Research on Brain and Mind Inspired Intelligence

To address the problems of scientific theory, common technology and engineering application of multimedia and multimodal information computing, this paper is focused on the theoretical model, algorithm framework, and system architecture of brain and mind inspired intelligence (BMI) based on the structure mechanism simulation of the nervous system, the function architecture emulation of the cognitive system and the complex behavior imitation of the natural system. Based on information theory, system theory, cybernetics and bionics, we define related concept and hypothesis of brain and mind inspired computing (BMC) and design a model and framework for frontier BMI theory. Research shows that BMC can effectively improve the performance of semantic processing of multimedia and cross-modal information, such as target detection, classification and recognition. Based on the brain mechanism and mind architecture, a semantic-oriented multimedia neural, cognitive computing model is designed for multimedia semantic computing. Then a hierarchical cross-modal cognitive neural computing framework is proposed for cross-modal information processing. Furthermore, a cross-modal neural, cognitive computing architecture is presented for remote sensing intelligent information extraction platform and unmanned autonomous system

4,8-Dimeth­oxy­furo[2,3-b]quinoline (γ-fagarine)

The title mol­ecule, C13H11NO3, a natural compound extracted from Phellodendron chinense, exhibits a near planar framework: the mean deviations from the furo[2,3-b]quinoline ring system and from the whole mol­ecule (not including the H atoms) are 0.006 and 0.062 Å, respectively

Determination of ketamine in rabbit plasma by gradient elution liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry

A sensitive and simple liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) method for determination of ketamine in rabbit plasma using one-step protein precipitation was developed and validated. After addition of methadone as internal standard (IS), protein precipitation by acetonitrile was used as sample preparation. Chromatographically separation was achieved on an SB-C18 (2.1 mm × 50 mm, 3.5 μm) column with methanol-0.1 % formic acid as the mobile phase with gradient elution. Electrospray ionization (ESI) source was applied and operated in positive ion mode; multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was used to quantification using target fragment ions m/z 237.7 → 219.7 for ketamine and m/z 309.9 → 264.8 for the IS. Calibration plots were linear over the range of 5-1000 ng/mL for ketamine in rabbit plasma. Lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) for ketamine was 5 ng/mL. Mean recovery of ketamine from plasma was in the range of 97.5-100.1 %. RSD of intra-day and inter-day precision were both less than 11 %. This method is simple and sensitive enough to be used in pharmacokinetic research for determination of ketamine in rabbit plasma.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Determination of ketamine in rabbit plasma by gradient elution liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry

A sensitive and simple liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) method for determination of ketamine in rabbit plasma using one-step protein precipitation was developed and validated. After addition of methadone as internal standard (IS), protein precipitation by acetonitrile was used as sample preparation. Chromatographically separation was achieved on an SB-C18 (2.1 mm × 50 mm, 3.5 μm) column with methanol-0.1 % formic acid as the mobile phase with gradient elution. Electrospray ionization (ESI) source was applied and operated in positive ion mode; multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was used to quantification using target fragment ions m/z 237.7 → 219.7 for ketamine and m/z 309.9 → 264.8 for the IS. Calibration plots were linear over the range of 5-1000 ng/mL for ketamine in rabbit plasma. Lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) for ketamine was 5 ng/mL. Mean recovery of ketamine from plasma was in the range of 97.5-100.1 %. RSD of intra-day and inter-day precision were both less than 11 %. This method is simple and sensitive enough to be used in pharmacokinetic research for determination of ketamine in rabbit plasma.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Qubit energy tuner based on single flux quantum circuits

A device called the qubit energy tuner (QET), based on single flux quantum (SFQ) circuits, has been proposed for Z control of superconducting qubits. The QET is created by improving flux digital-to-analog converters (flux DACs). It can set the energy levels or frequencies of qubits, particularly flux-tunable transmons, and perform gate operations requiring Z control. The circuit structure of the QET is elucidated, consisting of an inductor loop and flux bias units for coarse or fine-tuning. The key feature of the QET is analyzed to understand how SFQ pulses change the inductor loop current, which provides external flux for qubits. Three simulations were performed to verify QET functionality. The first simulation verified the responses of the inductor loop current to SFQ pulses, showing a relative deviation of approximately 4.259% between the analytical solutions of the inductor loop current and the solutions from the WRSpice time-domain simulation. The second and third simulations, using QuTip, demonstrated how to perform a Z gate and an iSWAP gate using the QET, respectively, with corresponding fidelities of 99.99884% and 99.93906% for only one gate operation to specific initial states. These simulations indicate that the SFQ-based QET could act as an efficient component of SFQ-based quantum–classical interfaces for digital Z control of large-scale superconducting quantum computers

The Ambiguous Relationship of Oxidative Stress, Tau Hyperphosphorylation, and Autophagy Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. The pathological hallmarks of AD are amyloid plaques [aggregates of amyloid-beta (Aβ)] and neurofibrillary tangles (aggregates of tau). Growing evidence suggests that tau accumulation is pathologically more relevant to the development of neurodegeneration and cognitive decline in AD patients than Aβ plaques. Oxidative stress is a prominent early event in the pathogenesis of AD and is therefore believed to contribute to tau hyperphosphorylation. Several studies have shown that the autophagic pathway in neurons is important under physiological and pathological conditions. Therefore, this pathway plays a crucial role for the degradation of endogenous soluble tau. However, the relationship between oxidative stress, tau protein hyperphosphorylation, autophagy dysregulation, and neuronal cell death in AD remains unclear. Here, we review the latest progress in AD, with a special emphasis on oxidative stress, tau hyperphosphorylation, and autophagy. We also discuss the relationship of these three factors in AD