scholarly journals Critical behaviour of the stochastic Wilson-Cowan model

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. e1008884
Author(s):  
Antonio de Candia ◽  
Alessandro Sarracino ◽  
Ilenia Apicella ◽  
Lucilla de Arcangelis

Spontaneous brain activity is characterized by bursts and avalanche-like dynamics, with scale-free features typical of critical behaviour. The stochastic version of the celebrated Wilson-Cowan model has been widely studied as a system of spiking neurons reproducing non-trivial features of the neural activity, from avalanche dynamics to oscillatory behaviours. However, to what extent such phenomena are related to the presence of a genuine critical point remains elusive. Here we address this central issue, providing analytical results in the linear approximation and extensive numerical analysis. In particular, we present results supporting the existence of a bona fide critical point, where a second-order-like phase transition occurs, characterized by scale-free avalanche dynamics, scaling with the system size and a diverging relaxation time-scale. Moreover, our study shows that the observed critical behaviour falls within the universality class of the mean-field branching process, where the exponents of the avalanche size and duration distributions are, respectively, 3/2 and 2. We also provide an accurate analysis of the system behaviour as a function of the total number of neurons, focusing on the time correlation functions of the firing rate in a wide range of the parameter space.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio De Candia ◽  
Alessandro Sarracino ◽  
Ilenia Apicella ◽  
Lucilla de Arcangelis

Spontaneous brain activity is characterized by bursts and avalanche-like dynamics, with scale-free features typical of critical behaviour. The stochastic version of the celebrated Wilson-Cowan model has been widely studied as a system of spiking neurons reproducing non-trivial features of the neural activity, from avalanche dynamics to oscillatory behaviours. However, to what extent such phenomena are related to the presence of a genuine critical point remains elusive. Here we address this central issue, providing analytical results in the linear approximation and extensive numerical analysis. In particular, we present results supporting the existence of a bona fide critical point, where a second-order-like phase transition occurs, characterized by scale-free avalanche dynamics, scaling with the system size and a diverging relaxation time-scale. Moreover, our study shows that the observed critical behaviour falls within the universality class of the mean-field branching process, where the exponents of the avalanche size and duration distributions are, respectively, -3/2 and -2. We also provide an accurate analysis of the system behaviour as a function of the total number of neurons, focusing on the time correlation functions of the firing rate in a wide range of the parameter space.


Soft Matter ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Maggi ◽  
Matteo Paoluzzi ◽  
Andrea Crisanti ◽  
Emanuela Zaccarelli ◽  
Nicoletta Gnan

We perform large-scale computer simulations of an off-lattice two-dimensional model of active particles undergoing a motility-induced phase separation (MIPS) to investigate the systems critical behaviour close to the critical point...


Universe ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 103
Author(s):  
Daria Prokhorova ◽  
Nikolaos Davis

The NA61/SHINE experiment at CERN SPS searches for the critical point of strongly interacting matter via scanning the phase diagram by changing beam momenta (13A–150A GeV/c) and system size (p + p, p + Pb, Be + Be, Ar + Sc, Xe + La). An observation of local proton-density fluctuations that scale as a power law of the appropriate universality class as a function of phase space bin size would signal the approach of the system to the vicinity of the possible critical point. An investigation of this phenomenon was performed in terms of the second-scaled factorial moments (SSFMs) of proton density in transverse momentum space with subtraction of a noncritical background. New NA61/SHINE preliminary analysis of Ar + Sc data at 150A GeV/c revealed a nontrivial intermittent behavior of proton moments. A similar effect was observed by NA49 in “Si” + Si data at 158A GeV/c. At the same time, no intermittency signal was detected in “C” + C and Pb + Pb events by NA49, as well as in Be + Be collisions by NA61/SHINE. EPOS1.99 also fails to describe the power-law scaling of SSFMs in Ar + Sc. Qualitatively, the effect is more pronounced with the increase of collision-peripherality and proton-purity thresholds, but a quantitative estimate is to be properly done via power-law exponent fit using the bootstrap method and compared to intermittency critical index ϕ 2 , derived from 3D-Ising effective action.


