485 research outputs found
Structural plasticity on an accelerated analog neuromorphic hardware system
In computational neuroscience, as well as in machine learning, neuromorphic
devices promise an accelerated and scalable alternative to neural network
simulations. Their neural connectivity and synaptic capacity depends on their
specific design choices, but is always intrinsically limited. Here, we present
a strategy to achieve structural plasticity that optimizes resource allocation
under these constraints by constantly rewiring the pre- and gpostsynaptic
partners while keeping the neuronal fan-in constant and the connectome sparse.
In particular, we implemented this algorithm on the analog neuromorphic system
BrainScaleS-2. It was executed on a custom embedded digital processor located
on chip, accompanying the mixed-signal substrate of spiking neurons and synapse
circuits. We evaluated our implementation in a simple supervised learning
scenario, showing its ability to optimize the network topology with respect to
the nature of its training data, as well as its overall computational
efficiency
Emulating insect brains for neuromorphic navigation
Bees display the remarkable ability to return home in a straight line after
meandering excursions to their environment. Neurobiological imaging studies
have revealed that this capability emerges from a path integration mechanism
implemented within the insect's brain. In the present work, we emulate this
neural network on the neuromorphic mixed-signal processor BrainScaleS-2 to
guide bees, virtually embodied on a digital co-processor, back to their home
location after randomly exploring their environment. To realize the underlying
neural integrators, we introduce single-neuron spike-based short-term memory
cells with axo-axonic synapses. All entities, including environment, sensory
organs, brain, actuators, and the virtual body, run autonomously on a single
BrainScaleS-2 microchip. The functioning network is fine-tuned for better
precision and reliability through an evolution strategy. As BrainScaleS-2
emulates neural processes 1000 times faster than biology, 4800 consecutive bee
journeys distributed over 320 generations occur within only half an hour on a
single neuromorphic core
Smooth(er) Stellar Mass Maps in CANDELS: Constraints on the Longevity of Clumps in High-redshift Star-forming Galaxies
We perform a detailed analysis of the resolved colors and stellar populations
of a complete sample of 323 star-forming galaxies at 0.5 < z < 1.5, and 326
star-forming galaxies at 1.5 < z < 2.5 in the ERS and CANDELS-Deep region of
GOODS-South. Galaxies were selected to be more massive than 10^10 Msun and have
specific star formation rates above 1/t_H. We model the 7-band optical ACS +
near-IR WFC3 spectral energy distributions of individual bins of pixels,
accounting simultaneously for the galaxy-integrated photometric constraints
available over a longer wavelength range. We analyze variations in rest-frame
color, stellar surface mass density, age, and extinction as a function of
galactocentric radius and local surface brightness/density, and measure
structural parameters on luminosity and stellar mass maps. We find evidence for
redder colors, older stellar ages, and increased dust extinction in the nuclei
of galaxies. Big star-forming clumps seen in star formation tracers are less
prominent or even invisible on the inferred stellar mass distributions.
Off-center clumps contribute up to ~20% to the integrated SFR, but only 7% or
less to the integrated mass of all massive star-forming galaxies at z ~ 1 and z
~ 2, with the fractional contributions being a decreasing function of
wavelength used to select the clumps. The stellar mass profiles tend to have
smaller sizes and M20 coefficients, and higher concentration and Gini
coefficients than the light distribution. Our results are consistent with an
inside-out disk growth scenario with brief (100 - 200 Myr) episodic local
enhancements in star formation superposed on the underlying disk.
Alternatively, the young ages of off-center clumps may signal inward clump
migration, provided this happens efficiently on the order of an orbital
timescale.Comment: Accepted by The Astrophysical Journal, 27 pages, 1 table, 16 figure
Local Electrical Dyssynchrony during Atrial Fibrillation: Theoretical Considerations and Initial Catheter Ablation Results
Copyright: © 2016 Kuklik et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Background
Electrogram-based identification of the regions maintaining persistent Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is a subject of ongoing debate. Here, we explore the concept of local electrical dyssynchrony to identify AF drivers.
Methods and Results
Local electrical dyssynchrony was calculated using mean phase coherence. High-density epicardial mapping along with mathematical model were used to explore the link between local dyssynchrony and properties of wave conduction. High-density mapping showed a positive correlation between the dyssynchrony and number of fibrillatory waves (R2 = 0.68, p<0.001). In the mathematical model, virtual ablation at high dyssynchrony regions resulted in conduction regularization. The clinical study consisted of eighteen patients undergoing catheter ablation of persistent AF. High-density maps of left atrial (LA) were constructed using a circular mapping catheter. After pulmonary vein isolation, regions with the top 10% of the highest dyssynchrony in LA were targeted during ablation and followed with ablation of complex atrial electrograms. Catheter ablation resulted in termination during ablation at high dyssynchrony regions in 7 (41%) patients. In another 4 (24%) patients, transient organization was observed. In 6 (35%) there was no clear effect. Long-term follow-up showed 65% AF freedom at 1 year and 22% at 2 years.
