participant had their eyes open (E0) or had their eyes closed (EC). The resting state fMRI data were collected from 20 healthy participants (9 males, 20.17 +/- 2.74 years) under the EO and EC

  5. BRAIN NETWORKS. Correlated gene expression supports synchronous activity in brain networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richiardi, Jonas; Altmann, Andre; Milazzo, Anna-Clare; Chang, Catie; Chakravarty, M Mallar; Banaschewski, Tobias; Barker, Gareth J; Bokde, Arun L W; Bromberg, Uli; Büchel, Christian; Conrod, Patricia; Fauth-Bühler, Mira; Flor, Herta; Frouin, Vincent; Gallinat, Jürgen; Garavan, Hugh; Gowland, Penny; Heinz, Andreas; Lemaître, Hervé; Mann, Karl F; Martinot, Jean-Luc; Nees, Frauke; Paus, Tomáš; Pausova, Zdenka; Rietschel, Marcella; Robbins, Trevor W; Smolka, Michael N; Spanagel, Rainer; Ströhle, Andreas; Schumann, Gunter; Hawrylycz, Mike; Poline, Jean-Baptiste; Greicius, Michael D

    2015-06-12

    During rest, brain activity is synchronized between different regions widely distributed throughout the brain, forming functional networks. However, the molecular mechanisms supporting functional connectivity remain undefined. We show that functional brain networks defined with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging can be recapitulated by using measures of correlated gene expression in a post mortem brain tissue data set. The set of 136 genes we identify is significantly enriched for ion channels. Polymorphisms in this set of genes significantly affect resting-state functional connectivity in a large sample of healthy adolescents. Expression levels of these genes are also significantly associated with axonal connectivity in the mouse. The results provide convergent, multimodal evidence that resting-state functional networks correlate with the orchestrated activity of dozens of genes linked to ion channel activity and synaptic function. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  6. Large-Scale Recurrent Neural Network Based Modelling of Gene Regulatory Network Using Cuckoo Search-Flower Pollination Algorithm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandal, Sudip; Khan, Abhinandan; Saha, Goutam; Pal, Rajat K

    2016-01-01

    The accurate prediction of genetic networks using computational tools is one of the greatest challenges in the postgenomic era. Recurrent Neural Network is one of the most popular but simple approaches to model the network dynamics from time-series microarray data. To date, it has been successfully applied to computationally derive small-scale artificial and real-world genetic networks with high accuracy. However, they underperformed for large-scale genetic networks. Here, a new methodology has been proposed where a hybrid Cuckoo Search-Flower Pollination Algorithm has been implemented with Recurrent Neural Network. Cuckoo Search is used to search the best combination of regulators. Moreover, Flower Pollination Algorithm is applied to optimize the model parameters of the Recurrent Neural Network formalism. Initially, the proposed method is tested on a benchmark large-scale artificial network for both noiseless and noisy data. The results obtained show that the proposed methodology is capable of increasing the inference of correct regulations and decreasing false regulations to a high degree. Secondly, the proposed methodology has been validated against the real-world dataset of the DNA SOS repair network of Escherichia coli. However, the proposed method sacrifices computational time complexity in both cases due to the hybrid optimization process.

  7. Small-worldness and gender differences of large scale brain metabolic covariance networks in young adults: a FDG PET study of 400 subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Yuxiao; Xu, Qiang; Shen, Junkang; Li, Kai; Zhu, Hong; Zhang, Zhiqiang; Lu, Guangming

    2015-02-01

    Many studies have demonstrated the small-worldness of the human brain, and have revealed a sexual dimorphism in brain network properties. However, little is known about the gender effects on the topological organization of the brain metabolic covariance networks. To investigate the small-worldness and the gender differences in the topological architectures of human brain metabolic networks. FDG-PET data of 400 healthy right-handed subjects (200 women and 200 age-matched men) were involved in the present study. Metabolic networks of each gender were constructed by calculating the covariance of regional cerebral glucose metabolism (rCMglc) across subjects on the basis of AAL parcellation. Gender differences of network and nodal properties were investigated by using the graph theoretical approaches. Moreover, the gender-related difference of rCMglc in each brain region was tested for investigating the relationships between the hub regions and the brain regions showing significant gender-related differences in rCMglc. We found prominent small-world properties in the domain of metabolic networks in each gender. No significant gender difference in the global characteristics was found. Gender differences of nodal characteristic were observed in a few brain regions. We also found bilateral and lateralized distributions of network hubs in the females and males. Furthermore, we first reported that some hubs of a gender located in the brain regions showing weaker rCMglc in this gender than the other gender. The present study demonstrated that small-worldness was existed in metabolic networks, and revealed gender differences of organizational patterns in metabolic network. These results maybe provided insights into the understanding of the metabolic substrates underlying individual differences in cognition and behaviors. © The Foundation Acta Radiologica 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  8. Mapping human brain networks with cortico-cortical evoked potentials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keller, Corey J.; Honey, Christopher J.; Mégevand, Pierre; Entz, Laszlo; Ulbert, Istvan; Mehta, Ashesh D.

    2014-01-01

    The cerebral cortex forms a sheet of neurons organized into a network of interconnected modules that is highly expanded in humans and presumably enables our most refined sensory and cognitive abilities. The links of this network form a fundamental aspect of its organization, and a great deal of research is focusing on understanding how information flows within and between different regions. However, an often-overlooked element of this connectivity regards a causal, hierarchical structure of regions, whereby certain nodes of the cortical network may exert greater influence over the others. While this is difficult to ascertain non-invasively, patients undergoing invasive electrode monitoring for epilepsy provide a unique window into this aspect of cortical organization. In this review, we highlight the potential for cortico-cortical evoked potential (CCEP) mapping to directly measure neuronal propagation across large-scale brain networks with spatio-temporal resolution that is superior to traditional neuroimaging methods. We first introduce effective connectivity and discuss the mechanisms underlying CCEP generation. Next, we highlight how CCEP mapping has begun to provide insight into the neural basis of non-invasive imaging signals. Finally, we present a novel approach to perturbing and measuring brain network function during cognitive processing. The direct measurement of CCEPs in response to electrical stimulation represents a potentially powerful clinical and basic science tool for probing the large-scale networks of the human cerebral cortex. PMID:25180306

  9. Detection of large-scale concentric gravity waves from a Chinese airglow imager network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Chang; Yue, Jia; Xu, Jiyao; Yuan, Wei; Li, Qinzeng; Liu, Xiao

    2018-06-01

    Concentric gravity waves (CGWs) contain a broad spectrum of horizontal wavelengths and periods due to their instantaneous localized sources (e.g., deep convection, volcanic eruptions, or earthquake, etc.). However, it is difficult to observe large-scale gravity waves of >100 km wavelength from the ground for the limited field of view of a single camera and local bad weather. Previously, complete large-scale CGW imagery could only be captured by satellite observations. In the present study, we developed a novel method that uses assembling separate images and applying low-pass filtering to obtain temporal and spatial information about complete large-scale CGWs from a network of all-sky airglow imagers. Coordinated observations from five all-sky airglow imagers in Northern China were assembled and processed to study large-scale CGWs over a wide area (1800 km × 1 400 km), focusing on the same two CGW events as Xu et al. (2015). Our algorithms yielded images of large-scale CGWs by filtering out the small-scale CGWs. The wavelengths, wave speeds, and periods of CGWs were measured from a sequence of consecutive assembled images. Overall, the assembling and low-pass filtering algorithms can expand the airglow imager network to its full capacity regarding the detection of large-scale gravity waves.

  10. Multilevel method for modeling large-scale networks.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Safro, I. M. (Mathematics and Computer Science)

    2012-02-24

    Understanding the behavior of real complex networks is of great theoretical and practical significance. It includes developing accurate artificial models whose topological properties are similar to the real networks, generating the artificial networks at different scales under special conditions, investigating a network dynamics, reconstructing missing data, predicting network response, detecting anomalies and other tasks. Network generation, reconstruction, and prediction of its future topology are central issues of this field. In this project, we address the questions related to the understanding of the network modeling, investigating its structure and properties, and generating artificial networks. Most of the modern network generation methods are based either on various random graph models (reinforced by a set of properties such as power law distribution of node degrees, graph diameter, and number of triangles) or on the principle of replicating an existing model with elements of randomization such as R-MAT generator and Kronecker product modeling. Hierarchical models operate at different levels of network hierarchy but with the same finest elements of the network. However, in many cases the methods that include randomization and replication elements on the finest relationships between network nodes and modeling that addresses the problem of preserving a set of simplified properties do not fit accurately enough the real networks. Among the unsatisfactory features are numerically inadequate results, non-stability of algorithms on real (artificial) data, that have been tested on artificial (real) data, and incorrect behavior at different scales. One reason is that randomization and replication of existing structures can create conflicts between fine and coarse scales of the real network geometry. Moreover, the randomization and satisfying of some attribute at the same time can abolish those topological attributes that have been undefined or hidden from

  11. Drawing Inspiration from Human Brain Networks: Construction of Interconnected Virtual Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murakami, Masaya; Kominami, Daichi; Leibnitz, Kenji; Murata, Masayuki

    2018-04-08

    Virtualization of wireless sensor networks (WSN) is widely considered as a foundational block of edge/fog computing, which is a key technology that can help realize next-generation Internet of things (IoT) networks. In such scenarios, multiple IoT devices and service modules will be virtually deployed and interconnected over the Internet. Moreover, application services are expected to be more sophisticated and complex, thereby increasing the number of modifications required for the construction of network topologies. Therefore, it is imperative to establish a method for constructing a virtualized WSN (VWSN) topology that achieves low latency on information transmission and high resilience against network failures, while keeping the topological construction cost low. In this study, we draw inspiration from inter-modular connectivity in human brain networks, which achieves high performance when dealing with large-scale networks composed of a large number of modules (i.e., regions) and nodes (i.e., neurons). We propose a method for assigning inter-modular links based on a connectivity model observed in the cerebral cortex of the brain, known as the exponential distance rule (EDR) model. We then choose endpoint nodes of these links by controlling inter-modular assortativity, which characterizes the topological connectivity of brain networks. We test our proposed methods using simulation experiments. The results show that the proposed method based on the EDR model can construct a VWSN topology with an optimal combination of communication efficiency, robustness, and construction cost. Regarding the selection of endpoint nodes for the inter-modular links, the results also show that high assortativity enhances the robustness and communication efficiency because of the existence of inter-modular links of two high-degree nodes.

  12. Drawing Inspiration from Human Brain Networks: Construction of Interconnected Virtual Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masaya Murakami

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Virtualization of wireless sensor networks (WSN is widely considered as a foundational block of edge/fog computing, which is a key technology that can help realize next-generation Internet of things (IoT networks. In such scenarios, multiple IoT devices and service modules will be virtually deployed and interconnected over the Internet. Moreover, application services are expected to be more sophisticated and complex, thereby increasing the number of modifications required for the construction of network topologies. Therefore, it is imperative to establish a method for constructing a virtualized WSN (VWSN topology that achieves low latency on information transmission and high resilience against network failures, while keeping the topological construction cost low. In this study, we draw inspiration from inter-modular connectivity in human brain networks, which achieves high performance when dealing with large-scale networks composed of a large number of modules (i.e., regions and nodes (i.e., neurons. We propose a method for assigning inter-modular links based on a connectivity model observed in the cerebral cortex of the brain, known as the exponential distance rule (EDR model. We then choose endpoint nodes of these links by controlling inter-modular assortativity, which characterizes the topological connectivity of brain networks. We test our proposed methods using simulation experiments. The results show that the proposed method based on the EDR model can construct a VWSN topology with an optimal combination of communication efficiency, robustness, and construction cost. Regarding the selection of endpoint nodes for the inter-modular links, the results also show that high assortativity enhances the robustness and communication efficiency because of the existence of inter-modular links of two high-degree nodes.

  13. Disrupted coupling of large-scale networks is associated with relapse behaviour in heroin-dependent men

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qiang; Liu, Jierong; Wang, Wei; Wang, Yarong; Li, Wei; Chen, Jiajie; Zhu, Jia; Yan, Xuejiao; Li, Yongbin; Li, Zhe; Ye, Jianjun; Wang, Wei

    2018-01-01

    Background It is unknown whether impaired coupling among 3 core large-scale brain networks (salience [SN], default mode [DMN] and executive control networks [ECN]) is associated with relapse behaviour in treated heroin-dependent patients. Methods We conducted a prospective resting-state functional MRI study comparing the functional connectivity strength among healthy controls and heroin-dependent men who had either relapsed or were in early remission. Men were considered to be either relapsed or in early remission based on urine drug screens during a 3-month follow-up period. We also examined how the coupling of large-scale networks correlated with relapse behaviour among heroin-dependent men. Results We included 20 controls and 50 heroin-dependent men (26 relapsed and 24 early remission) in our analyses. The relapsed men showed greater connectivity than the early remission and control groups between the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (key node of the SN) and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (included in the DMN). The relapsed men and controls showed lower connectivity than the early remission group between the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (key node of the left ECN) and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. The percentage of positive urine drug screens positively correlated with the coupling between the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, but negatively correlated with the coupling between the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Limitations We examined deficits in only 3 core networks leading to relapse behaviour. Other networks may also contribute to relapse. Conclusion Greater coupling between the SN and DMN and lower coupling between the left ECN and DMN is associated with relapse behaviour. These findings may shed light on the development of new treatments for heroin addiction. PMID:29252165

  14. Large-scale structural alteration of brain in epileptic children with SCN1A mutation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yun-Jeong Lee

    2017-01-01

    Significance: This study showed large-scale developmental brain changes in patients with epilepsy and SCN1A gene mutation, which may be associated with the core symptoms of the patients. Further longitudinal MRI studies with larger cohorts are required to confirm the effect of SCN1A gene mutation on structural brain development.

  15. An efficient method based on the uniformity principle for synthesis of large-scale heat exchanger networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Chunwei; Cui, Guomin; Chen, Shang

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Two dimensionless uniformity factors are presented to heat exchange network. • The grouping of process streams reduces the computational complexity of large-scale HENS problems. • The optimal sub-network can be obtained by Powell particle swarm optimization algorithm. • The method is illustrated by a case study involving 39 process streams, with a better solution. - Abstract: The optimal design of large-scale heat exchanger networks is a difficult task due to the inherent non-linear characteristics and the combinatorial nature of heat exchangers. To solve large-scale heat exchanger network synthesis (HENS) problems, two dimensionless uniformity factors to describe the heat exchanger network (HEN) uniformity in terms of the temperature difference and the accuracy of process stream grouping are deduced. Additionally, a novel algorithm that combines deterministic and stochastic optimizations to obtain an optimal sub-network with a suitable heat load for a given group of streams is proposed, and is named the Powell particle swarm optimization (PPSO). As a result, the synthesis of large-scale heat exchanger networks is divided into two corresponding sub-parts, namely, the grouping of process streams and the optimization of sub-networks. This approach reduces the computational complexity and increases the efficiency of the proposed method. The robustness and effectiveness of the proposed method are demonstrated by solving a large-scale HENS problem involving 39 process streams, and the results obtained are better than those previously published in the literature.

  16. A Comparative Study of Theoretical Graph Models for Characterizing Structural Networks of Human Brain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaojin Li

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Previous studies have investigated both structural and functional brain networks via graph-theoretical methods. However, there is an important issue that has not been adequately discussed before: what is the optimal theoretical graph model for describing the structural networks of human brain? In this paper, we perform a comparative study to address this problem. Firstly, large-scale cortical regions of interest (ROIs are localized by recently developed and validated brain reference system named Dense Individualized Common Connectivity-based Cortical Landmarks (DICCCOL to address the limitations in the identification of the brain network ROIs in previous studies. Then, we construct structural brain networks based on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI data. Afterwards, the global and local graph properties of the constructed structural brain networks are measured using the state-of-the-art graph analysis algorithms and tools and are further compared with seven popular theoretical graph models. In addition, we compare the topological properties between two graph models, namely, stickiness-index-based model (STICKY and scale-free gene duplication model (SF-GD, that have higher similarity with the real structural brain networks in terms of global and local graph properties. Our experimental results suggest that among the seven theoretical graph models compared in this study, STICKY and SF-GD models have better performances in characterizing the structural human brain network.

  17. The Segregation and Integration of Distinct Brain Networks and Their Relationship to Cognition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Jessica R; D'Esposito, Mark

    2016-11-30

    A critical feature of the human brain that gives rise to complex cognition is its ability to reconfigure its network structure dynamically and adaptively in response to the environment. Existing research probing task-related reconfiguration of brain network structure has concluded that, although there are many similarities in network structure during an intrinsic, resting state and during the performance of a variety of cognitive tasks, there are meaningful differences as well. In this study, we related intrinsic, resting state network organization to reconfigured network organization during the performance of two tasks: a sequence tapping task, which is thought to probe motor execution and likely engages a single brain network, and an n-back task, which is thought to probe working memory and likely requires coordination across multiple networks. We implemented graph theoretical analyses using functional connectivity data from fMRI scans to calculate whole-brain measures of network organization in healthy young adults. We focused on quantifying measures of network segregation (modularity, system segregation, local efficiency, number of provincial hub nodes) and measures of network integration (global efficiency, number of connector hub nodes). Using these measures, we found converging evidence that local, within-network communication is critical for motor execution, whereas integrative, between-network communication is critical for working memory. These results confirm that the human brain has the remarkable ability to reconfigure its large-scale organization dynamically in response to current cognitive demands and that interpreting reconfiguration in terms of network segregation and integration may shed light on the optimal network structures underlying successful cognition. The dynamic nature of the human brain gives rise to the wide range of behaviors and cognition of which humans are capable. We collected fMRI data from healthy young adults and measured large-scale

  18. Hierarchical modularity in human brain functional networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Meunier

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available The idea that complex systems have a hierarchical modular organization originates in the early 1960s and has recently attracted fresh support from quantitative studies of large scale, real-life networks. Here we investigate the hierarchical modular (or “modules-within-modules” decomposition of human brain functional networks, measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI in 18 healthy volunteers under no-task or resting conditions. We used a customized template to extract networks with more than 1800 regional nodes, and we applied a fast algorithm to identify nested modular structure at several hierarchical levels. We used mutual information, 0 < I < 1, to estimate the similarity of community structure of networks in different subjects, and to identify the individual network that is most representative of the group. Results show that human brain functional networks have a hierarchical modular organization with a fair degree of similarity between subjects, I=0.63. The largest 5 modules at the highest level of the hierarchy were medial occipital, lateral occipital, central, parieto-frontal and fronto-temporal systems; occipital modules demonstrated less sub-modular organization than modules comprising regions of multimodal association cortex. Connector nodes and hubs, with a key role in inter-modular connectivity, were also concentrated in association cortical areas. We conclude that methods are available for hierarchical modular decomposition of large numbers of high resolution brain functional networks using computationally expedient algorithms. This could enable future investigations of Simon's original hypothesis that hierarchy or near-decomposability of physical symbol systems is a critical design feature for their fast adaptivity to changing environmental conditions.

  19. Large-scale, high-resolution multielectrode-array recording depicts functional network differences of cortical and hippocampal cultures.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shinya Ito

    Full Text Available Understanding the detailed circuitry of functioning neuronal networks is one of the major goals of neuroscience. Recent improvements in neuronal recording techniques have made it possible to record the spiking activity from hundreds of neurons simultaneously with sub-millisecond temporal resolution. Here we used a 512-channel multielectrode array system to record the activity from hundreds of neurons in organotypic cultures of cortico-hippocampal brain slices from mice. To probe the network structure, we employed a wavelet transform of the cross-correlogram to categorize the functional connectivity in different frequency ranges. With this method we directly compare, for the first time, in any preparation, the neuronal network structures of cortex and hippocampus, on the scale of hundreds of neurons, with sub-millisecond time resolution. Among the three frequency ranges that we investigated, the lower two frequency ranges (gamma (30-80 Hz and beta (12-30 Hz range showed similar network structure between cortex and hippocampus, but there were many significant differences between these structures in the high frequency range (100-1000 Hz. The high frequency networks in cortex showed short tailed degree-distributions, shorter decay length of connectivity density, smaller clustering coefficients, and positive assortativity. Our results suggest that our method can characterize frequency dependent differences of network architecture from different brain regions. Crucially, because these differences between brain regions require millisecond temporal scales to be observed and characterized, these results underscore the importance of high temporal resolution recordings for the understanding of functional networks in neuronal systems.

  20. Principles of Network Architecture Emerging from Comparisons of the Cerebral Cortex in Large and Small Brains.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbara L Finlay

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The cerebral cortex retains its fundamental organization, layering, and input-output relations as it scales in volume over many orders of magnitude in mammals. How is its network architecture affected by size scaling? By comparing network organization of the mouse and rhesus macaque cortical connectome derived from complete neuroanatomical tracing studies, a recent study in PLOS Biology shows that an exponential distance rule emerges that reveals the falloff in connection probability with distance in the two brains that in turn determines common organizational features.

  1. Large-Scale Analysis of Network Bistability for Human Cancers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiraishi, Tetsuya; Matsuyama, Shinako; Kitano, Hiroaki

    2010-01-01

    Protein–protein interaction and gene regulatory networks are likely to be locked in a state corresponding to a disease by the behavior of one or more bistable circuits exhibiting switch-like behavior. Sets of genes could be over-expressed or repressed when anomalies due to disease appear, and the circuits responsible for this over- or under-expression might persist for as long as the disease state continues. This paper shows how a large-scale analysis of network bistability for various human cancers can identify genes that can potentially serve as drug targets or diagnosis biomarkers. PMID:20628618

  2. Tradeoffs between quality-of-control and quality-of-service in large-scale nonlinear networked control systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Borgers, D. P.; Geiselhart, R.; Heemels, W. P. M. H.

    2017-01-01

    In this paper we study input-to-state stability (ISS) of large-scale networked control systems (NCSs) in which sensors, controllers and actuators are connected via multiple (local) communication networks which operate asynchronously and independently of each other. We model the large-scale NCS as an

  3. Brain network clustering with information flow motifs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Märtens, M.; Meier, J.M.; Hillebrand, Arjan; Tewarie, Prejaas; Van Mieghem, P.F.A.

    2017-01-01

    Recent work has revealed frequency-dependent global patterns of information flow by a network analysis of magnetoencephalography data of the human brain. However, it is unknown which properties on a small subgraph-scale of those functional brain networks are dominant at different frequencies bands.

  4. Equation Chapter 1 Section 1Cross Layer Design for Localization in Large-Scale Underwater Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuanfeng ZHANG

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available There are many technical challenges for designing large-scale underwater sensor networks, especially the sensor node localization. Although many papers studied for large-scale sensor node localization, previous studies mainly study the location algorithm without the cross layer design for localization. In this paper, by utilizing the network hierarchical structure of underwater sensor networks, we propose a new large-scale underwater acoustic localization scheme based on cross layer design. In this scheme, localization is performed in a hierarchical way, and the whole localization process focused on the physical layer, data link layer and application layer. We increase the pipeline parameters which matched the acoustic channel, added in MAC protocol to increase the authenticity of the large-scale underwater sensor networks, and made analysis of different location algorithm. We conduct extensive simulations, and our results show that MAC layer protocol and the localization algorithm all would affect the result of localization which can balance the trade-off between localization accuracy, localization coverage, and communication cost.

  5. Brain Network Analysis from High-Resolution EEG Signals

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Vico Fallani, Fabrizio; Babiloni, Fabio

    Over the last decade, there has been a growing interest in the detection of the functional connectivity in the brain from different neuroelectromagnetic and hemodynamic signals recorded by several neuro-imaging devices such as the functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scanner, electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) apparatus. Many methods have been proposed and discussed in the literature with the aim of estimating the functional relationships among different cerebral structures. However, the necessity of an objective comprehension of the network composed by the functional links of different brain regions is assuming an essential role in the Neuroscience. Consequently, there is a wide interest in the development and validation of mathematical tools that are appropriate to spot significant features that could describe concisely the structure of the estimated cerebral networks. The extraction of salient characteristics from brain connectivity patterns is an open challenging topic, since often the estimated cerebral networks have a relative large size and complex structure. Recently, it was realized that the functional connectivity networks estimated from actual brain-imaging technologies (MEG, fMRI and EEG) can be analyzed by means of the graph theory. Since a graph is a mathematical representation of a network, which is essentially reduced to nodes and connections between them, the use of a theoretical graph approach seems relevant and useful as firstly demonstrated on a set of anatomical brain networks. In those studies, the authors have employed two characteristic measures, the average shortest path L and the clustering index C, to extract respectively the global and local properties of the network structure. They have found that anatomical brain networks exhibit many local connections (i.e. a high C) and few random long distance connections (i.e. a low L). These values identify a particular model that interpolate between a regular

  6. Cerebral energy metabolism and the brain's functional network architecture: an integrative review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lord, Louis-David; Expert, Paul; Huckins, Jeremy F; Turkheimer, Federico E

    2013-09-01

    Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have emphasized the contributions of synchronized activity in distributed brain networks to cognitive processes in both health and disease. The brain's 'functional connectivity' is typically estimated from correlations in the activity time series of anatomically remote areas, and postulated to reflect information flow between neuronal populations. Although the topological properties of functional brain networks have been studied extensively, considerably less is known regarding the neurophysiological and biochemical factors underlying the temporal coordination of large neuronal ensembles. In this review, we highlight the critical contributions of high-frequency electrical oscillations in the γ-band (30 to 100 Hz) to the emergence of functional brain networks. After describing the neurobiological substrates of γ-band dynamics, we specifically discuss the elevated energy requirements of high-frequency neural oscillations, which represent a mechanistic link between the functional connectivity of brain regions and their respective metabolic demands. Experimental evidence is presented for the high oxygen and glucose consumption, and strong mitochondrial performance required to support rhythmic cortical activity in the γ-band. Finally, the implications of mitochondrial impairments and deficits in glucose metabolism for cognition and behavior are discussed in the context of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative syndromes characterized by large-scale changes in the organization of functional brain networks.

  7. Networking for large-scale science: infrastructure, provisioning, transport and application mapping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rao, Nageswara S; Carter, Steven M; Wu Qishi; Wing, William R; Zhu Mengxia; Mezzacappa, Anthony; Veeraraghavan, Malathi; Blondin, John M

    2005-01-01

    Large-scale science computations and experiments require unprecedented network capabilities in the form of large bandwidth and dynamically stable connections to support data transfers, interactive visualizations, and monitoring and steering operations. A number of component technologies dealing with the infrastructure, provisioning, transport and application mappings must be developed and/or optimized to achieve these capabilities. We present a brief account of the following technologies that contribute toward achieving these network capabilities: (a) DOE UltraScienceNet and NSF CHEETAH network testbeds that provide on-demand and scheduled dedicated network connections; (b) experimental results on transport protocols that achieve close to 100% utilization on dedicated 1Gbps wide-area channels; (c) a scheme for optimally mapping a visualization pipeline onto a network to minimize the end-to-end delays; and (d) interconnect configuration and protocols that provides multiple Gbps flows from Cray X1 to external hosts

  8. Networking for large-scale science: infrastructure, provisioning, transport and application mapping

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rao, Nageswara S [Computer Science and Mathematics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Carter, Steven M [Computer Science and Mathematics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Wu Qishi [Computer Science and Mathematics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Wing, William R [Computer Science and Mathematics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Zhu Mengxia [Department of Computer Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States); Mezzacappa, Anthony [Physics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Veeraraghavan, Malathi [Department of Computer Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); Blondin, John M [Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States)

    2005-01-01

    Large-scale science computations and experiments require unprecedented network capabilities in the form of large bandwidth and dynamically stable connections to support data transfers, interactive visualizations, and monitoring and steering operations. A number of component technologies dealing with the infrastructure, provisioning, transport and application mappings must be developed and/or optimized to achieve these capabilities. We present a brief account of the following technologies that contribute toward achieving these network capabilities: (a) DOE UltraScienceNet and NSF CHEETAH network testbeds that provide on-demand and scheduled dedicated network connections; (b) experimental results on transport protocols that achieve close to 100% utilization on dedicated 1Gbps wide-area channels; (c) a scheme for optimally mapping a visualization pipeline onto a network to minimize the end-to-end delays; and (d) interconnect configuration and protocols that provides multiple Gbps flows from Cray X1 to external hosts.

  9. Microarray Data Processing Techniques for Genome-Scale Network Inference from Large Public Repositories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chockalingam, Sriram; Aluru, Maneesha; Aluru, Srinivas

    2016-09-19

    Pre-processing of microarray data is a well-studied problem. Furthermore, all popular platforms come with their own recommended best practices for differential analysis of genes. However, for genome-scale network inference using microarray data collected from large public repositories, these methods filter out a considerable number of genes. This is primarily due to the effects of aggregating a diverse array of experiments with different technical and biological scenarios. Here we introduce a pre-processing pipeline suitable for inferring genome-scale gene networks from large microarray datasets. We show that partitioning of the available microarray datasets according to biological relevance into tissue- and process-specific categories significantly extends the limits of downstream network construction. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our pre-processing pipeline by inferring genome-scale networks for the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana using two different construction methods and a collection of 11,760 Affymetrix ATH1 microarray chips. Our pre-processing pipeline and the datasets used in this paper are made available at http://alurulab.cc.gatech.edu/microarray-pp.

  10. Developmental process emerges from extended brain-body-behavior networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrge, Lisa; Sporns, Olaf; Smith, Linda B.

    2014-01-01

    Studies of brain connectivity have focused on two modes of networks: structural networks describing neuroanatomy and the intrinsic and evoked dependencies of functional networks at rest and during tasks. Each mode constrains and shapes the other across multiple time scales, and each also shows age-related changes. Here we argue that understanding how brains change across development requires understanding the interplay between behavior and brain networks: changing bodies and activities modify the statistics of inputs to the brain; these changing inputs mold brain networks; these networks, in turn, promote further change in behavior and input. PMID:24862251

  11. Non-parametric co-clustering of large scale sparse bipartite networks on the GPU

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Toke Jansen; Mørup, Morten; Hansen, Lars Kai

    2011-01-01

    of row and column clusters from a hypothesis space of an infinite number of clusters. To reach large scale applications of co-clustering we exploit that parameter inference for co-clustering is well suited for parallel computing. We develop a generic GPU framework for efficient inference on large scale...... sparse bipartite networks and achieve a speedup of two orders of magnitude compared to estimation based on conventional CPUs. In terms of scalability we find for networks with more than 100 million links that reliable inference can be achieved in less than an hour on a single GPU. To efficiently manage...

  12. Macroscopic networks in the human brain: mapping connectivity in healthy and damaged brains

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nijhuis, E.H.J.

    2013-01-01

    The human brain contains a network of interconnected neurons. Recent advances in functional and structural in-vivo magnetic resonance neuroimaging (MRI) techniques have provided opportunities to model the networks of the human brain on a macroscopic scale. This dissertation investigates the

  13. A common brain network links development, aging, and vulnerability to disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Douaud, Gwenaëlle; Groves, Adrian R; Tamnes, Christian K; Westlye, Lars Tjelta; Duff, Eugene P; Engvig, Andreas; Walhovd, Kristine B; James, Anthony; Gass, Achim; Monsch, Andreas U; Matthews, Paul M; Fjell, Anders M; Smith, Stephen M; Johansen-Berg, Heidi

    2014-12-09

    Several theories link processes of development and aging in humans. In neuroscience, one model posits for instance that healthy age-related brain degeneration mirrors development, with the areas of the brain thought to develop later also degenerating earlier. However, intrinsic evidence for such a link between healthy aging and development in brain structure remains elusive. Here, we show that a data-driven analysis of brain structural variation across 484 healthy participants (8-85 y) reveals a largely--but not only--transmodal network whose lifespan pattern of age-related change intrinsically supports this model of mirroring development and aging. We further demonstrate that this network of brain regions, which develops relatively late during adolescence and shows accelerated degeneration in old age compared with the rest of the brain, characterizes areas of heightened vulnerability to unhealthy developmental and aging processes, as exemplified by schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease, respectively. Specifically, this network, while derived solely from healthy subjects, spatially recapitulates the pattern of brain abnormalities observed in both schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. This network is further associated in our large-scale healthy population with intellectual ability and episodic memory, whose impairment contributes to key symptoms of schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. Taken together, our results suggest that the common spatial pattern of abnormalities observed in these two disorders, which emerge at opposite ends of the life spectrum, might be influenced by the timing of their separate and distinct pathological processes in disrupting healthy cerebral development and aging, respectively.

  14. Incidental and intentional learning of verbal episodic material differentially modifies functional brain networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marie-Therese Kuhnert

    Full Text Available Learning- and memory-related processes are thought to result from dynamic interactions in large-scale brain networks that include lateral and mesial structures of the temporal lobes. We investigate the impact of incidental and intentional learning of verbal episodic material on functional brain networks that we derive from scalp-EEG recorded continuously from 33 subjects during a neuropsychological test schedule. Analyzing the networks' global statistical properties we observe that intentional but not incidental learning leads to a significantly increased clustering coefficient, and the average shortest path length remains unaffected. Moreover, network modifications correlate with subsequent recall performance: the more pronounced the modifications of the clustering coefficient, the higher the recall performance. Our findings provide novel insights into the relationship between topological aspects of functional brain networks and higher cognitive functions.

  15. Large-scale network analysis of imagination reveals extended but limited top-down components in human visual cognition.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Verkhlyutov V.M.

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available We investigated whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI activation in a group of 21 healthy adult subjects during perception, imagination and remembering of two dynamic visual scenarios. Activation of the posterior parts of the cortex prevailed when watching videos. The cognitive tasks of imagination and remembering were accompanied by a predominant activity in the anterior parts of the cortex. An independent component analysis identified seven large-scale cortical networks with relatively invariant spatial distributions across all experimental conditions. The time course of their activation over experimental sessions was task-dependent. These detected networks can be interpreted as a recombination of resting state networks. Both central and peripheral networks were identified within the primary visual cortex. The central network around the caudal pole of BA17 and centers of other visual areas was activated only by direct visual stimulation, while the peripheral network responded to the presentation of visual information as well as to the cognitive tasks of imagination and remembering. The latter result explains the particular susceptibility of peripheral and twilight vision to cognitive top-down influences that often result in false-alarm detections.

  16. Large-scale resting state network correlates of cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease and related dopaminergic deficits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander V Lebedev

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Cognitive impairment is a common non-motor feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD. The current study aimed to investigate resting state fMRI correlates of cognitive impairment in PD from a large-scale network perspective, and to assess the impact of dopamine deficiency on these networks. Thirty PD patients with resting state fMRI were included from the Parkinson’s Progression Marker Initiative (PPMI database. Eighteen patients from this sample were also scanned with 123I-FP-CIT SPECT. A standardized neuropsychological battery was administered, evaluating verbal memory, visuospatial, and executive cognitive domains. Image preprocessing was performed using an SPM8-based workflow, obtaining time-series from 90 regions-of-interest (ROIs defined from the AAL brain atlas. The Brain Connectivity Toolbox was used to extract nodal strength from all ROIs and modularity of the cognitive circuitry determined using the meta-analytical software Neurosynth. Brain-behavior covariance patterns between cognitive functions and nodal strength were estimated using Partial Least Squares. Extracted latent variable scores were correlated with performances in the three cognitive domains and striatal dopamine transporter binding ratios (SBR using linear modeling. Finally, influence of nigrostriatal dopaminergic deficiency on modularity of the cognitive network was analyzed. Less severe executive impairment was associated with increased dorsal fronto-parietal cortical processing and inhibited subcortical and primary sensory involvement. This pattern was positively influenced by the relative preservation of nigrostriatal dopaminergic function. The pattern associated with better memory performance favored prefronto-limbic processing, and did not reveal associations with presynaptic striatal dopamine uptake. SBR ratios were negatively associated with modularity of the cognitive network, suggesting integrative effects of the preserved nigrostriatal dopamine system on this

  17. Large-scale modeling of epileptic seizures: scaling properties of two parallel neuronal network simulation algorithms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pesce, Lorenzo L; Lee, Hyong C; Hereld, Mark; Visser, Sid; Stevens, Rick L; Wildeman, Albert; van Drongelen, Wim

    2013-01-01

    Our limited understanding of the relationship between the behavior of individual neurons and large neuronal networks is an important limitation in current epilepsy research and may be one of the main causes of our inadequate ability to treat it. Addressing this problem directly via experiments is impossibly complex; thus, we have been developing and studying medium-large-scale simulations of detailed neuronal networks to guide us. Flexibility in the connection schemas and a complete description of the cortical tissue seem necessary for this purpose. In this paper we examine some of the basic issues encountered in these multiscale simulations. We have determined the detailed behavior of two such simulators on parallel computer systems. The observed memory and computation-time scaling behavior for a distributed memory implementation were very good over the range studied, both in terms of network sizes (2,000 to 400,000 neurons) and processor pool sizes (1 to 256 processors). Our simulations required between a few megabytes and about 150 gigabytes of RAM and lasted between a few minutes and about a week, well within the capability of most multinode clusters. Therefore, simulations of epileptic seizures on networks with millions of cells should be feasible on current supercomputers.

  18. Large-Scale Modeling of Epileptic Seizures: Scaling Properties of Two Parallel Neuronal Network Simulation Algorithms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lorenzo L. Pesce

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Our limited understanding of the relationship between the behavior of individual neurons and large neuronal networks is an important limitation in current epilepsy research and may be one of the main causes of our inadequate ability to treat it. Addressing this problem directly via experiments is impossibly complex; thus, we have been developing and studying medium-large-scale simulations of detailed neuronal networks to guide us. Flexibility in the connection schemas and a complete description of the cortical tissue seem necessary for this purpose. In this paper we examine some of the basic issues encountered in these multiscale simulations. We have determined the detailed behavior of two such simulators on parallel computer systems. The observed memory and computation-time scaling behavior for a distributed memory implementation were very good over the range studied, both in terms of network sizes (2,000 to 400,000 neurons and processor pool sizes (1 to 256 processors. Our simulations required between a few megabytes and about 150 gigabytes of RAM and lasted between a few minutes and about a week, well within the capability of most multinode clusters. Therefore, simulations of epileptic seizures on networks with millions of cells should be feasible on current supercomputers.

  19. Local, distributed topology control for large-scale wireless ad-hoc networks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nieberg, T.; Hurink, Johann L.

    In this document, topology control of a large-scale, wireless network by a distributed algorithm that uses only locally available information is presented. Topology control algorithms adjust the transmission power of wireless nodes to create a desired topology. The algorithm, named local power

  20. A new asynchronous parallel algorithm for inferring large-scale gene regulatory networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiangyun Xiao

    Full Text Available The reconstruction of gene regulatory networks (GRNs from high-throughput experimental data has been considered one of the most important issues in systems biology research. With the development of high-throughput technology and the complexity of biological problems, we need to reconstruct GRNs that contain thousands of genes. However, when many existing algorithms are used to handle these large-scale problems, they will encounter two important issues: low accuracy and high computational cost. To overcome these difficulties, the main goal of this study is to design an effective parallel algorithm to infer large-scale GRNs based on high-performance parallel computing environments. In this study, we proposed a novel asynchronous parallel framework to improve the accuracy and lower the time complexity of large-scale GRN inference by combining splitting technology and ordinary differential equation (ODE-based optimization. The presented algorithm uses the sparsity and modularity of GRNs to split whole large-scale GRNs into many small-scale modular subnetworks. Through the ODE-based optimization of all subnetworks in parallel and their asynchronous communications, we can easily obtain the parameters of the whole network. To test the performance of the proposed approach, we used well-known benchmark datasets from Dialogue for Reverse Engineering Assessments and Methods challenge (DREAM, experimentally determined GRN of Escherichia coli and one published dataset that contains more than 10 thousand genes to compare the proposed approach with several popular algorithms on the same high-performance computing environments in terms of both accuracy and time complexity. The numerical results demonstrate that our parallel algorithm exhibits obvious superiority in inferring large-scale GRNs.

  1. A new asynchronous parallel algorithm for inferring large-scale gene regulatory networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Xiangyun; Zhang, Wei; Zou, Xiufen

    2015-01-01

    The reconstruction of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) from high-throughput experimental data has been considered one of the most important issues in systems biology research. With the development of high-throughput technology and the complexity of biological problems, we need to reconstruct GRNs that contain thousands of genes. However, when many existing algorithms are used to handle these large-scale problems, they will encounter two important issues: low accuracy and high computational cost. To overcome these difficulties, the main goal of this study is to design an effective parallel algorithm to infer large-scale GRNs based on high-performance parallel computing environments. In this study, we proposed a novel asynchronous parallel framework to improve the accuracy and lower the time complexity of large-scale GRN inference by combining splitting technology and ordinary differential equation (ODE)-based optimization. The presented algorithm uses the sparsity and modularity of GRNs to split whole large-scale GRNs into many small-scale modular subnetworks. Through the ODE-based optimization of all subnetworks in parallel and their asynchronous communications, we can easily obtain the parameters of the whole network. To test the performance of the proposed approach, we used well-known benchmark datasets from Dialogue for Reverse Engineering Assessments and Methods challenge (DREAM), experimentally determined GRN of Escherichia coli and one published dataset that contains more than 10 thousand genes to compare the proposed approach with several popular algorithms on the same high-performance computing environments in terms of both accuracy and time complexity. The numerical results demonstrate that our parallel algorithm exhibits obvious superiority in inferring large-scale GRNs.

  2. Identifying Controlling Nodes in Neuronal Networks in Different Scales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Yang; Gao, Huijun; Zou, Wei; Kurths, Jürgen

    2012-01-01

    Recent studies have detected hubs in neuronal networks using degree, betweenness centrality, motif and synchronization and revealed the importance of hubs in their structural and functional roles. In addition, the analysis of complex networks in different scales are widely used in physics community. This can provide detailed insights into the intrinsic properties of networks. In this study, we focus on the identification of controlling regions in cortical networks of cats’ brain in microscopic, mesoscopic and macroscopic scales, based on single-objective evolutionary computation methods. The problem is investigated by considering two measures of controllability separately. The impact of the number of driver nodes on controllability is revealed and the properties of controlling nodes are shown in a statistical way. Our results show that the statistical properties of the controlling nodes display a concave or convex shape with an increase of the allowed number of controlling nodes, revealing a transition in choosing driver nodes from the areas with a large degree to the areas with a low degree. Interestingly, the community Auditory in cats’ brain, which has sparse connections with other communities, plays an important role in controlling the neuronal networks. PMID:22848475

  3. Network Partitioning Domain Knowledge Multiobjective Application Mapping for Large-Scale Network-on-Chip

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yin Zhen Tei

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a multiobjective application mapping technique targeted for large-scale network-on-chip (NoC. As the number of intellectual property (IP cores in multiprocessor system-on-chip (MPSoC increases, NoC application mapping to find optimum core-to-topology mapping becomes more challenging. Besides, the conflicting cost and performance trade-off makes multiobjective application mapping techniques even more complex. This paper proposes an application mapping technique that incorporates domain knowledge into genetic algorithm (GA. The initial population of GA is initialized with network partitioning (NP while the crossover operator is guided with knowledge on communication demands. NP reduces the large-scale application mapping complexity and provides GA with a potential mapping search space. The proposed genetic operator is compared with state-of-the-art genetic operators in terms of solution quality. In this work, multiobjective optimization of energy and thermal-balance is considered. Through simulation, knowledge-based initial mapping shows significant improvement in Pareto front compared to random initial mapping that is widely used. The proposed knowledge-based crossover also shows better Pareto front compared to state-of-the-art knowledge-based crossover.

  4. Locating inefficient links in a large-scale transportation network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Li; Liu, Like; Xu, Zhongzhi; Jie, Yang; Wei, Dong; Wang, Pu

    2015-02-01

    Based on data from geographical information system (GIS) and daily commuting origin destination (OD) matrices, we estimated the distribution of traffic flow in the San Francisco road network and studied Braess's paradox in a large-scale transportation network with realistic travel demand. We measured the variation of total travel time Δ T when a road segment is closed, and found that | Δ T | follows a power-law distribution if Δ T 0. This implies that most roads have a negligible effect on the efficiency of the road network, while the failure of a few crucial links would result in severe travel delays, and closure of a few inefficient links would counter-intuitively reduce travel costs considerably. Generating three theoretical networks, we discovered that the heterogeneously distributed travel demand may be the origin of the observed power-law distributions of | Δ T | . Finally, a genetic algorithm was used to pinpoint inefficient link clusters in the road network. We found that closing specific road clusters would further improve the transportation efficiency.

  5. Output regulation of large-scale hydraulic networks with minimal steady state power consumption

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jensen, Tom Nørgaard; Wisniewski, Rafał; De Persis, Claudio; Kallesøe, Carsten Skovmose

    2014-01-01

    An industrial case study involving a large-scale hydraulic network is examined. The hydraulic network underlies a district heating system, with an arbitrary number of end-users. The problem of output regulation is addressed along with a optimization criterion for the control. The fact that the

  6. Large Scale Self-Organizing Information Distribution System

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Low, Steven

    2005-01-01

    This project investigates issues in "large-scale" networks. Here "large-scale" refers to networks with large number of high capacity nodes and transmission links, and shared by a large number of users...

  7. Reorganizing Complex Network to Improve Large-Scale Multiagent Teamwork

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Xu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Large-scale multiagent teamwork has been popular in various domains. Similar to human society infrastructure, agents only coordinate with some of the others, with a peer-to-peer complex network structure. Their organization has been proven as a key factor to influence their performance. To expedite team performance, we have analyzed that there are three key factors. First, complex network effects may be able to promote team performance. Second, coordination interactions coming from their sources are always trying to be routed to capable agents. Although they could be transferred across the network via different paths, their sources and sinks depend on the intrinsic nature of the team which is irrelevant to the network connections. In addition, the agents involved in the same plan often form a subteam and communicate with each other more frequently. Therefore, if the interactions between agents can be statistically recorded, we are able to set up an integrated network adjustment algorithm by combining the three key factors. Based on our abstracted teamwork simulations and the coordination statistics, we implemented the adaptive reorganization algorithm. The experimental results briefly support our design that the reorganized network is more capable of coordinating heterogeneous agents.

  8. LARGE-SCALE TOPOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF MOLECULAR NETWORKS.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    MASLOV,S.SNEPPEN,K.

    2003-11-17

    Bio-molecular networks lack the top-down design. Instead, selective forces of biological evolution shape them from raw material provided by random events such as gene duplications and single gene mutations. As a result individual connections in these networks are characterized by a large degree of randomness. One may wonder which connectivity patterns are indeed random, while which arose due to the network growth, evolution, and/or its fundamental design principles and limitations? Here we introduce a general method allowing one to construct a random null-model version of a given network while preserving the desired set of its low-level topological features, such as, e.g., the number of neighbors of individual nodes, the average level of modularity, preferential connections between particular groups of nodes, etc. Such a null-model network can then be used to detect and quantify the non-random topological patterns present in large networks. In particular, we measured correlations between degrees of interacting nodes in protein interaction and regulatory networks in yeast. It was found that in both these networks, links between highly connected proteins are systematically suppressed. This effect decreases the likelihood of cross-talk between different functional modules of the cell, and increases the overall robustness of a network by localizing effects of deleterious perturbations. It also teaches us about the overall computational architecture of such networks and points at the origin of large differences in the number of neighbors of individual nodes.

  9. Large-scale transportation network congestion evolution prediction using deep learning theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Xiaolei; Yu, Haiyang; Wang, Yunpeng; Wang, Yinhai

    2015-01-01

    Understanding how congestion at one location can cause ripples throughout large-scale transportation network is vital for transportation researchers and practitioners to pinpoint traffic bottlenecks for congestion mitigation. Traditional studies rely on either mathematical equations or simulation techniques to model traffic congestion dynamics. However, most of the approaches have limitations, largely due to unrealistic assumptions and cumbersome parameter calibration process. With the development of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and Internet of Things (IoT), transportation data become more and more ubiquitous. This triggers a series of data-driven research to investigate transportation phenomena. Among them, deep learning theory is considered one of the most promising techniques to tackle tremendous high-dimensional data. This study attempts to extend deep learning theory into large-scale transportation network analysis. A deep Restricted Boltzmann Machine and Recurrent Neural Network architecture is utilized to model and predict traffic congestion evolution based on Global Positioning System (GPS) data from taxi. A numerical study in Ningbo, China is conducted to validate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method. Results show that the prediction accuracy can achieve as high as 88% within less than 6 minutes when the model is implemented in a Graphic Processing Unit (GPU)-based parallel computing environment. The predicted congestion evolution patterns can be visualized temporally and spatially through a map-based platform to identify the vulnerable links for proactive congestion mitigation.

  10. Multirelational organization of large-scale social networks in an online world.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szell, Michael; Lambiotte, Renaud; Thurner, Stefan

    2010-08-03

    The capacity to collect fingerprints of individuals in online media has revolutionized the way researchers explore human society. Social systems can be seen as a nonlinear superposition of a multitude of complex social networks, where nodes represent individuals and links capture a variety of different social relations. Much emphasis has been put on the network topology of social interactions, however, the multidimensional nature of these interactions has largely been ignored, mostly because of lack of data. Here, for the first time, we analyze a complete, multirelational, large social network of a society consisting of the 300,000 odd players of a massive multiplayer online game. We extract networks of six different types of one-to-one interactions between the players. Three of them carry a positive connotation (friendship, communication, trade), three a negative (enmity, armed aggression, punishment). We first analyze these types of networks as separate entities and find that negative interactions differ from positive interactions by their lower reciprocity, weaker clustering, and fatter-tail degree distribution. We then explore how the interdependence of different network types determines the organization of the social system. In particular, we study correlations and overlap between different types of links and demonstrate the tendency of individuals to play different roles in different networks. As a demonstration of the power of the approach, we present the first empirical large-scale verification of the long-standing structural balance theory, by focusing on the specific multiplex network of friendship and enmity relations.

  11. Large scale electrolysers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    B Bello; M Junker

    2006-01-01

    Hydrogen production by water electrolysis represents nearly 4 % of the world hydrogen production. Future development of hydrogen vehicles will require large quantities of hydrogen. Installation of large scale hydrogen production plants will be needed. In this context, development of low cost large scale electrolysers that could use 'clean power' seems necessary. ALPHEA HYDROGEN, an European network and center of expertise on hydrogen and fuel cells, has performed for its members a study in 2005 to evaluate the potential of large scale electrolysers to produce hydrogen in the future. The different electrolysis technologies were compared. Then, a state of art of the electrolysis modules currently available was made. A review of the large scale electrolysis plants that have been installed in the world was also realized. The main projects related to large scale electrolysis were also listed. Economy of large scale electrolysers has been discussed. The influence of energy prices on the hydrogen production cost by large scale electrolysis was evaluated. (authors)

  12. Large-scale grid management; Storskala Nettforvaltning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Langdal, Bjoern Inge; Eggen, Arnt Ove

    2003-07-01

    The network companies in the Norwegian electricity industry now have to establish a large-scale network management, a concept essentially characterized by (1) broader focus (Broad Band, Multi Utility,...) and (2) bigger units with large networks and more customers. Research done by SINTEF Energy Research shows so far that the approaches within large-scale network management may be structured according to three main challenges: centralization, decentralization and out sourcing. The article is part of a planned series.

  13. Socio-Cognitive Phenotypes Differentially Modulate Large-Scale Structural Covariance Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valk, Sofie L; Bernhardt, Boris C; Böckler, Anne; Trautwein, Fynn-Mathis; Kanske, Philipp; Singer, Tania

    2017-02-01

    Functional neuroimaging studies have suggested the existence of 2 largely distinct social cognition networks, one for theory of mind (taking others' cognitive perspective) and another for empathy (sharing others' affective states). To address whether these networks can also be dissociated at the level of brain structure, we combined behavioral phenotyping across multiple socio-cognitive tasks with 3-Tesla MRI cortical thickness and structural covariance analysis in 270 healthy adults, recruited across 2 sites. Regional thickness mapping only provided partial support for divergent substrates, highlighting that individual differences in empathy relate to left insular-opercular thickness while no correlation between thickness and mentalizing scores was found. Conversely, structural covariance analysis showed clearly divergent network modulations by socio-cognitive and -affective phenotypes. Specifically, individual differences in theory of mind related to structural integration between temporo-parietal and dorsomedial prefrontal regions while empathy modulated the strength of dorsal anterior insula networks. Findings were robust across both recruitment sites, suggesting generalizability. At the level of structural network embedding, our study provides a double dissociation between empathy and mentalizing. Moreover, our findings suggest that structural substrates of higher-order social cognition are reflected rather in interregional networks than in the the local anatomical markup of specific regions per se. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. Hemispheric Asymmetry of Human Brain Anatomical Network Revealed by Diffusion Tensor Tractography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ni Shu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The topological architecture of the cerebral anatomical network reflects the structural organization of the human brain. Recently, topological measures based on graph theory have provided new approaches for quantifying large-scale anatomical networks. However, few studies have investigated the hemispheric asymmetries of the human brain from the perspective of the network model, and little is known about the asymmetries of the connection patterns of brain regions, which may reflect the functional integration and interaction between different regions. Here, we utilized diffusion tensor imaging to construct binary anatomical networks for 72 right-handed healthy adult subjects. We established the existence of structural connections between any pair of the 90 cortical and subcortical regions using deterministic tractography. To investigate the hemispheric asymmetries of the brain, statistical analyses were performed to reveal the brain regions with significant differences between bilateral topological properties, such as degree of connectivity, characteristic path length, and betweenness centrality. Furthermore, local structural connections were also investigated to examine the local asymmetries of some specific white matter tracts. From the perspective of both the global and local connection patterns, we identified the brain regions with hemispheric asymmetries. Combined with the previous studies, we suggested that the topological asymmetries in the anatomical network may reflect the functional lateralization of the human brain.

  15. Alcohol affects the brain's resting-state network in social drinkers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chrysa Lithari

    Full Text Available Acute alcohol intake is known to enhance inhibition through facilitation of GABA(A receptors, which are present in 40% of the synapses all over the brain. Evidence suggests that enhanced GABAergic transmission leads to increased large-scale brain connectivity. Our hypothesis is that acute alcohol intake would increase the functional connectivity of the human brain resting-state network (RSN. To test our hypothesis, electroencephalographic (EEG measurements were recorded from healthy social drinkers at rest, during eyes-open and eyes-closed sessions, after administering to them an alcoholic beverage or placebo respectively. Salivary alcohol and cortisol served to measure the inebriation and stress levels. By calculating Magnitude Square Coherence (MSC on standardized Low Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography (sLORETA solutions, we formed cortical networks over several frequency bands, which were then analyzed in the context of functional connectivity and graph theory. MSC was increased (p<0.05, corrected with False Discovery Rate, FDR corrected in alpha, beta (eyes-open and theta bands (eyes-closed following acute alcohol intake. Graph parameters were accordingly altered in these bands quantifying the effect of alcohol on the structure of brain networks; global efficiency and density were higher and path length was lower during alcohol (vs. placebo, p<0.05. Salivary alcohol concentration was positively correlated with the density of the network in beta band. The degree of specific nodes was elevated following alcohol (vs. placebo. Our findings support the hypothesis that short-term inebriation considerably increases large-scale connectivity in the RSN. The increased baseline functional connectivity can -at least partially- be attributed to the alcohol-induced disruption of the delicate balance between inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmission in favor of inhibitory influences. Thus, it is suggested that short-term inebriation is associated, as

  16. Large-scale neural networks and the lateralization of motivation and emotion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tops, Mattie; Quirin, Markus; Boksem, Maarten A S; Koole, Sander L

    2017-09-01

    Several lines of research in animals and humans converge on the distinction between two basic large-scale brain networks of self-regulation, giving rise to predictive and reactive control systems (PARCS). Predictive (internally-driven) and reactive (externally-guided) control are supported by dorsal versus ventral corticolimbic systems, respectively. Based on extant empirical evidence, we demonstrate how the PARCS produce frontal laterality effects in emotion and motivation. In addition, we explain how this framework gives rise to individual differences in appraising and coping with challenges. PARCS theory integrates separate fields of research, such as research on the motivational correlates of affect, EEG frontal alpha power asymmetry and implicit affective priming effects on cardiovascular indicators of effort during cognitive task performance. Across these different paradigms, converging evidence points to a qualitative motivational division between, on the one hand, angry and happy emotions, and, on the other hand, sad and fearful emotions. PARCS suggests that those two pairs of emotions are associated with predictive and reactive control, respectively. PARCS theory may thus generate important new insights on the motivational and emotional dynamics that drive autonomic and homeostatic control processes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. 3D fully convolutional networks for subcortical segmentation in MRI: A large-scale study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dolz, Jose; Desrosiers, Christian; Ben Ayed, Ismail

    2018-04-15

    This study investigates a 3D and fully convolutional neural network (CNN) for subcortical brain structure segmentation in MRI. 3D CNN architectures have been generally avoided due to their computational and memory requirements during inference. We address the problem via small kernels, allowing deeper architectures. We further model both local and global context by embedding intermediate-layer outputs in the final prediction, which encourages consistency between features extracted at different scales and embeds fine-grained information directly in the segmentation process. Our model is efficiently trained end-to-end on a graphics processing unit (GPU), in a single stage, exploiting the dense inference capabilities of fully CNNs. We performed comprehensive experiments over two publicly available datasets. First, we demonstrate a state-of-the-art performance on the ISBR dataset. Then, we report a large-scale multi-site evaluation over 1112 unregistered subject datasets acquired from 17 different sites (ABIDE dataset), with ages ranging from 7 to 64 years, showing that our method is robust to various acquisition protocols, demographics and clinical factors. Our method yielded segmentations that are highly consistent with a standard atlas-based approach, while running in a fraction of the time needed by atlas-based methods and avoiding registration/normalization steps. This makes it convenient for massive multi-site neuroanatomical imaging studies. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first to study subcortical structure segmentation on such large-scale and heterogeneous data. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Large scale silver nanowires network fabricated by MeV hydrogen (H+) ion beam irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    S, Honey; S, Naseem; A, Ishaq; M, Maaza; M T, Bhatti; D, Wan

    2016-01-01

    A random two-dimensional large scale nano-network of silver nanowires (Ag-NWs) is fabricated by MeV hydrogen (H + ) ion beam irradiation. Ag-NWs are irradiated under H +  ion beam at different ion fluences at room temperature. The Ag-NW network is fabricated by H + ion beam-induced welding of Ag-NWs at intersecting positions. H +  ion beam induced welding is confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Moreover, the structure of Ag NWs remains stable under H +  ion beam, and networks are optically transparent. Morphology also remains stable under H +  ion beam irradiation. No slicings or cuttings of Ag-NWs are observed under MeV H +  ion beam irradiation. The results exhibit that the formation of Ag-NW network proceeds through three steps: ion beam induced thermal spikes lead to the local heating of Ag-NWs, the formation of simple junctions on small scale, and the formation of a large scale network. This observation is useful for using Ag-NWs based devices in upper space where protons are abandoned in an energy range from MeV to GeV. This high-quality Ag-NW network can also be used as a transparent electrode for optoelectronics devices. (paper)

  19. Scalable and Fully Distributed Localization in Large-Scale Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miao Jin

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This work proposes a novel connectivity-based localization algorithm, well suitable for large-scale sensor networks with complex shapes and a non-uniform nodal distribution. In contrast to current state-of-the-art connectivity-based localization methods, the proposed algorithm is highly scalable with linear computation and communication costs with respect to the size of the network; and fully distributed where each node only needs the information of its neighbors without cumbersome partitioning and merging process. The algorithm is theoretically guaranteed and numerically stable. Moreover, the algorithm can be readily extended to the localization of networks with a one-hop transmission range distance measurement, and the propagation of the measurement error at one sensor node is limited within a small area of the network around the node. Extensive simulations and comparison with other methods under various representative network settings are carried out, showing the superior performance of the proposed algorithm.

  20. Gender differences of brain glucose metabolic networks revealed by FDG-PET: evidence from a large cohort of 400 young adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Yuxiao; Xu, Qiang; Li, Kai; Zhu, Hong; Qi, Rongfeng; Zhang, Zhiqiang; Lu, Guangming

    2013-01-01

    Gender differences of the human brain are an important issue in neuroscience research. In recent years, an increasing amount of evidence has been gathered from noninvasive neuroimaging studies supporting a sexual dimorphism of the human brain. However, there is a lack of imaging studies on gender differences of brain metabolic networks based on a large population sample. FDG PET data of 400 right-handed, healthy subjects, including 200 females (age: 25:45 years, mean age ± SD: 40.9 ± 3.9 years) and 200 age-matched males were obtained and analyzed in the present study. We first investigated the regional differences of brain glucose metabolism between genders using a voxel-based two-sample t-test analysis. Subsequently, we investigated the gender differences of the metabolic networks. Sixteen metabolic covariance networks using seed-based correlation were analyzed. Seven regions showing significant regional metabolic differences between genders, and nine regions conventionally used in the resting-state network studies were selected as regions-of-interest. Permutation tests were used for comparing within- and between-network connectivity between genders. Compared with the males, females showed higher metabolism in the posterior part and lower metabolism in the anterior part of the brain. Moreover, there were widely distributed patterns of the metabolic networks in the human brain. In addition, significant gender differences within and between brain glucose metabolic networks were revealed in the present study. This study provides solid data that reveal gender differences in regional brain glucose metabolism and brain glucose metabolic networks. These observations might contribute to the better understanding of the gender differences in human brain functions, and suggest that gender should be included as a covariate when designing experiments and explaining results of brain glucose metabolic networks in the control and experimental individuals or patients.

  1. A network of genes, genetic disorders, and brain areas.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Satoru Hayasaka

    Full Text Available The network-based approach has been used to describe the relationship among genes and various phenotypes, producing a network describing complex biological relationships. Such networks can be constructed by aggregating previously reported associations in the literature from various databases. In this work, we applied the network-based approach to investigate how different brain areas are associated to genetic disorders and genes. In particular, a tripartite network with genes, genetic diseases, and brain areas was constructed based on the associations among them reported in the literature through text mining. In the resulting network, a disproportionately large number of gene-disease and disease-brain associations were attributed to a small subset of genes, diseases, and brain areas. Furthermore, a small number of brain areas were found to be associated with a large number of the same genes and diseases. These core brain regions encompassed the areas identified by the previous genome-wide association studies, and suggest potential areas of focus in the future imaging genetics research. The approach outlined in this work demonstrates the utility of the network-based approach in studying genetic effects on the brain.

  2. ELUCIDATING BRAIN CONNECTIVITY NETWORKS IN MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER USING CLASSIFICATION-BASED SCORING.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sacchet, Matthew D; Prasad, Gautam; Foland-Ross, Lara C; Thompson, Paul M; Gotlib, Ian H

    2014-04-01

    Graph theory is increasingly used in the field of neuroscience to understand the large-scale network structure of the human brain. There is also considerable interest in applying machine learning techniques in clinical settings, for example, to make diagnoses or predict treatment outcomes. Here we used support-vector machines (SVMs), in conjunction with whole-brain tractography, to identify graph metrics that best differentiate individuals with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) from nondepressed controls. To do this, we applied a novel feature-scoring procedure that incorporates iterative classifier performance to assess feature robustness. We found that small-worldness , a measure of the balance between global integration and local specialization, most reliably differentiated MDD from nondepressed individuals. Post-hoc regional analyses suggested that heightened connectivity of the subcallosal cingulate gyrus (SCG) in MDDs contributes to these differences. The current study provides a novel way to assess the robustness of classification features and reveals anomalies in large-scale neural networks in MDD.

  3. Autonomous management of a recursive area hierarchy for large scale wireless sensor networks using multiple parents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cree, Johnathan Vee [Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); Delgado-Frias, Jose [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2016-03-01

    Large scale wireless sensor networks have been proposed for applications ranging from anomaly detection in an environment to vehicle tracking. Many of these applications require the networks to be distributed across a large geographic area while supporting three to five year network lifetimes. In order to support these requirements large scale wireless sensor networks of duty-cycled devices need a method of efficient and effective autonomous configuration/maintenance. This method should gracefully handle the synchronization tasks duty-cycled networks. Further, an effective configuration solution needs to recognize that in-network data aggregation and analysis presents significant benefits to wireless sensor network and should configure the network in a way such that said higher level functions benefit from the logically imposed structure. NOA, the proposed configuration and maintenance protocol, provides a multi-parent hierarchical logical structure for the network that reduces the synchronization workload. It also provides higher level functions with significant inherent benefits such as but not limited to: removing network divisions that are created by single-parent hierarchies, guarantees for when data will be compared in the hierarchy, and redundancies for communication as well as in-network data aggregation/analysis/storage.

  4. Large-scale transportation network congestion evolution prediction using deep learning theory.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaolei Ma

    Full Text Available Understanding how congestion at one location can cause ripples throughout large-scale transportation network is vital for transportation researchers and practitioners to pinpoint traffic bottlenecks for congestion mitigation. Traditional studies rely on either mathematical equations or simulation techniques to model traffic congestion dynamics. However, most of the approaches have limitations, largely due to unrealistic assumptions and cumbersome parameter calibration process. With the development of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS and Internet of Things (IoT, transportation data become more and more ubiquitous. This triggers a series of data-driven research to investigate transportation phenomena. Among them, deep learning theory is considered one of the most promising techniques to tackle tremendous high-dimensional data. This study attempts to extend deep learning theory into large-scale transportation network analysis. A deep Restricted Boltzmann Machine and Recurrent Neural Network architecture is utilized to model and predict traffic congestion evolution based on Global Positioning System (GPS data from taxi. A numerical study in Ningbo, China is conducted to validate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method. Results show that the prediction accuracy can achieve as high as 88% within less than 6 minutes when the model is implemented in a Graphic Processing Unit (GPU-based parallel computing environment. The predicted congestion evolution patterns can be visualized temporally and spatially through a map-based platform to identify the vulnerable links for proactive congestion mitigation.

  5. Measuring large-scale social networks with high resolution.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arkadiusz Stopczynski

    Full Text Available This paper describes the deployment of a large-scale study designed to measure human interactions across a variety of communication channels, with high temporal resolution and spanning multiple years-the Copenhagen Networks Study. Specifically, we collect data on face-to-face interactions, telecommunication, social networks, location, and background information (personality, demographics, health, politics for a densely connected population of 1000 individuals, using state-of-the-art smartphones as social sensors. Here we provide an overview of the related work and describe the motivation and research agenda driving the study. Additionally, the paper details the data-types measured, and the technical infrastructure in terms of both backend and phone software, as well as an outline of the deployment procedures. We document the participant privacy procedures and their underlying principles. The paper is concluded with early results from data analysis, illustrating the importance of multi-channel high-resolution approach to data collection.

  6. Identifying influential nodes in large-scale directed networks: the role of clustering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Duan-Bing; Gao, Hui; Lü, Linyuan; Zhou, Tao

    2013-01-01

    Identifying influential nodes in very large-scale directed networks is a big challenge relevant to disparate applications, such as accelerating information propagation, controlling rumors and diseases, designing search engines, and understanding hierarchical organization of social and biological networks. Known methods range from node centralities, such as degree, closeness and betweenness, to diffusion-based processes, like PageRank and LeaderRank. Some of these methods already take into account the influences of a node's neighbors but do not directly make use of the interactions among it's neighbors. Local clustering is known to have negative impacts on the information spreading. We further show empirically that it also plays a negative role in generating local connections. Inspired by these facts, we propose a local ranking algorithm named ClusterRank, which takes into account not only the number of neighbors and the neighbors' influences, but also the clustering coefficient. Subject to the susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) spreading model with constant infectivity, experimental results on two directed networks, a social network extracted from delicious.com and a large-scale short-message communication network, demonstrate that the ClusterRank outperforms some benchmark algorithms such as PageRank and LeaderRank. Furthermore, ClusterRank can also be applied to undirected networks where the superiority of ClusterRank is significant compared with degree centrality and k-core decomposition. In addition, ClusterRank, only making use of local information, is much more efficient than global methods: It takes only 191 seconds for a network with about [Formula: see text] nodes, more than 15 times faster than PageRank.

  7. Identifying influential nodes in large-scale directed networks: the role of clustering.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Duan-Bing Chen

    Full Text Available Identifying influential nodes in very large-scale directed networks is a big challenge relevant to disparate applications, such as accelerating information propagation, controlling rumors and diseases, designing search engines, and understanding hierarchical organization of social and biological networks. Known methods range from node centralities, such as degree, closeness and betweenness, to diffusion-based processes, like PageRank and LeaderRank. Some of these methods already take into account the influences of a node's neighbors but do not directly make use of the interactions among it's neighbors. Local clustering is known to have negative impacts on the information spreading. We further show empirically that it also plays a negative role in generating local connections. Inspired by these facts, we propose a local ranking algorithm named ClusterRank, which takes into account not only the number of neighbors and the neighbors' influences, but also the clustering coefficient. Subject to the susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR spreading model with constant infectivity, experimental results on two directed networks, a social network extracted from delicious.com and a large-scale short-message communication network, demonstrate that the ClusterRank outperforms some benchmark algorithms such as PageRank and LeaderRank. Furthermore, ClusterRank can also be applied to undirected networks where the superiority of ClusterRank is significant compared with degree centrality and k-core decomposition. In addition, ClusterRank, only making use of local information, is much more efficient than global methods: It takes only 191 seconds for a network with about [Formula: see text] nodes, more than 15 times faster than PageRank.

  8. Identifying Influential Nodes in Large-Scale Directed Networks: The Role of Clustering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Duan-Bing; Gao, Hui; Lü, Linyuan; Zhou, Tao

    2013-01-01

    Identifying influential nodes in very large-scale directed networks is a big challenge relevant to disparate applications, such as accelerating information propagation, controlling rumors and diseases, designing search engines, and understanding hierarchical organization of social and biological networks. Known methods range from node centralities, such as degree, closeness and betweenness, to diffusion-based processes, like PageRank and LeaderRank. Some of these methods already take into account the influences of a node’s neighbors but do not directly make use of the interactions among it’s neighbors. Local clustering is known to have negative impacts on the information spreading. We further show empirically that it also plays a negative role in generating local connections. Inspired by these facts, we propose a local ranking algorithm named ClusterRank, which takes into account not only the number of neighbors and the neighbors’ influences, but also the clustering coefficient. Subject to the susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) spreading model with constant infectivity, experimental results on two directed networks, a social network extracted from delicious.com and a large-scale short-message communication network, demonstrate that the ClusterRank outperforms some benchmark algorithms such as PageRank and LeaderRank. Furthermore, ClusterRank can also be applied to undirected networks where the superiority of ClusterRank is significant compared with degree centrality and k-core decomposition. In addition, ClusterRank, only making use of local information, is much more efficient than global methods: It takes only 191 seconds for a network with about nodes, more than 15 times faster than PageRank. PMID:24204833

  9. Expectation propagation for large scale Bayesian inference of non-linear molecular networks from perturbation data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narimani, Zahra; Beigy, Hamid; Ahmad, Ashar; Masoudi-Nejad, Ali; Fröhlich, Holger

    2017-01-01

    Inferring the structure of molecular networks from time series protein or gene expression data provides valuable information about the complex biological processes of the cell. Causal network structure inference has been approached using different methods in the past. Most causal network inference techniques, such as Dynamic Bayesian Networks and ordinary differential equations, are limited by their computational complexity and thus make large scale inference infeasible. This is specifically true if a Bayesian framework is applied in order to deal with the unavoidable uncertainty about the correct model. We devise a novel Bayesian network reverse engineering approach using ordinary differential equations with the ability to include non-linearity. Besides modeling arbitrary, possibly combinatorial and time dependent perturbations with unknown targets, one of our main contributions is the use of Expectation Propagation, an algorithm for approximate Bayesian inference over large scale network structures in short computation time. We further explore the possibility of integrating prior knowledge into network inference. We evaluate the proposed model on DREAM4 and DREAM8 data and find it competitive against several state-of-the-art existing network inference methods.

  10. Causal influence in neural systems: Reconciling mechanistic-reductionist and statistical perspectives. Comment on "Foundational perspectives on causality in large-scale brain networks" by M. Mannino & S.L. Bressler

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griffiths, John D.

    2015-12-01

    The modern understanding of the brain as a large, complex network of interacting elements is a natural consequence of the Neuron Doctrine [1,2] that has been bolstered in recent years by the tools and concepts of connectomics. In this abstracted, network-centric view, the essence of neural and cognitive function derives from the flows between network elements of activity and information - or, more generally, causal influence. The appropriate characterization of causality in neural systems, therefore, is a question at the very heart of systems neuroscience.

  11. Scalable Brain Network Construction on White Matter Fibers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Moo K; Adluru, Nagesh; Dalton, Kim M; Alexander, Andrew L; Davidson, Richard J

    2011-02-12

    DTI offers a unique opportunity to characterize the structural connectivity of the human brain non-invasively by tracing white matter fiber tracts. Whole brain tractography studies routinely generate up to half million tracts per brain, which serves as edges in an extremely large 3D graph with up to half million edges. Currently there is no agreed-upon method for constructing the brain structural network graphs out of large number of white matter tracts. In this paper, we present a scalable iterative framework called the ε-neighbor method for building a network graph and apply it to testing abnormal connectivity in autism.

  12. Extrinsic and Intrinsic Brain Network Connectivity Maintains Cognition across the Lifespan Despite Accelerated Decay of Regional Brain Activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsvetanov, Kamen A; Henson, Richard N A; Tyler, Lorraine K; Razi, Adeel; Geerligs, Linda; Ham, Timothy E; Rowe, James B

    2016-03-16

    The maintenance of wellbeing across the lifespan depends on the preservation of cognitive function. We propose that successful cognitive aging is determined by interactions both within and between large-scale functional brain networks. Such connectivity can be estimated from task-free functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), also known as resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI). However, common correlational methods are confounded by age-related changes in the neurovascular signaling. To estimate network interactions at the neuronal rather than vascular level, we used generative models that specified both the neural interactions and a flexible neurovascular forward model. The networks' parameters were optimized to explain the spectral dynamics of rs-fMRI data in 602 healthy human adults from population-based cohorts who were approximately uniformly distributed between 18 and 88 years (www.cam-can.com). We assessed directed connectivity within and between three key large-scale networks: the salience network, dorsal attention network, and default mode network. We found that age influences connectivity both within and between these networks, over and above the effects on neurovascular coupling. Canonical correlation analysis revealed that the relationship between network connectivity and cognitive function was age-dependent: cognitive performance relied on neural dynamics more strongly in older adults. These effects were driven partly by reduced stability of neural activity within all networks, as expressed by an accelerated decay of neural information. Our findings suggest that the balance of excitatory connectivity between networks, and the stability of intrinsic neural representations within networks, changes with age. The cognitive function of older adults becomes increasingly dependent on these factors. Maintaining cognitive function is critical to successful aging. To study the neural basis of cognitive function across the lifespan, we studied a large population

  13. Streaming Parallel GPU Acceleration of Large-Scale filter-based Spiking Neural Networks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    L.P. Slazynski (Leszek); S.M. Bohte (Sander)

    2012-01-01

    htmlabstractThe arrival of graphics processing (GPU) cards suitable for massively parallel computing promises a↵ordable large-scale neural network simulation previously only available at supercomputing facil- ities. While the raw numbers suggest that GPUs may outperform CPUs by at least an order of

  14. Large-scale Granger causality analysis on resting-state functional MRI

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Souza, Adora M.; Abidin, Anas Zainul; Leistritz, Lutz; Wismüller, Axel

    2016-03-01

    We demonstrate an approach to measure the information flow between each pair of time series in resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) data of the human brain and subsequently recover its underlying network structure. By integrating dimensionality reduction into predictive time series modeling, large-scale Granger Causality (lsGC) analysis method can reveal directed information flow suggestive of causal influence at an individual voxel level, unlike other multivariate approaches. This method quantifies the influence each voxel time series has on every other voxel time series in a multivariate sense and hence contains information about the underlying dynamics of the whole system, which can be used to reveal functionally connected networks within the brain. To identify such networks, we perform non-metric network clustering, such as accomplished by the Louvain method. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach to recover the motor and visual cortex from resting state human brain fMRI data and compare it with the network recovered from a visuomotor stimulation experiment, where the similarity is measured by the Dice Coefficient (DC). The best DC obtained was 0.59 implying a strong agreement between the two networks. In addition, we thoroughly study the effect of dimensionality reduction in lsGC analysis on network recovery. We conclude that our approach is capable of detecting causal influence between time series in a multivariate sense, which can be used to segment functionally connected networks in the resting-state fMRI.

  15. 78 FR 70076 - Large Scale Networking (LSN)-Middleware and Grid Interagency Coordination (MAGIC) Team

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-11-22

    ... projects. The MAGIC Team reports to the Large Scale Networking (LSN) Coordinating Group (CG). Public... Coordination (MAGIC) Team AGENCY: The Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD... MAGIC Team meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month, 2:00-4:00 p.m., at the National...

  16. Developmental changes in organization of structural brain networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khundrakpam, Budhachandra S; Reid, Andrew; Brauer, Jens; Carbonell, Felix; Lewis, John; Ameis, Stephanie; Karama, Sherif; Lee, Junki; Chen, Zhang; Das, Samir; Evans, Alan C

    2013-09-01

    Recent findings from developmental neuroimaging studies suggest that the enhancement of cognitive processes during development may be the result of a fine-tuning of the structural and functional organization of brain with maturation. However, the details regarding the developmental trajectory of large-scale structural brain networks are not yet understood. Here, we used graph theory to examine developmental changes in the organization of structural brain networks in 203 normally growing children and adolescents. Structural brain networks were constructed using interregional correlations in cortical thickness for 4 age groups (early childhood: 4.8-8.4 year; late childhood: 8.5-11.3 year; early adolescence: 11.4-14.7 year; late adolescence: 14.8-18.3 year). Late childhood showed prominent changes in topological properties, specifically a significant reduction in local efficiency, modularity, and increased global efficiency, suggesting a shift of topological organization toward a more random configuration. An increase in number and span of distribution of connector hubs was found in this age group. Finally, inter-regional connectivity analysis and graph-theoretic measures indicated early maturation of primary sensorimotor regions and protracted development of higher order association and paralimbic regions. Our finding reveals a time window of plasticity occurring during late childhood which may accommodate crucial changes during puberty and the new developmental tasks that an adolescent faces.

  17. Correspondence Between Aberrant Intrinsic Network Connectivity and Gray-Matter Volume in the Ventral Brain of Preterm Born Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bäuml, Josef G; Daamen, Marcel; Meng, Chun; Neitzel, Julia; Scheef, Lukas; Jaekel, Julia; Busch, Barbara; Baumann, Nicole; Bartmann, Peter; Wolke, Dieter; Boecker, Henning; Wohlschläger, Afra M; Sorg, Christian

    2015-11-01

    Widespread brain changes are present in preterm born infants, adolescents, and even adults. While neurobiological models of prematurity facilitate powerful explanations for the adverse effects of preterm birth on the developing brain at microscale, convincing linking principles at large-scale level to explain the widespread nature of brain changes are still missing. We investigated effects of preterm birth on the brain's large-scale intrinsic networks and their relation to brain structure in preterm born adults. In 95 preterm and 83 full-term born adults, structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging at-rest was used to analyze both voxel-based morphometry and spatial patterns of functional connectivity in ongoing blood oxygenation level-dependent activity. Differences in intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) were found in cortical and subcortical networks. Structural differences were located in subcortical, temporal, and cingulate areas. Critically, for preterm born adults, iFC-network differences were overlapping and correlating with aberrant regional gray-matter (GM) volume specifically in subcortical and temporal areas. Overlapping changes were predicted by prematurity and in particular by neonatal medical complications. These results provide evidence that preterm birth has long-lasting effects on functional connectivity of intrinsic networks, and these changes are specifically related to structural alterations in ventral brain GM. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. Large-scale computer networks and the future of legal knowledge-based systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Leenes, R.E.; Svensson, Jorgen S.; Hage, J.C.; Bench-Capon, T.J.M.; Cohen, M.J.; van den Herik, H.J.

    1995-01-01

    In this paper we investigate the relation between legal knowledge-based systems and large-scale computer networks such as the Internet. On the one hand, researchers of legal knowledge-based systems have claimed huge possibilities, but despite the efforts over the last twenty years, the number of

  19. 77 FR 58416 - Large Scale Networking (LSN); Middleware and Grid Interagency Coordination (MAGIC) Team

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-20

    ..., Grid, and cloud projects. The MAGIC Team reports to the Large Scale Networking (LSN) Coordinating Group... Coordination (MAGIC) Team AGENCY: The Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD.... Dates/Location: The MAGIC Team meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month, 2:00-4:00pm, at...

  20. Coordinated SLNR based Precoding in Large-Scale Heterogeneous Networks

    KAUST Repository

    Boukhedimi, Ikram

    2017-03-06

    This work focuses on the downlink of large-scale two-tier heterogeneous networks composed of a macro-cell overlaid by micro-cell networks. Our interest is on the design of coordinated beamforming techniques that allow to mitigate the inter-cell interference. Particularly, we consider the case in which the coordinating base stations (BSs) have imperfect knowledge of the channel state information. Under this setting, we propose a regularized SLNR based precoding design in which the regularization factor is used to allow better resilience with respect to the channel estimation errors. Based on tools from random matrix theory, we provide an analytical analysis of the SINR and SLNR performances. These results are then exploited to propose a proper setting of the regularization factor. Simulation results are finally provided in order to validate our findings and to confirm the performance of the proposed precoding scheme.

  1. Coordinated SLNR based Precoding in Large-Scale Heterogeneous Networks

    KAUST Repository

    Boukhedimi, Ikram; Kammoun, Abla; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

    2017-01-01

    This work focuses on the downlink of large-scale two-tier heterogeneous networks composed of a macro-cell overlaid by micro-cell networks. Our interest is on the design of coordinated beamforming techniques that allow to mitigate the inter-cell interference. Particularly, we consider the case in which the coordinating base stations (BSs) have imperfect knowledge of the channel state information. Under this setting, we propose a regularized SLNR based precoding design in which the regularization factor is used to allow better resilience with respect to the channel estimation errors. Based on tools from random matrix theory, we provide an analytical analysis of the SINR and SLNR performances. These results are then exploited to propose a proper setting of the regularization factor. Simulation results are finally provided in order to validate our findings and to confirm the performance of the proposed precoding scheme.

  2. Role of physical and mental training in brain network configuration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Philip P. Foster

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Continuous remodeling of proteins of excitatory neurons is fine-tuning the scaling and strength of excitatory synapses up or down via regulation of intra-cellular metabolic and regulatory networks of the genome-transcriptome-proteome interface. Alzheimer's disease is a model of energy cost-driven small-world network disorder as the network global efficiency is impaired by the deposition of an informed agent, the amyloid-β, selectively targeting high-degree nodes. In schizophrenia, the interconnectivity and density of rich-club networks are significantly reduced. Training-induced homeostatic synaptogenesis-enhancement produces a reconfiguration of brain networks into greater small-worldness. Creation of synaptic connections in a macro-network, and, at the intra-cellular scale, micro-networks regulate the physiological mechanisms for the preferential attachment of synapses. The strongest molecular relationship of exercise and functional connectivity was identified for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF. The allele variant, rs7294919, also shows a powerful relationship with the hippocampal volume. How the brain achieves this unique quest of reconfiguration remains a puzzle. What are the underlying mechanisms of synaptogenesis promoting communications brain ↔ muscle and brainbrain in such trainings? What is the respective role of independent mental, physical or combined-mental-physical trainings? Physical practice seems to be playing an instrumental role in the cognitive enhancement (brain ↔ muscle com.. However, mental training, meditation or virtual reality (films, games require only minimal motor activity and cardio-respiratory stimulation. Therefore, other potential paths (brainbrain com. molding brain networks are nonetheless essential. Patients with motor neuron disease/injury (e.g. amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, traumatism also achieve successful cognitive enhancement albeit they may only elicit mental practice

  3. Functional brain networks in schizophrenia: a review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vince D Calhoun

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI has become a major technique for studying cognitive function and its disruption in mental illness, including schizophrenia. The major proportion of imaging studies focused primarily upon identifying regions which hemodynamic response amplitudes covary with particular stimuli and differentiate between patient and control groups. In addition to such amplitude based comparisons, one can estimate temporal correlations and compute maps of functional connectivity between regions which include the variance associated with event related responses as well as intrinsic fluctuations of hemodynamic activity. Functional connectivity maps can be computed by correlating all voxels with a seed region when a spatial prior is available. An alternative are multivariate decompositions such as independent component analysis (ICA which extract multiple components, each of which is a spatially distinct map of voxels with a common time course. Recent work has shown that these networks are pervasive in relaxed resting and during task performance and hence provide robust measures of intact and disturbed brain activity. This in turn bears the prospect of yielding biomarkers for schizophrenia, which can be described both in terms of disrupted local processing as well as altered global connectivity between large scale networks. In this review we will summarize functional connectivity measures with a focus upon work with ICA and discuss the meaning of intrinsic fluctuations. In addition, examples of how brain networks have been used for classification of disease will be shown. We present work with functional network connectivity, an approach that enables the evaluation of the interplay between multiple networks and how they are affected in disease. We conclude by discussing new variants of ICA for extracting maximally group discriminative networks from data. In summary, it is clear that identification of brain networks and their

  4. Cardinality Estimation Algorithm in Large-Scale Anonymous Wireless Sensor Networks

    KAUST Repository

    Douik, Ahmed

    2017-08-30

    Consider a large-scale anonymous wireless sensor network with unknown cardinality. In such graphs, each node has no information about the network topology and only possesses a unique identifier. This paper introduces a novel distributed algorithm for cardinality estimation and topology discovery, i.e., estimating the number of node and structure of the graph, by querying a small number of nodes and performing statistical inference methods. While the cardinality estimation allows the design of more efficient coding schemes for the network, the topology discovery provides a reliable way for routing packets. The proposed algorithm is shown to produce a cardinality estimate proportional to the best linear unbiased estimator for dense graphs and specific running times. Simulation results attest the theoretical results and reveal that, for a reasonable running time, querying a small group of nodes is sufficient to perform an estimation of 95% of the whole network. Applications of this work include estimating the number of Internet of Things (IoT) sensor devices, online social users, active protein cells, etc.

  5. Dissociable meta-analytic brain networks contribute to coordinated emotional processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riedel, Michael C; Yanes, Julio A; Ray, Kimberly L; Eickhoff, Simon B; Fox, Peter T; Sutherland, Matthew T; Laird, Angela R

    2018-06-01

    Meta-analytic techniques for mining the neuroimaging literature continue to exert an impact on our conceptualization of functional brain networks contributing to human emotion and cognition. Traditional theories regarding the neurobiological substrates contributing to affective processing are shifting from regional- towards more network-based heuristic frameworks. To elucidate differential brain network involvement linked to distinct aspects of emotion processing, we applied an emergent meta-analytic clustering approach to the extensive body of affective neuroimaging results archived in the BrainMap database. Specifically, we performed hierarchical clustering on the modeled activation maps from 1,747 experiments in the affective processing domain, resulting in five meta-analytic groupings of experiments demonstrating whole-brain recruitment. Behavioral inference analyses conducted for each of these groupings suggested dissociable networks supporting: (1) visual perception within primary and associative visual cortices, (2) auditory perception within primary auditory cortices, (3) attention to emotionally salient information within insular, anterior cingulate, and subcortical regions, (4) appraisal and prediction of emotional events within medial prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortices, and (5) induction of emotional responses within amygdala and fusiform gyri. These meta-analytic outcomes are consistent with a contemporary psychological model of affective processing in which emotionally salient information from perceived stimuli are integrated with previous experiences to engender a subjective affective response. This study highlights the utility of using emergent meta-analytic methods to inform and extend psychological theories and suggests that emotions are manifest as the eventual consequence of interactions between large-scale brain networks. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Large-scale modelling of neuronal systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castellani, G.; Verondini, E.; Giampieri, E.; Bersani, F.; Remondini, D.; Milanesi, L.; Zironi, I.

    2009-01-01

    The brain is, without any doubt, the most, complex system of the human body. Its complexity is also due to the extremely high number of neurons, as well as the huge number of synapses connecting them. Each neuron is capable to perform complex tasks, like learning and memorizing a large class of patterns. The simulation of large neuronal systems is challenging for both technological and computational reasons, and can open new perspectives for the comprehension of brain functioning. A well-known and widely accepted model of bidirectional synaptic plasticity, the BCM model, is stated by a differential equation approach based on bistability and selectivity properties. We have modified the BCM model extending it from a single-neuron to a whole-network model. This new model is capable to generate interesting network topologies starting from a small number of local parameters, describing the interaction between incoming and outgoing links from each neuron. We have characterized this model in terms of complex network theory, showing how this, learning rule can be a support For network generation.

  7. Multi-GNSS PPP-RTK: From Large- to Small-Scale Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nandakumaran Nadarajah

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Precise point positioning (PPP and its integer ambiguity resolution-enabled variant, PPP-RTK (real-time kinematic, can benefit enormously from the integration of multiple global navigation satellite systems (GNSS. In such a multi-GNSS landscape, the positioning convergence time is expected to be reduced considerably as compared to the one obtained by a single-GNSS setup. It is therefore the goal of the present contribution to provide numerical insights into the role taken by the multi-GNSS integration in delivering fast and high-precision positioning solutions (sub-decimeter and centimeter levels using PPP-RTK. To that end, we employ the Curtin PPP-RTK platform and process data-sets of GPS, BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS and Galileo in stand-alone and combined forms. The data-sets are collected by various receiver types, ranging from high-end multi-frequency geodetic receivers to low-cost single-frequency mass-market receivers. The corresponding stations form a large-scale (Australia-wide network as well as a small-scale network with inter-station distances less than 30 km. In case of the Australia-wide GPS-only ambiguity-float setup, 90% of the horizontal positioning errors (kinematic mode are shown to become less than five centimeters after 103 min. The stated required time is reduced to 66 min for the corresponding GPS + BDS + Galieo setup. The time is further reduced to 15 min by applying single-receiver ambiguity resolution. The outcomes are supported by the positioning results of the small-scale network.

  8. Voxel Scale Complex Networks of Functional Connectivity in the Rat Brain: Neurochemical State Dependence of Global and Local Topological Properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam J. Schwarz

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Network analysis of functional imaging data reveals emergent features of the brain as a function of its topological properties. However, the brain is not a homogeneous network, and the dependence of functional connectivity parameters on neuroanatomical substrate and parcellation scale is a key issue. Moreover, the extent to which these topological properties depend on underlying neurochemical changes remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated both global statistical properties and the local, voxel-scale distribution of connectivity parameters of the rat brain. Different neurotransmitter systems were stimulated by pharmacological challenge (d-amphetamine, fluoxetine, and nicotine to discriminate between stimulus-specific functional connectivity and more general features of the rat brain architecture. Although global connectivity parameters were similar, mapping of local connectivity parameters at high spatial resolution revealed strong neuroanatomical dependence of functional connectivity in the rat brain, with clear differentiation between the neocortex and older brain regions. Localized foci of high functional connectivity independent of drug challenge were found in the sensorimotor cortices, consistent with the high neuronal connectivity in these regions. Conversely, the topological properties and node roles in subcortical regions varied with neurochemical state and were dependent on the specific dynamics of the different functional processes elicited.

  9. Role of physical and mental training in brain network configuration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foster, Philip P

    2015-01-01

    It is hypothesized that the topology of brain networks is constructed by connecting nodes which may be continuously remodeled by appropriate training. Efficiency of physical and/or mental training on the brain relies on the flexibility of networks' architecture molded by local remodeling of proteins and synapses of excitatory neurons producing transformations in network topology. Continuous remodeling of proteins of excitatory neurons is fine-tuning the scaling and strength of excitatory synapses up or down via regulation of intra-cellular metabolic and regulatory networks of the genome-transcriptome-proteome interface. Alzheimer's disease is a model of "energy cost-driven small-world network disorder" with dysfunction of high-energy cost wiring as the network global efficiency is impaired by the deposition of an informed agent, the amyloid-β, selectively targeting high-degree nodes. In schizophrenia, the interconnectivity and density of rich-club networks are significantly reduced. Training-induced homeostatic synaptogenesis-enhancement, presumably via reconfiguration of brain networks into greater small-worldness, appears essential in learning, memory, and executive functions. A macroscopic cartography of creation-removal of synaptic connections in a macro-network, and at the intra-cellular scale, micro-networks regulate the physiological mechanisms for the preferential attachment of synapses. The strongest molecular relationship of exercise and functional connectivity was identified for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The allele variant, rs7294919, also shows a powerful relationship with the hippocampal volume. How the brain achieves this unique quest of reconfiguration remains a puzzle. What are the underlying mechanisms of synaptogenesis promoting communications brain ↔ muscle and brainbrain in such trainings? What is the respective role of independent mental, physical, or combined-mental-physical trainings? Physical practice seems to be

  10. Functional brain networks develop from a "local to distributed" organization.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Damien A Fair

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available The mature human brain is organized into a collection of specialized functional networks that flexibly interact to support various cognitive functions. Studies of development often attempt to identify the organizing principles that guide the maturation of these functional networks. In this report, we combine resting state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI, graph analysis, community detection, and spring-embedding visualization techniques to analyze four separate networks defined in earlier studies. As we have previously reported, we find, across development, a trend toward 'segregation' (a general decrease in correlation strength between regions close in anatomical space and 'integration' (an increased correlation strength between selected regions distant in space. The generalization of these earlier trends across multiple networks suggests that this is a general developmental principle for changes in functional connectivity that would extend to large-scale graph theoretic analyses of large-scale brain networks. Communities in children are predominantly arranged by anatomical proximity, while communities in adults predominantly reflect functional relationships, as defined from adult fMRI studies. In sum, over development, the organization of multiple functional networks shifts from a local anatomical emphasis in children to a more "distributed" architecture in young adults. We argue that this "local to distributed" developmental characterization has important implications for understanding the development of neural systems underlying cognition. Further, graph metrics (e.g., clustering coefficients and average path lengths are similar in child and adult graphs, with both showing "small-world"-like properties, while community detection by modularity optimization reveals stable communities within the graphs that are clearly different between young children and young adults. These observations suggest that early school age children and adults

  11. Functional brain networks develop from a "local to distributed" organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fair, Damien A; Cohen, Alexander L; Power, Jonathan D; Dosenbach, Nico U F; Church, Jessica A; Miezin, Francis M; Schlaggar, Bradley L; Petersen, Steven E

    2009-05-01

    The mature human brain is organized into a collection of specialized functional networks that flexibly interact to support various cognitive functions. Studies of development often attempt to identify the organizing principles that guide the maturation of these functional networks. In this report, we combine resting state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI), graph analysis, community detection, and spring-embedding visualization techniques to analyze four separate networks defined in earlier studies. As we have previously reported, we find, across development, a trend toward 'segregation' (a general decrease in correlation strength) between regions close in anatomical space and 'integration' (an increased correlation strength) between selected regions distant in space. The generalization of these earlier trends across multiple networks suggests that this is a general developmental principle for changes in functional connectivity that would extend to large-scale graph theoretic analyses of large-scale brain networks. Communities in children are predominantly arranged by anatomical proximity, while communities in adults predominantly reflect functional relationships, as defined from adult fMRI studies. In sum, over development, the organization of multiple functional networks shifts from a local anatomical emphasis in children to a more "distributed" architecture in young adults. We argue that this "local to distributed" developmental characterization has important implications for understanding the development of neural systems underlying cognition. Further, graph metrics (e.g., clustering coefficients and average path lengths) are similar in child and adult graphs, with both showing "small-world"-like properties, while community detection by modularity optimization reveals stable communities within the graphs that are clearly different between young children and young adults. These observations suggest that early school age children and adults both have

  12. Scale-free functional connectivity of the brain is maintained in anesthetized healthy participants but not in patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaolin Liu

    Full Text Available Loss of consciousness in anesthetized healthy participants and in patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS is associated with substantial alterations of functional connectivity across large-scale brain networks. Yet, a prominent distinction between the two cases is that after anesthesia, brain connectivity and consciousness are spontaneously restored, whereas in patients with UWS this restoration fails to occur, but why? A possible explanation is that the self-organizing capability of the brain is compromised in patients with UWS but not in healthy participants undergoing anesthesia. According to the theory of self-organized criticality, many natural complex systems, including the brain, evolve spontaneously to a critical state wherein system behaviors display spatial and/or temporal scale-invariant characteristics. Here we tested the hypothesis that the scale-free property of brain network organization is in fact fundamentally different between anesthetized healthy participants and UWS patients. We introduced a novel, computationally efficient approach to determine anatomical-functional parcellation of the whole-brain network at increasingly finer spatial scales. We found that in healthy participants, scale-free distributions of node size and node degree were present across wakefulness, propofol sedation, and recovery, despite significant propofol-induced functional connectivity changes. In patients with UWS, the scale-free distribution of node degree was absent, reflecting a fundamental difference between the two groups in adaptive reconfiguration of functional interaction between network components. The maintenance of scale-invariance across propofol sedation in healthy participants suggests the presence of persistent, on-going self-organizing processes to a critical state--a capacity that is compromised in patients with UWS.

  13. Directed partial correlation: inferring large-scale gene regulatory network through induced topology disruptions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yinyin Yuan

    Full Text Available Inferring regulatory relationships among many genes based on their temporal variation in transcript abundance has been a popular research topic. Due to the nature of microarray experiments, classical tools for time series analysis lose power since the number of variables far exceeds the number of the samples. In this paper, we describe some of the existing multivariate inference techniques that are applicable to hundreds of variables and show the potential challenges for small-sample, large-scale data. We propose a directed partial correlation (DPC method as an efficient and effective solution to regulatory network inference using these data. Specifically for genomic data, the proposed method is designed to deal with large-scale datasets. It combines the efficiency of partial correlation for setting up network topology by testing conditional independence, and the concept of Granger causality to assess topology change with induced interruptions. The idea is that when a transcription factor is induced artificially within a gene network, the disruption of the network by the induction signifies a genes role in transcriptional regulation. The benchmarking results using GeneNetWeaver, the simulator for the DREAM challenges, provide strong evidence of the outstanding performance of the proposed DPC method. When applied to real biological data, the inferred starch metabolism network in Arabidopsis reveals many biologically meaningful network modules worthy of further investigation. These results collectively suggest DPC is a versatile tool for genomics research. The R package DPC is available for download (http://code.google.com/p/dpcnet/.

  14. BrainNetCNN: Convolutional neural networks for brain networks; towards predicting neurodevelopment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawahara, Jeremy; Brown, Colin J; Miller, Steven P; Booth, Brian G; Chau, Vann; Grunau, Ruth E; Zwicker, Jill G; Hamarneh, Ghassan

    2017-02-01

    We propose BrainNetCNN, a convolutional neural network (CNN) framework to predict clinical neurodevelopmental outcomes from brain networks. In contrast to the spatially local convolutions done in traditional image-based CNNs, our BrainNetCNN is composed of novel edge-to-edge, edge-to-node and node-to-graph convolutional filters that leverage the topological locality of structural brain networks. We apply the BrainNetCNN framework to predict cognitive and motor developmental outcome scores from structural brain networks of infants born preterm. Diffusion tensor images (DTI) of preterm infants, acquired between 27 and 46 weeks gestational age, were used to construct a dataset of structural brain connectivity networks. We first demonstrate the predictive capabilities of BrainNetCNN on synthetic phantom networks with simulated injury patterns and added noise. BrainNetCNN outperforms a fully connected neural-network with the same number of model parameters on both phantoms with focal and diffuse injury patterns. We then apply our method to the task of joint prediction of Bayley-III cognitive and motor scores, assessed at 18 months of age, adjusted for prematurity. We show that our BrainNetCNN framework outperforms a variety of other methods on the same data. Furthermore, BrainNetCNN is able to identify an infant's postmenstrual age to within about 2 weeks. Finally, we explore the high-level features learned by BrainNetCNN by visualizing the importance of each connection in the brain with respect to predicting the outcome scores. These findings are then discussed in the context of the anatomy and function of the developing preterm infant brain. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. A large-scale perspective on stress-induced alterations in resting-state networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maron-Katz, Adi; Vaisvaser, Sharon; Lin, Tamar; Hendler, Talma; Shamir, Ron

    2016-02-01

    Stress is known to induce large-scale neural modulations. However, its neural effect once the stressor is removed and how it relates to subjective experience are not fully understood. Here we used a statistically sound data-driven approach to investigate alterations in large-scale resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) induced by acute social stress. We compared rsfMRI profiles of 57 healthy male subjects before and after stress induction. Using a parcellation-based univariate statistical analysis, we identified a large-scale rsFC change, involving 490 parcel-pairs. Aiming to characterize this change, we employed statistical enrichment analysis, identifying anatomic structures that were significantly interconnected by these pairs. This analysis revealed strengthening of thalamo-cortical connectivity and weakening of cross-hemispheral parieto-temporal connectivity. These alterations were further found to be associated with change in subjective stress reports. Integrating report-based information on stress sustainment 20 minutes post induction, revealed a single significant rsFC change between the right amygdala and the precuneus, which inversely correlated with the level of subjective recovery. Our study demonstrates the value of enrichment analysis for exploring large-scale network reorganization patterns, and provides new insight on stress-induced neural modulations and their relation to subjective experience.

  16. Distributed and Cooperative Link Scheduling for Large-Scale Multihop Wireless Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Swami Ananthram

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available A distributed and cooperative link-scheduling (DCLS algorithm is introduced for large-scale multihop wireless networks. With this algorithm, each and every active link in the network cooperatively calibrates its environment and converges to a desired link schedule for data transmissions within a time frame of multiple slots. This schedule is such that the entire network is partitioned into a set of interleaved subnetworks, where each subnetwork consists of concurrent cochannel links that are properly separated from each other. The desired spacing in each subnetwork can be controlled by a tuning parameter and the number of time slots specified for each frame. Following the DCLS algorithm, a distributed and cooperative power control (DCPC algorithm can be applied to each subnetwork to ensure a desired data rate for each link with minimum network transmission power. As shown consistently by simulations, the DCLS algorithm along with a DCPC algorithm yields significant power savings. The power savings also imply an increased feasible region of averaged link data rates for the entire network.

  17. Distributed and Cooperative Link Scheduling for Large-Scale Multihop Wireless Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ananthram Swami

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available A distributed and cooperative link-scheduling (DCLS algorithm is introduced for large-scale multihop wireless networks. With this algorithm, each and every active link in the network cooperatively calibrates its environment and converges to a desired link schedule for data transmissions within a time frame of multiple slots. This schedule is such that the entire network is partitioned into a set of interleaved subnetworks, where each subnetwork consists of concurrent cochannel links that are properly separated from each other. The desired spacing in each subnetwork can be controlled by a tuning parameter and the number of time slots specified for each frame. Following the DCLS algorithm, a distributed and cooperative power control (DCPC algorithm can be applied to each subnetwork to ensure a desired data rate for each link with minimum network transmission power. As shown consistently by simulations, the DCLS algorithm along with a DCPC algorithm yields significant power savings. The power savings also imply an increased feasible region of averaged link data rates for the entire network.

  18. Electricity network limitations on large-scale deployment of wind energy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fairbairn, R.J.

    1999-07-01

    This report sought to identify limitation on large scale deployment of wind energy in the UK. A description of the existing electricity supply system in England, Scotland and Wales is given, and operational aspects of the integrated electricity networks, licence conditions, types of wind turbine generators, and the scope for deployment of wind energy in the UK are addressed. A review of technical limitations and technical criteria stipulated by the Distribution and Grid Codes, the effects of system losses, and commercial issues are examined. Potential solutions to technical limitations are proposed, and recommendations are outlined.

  19. A theoretical bilevel control scheme for power networks with large-scale penetration of distributed renewable resources

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boroojeni, Kianoosh; Amini, M. Hadi; Nejadpak, Arash

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we present a bilevel control framework to achieve a highly-reliable smart distribution network with large-scale penetration of distributed renewable resources (DRRs). We assume that the power distribution network consists of several residential/commercial communities. In the first ...

  20. Mining the Mind Research Network: A Novel Framework for Exploring Large Scale, Heterogeneous Translational Neuroscience Research Data Sources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bockholt, Henry J.; Scully, Mark; Courtney, William; Rachakonda, Srinivas; Scott, Adam; Caprihan, Arvind; Fries, Jill; Kalyanam, Ravi; Segall, Judith M.; de la Garza, Raul; Lane, Susan; Calhoun, Vince D.

    2009-01-01

    A neuroinformatics (NI) system is critical to brain imaging research in order to shorten the time between study conception and results. Such a NI system is required to scale well when large numbers of subjects are studied. Further, when multiple sites participate in research projects organizational issues become increasingly difficult. Optimized NI applications mitigate these problems. Additionally, NI software enables coordination across multiple studies, leveraging advantages potentially leading to exponential research discoveries. The web-based, Mind Research Network (MRN), database system has been designed and improved through our experience with 200 research studies and 250 researchers from seven different institutions. The MRN tools permit the collection, management, reporting and efficient use of large scale, heterogeneous data sources, e.g., multiple institutions, multiple principal investigators, multiple research programs and studies, and multimodal acquisitions. We have collected and analyzed data sets on thousands of research participants and have set up a framework to automatically analyze the data, thereby making efficient, practical data mining of this vast resource possible. This paper presents a comprehensive framework for capturing and analyzing heterogeneous neuroscience research data sources that has been fully optimized for end-users to perform novel data mining. PMID:20461147

  1. Mining the mind research network: a novel framework for exploring large scale, heterogeneous translational neuroscience research data sources.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Henry Jeremy Bockholt

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available A neuroinformatics (NI system is critical to brain imaging research in order to shorten the time between study conception and results. Such a NI system is required to scale well when large numbers of subjects are studied. Further, when multiple sites participate in research projects organizational issues become increasingly difficult. Optimized NI applications mitigate these problems. Additionally, NI software enables coordination across multiple studies, leveraging advantages potentially leading to exponential research discoveries. The web-based, Mind Research Network (MRN, database system has been designed and improved through our experience with 200 research studies and 250 researchers from 7 different institutions. The MRN tools permit the collection, management, reporting and efficient use of large scale, heterogeneous data sources, e.g., multiple institutions, multiple principal investigators, multiple research programs and studies, and multimodal acquisitions. We have collected and analyzed data sets on thousands of research participants and have set up a framework to automatically analyze the data, thereby making efficient, practical data mining of this vast resource possible. This paper presents a comprehensive framework for capturing and analyzing heterogeneous neuroscience research data sources that has been fully optimized for end-users to perform novel data mining.

  2. Developing A Large-Scale, Collaborative, Productive Geoscience Education Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manduca, C. A.; Bralower, T. J.; Egger, A. E.; Fox, S.; Ledley, T. S.; Macdonald, H.; Mcconnell, D. A.; Mogk, D. W.; Tewksbury, B. J.

    2012-12-01

    Over the past 15 years, the geoscience education community has grown substantially and developed broad and deep capacity for collaboration and dissemination of ideas. While this community is best viewed as emergent from complex interactions among changing educational needs and opportunities, we highlight the role of several large projects in the development of a network within this community. In the 1990s, three NSF projects came together to build a robust web infrastructure to support the production and dissemination of on-line resources: On The Cutting Edge (OTCE), Earth Exploration Toolbook, and Starting Point: Teaching Introductory Geoscience. Along with the contemporaneous Digital Library for Earth System Education, these projects engaged geoscience educators nationwide in exploring professional development experiences that produced lasting on-line resources, collaborative authoring of resources, and models for web-based support for geoscience teaching. As a result, a culture developed in the 2000s in which geoscience educators anticipated that resources for geoscience teaching would be shared broadly and that collaborative authoring would be productive and engaging. By this time, a diverse set of examples demonstrated the power of the web infrastructure in supporting collaboration, dissemination and professional development . Building on this foundation, more recent work has expanded both the size of the network and the scope of its work. Many large research projects initiated collaborations to disseminate resources supporting educational use of their data. Research results from the rapidly expanding geoscience education research community were integrated into the Pedagogies in Action website and OTCE. Projects engaged faculty across the nation in large-scale data collection and educational research. The Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network and OTCE engaged community members in reviewing the expanding body of on-line resources. Building Strong

  3. Networks and landscapes: a framework for setting goals and evaluating performance at the large landscape scale

    Science.gov (United States)

    R Patrick Bixler; Shawn Johnson; Kirk Emerson; Tina Nabatchi; Melly Reuling; Charles Curtin; Michele Romolini; Morgan Grove

    2016-01-01

    The objective of large landscape conser vation is to mitigate complex ecological problems through interventions at multiple and overlapping scales. Implementation requires coordination among a diverse network of individuals and organizations to integrate local-scale conservation activities with broad-scale goals. This requires an understanding of the governance options...

  4. Large scale network management. Condition indicators for network stations, high voltage power conductions and cables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eggen, Arnt Ove; Rolfseng, Lars; Langdal, Bjoern Inge

    2006-02-01

    In the Strategic Institute Programme (SIP) 'Electricity Business enters e-business (eBee)' SINTEF Energy research has developed competency that can help the energy business employ ICT systems and computer technology in an improved way. Large scale network management is now a reality, and it is characterized by large entities with increasing demands on efficiency and quality. These are goals that can only be reached by using ICT systems and computer technology in a more clever way than what is the case today. At the same time it is important that knowledge held by experienced co-workers is consulted when formal rules for evaluations and decisions in ICT systems are developed. In this project an analytical concept for evaluation of networks based information in different ICT systems has been developed. The method estimating the indicators to describe different conditions in a network is general, and indicators can be made to fit different levels of decision and network levels, for example network station, transformer circuit, distribution network and regional network. Moreover, the indicators can contain information about technical aspects, economy and HSE. An indicator consists of an indicator name, an indicator value, and an indicator colour based on a traffic-light analogy to indicate a condition or a quality for the indicator. Values on one or more indicators give an impression of important conditions in the network, and make up the basis for knowing where more detailed evaluations have to be conducted before a final decision on for example maintenance or renewal is made. A prototype has been developed for testing the new method. The prototype has been developed in Excel, and especially designed for analysing transformer circuits in a distribution network. However, the method is a general one, and well suited for implementation in a commercial computer system (ml)

  5. Heuristic algorithm for determination of local properties of scale-free networks

    CERN Document Server

    Mitrovic, M

    2006-01-01

    Complex networks are everywhere. Many phenomena in nature can be modeled as networks: - brain structures - protein-protein interaction networks - social interactions - the Internet and WWW. They can be represented in terms of nodes and edges connecting them. Important characteristics: - these networks are not random; they have a structured architecture. Structure of different networks are similar: - all have power law degree distribution (scale-free property) - despite large size there is usually relatively short path between any two nodes (small world property). Global characteristics: - degree distribution, clustering coefficient and the diameter. Local structure: - frequency of subgraphs of given type (subgraph of order k is a part of the network consisting of k nodes and edges between them). There are different types of subgraphs of the same order.

  6. WDM networking on a European Scale

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Parnis, Noel; Limal, Emmanuel; Hjelme, Dag R.

    1998-01-01

    Four different topological approaches to designing a pan-European optical network are discussed. For such an ultra-high capacity large-scale network, it is necessary to overcome physical path length limitations and to limit Optical Cross-Connect (OXC) complexity.......Four different topological approaches to designing a pan-European optical network are discussed. For such an ultra-high capacity large-scale network, it is necessary to overcome physical path length limitations and to limit Optical Cross-Connect (OXC) complexity....