2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 191-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzannah K. Helps ◽  
Samantha J. Broyd ◽  
Christopher J. James ◽  
Anke Karl ◽  
Edmund J. S. Sonuga-Barke

Background: The default mode interference hypothesis ( Sonuga-Barke & Castellanos, 2007 ) predicts (1) the attenuation of very low frequency oscillations (VLFO; e.g., .05 Hz) in brain activity within the default mode network during the transition from rest to task, and (2) that failures to attenuate in this way will lead to an increased likelihood of periodic attention lapses that are synchronized to the VLFO pattern. Here, we tested these predictions using DC-EEG recordings within and outside of a previously identified network of electrode locations hypothesized to reflect DMN activity (i.e., S3 network; Helps et al., 2008 ). Method: 24 young adults (mean age 22.3 years; 8 male), sampled to include a wide range of ADHD symptoms, took part in a study of rest to task transitions. Two conditions were compared: 5 min of rest (eyes open) and a 10-min simple 2-choice RT task with a relatively high sampling rate (ISI 1 s). DC-EEG was recorded during both conditions, and the low-frequency spectrum was decomposed and measures of the power within specific bands extracted. Results: Shift from rest to task led to an attenuation of VLFO activity within the S3 network which was inversely associated with ADHD symptoms. RT during task also showed a VLFO signature. During task there was a small but significant degree of synchronization between EEG and RT in the VLFO band. Attenuators showed a lower degree of synchrony than nonattenuators. Discussion: The results provide some initial EEG-based support for the default mode interference hypothesis and suggest that failure to attenuate VLFO in the S3 network is associated with higher synchrony between low-frequency brain activity and RT fluctuations during a simple RT task. Although significant, the effects were small and future research should employ tasks with a higher sampling rate to increase the possibility of extracting robust and stable signals.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 2
Author(s):  
Liliana Anchidin-Norocel ◽  
Sonia Amariei ◽  
Gheorghe Gutt

The aim of this paper is the development of a sensor for the quantification of nickel ions in food raw materials and foods. It is believed that about 15% of the human population suffers from nickel allergy. In addition to digestive manifestations, food intolerance to nickel may also have systemic manifestations, such as diffuse dermatitis, diffuse itching, fever, rhinitis, headache, altered general condition. Therefore, it is necessary to control this content of nickel ions for the health of the human population by developing a new method that offers the advantages of a fast, not expensive, in situ, and accurate analysis. For this purpose, bismuth oxide-screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) and graphene-modified SPEs were used with a very small amount of dimethylglyoxime and amino acid L-histidine that were deposited. A potentiostat that displays the response in the form of a cyclic voltammogram was used to study the electrochemical properties of nickel standard solution with different concentrations. The results were compared and the most sensitive sensor proved to be bismuth oxide-SPEs with dimethylglyoxime (Bi2O3/C-dmgH2) with a linear response over a wide range (0.1–10 ppm) of nickel concentrations. Furthermore, the sensor shows excellent selectivity in the presence of common interfering species. The Bi2O3/C-dmgH2 sensor showed good viability for nickel analysis in food samples (cocoa, spinach, cabbage, and red wine) and demonstrated significant advancement in sensor technology for practical applications.


Symmetry ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1358
Author(s):  
Yiannis Contoyiannis ◽  
Michael P. Hanias ◽  
Pericles Papadopoulos ◽  
Stavros G. Stavrinides ◽  
Myron Kampitakis ◽  
...  

This paper presents our study of the presence of the unstable critical point in spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) in the framework of Ginzburg–Landau (G-L) free energy. Through a 3D Ising spin lattice simulation, we found a zone of hysteresis where the unstable critical point continued to exist, despite the system having entered the broken symmetry phase. Within the hysteresis zone, the presence of the kink–antikink SSB solitons expands and, therefore, these can be observed. In scalar field theories, such as Higgs fields, the mass of this soliton inside the hysteresis zone could behave as a tachyon mass, namely as an imaginary quantity. Due to the fact that groups Ζ(2) and SU(2) belong to the same universality class, one expects that, in future experiments of ultra-relativistic nuclear collisions, in addition to the expected bosons condensations, structures of tachyon fields could appear.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janek Meyer ◽  
Hannes Renzsch ◽  
Kai Graf ◽  
Thomas Slawig

