Combining additive input noise annealing and pattern transformations for improved handwritten character recognition

Two problems that burden the learning process of Artificial Neural Networks with Back Propagation are the need of building a full and representative learning data set, and the avoidance of stalling in local minima. Both problems seem to be closely related when working with the handwritten digits contained in the MNIST dataset. Using a modest sized ANN, the proposed combination of input data transformations enables the achievement of a test error as low as 0.43%, which is up to standard compared to other more complex neural architectures like Convolutional or Deep Neural Networks. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.This research reported has been supported by the Spanish MICINN under projects TRA2010-20225-C03-01, TRA 2011-29454-C03-02, and TRA 2011-29454-C03-03

Early postnatal development of neocortex-wide activity patterns in GABAergic and pyramidal neurons

Before the onset of sensory experience, developing circuits generate synchronised activity that will not only influence its wiring, but ultimately contribute to behaviour. These complex functions rely on widely distributed cortical that simultaneously operate at multiple spatiotemporal scales. The timing of GABAergic maturation appears to align with the developmental trajectories of cortical regions, playing a crucial role in the functional development of individual brain areas. While local connectivity in cortical microcircuits has been extensively studied, the dynamics of brain-wide functional maturation, especially for GABAergic populations, remain underexplored. In this project, a dual-colour widefield calcium imaging approach was developed to examine the neocortex-wide dynamics of cortical GABAergic and excitatory neurons simultaneously across early postnatal development. This study provides the first broad description of neocortex-wide GABAergic developmental trajectories and their cross-talk with excitatory dynamics during the second and third postnatal weeks. The observed spontaneous activity revealed discrete activity domains, reflecting the modular organisation of the cortex. Both excitatory and GABAergic population exhibited an increase in the size and frequency of activity motifs, as well as changes in motif variability. However, as they matured, the distribution of these spatiotemporal properties displayed divergent trajectories across populations and regions. These findings suggest fundamental differences in the spatial organisation of both populations, indicating potential distinct roles in cortical network function development. Moreover, while excitatory and GABAergic dynamics exhibited high correlations, brief deviations from perfect timing were observed. This correlation patterns changed significantly during development and across regions, with the two populations gradually becoming more correlated as they matured. Manipulating inhibition in vivo disrupted these fluctuations, impacting both local activity and the wider functional network.These findings provide valuable insights into the developmental trajectories of spontaneous activity patterns in excitatory and GABAergic cell populations during early postnatal development. The interplay between both neuronal populations plays a critical role in shaping activity patterns, and understanding the underlying mechanisms of their development can provide valuable insights into neurodevelopmental disorders

Front-Line Physicians' Satisfaction with Information Systems in Hospitals

Day-to-day operations management in hospital units is difficult due to continuously varying situations, several actors involved and a vast number of information systems in use. The aim of this study was to describe front-line physicians' satisfaction with existing information systems needed to support the day-to-day operations management in hospitals. A cross-sectional survey was used and data chosen with stratified random sampling were collected in nine hospitals. Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The response rate was 65 % (n = 111). The physicians reported that information systems support their decision making to some extent, but they do not improve access to information nor are they tailored for physicians. The respondents also reported that they need to use several information systems to support decision making and that they would prefer one information system to access important information. Improved information access would better support physicians' decision making and has the potential to improve the quality of decisions and speed up the decision making process.Peer reviewe