  7. Querying Large Biological Network Datasets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gulsoy, Gunhan

    2013-01-01

    New experimental methods has resulted in increasing amount of genetic interaction data to be generated every day. Biological networks are used to store genetic interaction data gathered. Increasing amount of data available requires fast large scale analysis methods. Therefore, we address the problem of querying large biological network datasets.…

  8. Action Video Game Experience Related to Altered Large-Scale White Matter Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Diankun; Ma, Weiyi; Gong, Jinnan; He, Hui; Dong, Li; Zhang, Dan; Li, Jianfu; Luo, Cheng; Yao, Dezhong

    2017-01-01

    With action video games (AVGs) becoming increasingly popular worldwide, the cognitive benefits of AVG experience have attracted continuous research attention over the past two decades. Research has repeatedly shown that AVG experience can causally enhance cognitive ability and is related to neural plasticity in gray matter and functional networks in the brain. However, the relation between AVG experience and the plasticity of white matter (WM) network still remains unclear. WM network modulates the distribution of action potentials, coordinating the communication between brain regions and acting as the framework of neural networks. And various types of cognitive deficits are usually accompanied by impairments of WM networks. Thus, understanding this relation is essential in assessing the influence of AVG experience on neural plasticity and using AVG experience as an interventional tool for impairments of WM networks. Using graph theory, this study analyzed WM networks in AVG experts and amateurs. Results showed that AVG experience is related to altered WM networks in prefrontal networks, limbic system, and sensorimotor networks, which are related to cognitive control and sensorimotor functions. These results shed new light on the influence of AVG experience on the plasticity of WM networks and suggested the clinical applicability of AVG experience.

  9. Action Video Game Experience Related to Altered Large-Scale White Matter Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diankun Gong

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available With action video games (AVGs becoming increasingly popular worldwide, the cognitive benefits of AVG experience have attracted continuous research attention over the past two decades. Research has repeatedly shown that AVG experience can causally enhance cognitive ability and is related to neural plasticity in gray matter and functional networks in the brain. However, the relation between AVG experience and the plasticity of white matter (WM network still remains unclear. WM network modulates the distribution of action potentials, coordinating the communication between brain regions and acting as the framework of neural networks. And various types of cognitive deficits are usually accompanied by impairments of WM networks. Thus, understanding this relation is essential in assessing the influence of AVG experience on neural plasticity and using AVG experience as an interventional tool for impairments of WM networks. Using graph theory, this study analyzed WM networks in AVG experts and amateurs. Results showed that AVG experience is related to altered WM networks in prefrontal networks, limbic system, and sensorimotor networks, which are related to cognitive control and sensorimotor functions. These results shed new light on the influence of AVG experience on the plasticity of WM networks and suggested the clinical applicability of AVG experience.

  10. The Hierarchy of Brain Networks Is Related to Insulin Growth Factor-1 in a Large, Middle-Aged, Healthy Cohort: An Exploratory Magnetoencephalography Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sorrentino, Pierpaolo; Nieboer, Dagmar; Twisk, Jos W R; Stam, Cornelis J; Douw, Linda; Hillebrand, Arjan

    2017-06-01

    Recently, a large study demonstrated that lower serum levels of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) relate to brain atrophy and to a greater risk for developing Alzheimer's disease in a healthy elderly population. We set out to test if functional brain networks relate to IGF-1 levels in the middle aged. Hence, we studied the association between IGF-1 and magnetoencephalography-based functional network characteristics in a middle-aged population. The functional connections between brain areas were estimated for six frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha1, alpha2, beta, gamma) using the phase lag index. Subsequently, the topology of the frequency-specific functional networks was characterized using the minimum spanning tree. Our results showed that lower levels of serum IGF-1 relate to a globally less integrated functional network in the beta and theta band. The associations remained significant when correcting for gender and systemic effects of IGF-1 that might indirectly affect the brain. The value of this exploratory study is the demonstration that lower levels of IGF-1 are associated with brain network topology in the middle aged.

  11. Unifying Inference of Meso-Scale Structures in Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tunç, Birkan; Verma, Ragini

    2015-01-01

    Networks are among the most prevalent formal representations in scientific studies, employed to depict interactions between objects such as molecules, neuronal clusters, or social groups. Studies performed at meso-scale that involve grouping of objects based on their distinctive interaction patterns form one of the main lines of investigation in network science. In a social network, for instance, meso-scale structures can correspond to isolated social groupings or groups of individuals that serve as a communication core. Currently, the research on different meso-scale structures such as community and core-periphery structures has been conducted via independent approaches, which precludes the possibility of an algorithmic design that can handle multiple meso-scale structures and deciding which structure explains the observed data better. In this study, we propose a unified formulation for the algorithmic detection and analysis of different meso-scale structures. This facilitates the investigation of hybrid structures that capture the interplay between multiple meso-scale structures and statistical comparison of competing structures, all of which have been hitherto unavailable. We demonstrate the applicability of the methodology in analyzing the human brain network, by determining the dominant organizational structure (communities) of the brain, as well as its auxiliary characteristics (core-periphery).

  12. Unifying Inference of Meso-Scale Structures in Networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Birkan Tunç

    Full Text Available Networks are among the most prevalent formal representations in scientific studies, employed to depict interactions between objects such as molecules, neuronal clusters, or social groups. Studies performed at meso-scale that involve grouping of objects based on their distinctive interaction patterns form one of the main lines of investigation in network science. In a social network, for instance, meso-scale structures can correspond to isolated social groupings or groups of individuals that serve as a communication core. Currently, the research on different meso-scale structures such as community and core-periphery structures has been conducted via independent approaches, which precludes the possibility of an algorithmic design that can handle multiple meso-scale structures and deciding which structure explains the observed data better. In this study, we propose a unified formulation for the algorithmic detection and analysis of different meso-scale structures. This facilitates the investigation of hybrid structures that capture the interplay between multiple meso-scale structures and statistical comparison of competing structures, all of which have been hitherto unavailable. We demonstrate the applicability of the methodology in analyzing the human brain network, by determining the dominant organizational structure (communities of the brain, as well as its auxiliary characteristics (core-periphery.

  13. Hierarchical organization of brain functional networks during visual tasks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhuo, Zhao; Cai, Shi-Min; Fu, Zhong-Qian; Zhang, Jie

    2011-09-01

    The functional network of the brain is known to demonstrate modular structure over different hierarchical scales. In this paper, we systematically investigated the hierarchical modular organizations of the brain functional networks that are derived from the extent of phase synchronization among high-resolution EEG time series during a visual task. In particular, we compare the modular structure of the functional network from EEG channels with that of the anatomical parcellation of the brain cortex. Our results show that the modular architectures of brain functional networks correspond well to those from the anatomical structures over different levels of hierarchy. Most importantly, we find that the consistency between the modular structures of the functional network and the anatomical network becomes more pronounced in terms of vision, sensory, vision-temporal, motor cortices during the visual task, which implies that the strong modularity in these areas forms the functional basis for the visual task. The structure-function relationship further reveals that the phase synchronization of EEG time series in the same anatomical group is much stronger than that of EEG time series from different anatomical groups during the task and that the hierarchical organization of functional brain network may be a consequence of functional segmentation of the brain cortex.

  14. Brain networks of the imaginative mind: Dynamic functional connectivity of default and cognitive control networks relates to openness to experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beaty, Roger E; Chen, Qunlin; Christensen, Alexander P; Qiu, Jiang; Silvia, Paul J; Schacter, Daniel L

    2018-02-01

    Imagination and creative cognition are often associated with the brain's default network (DN). Recent evidence has also linked cognitive control systems to performance on tasks involving imagination and creativity, with a growing number of studies reporting functional interactions between cognitive control and DN regions. We sought to extend the emerging literature on brain dynamics supporting imagination by examining individual differences in large-scale network connectivity in relation to Openness to Experience, a personality trait typified by imagination and creativity. To this end, we obtained personality and resting-state fMRI data from two large samples of participants recruited from the United States and China, and we examined contributions of Openness to temporal shifts in default and cognitive control network interactions using multivariate structural equation modeling and dynamic functional network connectivity analysis. In Study 1, we found that Openness was related to the proportion of scan time (i.e., "dwell time") that participants spent in a brain state characterized by positive correlations among the default, executive, salience, and dorsal attention networks. Study 2 replicated and extended the effect of Openness on dwell time in a correlated brain state comparable to the state found in Study 1, and further demonstrated the robustness of this effect in latent variable models including fluid intelligence and other major personality factors. The findings suggest that Openness to Experience is associated with increased functional connectivity between default and cognitive control systems, a connectivity profile that may account for the enhanced imaginative and creative abilities of people high in Openness to Experience. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. The application of graph theoretical analysis to complex networks in the brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reijneveld, Jaap C; Ponten, Sophie C; Berendse, Henk W; Stam, Cornelis J

    2007-11-01

    Considering the brain as a complex network of interacting dynamical systems offers new insights into higher level brain processes such as memory, planning, and abstract reasoning as well as various types of brain pathophysiology. This viewpoint provides the opportunity to apply new insights in network sciences, such as the discovery of small world and scale free networks, to data on anatomical and functional connectivity in the brain. In this review we start with some background knowledge on the history and recent advances in network theories in general. We emphasize the correlation between the structural properties of networks and the dynamics of these networks. We subsequently demonstrate through evidence from computational studies, in vivo experiments, and functional MRI, EEG and MEG studies in humans, that both the functional and anatomical connectivity of the healthy brain have many features of a small world network, but only to a limited extent of a scale free network. The small world structure of neural networks is hypothesized to reflect an optimal configuration associated with rapid synchronization and information transfer, minimal wiring costs, resilience to certain types of damage, as well as a balance between local processing and global integration. Eventually, we review the current knowledge on the effects of focal and diffuse brain disease on neural network characteristics, and demonstrate increasing evidence that both cognitive and psychiatric disturbances, as well as risk of epileptic seizures, are correlated with (changes in) functional network architectural features.

  16. Whole-brain analytic measures of network communication reveal increased structure-function correlation in right temporal lobe epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wirsich, Jonathan; Perry, Alistair; Ridley, Ben; Proix, Timothée; Golos, Mathieu; Bénar, Christian; Ranjeva, Jean-Philippe; Bartolomei, Fabrice; Breakspear, Michael; Jirsa, Viktor; Guye, Maxime

    2016-01-01

    The in vivo structure-function relationship is key to understanding brain network reorganization due to pathologies. This relationship is likely to be particularly complex in brain network diseases such as temporal lobe epilepsy, in which disturbed large-scale systems are involved in both transient electrical events and long-lasting functional and structural impairments. Herein, we estimated this relationship by analyzing the correlation between structural connectivity and functional connectivity in terms of analytical network communication parameters. As such, we targeted the gradual topological structure-function reorganization caused by the pathology not only at the whole brain scale but also both in core and peripheral regions of the brain. We acquired diffusion (dMRI) and resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) data in seven right-lateralized TLE (rTLE) patients and fourteen healthy controls and analyzed the structure-function relationship by using analytical network communication metrics derived from the structural connectome. In rTLE patients, we found a widespread hypercorrelated functional network. Network communication analysis revealed greater unspecific branching of the shortest path (search information) in the structural connectome and a higher global correlation between the structural and functional connectivity for the patient group. We also found evidence for a preserved structural rich-club in the patient group. In sum, global augmentation of structure-function correlation might be linked to a smaller functional repertoire in rTLE patients, while sparing the central core of the brain which may represent a pathway that facilitates the spread of seizures.

  17. Hemispheric lateralization of topological organization in structural brain networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caeyenberghs, Karen; Leemans, Alexander

    2014-09-01

    The study on structural brain asymmetries in healthy individuals plays an important role in our understanding of the factors that modulate cognitive specialization in the brain. Here, we used fiber tractography to reconstruct the left and right hemispheric networks of a large cohort of 346 healthy participants (20-86 years) and performed a graph theoretical analysis to investigate this brain laterality from a network perspective. Findings revealed that the left hemisphere is significantly more "efficient" than the right hemisphere, whereas the right hemisphere showed higher values of "betweenness centrality" and "small-worldness." In particular, left-hemispheric networks displayed increased nodal efficiency in brain regions related to language and motor actions, whereas the right hemisphere showed an increase in nodal efficiency in brain regions involved in memory and visuospatial attention. In addition, we found that hemispheric networks decrease in efficiency with age. Finally, we observed significant gender differences in measures of global connectivity. By analyzing the structural hemispheric brain networks, we have provided new insights into understanding the neuroanatomical basis of lateralized brain functions. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Task-Related Edge Density (TED)-A New Method for Revealing Dynamic Network Formation in fMRI Data of the Human Brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lohmann, Gabriele; Stelzer, Johannes; Zuber, Verena; Buschmann, Tilo; Margulies, Daniel; Bartels, Andreas; Scheffler, Klaus

    2016-01-01

    The formation of transient networks in response to external stimuli or as a reflection of internal cognitive processes is a hallmark of human brain function. However, its identification in fMRI data of the human brain is notoriously difficult. Here we propose a new method of fMRI data analysis that tackles this problem by considering large-scale, task-related synchronisation networks. Networks consist of nodes and edges connecting them, where nodes correspond to voxels in fMRI data, and the weight of an edge is determined via task-related changes in dynamic synchronisation between their respective times series. Based on these definitions, we developed a new data analysis algorithm that identifies edges that show differing levels of synchrony between two distinct task conditions and that occur in dense packs with similar characteristics. Hence, we call this approach "Task-related Edge Density" (TED). TED proved to be a very strong marker for dynamic network formation that easily lends itself to statistical analysis using large scale statistical inference. A major advantage of TED compared to other methods is that it does not depend on any specific hemodynamic response model, and it also does not require a presegmentation of the data for dimensionality reduction as it can handle large networks consisting of tens of thousands of voxels. We applied TED to fMRI data of a fingertapping and an emotion processing task provided by the Human Connectome Project. TED revealed network-based involvement of a large number of brain areas that evaded detection using traditional GLM-based analysis. We show that our proposed method provides an entirely new window into the immense complexity of human brain function.

  19. Task-Related Edge Density (TED-A New Method for Revealing Dynamic Network Formation in fMRI Data of the Human Brain.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriele Lohmann

    Full Text Available The formation of transient networks in response to external stimuli or as a reflection of internal cognitive processes is a hallmark of human brain function. However, its identification in fMRI data of the human brain is notoriously difficult. Here we propose a new method of fMRI data analysis that tackles this problem by considering large-scale, task-related synchronisation networks. Networks consist of nodes and edges connecting them, where nodes correspond to voxels in fMRI data, and the weight of an edge is determined via task-related changes in dynamic synchronisation between their respective times series. Based on these definitions, we developed a new data analysis algorithm that identifies edges that show differing levels of synchrony between two distinct task conditions and that occur in dense packs with similar characteristics. Hence, we call this approach "Task-related Edge Density" (TED. TED proved to be a very strong marker for dynamic network formation that easily lends itself to statistical analysis using large scale statistical inference. A major advantage of TED compared to other methods is that it does not depend on any specific hemodynamic response model, and it also does not require a presegmentation of the data for dimensionality reduction as it can handle large networks consisting of tens of thousands of voxels. We applied TED to fMRI data of a fingertapping and an emotion processing task provided by the Human Connectome Project. TED revealed network-based involvement of a large number of brain areas that evaded detection using traditional GLM-based analysis. We show that our proposed method provides an entirely new window into the immense complexity of human brain function.

  20. Default network modulation and large-scale network interactivity in healthy young and old adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spreng, R Nathan; Schacter, Daniel L

    2012-11-01

    We investigated age-related changes in default, attention, and control network activity and their interactions in young and old adults. Brain activity during autobiographical and visuospatial planning was assessed using multivariate analysis and with intrinsic connectivity networks as regions of interest. In both groups, autobiographical planning engaged the default network while visuospatial planning engaged the attention network, consistent with a competition between the domains of internalized and externalized cognition. The control network was engaged for both planning tasks. In young subjects, the control network coupled with the default network during autobiographical planning and with the attention network during visuospatial planning. In old subjects, default-to-control network coupling was observed during both planning tasks, and old adults failed to deactivate the default network during visuospatial planning. This failure is not indicative of default network dysfunction per se, evidenced by default network engagement during autobiographical planning. Rather, a failure to modulate the default network in old adults is indicative of a lower degree of flexible network interactivity and reduced dynamic range of network modulation to changing task demands.

  1. Change in brain network connectivity during PACAP38-induced migraine attacks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Amin, Faisal Mohammad; Hougaard, Anders; Magon, Stefano

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To investigate resting-state functional connectivity in the salience network (SN), the sensorimotor network (SMN), and the default mode network (DMN) during migraine attacks induced by pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide-38 (PACAP38). METHODS: In a double-blind, randomized...... connectivity with the bilateral opercular part of the inferior frontal gyrus in the SN. In SMN, there was increased connectivity with the right premotor cortex and decreased connectivity with the left visual cortex. Several areas showed increased (left primary auditory, secondary somatosensory, premotor......, and visual cortices) and decreased (right cerebellum and left frontal lobe) connectivity with DMN. We found no resting-state network changes after VIP (n = 15). CONCLUSIONS: PACAP38-induced migraine attack is associated with altered connectivity of several large-scale functional networks of the brain....

  2. Graph analysis of structural brain networks in Alzheimer's disease: beyond small world properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    John, Majnu; Ikuta, Toshikazu; Ferbinteanu, Janina

    2017-03-01

    Changes in brain connectivity in patients with early Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been investigated using graph analysis. However, these studies were based on small data sets, explored a limited range of network parameters, and did not focus on more restricted sub-networks, where neurodegenerative processes may introduce more prominent alterations. In this study, we constructed structural brain networks out of 87 regions using data from 135 healthy elders and 100 early AD patients selected from the Open Access Series of Imaging Studies (OASIS) database. We evaluated the graph properties of these networks by investigating metrics of network efficiency, small world properties, segregation, product measures of complexity, and entropy. Because degenerative processes take place at different rates in different brain areas, analysis restricted to sub-networks may reveal changes otherwise undetected. Therefore, we first analyzed the graph properties of a network encompassing all brain areas considered together, and then repeated the analysis after dividing the brain areas into two sub-networks constructed by applying a clustering algorithm. At the level of large scale network, the analysis did not reveal differences between AD patients and controls. In contrast, the same analysis performed on the two sub-networks revealed that small worldness diminished with AD only in the sub-network containing the areas of medial temporal lobe known to be heaviest and earliest affected. The second sub-network, which did not present significant AD-induced modifications of 'classical' small world parameters, nonetheless showed a trend towards an increase in small world propensity, a novel metric that unbiasedly quantifies small world structure. Beyond small world properties, complexity and entropy measures indicated that the intricacy of connection patterns and structural diversity decreased in both sub-networks. These results show that neurodegenerative processes impact volumetric

  3. A large scale analysis of information-theoretic network complexity measures using chemical structures.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthias Dehmer

    Full Text Available This paper aims to investigate information-theoretic network complexity measures which have already been intensely used in mathematical- and medicinal chemistry including drug design. Numerous such measures have been developed so far but many of them lack a meaningful interpretation, e.g., we want to examine which kind of structural information they detect. Therefore, our main contribution is to shed light on the relatedness between some selected information measures for graphs by performing a large scale analysis using chemical networks. Starting from several sets containing real and synthetic chemical structures represented by graphs, we study the relatedness between a classical (partition-based complexity measure called the topological information content of a graph and some others inferred by a different paradigm leading to partition-independent measures. Moreover, we evaluate the uniqueness of network complexity measures numerically. Generally, a high uniqueness is an important and desirable property when designing novel topological descriptors having the potential to be applied to large chemical databases.

  4. Disrupted topological properties of brain white matter networks in left temporal lobe epilepsy: a diffusion tensor imaging study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Y; Qiu, S; Wang, J; Liu, Z; Zhang, R; Li, S; Cheng, L; Liu, Z; Wang, W; Huang, R

    2014-10-24

    Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) is the most common drug-refractory focal epilepsy in adults. Although previous functional and morphological studies have revealed abnormalities in the brain networks of mTLE, the topological organization of the brain white matter (WM) networks in mTLE patients is still ambiguous. In this study, we constructed brain WM networks for 14 left mTLE patients and 22 age- and gender-matched normal controls using diffusion tensor tractography and estimated the alterations of network properties in the mTLE brain networks using graph theoretical analysis. We found that networks for both the mTLE patients and the controls exhibited prominent small-world properties, suggesting a balanced topology of integration and segregation. However, the brain WM networks of mTLE patients showed a significant increased characteristic path length but significant decreased global efficiency, which indicate a disruption in the organization of the brain WM networks in mTLE patients. Moreover, we found significant between-group differences in the nodal properties in several brain regions, such as the left superior temporal gyrus, left hippocampus, the right occipital and right temporal cortices. The robustness analysis showed that the results were likely to be consistent for the networks constructed with different definitions of node and edge weight. Taken together, our findings may suggest an adverse effect of epileptic seizures on the organization of large-scale brain WM networks in mTLE patients. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Structure-function relationship in complex brain networks expressed by hierarchical synchronization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Changsong; Zemanova, Lucia; Zamora-Lopez, Gorka; Hilgetag, Claus C; Kurths, Juergen

    2007-01-01

    The brain is one of the most complex systems in nature, with a structured complex connectivity. Recently, large-scale corticocortical connectivities, both structural and functional, have received a great deal of research attention, especially using the approach of complex network analysis. Understanding the relationship between structural and functional connectivity is of crucial importance in neuroscience. Here we try to illuminate this relationship by studying synchronization dynamics in a realistic anatomical network of cat cortical connectivity. We model the nodes (cortical areas) by a neural mass model (population model) or by a subnetwork of interacting excitable neurons (multilevel model). We show that if the dynamics is characterized by well-defined oscillations (neural mass model and subnetworks with strong couplings), the synchronization patterns are mainly determined by the node intensity (total input strengths of a node) and the detailed network topology is rather irrelevant. On the other hand, the multilevel model with weak couplings displays more irregular, biologically plausible dynamics, and the synchronization patterns reveal a hierarchical cluster organization in the network structure. The relationship between structural and functional connectivity at different levels of synchronization is explored. Thus, the study of synchronization in a multilevel complex network model of cortex can provide insights into the relationship between network topology and functional organization of complex brain networks

  6. Structure-function relationship in complex brain networks expressed by hierarchical synchronization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou Changsong [Institute of Physics, University of Potsdam, PF 601553, 14415 Potsdam (Germany); Zemanova, Lucia [Institute of Physics, University of Potsdam, PF 601553, 14415 Potsdam (Germany); Zamora-Lopez, Gorka [Institute of Physics, University of Potsdam, PF 601553, 14415 Potsdam (Germany); Hilgetag, Claus C [Jacobs University Bremen, Campus Ring 6, Rm 116, D-28759 Bremen (Germany); Kurths, Juergen [Institute of Physics, University of Potsdam, PF 601553, 14415 Potsdam (Germany)

    2007-06-15

    The brain is one of the most complex systems in nature, with a structured complex connectivity. Recently, large-scale corticocortical connectivities, both structural and functional, have received a great deal of research attention, especially using the approach of complex network analysis. Understanding the relationship between structural and functional connectivity is of crucial importance in neuroscience. Here we try to illuminate this relationship by studying synchronization dynamics in a realistic anatomical network of cat cortical connectivity. We model the nodes (cortical areas) by a neural mass model (population model) or by a subnetwork of interacting excitable neurons (multilevel model). We show that if the dynamics is characterized by well-defined oscillations (neural mass model and subnetworks with strong couplings), the synchronization patterns are mainly determined by the node intensity (total input strengths of a node) and the detailed network topology is rather irrelevant. On the other hand, the multilevel model with weak couplings displays more irregular, biologically plausible dynamics, and the synchronization patterns reveal a hierarchical cluster organization in the network structure. The relationship between structural and functional connectivity at different levels of synchronization is explored. Thus, the study of synchronization in a multilevel complex network model of cortex can provide insights into the relationship between network topology and functional organization of complex brain networks.

  7. Task-Related Edge Density (TED)—A New Method for Revealing Dynamic Network Formation in fMRI Data of the Human Brain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lohmann, Gabriele; Stelzer, Johannes; Zuber, Verena; Buschmann, Tilo; Margulies, Daniel; Bartels, Andreas; Scheffler, Klaus

    2016-01-01

    The formation of transient networks in response to external stimuli or as a reflection of internal cognitive processes is a hallmark of human brain function. However, its identification in fMRI data of the human brain is notoriously difficult. Here we propose a new method of fMRI data analysis that tackles this problem by considering large-scale, task-related synchronisation networks. Networks consist of nodes and edges connecting them, where nodes correspond to voxels in fMRI data, and the weight of an edge is determined via task-related changes in dynamic synchronisation between their respective times series. Based on these definitions, we developed a new data analysis algorithm that identifies edges that show differing levels of synchrony between two distinct task conditions and that occur in dense packs with similar characteristics. Hence, we call this approach “Task-related Edge Density” (TED). TED proved to be a very strong marker for dynamic network formation that easily lends itself to statistical analysis using large scale statistical inference. A major advantage of TED compared to other methods is that it does not depend on any specific hemodynamic response model, and it also does not require a presegmentation of the data for dimensionality reduction as it can handle large networks consisting of tens of thousands of voxels. We applied TED to fMRI data of a fingertapping and an emotion processing task provided by the Human Connectome Project. TED revealed network-based involvement of a large number of brain areas that evaded detection using traditional GLM-based analysis. We show that our proposed method provides an entirely new window into the immense complexity of human brain function. PMID:27341204

  8. How the amygdala affects emotional memory by altering brain network properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hermans, Erno J; Battaglia, Francesco P; Atsak, Piray; de Voogd, Lycia D; Fernández, Guillén; Roozendaal, Benno

    2014-07-01

    The amygdala has long been known to play a key role in supporting memory for emotionally arousing experiences. For example, classical fear conditioning depends on neural plasticity within this anterior medial temporal lobe region. Beneficial effects of emotional arousal on memory, however, are not restricted to simple associative learning. Our recollection of emotional experiences often includes rich representations of, e.g., spatiotemporal context, visceral states, and stimulus-response associations. Critically, such memory features are known to bear heavily on regions elsewhere in the brain. These observations led to the modulation account of amygdala function, which postulates that amygdala activation enhances memory consolidation by facilitating neural plasticity and information storage processes in its target regions. Rodent work in past decades has identified the most important brain regions and neurochemical processes involved in these modulatory actions, and neuropsychological and neuroimaging work in humans has produced a large body of convergent data. Importantly, recent methodological developments make it increasingly realistic to monitor neural interactions underlying such modulatory effects as they unfold. For instance, functional connectivity network modeling in humans has demonstrated how information exchanges between the amygdala and specific target regions occur within the context of large-scale neural network interactions. Furthermore, electrophysiological and optogenetic techniques in rodents are beginning to make it possible to quantify and even manipulate such interactions with millisecond precision. In this paper we will discuss that these developments will likely lead to an updated view of the amygdala as a critical nexus within large-scale networks supporting different aspects of memory processing for emotionally arousing experiences. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Default mode network as a potential biomarker of chemotherapy-related brain injury

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kesler, Shelli R.

    2014-01-01

    Chronic medical conditions and/or their treatments may interact with aging to alter or even accelerate brain senescence. Adult onset cancer, for example, is a disease associated with advanced aging and emerging evidence suggests a profile of subtle but diffuse brain injury following cancer chemotherapy. Breast cancer is currently the primary model for studying these “chemobrain” effects. Given the widespread changes to brain structure and function as well as the common impairment of integrated cognitive skills observed following breast cancer chemotherapy, it is likely that large-scale brain networks are involved. Default mode network (DMN) is a strong candidate considering its preferential vulnerability to aging and sensitivity to toxicity and disease states. Additionally, chemotherapy is associated with several physiologic effects including increased inflammation and oxidative stress that are believed to elevate toxicity in the DMN. Biomarkers of DMN connectivity could aid in the development of treatments for chemotherapy-related cognitive decline. For example, certain nutritional interventions could potentially reduce the metabolic changes (e.g. amyloid beta toxicity) associated with DMN disruption. PMID:24913897

  10. On a digital wireless impact-monitoring network for large-scale composite structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yuan, Shenfang; Mei, Hanfei; Qiu, Lei; Ren, Yuanqiang

    2014-01-01

    Impact, which may occur during manufacture, service or maintenance, is one of the major concerns to be monitored throughout the lifetime of aircraft composite structures. Aiming at monitoring impacts online while minimizing the weight added to the aircraft to meet the strict limitations of aerospace engineering, this paper puts forward a new digital wireless network based on miniaturized wireless digital impact-monitoring nodes developed for large-scale composite structures. In addition to investigations on the design methods of the network architecture, time synchronization and implementation method, a conflict resolution method based on the feature parameters of digital sequences is first presented to address impact localization conflicts when several nodes are arranged close together. To verify the feasibility and stability of the wireless network, experiments are performed on a complex aircraft composite wing box and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) composite wing. Experimental results show the successful design of the presented network. (paper)

  11. Brain network dysregulation, emotion, and complaints after mild traumatic brain injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Horn, Harm J; Liemburg, Edith J; Scheenen, Myrthe E; de Koning, Myrthe E; Marsman, Jan-Bernard C; Spikman, Jacoba M; van der Naalt, Joukje

    2016-04-01

    To assess the role of brain networks in emotion regulation and post-traumatic complaints in the sub-acute phase after non-complicated mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Fifty-four patients with mTBI (34 with and 20 without complaints) and 20 healthy controls (group-matched for age, sex, education, and handedness) were included. Resting-state fMRI was performed at four weeks post-injury. Static and dynamic functional connectivity were studied within and between the default mode, executive (frontoparietal and bilateral frontal network), and salience network. The hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) was used to measure anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D). Regarding within-network functional connectivity, none of the selected brain networks were different between groups. Regarding between-network interactions, patients with complaints exhibited lower functional connectivity between the bilateral frontal and salience network compared to patients without complaints. In the total patient group, higher HADS-D scores were related to lower functional connectivity between the bilateral frontal network and both the right frontoparietal and salience network, and to higher connectivity between the right frontoparietal and salience network. Furthermore, whereas higher HADS-D scores were associated with lower connectivity within the parietal midline areas of the bilateral frontal network, higher HADS-A scores were related to lower connectivity within medial prefrontal areas of the bilateral frontal network. Functional interactions of the executive and salience networks were related to emotion regulation and complaints after mTBI, with a key role for the bilateral frontal network. These findings may have implications for future studies on the effect of psychological interventions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Received signal strength in large-scale wireless relay sensor network: a stochastic ray approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hu, L.; Chen, Y.; Scanlon, W.G.

    2011-01-01

    The authors consider a point percolation lattice representation of a large-scale wireless relay sensor network (WRSN) deployed in a cluttered environment. Each relay sensor corresponds to a grid point in the random lattice and the signal sent by the source is modelled as an ensemble of photons that

  13. Large-scale information flow in conscious and unconscious states: an ECoG study in monkeys.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Toru Yanagawa

    Full Text Available Consciousness is an emergent property of the complex brain network. In order to understand how consciousness is constructed, neural interactions within this network must be elucidated. Previous studies have shown that specific neural interactions between the thalamus and frontoparietal cortices; frontal and parietal cortices; and parietal and temporal cortices are correlated with levels of consciousness. However, due to technical limitations, the network underlying consciousness has not been investigated in terms of large-scale interactions with high temporal and spectral resolution. In this study, we recorded neural activity with dense electrocorticogram (ECoG arrays and used the spectral Granger causality to generate a more comprehensive network that relates to consciousness in monkeys. We found that neural interactions were significantly different between conscious and unconscious states in all combinations of cortical region pairs. Furthermore, the difference in neural interactions between conscious and unconscious states could be represented in 4 frequency-specific large-scale networks with unique interaction patterns: 2 networks were related to consciousness and showed peaks in alpha and beta bands, while the other 2 networks were related to unconsciousness and showed peaks in theta and gamma bands. Moreover, networks in the unconscious state were shared amongst 3 different unconscious conditions, which were induced either by ketamine and medetomidine, propofol, or sleep. Our results provide a novel picture that the difference between conscious and unconscious states is characterized by a switch in frequency-specific modes of large-scale communications across the entire cortex, rather than the cessation of interactions between specific cortical regions.

  14. Urban Freight Management with Stochastic Time-Dependent Travel Times and Application to Large-Scale Transportation Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shichao Sun

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper addressed the vehicle routing problem (VRP in large-scale urban transportation networks with stochastic time-dependent (STD travel times. The subproblem which is how to find the optimal path connecting any pair of customer nodes in a STD network was solved through a robust approach without requiring the probability distributions of link travel times. Based on that, the proposed STD-VRP model can be converted into solving a normal time-dependent VRP (TD-VRP, and algorithms for such TD-VRPs can also be introduced to obtain the solution. Numerical experiments were conducted to address STD-VRPTW of practical sizes on a real world urban network, demonstrated here on the road network of Shenzhen, China. The stochastic time-dependent link travel times of the network were calibrated by historical floating car data. A route construction algorithm was applied to solve the STD problem in 4 delivery scenarios efficiently. The computational results showed that the proposed STD-VRPTW model can improve the level of customer service by satisfying the time-window constraint under any circumstances. The improvement can be very significant especially for large-scale network delivery tasks with no more increase in cost and environmental impacts.

  15. Detecting Large-Scale Brain Networks Using EEG: Impact of Electrode Density, Head Modeling and Source Localization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Quanying; Ganzetti, Marco; Wenderoth, Nicole; Mantini, Dante

    2018-01-01

    Resting state networks (RSNs) in the human brain were recently detected using high-density electroencephalography (hdEEG). This was done by using an advanced analysis workflow to estimate neural signals in the cortex and to assess functional connectivity (FC) between distant cortical regions. FC analyses were conducted either using temporal (tICA) or spatial independent component analysis (sICA). Notably, EEG-RSNs obtained with sICA were very similar to RSNs retrieved with sICA from functional magnetic resonance imaging data. It still remains to be clarified, however, what technological aspects of hdEEG acquisition and analysis primarily influence this correspondence. Here we examined to what extent the detection of EEG-RSN maps by sICA depends on the electrode density, the accuracy of the head model, and the source localization algorithm employed. Our analyses revealed that the collection of EEG data using a high-density montage is crucial for RSN detection by sICA, but also the use of appropriate methods for head modeling and source localization have a substantial effect on RSN reconstruction. Overall, our results confirm the potential of hdEEG for mapping the functional architecture of the human brain, and highlight at the same time the interplay between acquisition technology and innovative solutions in data analysis. PMID:29551969

  16. The Effect of Souvenaid on Functional Brain Network Organisation in Patients with Mild Alzheimer's Disease: A Randomised Controlled Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Waal, H.; Stam, C.J.; Lansbergen, M.M.; Wieggers, R.L.; Kamphuis, P.J.G.H.; Scheltens, P.; Maestu, F.; van Straaten, E.C.W.

    2014-01-01

    Background: Synaptic loss is a major hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Disturbed organisation of large-scale functional brain networks in AD might reflect synaptic loss and disrupted neuronal communication. The medical food Souvenaid, containing the specific nutrient combination Fortasyn

  17. Large-Scale Brain Simulation and Disorders of Consciousness. Mapping Technical and Conceptual Issues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michele Farisco

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Modeling and simulations have gained a leading position in contemporary attempts to describe, explain, and quantitatively predict the human brain’s operations. Computer models are highly sophisticated tools developed to achieve an integrated knowledge of the brain with the aim of overcoming the actual fragmentation resulting from different neuroscientific approaches. In this paper we investigate the plausibility of simulation technologies for emulation of consciousness and the potential clinical impact of large-scale brain simulation on the assessment and care of disorders of consciousness (DOCs, e.g., Coma, Vegetative State/Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome, Minimally Conscious State. Notwithstanding their technical limitations, we suggest that simulation technologies may offer new solutions to old practical problems, particularly in clinical contexts. We take DOCs as an illustrative case, arguing that the simulation of neural correlates of consciousness is potentially useful for improving treatments of patients with DOCs.

  18. Brain Network Modelling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Kasper Winther

    Three main topics are presented in this thesis. The first and largest topic concerns network modelling of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI). In particular nonparametric Bayesian methods are used to model brain networks derived from resting state f...... for their ability to reproduce node clustering and predict unseen data. Comparing the models on whole brain networks, BCD and IRM showed better reproducibility and predictability than IDM, suggesting that resting state networks exhibit community structure. This also points to the importance of using models, which...... allow for complex interactions between all pairs of clusters. In addition, it is demonstrated how the IRM can be used for segmenting brain structures into functionally coherent clusters. A new nonparametric Bayesian network model is presented. The model builds upon the IRM and can be used to infer...

  19. Origin of hyperbolicity in brain-to-brain coordination networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tadić, Bosiljka; Andjelković, Miroslav; Šuvakov, Milovan

    2018-02-01

    Hyperbolicity or negative curvature of complex networks is the intrinsic geometric proximity of nodes in the graph metric space, which implies an improved network function. Here, we investigate hidden combinatorial geometries in brain-to-brain coordination networks arising through social communications. The networks originate from correlations among EEG signals previously recorded during spoken communications comprising of 14 individuals with 24 speaker-listener pairs. We find that the corresponding networks are delta-hyperbolic with delta_max=1 and the graph diameter D=3 in each brain. While the emergent hyperbolicity in the two-brain networks satisfies delta_max/D/2 neuronal correlation patterns ranging from weak coordination to super-brain structure. These topology features are in qualitative agreement with the listener’s self-reported ratings of own experience and quality of the speaker, suggesting that studies of the cross-brain connector networks can reveal new insight into the neural mechanisms underlying human social behavior.

  20. Harnessing diversity towards the reconstructing of large scale gene regulatory networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takeshi Hase

    Full Text Available Elucidating gene regulatory network (GRN from large scale experimental data remains a central challenge in systems biology. Recently, numerous techniques, particularly consensus driven approaches combining different algorithms, have become a potentially promising strategy to infer accurate GRNs. Here, we develop a novel consensus inference algorithm, TopkNet that can integrate multiple algorithms to infer GRNs. Comprehensive performance benchmarking on a cloud computing framework demonstrated that (i a simple strategy to combine many algorithms does not always lead to performance improvement compared to the cost of consensus and (ii TopkNet integrating only high-performance algorithms provide significant performance improvement compared to the best individual algorithms and community prediction. These results suggest that a priori determination of high-performance algorithms is a key to reconstruct an unknown regulatory network. Similarity among gene-expression datasets can be useful to determine potential optimal algorithms for reconstruction of unknown regulatory networks, i.e., if expression-data associated with known regulatory network is similar to that with unknown regulatory network, optimal algorithms determined for the known regulatory network can be repurposed to infer the unknown regulatory network. Based on this observation, we developed a quantitative measure of similarity among gene-expression datasets and demonstrated that, if similarity between the two expression datasets is high, TopkNet integrating algorithms that are optimal for known dataset perform well on the unknown dataset. The consensus framework, TopkNet, together with the similarity measure proposed in this study provides a powerful strategy towards harnessing the wisdom of the crowds in reconstruction of unknown regulatory networks.

  1. Aberrant topological patterns of brain structural network in temporal lobe epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yasuda, Clarissa Lin; Chen, Zhang; Beltramini, Guilherme Coco; Coan, Ana Carolina; Morita, Marcia Elisabete; Kubota, Bruno; Bergo, Felipe; Beaulieu, Christian; Cendes, Fernando; Gross, Donald William

    2015-12-01

    Although altered large-scale brain network organization in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) has been shown using morphologic measurements such as cortical thickness, these studies, have not included critical subcortical structures (such as hippocampus and amygdala) and have had relatively small sample sizes. Here, we investigated differences in topological organization of the brain volumetric networks between patients with right TLE (RTLE) and left TLE (LTLE) with unilateral hippocampal atrophy. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 86 LTLE patients, 70 RTLE patients, and 116 controls. RTLE and LTLE groups were balanced for gender (p = 0.64), seizure frequency (Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.94), age (p = 0.39), age of seizure onset (p = 0.21), and duration of disease (p = 0.69). Brain networks were constructed by thresholding correlation matrices of volumes from 80 cortical/subcortical regions (parcellated with Freesurfer v5.3 https://surfer.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/) that were then analyzed using graph theoretical approaches. We identified reduced cortical/subcortical connectivity including bilateral hippocampus in both TLE groups, with the most significant interregional correlation increases occurring within the limbic system in LTLE and contralateral hemisphere in RTLE. Both TLE groups demonstrated less optimal topological organization, with decreased global efficiency and increased local efficiency and clustering coefficient. LTLE also displayed a more pronounced network disruption. Contrary to controls, hub nodes in both TLE groups were not distributed across whole brain, but rather found primarily in the paralimbic/limbic and temporal association cortices. Regions with increased centrality were concentrated in occipital lobes for LTLE and contralateral limbic/temporal areas for RTLE. These findings provide first evidence of altered topological organization of the whole brain volumetric network in TLE, with disruption of the coordinated patterns of

  2. Control networks and hubs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gratton, Caterina; Sun, Haoxin; Petersen, Steven E

    2018-03-01

    Executive control functions are associated with frontal, parietal, cingulate, and insular brain regions that interact through distributed large-scale networks. Here, we discuss how fMRI functional connectivity can shed light on the organization of control networks and how they interact with other parts of the brain. In the first section of our review, we present convergent evidence from fMRI functional connectivity, activation, and lesion studies that there are multiple dissociable control networks in the brain with distinct functional properties. In the second section, we discuss how graph theoretical concepts can help illuminate the mechanisms by which control networks interact with other brain regions to carry out goal-directed functions, focusing on the role of specialized hub regions for mediating cross-network interactions. Again, we use a combination of functional connectivity, lesion, and task activation studies to bolster this claim. We conclude that a large-scale network perspective provides important neurobiological constraints on the neural underpinnings of executive control, which will guide future basic and translational research into executive function and its disruption in disease. © 2017 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

  3. FROM BRAIN DRAIN TO BRAIN NETWORKING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irina BONCEA

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Scientific networking is the most accessible way a country can turn the brain drain into brain gain. Diaspora’s members offer valuable information, advice or financial support from the destination country, without being necessary to return. This article aims to investigate Romania’s potential of turning brain drain into brain networking, using evidence from the medical sector. The main factors influencing the collaboration with the country of origin are investigated. The conclusions suggest that Romania could benefit from the diaspora option, through an active implication at institutional level and the implementation of a strategy in this area.

  4. Mechanism of Cerebralcare Granule® for Improving Cognitive Function in Resting-State Brain Functional Networks of Sub-healthy Subjects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Li

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Cerebralcare Granule® (CG, a Chinese herbal medicine, has been used to ameliorate cognitive impairment induced by ischemia or mental disorders. The ability of CG to improve health status and cognitive function has drawn researchers' attention, but the relevant brain circuits that underlie the ameliorative effects of CG remain unclear. The present study aimed to explore the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of CG in ameliorating cognitive function in sub-healthy subjects using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI. Thirty sub-healthy participants were instructed to take one 2.5-g package of CG three times a day for 3 months. Clinical cognitive functions were assessed with the Chinese Revised Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-RC and Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS, and fMRI scans were performed at baseline and the end of intervention. Functional brain network data were analyzed by conventional network metrics (CNM and frequent subgraph mining (FSM. Then 21 other sub-healthy participants were enrolled as a blank control group of cognitive functional. We found that administrating CG can improve the full scale of intelligence quotient (FIQ and Memory Quotient (MQ scores. At the same time, following CG treatment, in CG group, the topological properties of functional brain networks were altered in various frontal, temporal, occipital cortex regions, and several subcortical brain regions, including essential components of the executive attention network, the salience network, and the sensory-motor network. The nodes involved in the FSM results were largely consistent with the CNM findings, and the changes in nodal metrics correlated with improved cognitive function. These findings indicate that CG can improve sub-healthy subjects' cognitive function through altering brain functional networks. These results provide a foundation for future studies of the potential physiological mechanism of CG.

  5. Implementation of Cyberinfrastructure and Data Management Workflow for a Large-Scale Sensor Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, A. S.; Horsburgh, J. S.

    2014-12-01

    Monitoring with in situ environmental sensors and other forms of field-based observation presents many challenges for data management, particularly for large-scale networks consisting of multiple sites, sensors, and personnel. The availability and utility of these data in addressing scientific questions relies on effective cyberinfrastructure that facilitates transformation of raw sensor data into functional data products. It also depends on the ability of researchers to share and access the data in useable formats. In addition to addressing the challenges presented by the quantity of data, monitoring networks need practices to ensure high data quality, including procedures and tools for post processing. Data quality is further enhanced if practitioners are able to track equipment, deployments, calibrations, and other events related to site maintenance and associate these details with observational data. In this presentation we will describe the overall workflow that we have developed for research groups and sites conducting long term monitoring using in situ sensors. Features of the workflow include: software tools to automate the transfer of data from field sites to databases, a Python-based program for data quality control post-processing, a web-based application for online discovery and visualization of data, and a data model and web interface for managing physical infrastructure. By automating the data management workflow, the time from collection to analysis is reduced and sharing and publication is facilitated. The incorporation of metadata standards and descriptions and the use of open-source tools enhances the sustainability and reusability of the data. We will describe the workflow and tools that we have developed in the context of the iUTAH (innovative Urban Transitions and Aridregion Hydrosustainability) monitoring network. The iUTAH network consists of aquatic and climate sensors deployed in three watersheds to monitor Gradients Along Mountain to Urban

  6. Driving and driven architectures of directed small-world human brain functional networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chaogan Yan

    Full Text Available Recently, increasing attention has been focused on the investigation of the human brain connectome that describes the patterns of structural and functional connectivity networks of the human brain. Many studies of the human connectome have demonstrated that the brain network follows a small-world topology with an intrinsically cohesive modular structure and includes several network hubs in the medial parietal regions. However, most of these studies have only focused on undirected connections between regions in which the directions of information flow are not taken into account. How the brain regions causally influence each other and how the directed network of human brain is topologically organized remain largely unknown. Here, we applied linear multivariate Granger causality analysis (GCA and graph theoretical approaches to a resting-state functional MRI dataset with a large cohort of young healthy participants (n = 86 to explore connectivity patterns of the population-based whole-brain functional directed network. This directed brain network exhibited prominent small-world properties, which obviously improved previous results of functional MRI studies showing weak small-world properties in the directed brain networks in terms of a kernel-based GCA and individual analysis. This brain network also showed significant modular structures associated with 5 well known subsystems: fronto-parietal, visual, paralimbic/limbic, subcortical and primary systems. Importantly, we identified several driving hubs predominantly located in the components of the attentional network (e.g., the inferior frontal gyrus, supplementary motor area, insula and fusiform gyrus and several driven hubs predominantly located in the components of the default mode network (e.g., the precuneus, posterior cingulate gyrus, medial prefrontal cortex and inferior parietal lobule. Further split-half analyses indicated that our results were highly reproducible between two

  7. Sex differences in normal age trajectories of functional brain networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheinost, Dustin; Finn, Emily S; Tokoglu, Fuyuze; Shen, Xilin; Papademetris, Xenophon; Hampson, Michelle; Constable, R Todd

    2015-04-01

    Resting-state functional magnetic resonance image (rs-fMRI) is increasingly used to study functional brain networks. Nevertheless, variability in these networks due to factors such as sex and aging is not fully understood. This study explored sex differences in normal age trajectories of resting-state networks (RSNs) using a novel voxel-wise measure of functional connectivity, the intrinsic connectivity distribution (ICD). Males and females showed differential patterns of changing connectivity in large-scale RSNs during normal aging from early adulthood to late middle-age. In some networks, such as the default-mode network, males and females both showed decreases in connectivity with age, albeit at different rates. In other networks, such as the fronto-parietal network, males and females showed divergent connectivity trajectories with age. Main effects of sex and age were found in many of the same regions showing sex-related differences in aging. Finally, these sex differences in aging trajectories were robust to choice of preprocessing strategy, such as global signal regression. Our findings resolve some discrepancies in the literature, especially with respect to the trajectory of connectivity in the default mode, which can be explained by our observed interactions between sex and aging. Overall, results indicate that RSNs show different aging trajectories for males and females. Characterizing effects of sex and age on RSNs are critical first steps in understanding the functional organization of the human brain. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Normalization of similarity-based individual brain networks from gray matter MRI and its association with neurodevelopment in infants with intrauterine growth restriction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batalle, Dafnis; Muñoz-Moreno, Emma; Figueras, Francesc; Bargallo, Nuria; Eixarch, Elisenda; Gratacos, Eduard

    2013-12-01

    Obtaining individual biomarkers for the prediction of altered neurological outcome is a challenge of modern medicine and neuroscience. Connectomics based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) stands as a good candidate to exhaustively extract information from MRI by integrating the information obtained in a few network features that can be used as individual biomarkers of neurological outcome. However, this approach typically requires the use of diffusion and/or functional MRI to extract individual brain networks, which require high acquisition times and present an extreme sensitivity to motion artifacts, critical problems when scanning fetuses and infants. Extraction of individual networks based on morphological similarity from gray matter is a new approach that benefits from the power of graph theory analysis to describe gray matter morphology as a large-scale morphological network from a typical clinical anatomic acquisition such as T1-weighted MRI. In the present paper we propose a methodology to normalize these large-scale morphological networks to a brain network with standardized size based on a parcellation scheme. The proposed methodology was applied to reconstruct individual brain networks of 63 one-year-old infants, 41 infants with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and 22 controls, showing altered network features in the IUGR group, and their association with neurodevelopmental outcome at two years of age by means of ordinal regression analysis of the network features obtained with Bayley Scale for Infant and Toddler Development, third edition. Although it must be more widely assessed, this methodology stands as a good candidate for the development of biomarkers for altered neurodevelopment in the pediatric population. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. A Large-Scale Multi-Hop Localization Algorithm Based on Regularized Extreme Learning for Wireless Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Wei; Yan, Xiaoyong; Zhao, Wei; Qian, Chengshan

    2017-12-20

    A novel large-scale multi-hop localization algorithm based on regularized extreme learning is proposed in this paper. The large-scale multi-hop localization problem is formulated as a learning problem. Unlike other similar localization algorithms, the proposed algorithm overcomes the shortcoming of the traditional algorithms which are only applicable to an isotropic network, therefore has a strong adaptability to the complex deployment environment. The proposed algorithm is composed of three stages: data acquisition, modeling and location estimation. In data acquisition stage, the training information between nodes of the given network is collected. In modeling stage, the model among the hop-counts and the physical distances between nodes is constructed using regularized extreme learning. In location estimation stage, each node finds its specific location in a distributed manner. Theoretical analysis and several experiments show that the proposed algorithm can adapt to the different topological environments with low computational cost. Furthermore, high accuracy can be achieved by this method without setting complex parameters.

  10. Network Theory and Effects of Transcranial Brain Stimulation Methods on the Brain Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sema Demirci

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, there has been a shift from classic localizational approaches to new approaches where the brain is considered as a complex system. Therefore, there has been an increase in the number of studies involving collaborations with other areas of neurology in order to develop methods to understand the complex systems. One of the new approaches is graphic theory that has principles based on mathematics and physics. According to this theory, the functional-anatomical connections of the brain are defined as a network. Moreover, transcranial brain stimulation techniques are amongst the recent research and treatment methods that have been commonly used in recent years. Changes that occur as a result of applying brain stimulation techniques on physiological and pathological networks help better understand the normal and abnormal functions of the brain, especially when combined with techniques such as neuroimaging and electroencephalography. This review aims to provide an overview of the applications of graphic theory and related parameters, studies conducted on brain functions in neurology and neuroscience, and applications of brain stimulation systems in the changing treatment of brain network models and treatment of pathological networks defined on the basis of this theory.

  11. Secure Data Aggregation with Fully Homomorphic Encryption in Large-Scale Wireless Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xing Li

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available With the rapid development of wireless communication technology, sensor technology, information acquisition and processing technology, sensor networks will finally have a deep influence on all aspects of people’s lives. The battery resources of sensor nodes should be managed efficiently in order to prolong network lifetime in large-scale wireless sensor networks (LWSNs. Data aggregation represents an important method to remove redundancy as well as unnecessary data transmission and hence cut down the energy used in communication. As sensor nodes are deployed in hostile environments, the security of the sensitive information such as confidentiality and integrity should be considered. This paper proposes Fully homomorphic Encryption based Secure data Aggregation (FESA in LWSNs which can protect end-to-end data confidentiality and support arbitrary aggregation operations over encrypted data. In addition, by utilizing message authentication codes (MACs, this scheme can also verify data integrity during data aggregation and forwarding processes so that false data can be detected as early as possible. Although the FHE increase the computation overhead due to its large public key size, simulation results show that it is implementable in LWSNs and performs well. Compared with other protocols, the transmitted data and network overhead are reduced in our scheme.

  12. Secure Data Aggregation with Fully Homomorphic Encryption in Large-Scale Wireless Sensor Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xing; Chen, Dexin; Li, Chunyan; Wang, Liangmin

    2015-07-03

    With the rapid development of wireless communication technology, sensor technology, information acquisition and processing technology, sensor networks will finally have a deep influence on all aspects of people's lives. The battery resources of sensor nodes should be managed efficiently in order to prolong network lifetime in large-scale wireless sensor networks (LWSNs). Data aggregation represents an important method to remove redundancy as well as unnecessary data transmission and hence cut down the energy used in communication. As sensor nodes are deployed in hostile environments, the security of the sensitive information such as confidentiality and integrity should be considered. This paper proposes Fully homomorphic Encryption based Secure data Aggregation (FESA) in LWSNs which can protect end-to-end data confidentiality and support arbitrary aggregation operations over encrypted data. In addition, by utilizing message authentication codes (MACs), this scheme can also verify data integrity during data aggregation and forwarding processes so that false data can be detected as early as possible. Although the FHE increase the computation overhead due to its large public key size, simulation results show that it is implementable in LWSNs and performs well. Compared with other protocols, the transmitted data and network overhead are reduced in our scheme.

  13. Fractal scale-free networks resistant to disease spread

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Zhongzhi; Zhou, Shuigeng; Zou, Tao; Chen, Guisheng

    2008-01-01

    The conventional wisdom is that scale-free networks are prone to epidemic propagation; in the paper we demonstrate that, on the contrary, disease spreading is inhibited in fractal scale-free networks. We first propose a novel network model and show that it simultaneously has the following rich topological properties: scale-free degree distribution, tunable clustering coefficient, 'large-world' behavior, and fractal scaling. Existing network models do not display these characteristics. Then, we investigate the susceptible–infected–removed (SIR) model of the propagation of diseases in our fractal scale-free networks by mapping it to the bond percolation process. We establish the existence of non-zero tunable epidemic thresholds by making use of the renormalization group technique, which implies that power law degree distribution does not suffice to characterize the epidemic dynamics on top of scale-free networks. We argue that the epidemic dynamics are determined by the topological properties, especially the fractality and its accompanying 'large-world' behavior

  14. Brain anatomical network and intelligence.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yonghui Li

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Intuitively, higher intelligence might be assumed to correspond to more efficient information transfer in the brain, but no direct evidence has been reported from the perspective of brain networks. In this study, we performed extensive analyses to test the hypothesis that individual differences in intelligence are associated with brain structural organization, and in particular that higher scores on intelligence tests are related to greater global efficiency of the brain anatomical network. We constructed binary and weighted brain anatomical networks in each of 79 healthy young adults utilizing diffusion tensor tractography and calculated topological properties of the networks using a graph theoretical method. Based on their IQ test scores, all subjects were divided into general and high intelligence groups and significantly higher global efficiencies were found in the networks of the latter group. Moreover, we showed significant correlations between IQ scores and network properties across all subjects while controlling for age and gender. Specifically, higher intelligence scores corresponded to a shorter characteristic path length and a higher global efficiency of the networks, indicating a more efficient parallel information transfer in the brain. The results were consistently observed not only in the binary but also in the weighted networks, which together provide convergent evidence for our hypothesis. Our findings suggest that the efficiency of brain structural organization may be an important biological basis for intelligence.

  15. Global asymptotic stabilization of large-scale hydraulic networks using positive proportional controls

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Tom Nørgaard; Wisniewski, Rafal

    2014-01-01

    An industrial case study involving a large-scale hydraulic network underlying a district heating system subject to structural changes is considered. The problem of controlling the pressure drop across the so-called end-user valves in the network to a designated vector of reference values under...... directional actuator constraints is addressed. The proposed solution consists of a set of decentralized positively constrained proportional control actions. The results show that the closed-loop system always has a globally asymptotically stable equilibrium point independently on the number of end......-users. Furthermore, by a proper design of controller gains the closed-loop equilibrium point can be designed to belong to an arbitrarily small neighborhood of the desired equilibrium point. Since there exists a globally asymptotically stable equilibrium point independently on the number of end-users in the system...

