14,086 research outputs found
Sampling Properties of the Spectrum and Coherency of Sequences of Action Potentials
The spectrum and coherency are useful quantities for characterizing the
temporal correlations and functional relations within and between point
processes. This paper begins with a review of these quantities, their
interpretation and how they may be estimated. A discussion of how to assess the
statistical significance of features in these measures is included. In
addition, new work is presented which builds on the framework established in
the review section. This work investigates how the estimates and their error
bars are modified by finite sample sizes. Finite sample corrections are derived
based on a doubly stochastic inhomogeneous Poisson process model in which the
rate functions are drawn from a low variance Gaussian process. It is found
that, in contrast to continuous processes, the variance of the estimators
cannot be reduced by smoothing beyond a scale which is set by the number of
point events in the interval. Alternatively, the degrees of freedom of the
estimators can be thought of as bounded from above by the expected number of
point events in the interval. Further new work describing and illustrating a
method for detecting the presence of a line in a point process spectrum is also
presented, corresponding to the detection of a periodic modulation of the
underlying rate. This work demonstrates that a known statistical test,
applicable to continuous processes, applies, with little modification, to point
process spectra, and is of utility in studying a point process driven by a
continuous stimulus. While the material discussed is of general applicability
to point processes attention will be confined to sequences of neuronal action
potentials (spike trains) which were the motivation for this work.Comment: 33 pages, 9 figure
On arbitrary-level IIR and FIR filters
A recently published method for designing IIR (infinite-impulse-response) digital filters with multilevel magnitude responses is reinterpreted from a different viewpoint. On the basis of this interpretation, techniques for extending these results to the case of finite-impulse-response (FIR) filters are developed. An advantage of the authors' method is that, when the arbitrary-level filter is implemented, its power-complementary filter, which may be required in specific applications, is obtained simultaneously. Also, by means of a tuning factor (a parameter of the scaling matrix), it is possible to generate a whole family of arbitrary-level filters
A framework for detection and classification of events in neural activity
We present a method for the real time prediction of punctate events in neural
activity, based on the time-frequency spectrum of the signal, applicable both
to continuous processes like local field potentials (LFP) as well as to spike
trains. We test it on recordings of LFP and spiking activity acquired
previously from the lateral intraparietal area (LIP) of macaque monkeys
performing a memory-saccade task. In contrast to earlier work, where trials
with known start times were classified, our method detects and classifies
trials directly from the data. It provides a means to quantitatively compare
and contrast the content of LFP signals and spike trains: we find that the
detector performance based on the LFP matches the performance based on spike
rates. The method should find application in the development of neural
prosthetics based on the LFP signal. Our approach uses a new feature vector,
which we call the 2D cepstrum.Comment: 30 pages, 6 figures; This version submitted to the IEEE Transactions
in Biomedical Engineerin
Temporal structure in neuronal activity during working memory in Macaque parietal cortex
A number of cortical structures are reported to have elevated single unit
firing rates sustained throughout the memory period of a working memory task.
How the nervous system forms and maintains these memories is unknown but
reverberating neuronal network activity is thought to be important. We studied
the temporal structure of single unit (SU) activity and simultaneously recorded
local field potential (LFP) activity from area LIP in the inferior parietal
lobe of two awake macaques during a memory-saccade task. Using multitaper
techniques for spectral analysis, which play an important role in obtaining the
present results, we find elevations in spectral power in a 50--90 Hz (gamma)
frequency band during the memory period in both SU and LFP activity. The
activity is tuned to the direction of the saccade providing evidence for
temporal structure that codes for movement plans during working memory. We also
find SU and LFP activity are coherent during the memory period in the 50--90 Hz
gamma band and no consistent relation is present during simple fixation.
