Optoelectronic Reservoir Computing

Reservoir computing is a recently introduced, highly efficient bio-inspired approach for processing time dependent data. The basic scheme of reservoir computing consists of a non linear recurrent dynamical system coupled to a single input layer and a single output layer. Within these constraints many implementations are possible. Here we report an opto-electronic implementation of reservoir computing based on a recently proposed architecture consisting of a single non linear node and a delay line. Our implementation is sufficiently fast for real time information processing. We illustrate its performance on tasks of practical importance such as nonlinear channel equalization and speech recognition, and obtain results comparable to state of the art digital implementations.Comment: Contains main paper and two Supplementary Material

Online Training of an Opto-Electronic Reservoir Computer

Reservoir Computing is a bio-inspired computing paradigm for processing time dependent signals. Its analog implementations equal and sometimes outperform other digital algorithms on a series of benchmark tasks. Their performance can be increased by switching from offline to online training method. Here we present the first online trained opto-electronic reservoir computer. The system is tested on a channel equalisation task and the algorithm is executed by an FPGA chip. We report performances close to previous implementations and demonstrate the benefits of online training on a non-stationary task that could not be easily solved using offline methods.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Brain energy rescue:an emerging therapeutic concept for neurodegenerative disorders of ageing

The brain requires a continuous supply of energy in the form of ATP, most of which is produced from glucose by oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria, complemented by aerobic glycolysis in the cytoplasm. When glucose levels are limited, ketone bodies generated in the liver and lactate derived from exercising skeletal muscle can also become important energy substrates for the brain. In neurodegenerative disorders of ageing, brain glucose metabolism deteriorates in a progressive, region-specific and disease-specific manner — a problem that is best characterized in Alzheimer disease, where it begins presymptomatically. This Review discusses the status and prospects of therapeutic strategies for countering neurodegenerative disorders of ageing by improving, preserving or rescuing brain energetics. The approaches described include restoring oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis, increasing insulin sensitivity, correcting mitochondrial dysfunction, ketone-based interventions, acting via hormones that modulate cerebral energetics, RNA therapeutics and complementary multimodal lifestyle changes

INTERACTIONS BETWEEN CYCLODEXTRINS AND OPHTHALMIC DRUGS

In this paper the possible applications of cyclodextrins in ophthalmic preparations are reviewed. First, an overview is given of the benefical effects of cyclodextrins, including an increase in solubility, increase in stability, and avoidance of incompatibilities. Then the interaction of cyclodextrin with a number of ophthalmic drugs, including antibiotics, sulfonamides, preservatives, steroids, NSAID and some other compounds, is discussed. It is concluded that cyclodextrins may be useful adjuvants to increase the solubility and stability of ophthalmic drugs, but it remains uncertain whether they have a significant positive effect upon biovailability

SORPTION OF BACTERIAL-ENDOTOXIN AND RETENTION OF BACTERIA BY POSITIVELY CHARGED MEMBRANE FILTERS

Positively charged membrane filters (Pall, Posidyne(R)) were studied for their ability to retain both bacterial endotoxins and bacteria. Filters (0.2 mum pore size) were challenged with high (up to 5*10(5) EU) levels of bacterial endotoxin. When the endotoxin was dispersed in water, a more than 10.000 fold reduction of the endotoxin was obtained, whereas the reduction was only a factor 20 when Ringer's solution was used to disperse the endotoxin. Retention of bacteria was dependent on the type of organism, the pore size of the filter and the suspending liquid. Although filters with pore sizes > 0.2 mum were not suitable to be used as a final filter in an aseptic production process, a very reduction in the number of bacteria could be obtained. Possible applications for these filters in the production of sterile pharmaceuticals are discussed

THE PRESERVATION OF SOME ORAL LIQUID PREPARATIONS - THE REPLACEMENT OF CHLOROFORM BY OTHER PRESERVATIVES

Chloroform should be considered as an obsolete preservative for,pharmaceutical preparations, because of its toxicological implications and its physical instability. The effectiveness oi possible alternatives for chloroform in three-oral liquid pharmaceutical preparations was investigated, using a microbiological challenge test. Magnesium trisilicate mixture (British Pharmacopoeia) can be adequately preserved with methylparaben (2 g/l). Only insignificant amounts of methylparaben were absorbed by the solids present-in the magnesium I:trisilicate mixture. Ferrous sulfate mixture (British Pharmacopoeia) can be preserved with a mixture of methylparaben (1.8 g/l) and propylparaben (0.2 g/l). Sorbic acid (1 g/l) is a suitable preservative for promethazine hydrochloride syrup