  16. Altered resting state brain networks in Parkinson's disease.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin Göttlich

    Full Text Available Parkinson's disease (PD is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra leading to dysfunctional cortico-striato-thalamic-cortical loops. In addition to the characteristic motor symptoms, PD patients often show cognitive impairments, affective changes and other non-motor symptoms, suggesting system-wide effects on brain function. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging and graph-theory based analysis methods to investigate altered whole-brain intrinsic functional connectivity in PD patients (n = 37 compared to healthy controls (n = 20. Global network properties indicated less efficient processing in PD. Analysis of brain network modules pointed to increased connectivity within the sensorimotor network, but decreased interaction of the visual network with other brain modules. We found lower connectivity mainly between the cuneus and the ventral caudate, medial orbitofrontal cortex and the temporal lobe. To identify regions of altered connectivity, we mapped the degree of intrinsic functional connectivity both on ROI- and on voxel-level across the brain. Compared to healthy controls, PD patients showed lower connectedness in the medial and middle orbitofrontal cortex. The degree of connectivity was also decreased in the occipital lobe (cuneus and calcarine, but increased in the superior parietal cortex, posterior cingulate gyrus, supramarginal gyrus and supplementary motor area. Our results on global network and module properties indicated that PD manifests as a disconnection syndrome. This was most apparent in the visual network module. The higher connectedness within the sensorimotor module in PD patients may be related to compensation mechanism in order to overcome the functional deficit of the striato-cortical motor loops or to loss of mutual inhibition between brain networks. Abnormal connectivity in the visual network may be related to adaptation and compensation processes as a consequence

  17. Feedforward and feedback frequency-dependent interactions in a large-scale laminar network of the primate cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mejias, Jorge F; Murray, John D; Kennedy, Henry; Wang, Xiao-Jing

    2016-11-01

    Interactions between top-down and bottom-up processes in the cerebral cortex hold the key to understanding attentional processes, predictive coding, executive control, and a gamut of other brain functions. However, the underlying circuit mechanism remains poorly understood and represents a major challenge in neuroscience. We approached this problem using a large-scale computational model of the primate cortex constrained by new directed and weighted connectivity data. In our model, the interplay between feedforward and feedback signaling depends on the cortical laminar structure and involves complex dynamics across multiple (intralaminar, interlaminar, interareal, and whole cortex) scales. The model was tested by reproducing, as well as providing insights into, a wide range of neurophysiological findings about frequency-dependent interactions between visual cortical areas, including the observation that feedforward pathways are associated with enhanced gamma (30 to 70 Hz) oscillations, whereas feedback projections selectively modulate alpha/low-beta (8 to 15 Hz) oscillations. Furthermore, the model reproduces a functional hierarchy based on frequency-dependent Granger causality analysis of interareal signaling, as reported in recent monkey and human experiments, and suggests a mechanism for the observed context-dependent hierarchy dynamics. Together, this work highlights the necessity of multiscale approaches and provides a modeling platform for studies of large-scale brain circuit dynamics and functions.

  18. Optical interconnect for large-scale systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dress, William

    2013-02-01

    This paper presents a switchless, optical interconnect module that serves as a node in a network of identical distribution modules for large-scale systems. Thousands to millions of hosts or endpoints may be interconnected by a network of such modules, avoiding the need for multi-level switches. Several common network topologies are reviewed and their scaling properties assessed. The concept of message-flow routing is discussed in conjunction with the unique properties enabled by the optical distribution module where it is shown how top-down software control (global routing tables, spanning-tree algorithms) may be avoided.

  19. Towards Agent-Based Simulation of Emerging and Large-Scale Social Networks. Examples of the Migrant Crisis and MMORPGs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schatten, Markus

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Large-scale agent based simulation of social networks is described in the context of the migrant crisis in Syria and the EU as well as massively multi-player on-line role playing games (MMORPG. The recipeWorld system by Terna and Fontana is proposed as a possible solution to simulating large-scale social networks. The initial system has been re-implemented using the Smart Python multi-Agent Development Environment (SPADE and Pyinteractive was used for visualization. We present initial models of simulation that we plan to develop further in future studies. Thus this paper is research in progress that will hopefully establish a novel agent-based modelling system in the context of the ModelMMORPG project.

  20. Transcriptional profiles of supragranular-enriched genes associate with corticocortical network architecture in the human brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krienen, Fenna M; Yeo, B T Thomas; Ge, Tian; Buckner, Randy L; Sherwood, Chet C

    2016-01-26

    The human brain is patterned with disproportionately large, distributed cerebral networks that connect multiple association zones in the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes. The expansion of the cortical surface, along with the emergence of long-range connectivity networks, may be reflected in changes to the underlying molecular architecture. Using the Allen Institute's human brain transcriptional atlas, we demonstrate that genes particularly enriched in supragranular layers of the human cerebral cortex relative to mouse distinguish major cortical classes. The topography of transcriptional expression reflects large-scale brain network organization consistent with estimates from functional connectivity MRI and anatomical tracing in nonhuman primates. Microarray expression data for genes preferentially expressed in human upper layers (II/III), but enriched only in lower layers (V/VI) of mouse, were cross-correlated to identify molecular profiles across the cerebral cortex of postmortem human brains (n = 6). Unimodal sensory and motor zones have similar molecular profiles, despite being distributed across the cortical mantle. Sensory/motor profiles were anticorrelated with paralimbic and certain distributed association network profiles. Tests of alternative gene sets did not consistently distinguish sensory and motor regions from paralimbic and association regions: (i) genes enriched in supragranular layers in both humans and mice, (ii) genes cortically enriched in humans relative to nonhuman primates, (iii) genes related to connectivity in rodents, (iv) genes associated with human and mouse connectivity, and (v) 1,454 gene sets curated from known gene ontologies. Molecular innovations of upper cortical layers may be an important component in the evolution of long-range corticocortical projections.

  1. Developing Large-Scale Bayesian Networks by Composition: Fault Diagnosis of Electrical Power Systems in Aircraft and Spacecraft

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mengshoel, Ole Jakob; Poll, Scott; Kurtoglu, Tolga

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, we investigate the use of Bayesian networks to construct large-scale diagnostic systems. In particular, we consider the development of large-scale Bayesian networks by composition. This compositional approach reflects how (often redundant) subsystems are architected to form systems such as electrical power systems. We develop high-level specifications, Bayesian networks, clique trees, and arithmetic circuits representing 24 different electrical power systems. The largest among these 24 Bayesian networks contains over 1,000 random variables. Another BN represents the real-world electrical power system ADAPT, which is representative of electrical power systems deployed in aerospace vehicles. In addition to demonstrating the scalability of the compositional approach, we briefly report on experimental results from the diagnostic competition DXC, where the ProADAPT team, using techniques discussed here, obtained the highest scores in both Tier 1 (among 9 international competitors) and Tier 2 (among 6 international competitors) of the industrial track. While we consider diagnosis of power systems specifically, we believe this work is relevant to other system health management problems, in particular in dependable systems such as aircraft and spacecraft. (See CASI ID 20100021910 for supplemental data disk.)

  2. Social networking sites use and the morphology of a social-semantic brain network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turel, Ofir; He, Qinghua; Brevers, Damien; Bechara, Antoine

    2017-09-30

    Social lives have shifted, at least in part, for large portions of the population to social networking sites. How such lifestyle changes may be associated with brain structures is still largely unknown. In this manuscript, we describe two preliminary studies aimed at exploring this issue. The first study (n = 276) showed that Facebook users reported on increased social-semantic and mentalizing demands, and that such increases were positively associated with people's level of Facebook use. The second study (n = 33) theorized on and examined likely anatomical correlates of such changes in demands on the brain. Findings indicated that the grey matter volumes of the posterior parts of the bilateral middle and superior temporal, and left fusiform gyri were positively associated with the level of Facebook use. These results provided preliminary evidence that grey matter volumes of brain structures involved in social-semantic and mentalizing tasks may be linked to the extent of social networking sites use.

  3. In vitro large-scale experimental and theoretical studies for the realization of bi-directional brain-prostheses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonifazi, Paolo; Difato, Francesco; Massobrio, Paolo; Breschi, Gian L; Pasquale, Valentina; Levi, Timothée; Goldin, Miri; Bornat, Yannick; Tedesco, Mariateresa; Bisio, Marta; Kanner, Sivan; Galron, Ronit; Tessadori, Jacopo; Taverna, Stefano; Chiappalone, Michela

    2013-01-01

    Brain-machine interfaces (BMI) were born to control "actions from thoughts" in order to recover motor capability of patients with impaired functional connectivity between the central and peripheral nervous system. The final goal of our studies is the development of a new proof-of-concept BMI-a neuromorphic chip for brain repair-to reproduce the functional organization of a damaged part of the central nervous system. To reach this ambitious goal, we implemented a multidisciplinary "bottom-up" approach in which in vitro networks are the paradigm for the development of an in silico model to be incorporated into a neuromorphic device. In this paper we present the overall strategy and focus on the different building blocks of our studies: (i) the experimental characterization and modeling of "finite size networks" which represent the smallest and most general self-organized circuits capable of generating spontaneous collective dynamics; (ii) the induction of lesions in neuronal networks and the whole brain preparation with special attention on the impact on the functional organization of the circuits; (iii) the first production of a neuromorphic chip able to implement a real-time model of neuronal networks. A dynamical characterization of the finite size circuits with single cell resolution is provided. A neural network model based on Izhikevich neurons was able to replicate the experimental observations. Changes in the dynamics of the neuronal circuits induced by optical and ischemic lesions are presented respectively for in vitro neuronal networks and for a whole brain preparation. Finally the implementation of a neuromorphic chip reproducing the network dynamics in quasi-real time (10 ns precision) is presented.

  4. Learning from large scale neural simulations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Serban, Maria

    2017-01-01

    Large-scale neural simulations have the marks of a distinct methodology which can be fruitfully deployed to advance scientific understanding of the human brain. Computer simulation studies can be used to produce surrogate observational data for better conceptual models and new how...

  5. Efficient physical embedding of topologically complex information processing networks in brains and computer circuits.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danielle S Bassett

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Nervous systems are information processing networks that evolved by natural selection, whereas very large scale integrated (VLSI computer circuits have evolved by commercially driven technology development. Here we follow historic intuition that all physical information processing systems will share key organizational properties, such as modularity, that generally confer adaptivity of function. It has long been observed that modular VLSI circuits demonstrate an isometric scaling relationship between the number of processing elements and the number of connections, known as Rent's rule, which is related to the dimensionality of the circuit's interconnect topology and its logical capacity. We show that human brain structural networks, and the nervous system of the nematode C. elegans, also obey Rent's rule, and exhibit some degree of hierarchical modularity. We further show that the estimated Rent exponent of human brain networks, derived from MRI data, can explain the allometric scaling relations between gray and white matter volumes across a wide range of mammalian species, again suggesting that these principles of nervous system design are highly conserved. For each of these fractal modular networks, the dimensionality of the interconnect topology was greater than the 2 or 3 Euclidean dimensions of the space in which it was embedded. This relatively high complexity entailed extra cost in physical wiring: although all networks were economically or cost-efficiently wired they did not strictly minimize wiring costs. Artificial and biological information processing systems both may evolve to optimize a trade-off between physical cost and topological complexity, resulting in the emergence of homologous principles of economical, fractal and modular design across many different kinds of nervous and computational networks.

  6. Computing in Large-Scale Dynamic Systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pruteanu, A.S.

    2013-01-01

    Software applications developed for large-scale systems have always been difficult to de- velop due to problems caused by the large number of computing devices involved. Above a certain network size (roughly one hundred), necessary services such as code updating, topol- ogy discovery and data

  7. Multilayer modeling and analysis of human brain networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Understanding how the human brain is structured, and how its architecture is related to function, is of paramount importance for a variety of applications, including but not limited to new ways to prevent, deal with, and cure brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, and psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia. The recent advances in structural and functional neuroimaging, together with the increasing attitude toward interdisciplinary approaches involving computer science, mathematics, and physics, are fostering interesting results from computational neuroscience that are quite often based on the analysis of complex network representation of the human brain. In recent years, this representation experienced a theoretical and computational revolution that is breaching neuroscience, allowing us to cope with the increasing complexity of the human brain across multiple scales and in multiple dimensions and to model structural and functional connectivity from new perspectives, often combined with each other. In this work, we will review the main achievements obtained from interdisciplinary research based on magnetic resonance imaging and establish de facto, the birth of multilayer network analysis and modeling of the human brain. PMID:28327916

  8. The Use of Online Social Networks by Polish Former Erasmus Students: A Large-Scale Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bryla, Pawel

    2014-01-01

    There is an increasing role of online social networks in the life of young Poles. We conducted a large-scale survey among Polish former Erasmus students. We have received 2450 completed questionnaires from alumni of 115 higher education institutions all over Poland. 85.4% of our respondents reported they kept in touch with their former Erasmus…

  9. Environmental versatility promotes modularity in large scale metabolic networks

    OpenAIRE

    Samal A.; Wagner Andreas; Martin O.C.

    2011-01-01

    Abstract Background The ubiquity of modules in biological networks may result from an evolutionary benefit of a modular organization. For instance, modularity may increase the rate of adaptive evolution, because modules can be easily combined into new arrangements that may benefit their carrier. Conversely, modularity may emerge as a by-product of some trait. We here ask whether this last scenario may play a role in genome-scale metabolic networks that need to sustain life in one or more chem...

  10. Fabrication of large-scale one-dimensional Au nanochain and nanowire networks by interfacial self-assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Minhua; Li Yongjun; Xie Zhaoxiong; Liu Cai; Yeung, Edward S.

    2010-01-01

    By utilizing the strong capillary attraction between interfacial nanoparticles, large-scale one-dimensional Au nanochain networks were fabricated at the n-butanol/water interface, and could be conveniently transferred onto hydrophilic substrates. Furthermore, the length of the nanochains could be adjusted simply by controlling the density of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) at the n-butanol/water interface. Surprisingly, the resultant Au nanochains could further transform into smooth nanowires by increasing the aging time, forming a nanowire network. Combined characterization by HRTEM and UV-vis spectroscopy indicates that the formation of Au nanochains stemmed from a stochastic assembly of interfacial AuNPs due to strong capillary attraction, and the evolution of nanochains to nanowires follows an Ostwald ripening mechanism rather than an oriented attachment. This method could be utilized to fabricate large-area nanochain or nanowire networks more uniformly on solid substrates than that of evaporating a solution of nanochain colloid, since it eliminates the three-dimensional aggregation behavior.

  11. The prisoner's dilemma in structured scale-free networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Xing; Wu Yonghui; Zhang Zhongzhi; Zhou Shuigeng; Rong Zhihai

    2009-01-01

    The conventional wisdom is that scale-free networks are prone to cooperation spreading. In this paper we investigate the cooperative behavior on the structured scale-free network. In contrast to the conventional wisdom that scale-free networks are prone to cooperation spreading, the evolution of cooperation is inhibited on the structured scale-free network when the prisoner's dilemma (PD) game is modeled. First, we demonstrate that neither the scale-free property nor the high clustering coefficient is responsible for the inhibition of cooperation spreading on the structured scale-free network. Then we provide one heuristic method to argue that the lack of age correlations and its associated 'large-world' behavior in the structured scale-free network inhibit the spread of cooperation. These findings may help enlighten further studies on the evolutionary dynamics of the PD game in scale-free networks

  12. Association of structural global brain network properties with intelligence in normal aging.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Florian U Fischer

    Full Text Available Higher general intelligence attenuates age-associated cognitive decline and the risk of dementia. Thus, intelligence has been associated with cognitive reserve or resilience in normal aging. Neurophysiologically, intelligence is considered as a complex capacity that is dependent on a global cognitive network rather than isolated brain areas. An association of structural as well as functional brain network characteristics with intelligence has already been reported in young adults. We investigated the relationship between global structural brain network properties, general intelligence and age in a group of 43 cognitively healthy elderly, age 60-85 years. Individuals were assessed cross-sectionally using Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R and diffusion-tensor imaging. Structural brain networks were reconstructed individually using deterministic tractography, global network properties (global efficiency, mean shortest path length, and clustering coefficient were determined by graph theory and correlated to intelligence scores within both age groups. Network properties were significantly correlated to age, whereas no significant correlation to WAIS-R was observed. However, in a subgroup of 15 individuals aged 75 and above, the network properties were significantly correlated to WAIS-R. Our findings suggest that general intelligence and global properties of structural brain networks may not be generally associated in cognitively healthy elderly. However, we provide first evidence of an association between global structural brain network properties and general intelligence in advanced elderly. Intelligence might be affected by age-associated network deterioration only if a certain threshold of structural degeneration is exceeded. Thus, age-associated brain structural changes seem to be partially compensated by the network and the range of this compensation might be a surrogate of cognitive reserve or brain resilience.

  13. Association of Structural Global Brain Network Properties with Intelligence in Normal Aging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischer, Florian U.; Wolf, Dominik; Scheurich, Armin; Fellgiebel, Andreas

    2014-01-01

    Higher general intelligence attenuates age-associated cognitive decline and the risk of dementia. Thus, intelligence has been associated with cognitive reserve or resilience in normal aging. Neurophysiologically, intelligence is considered as a complex capacity that is dependent on a global cognitive network rather than isolated brain areas. An association of structural as well as functional brain network characteristics with intelligence has already been reported in young adults. We investigated the relationship between global structural brain network properties, general intelligence and age in a group of 43 cognitively healthy elderly, age 60–85 years. Individuals were assessed cross-sectionally using Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) and diffusion-tensor imaging. Structural brain networks were reconstructed individually using deterministic tractography, global network properties (global efficiency, mean shortest path length, and clustering coefficient) were determined by graph theory and correlated to intelligence scores within both age groups. Network properties were significantly correlated to age, whereas no significant correlation to WAIS-R was observed. However, in a subgroup of 15 individuals aged 75 and above, the network properties were significantly correlated to WAIS-R. Our findings suggest that general intelligence and global properties of structural brain networks may not be generally associated in cognitively healthy elderly. However, we provide first evidence of an association between global structural brain network properties and general intelligence in advanced elderly. Intelligence might be affected by age-associated network deterioration only if a certain threshold of structural degeneration is exceeded. Thus, age-associated brain structural changes seem to be partially compensated by the network and the range of this compensation might be a surrogate of cognitive reserve or brain resilience. PMID:24465994

  14. In vitro large-scale experimental and theoretical studies for the realization of bi-directional brain-prostheses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paolo eBonifazi

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Brain-machine interfaces (BMI were born to control ‘actions from thoughts’ in order to recover motor capability of patients with impaired functional connectivity between the central and peripheral nervous system. The final goal of our studies is the development of a new proof-of-concept BMI - a neuromorphic chip for brain repair - to reproduce the functional organization of a damaged part of the central nervous system. To reach this ambitious goal, we implemented a multidisciplinary ‘bottom-up’ approach in which in vitro networks are the paradigm for the development of an in silico model to be incorporated into a neuromorphic device. In this paper we present the overall strategy and focus on the different building blocks of our studies: (i the experimental characterization and modeling of ‘finite size networks’ which represent the smallest and most general self-organized circuits capable of generating spontaneous collective dynamics; (ii the induction of lesions in neuronal networks and the whole brain preparation with special attention on the impact on the functional organization of the circuits; (iii the first production of a neuromorphic chip able to implement a real-time model of neuronal networks. A dynamical characterization of the finite size circuits with single cell resolution is provided. A neural network model based on Izhikevich neurons was able to replicate the experimental observations. Changes in the dynamics of the neuronal circuits induced by optical and ischemic lesions are presented respectively for in vitro neuronal networks and for a whole brain preparation. Finally the implementation of a neuromorphic chip reproducing the network dynamics in quasi-real time (10 ns precision is presented.

  15. A Large Scale Code Resolution Service Network in the Internet of Things

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Haining; Zhang, Hongli; Fang, Binxing; Yu, Xiangzhan

    2012-01-01

    In the Internet of Things a code resolution service provides a discovery mechanism for a requester to obtain the information resources associated with a particular product code immediately. In large scale application scenarios a code resolution service faces some serious issues involving heterogeneity, big data and data ownership. A code resolution service network is required to address these issues. Firstly, a list of requirements for the network architecture and code resolution services is proposed. Secondly, in order to eliminate code resolution conflicts and code resolution overloads, a code structure is presented to create a uniform namespace for code resolution records. Thirdly, we propose a loosely coupled distributed network consisting of heterogeneous, independent; collaborating code resolution services and a SkipNet based code resolution service named SkipNet-OCRS, which not only inherits DHT's advantages, but also supports administrative control and autonomy. For the external behaviors of SkipNet-OCRS, a novel external behavior mode named QRRA mode is proposed to enhance security and reduce requester complexity. For the internal behaviors of SkipNet-OCRS, an improved query algorithm is proposed to increase query efficiency. It is analyzed that integrating SkipNet-OCRS into our resolution service network can meet our proposed requirements. Finally, simulation experiments verify the excellent performance of SkipNet-OCRS. PMID:23202207

  16. A large scale code resolution service network in the Internet of Things.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Haining; Zhang, Hongli; Fang, Binxing; Yu, Xiangzhan

    2012-11-07

    In the Internet of Things a code resolution service provides a discovery mechanism for a requester to obtain the information resources associated with a particular product code immediately. In large scale application scenarios a code resolution service faces some serious issues involving heterogeneity, big data and data ownership. A code resolution service network is required to address these issues. Firstly, a list of requirements for the network architecture and code resolution services is proposed. Secondly, in order to eliminate code resolution conflicts and code resolution overloads, a code structure is presented to create a uniform namespace for code resolution records. Thirdly, we propose a loosely coupled distributed network consisting of heterogeneous, independent; collaborating code resolution services and a SkipNet based code resolution service named SkipNet-OCRS, which not only inherits DHT’s advantages, but also supports administrative control and autonomy. For the external behaviors of SkipNet-OCRS, a novel external behavior mode named QRRA mode is proposed to enhance security and reduce requester complexity. For the internal behaviors of SkipNet-OCRS, an improved query algorithm is proposed to increase query efficiency. It is analyzed that integrating SkipNet-OCRS into our resolution service network can meet our proposed requirements. Finally, simulation experiments verify the excellent performance of SkipNet-OCRS.

  17. The overlapping community structure of structural brain network in young healthy individuals.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kai Wu

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Community structure is a universal and significant feature of many complex networks in biology, society, and economics. Community structure has also been revealed in human brain structural and functional networks in previous studies. However, communities overlap and share many edges and nodes. Uncovering the overlapping community structure of complex networks remains largely unknown in human brain networks. Here, using regional gray matter volume, we investigated the structural brain network among 90 brain regions (according to a predefined anatomical atlas in 462 young, healthy individuals. Overlapped nodes between communities were defined by assuming that nodes (brain regions can belong to more than one community. We demonstrated that 90 brain regions were organized into 5 overlapping communities associated with several well-known brain systems, such as the auditory/language, visuospatial, emotion, decision-making, social, control of action, memory/learning, and visual systems. The overlapped nodes were mostly involved in an inferior-posterior pattern and were primarily related to auditory and visual perception. The overlapped nodes were mainly attributed to brain regions with higher node degrees and nodal efficiency and played a pivotal role in the flow of information through the structural brain network. Our results revealed fuzzy boundaries between communities by identifying overlapped nodes and provided new insights into the understanding of the relationship between the structure and function of the human brain. This study provides the first report of the overlapping community structure of the structural network of the human brain.

  18. Performance Evaluation of Hadoop-based Large-scale Network Traffic Analysis Cluster

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tao Ran

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available As Hadoop has gained popularity in big data era, it is widely used in various fields. The self-design and self-developed large-scale network traffic analysis cluster works well based on Hadoop, with off-line applications running on it to analyze the massive network traffic data. On purpose of scientifically and reasonably evaluating the performance of analysis cluster, we propose a performance evaluation system. Firstly, we set the execution times of three benchmark applications as the benchmark of the performance, and pick 40 metrics of customized statistical resource data. Then we identify the relationship between the resource data and the execution times by a statistic modeling analysis approach, which is composed of principal component analysis and multiple linear regression. After training models by historical data, we can predict the execution times by current resource data. Finally, we evaluate the performance of analysis cluster by the validated predicting of execution times. Experimental results show that the predicted execution times by trained models are within acceptable error range, and the evaluation results of performance are accurate and reliable.

  19. Fast sparsely synchronized brain rhythms in a scale-free neural network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sang-Yoon; Lim, Woochang

    2015-08-01

    We consider a directed version of the Barabási-Albert scale-free network model with symmetric preferential attachment with the same in- and out-degrees and study the emergence of sparsely synchronized rhythms for a fixed attachment degree in an inhibitory population of fast-spiking Izhikevich interneurons. Fast sparsely synchronized rhythms with stochastic and intermittent neuronal discharges are found to appear for large values of J (synaptic inhibition strength) and D (noise intensity). For an intensive study we fix J at a sufficiently large value and investigate the population states by increasing D. For small D, full synchronization with the same population-rhythm frequency fp and mean firing rate (MFR) fi of individual neurons occurs, while for large D partial synchronization with fp>〈fi〉 (〈fi〉: ensemble-averaged MFR) appears due to intermittent discharge of individual neurons; in particular, the case of fp>4〈fi〉 is referred to as sparse synchronization. For the case of partial and sparse synchronization, MFRs of individual neurons vary depending on their degrees. As D passes a critical value D* (which is determined by employing an order parameter), a transition to unsynchronization occurs due to the destructive role of noise to spoil the pacing between sparse spikes. For Dnetwork structure for the case of partial and sparse synchronization, which is in contrast to the case of

  20. Fast sparsely synchronized brain rhythms in a scale-free neural network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sang-Yoon; Lim, Woochang

    2015-08-01

    We consider a directed version of the Barabási-Albert scale-free network model with symmetric preferential attachment with the same in- and out-degrees and study the emergence of sparsely synchronized rhythms for a fixed attachment degree in an inhibitory population of fast-spiking Izhikevich interneurons. Fast sparsely synchronized rhythms with stochastic and intermittent neuronal discharges are found to appear for large values of J (synaptic inhibition strength) and D (noise intensity). For an intensive study we fix J at a sufficiently large value and investigate the population states by increasing D . For small D , full synchronization with the same population-rhythm frequency fp and mean firing rate (MFR) fi of individual neurons occurs, while for large D partial synchronization with fp> ( : ensemble-averaged MFR) appears due to intermittent discharge of individual neurons; in particular, the case of fp>4 is referred to as sparse synchronization. For the case of partial and sparse synchronization, MFRs of individual neurons vary depending on their degrees. As D passes a critical value D* (which is determined by employing an order parameter), a transition to unsynchronization occurs due to the destructive role of noise to spoil the pacing between sparse spikes. For D network structure for the case of partial and sparse synchronization, which is in contrast to the case of statistically homogeneous

  1. A Self-Organizing Spatial Clustering Approach to Support Large-Scale Network RTK Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Lili; Guo, Jiming; Wang, Lei

    2018-06-06

    The network real-time kinematic (RTK) technique can provide centimeter-level real time positioning solutions and play a key role in geo-spatial infrastructure. With ever-increasing popularity, network RTK systems will face issues in the support of large numbers of concurrent users. In the past, high-precision positioning services were oriented towards professionals and only supported a few concurrent users. Currently, precise positioning provides a spatial foundation for artificial intelligence (AI), and countless smart devices (autonomous cars, unmanned aerial-vehicles (UAVs), robotic equipment, etc.) require precise positioning services. Therefore, the development of approaches to support large-scale network RTK systems is urgent. In this study, we proposed a self-organizing spatial clustering (SOSC) approach which automatically clusters online users to reduce the computational load on the network RTK system server side. The experimental results indicate that both the SOSC algorithm and the grid algorithm can reduce the computational load efficiently, while the SOSC algorithm gives a more elastic and adaptive clustering solution with different datasets. The SOSC algorithm determines the cluster number and the mean distance to cluster center (MDTCC) according to the data set, while the grid approaches are all predefined. The side-effects of clustering algorithms on the user side are analyzed with real global navigation satellite system (GNSS) data sets. The experimental results indicate that 10 km can be safely used as the cluster radius threshold for the SOSC algorithm without significantly reducing the positioning precision and reliability on the user side.

  2. Research on Large-Scale Road Network Partition and Route Search Method Combined with Traveler Preferences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    De-Xin Yu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Combined with improved Pallottino parallel algorithm, this paper proposes a large-scale route search method, which considers travelers’ route choice preferences. And urban road network is decomposed into multilayers effectively. Utilizing generalized travel time as road impedance function, the method builds a new multilayer and multitasking road network data storage structure with object-oriented class definition. Then, the proposed path search algorithm is verified by using the real road network of Guangzhou city as an example. By the sensitive experiments, we make a comparative analysis of the proposed path search method with the current advanced optimal path algorithms. The results demonstrate that the proposed method can increase the road network search efficiency by more than 16% under different search proportion requests, node numbers, and computing process numbers, respectively. Therefore, this method is a great breakthrough in the guidance field of urban road network.

  3. Hierarchical anatomical brain networks for MCI prediction: revisiting volumetric measures.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luping Zhou

    Full Text Available Owning to its clinical accessibility, T1-weighted MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging has been extensively studied in the past decades for prediction of Alzheimer's disease (AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI. The volumes of gray matter (GM, white matter (WM and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF are the most commonly used measurements, resulting in many successful applications. It has been widely observed that disease-induced structural changes may not occur at isolated spots, but in several inter-related regions. Therefore, for better characterization of brain pathology, we propose in this paper a means to extract inter-regional correlation based features from local volumetric measurements. Specifically, our approach involves constructing an anatomical brain network for each subject, with each node representing a Region of Interest (ROI and each edge representing Pearson correlation of tissue volumetric measurements between ROI pairs. As second order volumetric measurements, network features are more descriptive but also more sensitive to noise. To overcome this limitation, a hierarchy of ROIs is used to suppress noise at different scales. Pairwise interactions are considered not only for ROIs with the same scale in the same layer of the hierarchy, but also for ROIs across different scales in different layers. To address the high dimensionality problem resulting from the large number of network features, a supervised dimensionality reduction method is further employed to embed a selected subset of features into a low dimensional feature space, while at the same time preserving discriminative information. We demonstrate with experimental results the efficacy of this embedding strategy in comparison with some other commonly used approaches. In addition, although the proposed method can be easily generalized to incorporate other metrics of regional similarities, the benefits of using Pearson correlation in our application are reinforced by the experimental

  4. Handbook of Brain Connectivity

    CERN Document Server

    Jirsa, Viktor K

    2007-01-01

    Our contemporary understanding of brain function is deeply rooted in the ideas of the nonlinear dynamics of distributed networks. Cognition and motor coordination seem to arise from the interactions of local neuronal networks, which themselves are connected in large scales across the entire brain. The spatial architectures between various scales inevitably influence the dynamics of the brain and thereby its function. But how can we integrate brain connectivity amongst these structural and functional domains? Our Handbook provides an account of the current knowledge on the measurement, analysis and theory of the anatomical and functional connectivity of the brain. All contributors are leading experts in various fields concerning structural and functional brain connectivity. In the first part of the Handbook, the chapters focus on an introduction and discussion of the principles underlying connected neural systems. The second part introduces the currently available non-invasive technologies for measuring struct...

  5. Coordinated Multi-layer Multi-domain Optical Network (COMMON) for Large-Scale Science Applications (COMMON)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vokkarane, Vinod [University of Massachusetts

    2013-09-01

    We intend to implement a Coordinated Multi-layer Multi-domain Optical Network (COMMON) Framework for Large-scale Science Applications. In the COMMON project, specific problems to be addressed include 1) anycast/multicast/manycast request provisioning, 2) deployable OSCARS enhancements, 3) multi-layer, multi-domain quality of service (QoS), and 4) multi-layer, multidomain path survivability. In what follows, we outline the progress in the above categories (Year 1, 2, and 3 deliverables).

  6. A Hybrid Testbed for Performance Evaluation of Large-Scale Datacenter Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pilimon, Artur; Ruepp, Sarah Renée

    2018-01-01

    Datacenters (DC) as well as their network interconnects are growing in scale and complexity. They are constantly being challenged in terms of energy and resource utilization efficiency, scalability, availability, reliability and performance requirements. Therefore, these resource-intensive enviro......Datacenters (DC) as well as their network interconnects are growing in scale and complexity. They are constantly being challenged in terms of energy and resource utilization efficiency, scalability, availability, reliability and performance requirements. Therefore, these resource......-intensive environments must be properly tested and analyzed in order to make timely upgrades and transformations. However, a limited number of academic institutions and Research and Development companies have access to production scale DC Network (DCN) testing facilities, and resource-limited studies can produce...... misleading or inaccurate results. To address this problem, we introduce an alternative solution, which forms a solid base for a more realistic and comprehensive performance evaluation of different aspects of DCNs. It is based on the System-in-the-loop (SITL) concept, where real commercial DCN equipment...

  7. Resilience of developing brain networks to interictal epileptiform discharges is associated with cognitive outcome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibrahim, George M; Cassel, Daniel; Morgan, Benjamin R; Smith, Mary Lou; Otsubo, Hiroshi; Ochi, Ayako; Taylor, Margot; Rutka, James T; Snead, O Carter; Doesburg, Sam

    2014-10-01

    The effects of interictal epileptiform discharges on neurocognitive development in children with medically-intractable epilepsy are poorly understood. Such discharges may have a deleterious effect on the brain's intrinsic connectivity networks, which reflect the organization of functional networks at rest, and in turn on neurocognitive development. Using a combined functional magnetic resonance imaging-magnetoencephalography approach, we examine the effects of interictal epileptiform discharges on intrinsic connectivity networks and neurocognitive outcome. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to determine the location of regions comprising various intrinsic connectivity networks in 26 children (7-17 years), and magnetoencephalography data were reconstructed from these locations. Inter-regional phase synchronization was then calculated across interictal epileptiform discharges and graph theoretical analysis was applied to measure event-related changes in network topology in the peri-discharge period. The magnitude of change in network topology (network resilience/vulnerability) to interictal epileptiform discharges was associated with neurocognitive outcomes and functional magnetic resonance imaging networks using dual regression. Three main findings are reported: (i) large-scale network changes precede and follow interictal epileptiform discharges; (ii) the resilience of network topologies to interictal discharges is associated with stronger resting-state network connectivity; and (iii) vulnerability to interictal discharges is associated with worse neurocognitive outcomes. By combining the spatial resolution of functional magnetic resonance imaging with the temporal resolution of magnetoencephalography, we describe the effects of interictal epileptiform discharges on neurophysiological synchrony in intrinsic connectivity networks and establish the impact of interictal disruption of functional networks on cognitive outcome in children with epilepsy. The

  8. Development of a 3D Stream Network and Topography for Improved Large-Scale Hydraulic Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saksena, S.; Dey, S.; Merwade, V.

    2016-12-01

    Most digital elevation models (DEMs) used for hydraulic modeling do not include channel bed elevations. As a result, the DEMs are complimented with additional bathymetric data for accurate hydraulic simulations. Existing methods to acquire bathymetric information through field surveys or through conceptual models are limited to reach-scale applications. With an increasing focus on large scale hydraulic modeling of rivers, a framework to estimate and incorporate bathymetry for an entire stream network is needed. This study proposes an interpolation-based algorithm to estimate bathymetry for a stream network by modifying the reach-based empirical River Channel Morphology Model (RCMM). The effect of a 3D stream network that includes river bathymetry is then investigated by creating a 1D hydraulic model (HEC-RAS) and 2D hydrodynamic model (Integrated Channel and Pond Routing) for the Upper Wabash River Basin in Indiana, USA. Results show improved simulation of flood depths and storage in the floodplain. Similarly, the impact of river bathymetry incorporation is more significant in the 2D model as compared to the 1D model.

  9. Geometry of river networks. I. Scaling, fluctuations, and deviations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dodds, Peter Sheridan; Rothman, Daniel H.

    2001-01-01

    This paper is the first in a series of three papers investigating the detailed geometry of river networks. Branching networks are a universal structure employed in the distribution and collection of material. Large-scale river networks mark an important class of two-dimensional branching networks, being not only of intrinsic interest but also a pervasive natural phenomenon. In the description of river network structure, scaling laws are uniformly observed. Reported values of scaling exponents vary, suggesting that no unique set of scaling exponents exists. To improve this current understanding of scaling in river networks and to provide a fuller description of branching network structure, here we report a theoretical and empirical study of fluctuations about and deviations from scaling. We examine data for continent-scale river networks such as the Mississippi and the Amazon and draw inspiration from a simple model of directed, random networks. We center our investigations on the scaling of the length of a subbasin's dominant stream with its area, a characterization of basin shape known as Hack's law. We generalize this relationship to a joint probability density, and provide observations and explanations of deviations from scaling. We show that fluctuations about scaling are substantial, and grow with system size. We find strong deviations from scaling at small scales which can be explained by the existence of a linear network structure. At intermediate scales, we find slow drifts in exponent values, indicating that scaling is only approximately obeyed and that universality remains indeterminate. At large scales, we observe a breakdown in scaling due to decreasing sample space and correlations with overall basin shape. The extent of approximate scaling is significantly restricted by these deviations, and will not be improved by increases in network resolution

  10. Direct electrical stimulation as an input gate into brain functional networks: principles, advantages and limitations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandonnet, Emmanuel; Winkler, Peter A; Duffau, Hugues

    2010-02-01

    While the fundamental and clinical contribution of direct electrical stimulation (DES) of the brain is now well acknowledged, its advantages and limitations have not been re-evaluated for a long time. Here, we critically review exactly what DES can tell us about cerebral function. First, we show that DES is highly sensitive for detecting the cortical and axonal eloquent structures. Moreover, DES also provides a unique opportunity to study brain connectivity, since each area responsive to stimulation is in fact an input gate into a large-scale network rather than an isolated discrete functional site. DES, however, also has a limitation: its specificity is suboptimal. Indeed, DES may lead to interpretations that a structure is crucial because of the induction of a transient functional response when stimulated, whereas (1) this effect is caused by the backward spreading of the electro-stimulation along the network to an essential area and/or (2) the stimulated region can be functionally compensated owing to long-term brain plasticity mechanisms. In brief, although DES is still the gold standard for brain mapping, its combination with new methods such as perioperative neurofunctional imaging and biomathematical modeling is now mandatory, in order to clearly differentiate those networks that are actually indispensable to function from those that can be compensated.

  11. On the rejection-based algorithm for simulation and analysis of large-scale reaction networks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thanh, Vo Hong, E-mail: vo@cosbi.eu [The Microsoft Research-University of Trento Centre for Computational and Systems Biology, Piazza Manifattura 1, Rovereto 38068 (Italy); Zunino, Roberto, E-mail: roberto.zunino@unitn.it [Department of Mathematics, University of Trento, Trento (Italy); Priami, Corrado, E-mail: priami@cosbi.eu [The Microsoft Research-University of Trento Centre for Computational and Systems Biology, Piazza Manifattura 1, Rovereto 38068 (Italy); Department of Mathematics, University of Trento, Trento (Italy)

    2015-06-28

    Stochastic simulation for in silico studies of large biochemical networks requires a great amount of computational time. We recently proposed a new exact simulation algorithm, called the rejection-based stochastic simulation algorithm (RSSA) [Thanh et al., J. Chem. Phys. 141(13), 134116 (2014)], to improve simulation performance by postponing and collapsing as much as possible the propensity updates. In this paper, we analyze the performance of this algorithm in detail, and improve it for simulating large-scale biochemical reaction networks. We also present a new algorithm, called simultaneous RSSA (SRSSA), which generates many independent trajectories simultaneously for the analysis of the biochemical behavior. SRSSA improves simulation performance by utilizing a single data structure across simulations to select reaction firings and forming trajectories. The memory requirement for building and storing the data structure is thus independent of the number of trajectories. The updating of the data structure when needed is performed collectively in a single operation across the simulations. The trajectories generated by SRSSA are exact and independent of each other by exploiting the rejection-based mechanism. We test our new improvement on real biological systems with a wide range of reaction networks to demonstrate its applicability and efficiency.

  12. Structural covariance networks in the mouse brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pagani, Marco; Bifone, Angelo; Gozzi, Alessandro

    2016-04-01

    The presence of networks of correlation between regional gray matter volume as measured across subjects in a group of individuals has been consistently described in several human studies, an approach termed structural covariance MRI (scMRI). Complementary to prevalent brain mapping modalities like functional and diffusion-weighted imaging, the approach can provide precious insights into the mutual influence of trophic and plastic processes in health and pathological states. To investigate whether analogous scMRI networks are present in lower mammal species amenable to genetic and experimental manipulation such as the laboratory mouse, we employed high resolution morphoanatomical MRI in a large cohort of genetically-homogeneous wild-type mice (C57Bl6/J) and mapped scMRI networks using a seed-based approach. We show that the mouse brain exhibits robust homotopic scMRI networks in both primary and associative cortices, a finding corroborated by independent component analyses of cortical volumes. Subcortical structures also showed highly symmetric inter-hemispheric correlations, with evidence of distributed antero-posterior networks in diencephalic regions of the thalamus and hypothalamus. Hierarchical cluster analysis revealed six identifiable clusters of cortical and sub-cortical regions corresponding to previously described neuroanatomical systems. Our work documents the presence of homotopic cortical and subcortical scMRI networks in the mouse brain, thus supporting the use of this species to investigate the elusive biological and neuroanatomical underpinnings of scMRI network development and its derangement in neuropathological states. The identification of scMRI networks in genetically homogeneous inbred mice is consistent with the emerging view of a key role of environmental factors in shaping these correlational networks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. A Low Collision and High Throughput Data Collection Mechanism for Large-Scale Super Dense Wireless Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chunyang Lei

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Super dense wireless sensor networks (WSNs have become popular with the development of Internet of Things (IoT, Machine-to-Machine (M2M communications and Vehicular-to-Vehicular (V2V networks. While highly-dense wireless networks provide efficient and sustainable solutions to collect precise environmental information, a new channel access scheme is needed to solve the channel collision problem caused by the large number of competing nodes accessing the channel simultaneously. In this paper, we propose a space-time random access method based on a directional data transmission strategy, by which collisions in the wireless channel are significantly decreased and channel utility efficiency is greatly enhanced. Simulation results show that our proposed method can decrease the packet loss rate to less than 2 % in large scale WSNs and in comparison with other channel access schemes for WSNs, the average network throughput can be doubled.

  14. A Low Collision and High Throughput Data Collection Mechanism for Large-Scale Super Dense Wireless Sensor Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lei, Chunyang; Bie, Hongxia; Fang, Gengfa; Gaura, Elena; Brusey, James; Zhang, Xuekun; Dutkiewicz, Eryk

    2016-07-18

    Super dense wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have become popular with the development of Internet of Things (IoT), Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications and Vehicular-to-Vehicular (V2V) networks. While highly-dense wireless networks provide efficient and sustainable solutions to collect precise environmental information, a new channel access scheme is needed to solve the channel collision problem caused by the large number of competing nodes accessing the channel simultaneously. In this paper, we propose a space-time random access method based on a directional data transmission strategy, by which collisions in the wireless channel are significantly decreased and channel utility efficiency is greatly enhanced. Simulation results show that our proposed method can decrease the packet loss rate to less than 2 % in large scale WSNs and in comparison with other channel access schemes for WSNs, the average network throughput can be doubled.

  15. The Effects of Topology on Throughput Capacity of Large Scale Wireless Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiuming Liu

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we jointly consider the inhomogeneity and spatial dimension in large scale wireless networks. We study the effects of topology on the throughput capacity. This problem is inherently difficult since it is complex to handle the interference caused by simultaneous transmission. To solve this problem, we, according to the inhomogeneity of topology, divide the transmission into intra-cluster transmission and inter-cluster transmission. For the intra-cluster transmission, a spheroidal percolation model is constructed. The spheroidal percolation model guarantees a constant rate when a power control strategy is adopted. We also propose a cube percolation mode for the inter-cluster transmission. Different from the spheroidal percolation model, a constant transmission rate can be achieved without power control. For both transmissions, we propose a routing scheme with five phases. By comparing the achievable rate of each phase, we get the rate bottleneck, which is the throughput capacity of the network.

  16. Dynamics of large-scale brain activity in normal arousal states and epileptic seizures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, P. A.; Rennie, C. J.; Rowe, D. L.

    2002-04-01

    Links between electroencephalograms (EEGs) and underlying aspects of neurophysiology and anatomy are poorly understood. Here a nonlinear continuum model of large-scale brain electrical activity is used to analyze arousal states and their stability and nonlinear dynamics for physiologically realistic parameters. A simple ordered arousal sequence in a reduced parameter space is inferred and found to be consistent with experimentally determined parameters of waking states. Instabilities arise at spectral peaks of the major clinically observed EEG rhythms-mainly slow wave, delta, theta, alpha, and sleep spindle-with each instability zone lying near its most common experimental precursor arousal states in the reduced space. Theta, alpha, and spindle instabilities evolve toward low-dimensional nonlinear limit cycles that correspond closely to EEGs of petit mal seizures for theta instability, and grand mal seizures for the other types. Nonlinear stimulus-induced entrainment and seizures are also seen, EEG spectra and potentials evoked by stimuli are reproduced, and numerous other points of experimental agreement are found. Inverse modeling enables physiological parameters underlying observed EEGs to be determined by a new, noninvasive route. This model thus provides a single, powerful framework for quantitative understanding of a wide variety of brain phenomena.

  17. Influence of cerebrovascular disease on brain networks in prodromal and clinical Alzheimer's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chong, Joanna Su Xian; Liu, Siwei; Loke, Yng Miin; Hilal, Saima; Ikram, Mohammad Kamran; Xu, Xin; Tan, Boon Yeow; Venketasubramanian, Narayanaswamy; Chen, Christopher Li-Hsian; Zhou, Juan

    2017-11-01

    Network-sensitive neuroimaging methods have been used to characterize large-scale brain network degeneration in Alzheimer's disease and its prodrome. However, few studies have investigated the combined effect of Alzheimer's disease and cerebrovascular disease on brain network degeneration. Our study sought to examine the intrinsic functional connectivity and structural covariance network changes in 235 prodromal and clinical Alzheimer's disease patients with and without cerebrovascular disease. We focused particularly on two higher-order cognitive networks-the default mode network and the executive control network. We found divergent functional connectivity and structural covariance patterns in Alzheimer's disease patients with and without cerebrovascular disease. Alzheimer's disease patients without cerebrovascular disease, but not Alzheimer's disease patients with cerebrovascular disease, showed reductions in posterior default mode network functional connectivity. By comparison, while both groups exhibited parietal reductions in executive control network functional connectivity, only Alzheimer's disease patients with cerebrovascular disease showed increases in frontal executive control network connectivity. Importantly, these distinct executive control network changes were recapitulated in prodromal Alzheimer's disease patients with and without cerebrovascular disease. Across Alzheimer's disease patients with and without cerebrovascular disease, higher default mode network functional connectivity z-scores correlated with greater hippocampal volumes while higher executive control network functional connectivity z-scores correlated with greater white matter changes. In parallel, only Alzheimer's disease patients without cerebrovascular disease showed increased default mode network structural covariance, while only Alzheimer's disease patients with cerebrovascular disease showed increased executive control network structural covariance compared to controls. Our

  18. Large-scale structural alteration of brain in epileptic children with SCN1A mutation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Yun-Jeong; Yum, Mi-Sun; Kim, Min-Jee; Shim, Woo-Hyun; Yoon, Hee Mang; Yoo, Il Han; Lee, Jiwon; Lim, Byung Chan; Kim, Ki Joong; Ko, Tae-Sung

    2017-01-01

    Mutations in SCN1A gene encoding the alpha 1 subunit of the voltage gated sodium channel are associated with several epilepsy syndromes including genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS +) and severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI). However, in most patients with SCN1A mutation, brain imaging has reported normal or non-specific findings including cerebral or cerebellar atrophy. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in brain morphometry in epileptic children with SCN1A mutation compared to healthy control subjects. We obtained cortical morphology (thickness, and surface area) and brain volume (global, subcortical, and regional) measurements using FreeSurfer (version 5.3.0, https://surfer.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu) and compared measurements of children with epilepsy and SCN1A gene mutation ( n  = 21) with those of age and gender matched healthy controls ( n  = 42). Compared to the healthy control group, children with epilepsy and SCN1A gene mutation exhibited smaller total brain, total gray matter and white matter, cerebellar white matter, and subcortical volumes, as well as mean surface area and mean cortical thickness. A regional analysis revealed significantly reduced gray matter volume in the patient group in the bilateral inferior parietal, left lateral orbitofrontal, left precentral, right postcentral, right isthmus cingulate, right middle temporal area with smaller surface area and white matter volume in some of these areas. However, the regional cortical thickness was not significantly different in two groups. This study showed large-scale developmental brain changes in patients with epilepsy and SCN1A gene mutation, which may be associated with the core symptoms of the patients. Further longitudinal MRI studies with larger cohorts are required to confirm the effect of SCN1A gene mutation on structural brain development.

  19. Bursting synchronization in scale-free networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Batista, C.A.S.; Batista, A.M.; Pontes, J.C.A. de; Lopes, S.R.; Viana, R.L.

    2009-01-01

    Neuronal networks in some areas of the brain cortex present the scale-free property, i.e., the neuron connectivity is distributed according to a power-law, such that neurons are more likely to couple with other already well-connected ones. Neuron activity presents two timescales, a fast one related to action-potential spiking, and a slow timescale in which bursting takes place. Some pathological conditions are related with the synchronization of the bursting activity in a weak sense, meaning the adjustment of the bursting phase due to coupling. Hence it has been proposed that an externally applied time-periodic signal be applied in order to control undesirable synchronized bursting rhythms. We investigated this kind of intervention using a two-dimensional map to describe neurons with spiking-bursting activity in a scale-free network.

  20. A neuromorphic implementation of multiple spike-timing synaptic plasticity rules for large-scale neural networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Runchun Mark Wang

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available We present a neuromorphic implementation of multiple synaptic plasticity learning rules, which include both Spike Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP and Spike Timing Dependent Delay Plasticity (STDDP. We present a fully digital implementation as well as a mixed-signal implementation, both of which use a novel dynamic-assignment time-multiplexing approach and support up to 2^26 (64M synaptic plasticity elements. Rather than implementing dedicated synapses for particular types of synaptic plasticity, we implemented a more generic synaptic plasticity adaptor array that is separate from the neurons in the neural network. Each adaptor performs synaptic plasticity according to the arrival times of the pre- and post-synaptic spikes assigned to it, and sends out a weighted and/or delayed pre-synaptic spike to the target synapse in the neural network. This strategy provides great flexibility for building complex large-scale neural networks, as a neural network can be configured for multiple synaptic plasticity rules without changing its structure. We validate the proposed neuromorphic implementations with measurement results and illustrate that the circuits are capable of performing both STDP and STDDP. We argue that it is practical to scale the work presented here up to 2^36 (64G synaptic adaptors on a current high-end FPGA platform.

  1. A Large Scale Code Resolution Service Network in the Internet of Things

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiangzhan Yu

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available In the Internet of Things a code resolution service provides a discovery mechanism for a requester to obtain the information resources associated with a particular product code immediately. In large scale application scenarios a code resolution service faces some serious issues involving heterogeneity, big data and data ownership. A code resolution service network is required to address these issues. Firstly, a list of requirements for the network architecture and code resolution services is proposed. Secondly, in order to eliminate code resolution conflicts and code resolution overloads, a code structure is presented to create a uniform namespace for code resolution records. Thirdly, we propose a loosely coupled distributed network consisting of heterogeneous, independent; collaborating code resolution services and a SkipNet based code resolution service named SkipNet-OCRS, which not only inherits DHT’s advantages, but also supports administrative control and autonomy. For the external behaviors of SkipNet-OCRS, a novel external behavior mode named QRRA mode is proposed to enhance security and reduce requester complexity. For the internal behaviors of SkipNet-OCRS, an improved query algorithm is proposed to increase query efficiency. It is analyzed that integrating SkipNet-OCRS into our resolution service network can meet our proposed requirements. Finally, simulation experiments verify the excellent performance of SkipNet-OCRS.

  2. A Self-Organizing Spatial Clustering Approach to Support Large-Scale Network RTK Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lili Shen

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available The network real-time kinematic (RTK technique can provide centimeter-level real time positioning solutions and play a key role in geo-spatial infrastructure. With ever-increasing popularity, network RTK systems will face issues in the support of large numbers of concurrent users. In the past, high-precision positioning services were oriented towards professionals and only supported a few concurrent users. Currently, precise positioning provides a spatial foundation for artificial intelligence (AI, and countless smart devices (autonomous cars, unmanned aerial-vehicles (UAVs, robotic equipment, etc. require precise positioning services. Therefore, the development of approaches to support large-scale network RTK systems is urgent. In this study, we proposed a self-organizing spatial clustering (SOSC approach which automatically clusters online users to reduce the computational load on the network RTK system server side. The experimental results indicate that both the SOSC algorithm and the grid algorithm can reduce the computational load efficiently, while the SOSC algorithm gives a more elastic and adaptive clustering solution with different datasets. The SOSC algorithm determines the cluster number and the mean distance to cluster center (MDTCC according to the data set, while the grid approaches are all predefined. The side-effects of clustering algorithms on the user side are analyzed with real global navigation satellite system (GNSS data sets. The experimental results indicate that 10 km can be safely used as the cluster radius threshold for the SOSC algorithm without significantly reducing the positioning precision and reliability on the user side.

  3. Analysis of a large-scale weighted network of one-to-one human communication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Onnela, Jukka-Pekka; Saramaeki, Jari; Hyvoenen, Joerkki; Szabo, Gabor; Menezes, M Argollo de; Kaski, Kimmo; Barabasi, Albert-Laszlo; Kertesz, Janos

    2007-01-01

    We construct a connected network of 3.9 million nodes from mobile phone call records, which can be regarded as a proxy for the underlying human communication network at the societal level. We assign two weights on each edge to reflect the strength of social interaction, which are the aggregate call duration and the cumulative number of calls placed between the individuals over a period of 18 weeks. We present a detailed analysis of this weighted network by examining its degree, strength, and weight distributions, as well as its topological assortativity and weighted assortativity, clustering and weighted clustering, together with correlations between these quantities. We give an account of motif intensity and coherence distributions and compare them to a randomized reference system. We also use the concept of link overlap to measure the number of common neighbours any two adjacent nodes have, which serves as a useful local measure for identifying the interconnectedness of communities. We report a positive correlation between the overlap and weight of a link, thus providing strong quantitative evidence for the weak ties hypothesis, a central concept in social network analysis. The percolation properties of the network are found to depend on the type and order of removed links, and they can help understand how the local structure of the network manifests itself at the global level. We hope that our results will contribute to modelling weighted large-scale social networks, and believe that the systematic approach followed here can be adopted to study other weighted networks

  4. Analysis of a large-scale weighted network of one-to-one human communication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onnela, Jukka-Pekka; Saramäki, Jari; Hyvönen, Jörkki; Szabó, Gábor; Argollo de Menezes, M.; Kaski, Kimmo; Barabási, Albert-László; Kertész, János

    2007-06-01

    We construct a connected network of 3.9 million nodes from mobile phone call records, which can be regarded as a proxy for the underlying human communication network at the societal level. We assign two weights on each edge to reflect the strength of social interaction, which are the aggregate call duration and the cumulative number of calls placed between the individuals over a period of 18 weeks. We present a detailed analysis of this weighted network by examining its degree, strength, and weight distributions, as well as its topological assortativity and weighted assortativity, clustering and weighted clustering, together with correlations between these quantities. We give an account of motif intensity and coherence distributions and compare them to a randomized reference system. We also use the concept of link overlap to measure the number of common neighbours any two adjacent nodes have, which serves as a useful local measure for identifying the interconnectedness of communities. We report a positive correlation between the overlap and weight of a link, thus providing strong quantitative evidence for the weak ties hypothesis, a central concept in social network analysis. The percolation properties of the network are found to depend on the type and order of removed links, and they can help understand how the local structure of the network manifests itself at the global level. We hope that our results will contribute to modelling weighted large-scale social networks, and believe that the systematic approach followed here can be adopted to study other weighted networks.

