Storage Capacity Diverges with Synaptic Efficiency in an Associative Memory Model with Synaptic Delay and Pruning

It is known that storage capacity per synapse increases by synaptic pruning in the case of a correlation-type associative memory model. However, the storage capacity of the entire network then decreases. To overcome this difficulty, we propose decreasing the connecting rate while keeping the total number of synapses constant by introducing delayed synapses. In this paper, a discrete synchronous-type model with both delayed synapses and their prunings is discussed as a concrete example of the proposal. First, we explain the Yanai-Kim theory by employing the statistical neurodynamics. This theory involves macrodynamical equations for the dynamics of a network with serial delay elements. Next, considering the translational symmetry of the explained equations, we re-derive macroscopic steady state equations of the model by using the discrete Fourier transformation. The storage capacities are analyzed quantitatively. Furthermore, two types of synaptic prunings are treated analytically: random pruning and systematic pruning. As a result, it becomes clear that in both prunings, the storage capacity increases as the length of delay increases and the connecting rate of the synapses decreases when the total number of synapses is constant. Moreover, an interesting fact becomes clear: the storage capacity asymptotically approaches $2/\pi$ due to random pruning. In contrast, the storage capacity diverges in proportion to the logarithm of the length of delay by systematic pruning and the proportion constant is $4/\pi$. These results theoretically support the significance of pruning following an overgrowth of synapses in the brain and strongly suggest that the brain prefers to store dynamic attractors such as sequences and limit cycles rather than equilibrium states.Comment: 27 pages, 14 figure

Damage Due to Spot Cavitation on Hemisperical Cylindrical Body (Comparison Between Isolated Cavity and Parallel Cavities)

When the Reynolds number is larger than the critical value or laminar separation is eliminated by a trip installed on a hemispherical cylindrical body, attached spot cavitation is observed occasionally. It occurs at fixed place in the vicinity of the minimum mean pressure and grows into a triangular wedge. In the present investigation, isolated and parallel spot cavitation is artificially generated on the hemispherical body adn the behavior of the cavitation is observed by instantaneous photographs. The frequency of damaging blows in the range of the flow speed of 25 to 50 m/s is obtained by counting the number of damaged pits on an aluminum specimen. When spot cavitation occurs adjacently, the cavity become rather stable. The pitting rate at the maximum damage zone by the parallel spot cavitation is much smaller than that by the isolated spot cavitation. The total pitting rates at the maximum damage zone by the isolated and parallel spot cavitation vary roughly 5th power of the flow speed for the both cases

Promising immunotherapeutic approaches for primary effusion lymphoma

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a large B-cell neoplasm usually presenting as a serious effusion in body cavities without detectable tumor masses. It is an AIDS-related non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) with human herpes virus 8 (HHV8)/Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV) infection. A combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) prolongs the lifespan of AIDS and AIDS-related malignant lymphoma patients, but PEL continues to have a dismal prognosis. PEL showed disappointing outcomes with standard chemotherapy such as CHOP or CHOP-like regimens. A PEL status highlights the urgent need for new therapeutic approaches and treatment strategies and improve clinical outcomes. This review discusses the current knowledge and some recent clinical trials for PEL in the platform of immunotherapy as well as promising future immunotherapeutic approaches for PEL

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Circadian Rhythms of Atrioventricular Conduction Properties in Chronic Atrial Fibrillation With and Without Heart Failure

AbstractObjectives. We examined the circadian variations in atrioventricular (AV) conduction properties during atrial fibrillation (AF) by a technique based on the Lorenz plot of successive ventricular response (VR) intervals and analyzed their relations with clinical features.Background. The VR interval in chronic AF shows circadian variation, which is attenuated in patients with an increased risk of death. Although the VR interval is determined by the dynamic processes in the AV node randomly stimulated by rapid atrial activity, the circadian variations of the AV conduction properties related to this mechanism are unknown.Methods. In 48 patients with chronic AF, Lorenz plots were generated on overlapping sequential segments of 512 VR intervals in 24-h ambulatory electrocardiograms. For each scatter plot, the 1.0-s intercept of the lower envelope (LE1.0) of the plot and the degree of scatter above the envelope (root mean square difference from the envelope [scattering index]) were measured for estimating AV node refractoriness and concealed AV conduction, respectively.Results. In all patients, a significant circadian rhythm was observed for the average VR interval, LE1.0and scattering index, with an acrophase occurring at night. The mesor, amplitude and acrophase of LE1.0and the scattering index closely and independently correlated with the corresponding rhythm variables of the average VR interval (partial r20.98, 0.86 and 0.68 for LE1.0and 0.98, 0.92 and 0.92 for scattering index). The amplitudes of these measures were lower in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) even after adjustment for the effects of age, duration of AF, medications, left atrial diameter and blood pressure (p < 0.01 for all).Conclusions. These results suggest that 1) both AV node refractoriness and the degree of concealed AV conduction during AF may show a circadian rhythm; 2) the circadian rhythms of these properties may independently contribute to the circadian variation of the VR interval; and 3) these circadian rhythms may be attenuated in patients with CHF