Conclusions
Local electrical dyssynchrony provides a reasonable estimator of regional AF complexity
defined as the number of fibrillatory waves. Additionally, it points to regions of dynamical instability related with action potential alternans. However, despite those characteristics, its utility in guiding catheter ablation of AF is limited suggesting other factors are responsible for AF persistence
Piperazinyl quinolines as chemosensitizers to increase fluconazole susceptibility of Candida albicans clinical isolates
The effectiveness of the potent antifungal drug fluconazole is being compromised by the rise of drug-resistant fungal pathogens. While inhibition of Hsp90 or calcineurin can reverse drug resistance in Candida, such inhibitors also impair the homologous human host protein and fungal-selective chemosensitizers remain rare. The MLPCN library was screened to identify compounds that selectively reverse fluconazole resistance in a Candida albicans clinical isolate, while having no antifungal activity when administered as a single agent. A piperazinyl quinoline was identified as a new small-molecule probe (ML189) satisfying these criteria.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (1 R03 MH086456-01
Brain death determination in patients with veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: a systematic study to address the Harlequin syndrome
Purpose
The Harlequin syndrome may occur in patients treated with venoarterial extracorporal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO), in whom blood from the left ventricle and the ECMO system supply different parts of the body with different paCO2-levels. The purpose of this study was to compare two variants of paCO2-analysis to account for the Harlequin syndrome during apnea testing (AT) in brain death (BD) determination.
Materials and methods
Twenty-seven patients (median age 48 years, 26–76 years; male n = 19) with VA-ECMO treatment were included who underwent BD determination. In variant 1, simultaneous arterial blood gas (ABG) samples were drawn from the right and the left radial artery. In variant 2, simultaneous ABG samples were drawn from the right radial artery and the postoxygenator ECMO circuit. Differences in paCO2-levels were analysed for both variants.
Results
At the start of AT, median paCO2-difference between right and left radial artery (variant 1) was 0.90 mmHg (95%-confidence intervall [CI]: 0.7–1.3 mmHg). Median paCO2-difference between right radial artery and postoxygenator ECMO circuit (variant 2) was 3.3 mmHg (95%-CI: 1.5–6.0 mmHg) and thereby significantly higher compared to variant 1 (p = 0.001). At the end of AT, paCO2-difference according to variant 1 remained unchanged with 1.1 mmHg (95%-CI: 0.9–1.8 mmHg). In contrast, paCO2-difference according to variant 2 increased to 9.9 mmHg (95%-CI: 3.5–19.2 mmHg; p = 0.002).
Conclusions
Simultaneous paCO2-analysis from right and left distal arterial lines is the method of choice to reduce the risk of adverse effects (e.g. severe respiratory acidosis) while performing AT in VA-ECMO patients during BD determination
Oxford SWIFT IFS and multi-wavelength observations of the Eagle galaxy at z=0.77
The `Eagle' galaxy at a redshift of 0.77 is studied with the Oxford Short
Wavelength Integral Field Spectrograph (SWIFT) and multi-wavelength data from
the All-wavelength Extended Groth strip International Survey (AEGIS). It was
chosen from AEGIS because of the bright and extended emission in its slit
spectrum. Three dimensional kinematic maps of the Eagle reveal a gradient in
velocity dispersion which spans 35-75 +/- 10 km/s and a rotation velocity of 25
+/- 5 km/s uncorrected for inclination. Hubble Space Telescope images suggest
it is close to face-on. In comparison with galaxies from AEGIS at similar
redshifts, the Eagle is extremely bright and blue in the rest-frame optical,
highly star-forming, dominated by unobscured star-formation, and has a low
metallicity for its size. This is consistent with its selection. The Eagle is
likely undergoing a major merger and is caught in the early stage of a
star-burst when it has not yet experienced metal enrichment or formed the mass
of dust typically found in star-forming galaxies.Comment: accepted for publication in MNRA
Recommended from our members
Outcomes in patients with gunshot wounds to the brain.
Introduction:Gunshot wounds to the brain (GSWB) confer high lethality and uncertain recovery. It is unclear which patients benefit from aggressive resuscitation, and furthermore whether patients with GSWB undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) have potential for survival or organ donation. Therefore, we sought to determine the rates of survival and organ donation, as well as identify factors associated with both outcomes in patients with GSWB undergoing CPR. Methods:We performed a retrospective, multicenter study at 25 US trauma centers including dates between June 1, 2011 and December 31, 2017. Patients were included if they suffered isolated GSWB and required CPR at a referring hospital, in the field, or in the trauma resuscitation room. Patients were excluded for significant torso or extremity injuries, or if pregnant. Binomial regression models were used to determine predictors of survival/organ donation. Results:825 patients met study criteria; the majority were male (87.6%) with a mean age of 36.5 years. Most (67%) underwent CPR in the field and 2.1% (n=17) survived to discharge. Of the non-survivors, 17.5% (n=141) were considered eligible donors, with a donation rate of 58.9% (n=83) in this group. Regression models found several predictors of survival. Hormone replacement was predictive of both survival and organ donation. Conclusion:We found that GSWB requiring CPR during trauma resuscitation was associated with a 2.1% survival rate and overall organ donation rate of 10.3%. Several factors appear to be favorably associated with survival, although predictions are uncertain due to the low number of survivors in this patient population. Hormone replacement was predictive of both survival and organ donation. These results are a starting point for determining appropriate treatment algorithms for this devastating clinical condition. Level of evidence:Level II
- …