While plain vanilla OpenFOAM has strong capabilities with regards to quite a few typical CFD-tasks, some problems actually require additional bespoke solvers and numerics for efficient computation of high-quality results. One of the fields requiring these additions is the computation of large-scale free-surface flows as found e.g. in naval architecture. This holds especially for the flow around typical modern yacht hulls, often planing, sometimes with surface-piercing appendages. Particular challenges include, but are not limited to, breaking waves, sharpness of interface, numerical ventilation (aka streaking) and a wide range of flow phenomenon scales. A new OF-based application including newly implemented discretization schemes, gradient computation and rigid body motion computation is described. In the following the new code will be validated against published experimental data; the effect on accuracy, computational time and solver stability will be shown by comparison to standard OF-solvers (interFoam / interDyMFoam) and Star CCM+. The code’s capabilities to simulate complex “real-world” flows are shown on a well-known racing yacht design.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 277-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Selen Atasoy ◽  
Gustavo Deco ◽  
Morten L. Kringelbach ◽  
Joel Pearson

A fundamental characteristic of spontaneous brain activity is coherent oscillations covering a wide range of frequencies. Interestingly, these temporal oscillations are highly correlated among spatially distributed cortical areas forming structured correlation patterns known as the resting state networks, although the brain is never truly at “rest.” Here, we introduce the concept of harmonic brain modes—fundamental building blocks of complex spatiotemporal patterns of neural activity. We define these elementary harmonic brain modes as harmonic modes of structural connectivity; that is, connectome harmonics, yielding fully synchronous neural activity patterns with different frequency oscillations emerging on and constrained by the particular structure of the brain. Hence, this particular definition implicitly links the hitherto poorly understood dimensions of space and time in brain dynamics and its underlying anatomy. Further we show how harmonic brain modes can explain the relationship between neurophysiological, temporal, and network-level changes in the brain across different mental states ( wakefulness, sleep, anesthesia, psychedelic). Notably, when decoded as activation of connectome harmonics, spatial and temporal characteristics of neural activity naturally emerge from the interplay between excitation and inhibition and this critical relation fits the spatial, temporal, and neurophysiological changes associated with different mental states. Thus, the introduced framework of harmonic brain modes not only establishes a relation between the spatial structure of correlation patterns and temporal oscillations (linking space and time in brain dynamics), but also enables a new dimension of tools for understanding fundamental principles underlying brain dynamics in different states of consciousness.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Xiao Outomuro Somozas ◽  
Rudi P. Nielsen ◽  
Marco Maschietti ◽  
Anders Andreasen

Three flare systems are modeled and total plant depressurization is investigated using dynamic simulations in order to access the debottlenecking potential. Usually steady-state simulation of the flare network is used for sizing and rating of the flare system. By using dynamic simulations effects from line packing in the flare system can be studied. The results show that peak flow during a dynamic simulations is significantly lower than the peak flow used in a steady-state case. <br>The three systems investigated span a wide range in flare system size, both in terms of number of process segments disposing into the flare network, in terms of peak design rate and the flare network pipe dimensions and total hold-up volume. Generally, it is observed that the larger the flare system, the larger debottlenecking potential.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily S. Kappenman ◽  
Jaclyn Farrens ◽  
Wendy Zhang ◽  
Andrew X Stewart ◽  
Steven J Luck

Event-related potentials (ERPs) are noninvasive measures of human brain activity that index a range of sensory, cognitive, affective, and motor processes. Despite their broad application across basic and clinical research, there is little standardization of ERP paradigms and analysis protocols across studies. To address this, we created ERP CORE (Compendium of Open Resources and Experiments), a set of optimized paradigms, experiment control scripts, data processing pipelines, and sample data (N = 40 neurotypical young adults) for seven widely used ERP components: N170, mismatch negativity (MMN), N2pc, N400, P3, lateralized readiness potential (LRP), and error-related negativity (ERN). This resource makes it possible for researchers to 1) employ standardized ERP paradigms in their research, 2) apply carefully designed analysis pipelines and use a priori selected parameters for data processing, 3) rigorously assess the quality of their data, and 4) test new analytic techniques with standardized data from a wide range of paradigms.


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