CoCoTools: Open-source Software for Building Connectomes Using the CoCoMac Anatomical Database

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 722-745 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert S. Blumenfeld ◽  
Daniel P. Bliss ◽  
Fernando Perez ◽  
Mark D'Esposito

Neuroanatomical tracer studies in the nonhuman primate macaque monkey are a valuable resource for cognitive neuroscience research. These data ground theories of cognitive function in anatomy, and with the emergence of graph theoretical analyses in neuroscience, there is high demand for these data to be consolidated into large-scale connection matrices (“macroconnectomes”). Because manual review of the anatomical literature is time consuming and error prone, computational solutions are needed to accomplish this task. Here we describe the “CoCoTools” open-source Python library, which automates collection and integration of macaque connectivity data for visualization and graph theory analysis. CoCoTools both interfaces with the CoCoMac database, which houses a vast amount of annotated tracer results from 100 years (1905–2005) of neuroanatomical research, and implements coordinate-free registration algorithms, which allow studies that use different parcellations of the brain to be translated into a single graph. We show that using CoCoTools to translate all of the data stored in CoCoMac produces graphs with properties consistent with what is known about global brain organization. Moreover, in addition to describing CoCoTools' processing pipeline, we provide worked examples, tutorials, links to on-line documentation, and detailed appendices to aid scientists interested in using CoCoTools to gather and analyze CoCoMac data.

Author(s):  
Sacha J. van Albada ◽  
Jari Pronold ◽  
Alexander van Meegen ◽  
Markus Diesmann

AbstractWe are entering an age of ‘big’ computational neuroscience, in which neural network models are increasing in size and in numbers of underlying data sets. Consolidating the zoo of models into large-scale models simultaneously consistent with a wide range of data is only possible through the effort of large teams, which can be spread across multiple research institutions. To ensure that computational neuroscientists can build on each other’s work, it is important to make models publicly available as well-documented code. This chapter describes such an open-source model, which relates the connectivity structure of all vision-related cortical areas of the macaque monkey with their resting-state dynamics. We give a brief overview of how to use the executable model specification, which employs NEST as simulation engine, and show its runtime scaling. The solutions found serve as an example for organizing the workflow of future models from the raw experimental data to the visualization of the results, expose the challenges, and give guidance for the construction of an ICT infrastructure for neuroscience.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 750-757
Author(s):  
Jihong Wang ◽  
Yue Shi ◽  
Xiaodan Wang ◽  
Huiyou Chang

Background: At present, using computer methods to predict drug-target interactions (DTIs) is a very important step in the discovery of new drugs and drug relocation processes. The potential DTIs identified by machine learning methods can provide guidance in biochemical or clinical experiments. Objective: The goal of this article is to combine the latest network representation learning methods for drug-target prediction research, improve model prediction capabilities, and promote new drug development. Methods: We use large-scale information network embedding (LINE) method to extract network topology features of drugs, targets, diseases, etc., integrate features obtained from heterogeneous networks, construct binary classification samples, and use random forest (RF) method to predict DTIs. Results: The experiments in this paper compare the common classifiers of RF, LR, and SVM, as well as the typical network representation learning methods of LINE, Node2Vec, and DeepWalk. It can be seen that the combined method LINE-RF achieves the best results, reaching an AUC of 0.9349 and an AUPR of 0.9016. Conclusion: The learning method based on LINE network can effectively learn drugs, targets, diseases and other hidden features from the network topology. The combination of features learned through multiple networks can enhance the expression ability. RF is an effective method of supervised learning. Therefore, the Line-RF combination method is a widely applicable method.


SLEEP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Menghini ◽  
Nicola Cellini ◽  
Aimee Goldstone ◽  
Fiona C Baker ◽  
Massimiliano de Zambotti

