An Evolutionary Coupled Neural Oscillators with Application to Pattern Recognition

Cyclical activities are basic characteristics of all living organisms. Neurobiologists have discovered that a single neuron often possesses membrane properties that are responsible for the generation of oscillations. When coupled with other neurons, oscillations with varying properties depending on the type of interconnection can be generated. Using synchronization and temporal correlation of these oscillations can cany out the tasks of pattern recognition of different objects. The speed of recognition depends on the speed of synchronization. In this paper, we propose evolutionary coupled neural oscillators to minimize the time of synchronization through the optimization of the neuron parameters by means of a genetic algorithm. The genetic algorithm, with its global search capability, finds the optimum neuron parameters through a fitness measure that reflects the correlation strength between oscillators. Thus avoiding the trial-and-error process of estimating the neuron parameters. The superiority of the method is demonstrated through an application of character recognition process

New monoallelic (partial tandem duplication) mutation of HNF1a gene in steatotic hepatocellular adenoma

Hepatocellular adenomas (HCAs) containing inactivating HNF1a mutations correspond to a homogenous group of tumors with marked steatosis and no cytological abnormalities or inflammatory infiltrates. We report a case of a 60-year-old woman who was referred with a 13-cm mass in the left lobe of the liver with no history of oral contraception use and no family history of note. Histology revealed a severely steatotic HCA. Immunohistochemistry showed no nuclear staining for β-catenin, limited glutamine synthetase positivity, and slightly attenuated liver-fatty acid binding protein staining. Serum amyloid A2 antibodies produced a coarse granular staining. Mutational screening detected monoallelic partial tandem duplication within exon 4 of TCF1 in tumoral tissue. No mutations in the b-catenin and IL6ST genes were detected. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR showed lower expression levels of FABP1 and uridine glycosyltransferase 2B7 and higher levels of serum amyloid A2 in tumor than in normal hepatocytes. Clinicopathological and molecular investigation of HCA cases with unique features could result in a better understanding of HCAs pathogenesis. © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins