Towards a Unified Theory of Neocortex: Laminar Cortical Circuits for Vision and Cognition

A key goal of computational neuroscience is to link brain mechanisms to behavioral functions. The present article describes recent progress towards explaining how laminar neocortical circuits give rise to biological intelligence. These circuits embody two new and revolutionary computational paradigms: Complementary Computing and Laminar Computing. Circuit properties include a novel synthesis of feedforward and feedback processing, of digital and analog processing, and of pre-attentive and attentive processing. This synthesis clarifies the appeal of Bayesian approaches but has a far greater predictive range that naturally extends to self-organizing processes. Examples from vision and cognition are summarized. A LAMINART architecture unifies properties of visual development, learning, perceptual grouping, attention, and 3D vision. A key modeling theme is that the mechanisms which enable development and learning to occur in a stable way imply properties of adult behavior. It is noted how higher-order attentional constraints can influence multiple cortical regions, and how spatial and object attention work together to learn view-invariant object categories. In particular, a form-fitting spatial attentional shroud can allow an emerging view-invariant object category to remain active while multiple view categories are associated with it during sequences of saccadic eye movements. Finally, the chapter summarizes recent work on the LIST PARSE model of cognitive information processing by the laminar circuits of prefrontal cortex. LIST PARSE models the short-term storage of event sequences in working memory, their unitization through learning into sequence, or list, chunks, and their read-out in planned sequential performance that is under volitional control. LIST PARSE provides a laminar embodiment of Item and Order working memories, also called Competitive Queuing models, that have been supported by both psychophysical and neurobiological data. These examples show how variations of a common laminar cortical design can embody properties of visual and cognitive intelligence that seem, at least on the surface, to be mechanistically unrelated.National Science Foundation (SBE-0354378); Office of Naval Research (N00014-01-1-0624

Proposal of a health care network based on big data analytics for PDs

Health care networks for Parkinson's disease (PD) already exist and have been already proposed in the literature, but most of them are not able to analyse the vast volume of data generated from medical examinations and collected and organised in a pre-defined manner. In this work, the authors propose a novel health care network based on big data analytics for PD. The main goal of the proposed architecture is to support clinicians in the objective assessment of the typical PD motor issues and alterations. The proposed health care network has the ability to retrieve a vast volume of acquired heterogeneous data from a Data warehouse and train an ensemble SVM to classify and rate the motor severity of a PD patient. Once the network is trained, it will be able to analyse the data collected during motor examinations of a PD patient and generate a diagnostic report on the basis of the previously acquired knowledge. Such a diagnostic report represents a tool both to monitor the follow up of the disease for each patient and give robust advice about the severity of the disease to clinicians

Application of active controls technology to aircraft bide smoothing systems

A critical review of past efforts in the design and testing of ride smoothing and gust alleviation systems is presented. Design trade offs involving sensor types, choice of feedback loops, human comfort, and aircraft handling-qualities criteria are discussed. Synthesis of a system designed to employ direct-lift and side-force producing surfaces is reported. Two STOL aircraft and an executive transport are considered. Theoretically predicted system performance is compared with hybrid simulation and flight test data. Pilot opinion rating, pilot workload, and passenger comfort rating data for the basic and augmented aircraft are included

Design of a digital ride quality augmentation system for commuter aircraft

Commuter aircraft typically have low wing loadings, and fly at low altitudes, and so they are susceptible to undesirable accelerations caused by random atmospheric turbulence. Larger commercial aircraft typically have higher wing loadings and fly at altitudes where the turbulence level is lower, and so they provide smoother rides. This project was initiated based on the goal of making the ride of the commuter aircraft as smooth as the ride experienced on the major commercial airliners. The objectives of this project were to design a digital, longitudinal mode ride quality augmentation system (RQAS) for a commuter aircraft, and to investigate the effect of selected parameters on those designs

Synchronization and prediction of chaotic dynamics on networks of optoelectronic oscillators

The subject of this thesis is the exploration of chaotic synchronization for novel applications including time-series prediction and sensing. We begin by characterizing the nonlinear dynamics of an optoelectronic time-delayed feedback loop. We show that synchronization of an accurate numerical model to experimental measurements provides a way to assimilate data and forecast the future of deterministic chaotic behavior. Next, we implement an adaptive control method that maintains isochronal synchrony for a network of coupled feedback loops when the interaction strengths are unknown and time-varying. Control signals are used as real-time estimates of the variations present within the coupling paths. We analyze the stability of synchronous solutions for arbitrary coupling topologies via a modified master stability function that incorporates the adaptation response dynamics. Finally, we show that the master stability function, which is derived from a set of linearized equations, can also be experimentally measured using a two-node network, and it can be applied to predict the convergence behavior of large networks

Index to NASA Tech Briefs, 1975

This index contains abstracts and four indexes--subject, personal author, originating Center, and Tech Brief number--for 1975 Tech Briefs

Microcomputer based controller for the Langley 0.3-meter Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel

Flow control of the Langley 0.3-meter Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel (TCT) is a multivariable nonlinear control problem. Globally stable control laws were generated to hold tunnel conditions in the presence of geometrical disturbances in the test section and precisely control the tunnel states for small and large set point changes. The control laws are mechanized as four inner control loops for tunnel pressure, temperature, fan speed, and liquid nitrogen supply pressure, and two outer loops for Mach number and Reynolds number. These integrated control laws have been mechanized on a 16-bit microcomputer working on DOS. This document details the model of the 0.3-m TCT, control laws, microcomputer realization, and its performance. The tunnel closed loop responses to small and large set point changes were presented. The controller incorporates safe thermal management of the tunnel cooldown based on thermal restrictions. The controller was shown to provide control of temperature to + or - 0.2K, pressure to + or - 0.07 psia, and Mach number to + or - 0.002 of a given set point during aerodynamic data acquisition in the presence of intrusive geometrical changes like flexwall movement, angle-of-attack changes, and drag rake traverse. The controller also provides a new feature of Reynolds number control. The controller provides a safe, reliable, and economical control of the 0.3-m TCT

Computer-aided design of feedback control systems with plant parameter variations

Improving feedback control design by using digital computer technique