Abstract Sleep-tracking devices, particularly within the consumer sleep technology (CST) space, are increasingly used in both research and clinical settings, providing new opportunities for large-scale data collection in highly ecological conditions. Due to the fast pace of the CST industry combined with the lack of a standardized framework to evaluate the performance of sleep trackers, their accuracy and reliability in measuring sleep remains largely unknown. Here, we provide a step-by-step analytical framework for evaluating the performance of sleep trackers (including standard actigraphy), as compared with gold-standard polysomnography (PSG) or other reference methods. The analytical guidelines are based on recent recommendations for evaluating and using CST from our group and others (de Zambotti and colleagues; Depner and colleagues), and include raw data organization as well as critical analytical procedures, including discrepancy analysis, Bland–Altman plots, and epoch-by-epoch analysis. Analytical steps are accompanied by open-source R functions (depicted at https://sri-human-sleep.github.io/sleep-trackers-performance/AnalyticalPipeline_v1.0.0.html). In addition, an empirical sample dataset is used to describe and discuss the main outcomes of the proposed pipeline. The guidelines and the accompanying functions are aimed at standardizing the testing of CSTs performance, to not only increase the replicability of validation studies, but also to provide ready-to-use tools to researchers and clinicians. All in all, this work can help to increase the efficiency, interpretation, and quality of validation studies, and to improve the informed adoption of CST in research and clinical settings.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Xiao Chang ◽  
Qiyong Gong ◽  
Chunbo Li ◽  
Weihua Yue ◽  
Xin Yu ◽  
...  

Abstract China accounts for 17% of the global disease burden attributable to mental, neurological and substance use disorders. As a country undergoing profound societal change, China faces growing challenges to reduce the disease burden caused by psychiatric disorders. In this review, we aim to present an overview of progress in neuroscience research and clinical services for psychiatric disorders in China during the past three decades, analysing contributing factors and potential challenges to the field development. We first review studies in the epidemiological, genetic and neuroimaging fields as examples to illustrate a growing contribution of studies from China to the neuroscience research. Next, we introduce large-scale, open-access imaging genetic cohorts and recently initiated brain banks in China as platforms to study healthy brain functions and brain disorders. Then, we show progress in clinical services, including an integration of hospital and community-based healthcare systems and early intervention schemes. We finally discuss opportunities and existing challenges: achievements in research and clinical services are indispensable to the growing funding investment and continued engagement in international collaborations. The unique aspect of traditional Chinese medicine may provide insights to develop a novel treatment for psychiatric disorders. Yet obstacles still remain to promote research quality and to provide ubiquitous clinical services to vulnerable populations. Taken together, we expect to see a sustained advancement in psychiatric research and healthcare system in China. These achievements will contribute to the global efforts to realize good physical, mental and social well-being for all individuals.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammadreza Yaghoobi ◽  
Krzysztof S. Stopka ◽  
Aaditya Lakshmanan ◽  
Veera Sundararaghavan ◽  
John E. Allison ◽  
...  

AbstractThe PRISMS-Fatigue open-source framework for simulation-based analysis of microstructural influences on fatigue resistance for polycrystalline metals and alloys is presented here. The framework uses the crystal plasticity finite element method as its microstructure analysis tool and provides a highly efficient, scalable, flexible, and easy-to-use ICME community platform. The PRISMS-Fatigue framework is linked to different open-source software to instantiate microstructures, compute the material response, and assess fatigue indicator parameters. The performance of PRISMS-Fatigue is benchmarked against a similar framework implemented using ABAQUS. Results indicate that the multilevel parallelism scheme of PRISMS-Fatigue is more efficient and scalable than ABAQUS for large-scale fatigue simulations. The performance and flexibility of this framework is demonstrated with various examples that assess the driving force for fatigue crack formation of microstructures with different crystallographic textures, grain morphologies, and grain numbers, and under different multiaxial strain states, strain magnitudes, and boundary conditions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (S1) ◽  
pp. 62-63
Author(s):  
Alexander M Rakowski ◽  
Joydeep Munshi ◽  
Benjamin Savitzky ◽  
Shreyas Cholia ◽  
Matthew L Henderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  

2005 ◽  
Vol 70 (5) ◽  
pp. 823-842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Stewart

Despite a fair amount of conjecture regarding the circumstances that lead to the generation of status orders, most of the previous literature in this area typically has studied the effects of social cues within a laboratory setting. This article analyzes the evolution of the status hierarchy within a large-scale, natural setting. The results of empirical analyses assessing a large online community of software developers show that in the process of status attainment, community members tend to evaluate a focal actor's reputation according to publicly available social references. Ironically, these same social references also work to constrain an actor's status mobility.


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