  5. Analysis of a large-scale weighted network of one-to-one human communication

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Onnela, Jukka-Pekka [Laboratory of Computational Engineering, Helsinki University of Technology (Finland); Saramaeki, Jari [Laboratory of Computational Engineering, Helsinki University of Technology (Finland); Hyvoenen, Joerkki [Laboratory of Computational Engineering, Helsinki University of Technology (Finland); Szabo, Gabor [Department of Physdics and Center for Complex Networks Research, University of Notre Dame, IN (United States); Menezes, M Argollo de [Department of Physdics and Center for Complex Networks Research, University of Notre Dame, IN (United States); Kaski, Kimmo [Laboratory of Computational Engineering, Helsinki University of Technology (Finland); Barabasi, Albert-Laszlo [Department of Physdics and Center for Complex Networks Research, University of Notre Dame, IN (United States); Kertesz, Janos [Laboratory of Computational Engineering, Helsinki University of Technology (Finland)

    2007-06-15

    We construct a connected network of 3.9 million nodes from mobile phone call records, which can be regarded as a proxy for the underlying human communication network at the societal level. We assign two weights on each edge to reflect the strength of social interaction, which are the aggregate call duration and the cumulative number of calls placed between the individuals over a period of 18 weeks. We present a detailed analysis of this weighted network by examining its degree, strength, and weight distributions, as well as its topological assortativity and weighted assortativity, clustering and weighted clustering, together with correlations between these quantities. We give an account of motif intensity and coherence distributions and compare them to a randomized reference system. We also use the concept of link overlap to measure the number of common neighbours any two adjacent nodes have, which serves as a useful local measure for identifying the interconnectedness of communities. We report a positive correlation between the overlap and weight of a link, thus providing strong quantitative evidence for the weak ties hypothesis, a central concept in social network analysis. The percolation properties of the network are found to depend on the type and order of removed links, and they can help understand how the local structure of the network manifests itself at the global level. We hope that our results will contribute to modelling weighted large-scale social networks, and believe that the systematic approach followed here can be adopted to study other weighted networks.

  6. Limits to the development of feed-forward structures in large recurrent neuronal networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susanne Kunkel

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP has traditionally been of great interest to theoreticians, as it seems to provide an answer to the question of how the brain can develop functional structure in response to repeated stimuli. However, despite this high level of interest, convincing demonstrations of this capacity in large, initially random networks have not been forthcoming. Such demonstrations as there are typically rely on constraining the problem artificially. Techniques include employing additional pruning mechanisms or STDP rules that enhance symmetry breaking, simulating networks with low connectivity that magnify competition between synapses, or combinations of the above. In this paper we first review modeling choices that carry particularly high risks of producing non-generalizable results in the context of STDP in recurrent networks. We then develop a theory for the development of feed-forward structure in random networks and conclude that an unstable fixed point in the dynamics prevents the stable propagation of structure in recurrent networks with weight-dependent STDP. We demonstrate that the key predictions of the theory hold in large-scale simulations. The theory provides insight into the reasons why such development does not take place in unconstrained systems and enables us to identify candidate biologically motivated adaptations to the balanced random network model that might enable it.

  7. Enhancing the Temporal Complexity of Distributed Brain Networks with Patterned Cerebellar Stimulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farzan, Faranak; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro; Schmahmann, Jeremy D.; Halko, Mark

    2016-01-01

    Growing evidence suggests that sensory, motor, cognitive and affective processes map onto specific, distributed neural networks. Cerebellar subregions are part of these networks, but how the cerebellum is involved in this wide range of brain functions remains poorly understood. It is postulated that the cerebellum contributes a basic role in brain functions, helping to shape the complexity of brain temporal dynamics. We therefore hypothesized that stimulating cerebellar nodes integrated in different networks should have the same impact on the temporal complexity of cortical signals. In healthy humans, we applied intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) to the vermis lobule VII or right lateral cerebellar Crus I/II, subregions that prominently couple to the dorsal-attention/fronto-parietal and default-mode networks, respectively. Cerebellar iTBS increased the complexity of brain signals across multiple time scales in a network-specific manner identified through electroencephalography (EEG). We also demonstrated a region-specific shift in power of cortical oscillations towards higher frequencies consistent with the natural frequencies of targeted cortical areas. Our findings provide a novel mechanism and evidence by which the cerebellum contributes to multiple brain functions: specific cerebellar subregions control the temporal dynamics of the networks they are engaged in. PMID:27009405

  8. Flexible brain network reconfiguration supporting inhibitory control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spielberg, Jeffrey M; Miller, Gregory A; Heller, Wendy; Banich, Marie T

    2015-08-11

    The ability to inhibit distracting stimuli from interfering with goal-directed behavior is crucial for success in most spheres of life. Despite an abundance of studies examining regional brain activation, knowledge of the brain networks involved in inhibitory control remains quite limited. To address this critical gap, we applied graph theory tools to functional magnetic resonance imaging data collected while a large sample of adults (n = 101) performed a color-word Stroop task. Higher demand for inhibitory control was associated with restructuring of the global network into a configuration that was more optimized for specialized processing (functional segregation), more efficient at communicating the output of such processing across the network (functional integration), and more resilient to potential interruption (resilience). In addition, there were regional changes with right inferior frontal sulcus and right anterior insula occupying more central positions as network hubs, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex becoming more tightly coupled with its regional subnetwork. Given the crucial role of inhibitory control in goal-directed behavior, present findings identifying functional network organization supporting inhibitory control have the potential to provide additional insights into how inhibitory control may break down in a wide variety of individuals with neurological or psychiatric difficulties.

  9. The brain's router: a cortical network model of serial processing in the primate brain

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zylberberg, Ariel; Fernández Slezak, Diego; Roelfsema, Pieter R.; Dehaene, Stanislas; Sigman, Mariano

    2010-01-01

    The human brain efficiently solves certain operations such as object recognition and categorization through a massively parallel network of dedicated processors. However, human cognition also relies on the ability to perform an arbitrarily large set of tasks by flexibly recombining different

  10. Deep convolutional neural networks for annotating gene expression patterns in the mouse brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Tao; Li, Rongjian; Mukkamala, Ravi; Ye, Jieping; Ji, Shuiwang

    2015-05-07

    Profiling gene expression in brain structures at various spatial and temporal scales is essential to understanding how genes regulate the development of brain structures. The Allen Developing Mouse Brain Atlas provides high-resolution 3-D in situ hybridization (ISH) gene expression patterns in multiple developing stages of the mouse brain. Currently, the ISH images are annotated with anatomical terms manually. In this paper, we propose a computational approach to annotate gene expression pattern images in the mouse brain at various structural levels over the course of development. We applied deep convolutional neural network that was trained on a large set of natural images to extract features from the ISH images of developing mouse brain. As a baseline representation, we applied invariant image feature descriptors to capture local statistics from ISH images and used the bag-of-words approach to build image-level representations. Both types of features from multiple ISH image sections of the entire brain were then combined to build 3-D, brain-wide gene expression representations. We employed regularized learning methods for discriminating gene expression patterns in different brain structures. Results show that our approach of using convolutional model as feature extractors achieved superior performance in annotating gene expression patterns at multiple levels of brain structures throughout four developing ages. Overall, we achieved average AUC of 0.894 ± 0.014, as compared with 0.820 ± 0.046 yielded by the bag-of-words approach. Deep convolutional neural network model trained on natural image sets and applied to gene expression pattern annotation tasks yielded superior performance, demonstrating its transfer learning property is applicable to such biological image sets.

  11. Developing Large-Scale Bayesian Networks by Composition: Fault Diagnosis of Electrical Power Systems in Aircraft and Spacecraft

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mengshoel, Ole Jakob; Poll, Scott; Kurtoglu, Tolga

    2009-01-01

    This CD contains files that support the talk (see CASI ID 20100021404). There are 24 models that relate to the ADAPT system and 1 Excel worksheet. In the paper an investigation into the use of Bayesian networks to construct large-scale diagnostic systems is described. The high-level specifications, Bayesian networks, clique trees, and arithmetic circuits representing 24 different electrical power systems are described in the talk. The data in the CD are the models of the 24 different power systems.

  12. Treatment effect of methylphenidate on intrinsic functional brain network in medication-naïve ADHD children: A multivariate analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoo, Jae Hyun; Kim, Dohyun; Choi, Jeewook; Jeong, Bumseok

    2018-04-01

    Methylphenidate is a first-line therapeutic option for treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); however, elicited changes on resting-state functional networks (RSFNs) are not well understood. This study investigated the treatment effect of methylphenidate using a variety of RSFN analyses and explored the collaborative influences of treatment-relevant RSFN changes in children with ADHD. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was acquired from 20 medication-naïve ADHD children before methylphenidate treatment and twelve weeks later. Changes in large-scale functional connectivity were defined using independent component analysis with dual regression and graph theoretical analysis. The amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) was measured to investigate local spontaneous activity alteration. Finally, significant findings were recruited to random forest regression to identify the feature subset that best explains symptom improvement. After twelve weeks of methylphenidate administration, large-scale connectivity was increased between the left fronto-parietal RSFN and the left insula cortex and the right fronto-parietal and the brainstem, while the clustering coefficient (CC) of the global network and nodes, the left fronto-parietal, cerebellum, and occipital pole-visual network, were decreased. ALFF was increased in the bilateral superior parietal cortex and decreased in the right inferior fronto-temporal area. The subset of the local and large-scale RSFN changes, including widespread ALFF changes, the CC of the global network and the cerebellum, could explain the 27.1% variance of the ADHD Rating Scale and 13.72% of the Conner's Parent Rating Scale. Our multivariate approach suggests that the neural mechanism of methylphenidate treatment could be associated with alteration of spontaneous activity in the superior parietal cortex or widespread brain regions as well as functional segregation of the large-scale intrinsic functional

  13. Defining nodes in complex brain networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew Lawrence Stanley

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Network science holds great promise for expanding our understanding of the human brain in health, disease, development, and aging. Network analyses are quickly becoming the method of choice for analyzing functional MRI data. However, many technical issues have yet to be confronted in order to optimize results. One particular issue that remains controversial in functional brain network analyses is the definition of a network node. In functional brain networks a node represents some predefined collection of brain tissue, and an edge measures the functional connectivity between pairs of nodes. The characteristics of a node, chosen by the researcher, vary considerably in the literature. This manuscript reviews the current state of the art based on published manuscripts and highlights the strengths and weaknesses of three main methods for defining nodes. Voxel-wise networks are constructed by assigning a node to each, equally sized brain area (voxel. The fMRI time-series recorded from each voxel is then used to create the functional network. Anatomical methods utilize atlases to define the nodes based on brain structure. The fMRI time-series from all voxels within the anatomical area are averaged and subsequently used to generate the network. Functional activation methods rely on data from traditional fMRI activation studies, often from databases, to identify network nodes. Such methods identify the peaks or centers of mass from activation maps to determine the location of the nodes. Small (~10-20 millimeter diameter spheres located at the coordinates of the activation foci are then applied to the data being used in the network analysis. The fMRI time-series from all voxels in the sphere are then averaged, and the resultant time series is used to generate the network. We attempt to clarify the discussion and move the study of complex brain networks forward. While the correct method to be used remains an open, possibly unsolvable question that

  14. The Virtual Mouse Brain: A Computational Neuroinformatics Platform to Study Whole Mouse Brain Dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melozzi, Francesca; Woodman, Marmaduke M; Jirsa, Viktor K; Bernard, Christophe

    2017-01-01

    Connectome-based modeling of large-scale brain network dynamics enables causal in silico interrogation of the brain's structure-function relationship, necessitating the close integration of diverse neuroinformatics fields. Here we extend the open-source simulation software The Virtual Brain (TVB) to whole mouse brain network modeling based on individual diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI)-based or tracer-based detailed mouse connectomes. We provide practical examples on how to use The Virtual Mouse Brain (TVMB) to simulate brain activity, such as seizure propagation and the switching behavior of the resting state dynamics in health and disease. TVMB enables theoretically driven experimental planning and ways to test predictions in the numerous strains of mice available to study brain function in normal and pathological conditions.

  15. Cooperative HARQ Assisted NOMA Scheme in Large-scale D2D Networks

    KAUST Repository

    Shi, Zheng

    2017-07-13

    This paper develops an interference aware design for cooperative hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) assisted non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) scheme for large-scale device-to-device (D2D) networks. Specifically, interference aware rate selection and power allocation are considered to maximize long term average throughput (LTAT) and area spectral efficiency (ASE). The design framework is based on stochastic geometry that jointly accounts for the spatial interference correlation at the NOMA receivers as well as the temporal interference correlation across HARQ transmissions. It is found that ignoring the effect of the aggregate interference, or overlooking the spatial and temporal correlation in interference, highly overestimates the NOMA performance and produces misleading design insights. An interference oblivious selection for the power and/or transmission rates leads to violating the network outage constraints. To this end, the results demonstrate the effectiveness of NOMA transmission and manifest the importance of the cooperative HARQ to combat the negative effect of the network aggregate interference. For instance, comparing to the non-cooperative HARQ assisted NOMA, the proposed scheme can yield an outage probability reduction by $32$%. Furthermore, an interference aware optimal design that maximizes the LTAT given outage constraints leads to $47$% throughput improvement over HARQ-assisted orthogonal multiple access (OMA) scheme.

  16. BrainNet Viewer: a network visualization tool for human brain connectomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Mingrui; Wang, Jinhui; He, Yong

    2013-01-01

    The human brain is a complex system whose topological organization can be represented using connectomics. Recent studies have shown that human connectomes can be constructed using various neuroimaging technologies and further characterized using sophisticated analytic strategies, such as graph theory. These methods reveal the intriguing topological architectures of human brain networks in healthy populations and explore the changes throughout normal development and aging and under various pathological conditions. However, given the huge complexity of this methodology, toolboxes for graph-based network visualization are still lacking. Here, using MATLAB with a graphical user interface (GUI), we developed a graph-theoretical network visualization toolbox, called BrainNet Viewer, to illustrate human connectomes as ball-and-stick models. Within this toolbox, several combinations of defined files with connectome information can be loaded to display different combinations of brain surface, nodes and edges. In addition, display properties, such as the color and size of network elements or the layout of the figure, can be adjusted within a comprehensive but easy-to-use settings panel. Moreover, BrainNet Viewer draws the brain surface, nodes and edges in sequence and displays brain networks in multiple views, as required by the user. The figure can be manipulated with certain interaction functions to display more detailed information. Furthermore, the figures can be exported as commonly used image file formats or demonstration video for further use. BrainNet Viewer helps researchers to visualize brain networks in an easy, flexible and quick manner, and this software is freely available on the NITRC website (www.nitrc.org/projects/bnv/).

  17. BrainNet Viewer: a network visualization tool for human brain connectomics.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mingrui Xia

    Full Text Available The human brain is a complex system whose topological organization can be represented using connectomics. Recent studies have shown that human connectomes can be constructed using various neuroimaging technologies and further characterized using sophisticated analytic strategies, such as graph theory. These methods reveal the intriguing topological architectures of human brain networks in healthy populations and explore the changes throughout normal development and aging and under various pathological conditions. However, given the huge complexity of this methodology, toolboxes for graph-based network visualization are still lacking. Here, using MATLAB with a graphical user interface (GUI, we developed a graph-theoretical network visualization toolbox, called BrainNet Viewer, to illustrate human connectomes as ball-and-stick models. Within this toolbox, several combinations of defined files with connectome information can be loaded to display different combinations of brain surface, nodes and edges. In addition, display properties, such as the color and size of network elements or the layout of the figure, can be adjusted within a comprehensive but easy-to-use settings panel. Moreover, BrainNet Viewer draws the brain surface, nodes and edges in sequence and displays brain networks in multiple views, as required by the user. The figure can be manipulated with certain interaction functions to display more detailed information. Furthermore, the figures can be exported as commonly used image file formats or demonstration video for further use. BrainNet Viewer helps researchers to visualize brain networks in an easy, flexible and quick manner, and this software is freely available on the NITRC website (www.nitrc.org/projects/bnv/.

  18. The effect of souvenaid on functional brain network organisation in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease: a randomised controlled study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanneke de Waal

    Full Text Available Synaptic loss is a major hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD. Disturbed organisation of large-scale functional brain networks in AD might reflect synaptic loss and disrupted neuronal communication. The medical food Souvenaid, containing the specific nutrient combination Fortasyn Connect, is designed to enhance synapse formation and function and has been shown to improve memory performance in patients with mild AD in two randomised controlled trials.To explore the effect of Souvenaid compared to control product on brain activity-based networks, as a derivative of underlying synaptic function, in patients with mild AD.A 24-week randomised, controlled, double-blind, parallel-group, multi-country study.179 drug-naïve mild AD patients who participated in the Souvenir II study.Patients were randomised 1∶1 to receive Souvenaid or an iso-caloric control product once daily for 24 weeks.In a secondary analysis of the Souvenir II study, electroencephalography (EEG brain networks were constructed and graph theory was used to quantify complex brain structure. Local brain network connectivity (normalised clustering coefficient gamma and global network integration (normalised characteristic path length lambda were compared between study groups, and related to memory performance.THE NETWORK MEASURES IN THE BETA BAND WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN GROUPS: they decreased in the control group, but remained relatively unchanged in the active group. No consistent relationship was found between these network measures and memory performance.The current results suggest that Souvenaid preserves the organisation of brain networks in patients with mild AD within 24 weeks, hypothetically counteracting the progressive network disruption over time in AD. The results strengthen the hypothesis that Souvenaid affects synaptic integrity and function. Secondly, we conclude that advanced EEG analysis, using the mathematical framework of graph theory, is useful and

  19. The effect of souvenaid on functional brain network organisation in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease: a randomised controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Waal, Hanneke; Stam, Cornelis J; Lansbergen, Marieke M; Wieggers, Rico L; Kamphuis, Patrick J G H; Scheltens, Philip; Maestú, Fernando; van Straaten, Elisabeth C W

    2014-01-01

    Synaptic loss is a major hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Disturbed organisation of large-scale functional brain networks in AD might reflect synaptic loss and disrupted neuronal communication. The medical food Souvenaid, containing the specific nutrient combination Fortasyn Connect, is designed to enhance synapse formation and function and has been shown to improve memory performance in patients with mild AD in two randomised controlled trials. To explore the effect of Souvenaid compared to control product on brain activity-based networks, as a derivative of underlying synaptic function, in patients with mild AD. A 24-week randomised, controlled, double-blind, parallel-group, multi-country study. 179 drug-naïve mild AD patients who participated in the Souvenir II study. Patients were randomised 1∶1 to receive Souvenaid or an iso-caloric control product once daily for 24 weeks. In a secondary analysis of the Souvenir II study, electroencephalography (EEG) brain networks were constructed and graph theory was used to quantify complex brain structure. Local brain network connectivity (normalised clustering coefficient gamma) and global network integration (normalised characteristic path length lambda) were compared between study groups, and related to memory performance. THE NETWORK MEASURES IN THE BETA BAND WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN GROUPS: they decreased in the control group, but remained relatively unchanged in the active group. No consistent relationship was found between these network measures and memory performance. The current results suggest that Souvenaid preserves the organisation of brain networks in patients with mild AD within 24 weeks, hypothetically counteracting the progressive network disruption over time in AD. The results strengthen the hypothesis that Souvenaid affects synaptic integrity and function. Secondly, we conclude that advanced EEG analysis, using the mathematical framework of graph theory, is useful and feasible for

  20. Large Scale Community Detection Using a Small World Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ranjan Kumar Behera

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available In a social network, small or large communities within the network play a major role in deciding the functionalities of the network. Despite of diverse definitions, communities in the network may be defined as the group of nodes that are more densely connected as compared to nodes outside the group. Revealing such hidden communities is one of the challenging research problems. A real world social network follows small world phenomena, which indicates that any two social entities can be reachable in a small number of steps. In this paper, nodes are mapped into communities based on the random walk in the network. However, uncovering communities in large-scale networks is a challenging task due to its unprecedented growth in the size of social networks. A good number of community detection algorithms based on random walk exist in literature. In addition, when large-scale social networks are being considered, these algorithms are observed to take considerably longer time. In this work, with an objective to improve the efficiency of algorithms, parallel programming framework like Map-Reduce has been considered for uncovering the hidden communities in social network. The proposed approach has been compared with some standard existing community detection algorithms for both synthetic and real-world datasets in order to examine its performance, and it is observed that the proposed algorithm is more efficient than the existing ones.

  1. IP over optical multicasting for large-scale video delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Yaohui; Hu, Weisheng; Sun, Weiqiang; Guo, Wei

    2007-11-01

    In the IPTV systems, multicasting will play a crucial role in the delivery of high-quality video services, which can significantly improve bandwidth efficiency. However, the scalability and the signal quality of current IPTV can barely compete with the existing broadcast digital TV systems since it is difficult to implement large-scale multicasting with end-to-end guaranteed quality of service (QoS) in packet-switched IP network. China 3TNet project aimed to build a high performance broadband trial network to support large-scale concurrent streaming media and interactive multimedia services. The innovative idea of 3TNet is that an automatic switched optical networks (ASON) with the capability of dynamic point-to-multipoint (P2MP) connections replaces the conventional IP multicasting network in the transport core, while the edge remains an IP multicasting network. In this paper, we will introduce the network architecture and discuss challenges in such IP over Optical multicasting for video delivery.

  2. Organization and scaling in water supply networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Likwan; Karney, Bryan W.

    2017-12-01

    Public water supply is one of the society's most vital resources and most costly infrastructures. Traditional concepts of these networks capture their engineering identity as isolated, deterministic hydraulic units, but overlook their physics identity as related entities in a probabilistic, geographic ensemble, characterized by size organization and property scaling. Although discoveries of allometric scaling in natural supply networks (organisms and rivers) raised the prospect for similar findings in anthropogenic supplies, so far such a finding has not been reported in public water or related civic resource supplies. Examining an empirical ensemble of large number and wide size range, we show that water supply networks possess self-organized size abundance and theory-explained allometric scaling in spatial, infrastructural, and resource- and emission-flow properties. These discoveries establish scaling physics for water supply networks and may lead to novel applications in resource- and jurisdiction-scale water governance.

  3. GPU-accelerated brain connectivity reconstruction and visualization in large-scale electron micrographs

    KAUST Repository

    Jeong, Wonki

    2011-01-01

    This chapter introduces a GPU-accelerated interactive, semiautomatic axon segmentation and visualization system. Two challenging problems have been addressed: the interactive 3D axon segmentation and the interactive 3D image filtering and rendering of implicit surfaces. The reconstruction of neural connections to understand the function of the brain is an emerging and active research area in neuroscience. With the advent of high-resolution scanning technologies, such as 3D light microscopy and electron microscopy (EM), reconstruction of complex 3D neural circuits from large volumes of neural tissues has become feasible. Among them, only EM data can provide sufficient resolution to identify synapses and to resolve extremely narrow neural processes. These high-resolution, large-scale datasets pose challenging problems, for example, how to process and manipulate large datasets to extract scientifically meaningful information using a compact representation in a reasonable processing time. The running time of the multiphase level set segmentation method has been measured on the CPU and GPU. The CPU version is implemented using the ITK image class and the ITK distance transform filter. The numerical part of the CPU implementation is similar to the GPU implementation for fair comparison. The main focus of this chapter is introducing the GPU algorithms and their implementation details, which are the core components of the interactive segmentation and visualization system. © 2011 Copyright © 2011 NVIDIA Corporation and Wen-mei W. Hwu Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved..

  4. Machine-Learning Classifier for Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: Multifeature Approach Based on a High-Order Minimum Spanning Tree Functional Brain Network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Hao; Qin, Mengna; Chen, Junjie; Xu, Yong; Xiang, Jie

    2017-01-01

    High-order functional connectivity networks are rich in time information that can reflect dynamic changes in functional connectivity between brain regions. Accordingly, such networks are widely used to classify brain diseases. However, traditional methods for processing high-order functional connectivity networks generally include the clustering method, which reduces data dimensionality. As a result, such networks cannot be effectively interpreted in the context of neurology. Additionally, due to the large scale of high-order functional connectivity networks, it can be computationally very expensive to use complex network or graph theory to calculate certain topological properties. Here, we propose a novel method of generating a high-order minimum spanning tree functional connectivity network. This method increases the neurological significance of the high-order functional connectivity network, reduces network computing consumption, and produces a network scale that is conducive to subsequent network analysis. To ensure the quality of the topological information in the network structure, we used frequent subgraph mining technology to capture the discriminative subnetworks as features and combined this with quantifiable local network features. Then we applied a multikernel learning technique to the corresponding selected features to obtain the final classification results. We evaluated our proposed method using a data set containing 38 patients with major depressive disorder and 28 healthy controls. The experimental results showed a classification accuracy of up to 97.54%.

  5. First Mile Challenges for Large-Scale IoT

    KAUST Repository

    Bader, Ahmed

    2017-03-16

    The Internet of Things is large-scale by nature. This is not only manifested by the large number of connected devices, but also by the sheer scale of spatial traffic intensity that must be accommodated, primarily in the uplink direction. To that end, cellular networks are indeed a strong first mile candidate to accommodate the data tsunami to be generated by the IoT. However, IoT devices are required in the cellular paradigm to undergo random access procedures as a precursor to resource allocation. Such procedures impose a major bottleneck that hinders cellular networks\\' ability to support large-scale IoT. In this article, we shed light on the random access dilemma and present a case study based on experimental data as well as system-level simulations. Accordingly, a case is built for the latent need to revisit random access procedures. A call for action is motivated by listing a few potential remedies and recommendations.

  6. Optimal defense resource allocation in scale-free networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xuejun; Xu, Guoqiang; Xia, Yongxiang

    2018-02-01

    The robustness research of networked systems has drawn widespread attention in the past decade, and one of the central topics is to protect the network from external attacks through allocating appropriate defense resource to different nodes. In this paper, we apply a specific particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to optimize the defense resource allocation in scale-free networks. Results reveal that PSO based resource allocation shows a higher robustness than other resource allocation strategies such as uniform, degree-proportional, and betweenness-proportional allocation strategies. Furthermore, we find that assigning less resource to middle-degree nodes under small-scale attack while more resource to low-degree nodes under large-scale attack is conductive to improving the network robustness. Our work provides an insight into the optimal defense resource allocation pattern in scale-free networks and is helpful for designing a more robust network.

  7. Combining region- and network-level brain-behavior relationships in a structural equation model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolt, Taylor; Prince, Emily B; Nomi, Jason S; Messinger, Daniel; Llabre, Maria M; Uddin, Lucina Q

    2018-01-15

    Brain-behavior associations in fMRI studies are typically restricted to a single level of analysis: either a circumscribed brain region-of-interest (ROI) or a larger network of brain regions. However, this common practice may not always account for the interdependencies among ROIs of the same network or potentially unique information at the ROI-level, respectively. To account for both sources of information, we combined measurement and structural components of structural equation modeling (SEM) approaches to empirically derive networks from ROI activity, and to assess the association of both individual ROIs and their respective whole-brain activation networks with task performance using three large task-fMRI datasets and two separate brain parcellation schemes. The results for working memory and relational tasks revealed that well-known ROI-performance associations are either non-significant or reversed when accounting for the ROI's common association with its corresponding network, and that the network as a whole is instead robustly associated with task performance. The results for the arithmetic task revealed that in certain cases, an ROI can be robustly associated with task performance, even when accounting for its associated network. The SEM framework described in this study provides researchers additional flexibility in testing brain-behavior relationships, as well as a principled way to combine ROI- and network-levels of analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Embedded Electro-Optic Sensor Network for the On-Site Calibration and Real-Time Performance Monitoring of Large-Scale Phased Arrays

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Yang, Kyoung

    2005-01-01

    This final report summarizes the progress during the Phase I SBIR project entitled "Embedded Electro-Optic Sensor Network for the On-Site Calibration and Real-Time Performance Monitoring of Large-Scale Phased Arrays...

  9. Altered brain network modules induce helplessness in major depressive disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Daihui; Shi, Feng; Shen, Ting; Peng, Ziwen; Zhang, Chen; Liu, Xiaohua; Qiu, Meihui; Liu, Jun; Jiang, Kaida; Fang, Yiru; Shen, Dinggang

    2014-10-01

    The abnormal brain functional connectivity (FC) has been assumed to be a pathophysiological aspect of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, it is poorly understood, regarding the underlying patterns of global FC network and their relationships with the clinical characteristics of MDD. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from 16 first episode, medication-naïve MDD patients and 16 healthy control subjects. The global FC network was constructed using 90 brain regions. The global topological patterns, e.g., small-worldness and modularity, and their relationships with depressive characteristics were investigated. Furthermore, the participant coefficient and module degree of MDD patients were measured to reflect the regional roles in module network, and the impairment of FC was examined by network based statistic. Small-world property was not altered in MDD. However, MDD patients exhibited 5 atypically reorganized modules compared to the controls. A positive relationship was also found among MDD patients between the intra-module I and helplessness factor evaluated via the Hamilton Depression Scale. Specifically, eight regions exhibited the abnormal participant coefficient or module degree, e.g., left superior orbital frontal cortex and right amygdala. The decreased FC was identified among the sub-network of 24 brain regions, e.g., frontal cortex, supplementary motor area, amygdala, thalamus, and hippocampus. The limited size of MDD samples precluded meaningful study of distinct clinical characteristics in relation to aberrant FC. The results revealed altered patterns of brain module network at the global level in MDD patients, which might contribute to the feelings of helplessness. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. BrainNetVis: analysis and visualization of brain functional networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsiaras, Vassilis; Andreou, Dimitris; Tollis, Ioannis G

    2009-01-01

    BrainNetVis is an application, written in Java, that displays and analyzes synchronization networks from brain signals. The program implements a number of network indices and visualization techniques. We demonstrate its use through a case study of left hand and foot motor imagery. The data sets were provided by the Berlin BCI group. Using this program we managed to find differences between the average left hand and foot synchronization networks by comparing them with the average idle state synchronization network.

  11. A visual analytics system for optimizing the performance of large-scale networks in supercomputing systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takanori Fujiwara

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The overall efficiency of an extreme-scale supercomputer largely relies on the performance of its network interconnects. Several of the state of the art supercomputers use networks based on the increasingly popular Dragonfly topology. It is crucial to study the behavior and performance of different parallel applications running on Dragonfly networks in order to make optimal system configurations and design choices, such as job scheduling and routing strategies. However, in order to study these temporal network behavior, we would need a tool to analyze and correlate numerous sets of multivariate time-series data collected from the Dragonfly’s multi-level hierarchies. This paper presents such a tool–a visual analytics system–that uses the Dragonfly network to investigate the temporal behavior and optimize the communication performance of a supercomputer. We coupled interactive visualization with time-series analysis methods to help reveal hidden patterns in the network behavior with respect to different parallel applications and system configurations. Our system also provides multiple coordinated views for connecting behaviors observed at different levels of the network hierarchies, which effectively helps visual analysis tasks. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the system with a set of case studies. Our system and findings can not only help improve the communication performance of supercomputing applications, but also the network performance of next-generation supercomputers. Keywords: Supercomputing, Parallel communication network, Dragonfly networks, Time-series data, Performance analysis, Visual analytics

  12. Annual Research Review: Growth connectomics – the organization and reorganization of brain networks during normal and abnormal development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vértes, Petra E; Bullmore, Edward T

    2015-01-01

    Background We first give a brief introduction to graph theoretical analysis and its application to the study of brain network topology or connectomics. Within this framework, we review the existing empirical data on developmental changes in brain network organization across a range of experimental modalities (including structural and functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, magnetoencephalography and electroencephalography in humans). Synthesis We discuss preliminary evidence and current hypotheses for how the emergence of network properties correlates with concomitant cognitive and behavioural changes associated with development. We highlight some of the technical and conceptual challenges to be addressed by future developments in this rapidly moving field. Given the parallels previously discovered between neural systems across species and over a range of spatial scales, we also review some recent advances in developmental network studies at the cellular scale. We highlight the opportunities presented by such studies and how they may complement neuroimaging in advancing our understanding of brain development. Finally, we note that many brain and mind disorders are thought to be neurodevelopmental in origin and that charting the trajectory of brain network changes associated with healthy development also sets the stage for understanding abnormal network development. Conclusions We therefore briefly review the clinical relevance of network metrics as potential diagnostic markers and some recent efforts in computational modelling of brain networks which might contribute to a more mechanistic understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders in future. PMID:25441756

  13. Brain tumor segmentation using holistically nested neural networks in MRI images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhuge, Ying; Krauze, Andra V; Ning, Holly; Cheng, Jason Y; Arora, Barbara C; Camphausen, Kevin; Miller, Robert W

    2017-10-01

    Gliomas are rapidly progressive, neurologically devastating, largely fatal brain tumors. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a widely used technique employed in the diagnosis and management of gliomas in clinical practice. MRI is also the standard imaging modality used to delineate the brain tumor target as part of treatment planning for the administration of radiation therapy. Despite more than 20 yr of research and development, computational brain tumor segmentation in MRI images remains a challenging task. We are presenting a novel method of automatic image segmentation based on holistically nested neural networks that could be employed for brain tumor segmentation of MRI images. Two preprocessing techniques were applied to MRI images. The N4ITK method was employed for correction of bias field distortion. A novel landmark-based intensity normalization method was developed so that tissue types have a similar intensity scale in images of different subjects for the same MRI protocol. The holistically nested neural networks (HNN), which extend from the convolutional neural networks (CNN) with a deep supervision through an additional weighted-fusion output layer, was trained to learn the multiscale and multilevel hierarchical appearance representation of the brain tumor in MRI images and was subsequently applied to produce a prediction map of the brain tumor on test images. Finally, the brain tumor was obtained through an optimum thresholding on the prediction map. The proposed method was evaluated on both the Multimodal Brain Tumor Image Segmentation (BRATS) Benchmark 2013 training datasets, and clinical data from our institute. A dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and sensitivity of 0.78 and 0.81 were achieved on 20 BRATS 2013 training datasets with high-grade gliomas (HGG), based on a two-fold cross-validation. The HNN model built on the BRATS 2013 training data was applied to ten clinical datasets with HGG from a locally developed database. DSC and sensitivity of

  14. How Did the Information Flow in the #AlphaGo Hashtag Network? A Social Network Analysis of the Large-Scale Information Network on Twitter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jinyoung

    2017-12-01

    As it becomes common for Internet users to use hashtags when posting and searching information on social media, it is important to understand who builds a hashtag network and how information is circulated within the network. This article focused on unlocking the potential of the #AlphaGo hashtag network by addressing the following questions. First, the current study examined whether traditional opinion leadership (i.e., the influentials hypothesis) or grassroot participation by the public (i.e., the interpersonal hypothesis) drove dissemination of information in the hashtag network. Second, several unique patterns of information distribution by key users were identified. Finally, the association between attributes of key users who exerted great influence on information distribution (i.e., the number of followers and follows) and their central status in the network was tested. To answer the proffered research questions, a social network analysis was conducted using a large-scale hashtag network data set from Twitter (n = 21,870). The results showed that the leading actors in the network were actively receiving information from their followers rather than serving as intermediaries between the original information sources and the public. Moreover, the leading actors played several roles (i.e., conversation starters, influencers, and active engagers) in the network. Furthermore, the number of their follows and followers were significantly associated with their central status in the hashtag network. Based on the results, the current research explained how the information was exchanged in the hashtag network by proposing the reciprocal model of information flow.

  15. Topological isomorphisms of human brain and financial market networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petra E Vértes

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Although metaphorical and conceptual connections between the human brain and the financial markets have often been drawn, rigorous physical or mathematical underpinnings of this analogy remain largely unexplored. Here, we apply a statistical and graph theoretic approach to the study of two datasets - the timeseries of 90 stocks from the New York Stock Exchange over a three-year period, and the fMRI-derived timeseries acquired from 90 brain regions over the course of a 10 min-long functional MRI scan of resting brain function in healthy volunteers. Despite the many obvious substantive differences between these two datasets, graphical analysis demonstrated striking commonalities in terms of global network topological properties. Both the human brain and the market networks were non-random, small-world, modular, hierarchical systems with fat-tailed degree distributions indicating the presence of highly connected hubs. These properties could not be trivially explained by the univariate time series statistics of stock price returns. This degree of topological isomorphism suggests that brains and markets can be regarded broadly as members of the same family of networks. The two systems, however, were not topologically identical. The financial market was more efficient and more modular - more highly optimised for information processing - than the brain networks; but also less robust to systemic disintegration as a result of hub deletion. We conclude that the conceptual connections between brains and markets are not merely metaphorical; rather these two information processing systems can be rigorously compared in the same mathematical language and turn out often to share important topological properties in common to some degree. There will be interesting scientific arbitrage opportunities in further work at the graph theoretically-mediated interface between systems neuroscience and the statistical physics of financial markets.

  16. Topological isomorphisms of human brain and financial market networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vértes, Petra E; Nicol, Ruth M; Chapman, Sandra C; Watkins, Nicholas W; Robertson, Duncan A; Bullmore, Edward T

    2011-01-01

    Although metaphorical and conceptual connections between the human brain and the financial markets have often been drawn, rigorous physical or mathematical underpinnings of this analogy remain largely unexplored. Here, we apply a statistical and graph theoretic approach to the study of two datasets - the time series of 90 stocks from the New York stock exchange over a 3-year period, and the fMRI-derived time series acquired from 90 brain regions over the course of a 10-min-long functional MRI scan of resting brain function in healthy volunteers. Despite the many obvious substantive differences between these two datasets, graphical analysis demonstrated striking commonalities in terms of global network topological properties. Both the human brain and the market networks were non-random, small-world, modular, hierarchical systems with fat-tailed degree distributions indicating the presence of highly connected hubs. These properties could not be trivially explained by the univariate time series statistics of stock price returns. This degree of topological isomorphism suggests that brains and markets can be regarded broadly as members of the same family of networks. The two systems, however, were not topologically identical. The financial market was more efficient and more modular - more highly optimized for information processing - than the brain networks; but also less robust to systemic disintegration as a result of hub deletion. We conclude that the conceptual connections between brains and markets are not merely metaphorical; rather these two information processing systems can be rigorously compared in the same mathematical language and turn out often to share important topological properties in common to some degree. There will be interesting scientific arbitrage opportunities in further work at the graph-theoretically mediated interface between systems neuroscience and the statistical physics of financial markets.

  17. Identifiability of large-scale non-linear dynamic network models applied to the ADM1-case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nimmegeers, Philippe; Lauwers, Joost; Telen, Dries; Logist, Filip; Impe, Jan Van

    2017-06-01

    In this work, both the structural and practical identifiability of the Anaerobic Digestion Model no. 1 (ADM1) is investigated, which serves as a relevant case study of large non-linear dynamic network models. The structural identifiability is investigated using the probabilistic algorithm, adapted to deal with the specifics of the case study (i.e., a large-scale non-linear dynamic system of differential and algebraic equations). The practical identifiability is analyzed using a Monte Carlo parameter estimation procedure for a 'non-informative' and 'informative' experiment, which are heuristically designed. The model structure of ADM1 has been modified by replacing parameters by parameter combinations, to provide a generally locally structurally identifiable version of ADM1. This means that in an idealized theoretical situation, the parameters can be estimated accurately. Furthermore, the generally positive structural identifiability results can be explained from the large number of interconnections between the states in the network structure. This interconnectivity, however, is also observed in the parameter estimates, making uncorrelated parameter estimations in practice difficult. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  18. Energy landscapes of resting-state brain networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takamitsu eWatanabe

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available During rest, the human brain performs essential functions such as memory maintenance, which are associated with resting-state brain networks (RSNs including the default-mode network (DMN and frontoparietal network (FPN. Previous studies based on spiking-neuron network models and their reduced models, as well as those based on imaging data, suggest that resting-state network activity can be captured as attractor dynamics, i.e., dynamics of the brain state toward an attractive state and transitions between different attractors. Here, we analyze the energy landscapes of the RSNs by applying the maximum entropy model, or equivalently the Ising spin model, to human RSN data. We use the previously estimated parameter values to define the energy landscape, and the disconnectivity graph method to estimate the number of local energy minima (equivalent to attractors in attractor dynamics, the basin size, and hierarchical relationships among the different local minima. In both of the DMN and FPN, low-energy local minima tended to have large basins. A majority of the network states belonged to a basin of one of a few local minima. Therefore, a small number of local minima constituted the backbone of each RSN. In the DMN, the energy landscape consisted of two groups of low-energy local minima that are separated by a relatively high energy barrier. Within each group, the activity patterns of the local minima were similar, and different minima were connected by relatively low energy barriers. In the FPN, all dominant energy were separated by relatively low energy barriers such that they formed a single coarse-grained global minimum. Our results indicate that multistable attractor dynamics may underlie the DMN, but not the FPN, and assist memory maintenance with different memory states.

  19. Time Course of Brain Network Reconfiguration Supporting Inhibitory Control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popov, Tzvetan; Westner, Britta U; Silton, Rebecca L; Sass, Sarah M; Spielberg, Jeffrey M; Rockstroh, Brigitte; Heller, Wendy; Miller, Gregory A

    2018-05-02

    Hemodynamic research has recently clarified key nodes and links in brain networks implementing inhibitory control. Although fMRI methods are optimized for identifying the structure of brain networks, the relatively slow temporal course of fMRI limits the ability to characterize network operation. The latter is crucial for developing a mechanistic understanding of how brain networks shift dynamically to support inhibitory control. To address this critical gap, we applied spectrally resolved Granger causality (GC) and random forest machine learning tools to human EEG data in two large samples of adults (test sample n = 96, replication sample n = 237, total N = 333, both sexes) who performed a color-word Stroop task. Time-frequency analysis confirmed that recruitment of inhibitory control accompanied by slower behavioral responses was related to changes in theta and alpha/beta power. GC analyses revealed directionally asymmetric exchanges within frontal and between frontal and parietal brain areas: top-down influence of superior frontal gyrus (SFG) over both dorsal ACC (dACC) and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), dACC control over middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and frontal-parietal exchanges (IFG, precuneus, MFG). Predictive analytics confirmed a combination of behavioral and brain-derived variables as the best set of predictors of inhibitory control demands, with SFG theta bearing higher classification importance than dACC theta and posterior beta tracking the onset of behavioral response. The present results provide mechanistic insight into the biological implementation of a psychological phenomenon: inhibitory control is implemented by dynamic routing processes during which the target response is upregulated via theta-mediated effective connectivity within key PFC nodes and via beta-mediated motor preparation. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Hemodynamic neuroimaging research has recently clarified regional structures in brain networks supporting inhibitory control. However, due to

  20. Software Defined Optics and Networking for Large Scale Data Centers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mehmeri, Victor; Andrus, Bogdan-Mihai; Tafur Monroy, Idelfonso

    Big data imposes correlations of large amounts of information between numerous systems and databases. This leads to large dynamically changing flows and traffic patterns between clusters and server racks that result in a decrease of the quality of transmission and degraded application performance....... Highly interconnected topologies combined with flexible, on demand network configuration can become a solution to the ever-increasing dynamic traffic...

  1. Altered small-world properties of gray matter networks in breast cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hosseini S M

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Breast cancer survivors, particularly those treated with chemotherapy, are at significantly increased risk for long-term cognitive and neurobiologic impairments. These deficits tend to involve skills that are subserved by distributed brain networks. Additionally, neuroimaging studies have shown a diffuse pattern of brain structure changes in chemotherapy-treated breast cancer survivors that might impact large-scale brain networks. Methods We therefore applied graph theoretical analysis to compare the gray matter structural networks of female breast cancer survivors with a history of chemotherapy treatment and healthy age and education matched female controls. Results Results revealed reduced clustering coefficient and small-world index in the brain network of the breast cancer patients across a range of network densities. In addition, the network of the breast cancer group had less highly interactive nodes and reduced degree/centrality in the frontotemporal regions compared to controls, which may help explain the common impairments of memory and executive functioning among these patients. Conclusions These results suggest that breast cancer and chemotherapy may decrease regional connectivity as well as global network organization and integration, reducing efficiency of the network. To our knowledge, this is the first report of altered large-scale brain networks associated with breast cancer and chemotherapy.

  2. Decentralized State-Observer-Based Traffic Density Estimation of Large-Scale Urban Freeway Network by Dynamic Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuqi Guo

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available In order to estimate traffic densities in a large-scale urban freeway network in an accurate and timely fashion when traffic sensors do not cover the freeway network completely and thus only local measurement data can be utilized, this paper proposes a decentralized state observer approach based on a macroscopic traffic flow model. Firstly, by using the well-known cell transmission model (CTM, the urban freeway network is modeled in the way of distributed systems. Secondly, based on the model, a decentralized observer is designed. With the help of the Lyapunov function and S-procedure theory, the observer gains are computed by using linear matrix inequality (LMI technique. So, the traffic densities of the whole road network can be estimated by the designed observer. Finally, this method is applied to the outer ring of the Beijing’s second ring road and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed approach.

  3. Evoked potentials in large-scale cortical networks elicited by TMS of the visual cortex

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grossman, Emily D.; Srinivasan, Ramesh

    2011-01-01

    Single pulses of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) result in distal and long-lasting oscillations, a finding directly challenging the virtual lesion hypothesis. Previous research supporting this finding has primarily come from stimulation of the motor cortex. We have used single-pulse TMS with simultaneous EEG to target seven brain regions, six of which belong to the visual system [left and right primary visual area V1, motion-sensitive human middle temporal cortex, and a ventral temporal region], as determined with functional MRI-guided neuronavigation, and a vertex “control” site to measure the network effects of the TMS pulse. We found the TMS-evoked potential (TMS-EP) over visual cortex consists mostly of site-dependent theta- and alphaband oscillations. These site-dependent oscillations extended beyond the stimulation site to functionally connected cortical regions and correspond to time windows where the EEG responses maximally diverge (40, 200, and 385 ms). Correlations revealed two site-independent oscillations ∼350 ms after the TMS pulse: a theta-band oscillation carried by the frontal cortex, and an alpha-band oscillation over parietal and frontal cortical regions. A manipulation of stimulation intensity at one stimulation site (right hemisphere V1-V3) revealed sensitivity to the stimulation intensity at different regions of cortex, evidence of intensity tuning in regions distal to the site of stimulation. Together these results suggest that a TMS pulse applied to the visual cortex has a complex effect on brain function, engaging multiple brain networks functionally connected to the visual system with both invariant and site-specific spatiotemporal dynamics. With this characterization of TMS, we propose an alternative to the virtual lesion hypothesis. Rather than a technique that simulates lesions, we propose TMS generates natural brain signals and engages functional networks. PMID:21715670

  4. The Multi-Scale Network Landscape of Collaboration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bae, Arram; Park, Doheum; Ahn, Yong-Yeol; Park, Juyong

    2016-01-01

    Propelled by the increasing availability of large-scale high-quality data, advanced data modeling and analysis techniques are enabling many novel and significant scientific understanding of a wide range of complex social, natural, and technological systems. These developments also provide opportunities for studying cultural systems and phenomena--which can be said to refer to all products of human creativity and way of life. An important characteristic of a cultural product is that it does not exist in isolation from others, but forms an intricate web of connections on many levels. In the creation and dissemination of cultural products and artworks in particular, collaboration and communication of ideas play an essential role, which can be captured in the heterogeneous network of the creators and practitioners of art. In this paper we propose novel methods to analyze and uncover meaningful patterns from such a network using the network of western classical musicians constructed from a large-scale comprehensive Compact Disc recordings data. We characterize the complex patterns in the network landscape of collaboration between musicians across multiple scales ranging from the macroscopic to the mesoscopic and microscopic that represent the diversity of cultural styles and the individuality of the artists.

  5. An Novel Architecture of Large-scale Communication in IOT

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Wubin; Deng, Su; Huang, Hongbin

    2018-03-01

    In recent years, many scholars have done a great deal of research on the development of Internet of Things and networked physical systems. However, few people have made the detailed visualization of the large-scale communications architecture in the IOT. In fact, the non-uniform technology between IPv6 and access points has led to a lack of broad principles of large-scale communications architectures. Therefore, this paper presents the Uni-IPv6 Access and Information Exchange Method (UAIEM), a new architecture and algorithm that addresses large-scale communications in the IOT.

  6. An Efficient Addressing Scheme and Its Routing Algorithm for a Large-Scale Wireless Sensor Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Choi Jeonghee

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract So far, various addressing and routing algorithms have been extensively studied for wireless sensor networks (WSNs, but many of them were limited to cover less than hundreds of sensor nodes. It is largely due to stringent requirements for fully distributed coordination among sensor nodes, leading to the wasteful use of available address space. As there is a growing need for a large-scale WSN, it will be extremely challenging to support more than thousands of nodes, using existing standard bodies. Moreover, it is highly unlikely to change the existing standards, primarily due to backward compatibility issue. In response, we propose an elegant addressing scheme and its routing algorithm. While maintaining the existing address scheme, it tackles the wastage problem and achieves no additional memory storage during a routing. We also present an adaptive routing algorithm for location-aware applications, using our addressing scheme. Through a series of simulations, we prove that our approach can achieve two times lesser routing time than the existing standard in a ZigBee network.

  7. An Efficient Addressing Scheme and Its Routing Algorithm for a Large-Scale Wireless Sensor Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yongwan Park

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available So far, various addressing and routing algorithms have been extensively studied for wireless sensor networks (WSNs, but many of them were limited to cover less than hundreds of sensor nodes. It is largely due to stringent requirements for fully distributed coordination among sensor nodes, leading to the wasteful use of available address space. As there is a growing need for a large-scale WSN, it will be extremely challenging to support more than thousands of nodes, using existing standard bodies. Moreover, it is highly unlikely to change the existing standards, primarily due to backward compatibility issue. In response, we propose an elegant addressing scheme and its routing algorithm. While maintaining the existing address scheme, it tackles the wastage problem and achieves no additional memory storage during a routing. We also present an adaptive routing algorithm for location-aware applications, using our addressing scheme. Through a series of simulations, we prove that our approach can achieve two times lesser routing time than the existing standard in a ZigBee network.

  8. Hemispheric asymmetry of electroencephalography-based functional brain networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jalili, Mahdi

    2014-11-12

    Electroencephalography (EEG)-based functional brain networks have been investigated frequently in health and disease. It has been shown that a number of graph theory metrics are disrupted in brain disorders. EEG-based brain networks are often studied in the whole-brain framework, where all the nodes are grouped into a single network. In this study, we studied the brain networks in two hemispheres and assessed whether there are any hemispheric-specific patterns in the properties of the networks. To this end, resting state closed-eyes EEGs from 44 healthy individuals were processed and the network structures were extracted separately for each hemisphere. We examined neurophysiologically meaningful graph theory metrics: global and local efficiency measures. The global efficiency did not show any hemispheric asymmetry, whereas the local connectivity showed rightward asymmetry for a range of intermediate density values for the constructed networks. Furthermore, the age of the participants showed significant direct correlations with the global efficiency of the left hemisphere, but only in the right hemisphere, with local connectivity. These results suggest that only local connectivity of EEG-based functional networks is associated with brain hemispheres.

  9. Signaling in large-scale neural networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berg, Rune W; Hounsgaard, Jørn

    2009-01-01

    We examine the recent finding that neurons in spinal motor circuits enter a high conductance state during functional network activity. The underlying concomitant increase in random inhibitory and excitatory synaptic activity leads to stochastic signal processing. The possible advantages of this m......We examine the recent finding that neurons in spinal motor circuits enter a high conductance state during functional network activity. The underlying concomitant increase in random inhibitory and excitatory synaptic activity leads to stochastic signal processing. The possible advantages...... of this metabolically costly organization are analyzed by comparing with synaptically less intense networks driven by the intrinsic response properties of the network neurons....

  10. Lectures in Supercomputational Neurosciences Dynamics in Complex Brain Networks

    CERN Document Server

    Graben, Peter beim; Thiel, Marco; Kurths, Jürgen

    2008-01-01

    Computational Neuroscience is a burgeoning field of research where only the combined effort of neuroscientists, biologists, psychologists, physicists, mathematicians, computer scientists, engineers and other specialists, e.g. from linguistics and medicine, seem to be able to expand the limits of our knowledge. The present volume is an introduction, largely from the physicists' perspective, to the subject matter with in-depth contributions by system neuroscientists. A conceptual model for complex networks of neurons is introduced that incorporates many important features of the real brain, such as various types of neurons, various brain areas, inhibitory and excitatory coupling and the plasticity of the network. The computational implementation on supercomputers, which is introduced and discussed in detail in this book, will enable the readers to modify and adapt the algortihm for their own research. Worked-out examples of applications are presented for networks of Morris-Lecar neurons to model the cortical co...

  11. Graph Analysis and Modularity of Brain Functional Connectivity Networks: Searching for the Optimal Threshold

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cécile Bordier

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Neuroimaging data can be represented as networks of nodes and edges that capture the topological organization of the brain connectivity. Graph theory provides a general and powerful framework to study these networks and their structure at various scales. By way of example, community detection methods have been widely applied to investigate the modular structure of many natural networks, including brain functional connectivity networks. Sparsification procedures are often applied to remove the weakest edges, which are the most affected by experimental noise, and to reduce the density of the graph, thus making it theoretically and computationally more tractable. However, weak links may also contain significant structural information, and procedures to identify the optimal tradeoff are the subject of active research. Here, we explore the use of percolation analysis, a method grounded in statistical physics, to identify the optimal sparsification threshold for community detection in brain connectivity networks. By using synthetic networks endowed with a ground-truth modular structure and realistic topological features typical of human brain functional connectivity networks, we show that percolation analysis can be applied to identify the optimal sparsification threshold that maximizes information on the networks' community structure. We validate this approach using three different community detection methods widely applied to the analysis of brain connectivity networks: Newman's modularity, InfoMap and Asymptotical Surprise. Importantly, we test the effects of noise and data variability, which are critical factors to determine the optimal threshold. This data-driven method should prove particularly useful in the analysis of the community structure of brain networks in populations characterized by different connectivity strengths, such as patients and controls.

  12. a Stochastic Approach to Multiobjective Optimization of Large-Scale Water Reservoir Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bottacin-Busolin, A.; Worman, A. L.

    2013-12-01

    A main challenge for the planning and management of water resources is the development of multiobjective strategies for operation of large-scale water reservoir networks. The optimal sequence of water releases from multiple reservoirs depends on the stochastic variability of correlated hydrologic inflows and on various processes that affect water demand and energy prices. Although several methods have been suggested, large-scale optimization problems arising in water resources management are still plagued by the high dimensional state space and by the stochastic nature of the hydrologic inflows. In this work, the optimization of reservoir operation is approached using approximate dynamic programming (ADP) with policy iteration and function approximators. The method is based on an off-line learning process in which operating policies are evaluated for a number of stochastic inflow scenarios, and the resulting value functions are used to design new, improved policies until convergence is attained. A case study is presented of a multi-reservoir system in the Dalälven River, Sweden, which includes 13 interconnected reservoirs and 36 power stations. Depending on the late spring and summer peak discharges, the lowlands adjacent to Dalälven can often be flooded during the summer period, and the presence of stagnating floodwater during the hottest months of the year is the cause of a large proliferation of mosquitos, which is a major problem for the people living in the surroundings. Chemical pesticides are currently being used as a preventive countermeasure, which do not provide an effective solution to the problem and have adverse environmental impacts. In this study, ADP was used to analyze the feasibility of alternative operating policies for reducing the flood risk at a reasonable economic cost for the hydropower companies. To this end, mid-term operating policies were derived by combining flood risk reduction with hydropower production objectives. The performance

  13. Pain: a distributed brain information network?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hiroaki Mano

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Understanding how pain is processed in the brain has been an enduring puzzle, because there doesn't appear to be a single "pain cortex" that directly codes the subjective perception of pain. An emerging concept is that, instead, pain might emerge from the coordinated activity of an integrated brain network. In support of this view, Woo and colleagues present evidence that distinct brain networks support the subjective changes in pain that result from nociceptive input and self-directed cognitive modulation. This evidence for the sensitivity of distinct neural subsystems to different aspects of pain opens up the way to more formal computational network theories of pain.