Finally, we find organized LFP activity in a 15--25 Hz frequency band that may
be related to movement execution and preparatory aspects of the task. Neuronal
activity could be used to control a neural prosthesis but SU activity can be
hard to isolate with cortical implants. As the LFP is easier to acquire than SU
activity, our finding of rich temporal structure in LFP activity related to
movement planning and execution may accelerate the development of this medical
application.Comment: Originally submitted to the neuro-sys archive which was never
publicly announced (was 0005002
Comments on the paper ``Bare Quark Surfacees of Strange Stars and Electron-Positron Pair Emission''
In a recent paper (Ushov, PRL, 80, 230, 1998), it has been claimed that the
bare surface of a strange star can emit electron-positron pairs of luminosity
\~10^{51} ergs/s for about 10s. If true, obviously, this mechanism may explain
the origin of cosmic Gamma Ray Bursts. However, we point out that such a
mechanism is does not work because (i) if pair production really occurs the
supposed pre-existing supercritical electric field will be quenched and this
discharge process may at best release ~10^{24} ergs of electromagnetic energy,
and (ii) there is no way by which the trapped core thermal energy of few
10^{52} ergs can be transmitted electromagnetically on a time scale of ~10s or
even on a much larger time scale. The only way the hot core can cool on a time
scale of ~10 s or much shorter is by the well known process of emission of
nu-antinu pairs.Comment: Final version accepted in Phy. Rev. Lett. Main conclusion that the
mechanism by Usov does not work remains unchanged,
[email protected]
3D-4D Interlinkage Of qqq Wave Functions Under 3D Support For Pairwise Bethe-Salpeter Kernels
Using the method of Green's functions within a Bethe-Salpeter framework
characterized by a pairwise qq interaction with a Lorentz-covariant 3D support
to its kernel, the 4D BS wave function for a system of 3 identical relativistic
spinless quarks is reconstructed from the corresponding 3D form which satisfies
a fully connected 3D BSE. This result is a 3-body generalization of a similar
2-body result found earlier under identical conditions of a 3D support to the
corresponding qq-bar BS kernel under Covariant Instaneity (CIA for short). (The
generalization from spinless to fermion quarks is straightforward).
To set the CIA with 3D BS kernel support ansatz in the context of
contemporary approaches to the qqq baryon problem, a model scalar 4D qqq BSE
with pairwise contact interactions to simulate the NJL-Faddeev equations is
worked out fully, and a comparison of both vertex functions shows that the CIA
vertex reduces exactly to the NJL form in the limit of zero spatial range. This
consistency check on the CIA vertex function is part of a fuller accounting for
its mathematical structure whose physical motivation is traceable to the role
of `spectroscopy' as an integral part of the dynamics.Comment: 20 pages, Latex, submitted via the account of K.-C. Yan
Baryon Self-Energy With QQQ Bethe-Salpeter Dynamics In The Non-Perturbative QCD Regime: n-p Mass Difference
A qqq BSE formalism based on DB{\chi}S of an input 4-fermion Lagrangian of
`current' u,d quarks interacting pairwise via gluon-exchange-propagator in its
{\it non-perturbative} regime, is employed for the calculation of baryon
self-energy via quark-loop integrals. To that end the baryon-qqq vertex
function is derived under Covariant Instantaneity Ansatz (CIA), using Green's
function techniques. This is a 3-body extension of an earlier q{\bar q}
(2-body) result on the exact 3D-4D interconnection for the respective BS wave
functions under 3D kernel support, precalibrated to both q{\bar q} and qqq
spectra plus other observables. The quark loop integrals for the neutron (n) -
proton (p) mass difference receive contributions from : i) the strong SU(2)
effect arising from the d-u mass difference (4 MeV); ii) the e.m. effect of the
respective quark charges. The resultant n-p difference comes dominantly from
d-u effect (+1.71 Mev), which is mildly offset by e.m.effect (-0.44), subject
to gauge corrections. To that end, a general method for QED gauge corrections
to an arbitrary momentum dependent vertex function is outlined, and on on a
proportionate basis from the (two-body) kaon case, the net n-p difference works
out at just above 1 MeV. A critical comparison is given with QCD sum rules
results.Comment: be 27 pages, Latex file, and to be published in IJMPA, Vol 1
A 'p-n' diode with hole and electron-doped lanthanum manganite
The hole-doped manganite La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 and the electron-doped manganite
La0.7Ce0.3MnO3 undergo an insulator to metal transition at around 250 K, above
which both behave as a polaronic semiconductor. We have successfully fabricated
an epitaxial trilayer (La0.7Ca0.3MnO3/SrTiO3/La0.7Ce0.3MnO3), where SrTiO3 is
an insulator. At room temperature, i.e. in the semiconducting regime, it
exhibits asymmetric current-voltage (I-V) characteristics akin to a p-n diode.
The observed asymmetry in the I-V characteristics disappears at low
temperatures where both the manganite layers are metallic. To the best of our
knowledge, this is the first report of such a p-n diode, using the polaronic
semiconducting regime of doped manganites.Comment: PostScript text and 2 figures, to be published in Appl. Phys. Lett
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