  14. Cluster imaging of multi-brain networks (CIMBN: a general framework for hyperscanning and modeling a group of interacting brains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lian eDuan

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Studying the neural basis of human social interactions is a key topic in the field of social neuroscience. Brain imaging studies in this field usually focus on the neural correlates of the social interactions between two participants. However, as the participant number further increases, even by a small amount, great difficulties raise. One challenge is how to concurrently scan all the interacting brains with high ecological validity, especially for a large number of participants. The other challenge is how to effectively model the complex group interaction behaviors emerging from the intricate neural information exchange among a group of socially organized people. Confronting these challenges, we propose a new approach called Cluster Imaging of Multi-brain Networks (CIMBN. CIMBN consists of two parts. The first part is a cluster imaging technique with high ecological validity based on multiple functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS systems. Using this technique, we can easily extend the simultaneous imaging capacity of social neuroscience studies up to dozens of participants. The second part of CIMBN is a multi-brain network (MBN modeling method based on graph theory. By taking each brain as a network node and the relationship between any two brains as a network edge, one can construct a network model for a group of interacting brains. The emergent group social behaviors can then be studied using the network’s properties, such as its topological structure and information exchange efficiency. Although there is still much work to do, as a general framework for hyperscanning and modeling a group of interacting brains, CIMBN can provide new insights into the neural correlates of group social interactions, and advance social neuroscience and social psychology.

  15. The social brain network and autism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Misra, Vivek

    2014-04-01

    Available research data in Autism suggests the role of a network of brain areas, often known as the 'social brain'. Recent studies highlight the role of genetic mutations as underlying patho-mechanism in Autism. This mini review, discusses the basic concepts behind social brain networks, theory of mind and genetic factors associated with Autism. It critically evaluates and explores the relationship between the behavioral outcomes and genetic factors providing a conceptual framework for understanding of autism.

  16. Modeling noninvasive neurostimulation in epilepsy as stochastic interference in brain networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stamoulis, Catherine; Chang, Bernard S

    2013-05-01

    Noninvasive brain stimulation is one of very few potential therapies for medically refractory epilepsy. However, its efficacy remains suboptimal and its therapeutic value has not been consistently assessed. This is in part due to the nonoptimized spatio-temporal application of stimulation protocols for seizure prevention or arrest, and incomplete knowledge of the neurodynamics of seizure evolution. Through simulations, this study investigated electroencephalography (EEG)-guided, stochastic interference with aberrantly coordinated neuronal networks, to prevent seizure onset or interrupt a propagating partial seizure, and prevent it from spreading to large areas of the brain. Brain stimulation was modeled as additive white or band-limited noise, and simulations using real EEGs and data generated from a network of integrate-and-fire neuronal ensembles were used to quantify spatio-temporal noise effects. It was shown that additive stochastic signals (noise) may destructively interfere with network dynamics and decrease or abolish synchronization associated with progressively coupled networks. Furthermore, stimulation parameters, particularly amplitude and spatio-temporal application, may be optimized based on patient-specific neurodynamics estimated directly from noninvasive EEGs.

  17. Approach of Complex Networks for the Determination of Brain Death

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    SUN Wei-Gang; CAO Jian-Ting; WANG Ru-Bin

    2011-01-01

    In clinical practice, brain death is the irreversible end of all brain activity. Compared to current statistical methods for the determination of brain death, we focus on the approach of complex networks for real-world electroencephalography in its determination. Brain functional networks constructed by correlation analysis are derived, and statistical network quantities used for distinguishing the patients in coma or brain death state, such as average strength, clustering coefficient and average path length, are calculated. Numerical results show that the values of network quantities of patients in coma state are larger than those of patients in brain death state. Our Sndings might provide valuable insights on the determination of brain death.%@@ In clinical practice, brain death is the irreversible end of all brain activity.Compared to current statistical methods for the determination of brain death, we focus on the approach of complex networks for real-world electroencephalography in its determination.Brain functional networks constructed by correlation analysis axe derived, and statistical network quantities used for distinguishing the patients in coma or brain death state, such as average strength, clustering coefficient and average path length, are calculated.Numerical results show that the values of network quantities of patients in coma state are larger than those of patients in brain death state.Our findings might provide valuable insights on the determination of brain death.

  18. The Multi-Scale Network Landscape of Collaboration.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arram Bae

    Full Text Available Propelled by the increasing availability of large-scale high-quality data, advanced data modeling and analysis techniques are enabling many novel and significant scientific understanding of a wide range of complex social, natural, and technological systems. These developments also provide opportunities for studying cultural systems and phenomena--which can be said to refer to all products of human creativity and way of life. An important characteristic of a cultural product is that it does not exist in isolation from others, but forms an intricate web of connections on many levels. In the creation and dissemination of cultural products and artworks in particular, collaboration and communication of ideas play an essential role, which can be captured in the heterogeneous network of the creators and practitioners of art. In this paper we propose novel methods to analyze and uncover meaningful patterns from such a network using the network of western classical musicians constructed from a large-scale comprehensive Compact Disc recordings data. We characterize the complex patterns in the network landscape of collaboration between musicians across multiple scales ranging from the macroscopic to the mesoscopic and microscopic that represent the diversity of cultural styles and the individuality of the artists.

  19. The Effect of Souvenaid on Functional Brain Network Organisation in Patients with Mild Alzheimer’s Disease: A Randomised Controlled Study

    OpenAIRE

    de Waal, Hanneke; Stam, Cornelis J.; Lansbergen, Marieke M.; Wieggers, Rico L.; Kamphuis, Patrick J. G. H.; Scheltens, Philip; Maestú, Fernando; van Straaten, Elisabeth C. W.

    2014-01-01

    Background: Synaptic loss is a major hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Disturbed organisation of large-scale functional brain networks in AD might reflect synaptic loss and disrupted neuronal communication. The medical food Souvenaid, containing the specific nutrient combination Fortasyn Connect, is designed to enhance synapse formation and function and has been shown to improve memory performance in patients with mild AD in two randomised controlled trials. Objective: To explore the effe...

  20. Evidence for Functional Networks within the Human Brain's White Matter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peer, Michael; Nitzan, Mor; Bick, Atira S; Levin, Netta; Arzy, Shahar

    2017-07-05

    Investigation of the functional macro-scale organization of the human cortex is fundamental in modern neuroscience. Although numerous studies have identified networks of interacting functional modules in the gray-matter, limited research was directed to the functional organization of the white-matter. Recent studies have demonstrated that the white-matter exhibits blood oxygen level-dependent signal fluctuations similar to those of the gray-matter. Here we used these signal fluctuations to investigate whether the white-matter is organized as functional networks by applying a clustering analysis on resting-state functional MRI (RSfMRI) data from white-matter voxels, in 176 subjects (of both sexes). This analysis indicated the existence of 12 symmetrical white-matter functional networks, corresponding to combinations of white-matter tracts identified by diffusion tensor imaging. Six of the networks included interhemispheric commissural bridges traversing the corpus callosum. Signals in white-matter networks correlated with signals from functional gray-matter networks, providing missing knowledge on how these distributed networks communicate across large distances. These findings were replicated in an independent subject group and were corroborated by seed-based analysis in small groups and individual subjects. The identified white-matter functional atlases and analysis codes are available at http://mind.huji.ac.il/white-matter.aspx Our results demonstrate that the white-matter manifests an intrinsic functional organization as interacting networks of functional modules, similarly to the gray-matter, which can be investigated using RSfMRI. The discovery of functional networks within the white-matter may open new avenues of research in cognitive neuroscience and clinical neuropsychiatry. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In recent years, functional MRI (fMRI) has revolutionized all fields of neuroscience, enabling identifications of functional modules and networks in the human

  1. Open Problems in Network-aware Data Management in Exa-scale Computing and Terabit Networking Era

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Balman, Mehmet; Byna, Surendra

    2011-12-06

    Accessing and managing large amounts of data is a great challenge in collaborative computing environments where resources and users are geographically distributed. Recent advances in network technology led to next-generation high-performance networks, allowing high-bandwidth connectivity. Efficient use of the network infrastructure is necessary in order to address the increasing data and compute requirements of large-scale applications. We discuss several open problems, evaluate emerging trends, and articulate our perspectives in network-aware data management.

  2. Flow distributions and spatial correlations in human brain capillary networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorthois, Sylvie; Peyrounette, Myriam; Larue, Anne; Le Borgne, Tanguy

    2015-11-01

    The vascular system of the human brain cortex is composed of a space filling mesh-like capillary network connected upstream and downstream to branched quasi-fractal arterioles and venules. The distribution of blood flow rates in these networks may affect the efficiency of oxygen transfer processes. Here, we investigate the distribution and correlation properties of blood flow velocities from numerical simulations in large 3D human intra-cortical vascular network (10000 segments) obtained from an anatomical database. In each segment, flow is solved from a 1D non-linear model taking account of the complex rheological properties of blood flow in microcirculation to deduce blood pressure, blood flow and red blood cell volume fraction distributions throughout the network. The network structural complexity is found to impart broad and spatially correlated Lagrangian velocity distributions, leading to power law transit time distributions. The origins of this behavior (existence of velocity correlations in capillary networks, influence of the coupling with the feeding arterioles and draining veins, topological disorder, complex blood rheology) are studied by comparison with results obtained in various model capillary networks of controlled disorder. ERC BrainMicroFlow GA615102, ERC ReactiveFronts GA648377.

  3. Brain network disturbance related to posttraumatic stress and traumatic brain injury in veterans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spielberg, Jeffrey M; McGlinchey, Regina E; Milberg, William P; Salat, David H

    2015-08-01

    Understanding the neural causes and consequences of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a high research priority, given the high rates of associated disability and suicide. Despite remarkable progress in elucidating the brain mechanisms of PTSD and mTBI, a comprehensive understanding of these conditions at the level of brain networks has yet to be achieved. The present study sought to identify functional brain networks and topological properties (measures of network organization and function) related to current PTSD severity and mTBI. Graph theoretic tools were used to analyze resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 208 veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn, all of whom had experienced a traumatic event qualifying for PTSD criterion A. Analyses identified brain networks and topological network properties linked to current PTSD symptom severity, mTBI, and the interaction between PTSD and mTBI. Two brain networks were identified in which weaker connectivity was linked to higher PTSD re-experiencing symptoms, one of which was present only in veterans with comorbid mTBI. Re-experiencing was also linked to worse functional segregation (necessary for specialized processing) and diminished influence of key regions on the network, including the hippocampus. Findings of this study demonstrate that PTSD re-experiencing symptoms are linked to weakened connectivity in a network involved in providing contextual information. A similar relationship was found in a separate network typically engaged in the gating of working memory, but only in veterans with mTBI. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  4. Brain without anatomy: construction and comparison of fully network-driven structural MRI connectomes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olga Tymofiyeva

    Full Text Available MRI connectomics methods treat the brain as a network and provide new information about its organization, efficiency, and mechanisms of disruption. The most commonly used method of defining network nodes is to register the brain to a standardized anatomical atlas based on the Brodmann areas. This approach is limited by inter-subject variability and can be especially problematic in the context of brain maturation or neuroplasticity (cerebral reorganization after brain damage. In this study, we combined different image processing and network theory methods and created a novel approach that enables atlas-free construction and connection-wise comparison of diffusion MRI-based brain networks. We illustrated the proposed approach in three age groups: neonates, 6-month-old infants, and adults. First, we explored a data-driven method of determining the optimal number of equal-area nodes based on the assumption that all cortical areas of the brain are connected and, thus, no part of the brain is structurally isolated. Second, to enable a connection-wise comparison, alignment to a "reference brain" was performed in the network domain within each group using a matrix alignment algorithm with simulated annealing. The correlation coefficients after pair-wise network alignment ranged from 0.6102 to 0.6673. To test the method's reproducibility, one subject from the 6-month-old group and one from the adult group were scanned twice, resulting in correlation coefficients of 0.7443 and 0.7037, respectively. While being less than 1 due to parcellation and noise, statistically, these values were significantly higher than inter-subject values. Rotation of the parcellation largely explained the variability. Through the abstraction from anatomy, the developed framework allows for a fully network-driven analysis of structural MRI connectomes and can be applied to subjects at any stage of development and with substantial differences in cortical anatomy.

  5. The Effect of Souvenaid on Functional Brain Network Organisation in Patients with Mild Alzheimer’s Disease: A Randomised Controlled Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Waal, Hanneke; Stam, Cornelis J.; Lansbergen, Marieke M.; Wieggers, Rico L.; Kamphuis, Patrick J. G. H.; Scheltens, Philip; Maestú, Fernando; van Straaten, Elisabeth C. W.

    2014-01-01

    Background Synaptic loss is a major hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Disturbed organisation of large-scale functional brain networks in AD might reflect synaptic loss and disrupted neuronal communication. The medical food Souvenaid, containing the specific nutrient combination Fortasyn Connect, is designed to enhance synapse formation and function and has been shown to improve memory performance in patients with mild AD in two randomised controlled trials. Objective To explore the effect of Souvenaid compared to control product on brain activity-based networks, as a derivative of underlying synaptic function, in patients with mild AD. Design A 24-week randomised, controlled, double-blind, parallel-group, multi-country study. Participants 179 drug-naïve mild AD patients who participated in the Souvenir II study. Intervention Patients were randomised 1∶1 to receive Souvenaid or an iso-caloric control product once daily for 24 weeks. Outcome In a secondary analysis of the Souvenir II study, electroencephalography (EEG) brain networks were constructed and graph theory was used to quantify complex brain structure. Local brain network connectivity (normalised clustering coefficient gamma) and global network integration (normalised characteristic path length lambda) were compared between study groups, and related to memory performance. Results The network measures in the beta band were significantly different between groups: they decreased in the control group, but remained relatively unchanged in the active group. No consistent relationship was found between these network measures and memory performance. Conclusions The current results suggest that Souvenaid preserves the organisation of brain networks in patients with mild AD within 24 weeks, hypothetically counteracting the progressive network disruption over time in AD. The results strengthen the hypothesis that Souvenaid affects synaptic integrity and function. Secondly, we conclude that advanced EEG

  6. Modelling the resilience of rail passenger transport networks affected by large-scale disruptive events : the case of HSR (high speed rail)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Janic, M.

    2018-01-01

    This paper deals with modelling the dynamic resilience of rail passenger transport networks affected by large-scale disruptive events whose impacts deteriorate the networks’ planned infrastructural, operational, economic, and social-economic performances represented by the selected indicators.

  7. Mapping how local perturbations influence systems-level brain dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gollo, Leonardo L; Roberts, James A; Cocchi, Luca

    2017-10-15

    The human brain exhibits a distinct spatiotemporal organization that supports brain function and can be manipulated via local brain stimulation. Such perturbations to local cortical dynamics are globally integrated by distinct neural systems. However, it remains unclear how local changes in neural activity affect large-scale system dynamics. Here, we briefly review empirical and computational studies addressing how localized perturbations affect brain activity. We then systematically analyze a model of large-scale brain dynamics, assessing how localized changes in brain activity at the different sites affect whole-brain dynamics. We find that local stimulation induces changes in brain activity that can be summarized by relatively smooth tuning curves, which relate a region's effectiveness as a stimulation site to its position within the cortical hierarchy. Our results also support the notion that brain hubs, operating in a slower regime, are more resilient to focal perturbations and critically contribute to maintain stability in global brain dynamics. In contrast, perturbations of peripheral regions, characterized by faster activity, have greater impact on functional connectivity. As a parallel with this region-level result, we also find that peripheral systems such as the visual and sensorimotor networks were more affected by local perturbations than high-level systems such as the cingulo-opercular network. Our findings highlight the importance of a periphery-to-core hierarchy to determine the effect of local stimulation on the brain network. This study also provides novel resources to orient empirical work aiming at manipulating functional connectivity using non-invasive brain stimulation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Emotion Regulation and Complex Brain Networks: Association Between Expressive Suppression and Efficiency in the Fronto-Parietal Network and Default-Mode Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junhao Pan

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Emotion regulation (ER refers to the “implementation of a conscious or non-conscious goal to start, stop or otherwise modulate the trajectory of an emotion” (Etkin et al., 2015. Whereas multiple brain areas have been found to be involved in ER, relatively little is known about whether and how ER is associated with the global functioning of brain networks. Recent advances in brain connectivity research using graph-theory based analysis have shown that the brain can be organized into complex networks composed of functionally or structurally connected brain areas. Global efficiency is one graphic metric indicating the efficiency of information exchange among brain areas and is utilized to measure global functioning of brain networks. The present study examined the relationship between trait measures of ER (expressive suppression (ES and cognitive reappraisal (CR and global efficiency in resting-state functional brain networks (the whole brain network and ten predefined networks using structural equation modeling (SEM. The results showed that ES was reliably associated with efficiency in the fronto-parietal network and default-mode network. The finding advances the understanding of neural substrates of ER, revealing the relationship between ES and efficient organization of brain networks.

  9. Aging and functional brain networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomasi D.; Volkow, N.D.

    2012-01-01

    Aging is associated with changes in human brain anatomy and function and cognitive decline. Recent studies suggest the aging decline of major functional connectivity hubs in the 'default-mode' network (DMN). Aging effects on other networks, however, are largely unknown. We hypothesized that aging would be associated with a decline of short- and long-range functional connectivity density (FCD) hubs in the DMN. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated resting-state data sets corresponding to 913 healthy subjects from a public magnetic resonance imaging database using functional connectivity density mapping (FCDM), a voxelwise and data-driven approach, together with parallel computing. Aging was associated with pronounced long-range FCD decreases in DMN and dorsal attention network (DAN) and with increases in somatosensory and subcortical networks. Aging effects in these networks were stronger for long-range than for short-range FCD and were also detected at the level of the main functional hubs. Females had higher short- and long-range FCD in DMN and lower FCD in the somatosensory network than males, but the gender by age interaction effects were not significant for any of the networks or hubs. These findings suggest that long-range connections may be more vulnerable to aging effects than short-range connections and that, in addition to the DMN, the DAN is also sensitive to aging effects, which could underlie the deterioration of attention processes that occurs with aging.

  10. Disruption of posteromedial large-scale neural communication predicts recovery from coma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Stein; de Pasquale, Francesco; Vuillaume, Corine; Riu, Beatrice; Loubinoux, Isabelle; Geeraerts, Thomas; Seguin, Thierry; Bounes, Vincent; Fourcade, Olivier; Demonet, Jean-Francois; Péran, Patrice

    2015-12-08

    We hypothesize that the major consciousness deficit observed in coma is due to the breakdown of long-range neuronal communication supported by precuneus and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and that prognosis depends on a specific connectivity pattern in these networks. We compared 27 prospectively recruited comatose patients who had severe brain injury (Glasgow Coma Scale score Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R). Patients who were comatose showed a significant disruption of functional connectivity of brain areas spontaneously synchronized with PCC, globally notwithstanding etiology. The functional connectivity strength between PCC and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was significantly different between comatose patients who went on to recover and those who eventually scored an unfavorable outcome 3 months after brain injury (Kruskal-Wallis test, p coma. Sparing of functional connectivity between PCC and mPFC may predict patient outcome, and further studies are needed to substantiate this potential prognosis biomarker. © 2015 American Academy of Neurology.

  11. Effects of Isometric Brain-Body Size Scaling on the Complexity of Monoaminergic Neurons in a Minute Parasitic Wasp

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Woude, van der Emma; Smid, Hans M.

    2017-01-01

    Trichogramma evanescens parasitic wasps show large phenotypic plasticity in brain and body size, resulting in a 5-fold difference in brain volume among genetically identical sister wasps. Brain volume scales linearly with body volume in these wasps. This isometric brain scaling forms an exception to

  12. On-demand Overlay Networks for Large Scientific Data Transfers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramakrishnan, Lavanya [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Guok, Chin [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Jackson, Keith [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Kissel, Ezra [Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States); Swany, D. Martin [Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States); Agarwal, Deborah [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2009-10-12

    Large scale scientific data transfers are central to scientific processes. Data from large experimental facilities have to be moved to local institutions for analysis or often data needs to be moved between local clusters and large supercomputing centers. In this paper, we propose and evaluate a network overlay architecture to enable highthroughput, on-demand, coordinated data transfers over wide-area networks. Our work leverages Phoebus and On-demand Secure Circuits and AdvanceReservation System (OSCARS) to provide high performance wide-area network connections. OSCARS enables dynamic provisioning of network paths with guaranteed bandwidth and Phoebus enables the coordination and effective utilization of the OSCARS network paths. Our evaluation shows that this approach leads to improved end-to-end data transfer throughput with minimal overheads. The achievedthroughput using our overlay was limited only by the ability of the end hosts to sink the data.

  13. Hyper-connectivity of functional networks for brain disease diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jie, Biao; Wee, Chong-Yaw; Shen, Dinggang; Zhang, Daoqiang

    2016-08-01

    Exploring structural and functional interactions among various brain regions enables better understanding of pathological underpinnings of neurological disorders. Brain connectivity network, as a simplified representation of those structural and functional interactions, has been widely used for diagnosis and classification of neurodegenerative diseases, especially for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its early stage - mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, the conventional functional connectivity network is usually constructed based on the pairwise correlation among different brain regions and thus ignores their higher-order relationships. Such loss of high-order information could be important for disease diagnosis, since neurologically a brain region predominantly interacts with more than one other brain regions. Accordingly, in this paper, we propose a novel framework for estimating the hyper-connectivity network of brain functions and then use this hyper-network for brain disease diagnosis. Here, the functional connectivity hyper-network denotes a network where each of its edges representing the interactions among multiple brain regions (i.e., an edge can connect with more than two brain regions), which can be naturally represented by a hyper-graph. Specifically, we first construct connectivity hyper-networks from the resting-state fMRI (R-fMRI) time series by using sparse representation. Then, we extract three sets of brain-region specific features from the connectivity hyper-networks, and further exploit a manifold regularized multi-task feature selection method to jointly select the most discriminative features. Finally, we use multi-kernel support vector machine (SVM) for classification. The experimental results on both MCI dataset and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) dataset demonstrate that, compared with the conventional connectivity network-based methods, the proposed method can not only improve the classification performance, but also help

  14. Spectral properties of the temporal evolution of brain network structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Rong; Zhang, Zhen-Zhen; Ma, Jun; Yang, Yong; Lin, Pan; Wu, Ying

    2015-12-01

    The temporal evolution properties of the brain network are crucial for complex brain processes. In this paper, we investigate the differences in the dynamic brain network during resting and visual stimulation states in a task-positive subnetwork, task-negative subnetwork, and whole-brain network. The dynamic brain network is first constructed from human functional magnetic resonance imaging data based on the sliding window method, and then the eigenvalues corresponding to the network are calculated. We use eigenvalue analysis to analyze the global properties of eigenvalues and the random matrix theory (RMT) method to measure the local properties. For global properties, the shifting of the eigenvalue distribution and the decrease in the largest eigenvalue are linked to visual stimulation in all networks. For local properties, the short-range correlation in eigenvalues as measured by the nearest neighbor spacing distribution is not always sensitive to visual stimulation. However, the long-range correlation in eigenvalues as evaluated by spectral rigidity and number variance not only predicts the universal behavior of the dynamic brain network but also suggests non-consistent changes in different networks. These results demonstrate that the dynamic brain network is more random for the task-positive subnetwork and whole-brain network under visual stimulation but is more regular for the task-negative subnetwork. Our findings provide deeper insight into the importance of spectral properties in the functional brain network, especially the incomparable role of RMT in revealing the intrinsic properties of complex systems.

  15. Fault Detection for Large-Scale Railway Maintenance Equipment Base on Wireless Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junfu Yu

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Focusing on the fault detection application for large-scale railway maintenance equipment with the specialties of low-cost, energy efficiency, collecting data of the function units. This paper proposed energy efficiency, convenient installation fault detection application using Sigsbee wireless sensor networks, which Sigsbee is the most widely used protocol based on IEEE 802.15.4. This paper proposed a systematic application from hardware design using STM32F103 chips as processer, to software system. Fault detection application is the basic part of the fault diagnose system, wireless sensor nodes of the fault detection application with different kinds of sensors for verities function units communication by Sigsbee to collecting and sending basic working status data to the home gateway, then data will be sent to the fault diagnose system.

  16. Large-scale Intelligent Transporation Systems simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ewing, T.; Canfield, T.; Hannebutte, U.; Levine, D.; Tentner, A.

    1995-06-01

    A prototype computer system has been developed which defines a high-level architecture for a large-scale, comprehensive, scalable simulation of an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) capable of running on massively parallel computers and distributed (networked) computer systems. The prototype includes the modelling of instrumented ``smart`` vehicles with in-vehicle navigation units capable of optimal route planning and Traffic Management Centers (TMC). The TMC has probe vehicle tracking capabilities (display position and attributes of instrumented vehicles), and can provide 2-way interaction with traffic to provide advisories and link times. Both the in-vehicle navigation module and the TMC feature detailed graphical user interfaces to support human-factors studies. The prototype has been developed on a distributed system of networked UNIX computers but is designed to run on ANL`s IBM SP-X parallel computer system for large scale problems. A novel feature of our design is that vehicles will be represented by autonomus computer processes, each with a behavior model which performs independent route selection and reacts to external traffic events much like real vehicles. With this approach, one will be able to take advantage of emerging massively parallel processor (MPP) systems.

  17. Reconfiguration of Brain Network Architectures between Resting-State and Complexity-Dependent Cognitive Reasoning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hearne, Luke J; Cocchi, Luca; Zalesky, Andrew; Mattingley, Jason B

    2017-08-30

    Our capacity for higher cognitive reasoning has a measurable limit. This limit is thought to arise from the brain's capacity to flexibly reconfigure interactions between spatially distributed networks. Recent work, however, has suggested that reconfigurations of task-related networks are modest when compared with intrinsic "resting-state" network architecture. Here we combined resting-state and task-driven functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine how flexible, task-specific reconfigurations associated with increasing reasoning demands are integrated within a stable intrinsic brain topology. Human participants (21 males and 28 females) underwent an initial resting-state scan, followed by a cognitive reasoning task involving different levels of complexity, followed by a second resting-state scan. The reasoning task required participants to deduce the identity of a missing element in a 4 × 4 matrix, and item difficulty was scaled parametrically as determined by relational complexity theory. Analyses revealed that external task engagement was characterized by a significant change in functional brain modules. Specifically, resting-state and null-task demand conditions were associated with more segregated brain-network topology, whereas increases in reasoning complexity resulted in merging of resting-state modules. Further increments in task complexity did not change the established modular architecture, but affected selective patterns of connectivity between frontoparietal, subcortical, cingulo-opercular, and default-mode networks. Larger increases in network efficiency within the newly established task modules were associated with higher reasoning accuracy. Our results shed light on the network architectures that underlie external task engagement, and highlight selective changes in brain connectivity supporting increases in task complexity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Humans have clear limits in their ability to solve complex reasoning problems. It is thought that

  18. State-related functional integration and functional segregation brain networks in schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Qingbao; Sui, Jing; Kiehl, Kent A; Pearlson, Godfrey; Calhoun, Vince D

    2013-11-01

    Altered topological properties of brain connectivity networks have emerged as important features of schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to investigate how the state-related modulations to graph measures of functional integration and functional segregation brain networks are disrupted in schizophrenia. Firstly, resting state and auditory oddball discrimination (AOD) fMRI data of healthy controls (HCs) and schizophrenia patients (SZs) were decomposed into spatially independent components (ICs) by group independent component analysis (ICA). Then, weighted positive and negative functional integration (inter-component networks) and functional segregation (intra-component networks) brain networks were built in each subject. Subsequently, connectivity strength, clustering coefficient, and global efficiency of all brain networks were statistically compared between groups (HCs and SZs) in each state and between states (rest and AOD) within group. We found that graph measures of negative functional integration brain network and several positive functional segregation brain networks were altered in schizophrenia during AOD task. The metrics of positive functional integration brain network and one positive functional segregation brain network were higher during the resting state than during the AOD task only in HCs. These findings imply that state-related characteristics of both functional integration and functional segregation brain networks are impaired in schizophrenia which provides new insight into the altered brain performance in this brain disorder. © 2013.

  19. Scaling properties of domain wall networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leite, A. M. M.; Martins, C. J. A. P.

    2011-01-01

    We revisit the cosmological evolution of domain wall networks, taking advantage of recent improvements in computing power. We carry out high-resolution field theory simulations in two, three and four spatial dimensions to study the effects of dimensionality and damping on the evolution of the network. Our results are consistent with the expected scale-invariant evolution of the network, which suggests that previous hints of deviations from this behavior may have been due to the limited dynamical range of those simulations. We also use the results of very large (1024 3 ) simulations in three cosmological epochs to provide a calibration for the velocity-dependent one-scale model for domain walls: we numerically determine the two free model parameters to have the values c w =0.5±0.2 and k w =1.1±0.3.

  20. Large Scale Environmental Monitoring through Integration of Sensor and Mesh Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raja Jurdak

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Monitoring outdoor environments through networks of wireless sensors has received interest for collecting physical and chemical samples at high spatial and temporal scales. A central challenge to environmental monitoring applications of sensor networks is the short communication range of the sensor nodes, which increases the complexity and cost of monitoring commodities that are located in geographically spread areas. To address this issue, we propose a new communication architecture that integrates sensor networks with medium range wireless mesh networks, and provides users with an advanced web portal for managing sensed information in an integrated manner. Our architecture adopts a holistic approach targeted at improving the user experience by optimizing the system performance for handling data that originates at the sensors, traverses the mesh network, and resides at the server for user consumption. This holistic approach enables users to set high level policies that can adapt the resolution of information collected at the sensors, set the preferred performance targets for their application, and run a wide range of queries and analysis on both real-time and historical data. All system components and processes will be described in this paper.

  1. Large Scale Environmental Monitoring through Integration of Sensor and Mesh Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jurdak, Raja; Nafaa, Abdelhamid; Barbirato, Alessio

    2008-11-24

    Monitoring outdoor environments through networks of wireless sensors has received interest for collecting physical and chemical samples at high spatial and temporal scales. A central challenge to environmental monitoring applications of sensor networks is the short communication range of the sensor nodes, which increases the complexity and cost of monitoring commodities that are located in geographically spread areas. To address this issue, we propose a new communication architecture that integrates sensor networks with medium range wireless mesh networks, and provides users with an advanced web portal for managing sensed information in an integrated manner. Our architecture adopts a holistic approach targeted at improving the user experience by optimizing the system performance for handling data that originates at the sensors, traverses the mesh network, and resides at the server for user consumption. This holistic approach enables users to set high level policies that can adapt the resolution of information collected at the sensors, set the preferred performance targets for their application, and run a wide range of queries and analysis on both real-time and historical data. All system components and processes will be described in this paper.

  2. BFL: a node and edge betweenness based fast layout algorithm for large scale networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashimoto, Tatsunori B; Nagasaki, Masao; Kojima, Kaname; Miyano, Satoru

    2009-01-01

    Background Network visualization would serve as a useful first step for analysis. However, current graph layout algorithms for biological pathways are insensitive to biologically important information, e.g. subcellular localization, biological node and graph attributes, or/and not available for large scale networks, e.g. more than 10000 elements. Results To overcome these problems, we propose the use of a biologically important graph metric, betweenness, a measure of network flow. This metric is highly correlated with many biological phenomena such as lethality and clusters. We devise a new fast parallel algorithm calculating betweenness to minimize the preprocessing cost. Using this metric, we also invent a node and edge betweenness based fast layout algorithm (BFL). BFL places the high-betweenness nodes to optimal positions and allows the low-betweenness nodes to reach suboptimal positions. Furthermore, BFL reduces the runtime by combining a sequential insertion algorim with betweenness. For a graph with n nodes, this approach reduces the expected runtime of the algorithm to O(n2) when considering edge crossings, and to O(n log n) when considering only density and edge lengths. Conclusion Our BFL algorithm is compared against fast graph layout algorithms and approaches requiring intensive optimizations. For gene networks, we show that our algorithm is faster than all layout algorithms tested while providing readability on par with intensive optimization algorithms. We achieve a 1.4 second runtime for a graph with 4000 nodes and 12000 edges on a standard desktop computer. PMID:19146673

  3. Large-scale modeling of condition-specific gene regulatory networks by information integration and inference.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellwanger, Daniel Christian; Leonhardt, Jörn Florian; Mewes, Hans-Werner

    2014-12-01

    Understanding how regulatory networks globally coordinate the response of a cell to changing conditions, such as perturbations by shifting environments, is an elementary challenge in systems biology which has yet to be met. Genome-wide gene expression measurements are high dimensional as these are reflecting the condition-specific interplay of thousands of cellular components. The integration of prior biological knowledge into the modeling process of systems-wide gene regulation enables the large-scale interpretation of gene expression signals in the context of known regulatory relations. We developed COGERE (http://mips.helmholtz-muenchen.de/cogere), a method for the inference of condition-specific gene regulatory networks in human and mouse. We integrated existing knowledge of regulatory interactions from multiple sources to a comprehensive model of prior information. COGERE infers condition-specific regulation by evaluating the mutual dependency between regulator (transcription factor or miRNA) and target gene expression using prior information. This dependency is scored by the non-parametric, nonlinear correlation coefficient η(2) (eta squared) that is derived by a two-way analysis of variance. We show that COGERE significantly outperforms alternative methods in predicting condition-specific gene regulatory networks on simulated data sets. Furthermore, by inferring the cancer-specific gene regulatory network from the NCI-60 expression study, we demonstrate the utility of COGERE to promote hypothesis-driven clinical research. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  4. The Large-Scale Structure of Scientific Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kosso, Peter

    2009-01-01

    The standard textbook description of the nature of science describes the proposal, testing, and acceptance of a theoretical idea almost entirely in isolation from other theories. The resulting model of science is a kind of piecemeal empiricism that misses the important network structure of scientific knowledge. Only the large-scale description of…

  5. Why did humans develop a large brain?

    OpenAIRE

    Muscat Baron, Yves

    2012-01-01

    "Of all animals, man has the largest brain in proportion to his size"- Aristotle. Dr Yves Muscat Baron shares his theory on how humans evolved large brains. The theory outlines how gravity could have helped humans develop a large brain- the author has named the theory 'The Gravitational Vascular Theory'. http://www.um.edu.mt/think/why-did-humans-develop-a-large-brain/

  6. Creating probabilistic maps of the face network in the adolescent brain: A multi-centre functional MRI study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tahmasebi, Amir M.; Mareckova, Klara; Artiges, Eric; Martinot, Jean-Luc; Banaschewski, Tobias; Barker, Gareth J.; Loth, Eva; Schumann, Gunter; Bruehl, Ruediger; Ittermann, Bernd; Buchel, Christian; Conrod, Patricia J.; Flor, Herta; Strohle, Andreas; Garavan, Hugh; Gallinat, Jurgen; Heinz, Andreas; Poline, Jean-Baptiste; Rietschel, Marcella; Smolka, Michael N.; Paus, Tomas

    2012-01-01

    Large-scale magnetic resonance (MR) studies of the human brain offer unique opportunities for identifying genetic and environmental factors shaping the human brain. Here, we describe a dataset collected in the context of a multi-centre study of the adolescent brain, namely the IMAGEN Study. We focus on one of the functional paradigms included in the project to probe the brain network underlying processing of ambiguous and angry faces. Using functional MR (fMRI) data collected in 1,110 adolescents, we constructed probabilistic maps of the neural network engaged consistently while viewing the ambiguous or angry faces; 21 brain regions responding to faces with high probability were identified. We were also able to address several methodological issues, including the minimal sample size yielding a stable location of a test region, namely the fusiform face area (FFA), as well as the effect of acquisition site (eight sites) and scanner (four manufacturers) on the location and magnitude of the fMRI response to faces in the FFA. Finally, we provided a comparison between male and female adolescents in terms of the effect sizes of sex differences in brain response to the ambiguous and angry faces in the 21 regions of interest. Overall, we found a stronger neural response to the ambiguous faces in several cortical regions, including the fusiform face area, in female (vs. male) adolescents, and a slightly stronger response to the angry faces in the amygdala of male (vs. female) adolescents. (authors)

  7. Atypical language laterality is associated with large-scale disruption of network integration in children with intractable focal epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibrahim, George M; Morgan, Benjamin R; Doesburg, Sam M; Taylor, Margot J; Pang, Elizabeth W; Donner, Elizabeth; Go, Cristina Y; Rutka, James T; Snead, O Carter

    2015-04-01

    Epilepsy is associated with disruption of integration in distributed networks, together with altered localization for functions such as expressive language. The relation between atypical network connectivity and altered localization is unknown. In the current study we tested whether atypical expressive language laterality was associated with the alteration of large-scale network integration in children with medically-intractable localization-related epilepsy (LRE). Twenty-three right-handed children (age range 8-17) with medically-intractable LRE performed a verb generation task in fMRI. Language network activation was identified and the Laterality index (LI) was calculated within the pars triangularis and pars opercularis. Resting-state data from the same cohort were subjected to independent component analysis. Dual regression was used to identify associations between resting-state integration and LI values. Higher positive values of the LI, indicating typical language localization were associated with stronger functional integration of various networks including the default mode network (DMN). The normally symmetric resting-state networks showed a pattern of lateralized connectivity mirroring that of language function. The association between atypical language localization and network integration implies a widespread disruption of neural network development. These findings may inform the interpretation of localization studies by providing novel insights into reorganization of neural networks in epilepsy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Advanced Connectivity Analysis (ACA): a Large Scale Functional Connectivity Data Mining Environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Rong; Nixon, Erika; Herskovits, Edward

    2016-04-01

    Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to study functional connectivity is of great importance to understand normal development and function as well as a host of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Seed-based analysis is one of the most widely used rs-fMRI analysis methods. Here we describe a freely available large scale functional connectivity data mining software package called Advanced Connectivity Analysis (ACA). ACA enables large-scale seed-based analysis and brain-behavior analysis. It can seamlessly examine a large number of seed regions with minimal user input. ACA has a brain-behavior analysis component to delineate associations among imaging biomarkers and one or more behavioral variables. We demonstrate applications of ACA to rs-fMRI data sets from a study of autism.

  9. The Efficiency of a Small-World Functional Brain Network

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    ZHAO Qing-Bai; ZHANG Xiao-Fei; SUI Dan-Ni; ZHOU Zhi-Jin; CHEN Qi-Cai; TANG Yi-Yuan

    2012-01-01

    We investigate whether the small-world topology of a functional brain network means high information processing efficiency by calculating the correlation between the small-world measures of a functional brain network and behavioral reaction during an imagery task.Functional brain networks are constructed by multichannel eventrelated potential data,in which the electrodes are the nodes and the functional connectivities between them are the edges.The results show that the correlation between small-world measures and reaction time is task-specific,such that in global imagery,there is a positive correlation between the clustering coefficient and reaction time,while in local imagery the average path length is positively correlated with the reaction time.This suggests that the efficiency of a functional brain network is task-dependent.%We investigate whether the small-world topology of a functional brain network means high information processing efficiency by calculating the correlation between the small-world measures of a functional brain network and behavioral reaction during an imagery task. Functional brain networks are constructed by multichannel event-related potential data, in which the electrodes are the nodes and the functional connectivities between them are the edges. The results show that the correlation between small-world measures and reaction time is task-specific, such that in global imagery, there is a positive correlation between the clustering coefficient and reaction time, while in local imagery the average path length is positively correlated with the reaction time. This suggests that the efficiency of a functional brain network is task-dependent.

  10. Complex brain networks: From topological communities to clustered

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Complex brain networks: From topological communities to clustered dynamics ... Recent research has revealed a rich and complicated network topology in the cortical connectivity of mammalian brains. ... Pramana – Journal of Physics | News.

  11. Displacement and deformation measurement for large structures by camera network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shang, Yang; Yu, Qifeng; Yang, Zhen; Xu, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Xiaohu

    2014-03-01

    A displacement and deformation measurement method for large structures by a series-parallel connection camera network is presented. By taking the dynamic monitoring of a large-scale crane in lifting operation as an example, a series-parallel connection camera network is designed, and the displacement and deformation measurement method by using this series-parallel connection camera network is studied. The movement range of the crane body is small, and that of the crane arm is large. The displacement of the crane body, the displacement of the crane arm relative to the body and the deformation of the arm are measured. Compared with a pure series or parallel connection camera network, the designed series-parallel connection camera network can be used to measure not only the movement and displacement of a large structure but also the relative movement and deformation of some interesting parts of the large structure by a relatively simple optical measurement system.

  12. Task vs. rest-different network configurations between the coactivation and the resting-state brain networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di, Xin; Gohel, Suril; Kim, Eun H; Biswal, Bharat B

    2013-01-01

    There is a growing interest in studies of human brain networks using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). However, it is unclear whether and how brain networks measured during the resting-state exhibit comparable properties to brain networks during task performance. In the present study, we investigated meta-analytic coactivation patterns among brain regions based upon published neuroimaging studies, and compared the coactivation network configurations with those in the resting-state network. The strength of resting-state functional connectivity between two regions were strongly correlated with the coactivation strength. However, the coactivation network showed greater global efficiency, smaller mean clustering coefficient, and lower modularity compared with the resting-state network, which suggest a more efficient global information transmission and between system integrations during task performing. Hub shifts were also observed within the thalamus and the left inferior temporal cortex. The thalamus and the left inferior temporal cortex exhibited higher and lower degrees, respectively in the coactivation network compared with the resting-state network. These results shed light regarding the reconfiguration of the brain networks between task and resting-state conditions, and highlight the role of the thalamus in change of network configurations in task vs. rest.

  13. Large Scale Experiments of Multihop Networks in Mobile Scenarios

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yacine Benchaïb

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the latest advances in our research work focused on VIRMANEL and SILUMOD, a couple of tools developed for research in wireless mobile multihop networks. SILUMOD is a domain specific language dedicated to the definition of mobility models. This language contains key- words and special operators that make it easy to define a mobility model and calculate the positions of a trajectory. These positions are sent to VIRMANEL, a tool that man- ages virtual machines corresponding to mobile nodes, emu- lates their movements and the resulting connections and dis- connections, and displays the network evolution to the user, thanks to its graphical user interface. The virtualization ap- proach we take here allows to run real code and to test real protocol implementations without deploying an important experimental platform. For the experimentation of a large number of virtual mobile nodes, we defined and implemented a new algorithm for the nearest neighbor search to find the nodes that are within communication range. We then car- ried out a considerable measurement campaign in order to evaluate the performance of this algorithm. The results show that even with an experiment using a large number of mobile nodes, our algorithm make it possible to evaluate the state of connectivity between mobile nodes within a reasonable time and number of operations.

  14. Classification of brain MRI with big data and deep 3D convolutional neural networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wegmayr, Viktor; Aitharaju, Sai; Buhmann, Joachim

    2018-02-01

    Our ever-aging society faces the growing problem of neurodegenerative diseases, in particular dementia. Magnetic Resonance Imaging provides a unique tool for non-invasive investigation of these brain diseases. However, it is extremely difficult for neurologists to identify complex disease patterns from large amounts of three-dimensional images. In contrast, machine learning excels at automatic pattern recognition from large amounts of data. In particular, deep learning has achieved impressive results in image classification. Unfortunately, its application to medical image classification remains difficult. We consider two reasons for this difficulty: First, volumetric medical image data is considerably scarcer than natural images. Second, the complexity of 3D medical images is much higher compared to common 2D images. To address the problem of small data set size, we assemble the largest dataset ever used for training a deep 3D convolutional neural network to classify brain images as healthy (HC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimers disease (AD). We use more than 20.000 images from subjects of these three classes, which is almost 9x the size of the previously largest data set. The problem of high dimensionality is addressed by using a deep 3D convolutional neural network, which is state-of-the-art in large-scale image classification. We exploit its ability to process the images directly, only with standard preprocessing, but without the need for elaborate feature engineering. Compared to other work, our workflow is considerably simpler, which increases clinical applicability. Accuracy is measured on the ADNI+AIBL data sets, and the independent CADDementia benchmark.

  15. Convergence speed of consensus problems over undirected scale-free networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Wei; Dou Li-Hua

    2010-01-01

    Scale-free networks and consensus behaviour among multiple agents have both attracted much attention. To investigate the consensus speed over scale-free networks is the major topic of the present work. A novel method is developed to construct scale-free networks due to their remarkable power-law degree distributions, while preserving the diversity of network topologies. The time cost or iterations for networks to reach a certain level of consensus is discussed, considering the influence from power-law parameters. They are both demonstrated to be reversed power-law functions of the algebraic connectivity, which is viewed as a measurement on convergence speed of the consensus behaviour. The attempts of tuning power-law parameters may speed up the consensus procedure, but it could also make the network less robust over time delay at the same time. Large scale of simulations are supportive to the conclusions. (general)

  16. Scale-Free Networks and Commercial Air Carrier Transportation in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conway, Sheila R.

    2004-01-01

    Network science, or the art of describing system structure, may be useful for the analysis and control of large, complex systems. For example, networks exhibiting scale-free structure have been found to be particularly well suited to deal with environmental uncertainty and large demand growth. The National Airspace System may be, at least in part, a scalable network. In fact, the hub-and-spoke structure of the commercial segment of the NAS is an often-cited example of an existing scale-free network After reviewing the nature and attributes of scale-free networks, this assertion is put to the test: is commercial air carrier transportation in the United States well explained by this model? If so, are the positive attributes of these networks, e.g. those of efficiency, flexibility and robustness, fully realized, or could we effect substantial improvement? This paper first outlines attributes of various network types, then looks more closely at the common carrier air transportation network from perspectives of the traveler, the airlines, and Air Traffic Control (ATC). Network models are applied within each paradigm, including discussion of implied strengths and weaknesses of each model. Finally, known limitations of scalable networks are discussed. With an eye towards NAS operations, utilizing the strengths and avoiding the weaknesses of scale-free networks are addressed.

  17. Traffic Flow Prediction Model for Large-Scale Road Network Based on Cloud Computing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhaosheng Yang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available To increase the efficiency and precision of large-scale road network traffic flow prediction, a genetic algorithm-support vector machine (GA-SVM model based on cloud computing is proposed in this paper, which is based on the analysis of the characteristics and defects of genetic algorithm and support vector machine. In cloud computing environment, firstly, SVM parameters are optimized by the parallel genetic algorithm, and then this optimized parallel SVM model is used to predict traffic flow. On the basis of the traffic flow data of Haizhu District in Guangzhou City, the proposed model was verified and compared with the serial GA-SVM model and parallel GA-SVM model based on MPI (message passing interface. The results demonstrate that the parallel GA-SVM model based on cloud computing has higher prediction accuracy, shorter running time, and higher speedup.

  18. Spontaneous brain network activity: Analysis of its temporal complexity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mangor Pedersen

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The brain operates in a complex way. The temporal complexity underlying macroscopic and spontaneous brain network activity is still to be understood. In this study, we explored the brain’s complexity by combining functional connectivity, graph theory, and entropy analyses in 25 healthy people using task-free functional magnetic resonance imaging. We calculated the pairwise instantaneous phase synchrony between 8,192 brain nodes for a total of 200 time points. This resulted in graphs for which time series of clustering coefficients (the “cliquiness” of a node and participation coefficients (the between-module connectivity of a node were estimated. For these two network metrics, sample entropy was calculated. The procedure produced a number of results: (1 Entropy is higher for the participation coefficient than for the clustering coefficient. (2 The average clustering coefficient is negatively related to its associated entropy, whereas the average participation coefficient is positively related to its associated entropy. (3 The level of entropy is network-specific to the participation coefficient, but not to the clustering coefficient. High entropy for the participation coefficient was observed in the default-mode, visual, and motor networks. These results were further validated using an independent replication dataset. Our work confirms that brain networks are temporally complex. Entropy is a good candidate metric to explore temporal network alterations in diseases with paroxysmal brain disruptions, including schizophrenia and epilepsy. In recent years, connectomics has provided significant insights into the topological complexity of brain networks. However, the temporal complexity of brain networks still remains somewhat poorly understood. In this study we used entropy analysis to demonstrate that the properties of network segregation (the clustering coefficient and integration (the participation coefficient are temporally complex

  19. Human visual system automatically represents large-scale sequential regularities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimura, Motohiro; Widmann, Andreas; Schröger, Erich

    2010-03-04

    Our brain recordings reveal that large-scale sequential regularities defined across non-adjacent stimuli can be automatically represented in visual sensory memory. To show that, we adopted an auditory paradigm developed by Sussman, E., Ritter, W., and Vaughan, H. G. Jr. (1998). Predictability of stimulus deviance and the mismatch negativity. NeuroReport, 9, 4167-4170, Sussman, E., and Gumenyuk, V. (2005). Organization of sequential sounds in auditory memory. NeuroReport, 16, 1519-1523 to the visual domain by presenting task-irrelevant infrequent luminance-deviant stimuli (D, 20%) inserted among task-irrelevant frequent stimuli being of standard luminance (S, 80%) in randomized (randomized condition, SSSDSSSSSDSSSSD...) and fixed manners (fixed condition, SSSSDSSSSDSSSSD...). Comparing the visual mismatch negativity (visual MMN), an event-related brain potential (ERP) index of memory-mismatch processes in human visual sensory system, revealed that visual MMN elicited by deviant stimuli was reduced in the fixed compared to the randomized condition. Thus, the large-scale sequential regularity being present in the fixed condition (SSSSD) must have been represented in visual sensory memory. Interestingly, this effect did not occur in conditions with stimulus-onset asynchronies (SOAs) of 480 and 800 ms but was confined to the 160-ms SOA condition supporting the hypothesis that large-scale regularity extraction was based on perceptual grouping of the five successive stimuli defining the regularity. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. A Gossip-based Churn Estimator for Large Dynamic Networks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Giuffrida, C.; Ortolani, S.

    2010-01-01

    Gossip-based aggregation is an emerging paradigm to perform distributed computations and measurements in a large-scale setting. In this paper we explore the possibility of using gossip-based aggregation to estimate churn in arbitrarily large networks. To this end, we introduce a new model to compute

  1. Complex brain networks: From topological communities to clustered ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    functional connectivity of the human brain has shown that both types of brain networks share .... the areas and also of the whole network, the Pearson correlation coefficient r and ..... Several areas important for intercommunity communication.

  2. Validation of network communicability metrics for the analysis of brain structural networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer Andreotti

    Full Text Available Computational network analysis provides new methods to analyze the brain's structural organization based on diffusion imaging tractography data. Networks are characterized by global and local metrics that have recently given promising insights into diagnosis and the further understanding of psychiatric and neurologic disorders. Most of these metrics are based on the idea that information in a network flows along the shortest paths. In contrast to this notion, communicability is a broader measure of connectivity which assumes that information could flow along all possible paths between two nodes. In our work, the features of network metrics related to communicability were explored for the first time in the healthy structural brain network. In addition, the sensitivity of such metrics was analysed using simulated lesions to specific nodes and network connections. Results showed advantages of communicability over conventional metrics in detecting densely connected nodes as well as subsets of nodes vulnerable to lesions. In addition, communicability centrality was shown to be widely affected by the lesions and the changes were negatively correlated with the distance from lesion site. In summary, our analysis suggests that communicability metrics that may provide an insight into the integrative properties of the structural brain network and that these metrics may be useful for the analysis of brain networks in the presence of lesions. Nevertheless, the interpretation of communicability is not straightforward; hence these metrics should be used as a supplement to the more standard connectivity network metrics.

  3. The Virtual Brain: a simulator of primate brain network dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanz Leon, Paula; Knock, Stuart A; Woodman, M Marmaduke; Domide, Lia; Mersmann, Jochen; McIntosh, Anthony R; Jirsa, Viktor

    2013-01-01

    We present The Virtual Brain (TVB), a neuroinformatics platform for full brain network simulations using biologically realistic connectivity. This simulation environment enables the model-based inference of neurophysiological mechanisms across different brain scales that underlie the generation of macroscopic neuroimaging signals including functional MRI (fMRI), EEG and MEG. Researchers from different backgrounds can benefit from an integrative software platform including a supporting framework for data management (generation, organization, storage, integration and sharing) and a simulation core written in Python. TVB allows the reproduction and evaluation of personalized configurations of the brain by using individual subject data. This personalization facilitates an exploration of the consequences of pathological changes in the system, permitting to investigate potential ways to counteract such unfavorable processes. The architecture of TVB supports interaction with MATLAB packages, for example, the well known Brain Connectivity Toolbox. TVB can be used in a client-server configuration, such that it can be remotely accessed through the Internet thanks to its web-based HTML5, JS, and WebGL graphical user interface. TVB is also accessible as a standalone cross-platform Python library and application, and users can interact with the scientific core through the scripting interface IDLE, enabling easy modeling, development and debugging of the scientific kernel. This second interface makes TVB extensible by combining it with other libraries and modules developed by the Python scientific community. In this article, we describe the theoretical background and foundations that led to the development of TVB, the architecture and features of its major software components as well as potential neuroscience applications.

  4. The Virtual Brain: a simulator of primate brain network dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanz Leon, Paula; Knock, Stuart A.; Woodman, M. Marmaduke; Domide, Lia; Mersmann, Jochen; McIntosh, Anthony R.; Jirsa, Viktor

    2013-01-01

    We present The Virtual Brain (TVB), a neuroinformatics platform for full brain network simulations using biologically realistic connectivity. This simulation environment enables the model-based inference of neurophysiological mechanisms across different brain scales that underlie the generation of macroscopic neuroimaging signals including functional MRI (fMRI), EEG and MEG. Researchers from different backgrounds can benefit from an integrative software platform including a supporting framework for data management (generation, organization, storage, integration and sharing) and a simulation core written in Python. TVB allows the reproduction and evaluation of personalized configurations of the brain by using individual subject data. This personalization facilitates an exploration of the consequences of pathological changes in the system, permitting to investigate potential ways to counteract such unfavorable processes. The architecture of TVB supports interaction with MATLAB packages, for example, the well known Brain Connectivity Toolbox. TVB can be used in a client-server configuration, such that it can be remotely accessed through the Internet thanks to its web-based HTML5, JS, and WebGL graphical user interface. TVB is also accessible as a standalone cross-platform Python library and application, and users can interact with the scientific core through the scripting interface IDLE, enabling easy modeling, development and debugging of the scientific kernel. This second interface makes TVB extensible by combining it with other libraries and modules developed by the Python scientific community. In this article, we describe the theoretical background and foundations that led to the development of TVB, the architecture and features of its major software components as well as potential neuroscience applications. PMID:23781198

  5. Imaging brain plasticity after trauma

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Zhifeng Kou; Armin Iraji

    2014-01-01

    The brain is highly plastic after stroke or epilepsy;however, there is a paucity of brain plasticity investigation after traumatic brain injury (TBI). This mini review summarizes the most recent evidence of brain plasticity in human TBI patients from the perspective of advanced magnetic resonance imaging. Similar to other forms of acquired brain injury, TBI patients also demonstrat-ed both structural reorganization as well as functional compensation by the recruitment of other brain regions. However, the large scale brain network alterations after TBI are still unknown, and the ifeld is still short of proper means on how to guide the choice of TBI rehabilitation or treat-ment plan to promote brain plasticity. The authors also point out the new direction of brain plas-ticity investigation.

  6. Small-World and Scale-Free Network Models for IoT Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Insoo Sohn

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available It is expected that Internet of Things (IoT revolution will enable new solutions and business for consumers and entrepreneurs by connecting billions of physical world devices with varying capabilities. However, for successful realization of IoT, challenges such as heterogeneous connectivity, ubiquitous coverage, reduced network and device complexity, enhanced power savings, and enhanced resource management have to be solved. All these challenges are heavily impacted by the IoT network topology supported by massive number of connected devices. Small-world networks and scale-free networks are important complex network models with massive number of nodes and have been actively used to study the network topology of brain networks, social networks, and wireless networks. These models, also, have been applied to IoT networks to enhance synchronization, error tolerance, and more. However, due to interdisciplinary nature of the network science, with heavy emphasis on graph theory, it is not easy to study the various tools provided by complex network models. Therefore, in this paper, we attempt to introduce basic concepts of graph theory, including small-world networks and scale-free networks, and provide system models that can be easily implemented to be used as a powerful tool in solving various research problems related to IoT.

  7. Irritable bowel syndrome in female patients is associated with alterations in structural brain networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Labus, Jennifer S; Dinov, Ivo D; Jiang, Zhiguo; Ashe-McNalley, Cody; Zamanyan, Alen; Shi, Yonggang; Hong, Jui-Yang; Gupta, Arpana; Tillisch, Kirsten; Ebrat, Bahar; Hobel, Sam; Gutman, Boris A; Joshi, Shantanu; Thompson, Paul M; Toga, Arthur W; Mayer, Emeran A

    2014-01-01

    Alterations in gray matter (GM) density/volume and cortical thickness (CT) have been demonstrated in small and heterogeneous samples of subjects with differing chronic pain syndromes, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Aggregating across 7 structural neuroimaging studies conducted at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA, between August 2006 and April 2011, we examined group differences in regional GM volume in 201 predominantly premenopausal female subjects (82 IBS, mean age: 32±10 SD, 119 healthy controls [HCs], 30±10 SD). Applying graph theoretical methods and controlling for total brain volume, global and regional properties of large-scale structural brain networks were compared between the group with IBS and the HC group. Relative to HCs, the IBS group had lower volumes in the bilateral superior frontal gyrus, bilateral insula, bilateral amygdala, bilateral hippocampus, bilateral middle orbital frontal gyrus, left cingulate, left gyrus rectus, brainstem, and left putamen. Higher volume was found in the left postcentral gyrus. Group differences were no longer significant for most regions when controlling for the Early Trauma Inventory global score, with the exception of the right amygdala and the left postcentral gyrus. No group differences were found for measures of global and local network organization. Compared to HCs, in patients with IBS, the right cingulate gyrus and right thalamus were identified as being significantly more critical for information flow. Regions involved in endogenous pain modulation and central sensory amplification were identified as network hubs in IBS. Overall, evidence for central alterations in patients with IBS was found in the form of regional GM volume differences and altered global and regional properties of brain volumetric networks. Copyright © 2013 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Direct modulation of aberrant brain network connectivity through real-time NeuroFeedback.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramot, Michal; Kimmich, Sara; Gonzalez-Castillo, Javier; Roopchansingh, Vinai; Popal, Haroon; White, Emily; Gotts, Stephen J; Martin, Alex

    2017-09-16

    The existence of abnormal connectivity patterns between resting state networks in neuropsychiatric disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), has been well established. Traditional treatment methods in ASD are limited, and do not address the aberrant network structure. Using real-time fMRI neurofeedback, we directly trained three brain nodes in participants with ASD, in which the aberrant connectivity has been shown to correlate with symptom severity. Desired network connectivity patterns were reinforced in real-time, without participants' awareness of the training taking place. This training regimen produced large, significant long-term changes in correlations at the network level, and whole brain analysis revealed that the greatest changes were focused on the areas being trained. These changes were not found in the control group. Moreover, changes in ASD resting state connectivity following the training were correlated to changes in behavior, suggesting that neurofeedback can be used to directly alter complex, clinically relevant network connectivity patterns.

  9. Direct modulation of aberrant brain network connectivity through real-time NeuroFeedback

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimmich, Sara; Gonzalez-Castillo, Javier; Roopchansingh, Vinai; Popal, Haroon; White, Emily; Gotts, Stephen J; Martin, Alex

    2017-01-01

    The existence of abnormal connectivity patterns between resting state networks in neuropsychiatric disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), has been well established. Traditional treatment methods in ASD are limited, and do not address the aberrant network structure. Using real-time fMRI neurofeedback, we directly trained three brain nodes in participants with ASD, in which the aberrant connectivity has been shown to correlate with symptom severity. Desired network connectivity patterns were reinforced in real-time, without participants’ awareness of the training taking place. This training regimen produced large, significant long-term changes in correlations at the network level, and whole brain analysis revealed that the greatest changes were focused on the areas being trained. These changes were not found in the control group. Moreover, changes in ASD resting state connectivity following the training were correlated to changes in behavior, suggesting that neurofeedback can be used to directly alter complex, clinically relevant network connectivity patterns. PMID:28917059

  10. The AlpArray Seismic Network: A Large-Scale European Experiment to Image the Alpine Orogen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hetényi, György; Molinari, Irene; Clinton, John; Bokelmann, Götz; Bondár, István; Crawford, Wayne C.; Dessa, Jean-Xavier; Doubre, Cécile; Friederich, Wolfgang; Fuchs, Florian; Giardini, Domenico; Gráczer, Zoltán; Handy, Mark R.; Herak, Marijan; Jia, Yan; Kissling, Edi; Kopp, Heidrun; Korn, Michael; Margheriti, Lucia; Meier, Thomas; Mucciarelli, Marco; Paul, Anne; Pesaresi, Damiano; Piromallo, Claudia; Plenefisch, Thomas; Plomerová, Jaroslava; Ritter, Joachim; Rümpker, Georg; Šipka, Vesna; Spallarossa, Daniele; Thomas, Christine; Tilmann, Frederik; Wassermann, Joachim; Weber, Michael; Wéber, Zoltán; Wesztergom, Viktor; Živčić, Mladen

    2018-04-01

    The AlpArray programme is a multinational, European consortium to advance our understanding of orogenesis and its relationship to mantle dynamics, plate reorganizations, surface processes and seismic hazard in the Alps-Apennines-Carpathians-Dinarides orogenic system. The AlpArray Seismic Network has been deployed with contributions from 36 institutions from 11 countries to map physical properties of the lithosphere and asthenosphere in 3D and thus to obtain new, high-resolution geophysical images of structures from the surface down to the base of the mantle transition zone. With over 600 broadband stations operated for 2 years, this seismic experiment is one of the largest simultaneously operated seismological networks in the academic domain, employing hexagonal coverage with station spacing at less than 52 km. This dense and regularly spaced experiment is made possible by the coordinated coeval deployment of temporary stations from numerous national pools, including ocean-bottom seismometers, which were funded by different national agencies. They combine with permanent networks, which also required the cooperation of many different operators. Together these stations ultimately fill coverage gaps. Following a short overview of previous large-scale seismological experiments in the Alpine region, we here present the goals, construction, deployment, characteristics and data management of the AlpArray Seismic Network, which will provide data that is expected to be unprecedented in quality to image the complex Alpine mountains at depth.

  11. Global fluctuations of cerebral blood flow indicate a global brain network independent of systemic factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Li; Alsop, David C; Detre, John A; Dai, Weiying

    2017-01-01

    Global synchronization across specialized brain networks is a common feature of network models and in-vivo electrical measurements. Although the imaging of specialized brain networks with blood oxygenation sensitive resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) has enabled detailed study of regional networks, the study of globally correlated fluctuations with rsfMRI is confounded by spurious contributions to the global signal from systemic physiologic factors and other noise sources. Here we use an alternative rsfMRI method, arterial spin labeled perfusion MRI, to characterize global correlations and their relationship to correlations and anti-correlations between regional networks. Global fluctuations that cannot be explained by systemic factors dominate the fluctuations in cerebral blood flow. Power spectra of these fluctuations are band limited to below 0.05 Hz, similar to prior measurements of regional network fluctuations in the brain. Removal of these global fluctuations prior to measurement of regional networks reduces all regional network fluctuation amplitudes to below the global fluctuation amplitude and changes the strength and sign of inter network correlations. Our findings support large amplitude, globally synchronized activity across networks that require a reassessment of regional network amplitude and correlation measures.

  12. Parameters affecting the resilience of scale-free networks to random failures.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Link, Hamilton E.; LaViolette, Randall A.; Lane, Terran (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM); Saia, Jared (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM)

    2005-09-01

    It is commonly believed that scale-free networks are robust to massive numbers of random node deletions. For example, Cohen et al. in (1) study scale-free networks including some which approximate the measured degree distribution of the Internet. Their results suggest that if each node in this network failed independently with probability 0.99, most of the remaining nodes would still be connected in a giant component. In this paper, we show that a large and important subclass of scale-free networks are not robust to massive numbers of random node deletions. In particular, we study scale-free networks which have minimum node degree of 1 and a power-law degree distribution beginning with nodes of degree 1 (power-law networks). We show that, in a power-law network approximating the Internet's reported distribution, when the probability of deletion of each node is 0.5 only about 25% of the surviving nodes in the network remain connected in a giant component, and the giant component does not persist beyond a critical failure rate of 0.9. The new result is partially due to improved analytical accommodation of the large number of degree-0 nodes that result after node deletions. Our results apply to power-law networks with a wide range of power-law exponents, including Internet-like networks. We give both analytical and empirical evidence that such networks are not generally robust to massive random node deletions.

  13. Gradient networks on uncorrelated random scale-free networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan Guijun; Yan Xiaoqing; Huang Zhongbing; Ma Weichuan

    2011-01-01

    Uncorrelated random scale-free (URSF) networks are useful null models for checking the effects of scale-free topology on network-based dynamical processes. Here, we present a comparative study of the jamming level of gradient networks based on URSF networks and Erdos-Renyi (ER) random networks. We find that the URSF networks are less congested than ER random networks for the average degree (k)>k c (k c ∼ 2 denotes a critical connectivity). In addition, by investigating the topological properties of the two kinds of gradient networks, we discuss the relations between the topological structure and the transport efficiency of the gradient networks. These findings show that the uncorrelated scale-free structure might allow more efficient transport than the random structure.

  14. Approach of Complex Networks for the Determination of Brain Death

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Wei-Gang; Cao Jian-Ting; Wang Ru-Bin

    2011-01-01

    In clinical practice, brain death is the irreversible end of all brain activity. Compared to current statistical methods for the determination of brain death, we focus on the approach of complex networks for real-world electroencephalography in its determination. Brain functional networks constructed by correlation analysis are derived, and statistical network quantities used for distinguishing the patients in coma or brain death state, such as average strength, clustering coefficient and average path length, are calculated. Numerical results show that the values of network quantities of patients in coma state are larger than those of patients in brain death state. Our findings might provide valuable insights on the determination of brain death. (cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

  15. Spatial fingerprints of community structure in human interaction network for an extensive set of large-scale regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kallus, Zsófia; Barankai, Norbert; Szüle, János; Vattay, Gábor

    2015-01-01

    Human interaction networks inferred from country-wide telephone activity recordings were recently used to redraw political maps by projecting their topological partitions into geographical space. The results showed remarkable spatial cohesiveness of the network communities and a significant overlap between the redrawn and the administrative borders. Here we present a similar analysis based on one of the most popular online social networks represented by the ties between more than 5.8 million of its geo-located users. The worldwide coverage of their measured activity allowed us to analyze the large-scale regional subgraphs of entire continents and an extensive set of examples for single countries. We present results for North and South America, Europe and Asia. In our analysis we used the well-established method of modularity clustering after an aggregation of the individual links into a weighted graph connecting equal-area geographical pixels. Our results show fingerprints of both of the opposing forces of dividing local conflicts and of uniting cross-cultural trends of globalization.

  16. A permutation testing framework to compare groups of brain networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simpson, Sean L; Lyday, Robert G; Hayasaka, Satoru; Marsh, Anthony P; Laurienti, Paul J

    2013-01-01

    Brain network analyses have moved to the forefront of neuroimaging research over the last decade. However, methods for statistically comparing groups of networks have lagged behind. These comparisons have great appeal for researchers interested in gaining further insight into complex brain function and how it changes across different mental states and disease conditions. Current comparison approaches generally either rely on a summary metric or on mass-univariate nodal or edge-based comparisons that ignore the inherent topological properties of the network, yielding little power and failing to make network level comparisons. Gleaning deeper insights into normal and abnormal changes in complex brain function demands methods that take advantage of the wealth of data present in an entire brain network. Here we propose a permutation testing framework that allows comparing groups of networks while incorporating topological features inherent in each individual network. We validate our approach using simulated data with known group differences. We then apply the method to functional brain networks derived from fMRI data.

  17. Task vs. rest—different network configurations between the coactivation and the resting-state brain networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di, Xin; Gohel, Suril; Kim, Eun H.; Biswal, Bharat B.

    2013-01-01

    There is a growing interest in studies of human brain networks using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). However, it is unclear whether and how brain networks measured during the resting-state exhibit comparable properties to brain networks during task performance. In the present study, we investigated meta-analytic coactivation patterns among brain regions based upon published neuroimaging studies, and compared the coactivation network configurations with those in the resting-state network. The strength of resting-state functional connectivity between two regions were strongly correlated with the coactivation strength. However, the coactivation network showed greater global efficiency, smaller mean clustering coefficient, and lower modularity compared with the resting-state network, which suggest a more efficient global information transmission and between system integrations during task performing. Hub shifts were also observed within the thalamus and the left inferior temporal cortex. The thalamus and the left inferior temporal cortex exhibited higher and lower degrees, respectively in the coactivation network compared with the resting-state network. These results shed light regarding the reconfiguration of the brain networks between task and resting-state conditions, and highlight the role of the thalamus in change of network configurations in task vs. rest. PMID:24062654

  18. Why small-scale cannabis growers stay small: five mechanisms that prevent small-scale growers from going large scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammersvik, Eirik; Sandberg, Sveinung; Pedersen, Willy

    2012-11-01

    Over the past 15-20 years, domestic cultivation of cannabis has been established in a number of European countries. New techniques have made such cultivation easier; however, the bulk of growers remain small-scale. In this study, we explore the factors that prevent small-scale growers from increasing their production. The study is based on 1 year of ethnographic fieldwork and qualitative interviews conducted with 45 Norwegian cannabis growers, 10 of whom were growing on a large-scale and 35 on a small-scale. The study identifies five mechanisms that prevent small-scale indoor growers from going large-scale. First, large-scale operations involve a number of people, large sums of money, a high work-load and a high risk of detection, and thus demand a higher level of organizational skills than for small growing operations. Second, financial assets are needed to start a large 'grow-site'. Housing rent, electricity, equipment and nutrients are expensive. Third, to be able to sell large quantities of cannabis, growers need access to an illegal distribution network and knowledge of how to act according to black market norms and structures. Fourth, large-scale operations require advanced horticultural skills to maximize yield and quality, which demands greater skills and knowledge than does small-scale cultivation. Fifth, small-scale growers are often embedded in the 'cannabis culture', which emphasizes anti-commercialism, anti-violence and ecological and community values. Hence, starting up large-scale production will imply having to renegotiate or abandon these values. Going from small- to large-scale cannabis production is a demanding task-ideologically, technically, economically and personally. The many obstacles that small-scale growers face and the lack of interest and motivation for going large-scale suggest that the risk of a 'slippery slope' from small-scale to large-scale growing is limited. Possible political implications of the findings are discussed. Copyright

  19. Predicting Positive and Negative Relationships in Large Social Networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guan-Nan Wang

    Full Text Available In a social network, users hold and express positive and negative attitudes (e.g. support/opposition towards other users. Those attitudes exhibit some kind of binary relationships among the users, which play an important role in social network analysis. However, some of those binary relationships are likely to be latent as the scale of social network increases. The essence of predicting latent binary relationships have recently began to draw researchers' attention. In this paper, we propose a machine learning algorithm for predicting positive and negative relationships in social networks inspired by structural balance theory and social status theory. More specifically, we show that when two users in the network have fewer common neighbors, the prediction accuracy of the relationship between them deteriorates. Accordingly, in the training phase, we propose a segment-based training framework to divide the training data into two subsets according to the number of common neighbors between users, and build a prediction model for each subset based on support vector machine (SVM. Moreover, to deal with large-scale social network data, we employ a sampling strategy that selects small amount of training data while maintaining high accuracy of prediction. We compare our algorithm with traditional algorithms and adaptive boosting of them. Experimental results of typical data sets show that our algorithm can deal with large social networks and consistently outperforms other methods.

  20. Predicting Positive and Negative Relationships in Large Social Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Guan-Nan; Gao, Hui; Chen, Lian; Mensah, Dennis N A; Fu, Yan

    2015-01-01

    In a social network, users hold and express positive and negative attitudes (e.g. support/opposition) towards other users. Those attitudes exhibit some kind of binary relationships among the users, which play an important role in social network analysis. However, some of those binary relationships are likely to be latent as the scale of social network increases. The essence of predicting latent binary relationships have recently began to draw researchers' attention. In this paper, we propose a machine learning algorithm for predicting positive and negative relationships in social networks inspired by structural balance theory and social status theory. More specifically, we show that when two users in the network have fewer common neighbors, the prediction accuracy of the relationship between them deteriorates. Accordingly, in the training phase, we propose a segment-based training framework to divide the training data into two subsets according to the number of common neighbors between users, and build a prediction model for each subset based on support vector machine (SVM). Moreover, to deal with large-scale social network data, we employ a sampling strategy that selects small amount of training data while maintaining high accuracy of prediction. We compare our algorithm with traditional algorithms and adaptive boosting of them. Experimental results of typical data sets show that our algorithm can deal with large social networks and consistently outperforms other methods.

  1. An algebraic topological method for multimodal brain networks comparison

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tiago eSimas

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Understanding brain connectivity is one of the most important issues in neuroscience. Nonetheless, connectivity data can reflect either functional relationships of brain activities or anatomical connections between brain areas. Although both representations should be related, this relationship is not straightforward. We have devised a powerful method that allows different operations between networks that share the same set of nodes, by embedding them in a common metric space, enforcing transitivity to the graph topology. Here, we apply this method to construct an aggregated network from a set of functional graphs, each one from a different subject. Once this aggregated functional network is constructed, we use again our method to compare it with the structural connectivity to identify particular brain regions that differ in both modalities (anatomical and functional. Remarkably, these brain regions include functional areas that form part of the classical resting state networks. We conclude that our method -based on the comparison of the aggregated functional network- reveals some emerging features that could not be observed when the comparison is performed with the classical averaged functional network.

  2. The signatures of conscious access and its phenomenology are consistent with large-scale brain communication at criticality

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tagliazucchi, E.

    Conscious awareness refers to information processing in the brain that is accompanied by subjective, reportable experiences. Current models of conscious access propose that sufficiently strong sensory stimuli ignite a global network of regions allowing further processing. The immense number of

  3. Activity flow over resting-state networks shapes cognitive task activations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, Michael W; Ito, Takuya; Bassett, Danielle S; Schultz, Douglas H

    2016-12-01

    Resting-state functional connectivity (FC) has helped reveal the intrinsic network organization of the human brain, yet its relevance to cognitive task activations has been unclear. Uncertainty remains despite evidence that resting-state FC patterns are highly similar to cognitive task activation patterns. Identifying the distributed processes that shape localized cognitive task activations may help reveal why resting-state FC is so strongly related to cognitive task activations. We found that estimating task-evoked activity flow (the spread of activation amplitudes) over resting-state FC networks allowed prediction of cognitive task activations in a large-scale neural network model. Applying this insight to empirical functional MRI data, we found that cognitive task activations can be predicted in held-out brain regions (and held-out individuals) via estimated activity flow over resting-state FC networks. This suggests that task-evoked activity flow over intrinsic networks is a large-scale mechanism explaining the relevance of resting-state FC to cognitive task activations.

  4. Extremely Scalable Spiking Neuronal Network Simulation Code: From Laptops to Exascale Computers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jordan, Jakob; Ippen, Tammo; Helias, Moritz; Kitayama, Itaru; Sato, Mitsuhisa; Igarashi, Jun; Diesmann, Markus; Kunkel, Susanne

    2018-01-01

    State-of-the-art software tools for neuronal network simulations scale to the largest computing systems available today and enable investigations of large-scale networks of up to 10 % of the human cortex at a resolution of individual neurons and synapses. Due to an upper limit on the number of incoming connections of a single neuron, network connectivity becomes extremely sparse at this scale. To manage computational costs, simulation software ultimately targeting the brain scale needs to fully exploit this sparsity. Here we present a two-tier connection infrastructure and a framework for directed communication among compute nodes accounting for the sparsity of brain-scale networks. We demonstrate the feasibility of this approach by implementing the technology in the NEST simulation code and we investigate its performance in different scaling scenarios of typical network simulations. Our results show that the new data structures and communication scheme prepare the simulation kernel for post-petascale high-performance computing facilities without sacrificing performance in smaller systems. PMID:29503613

  5. Extremely Scalable Spiking Neuronal Network Simulation Code: From Laptops to Exascale Computers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jordan, Jakob; Ippen, Tammo; Helias, Moritz; Kitayama, Itaru; Sato, Mitsuhisa; Igarashi, Jun; Diesmann, Markus; Kunkel, Susanne

    2018-01-01

    State-of-the-art software tools for neuronal network simulations scale to the largest computing systems available today and enable investigations of large-scale networks of up to 10 % of the human cortex at a resolution of individual neurons and synapses. Due to an upper limit on the number of incoming connections of a single neuron, network connectivity becomes extremely sparse at this scale. To manage computational costs, simulation software ultimately targeting the brain scale needs to fully exploit this sparsity. Here we present a two-tier connection infrastructure and a framework for directed communication among compute nodes accounting for the sparsity of brain-scale networks. We demonstrate the feasibility of this approach by implementing the technology in the NEST simulation code and we investigate its performance in different scaling scenarios of typical network simulations. Our results show that the new data structures and communication scheme prepare the simulation kernel for post-petascale high-performance computing facilities without sacrificing performance in smaller systems.

  6. Extremely Scalable Spiking Neuronal Network Simulation Code: From Laptops to Exascale Computers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jakob Jordan

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available State-of-the-art software tools for neuronal network simulations scale to the largest computing systems available today and enable investigations of large-scale networks of up to 10 % of the human cortex at a resolution of individual neurons and synapses. Due to an upper limit on the number of incoming connections of a single neuron, network connectivity becomes extremely sparse at this scale. To manage computational costs, simulation software ultimately targeting the brain scale needs to fully exploit this sparsity. Here we present a two-tier connection infrastructure and a framework for directed communication among compute nodes accounting for the sparsity of brain-scale networks. We demonstrate the feasibility of this approach by implementing the technology in the NEST simulation code and we investigate its performance in different scaling scenarios of typical network simulations. Our results show that the new data structures and communication scheme prepare the simulation kernel for post-petascale high-performance computing facilities without sacrificing performance in smaller systems.

  7. Cognitive benefit and cost of acute stress is differentially modulated by individual brain state.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohn, Nils; Hermans, Erno J; Fernández, Guillén

    2017-07-01

    Acute stress is associated with beneficial as well as detrimental effects on cognition in different individuals. However, it is not yet known how stress can have such opposing effects. Stroop-like tasks typically show this dissociation: stress diminishes speed, but improves accuracy. We investigated accuracy and speed during a stroop-like task of 120 healthy male subjects after an experimental stress induction or control condition in a randomized, counter-balanced cross-over design; we assessed brain-behavior associations and determined the influence of individual brain connectivity patterns on these associations, which may moderate the effect and help identify stress resilience factors. In the mean, stress was associated to increase in accuracy, but decrease in speed. Accuracy was associated to brain activation in a distributed set of brain regions overlapping with the executive control network (ECN) and speed to temporo-parietal activation. In line with a stress-related large-scale network reconfiguration, individuals showing an upregulation of the salience and down-regulation of the executive-control network under stress displayed increased speed, but decreased performance. In contrast, individuals who upregulate their ECN under stress show improved performance. Our results indicate that the individual large-scale brain network balance under acute stress moderates cognitive consequences of threat. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press.

  8. THE BUILDUP OF A SCALE-FREE PHOTOSPHERIC MAGNETIC NETWORK

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thibault, K.; Charbonneau, P. [Departement de Physique, Universite de Montreal, 2900 Edouard-Montpetit, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3J7 (Canada); Crouch, A. D., E-mail: kim@astro.umontreal.ca-a, E-mail: paulchar@astro.umontreal.ca-b, E-mail: ash@cora.nwra.com-c [CORA/NWRA, 3380 Mitchell Lane, Boulder, CO 80301 (United States)

    2012-10-01

    We use a global Monte Carlo simulation of the formation of the solar photospheric magnetic network to investigate the origin of the scale invariance characterizing magnetic flux concentrations visible on high-resolution magnetograms. The simulations include spatially and temporally homogeneous injection of small-scale magnetic elements over the whole photosphere, as well as localized episodic injection associated with the emergence and decay of active regions. Network elements form in response to cumulative pairwise aggregation or cancellation of magnetic elements, undergoing a random walk on the sphere and advected on large spatial scales by differential rotation and a poleward meridional flow. The resulting size distribution of simulated network elements is in very good agreement with observational inferences. We find that the fractal index and size distribution of network elements are determined primarily by these post-emergence surface mechanisms, and carry little or no memory of the scales at which magnetic flux is injected in the simulation. Implications for models of dynamo action in the Sun are briefly discussed.

  9. THE BUILDUP OF A SCALE-FREE PHOTOSPHERIC MAGNETIC NETWORK

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thibault, K.; Charbonneau, P.; Crouch, A. D.

    2012-01-01

    We use a global Monte Carlo simulation of the formation of the solar photospheric magnetic network to investigate the origin of the scale invariance characterizing magnetic flux concentrations visible on high-resolution magnetograms. The simulations include spatially and temporally homogeneous injection of small-scale magnetic elements over the whole photosphere, as well as localized episodic injection associated with the emergence and decay of active regions. Network elements form in response to cumulative pairwise aggregation or cancellation of magnetic elements, undergoing a random walk on the sphere and advected on large spatial scales by differential rotation and a poleward meridional flow. The resulting size distribution of simulated network elements is in very good agreement with observational inferences. We find that the fractal index and size distribution of network elements are determined primarily by these post-emergence surface mechanisms, and carry little or no memory of the scales at which magnetic flux is injected in the simulation. Implications for models of dynamo action in the Sun are briefly discussed.

  10. The Buildup of a Scale-free Photospheric Magnetic Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thibault, K.; Charbonneau, P.; Crouch, A. D.

    2012-10-01

    We use a global Monte Carlo simulation of the formation of the solar photospheric magnetic network to investigate the origin of the scale invariance characterizing magnetic flux concentrations visible on high-resolution magnetograms. The simulations include spatially and temporally homogeneous injection of small-scale magnetic elements over the whole photosphere, as well as localized episodic injection associated with the emergence and decay of active regions. Network elements form in response to cumulative pairwise aggregation or cancellation of magnetic elements, undergoing a random walk on the sphere and advected on large spatial scales by differential rotation and a poleward meridional flow. The resulting size distribution of simulated network elements is in very good agreement with observational inferences. We find that the fractal index and size distribution of network elements are determined primarily by these post-emergence surface mechanisms, and carry little or no memory of the scales at which magnetic flux is injected in the simulation. Implications for models of dynamo action in the Sun are briefly discussed.

  11. Gene co-expression networks shed light into diseases of brain iron accumulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bettencourt, Conceição; Forabosco, Paola; Wiethoff, Sarah; Heidari, Moones; Johnstone, Daniel M; Botía, Juan A; Collingwood, Joanna F; Hardy, John; Milward, Elizabeth A; Ryten, Mina; Houlden, Henry

    2016-03-01

    Aberrant brain iron deposition is observed in both common and rare neurodegenerative disorders, including those categorized as Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation (NBIA), which are characterized by focal iron accumulation in the basal ganglia. Two NBIA genes are directly involved in iron metabolism, but whether other NBIA-related genes also regulate iron homeostasis in the human brain, and whether aberrant iron deposition contributes to neurodegenerative processes remains largely unknown. This study aims to expand our understanding of these iron overload diseases and identify relationships between known NBIA genes and their main interacting partners by using a systems biology approach. We used whole-transcriptome gene expression data from human brain samples originating from 101 neuropathologically normal individuals (10 brain regions) to generate weighted gene co-expression networks and cluster the 10 known NBIA genes in an unsupervised manner. We investigated NBIA-enriched networks for relevant cell types and pathways, and whether they are disrupted by iron loading in NBIA diseased tissue and in an in vivo mouse model. We identified two basal ganglia gene co-expression modules significantly enriched for NBIA genes, which resemble neuronal and oligodendrocytic signatures. These NBIA gene networks are enriched for iron-related genes, and implicate synapse and lipid metabolism related pathways. Our data also indicates that these networks are disrupted by excessive brain iron loading. We identified multiple cell types in the origin of NBIA disorders. We also found unforeseen links between NBIA networks and iron-related processes, and demonstrate convergent pathways connecting NBIAs and phenotypically overlapping diseases. Our results are of further relevance for these diseases by providing candidates for new causative genes and possible points for therapeutic intervention. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Driving the brain towards creativity and intelligence: A network control theory analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kenett, Yoed N; Medaglia, John D; Beaty, Roger E; Chen, Qunlin; Betzel, Richard F; Thompson-Schill, Sharon L; Qiu, Jiang

    2018-01-04

    High-level cognitive constructs, such as creativity and intelligence, entail complex and multiple processes, including cognitive control processes. Recent neurocognitive research on these constructs highlight the importance of dynamic interaction across neural network systems and the role of cognitive control processes in guiding such a dynamic interaction. How can we quantitatively examine the extent and ways in which cognitive control contributes to creativity and intelligence? To address this question, we apply a computational network control theory (NCT) approach to structural brain imaging data acquired via diffusion tensor imaging in a large sample of participants, to examine how NCT relates to individual differences in distinct measures of creative ability and intelligence. Recent application of this theory at the neural level is built on a model of brain dynamics, which mathematically models patterns of inter-region activity propagated along the structure of an underlying network. The strength of this approach is its ability to characterize the potential role of each brain region in regulating whole-brain network function based on its anatomical fingerprint and a simplified model of node dynamics. We find that intelligence is related to the ability to "drive" the brain system into easy to reach neural states by the right inferior parietal lobe and lower integration abilities in the left retrosplenial cortex. We also find that creativity is related to the ability to "drive" the brain system into difficult to reach states by the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (inferior frontal junction) and higher integration abilities in sensorimotor areas. Furthermore, we found that different facets of creativity-fluency, flexibility, and originality-relate to generally similar but not identical network controllability processes. We relate our findings to general theories on intelligence and creativity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Imaging functional and structural brain connectomics in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Miao; Shu, Ni; Cao, Qingjiu; Wang, Yufeng; He, Yong

    2014-12-01

    Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopment disorders in childhood. Clinically, the core symptoms of this disorder include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Previous studies have documented that these behavior deficits in ADHD children are associated with not only regional brain abnormalities but also changes in functional and structural connectivity among regions. In the past several years, our understanding of how ADHD affects the brain's connectivity has been greatly advanced by mapping topological alterations of large-scale brain networks (i.e., connectomes) using noninvasive neurophysiological and neuroimaging techniques (e.g., electroencephalograph, functional MRI, and diffusion MRI) in combination with graph theoretical approaches. In this review, we summarize the recent progresses of functional and structural brain connectomics in ADHD, focusing on graphic analysis of large-scale brain systems. Convergent evidence suggests that children with ADHD had abnormal small-world properties in both functional and structural brain networks characterized by higher local clustering and lower global integrity, suggesting a disorder-related shift of network topology toward regular configurations. Moreover, ADHD children showed the redistribution of regional nodes and connectivity involving the default-mode, attention, and sensorimotor systems. Importantly, these ADHD-associated alterations significantly correlated with behavior disturbances (e.g., inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms) and exhibited differential patterns between clinical subtypes. Together, these connectome-based studies highlight brain network dysfunction in ADHD, thus opening up a new window into our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of this disorder. These works might also have important implications on the development of imaging-based biomarkers for clinical diagnosis and treatment evaluation in ADHD.

  14. Towards a Scalable and Adaptive Application Support Platform for Large-Scale Distributed E-Sciences in High-Performance Network Environments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Chase Qishi [New Jersey Inst. of Technology, Newark, NJ (United States); Univ. of Memphis, TN (United States); Zhu, Michelle Mengxia [Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale, IL (United States)

    2016-06-06

    The advent of large-scale collaborative scientific applications has demonstrated the potential for broad scientific communities to pool globally distributed resources to produce unprecedented data acquisition, movement, and analysis. System resources including supercomputers, data repositories, computing facilities, network infrastructures, storage systems, and display devices have been increasingly deployed at national laboratories and academic institutes. These resources are typically shared by large communities of users over Internet or dedicated networks and hence exhibit an inherent dynamic nature in their availability, accessibility, capacity, and stability. Scientific applications using either experimental facilities or computation-based simulations with various physical, chemical, climatic, and biological models feature diverse scientific workflows as simple as linear pipelines or as complex as a directed acyclic graphs, which must be executed and supported over wide-area networks with massively distributed resources. Application users oftentimes need to manually configure their computing tasks over networks in an ad hoc manner, hence significantly limiting the productivity of scientists and constraining the utilization of resources. The success of these large-scale distributed applications requires a highly adaptive and massively scalable workflow platform that provides automated and optimized computing and networking services. This project is to design and develop a generic Scientific Workflow Automation and Management Platform (SWAMP), which contains a web-based user interface specially tailored for a target application, a set of user libraries, and several easy-to-use computing and networking toolkits for application scientists to conveniently assemble, execute, monitor, and control complex computing workflows in heterogeneous high-performance network environments. SWAMP will enable the automation and management of the entire process of scientific

  15. The ENIGMA Consortium: large-scale collaborative analyses of neuroimaging and genetic data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Paul M; Stein, Jason L; Medland, Sarah E; Hibar, Derrek P; Vasquez, Alejandro Arias; Renteria, Miguel E; Toro, Roberto; Jahanshad, Neda; Schumann, Gunter; Franke, Barbara; Wright, Margaret J; Martin, Nicholas G; Agartz, Ingrid; Alda, Martin; Alhusaini, Saud; Almasy, Laura; Almeida, Jorge; Alpert, Kathryn; Andreasen, Nancy C; Andreassen, Ole A; Apostolova, Liana G; Appel, Katja; Armstrong, Nicola J; Aribisala, Benjamin; Bastin, Mark E; Bauer, Michael; Bearden, Carrie E; Bergmann, Orjan; Binder, Elisabeth B; Blangero, John; Bockholt, Henry J; Bøen, Erlend; Bois, Catherine; Boomsma, Dorret I; Booth, Tom; Bowman, Ian J; Bralten, Janita; Brouwer, Rachel M; Brunner, Han G; Brohawn, David G; Buckner, Randy L; Buitelaar, Jan; Bulayeva, Kazima; Bustillo, Juan R; Calhoun, Vince D; Cannon, Dara M; Cantor, Rita M; Carless, Melanie A; Caseras, Xavier; Cavalleri, Gianpiero L; Chakravarty, M Mallar; Chang, Kiki D; Ching, Christopher R K; Christoforou, Andrea; Cichon, Sven; Clark, Vincent P; Conrod, Patricia; Coppola, Giovanni; Crespo-Facorro, Benedicto; Curran, Joanne E; Czisch, Michael; Deary, Ian J; de Geus, Eco J C; den Braber, Anouk; Delvecchio, Giuseppe; Depondt, Chantal; de Haan, Lieuwe; de Zubicaray, Greig I; Dima, Danai; Dimitrova, Rali; Djurovic, Srdjan; Dong, Hongwei; Donohoe, Gary; Duggirala, Ravindranath; Dyer, Thomas D; Ehrlich, Stefan; Ekman, Carl Johan; Elvsåshagen, Torbjørn; Emsell, Louise; Erk, Susanne; Espeseth, Thomas; Fagerness, Jesen; Fears, Scott; Fedko, Iryna; Fernández, Guillén; Fisher, Simon E; Foroud, Tatiana; Fox, Peter T; Francks, Clyde; Frangou, Sophia; Frey, Eva Maria; Frodl, Thomas; Frouin, Vincent; Garavan, Hugh; Giddaluru, Sudheer; Glahn, David C; Godlewska, Beata; Goldstein, Rita Z; Gollub, Randy L; Grabe, Hans J; Grimm, Oliver; Gruber, Oliver; Guadalupe, Tulio; Gur, Raquel E; Gur, Ruben C; Göring, Harald H H; Hagenaars, Saskia; Hajek, Tomas; Hall, Geoffrey B; Hall, Jeremy; Hardy, John; Hartman, Catharina A; Hass, Johanna; Hatton, Sean N; Haukvik, Unn K; Hegenscheid, Katrin; Heinz, Andreas; Hickie, Ian B; Ho, Beng-Choon; Hoehn, David; Hoekstra, Pieter J; Hollinshead, Marisa; Holmes, Avram J; Homuth, Georg; Hoogman, Martine; Hong, L Elliot; Hosten, Norbert; Hottenga, Jouke-Jan; Hulshoff Pol, Hilleke E; Hwang, Kristy S; Jack, Clifford R; Jenkinson, Mark; Johnston, Caroline; Jönsson, Erik G; Kahn, René S; Kasperaviciute, Dalia; Kelly, Sinead; Kim, Sungeun; Kochunov, Peter; Koenders, Laura; Krämer, Bernd; Kwok, John B J; Lagopoulos, Jim; Laje, Gonzalo; Landen, Mikael; Landman, Bennett A; Lauriello, John; Lawrie, Stephen M; Lee, Phil H; Le Hellard, Stephanie; Lemaître, Herve; Leonardo, Cassandra D; Li, Chiang-Shan; Liberg, Benny; Liewald, David C; Liu, Xinmin; Lopez, Lorna M; Loth, Eva; Lourdusamy, Anbarasu; Luciano, Michelle; Macciardi, Fabio; Machielsen, Marise W J; Macqueen, Glenda M; Malt, Ulrik F; Mandl, René; Manoach, Dara S; Martinot, Jean-Luc; Matarin, Mar; Mather, Karen A; Mattheisen, Manuel; Mattingsdal, Morten; Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas; McDonald, Colm; McIntosh, Andrew M; McMahon, Francis J; McMahon, Katie L; Meisenzahl, Eva; Melle, Ingrid; Milaneschi, Yuri; Mohnke, Sebastian; Montgomery, Grant W; Morris, Derek W; Moses, Eric K; Mueller, Bryon A; Muñoz Maniega, Susana; Mühleisen, Thomas W; Müller-Myhsok, Bertram; Mwangi, Benson; Nauck, Matthias; Nho, Kwangsik; Nichols, Thomas E; Nilsson, Lars-Göran; Nugent, Allison C; Nyberg, Lars; Olvera, Rene L; Oosterlaan, Jaap; Ophoff, Roel A; Pandolfo, Massimo; Papalampropoulou-Tsiridou, Melina; Papmeyer, Martina; Paus, Tomas; Pausova, Zdenka; Pearlson, Godfrey D; Penninx, Brenda W; Peterson, Charles P; Pfennig, Andrea; Phillips, Mary; Pike, G Bruce; Poline, Jean-Baptiste; Potkin, Steven G; Pütz, Benno; Ramasamy, Adaikalavan; Rasmussen, Jerod; Rietschel, Marcella; Rijpkema, Mark; Risacher, Shannon L; Roffman, Joshua L; Roiz-Santiañez, Roberto; Romanczuk-Seiferth, Nina; Rose, Emma J; Royle, Natalie A; Rujescu, Dan; Ryten, Mina; Sachdev, Perminder S; Salami, Alireza; Satterthwaite, Theodore D; Savitz, Jonathan; Saykin, Andrew J; Scanlon, Cathy; Schmaal, Lianne; Schnack, Hugo G; Schork, Andrew J; Schulz, S Charles; Schür, Remmelt; Seidman, Larry; Shen, Li; Shoemaker, Jody M; Simmons, Andrew; Sisodiya, Sanjay M; Smith, Colin; Smoller, Jordan W; Soares, Jair C; Sponheim, Scott R; Sprooten, Emma; Starr, John M; Steen, Vidar M; Strakowski, Stephen; Strike, Lachlan; Sussmann, Jessika; Sämann, Philipp G; Teumer, Alexander; Toga, Arthur W; Tordesillas-Gutierrez, Diana; Trabzuni, Daniah; Trost, Sarah; Turner, Jessica; Van den Heuvel, Martijn; van der Wee, Nic J; van Eijk, Kristel; van Erp, Theo G M; van Haren, Neeltje E M; van 't Ent, Dennis; van Tol, Marie-Jose; Valdés Hernández, Maria C; Veltman, Dick J; Versace, Amelia; Völzke, Henry; Walker, Robert; Walter, Henrik; Wang, Lei; Wardlaw, Joanna M; Weale, Michael E; Weiner, Michael W; Wen, Wei; Westlye, Lars T; Whalley, Heather C; Whelan, Christopher D; White, Tonya; Winkler, Anderson M; Wittfeld, Katharina; Woldehawariat, Girma; Wolf, Christiane; Zilles, David; Zwiers, Marcel P; Thalamuthu, Anbupalam; Schofield, Peter R; Freimer, Nelson B; Lawrence, Natalia S; Drevets, Wayne

    2014-06-01

    The Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium is a collaborative network of researchers working together on a range of large-scale studies that integrate data from 70 institutions worldwide. Organized into Working Groups that tackle questions in neuroscience, genetics, and medicine, ENIGMA studies have analyzed neuroimaging data from over 12,826 subjects. In addition, data from 12,171 individuals were provided by the CHARGE consortium for replication of findings, in a total of 24,997 subjects. By meta-analyzing results from many sites, ENIGMA has detected factors that affect the brain that no individual site could detect on its own, and that require larger numbers of subjects than any individual neuroimaging study has currently collected. ENIGMA's first project was a genome-wide association study identifying common variants in the genome associated with hippocampal volume or intracranial volume. Continuing work is exploring genetic associations with subcortical volumes (ENIGMA2) and white matter microstructure (ENIGMA-DTI). Working groups also focus on understanding how schizophrenia, bipolar illness, major depression and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affect the brain. We review the current progress of the ENIGMA Consortium, along with challenges and unexpected discoveries made on the way.

  16. Brain networks predict metabolism, diagnosis and prognosis at the bedside in disorders of consciousness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chennu, Srivas; Annen, Jitka; Wannez, Sarah; Thibaut, Aurore; Chatelle, Camille; Cassol, Helena; Martens, Géraldine; Schnakers, Caroline; Gosseries, Olivia; Menon, David; Laureys, Steven

    2017-08-01

    Recent advances in functional neuroimaging have demonstrated novel potential for informing diagnosis and prognosis in the unresponsive wakeful syndrome and minimally conscious states. However, these technologies come with considerable expense and difficulty, limiting the possibility of wider clinical application in patients. Here, we show that high density electroencephalography, collected from 104 patients measured at rest, can provide valuable information about brain connectivity that correlates with behaviour and functional neuroimaging. Using graph theory, we visualize and quantify spectral connectivity estimated from electroencephalography as a dense brain network. Our findings demonstrate that key quantitative metrics of these networks correlate with the continuum of behavioural recovery in patients, ranging from those diagnosed as unresponsive, through those who have emerged from minimally conscious, to the fully conscious locked-in syndrome. In particular, a network metric indexing the presence of densely interconnected central hubs of connectivity discriminated behavioural consciousness with accuracy comparable to that achieved by expert assessment with positron emission tomography. We also show that this metric correlates strongly with brain metabolism. Further, with classification analysis, we predict the behavioural diagnosis, brain metabolism and 1-year clinical outcome of individual patients. Finally, we demonstrate that assessments of brain networks show robust connectivity in patients diagnosed as unresponsive by clinical consensus, but later rediagnosed as minimally conscious with the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised. Classification analysis of their brain network identified each of these misdiagnosed patients as minimally conscious, corroborating their behavioural diagnoses. If deployed at the bedside in the clinical context, such network measurements could complement systematic behavioural assessment and help reduce the high misdiagnosis rate reported

  17. Mapping change in large networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin Rosvall

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Change is a fundamental ingredient of interaction patterns in biology, technology, the economy, and science itself: Interactions within and between organisms change; transportation patterns by air, land, and sea all change; the global financial flow changes; and the frontiers of scientific research change. Networks and clustering methods have become important tools to comprehend instances of these large-scale structures, but without methods to distinguish between real trends and noisy data, these approaches are not useful for studying how networks change. Only if we can assign significance to the partitioning of single networks can we distinguish meaningful structural changes from random fluctuations. Here we show that bootstrap resampling accompanied by significance clustering provides a solution to this problem. To connect changing structures with the changing function of networks, we highlight and summarize the significant structural changes with alluvial diagrams and realize de Solla Price's vision of mapping change in science: studying the citation pattern between about 7000 scientific journals over the past decade, we find that neuroscience has transformed from an interdisciplinary specialty to a mature and stand-alone discipline.

  18. A New Path-Constrained Rendezvous Planning Approach for Large-Scale Event-Driven Wireless Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmadreza Vajdi

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available We study the problem of employing a mobile-sink into a large-scale Event-Driven Wireless Sensor Networks (EWSNs for the purpose of data harvesting from sensor-nodes. Generally, this employment improves the main weakness of WSNs that is about energy-consumption in battery-driven sensor-nodes. The main motivation of our work is to address challenges which are related to a network’s topology by adopting a mobile-sink that moves in a predefined trajectory in the environment. Since, in this fashion, it is not possible to gather data from sensor-nodes individually, we adopt the approach of defining some of the sensor-nodes as Rendezvous Points (RPs in the network. We argue that RP-planning in this case is a tradeoff between minimizing the number of RPs while decreasing the number of hops for a sensor-node that needs data transformation to the related RP which leads to minimizing average energy consumption in the network. We address the problem by formulating the challenges and expectations as a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP. Henceforth, by proving the NP-hardness of the problem, we propose three effective and distributed heuristics for RP-planning, identifying sojourn locations, and constructing routing trees. Finally, experimental results prove the effectiveness of our approach.

  19. A New Path-Constrained Rendezvous Planning Approach for Large-Scale Event-Driven Wireless Sensor Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vajdi, Ahmadreza; Zhang, Gongxuan; Zhou, Junlong; Wei, Tongquan; Wang, Yongli; Wang, Tianshu

    2018-05-04

    We study the problem of employing a mobile-sink into a large-scale Event-Driven Wireless Sensor Networks (EWSNs) for the purpose of data harvesting from sensor-nodes. Generally, this employment improves the main weakness of WSNs that is about energy-consumption in battery-driven sensor-nodes. The main motivation of our work is to address challenges which are related to a network’s topology by adopting a mobile-sink that moves in a predefined trajectory in the environment. Since, in this fashion, it is not possible to gather data from sensor-nodes individually, we adopt the approach of defining some of the sensor-nodes as Rendezvous Points (RPs) in the network. We argue that RP-planning in this case is a tradeoff between minimizing the number of RPs while decreasing the number of hops for a sensor-node that needs data transformation to the related RP which leads to minimizing average energy consumption in the network. We address the problem by formulating the challenges and expectations as a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP). Henceforth, by proving the NP-hardness of the problem, we propose three effective and distributed heuristics for RP-planning, identifying sojourn locations, and constructing routing trees. Finally, experimental results prove the effectiveness of our approach.

  20. A New Path-Constrained Rendezvous Planning Approach for Large-Scale Event-Driven Wireless Sensor Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Gongxuan; Wang, Yongli; Wang, Tianshu

    2018-01-01

    We study the problem of employing a mobile-sink into a large-scale Event-Driven Wireless Sensor Networks (EWSNs) for the purpose of data harvesting from sensor-nodes. Generally, this employment improves the main weakness of WSNs that is about energy-consumption in battery-driven sensor-nodes. The main motivation of our work is to address challenges which are related to a network’s topology by adopting a mobile-sink that moves in a predefined trajectory in the environment. Since, in this fashion, it is not possible to gather data from sensor-nodes individually, we adopt the approach of defining some of the sensor-nodes as Rendezvous Points (RPs) in the network. We argue that RP-planning in this case is a tradeoff between minimizing the number of RPs while decreasing the number of hops for a sensor-node that needs data transformation to the related RP which leads to minimizing average energy consumption in the network. We address the problem by formulating the challenges and expectations as a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP). Henceforth, by proving the NP-hardness of the problem, we propose three effective and distributed heuristics for RP-planning, identifying sojourn locations, and constructing routing trees. Finally, experimental results prove the effectiveness of our approach. PMID:29734718

  1. Find_tfSBP: find thermodynamics-feasible and smallest balanced pathways with high yield from large-scale metabolic networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Zixiang; Sun, Jibin; Wu, Qiaqing; Zhu, Dunming

    2017-12-11

    Biologically meaningful metabolic pathways are important references in the design of industrial bacterium. At present, constraint-based method is the only way to model and simulate a genome-scale metabolic network under steady-state criteria. Due to the inadequate assumption of the relationship in gene-enzyme-reaction as one-to-one unique association, computational difficulty or ignoring the yield from substrate to product, previous pathway finding approaches can't be effectively applied to find out the high yield pathways that are mass balanced in stoichiometry. In addition, the shortest pathways may not be the pathways with high yield. At the same time, a pathway, which exists in stoichiometry, may not be feasible in thermodynamics. By using mixed integer programming strategy, we put forward an algorithm to identify all the smallest balanced pathways which convert the source compound to the target compound in large-scale metabolic networks. The resulting pathways by our method can finely satisfy the stoichiometric constraints and non-decomposability condition. Especially, the functions of high yield and thermodynamics feasibility have been considered in our approach. This tool is tailored to direct the metabolic engineering practice to enlarge the metabolic potentials of industrial strains by integrating the extensive metabolic network information built from systems biology dataset.

  2. The development of brain network architecture

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wierenga, Lara M.; van den Heuvel, Martijn P.; van Dijk, Sarai; Rijks, Yvonne; de Reus, Marcel A.; Durston, Sarah

    2016-01-01

    Brain connectivity shows protracted development throughout childhood and adolescence, and, as such, the topology of brain networks changes during this period. The complexity of these changes with development is reflected by regional differences in maturation. This study explored age-related changes

  3. Formal Models of the Network Co-occurrence Underlying Mental Operations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bzdok, Danilo; Varoquaux, Gaël; Grisel, Olivier; Eickenberg, Michael; Poupon, Cyril; Thirion, Bertrand

    2016-06-01

    Systems neuroscience has identified a set of canonical large-scale networks in humans. These have predominantly been characterized by resting-state analyses of the task-unconstrained, mind-wandering brain. Their explicit relationship to defined task performance is largely unknown and remains challenging. The present work contributes a multivariate statistical learning approach that can extract the major brain networks and quantify their configuration during various psychological tasks. The method is validated in two extensive datasets (n = 500 and n = 81) by model-based generation of synthetic activity maps from recombination of shared network topographies. To study a use case, we formally revisited the poorly understood difference between neural activity underlying idling versus goal-directed behavior. We demonstrate that task-specific neural activity patterns can be explained by plausible combinations of resting-state networks. The possibility of decomposing a mental task into the relative contributions of major brain networks, the "network co-occurrence architecture" of a given task, opens an alternative access to the neural substrates of human cognition.

  4. Genome-Scale Reconstruction of the Human Astrocyte Metabolic Network

    OpenAIRE

    Mart?n-Jim?nez, Cynthia A.; Salazar-Barreto, Diego; Barreto, George E.; Gonz?lez, Janneth

    2017-01-01

    Astrocytes are the most abundant cells of the central nervous system; they have a predominant role in maintaining brain metabolism. In this sense, abnormal metabolic states have been found in different neuropathological diseases. Determination of metabolic states of astrocytes is difficult to model using current experimental approaches given the high number of reactions and metabolites present. Thus, genome-scale metabolic networks derived from transcriptomic data can be used as a framework t...

  5. Uncovering the neuroanatomical correlates of cognitive, affective and conative theory of mind in paediatric traumatic brain injury: a neural systems perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryan, Nicholas P; Catroppa, Cathy; Beare, Richard; Silk, Timothy J; Hearps, Stephen J; Beauchamp, Miriam H; Yeates, Keith O; Anderson, Vicki A

    2017-09-01

    Deficits in theory of mind (ToM) are common after neurological insult acquired in the first and second decade of life, however the contribution of large-scale neural networks to ToM deficits in children with brain injury is unclear. Using paediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a model, this study investigated the sub-acute effect of paediatric traumatic brain injury on grey-matter volume of three large-scale, domain-general brain networks (the Default Mode Network, DMN; the Central Executive Network, CEN; and the Salience Network, SN), as well as two domain-specific neural networks implicated in social-affective processes (the Cerebro-Cerebellar Mentalizing Network, CCMN and the Mirror Neuron/Empathy Network, MNEN). We also evaluated prospective structure-function relationships between these large-scale neural networks and cognitive, affective and conative ToM. 3D T1- weighted magnetic resonance imaging sequences were acquired sub-acutely in 137 children [TBI: n = 103; typically developing (TD) children: n = 34]. All children were assessed on measures of ToM at 24-months post-injury. Children with severe TBI showed sub-acute volumetric reductions in the CCMN, SN, MNEN, CEN and DMN, as well as reduced grey-matter volumes of several hub regions of these neural networks. Volumetric reductions in the CCMN and several of its hub regions, including the cerebellum, predicted poorer cognitive ToM. In contrast, poorer affective and conative ToM were predicted by volumetric reductions in the SN and MNEN, respectively. Overall, results suggest that cognitive, affective and conative ToM may be prospectively predicted by individual differences in structure of different neural systems-the CCMN, SN and MNEN, respectively. The prospective relationship between cerebellar volume and cognitive ToM outcomes is a novel finding in our paediatric brain injury sample and suggests that the cerebellum may play a role in the neural networks important for ToM. These findings are

  6. Study of pattern formation in multilayer adaptive network of phase oscillators in application to brain dynamics analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirsanov, Daniil V.; Nedaivozov, Vladimir O.; Makarov, Vladimir V.; Goremyko, Mikhail V.; Hramov, Alexander E.

    2017-04-01

    In the report we study the mechanisms of phase synchronization in the model of adaptive network of Kuramoto phase oscillators and discuss the possibility of the further application of the obtained results for the analysis of the neural network of brain. In our theoretical study the model network represents itself as the multilayer structure, in which the links between the elements belonging to the different layers are arranged according to the competitive rule. In order to analyze the dynamical states of the multilayer network we calculate and compare the values of local and global order parameter, which describe the degree of coherence between the neighboring nodes and the elements over whole network, respectively. We find that the global synchronous dynamics takes place for the large values of the coupling strength and are characterized by the identical topology of the interacting layers and a homogeneous distribution of the link strength within each layer. We also show that the partial (or cluster) synchronization, occurs for the small values of the coupling strength, lead to the emergence of the scale-free topology, within the layers.

  7. Integrating large-scale functional genomics data to dissect metabolic networks for hydrogen production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harwood, Caroline S

    2012-12-17

    The goal of this project is to identify gene networks that are critical for efficient biohydrogen production by leveraging variation in gene content and gene expression in independently isolated Rhodopseudomonas palustris strains. Coexpression methods were applied to large data sets that we have collected to define probabilistic causal gene networks. To our knowledge this a first systems level approach that takes advantage of strain-to strain variability to computationally define networks critical for a particular bacterial phenotypic trait.

  8. Multi-Scale Factor Analysis of High-Dimensional Brain Signals

    KAUST Repository

    Ting, Chee-Ming; Ombao, Hernando; Salleh, Sh-Hussain

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, we develop an approach to modeling high-dimensional networks with a large number of nodes arranged in a hierarchical and modular structure. We propose a novel multi-scale factor analysis (MSFA) model which partitions the massive

  9. Properties of large-scale methane/hydrogen jet fires

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Studer, E. [CEA Saclay, DEN, LTMF Heat Transfer and Fluid Mech Lab, 91 - Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Jamois, D.; Leroy, G.; Hebrard, J. [INERIS, F-60150 Verneuil En Halatte (France); Jallais, S. [Air Liquide, F-78350 Jouy En Josas (France); Blanchetiere, V. [GDF SUEZ, 93 - La Plaine St Denis (France)

    2009-12-15

    A future economy based on reduction of carbon-based fuels for power generation and transportation may consider hydrogen as possible energy carrier Extensive and widespread use of hydrogen might require a pipeline network. The alternatives might be the use of the existing natural gas network or to design a dedicated network. Whatever the solution, mixing hydrogen with natural gas will modify the consequences of accidents, substantially The French National Research Agency (ANR) funded project called HYDROMEL focuses on these critical questions Within this project large-scale jet fires have been studied experimentally and numerically The main characteristics of these flames including visible length, radiation fluxes and blowout have been assessed. (authors)

  10. Small-world human brain networks: Perspectives and challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, Xuhong; Vasilakos, Athanasios V; He, Yong

    2017-06-01

    Modelling the human brain as a complex network has provided a powerful mathematical framework to characterize the structural and functional architectures of the brain. In the past decade, the combination of non-invasive neuroimaging techniques and graph theoretical approaches enable us to map human structural and functional connectivity patterns (i.e., connectome) at the macroscopic level. One of the most influential findings is that human brain networks exhibit prominent small-world organization. Such a network architecture in the human brain facilitates efficient information segregation and integration at low wiring and energy costs, which presumably results from natural selection under the pressure of a cost-efficiency balance. Moreover, the small-world organization undergoes continuous changes during normal development and ageing and exhibits dramatic alterations in neurological and psychiatric disorders. In this review, we survey recent advances regarding the small-world architecture in human brain networks and highlight the potential implications and applications in multidisciplinary fields, including cognitive neuroscience, medicine and engineering. Finally, we highlight several challenging issues and areas for future research in this rapidly growing field. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. White matter integrity in brain networks relevant to anxiety and depression: evidence from the human connectome project dataset.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Witte, Nele A J; Mueller, Sven C

    2017-12-01

    Anxiety and depression are associated with altered communication within global brain networks and between these networks and the amygdala. Functional connectivity studies demonstrate an effect of anxiety and depression on four critical brain networks involved in top-down attentional control (fronto-parietal network; FPN), salience detection and error monitoring (cingulo-opercular network; CON), bottom-up stimulus-driven attention (ventral attention network; VAN), and default mode (default mode network; DMN). However, structural evidence on the white matter (WM) connections within these networks and between these networks and the amygdala is lacking. The current study in a large healthy sample (n = 483) observed that higher trait anxiety-depression predicted lower WM integrity in the connections between amygdala and specific regions of the FPN, CON, VAN, and DMN. We discuss the possible consequences of these anatomical alterations for cognitive-affective functioning and underscore the need for further theory-driven research on individual differences in anxiety and depression on brain structure.

  12. Dysfunctional whole brain networks in mild cognitive impairment patients: an fMRI study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zhenyu; Bai, Lijun; Dai, Ruwei; Zhong, Chongguang; Xue, Ting; You, Youbo; Tian, Jie

    2012-03-01

    Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) was recognized as the prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent researches have shown that cognitive and memory decline in AD patients is coupled with losses of small-world attributes. However, few studies pay attention to the characteristics of the whole brain networks in MCI patients. In the present study, we investigated the topological properties of the whole brain networks utilizing graph theoretical approaches in 16 MCI patients, compared with 18 age-matched healthy subjects as a control. Both MCI patients and normal controls showed small-world architectures, with large clustering coefficients and short characteristic path lengths. We detected significantly longer characteristic path length in MCI patients compared with normal controls at the low sparsity. The longer characteristic path lengths in MCI indicated disrupted information processing among distant brain regions. Compared with normal controls, MCI patients showed decreased nodal centrality in the brain areas of the angular gyrus, heschl gyrus, hippocampus and superior parietal gyrus, while increased nodal centrality in the calcarine, inferior occipital gyrus and superior frontal gyrus. These changes in nodal centrality suggested a widespread rewiring in MCI patients, which may be an integrated reflection of reorganization of the brain networks accompanied with the cognitive decline. Our findings may be helpful for further understanding the pathological mechanisms of MCI.

  13. Spatial fingerprints of community structure in human interaction network for an extensive set of large-scale regions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zsófia Kallus

    Full Text Available Human interaction networks inferred from country-wide telephone activity recordings were recently used to redraw political maps by projecting their topological partitions into geographical space. The results showed remarkable spatial cohesiveness of the network communities and a significant overlap between the redrawn and the administrative borders. Here we present a similar analysis based on one of the most popular online social networks represented by the ties between more than 5.8 million of its geo-located users. The worldwide coverage of their measured activity allowed us to analyze the large-scale regional subgraphs of entire continents and an extensive set of examples for single countries. We present results for North and South America, Europe and Asia. In our analysis we used the well-established method of modularity clustering after an aggregation of the individual links into a weighted graph connecting equal-area geographical pixels. Our results show fingerprints of both of the opposing forces of dividing local conflicts and of uniting cross-cultural trends of globalization.

  14. Large-scale automated image analysis for computational profiling of brain tissue surrounding implanted neuroprosthetic devices using Python.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rey-Villamizar, Nicolas; Somasundar, Vinay; Megjhani, Murad; Xu, Yan; Lu, Yanbin; Padmanabhan, Raghav; Trett, Kristen; Shain, William; Roysam, Badri

    2014-01-01

    In this article, we describe the use of Python for large-scale automated server-based bio-image analysis in FARSIGHT, a free and open-source toolkit of image analysis methods for quantitative studies of complex and dynamic tissue microenvironments imaged by modern optical microscopes, including confocal, multi-spectral, multi-photon, and time-lapse systems. The core FARSIGHT modules for image segmentation, feature extraction, tracking, and machine learning are written in C++, leveraging widely used libraries including ITK, VTK, Boost, and Qt. For solving complex image analysis tasks, these modules must be combined into scripts using Python. As a concrete example, we consider the problem of analyzing 3-D multi-spectral images of brain tissue surrounding implanted neuroprosthetic devices, acquired using high-throughput multi-spectral spinning disk step-and-repeat confocal microscopy. The resulting images typically contain 5 fluorescent channels. Each channel consists of 6000 × 10,000 × 500 voxels with 16 bits/voxel, implying image sizes exceeding 250 GB. These images must be mosaicked, pre-processed to overcome imaging artifacts, and segmented to enable cellular-scale feature extraction. The features are used to identify cell types, and perform large-scale analysis for identifying spatial distributions of specific cell types relative to the device. Python was used to build a server-based script (Dell 910 PowerEdge servers with 4 sockets/server with 10 cores each, 2 threads per core and 1TB of RAM running on Red Hat Enterprise Linux linked to a RAID 5 SAN) capable of routinely handling image datasets at this scale and performing all these processing steps in a collaborative multi-user multi-platform environment. Our Python script enables efficient data storage and movement between computers and storage servers, logs all the processing steps, and performs full multi-threaded execution of all codes, including open and closed-source third party libraries.

  15. Large-scale automated image analysis for computational profiling of brain tissue surrounding implanted neuroprosthetic devices using Python

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicolas eRey-Villamizar

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available In this article, we describe use of Python for large-scale automated server-based bio-image analysis in FARSIGHT, a free and open-source toolkit of image analysis methods for quantitative studies of complex and dynamic tissue microenvironments imaged by modern optical microscopes including confocal, multi-spectral, multi-photon, and time-lapse systems. The core FARSIGHT modules for image segmentation, feature extraction, tracking, and machine learning are written in C++, leveraging widely used libraries including ITK, VTK, Boost, and Qt. For solving complex image analysis task, these modules must be combined into scripts using Python. As a concrete example, we consider the problem of analyzing 3-D multi-spectral brain tissue images surrounding implanted neuroprosthetic devices, acquired using high-throughput multi-spectral spinning disk step-and-repeat confocal microscopy. The resulting images typically contain 5 fluorescent channels, 6,000$times$10,000$times$500 voxels with 16 bits/voxel, implying image sizes exceeding 250GB. These images must be mosaicked, pre-processed to overcome imaging artifacts, and segmented to enable cellular-scale feature extraction. The features are used to identify cell types, and perform large-scale analytics for identifying spatial distributions of specific cell types relative to the device. Python was used to build a server-based script (Dell 910 PowerEdge servers with 4 sockets/server with 10 cores each, 2 threads per core and 1TB of RAM running on Red Hat Enterprise Linux linked to a RAID 5 SAN capable of routinely handling image datasets at this scale and performing all these processing steps in a collaborative multi-user multi-platform environment consisting. Our Python script enables efficient data storage and movement between compute and storage servers, logging all processing steps, and performs full multi-threaded execution of all codes, including open and closed-source third party libraries.

  16. Rogue AP Detection in the Wireless LAN for Large Scale Deployment

    OpenAIRE

    Sang-Eon Kim; Byung-Soo Chang; Sang Hong Lee; Dae Young Kim

    2006-01-01

    The wireless LAN standard, also known as WiFi, has begun to use commercial purposes. This paper describes access network architecture of wireless LAN for large scale deployment to provide public service. A metro Ethernet and digital subscriber line access network can be used for wireless LAN with access point. In this network architecture, access point plays interface between wireless node and network infrastructure. It is important to maintain access point without any failure and problems to...

  17. Spatial-temporal-spectral EEG patterns of BOLD functional network connectivity dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamoš, Martin; Mareček, Radek; Slavíček, Tomáš; Mikl, Michal; Rektor, Ivan; Jan, Jiří

    2018-06-01

    Objective. Growing interest in the examination of large-scale brain network functional connectivity dynamics is accompanied by an effort to find the electrophysiological correlates. The commonly used constraints applied to spatial and spectral domains during electroencephalogram (EEG) data analysis may leave part of the neural activity unrecognized. We propose an approach that blindly reveals multimodal EEG spectral patterns that are related to the dynamics of the BOLD functional network connectivity. Approach. The blind decomposition of EEG spectrogram by parallel factor analysis has been shown to be a useful technique for uncovering patterns of neural activity. The simultaneously acquired BOLD fMRI data were decomposed by independent component analysis. Dynamic functional connectivity was computed on the component’s time series using a sliding window correlation, and between-network connectivity states were then defined based on the values of the correlation coefficients. ANOVA tests were performed to assess the relationships between the dynamics of between-network connectivity states and the fluctuations of EEG spectral patterns. Main results. We found three patterns related to the dynamics of between-network connectivity states. The first pattern has dominant peaks in the alpha, beta, and gamma bands and is related to the dynamics between the auditory, sensorimotor, and attentional networks. The second pattern, with dominant peaks in the theta and low alpha bands, is related to the visual and default mode network. The third pattern, also with peaks in the theta and low alpha bands, is related to the auditory and frontal network. Significance. Our previous findings revealed a relationship between EEG spectral pattern fluctuations and the hemodynamics of large-scale brain networks. In this study, we suggest that the relationship also exists at the level of functional connectivity dynamics among large-scale brain networks when no standard spatial and spectral

  18. Attentional Performance is Correlated with the Local Regional Efficiency of Intrinsic Brain Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junhai eXu

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Attention is a crucial brain function for human beings. Using neuropsychological paradigms and task-based functional brain imaging, previous studies have indicated that widely distributed brain regions are engaged in three distinct attention subsystems: alerting, orienting and executive control (EC. Here, we explored the potential contribution of spontaneous brain activity to attention by examining whether resting-state activity could account for individual differences of the attentional performance in normal individuals. The resting-state functional images and behavioral data from attention network test (ANT task were collected in 59 healthy subjects. Graph analysis was conducted to obtain the characteristics of functional brain networks and linear regression analyses were used to explore their relationships with behavioral performances of the three attentional components. We found that there was no significant relationship between the attentional performance and the global measures, while the attentional performance was associated with specific local regional efficiency. These regions related to the scores of alerting, orienting and EC largely overlapped with the regions activated in previous task-related functional imaging studies, and were consistent with the intrinsic dorsal and ventral attention networks (DAN/VAN. In addition, the strong associations between the attentional performance and specific regional efficiency suggested that there was a possible relationship between the DAN/VAN and task performances in the ANT. We concluded that the intrinsic activity of the human brain could reflect the processing efficiency of the attention system. Our findings revealed a robust evidence for the functional significance of the efficiently organized intrinsic brain network for highly productive cognitions and the hypothesized role of the DAN/ VAN at rest.

  19. MapReduce Based Parallel Neural Networks in Enabling Large Scale Machine Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yang; Yang, Jie; Huang, Yuan; Xu, Lixiong; Li, Siguang; Qi, Man

    2015-01-01

    Artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been widely used in pattern recognition and classification applications. However, ANNs are notably slow in computation especially when the size of data is large. Nowadays, big data has received a momentum from both industry and academia. To fulfill the potentials of ANNs for big data applications, the computation process must be speeded up. For this purpose, this paper parallelizes neural networks based on MapReduce, which has become a major computing model to facilitate data intensive applications. Three data intensive scenarios are considered in the parallelization process in terms of the volume of classification data, the size of the training data, and the number of neurons in the neural network. The performance of the parallelized neural networks is evaluated in an experimental MapReduce computer cluster from the aspects of accuracy in classification and efficiency in computation.

  20. Puzzles of large scale structure and gravitation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sidharth, B.G.

    2006-01-01

    We consider the puzzle of cosmic voids bounded by two-dimensional structures of galactic clusters as also a puzzle pointed out by Weinberg: How can the mass of a typical elementary particle depend on a cosmic parameter like the Hubble constant? An answer to the first puzzle is proposed in terms of 'Scaled' Quantum Mechanical like behaviour which appears at large scales. The second puzzle can be answered by showing that the gravitational mass of an elementary particle has a Machian character (see Ahmed N. Cantorian small worked, Mach's principle and the universal mass network. Chaos, Solitons and Fractals 2004;21(4))

  1. Evolution of a large online social network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu Haibo; Wang Xiaofan

    2009-01-01

    Although recently there are extensive research on the collaborative networks and online communities, there is very limited knowledge about the actual evolution of the online social networks (OSN). In the Letter, we study the structural evolution of a large online virtual community. We find that the scale growth of the OSN shows non-trivial S shape which may provide a proper exemplification for Bass diffusion model. We reveal that the evolutions of many network properties, such as density, clustering, heterogeneity and modularity, show non-monotone feature, and shrink phenomenon occurs for the path length and diameter of the network. Furthermore, the OSN underwent a transition from degree assortativity characteristic of collaborative networks to degree disassortativity characteristic of many OSNs. Our study has revealed the evolutionary pattern of interpersonal interactions in a specific population and provided a valuable platform for theoretical modeling and further analysis

  2. Scaling Properties of Dimensionality Reduction for Neural Populations and Network Models.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryan C Williamson

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Recent studies have applied dimensionality reduction methods to understand how the multi-dimensional structure of neural population activity gives rise to brain function. It is unclear, however, how the results obtained from dimensionality reduction generalize to recordings with larger numbers of neurons and trials or how these results relate to the underlying network structure. We address these questions by applying factor analysis to recordings in the visual cortex of non-human primates and to spiking network models that self-generate irregular activity through a balance of excitation and inhibition. We compared the scaling trends of two key outputs of dimensionality reduction-shared dimensionality and percent shared variance-with neuron and trial count. We found that the scaling properties of networks with non-clustered and clustered connectivity differed, and that the in vivo recordings were more consistent with the clustered network. Furthermore, recordings from tens of neurons were sufficient to identify the dominant modes of shared variability that generalize to larger portions of the network. These findings can help guide the interpretation of dimensionality reduction outputs in regimes of limited neuron and trial sampling and help relate these outputs to the underlying network structure.

  3. Memory Transmission in Small Groups and Large Networks: An Agent-Based Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luhmann, Christian C; Rajaram, Suparna

    2015-12-01

    The spread of social influence in large social networks has long been an interest of social scientists. In the domain of memory, collaborative memory experiments have illuminated cognitive mechanisms that allow information to be transmitted between interacting individuals, but these experiments have focused on small-scale social contexts. In the current study, we took a computational approach, circumventing the practical constraints of laboratory paradigms and providing novel results at scales unreachable by laboratory methodologies. Our model embodied theoretical knowledge derived from small-group experiments and replicated foundational results regarding collaborative inhibition and memory convergence in small groups. Ultimately, we investigated large-scale, realistic social networks and found that agents are influenced by the agents with which they interact, but we also found that agents are influenced by nonneighbors (i.e., the neighbors of their neighbors). The similarity between these results and the reports of behavioral transmission in large networks offers a major theoretical insight by linking behavioral transmission to the spread of information. © The Author(s) 2015.

  4. Complex network analysis of resting-state fMRI of the brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anwar, Abdul Rauf; Hashmy, Muhammad Yousaf; Imran, Bilal; Riaz, Muhammad Hussnain; Mehdi, Sabtain Muhammad Muntazir; Muthalib, Makii; Perrey, Stephane; Deuschl, Gunther; Groppa, Sergiu; Muthuraman, Muthuraman

    2016-08-01

    Due to the fact that the brain activity hardly ever diminishes in healthy individuals, analysis of resting state functionality of the brain seems pertinent. Various resting state networks are active inside the idle brain at any time. Based on various neuro-imaging studies, it is understood that various structurally distant regions of the brain could be functionally connected. Regions of the brain, that are functionally connected, during rest constitutes to the resting state network. In the present study, we employed the complex network measures to estimate the presence of community structures within a network. Such estimate is named as modularity. Instead of using a traditional correlation matrix, we used a coherence matrix taken from the causality measure between different nodes. Our results show that in prolonged resting state the modularity starts to decrease. This decrease was observed in all the resting state networks and on both sides of the brain. Our study highlights the usage of coherence matrix instead of correlation matrix for complex network analysis.

  5. The brain as a "hyper-network": the key role of neural networks as main producers of the integrated brain actions especially via the "broadcasted" neuroconnectomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agnati, Luigi F; Marcoli, Manuela; Maura, Guido; Woods, Amina; Guidolin, Diego

    2018-06-01

    Investigations of brain complex integrative actions should consider beside neural networks, glial, extracellular molecular, and fluid channels networks. The present paper proposes that all these networks are assembled into the brain hyper-network that has as fundamental components, the tetra-partite synapses, formed by neural, glial, and extracellular molecular networks. Furthermore, peri-synaptic astrocytic processes by modulating the perviousness of extracellular fluid channels control the signals impinging on the tetra-partite synapses. It has also been surmised that global signalling via astrocytes networks and highly pervasive signals, such as electromagnetic fields (EMFs), allow the appropriate integration of the various networks especially at crucial nodes level, the tetra-partite synapses. As a matter of fact, it has been shown that astrocytes can form gap-junction-coupled syncytia allowing intercellular communication characterised by a rapid and possibly long-distance transfer of signals. As far as the EMFs are concerned, the concept of broadcasted neuroconnectomics (BNC) has been introduced to describe highly pervasive signals involved in resetting the information handling of brain networks at various miniaturisation levels. In other words, BNC creates, thanks to the EMFs, generated especially by neurons, different assemblages among the various networks forming the brain hyper-network. Thus, it is surmised that neuronal networks are the "core components" of the brain hyper-network that has as special "nodes" the multi-facet tetra-partite synapses. Furthermore, it is suggested that investigations on the functional plasticity of multi-partite synapses in response to BNC can be the background for a new understanding and perhaps a new modelling of brain morpho-functional organisation and integrative actions.

  6. Brain Connectivity Networks and the Aesthetic Experience of Music.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reybrouck, Mark; Vuust, Peter; Brattico, Elvira

    2018-06-12

    Listening to music is above all a human experience, which becomes an aesthetic experience when an individual immerses himself/herself in the music, dedicating attention to perceptual-cognitive-affective interpretation and evaluation. The study of these processes where the individual perceives, understands, enjoys and evaluates a set of auditory stimuli has mainly been focused on the effect of music on specific brain structures, as measured with neurophysiology and neuroimaging techniques. The very recent application of network science algorithms to brain research allows an insight into the functional connectivity between brain regions. These studies in network neuroscience have identified distinct circuits that function during goal-directed tasks and resting states. We review recent neuroimaging findings which indicate that music listening is traceable in terms of network connectivity and activations of target regions in the brain, in particular between the auditory cortex, the reward brain system and brain regions active during mind wandering.

  7. Dynamics of Disagreement: Large-Scale Temporal Network Analysis Reveals Negative Interactions in Online Collaboration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsvetkova, Milena; García-Gavilanes, Ruth; Yasseri, Taha

    2016-11-01

    Disagreement and conflict are a fact of social life. However, negative interactions are rarely explicitly declared and recorded and this makes them hard for scientists to study. In an attempt to understand the structural and temporal features of negative interactions in the community, we use complex network methods to analyze patterns in the timing and configuration of reverts of article edits to Wikipedia. We investigate how often and how fast pairs of reverts occur compared to a null model in order to control for patterns that are natural to the content production or are due to the internal rules of Wikipedia. Our results suggest that Wikipedia editors systematically revert the same person, revert back their reverter, and come to defend a reverted editor. We further relate these interactions to the status of the involved editors. Even though the individual reverts might not necessarily be negative social interactions, our analysis points to the existence of certain patterns of negative social dynamics within the community of editors. Some of these patterns have not been previously explored and carry implications for the knowledge collection practice conducted on Wikipedia. Our method can be applied to other large-scale temporal collaboration networks to identify the existence of negative social interactions and other social processes.

  8. Cognitive benefit and cost of acute stress is differentially modulated by individual brain state

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hermans, Erno J.; Fernández, Guillén

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Acute stress is associated with beneficial as well as detrimental effects on cognition in different individuals. However, it is not yet known how stress can have such opposing effects. Stroop-like tasks typically show this dissociation: stress diminishes speed, but improves accuracy. We investigated accuracy and speed during a stroop-like task of 120 healthy male subjects after an experimental stress induction or control condition in a randomized, counter-balanced cross-over design; we assessed brain–behavior associations and determined the influence of individual brain connectivity patterns on these associations, which may moderate the effect and help identify stress resilience factors. In the mean, stress was associated to increase in accuracy, but decrease in speed. Accuracy was associated to brain activation in a distributed set of brain regions overlapping with the executive control network (ECN) and speed to temporo-parietal activation. In line with a stress-related large-scale network reconfiguration, individuals showing an upregulation of the salience and down-regulation of the executive-control network under stress displayed increased speed, but decreased performance. In contrast, individuals who upregulate their ECN under stress show improved performance. Our results indicate that the individual large-scale brain network balance under acute stress moderates cognitive consequences of threat. PMID:28402480

  9. A Matrix-Based Proactive Data Relay Algorithm for Large Distributed Sensor Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Yang; Hu, Xuemei; Hu, Haixiao; Liu, Ming

    2016-08-16

    In large-scale distributed sensor networks, sensed data is required to be relayed around the network so that one or few sensors can gather adequate relative data to produce high quality information for decision-making. In regards to very high energy-constraint sensor nodes, data transmission should be extremely economical. However, traditional data delivery protocols are potentially inefficient relaying unpredictable sensor readings for data fusion in large distributed networks for either overwhelming query transmissions or unnecessary data coverage. By building sensors' local model from their previously transmitted data in three matrixes, we have developed a novel energy-saving data relay algorithm, which allows sensors to proactively make broadcast decisions by using a neat matrix computation to provide balance between transmission and energy-saving. In addition, we designed a heuristic maintenance algorithm to efficiently update these three matrices. This can easily be deployed to large-scale mobile networks in which decisions of sensors are based on their local matrix models no matter how large the network is, and the local models of these sensors are updated constantly. Compared with some traditional approaches based on our simulations, the efficiency of this approach is manifested in uncertain environment. The results show that our approach is scalable and can effectively balance aggregating data with minimizing energy consumption.

  10. MapReduce Based Parallel Neural Networks in Enabling Large Scale Machine Learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Liu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Artificial neural networks (ANNs have been widely used in pattern recognition and classification applications. However, ANNs are notably slow in computation especially when the size of data is large. Nowadays, big data has received a momentum from both industry and academia. To fulfill the potentials of ANNs for big data applications, the computation process must be speeded up. For this purpose, this paper parallelizes neural networks based on MapReduce, which has become a major computing model to facilitate data intensive applications. Three data intensive scenarios are considered in the parallelization process in terms of the volume of classification data, the size of the training data, and the number of neurons in the neural network. The performance of the parallelized neural networks is evaluated in an experimental MapReduce computer cluster from the aspects of accuracy in classification and efficiency in computation.

  11. Natural language acquisition in large scale neural semantic networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ealey, Douglas

    This thesis puts forward the view that a purely signal- based approach to natural language processing is both plausible and desirable. By questioning the veracity of symbolic representations of meaning, it argues for a unified, non-symbolic model of knowledge representation that is both biologically plausible and, potentially, highly efficient. Processes to generate a grounded, neural form of this model-dubbed the semantic filter-are discussed. The combined effects of local neural organisation, coincident with perceptual maturation, are used to hypothesise its nature. This theoretical model is then validated in light of a number of fundamental neurological constraints and milestones. The mechanisms of semantic and episodic development that the model predicts are then used to explain linguistic properties, such as propositions and verbs, syntax and scripting. To mimic the growth of locally densely connected structures upon an unbounded neural substrate, a system is developed that can grow arbitrarily large, data- dependant structures composed of individual self- organising neural networks. The maturational nature of the data used results in a structure in which the perception of concepts is refined by the networks, but demarcated by subsequent structure. As a consequence, the overall structure shows significant memory and computational benefits, as predicted by the cognitive and neural models. Furthermore, the localised nature of the neural architecture also avoids the increasing error sensitivity and redundancy of traditional systems as the training domain grows. The semantic and episodic filters have been demonstrated to perform as well, or better, than more specialist networks, whilst using significantly larger vocabularies, more complex sentence forms and more natural corpora.

  12. Brain and Social Networks: Fundamental Building Blocks of Human Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falk, Emily B; Bassett, Danielle S

    2017-09-01

    How do brains shape social networks, and how do social ties shape the brain? Social networks are complex webs by which ideas spread among people. Brains comprise webs by which information is processed and transmitted among neural units. While brain activity and structure offer biological mechanisms for human behaviors, social networks offer external inducers or modulators of those behaviors. Together, these two axes represent fundamental contributors to human experience. Integrating foundational knowledge from social and developmental psychology and sociology on how individuals function within dyads, groups, and societies with recent advances in network neuroscience can offer new insights into both domains. Here, we use the example of how ideas and behaviors spread to illustrate the potential of multilayer network models. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Functional connectivity within and between intrinsic brain networks correlates with trait mind wandering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godwin, Christine A; Hunter, Michael A; Bezdek, Matthew A; Lieberman, Gregory; Elkin-Frankston, Seth; Romero, Victoria L; Witkiewitz, Katie; Clark, Vincent P; Schumacher, Eric H

    2017-08-01

    Individual differences across a variety of cognitive processes are functionally associated with individual differences in intrinsic networks such as the default mode network (DMN). The extent to which these networks correlate or anticorrelate has been associated with performance in a variety of circumstances. Despite the established role of the DMN in mind wandering processes, little research has investigated how large-scale brain networks at rest relate to mind wandering tendencies outside the laboratory. Here we examine the extent to which the DMN, along with the dorsal attention network (DAN) and frontoparietal control network (FPCN) correlate with the tendency to mind wander in daily life. Participants completed the Mind Wandering Questionnaire and a 5-min resting state fMRI scan. In addition, participants completed measures of executive function, fluid intelligence, and creativity. We observed significant positive correlations between trait mind wandering and 1) increased DMN connectivity at rest and 2) increased connectivity between the DMN and FPCN at rest. Lastly, we found significant positive correlations between trait mind wandering and fluid intelligence (Ravens) and creativity (Remote Associates Task). We interpret these findings within the context of current theories of mind wandering and executive function and discuss the possibility that certain instances of mind wandering may not be inherently harmful. Due to the controversial nature of global signal regression (GSReg) in functional connectivity analyses, we performed our analyses with and without GSReg and contrast the results from each set of analyses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Stability and Control of Large-Scale Dynamical Systems A Vector Dissipative Systems Approach

    CERN Document Server

    Haddad, Wassim M

    2011-01-01

    Modern complex large-scale dynamical systems exist in virtually every aspect of science and engineering, and are associated with a wide variety of physical, technological, environmental, and social phenomena, including aerospace, power, communications, and network systems, to name just a few. This book develops a general stability analysis and control design framework for nonlinear large-scale interconnected dynamical systems, and presents the most complete treatment on vector Lyapunov function methods, vector dissipativity theory, and decentralized control architectures. Large-scale dynami

  15. EEG classification of emotions using emotion-specific brain functional network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonuguntla, V; Shafiq, G; Wang, Y; Veluvolu, K C

    2015-08-01

    The brain functional network perspective forms the basis to relate mechanisms of brain functions. This work analyzes the network mechanisms related to human emotion based on synchronization measure - phase-locking value in EEG to formulate the emotion specific brain functional network. Based on network dissimilarities between emotion and rest tasks, most reactive channel pairs and the reactive band corresponding to emotions are identified. With the identified most reactive pairs, the subject-specific functional network is formed. The identified subject-specific and emotion-specific dynamic network pattern show significant synchrony variation in line with the experiment protocol. The same network pattern are then employed for classification of emotions. With the study conducted on the 4 subjects, an average classification accuracy of 62 % was obtained with the proposed technique.

  16. Scholastic performance and functional connectivity of brain networks in children.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Chaddock-Heyman

    Full Text Available One of the keys to understanding scholastic success is to determine the neural processes involved in school performance. The present study is the first to use a whole-brain connectivity approach to explore whether functional connectivity of resting state brain networks is associated with scholastic performance in seventy-four 7- to 9-year-old children. We demonstrate that children with higher scholastic performance across reading, math and language have more integrated and interconnected resting state networks, specifically the default mode network, salience network, and frontoparietal network. To add specificity, core regions of the dorsal attention and visual networks did not relate to scholastic performance. The results extend the cognitive role of brain networks in children as well as suggest the importance of network connectivity in scholastic success.

  17. An ANOVA approach for statistical comparisons of brain networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fraiman, Daniel; Fraiman, Ricardo

    2018-03-16

    The study of brain networks has developed extensively over the last couple of decades. By contrast, techniques for the statistical analysis of these networks are less developed. In this paper, we focus on the statistical comparison of brain networks in a nonparametric framework and discuss the associated detection and identification problems. We tested network differences between groups with an analysis of variance (ANOVA) test we developed specifically for networks. We also propose and analyse the behaviour of a new statistical procedure designed to identify different subnetworks. As an example, we show the application of this tool in resting-state fMRI data obtained from the Human Connectome Project. We identify, among other variables, that the amount of sleep the days before the scan is a relevant variable that must be controlled. Finally, we discuss the potential bias in neuroimaging findings that is generated by some behavioural and brain structure variables. Our method can also be applied to other kind of networks such as protein interaction networks, gene networks or social networks.

  18. Large-Scale Demand Driven Design of a Customized Bus Network: A Methodological Framework and Beijing Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jihui Ma

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, an innovative public transportation (PT mode known as the customized bus (CB has been proposed and implemented in many cities in China to efficiently and effectively shift private car users to PT to alleviate traffic congestion and traffic-related environmental pollution. The route network design activity plays an important role in the CB operation planning process because it serves as the basis for other operation planning activities, for example, timetable development, vehicle scheduling, and crew scheduling. In this paper, according to the demand characteristics and operational purpose, a methodological framework that includes the elements of large-scale travel demand data processing and analysis, hierarchical clustering-based route origin-destination (OD region division, route OD region pairing, and a route selection model is proposed for CB network design. Considering the operating cost and social benefits, a route selection model is proposed and a branch-and-bound-based solution method is developed. In addition, a computer-aided program is developed to analyze a real-world Beijing CB route network design problem. The results of the case study demonstrate that the current CB network of Beijing can be significantly improved, thus demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

  19. Impact of real-time fMRI working memory feedback training on the interactions between three core brain networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qiushi; Zhang, Gaoyan; Yao, Li; Zhao, Xiaojie

    2015-01-01

    Working memory (WM) refers to the temporary holding and manipulation of information during the performance of a range of cognitive tasks, and WM training is a promising method for improving an individual's cognitive functions. Our previous work demonstrated that WM performance can be improved through self-regulation of dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation using real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI), which enables individuals to control local brain activities volitionally according to the neurofeedback. Furthermore, research concerning large-scale brain networks has demonstrated that WM training requires the engagement of several networks, including the central executive network (CEN), the default mode network (DMN) and the salience network (SN), and functional connectivity within the CEN and DMN can be changed by WM training. Although a switching role of the SN between the CEN and DMN has been demonstrated, it remains unclear whether WM training can affect the interactions between the three networks and whether a similar mechanism also exists during the training process. In this study, we investigated the dynamic functional connectivity between the three networks during the rtfMRI feedback training using independent component analysis (ICA) and correlation analysis. The results indicated that functional connectivity within and between the three networks were significantly enhanced by feedback training, and most of the changes were associated with the insula and correlated with behavioral improvements. These findings suggest that the insula plays a critical role in the reorganization of functional connectivity among the three networks induced by rtfMRI training and in WM performance, thus providing new insights into the mechanisms of high-level functions and the clinical treatment of related functional impairments.

  20. Inference of functional properties from large-scale analysis of enzyme superfamilies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Shoshana D; Babbitt, Patricia C

    2012-01-02

    As increasingly large amounts of data from genome and other sequencing projects become available, new approaches are needed to determine the functions of the proteins these genes encode. We show how large-scale computational analysis can help to address this challenge by linking functional information to sequence and structural similarities using protein similarity networks. Network analyses using three functionally diverse enzyme superfamilies illustrate the use of these approaches for facile updating and comparison of available structures for a large superfamily, for creation of functional hypotheses for metagenomic sequences, and to summarize the limits of our functional knowledge about even well studied superfamilies.

  1. On the network protocol performance evaluation for large scale communication system of nuclear plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, K. S.; Lee, T. H.; Kim, H. R.; Kim, D. H.; Ku, I. S.

    1998-01-01

    Computer technology has been dramatically advanced and it is now natural to apply digital network technology into nuclear plants. Communication architecture for nuclear plant defines the coordination of safety reactor control, balance of plant, subsystem utilities, and plant monitoring functions, and how they are connected and their user interface to guarantee plant performance and guarantee safety requirements. Therefore, to implement a digital network for control and monitoring systems of advanced nuclear plant needs systematic design and evaluation procedures because of responsive and hard real-time process characteristics of nuclear plant. In this paper, we evaluate several digital network protocols in terms of network delay, link failure effects to hard real-time requirements with full scale traffic

  2. Cosplicing network analysis of mammalian brain RNA-Seq data utilizing WGCNA and Mantel correlations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ovidiu Dan Iancu

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Across species and tissues and especially in the mammalian brain, production of gene isoforms is widespread. While gene expression coordination has been previously described as a scale-free coexpression network, the properties of transcriptome-wide isoform production coordination have been less studied. Here we evaluate the system-level properties of cosplicing in mouse, macaque and human brain gene expression data using a novel network inference procedure. Genes are represented as vectors/lists of exon counts and distance measures sensitive to exon inclusion rates quantifies differences across samples. For all gene pairs, distance matrices are correlated across samples, resulting in cosplicing or co-transcriptional network matrices. We show that networks including cosplicing information are scale-free and distinct from coexpression. In the networks capturing cosplicing we find a set of novel hubs with unique characteristics distinguishing them from coexpression hubs: heavy representation in neurobiological functional pathways, strong overlap with markers of neurons and neuroglia, long coding lengths, and high number of both exons and annotated transcripts. Further, the cosplicing hubs are enriched in genes associated with autism spectrum disorders. Cosplicing hub homologs across eukaryotes show dramatically increasing intronic lengths but stable coding region lengths. Shared transcription factor binding sites increase coexpression but not cosplicing; the reverse is true for splicing-factor binding sites. Genes with protein-protein interactions have strong coexpression and cosplicing. Additional factors affecting the networks include shared microRNA binding sites, spatial colocalization within the striatum, and sharing a chromosomal folding domain. Cosplicing network patterns remain relatively stable across species.

  3. Meta-connectomics: human brain network and connectivity meta-analyses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crossley, N A; Fox, P T; Bullmore, E T

    2016-04-01

    Abnormal brain connectivity or network dysfunction has been suggested as a paradigm to understand several psychiatric disorders. We here review the use of novel meta-analytic approaches in neuroscience that go beyond a summary description of existing results by applying network analysis methods to previously published studies and/or publicly accessible databases. We define this strategy of combining connectivity with other brain characteristics as 'meta-connectomics'. For example, we show how network analysis of task-based neuroimaging studies has been used to infer functional co-activation from primary data on regional activations. This approach has been able to relate cognition to functional network topology, demonstrating that the brain is composed of cognitively specialized functional subnetworks or modules, linked by a rich club of cognitively generalized regions that mediate many inter-modular connections. Another major application of meta-connectomics has been efforts to link meta-analytic maps of disorder-related abnormalities or MRI 'lesions' to the complex topology of the normative connectome. This work has highlighted the general importance of network hubs as hotspots for concentration of cortical grey-matter deficits in schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and other disorders. Finally, we show how by incorporating cellular and transcriptional data on individual nodes with network models of the connectome, studies have begun to elucidate the microscopic mechanisms underpinning the macroscopic organization of whole-brain networks. We argue that meta-connectomics is an exciting field, providing robust and integrative insights into brain organization that will likely play an important future role in consolidating network models of psychiatric disorders.

  4. Network analysis of functional brain connectivity in borderline personality disorder using resting-state fMRI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Tingting; Cullen, Kathryn R; Mueller, Bryon; Schreiner, Mindy W; Lim, Kelvin O; Schulz, S Charles; Parhi, Keshab K

    2016-01-01

    to the current understanding of functional brain networks in BPD. However, due to limitation of small sample sizes, the results of the current study should be viewed as exploratory and need to be validated on large samples in future works.

  5. Network analysis of functional brain connectivity in borderline personality disorder using resting-state fMRI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tingting Xu

    2016-01-01

    may add new knowledge to the current understanding of functional brain networks in BPD. However, due to limitation of small sample sizes, the results of the current study should be viewed as exploratory and need to be validated on large samples in future works.

  6. Large-scale modeling of rain fields from a rain cell deterministic model

    Science.gov (United States)

    FéRal, Laurent; Sauvageot, Henri; Castanet, Laurent; Lemorton, JoëL.; Cornet, FréDéRic; Leconte, Katia

    2006-04-01

    A methodology to simulate two-dimensional rain rate fields at large scale (1000 × 1000 km2, the scale of a satellite telecommunication beam or a terrestrial fixed broadband wireless access network) is proposed. It relies on a rain rate field cellular decomposition. At small scale (˜20 × 20 km2), the rain field is split up into its macroscopic components, the rain cells, described by the Hybrid Cell (HYCELL) cellular model. At midscale (˜150 × 150 km2), the rain field results from the conglomeration of rain cells modeled by HYCELL. To account for the rain cell spatial distribution at midscale, the latter is modeled by a doubly aggregative isotropic random walk, the optimal parameterization of which is derived from radar observations at midscale. The extension of the simulation area from the midscale to the large scale (1000 × 1000 km2) requires the modeling of the weather frontal area. The latter is first modeled by a Gaussian field with anisotropic covariance function. The Gaussian field is then turned into a binary field, giving the large-scale locations over which it is raining. This transformation requires the definition of the rain occupation rate over large-scale areas. Its probability distribution is determined from observations by the French operational radar network ARAMIS. The coupling with the rain field modeling at midscale is immediate whenever the large-scale field is split up into midscale subareas. The rain field thus generated accounts for the local CDF at each point, defining a structure spatially correlated at small scale, midscale, and large scale. It is then suggested that this approach be used by system designers to evaluate diversity gain, terrestrial path attenuation, or slant path attenuation for different azimuth and elevation angle directions.

  7. Statistical Modeling of Large-Scale Signal Path Loss in Underwater Acoustic Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Perez Malumbres

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available In an underwater acoustic channel, the propagation conditions are known to vary in time, causing the deviation of the received signal strength from the nominal value predicted by a deterministic propagation model. To facilitate a large-scale system design in such conditions (e.g., power allocation, we have developed a statistical propagation model in which the transmission loss is treated as a random variable. By applying repetitive computation to the acoustic field, using ray tracing for a set of varying environmental conditions (surface height, wave activity, small node displacements around nominal locations, etc., an ensemble of transmission losses is compiled and later used to infer the statistical model parameters. A reasonable agreement is found with log-normal distribution, whose mean obeys a log-distance increases, and whose variance appears to be constant for a certain range of inter-node distances in a given deployment location. The statistical model is deemed useful for higher-level system planning, where simulation is needed to assess the performance of candidate network protocols under various resource allocation policies, i.e., to determine the transmit power and bandwidth allocation necessary to achieve a desired level of performance (connectivity, throughput, reliability, etc..

  8. Brain network characterization of high-risk preterm-born school-age children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elda Fischi-Gomez

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Higher risk for long-term cognitive and behavioral impairments is one of the hallmarks of extreme prematurity (EP and pregnancy-associated fetal adverse conditions such as intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR. While neurodevelopmental delay and abnormal brain function occur in the absence of overt brain lesions, these conditions have been recently associated with changes in microstructural brain development. Recent imaging studies indicate changes in brain connectivity, in particular involving the white matter fibers belonging to the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamic loop. Furthermore, EP and IUGR have been related to altered brain network architecture in childhood, with reduced network global capacity, global efficiency and average nodal strength. In this study, we used a connectome analysis to characterize the structural brain networks of these children, with a special focus on their topological organization. On one hand, we confirm the reduced averaged network node degree and strength due to EP and IUGR. On the other, the decomposition of the brain networks in an optimal set of clusters remained substantially different among groups, talking in favor of a different network community structure. However, and despite the different community structure, the brain networks of these high-risk school-age children maintained the typical small-world, rich-club and modularity characteristics in all cases. Thus, our results suggest that brain reorganizes after EP and IUGR, prioritizing a tight modular structure, to maintain the small-world, rich-club and modularity characteristics. By themselves, both extreme prematurity and IUGR bear a similar risk for neurocognitive and behavioral impairment, and the here defined modular network alterations confirm similar structural changes both by IUGR and EP at school age compared to control. Interestingly, the combination of both conditions (IUGR + EP does not result in a worse outcome. In such cases, the alteration

  9. Identifying modular relations in complex brain networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Kasper Winther; Mørup, Morten; Siebner, Hartwig

    2012-01-01

    We evaluate the infinite relational model (IRM) against two simpler alternative nonparametric Bayesian models for identifying structures in multi subject brain networks. The models are evaluated for their ability to predict new data and infer reproducible structures. Prediction and reproducibility...... and obtains comparable reproducibility and predictability. For resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 30 healthy controls the IRM model is also superior to the two simpler alternatives, suggesting that brain networks indeed exhibit universal complex relational structure...

  10. Irrelevant stimulus processing in ADHD: catecholamine dynamics and attentional networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco eAboitiz

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available A cardinal symptom of Attenion Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD is a general distractibility where children and adults shift their attentional focus to stimuli that are irrelevant to the ongoing behavior. This has been attributed to a deficit in dopaminergic signaling in cortico-striatal networks that regulate goal-directed behavior. Furthermore, recent imaging evidence points to an impairment of large scale, antagonistic brain networks that normally contribute to attentional engagement and disengagement, such as the task-positive networks and the Default Mode Network (DMN. Related networks are the ventral attentional network (VAN involved in attentional shifting, and the salience network (SN related to task expectancy. Here we discuss the tonic-phasic dynamics of catecholaminergic signaling in the brain, and attempt to provide a link between this and the activities of the large-scale cortical networks that regulate behavior. More specifically, we propose that a disbalance of tonic catecholamine levels during task performance produce an emphasis of phasic signaling and increased excitability of the VAN, yielding distractibility symptoms. Likewise, immaturity of the SN may relate to abnormal tonic signaling and an incapacity to build up a proper executive system during task performance. We discuss different lines of evidence including pharmacology, brain imaging and electrophysiology, that are consistent with our proposal. Finally, restoring the pharmacodynamics of catecholaminergic signaling seems crucial to alleviate ADHD symptoms; however, the possibility is open to explore cognitive rehabilitation strategies to top-down modulate network dynamics compensating the pharmacological deficits.

  11. Development of the brain's functional network architecture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogel, Alecia C; Power, Jonathan D; Petersen, Steven E; Schlaggar, Bradley L

    2010-12-01

    A full understanding of the development of the brain's functional network architecture requires not only an understanding of developmental changes in neural processing in individual brain regions but also an understanding of changes in inter-regional interactions. Resting state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI) is increasingly being used to study functional interactions between brain regions in both adults and children. We briefly review methods used to study functional interactions and networks with rs-fcMRI and how these methods have been used to define developmental changes in network functional connectivity. The developmental rs-fcMRI studies to date have found two general properties. First, regional interactions change from being predominately anatomically local in children to interactions spanning longer cortical distances in young adults. Second, this developmental change in functional connectivity occurs, in general, via mechanisms of segregation of local regions and integration of distant regions into disparate subnetworks.

  12. Auditory motion in the sighted and blind: Early visual deprivation triggers a large-scale imbalance between auditory and "visual" brain regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dormal, Giulia; Rezk, Mohamed; Yakobov, Esther; Lepore, Franco; Collignon, Olivier

    2016-07-01

    How early blindness reorganizes the brain circuitry that supports auditory motion processing remains controversial. We used fMRI to characterize brain responses to in-depth, laterally moving, and static sounds in early blind and sighted individuals. Whole-brain univariate analyses revealed that the right posterior middle temporal gyrus and superior occipital gyrus selectively responded to both in-depth and laterally moving sounds only in the blind. These regions overlapped with regions selective for visual motion (hMT+/V5 and V3A) that were independently localized in the sighted. In the early blind, the right planum temporale showed enhanced functional connectivity with right occipito-temporal regions during auditory motion processing and a concomitant reduced functional connectivity with parietal and frontal regions. Whole-brain searchlight multivariate analyses demonstrated higher auditory motion decoding in the right posterior middle temporal gyrus in the blind compared to the sighted, while decoding accuracy was enhanced in the auditory cortex bilaterally in the sighted compared to the blind. Analyses targeting individually defined visual area hMT+/V5 however indicated that auditory motion information could be reliably decoded within this area even in the sighted group. Taken together, the present findings demonstrate that early visual deprivation triggers a large-scale imbalance between auditory and "visual" brain regions that typically support the processing of motion information. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Temporal sequence learning in winner-take-all networks of spiking neurons demonstrated in a brain-based device.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKinstry, Jeffrey L; Edelman, Gerald M

    2013-01-01

    Animal behavior often involves a temporally ordered sequence of actions learned from experience. Here we describe simulations of interconnected networks of spiking neurons that learn to generate patterns of activity in correct temporal order. The simulation consists of large-scale networks of thousands of excitatory and inhibitory neurons that exhibit short-term synaptic plasticity and spike-timing dependent synaptic plasticity. The neural architecture within each area is arranged to evoke winner-take-all (WTA) patterns of neural activity that persist for tens of milliseconds. In order to generate and switch between consecutive firing patterns in correct temporal order, a reentrant exchange of signals between these areas was necessary. To demonstrate the capacity of this arrangement, we used the simulation to train a brain-based device responding to visual input by autonomously generating temporal sequences of motor actions.

  14. Human brain networks function in connectome-specific harmonic waves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atasoy, Selen; Donnelly, Isaac; Pearson, Joel

    2016-01-21

    A key characteristic of human brain activity is coherent, spatially distributed oscillations forming behaviour-dependent brain networks. However, a fundamental principle underlying these networks remains unknown. Here we report that functional networks of the human brain are predicted by harmonic patterns, ubiquitous throughout nature, steered by the anatomy of the human cerebral cortex, the human connectome. We introduce a new technique extending the Fourier basis to the human connectome. In this new frequency-specific representation of cortical activity, that we call 'connectome harmonics', oscillatory networks of the human brain at rest match harmonic wave patterns of certain frequencies. We demonstrate a neural mechanism behind the self-organization of connectome harmonics with a continuous neural field model of excitatory-inhibitory interactions on the connectome. Remarkably, the critical relation between the neural field patterns and the delicate excitation-inhibition balance fits the neurophysiological changes observed during the loss and recovery of consciousness.

  15. Autonomous smart sensor network for full-scale structural health monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rice, Jennifer A.; Mechitov, Kirill A.; Spencer, B. F., Jr.; Agha, Gul A.

    2010-04-01

    The demands of aging infrastructure require effective methods for structural monitoring and maintenance. Wireless smart sensor networks offer the ability to enhance structural health monitoring (SHM) practices through the utilization of onboard computation to achieve distributed data management. Such an approach is scalable to the large number of sensor nodes required for high-fidelity modal analysis and damage detection. While smart sensor technology is not new, the number of full-scale SHM applications has been limited. This slow progress is due, in part, to the complex network management issues that arise when moving from a laboratory setting to a full-scale monitoring implementation. This paper presents flexible network management software that enables continuous and autonomous operation of wireless smart sensor networks for full-scale SHM applications. The software components combine sleep/wake cycling for enhanced power management with threshold detection for triggering network wide tasks, such as synchronized sensing or decentralized modal analysis, during periods of critical structural response.

  16. Large scale analysis of signal reachability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Todor, Andrei; Gabr, Haitham; Dobra, Alin; Kahveci, Tamer

    2014-06-15

    Major disorders, such as leukemia, have been shown to alter the transcription of genes. Understanding how gene regulation is affected by such aberrations is of utmost importance. One promising strategy toward this objective is to compute whether signals can reach to the transcription factors through the transcription regulatory network (TRN). Due to the uncertainty of the regulatory interactions, this is a #P-complete problem and thus solving it for very large TRNs remains to be a challenge. We develop a novel and scalable method to compute the probability that a signal originating at any given set of source genes can arrive at any given set of target genes (i.e., transcription factors) when the topology of the underlying signaling network is uncertain. Our method tackles this problem for large networks while providing a provably accurate result. Our method follows a divide-and-conquer strategy. We break down the given network into a sequence of non-overlapping subnetworks such that reachability can be computed autonomously and sequentially on each subnetwork. We represent each interaction using a small polynomial. The product of these polynomials express different scenarios when a signal can or cannot reach to target genes from the source genes. We introduce polynomial collapsing operators for each subnetwork. These operators reduce the size of the resulting polynomial and thus the computational complexity dramatically. We show that our method scales to entire human regulatory networks in only seconds, while the existing methods fail beyond a few tens of genes and interactions. We demonstrate that our method can successfully characterize key reachability characteristics of the entire transcriptions regulatory networks of patients affected by eight different subtypes of leukemia, as well as those from healthy control samples. All the datasets and code used in this article are available at bioinformatics.cise.ufl.edu/PReach/scalable.htm. © The Author 2014

  17. Fetal functional imaging portrays heterogeneous development of emerging human brain networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andras eJakab

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available The functional connectivity architecture of the adult human brain enables complex cognitive processes, and exhibits a remarkably complex structure shared across individuals. We are only beginning to understand its heterogeneous structure, ranging from a strongly hierarchical organization in sensorimotor areas to widely distributed networks in areas such as the parieto-frontal cortex. Our study relied on the functional magnetic resonance imaging data of 32 fetuses with no detectable morphological abnormalities. After adapting functional magnetic resonance acquisition, motion correction and nuisance signal reduction procedures of resting-state functional data analysis to fetuses, we extracted neural activity information for major cortical and subcortical structures. Resting fMRI networks were observed for increasing regional functional connectivity from 21st – 38th gestational weeks (GW with a network-based statistical inference approach. The overall connectivity network, short range and interhemispheric connections showed sigmoid expansion curve peaking at the 26-29. GW. In contrast, long-range connections exhibited linear increase with no periods of peaking development. Region-specific increase of functional signal synchrony followed a sequence of occipital (peak: 24.8 GW, temporal (peak: 26 GW, frontal (peak: 26.4 GW and parietal expansion (peak: 27.5 GW. We successfully adapted functional neuroimaging and image post-processing approaches to correlate macroscopical scale activations in the fetal brain with gestational age. This in vivo study reflects the fact that the mid-fetal period hosts events that cause the architecture of the brain circuitry to mature, which presumably manifests in increasing strength of intra- and interhemispheric functional macroconnectivity.

  18. Fetal functional imaging portrays heterogeneous development of emerging human brain networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jakab, András; Schwartz, Ernst; Kasprian, Gregor; Gruber, Gerlinde M; Prayer, Daniela; Schöpf, Veronika; Langs, Georg

    2014-01-01

    The functional connectivity architecture of the adult human brain enables complex cognitive processes, and exhibits a remarkably complex structure shared across individuals. We are only beginning to understand its heterogeneous structure, ranging from a strongly hierarchical organization in sensorimotor areas to widely distributed networks in areas such as the parieto-frontal cortex. Our study relied on the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data of 32 fetuses with no detectable morphological abnormalities. After adapting functional magnetic resonance acquisition, motion correction, and nuisance signal reduction procedures of resting-state functional data analysis to fetuses, we extracted neural activity information for major cortical and subcortical structures. Resting fMRI networks were observed for increasing regional functional connectivity from 21st to 38th gestational weeks (GWs) with a network-based statistical inference approach. The overall connectivity network, short range, and interhemispheric connections showed sigmoid expansion curve peaking at the 26-29 GW. In contrast, long-range connections exhibited linear increase with no periods of peaking development. Region-specific increase of functional signal synchrony followed a sequence of occipital (peak: 24.8 GW), temporal (peak: 26 GW), frontal (peak: 26.4 GW), and parietal expansion (peak: 27.5 GW). We successfully adapted functional neuroimaging and image post-processing approaches to correlate macroscopical scale activations in the fetal brain with gestational age. This in vivo study reflects the fact that the mid-fetal period hosts events that cause the architecture of the brain circuitry to mature, which presumably manifests in increasing strength of intra- and interhemispheric functional macro connectivity.

  19. Third International Congress on Epilepsy, Brain and Mind: Part 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korczyn, Amos D.; Schachter, Steven C.; Amlerova, Jana; Bialer, Meir; van Emde Boas, Walter; Brázdil, Milan; Brodtkorb, Eylert; Engel, Jerome; Gotman, Jean; Komárek, Vladmir; Leppik, Ilo E.; Marusic, Petr; Meletti, Stefano; Metternich, Birgitta; Moulin, Chris J.A.; Muhlert, Nils; Mula, Marco; Nakken, Karl O.; Picard, Fabienne; Schulze-Bonhage, Andreas; Theodore, William; Wolf, Peter; Zeman, Adam; Rektor, Ivan

    2017-01-01

    Epilepsyis both a disease of the brain and the mind. Here, we present the first of two papers with extended summaries of selected presentations of the Third International Congress on Epilepsy, Brain and Mind (April 3–5, 2014; Brno, Czech Republic). Epilepsy in history and the arts and its relationships with religion were discussed, as were overviews of epilepsy and relevant aspects of social cognition, handedness, accelerated forgetting and autobiographical amnesia, and large-scale brain networks. PMID:26276417

  20. Utilizing Maximal Independent Sets as Dominating Sets in Scale-Free Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Derzsy, N.; Molnar, F., Jr.; Szymanski, B. K.; Korniss, G.

    Dominating sets provide key solution to various critical problems in networked systems, such as detecting, monitoring, or controlling the behavior of nodes. Motivated by graph theory literature [Erdos, Israel J. Math. 4, 233 (1966)], we studied maximal independent sets (MIS) as dominating sets in scale-free networks. We investigated the scaling behavior of the size of MIS in artificial scale-free networks with respect to multiple topological properties (size, average degree, power-law exponent, assortativity), evaluated its resilience to network damage resulting from random failure or targeted attack [Molnar et al., Sci. Rep. 5, 8321 (2015)], and compared its efficiency to previously proposed dominating set selection strategies. We showed that, despite its small set size, MIS provides very high resilience against network damage. Using extensive numerical analysis on both synthetic and real-world (social, biological, technological) network samples, we demonstrate that our method effectively satisfies four essential requirements of dominating sets for their practical applicability on large-scale real-world systems: 1.) small set size, 2.) minimal network information required for their construction scheme, 3.) fast and easy computational implementation, and 4.) resiliency to network damage. Supported by DARPA, DTRA, and NSF.