Neuronal avalanches of a self-organized neural network with active-neuron-dominant structure

Neuronal avalanche is a spontaneous neuronal activity which obeys a power-law distribution of population event sizes with an exponent of -3/2. It has been observed in the superficial layers of cortex both in vivo and in vitro. In this paper, we analyze the information transmission of a novel self-organized neural network with active-neuron-dominant structure. Neuronal avalanches can be observed in this network with appropriate input intensity. We find that the process of network learning via spike-timing dependent plasticity dramatically increases the complexity of network structure, which is finally self-organized to be active-neuron-dominant connectivity. Both the entropy of activity patterns and the complexity of their resulting post-synaptic inputs are maximized when the network dynamics are propagated as neuronal avalanches. This emergent topology is beneficial for information transmission with high efficiency and also could be responsible for the large information capacity of this network compared with alternative archetypal networks with different neural connectivity.     

Coevolution of information processing and topology in hierarchical adaptive random Boolean networks

Random Boolean Networks (RBNs) are frequently used for modeling complex systems driven by information processing, e.g. for gene regulatory networks (GRNs). Here we propose a hierarchical adaptive random Boolean Network (HARBN) as a system consisting of distinct adaptive RBNs (ARBNs) – subnetworks – connected by a set of permanent interlinks. We investigate mean node information, mean edge information as well as mean node degree. Information measures and internal subnetworks topology of HARBN coevolve and reach steady-states that are specific for a given network structure. The main natural feature of ARBNs, i.e. their adaptability, is preserved in HARBNs and they evolve towards critical configurations which is documented by power law distributions of network attractor lengths. The mean information processed by a single node or a single link increases with the number of interlinks added to the system. The mean length of network attractors and the mean steady-state connectivity possess minima for certain specific values of the quotient between the density of interlinks and the density of all links in networks. It means that the modular network displays extremal values of its observables when subnetworks are connected with a density a few times lower than a mean density of all links.     

Fastest learning in small-world neural networks

We investigate supervised learning in neural networks. We consider a multi-layered feed-forward network with back propagation. We find that the network of small-world connectivity reduces the learning error and learning time when compared to the networks of regular or random connectivity. Our study has potential applications in the domain of data-mining, image processing, speech recognition, and pattern recognition.     

Adaptive dynamical networks via neighborhood information: synchronization and pinning control

In this paper, we introduce a model of an adaptive dynamical network by integrating the complex network model and adaptive technique. In this model, the adaptive updating laws for each vertex in the network depend only on the state information of its neighborhood, besides itself and external controllers. This suggests that an adaptive technique be added to a complex network without breaking its intrinsic existing network topology. The core of adaptive dynamical networks is to design suitable adaptive updating laws to attain certain aims. Here, we propose two series of adaptive laws to synchronize and pin a complex network, respectively. Based on the Lyapunov function method, we can prove that under several mild conditions, with the adaptive technique, a connected network topology is sufficient to synchronize or stabilize any chaotic dynamics of the uncoupled system. This implies that these adaptive updating laws actually enhance synchronizability and stabilizability, respectively. We find out that even though these adaptive methods can succeed for all networks with connectivity, the underlying network topology can affect the convergent rate and the terminal average coupling and pinning strength. In addition, this influence can be measured by the smallest nonzero eigenvalue of the corresponding Laplacian. Moreover, we provide a detailed study of the influence of the prior parameters in this adaptive laws and present several numerical examples to verify our theoretical results and further discussion.     

Information Fragmentation,Encryption and Information Flow in Complex Biological Networks

Assessing where and how information is stored in biological networks (such as neuronal and genetic networks) is a central task both in neuroscience and in molecular genetics, but most available tools focus on the network’s structure as opposed to its function. Here, we introduce a new information-theoretic tool—information fragmentation analysis—that, given full phenotypic data, allows us to localize information in complex networks, determine how fragmented (across multiple nodes of the network) the information is, and assess the level of encryption of that information. Using information fragmentation matrices we can also create information flow graphs that illustrate how information propagates through these networks. We illustrate the use of this tool by analyzing how artificial brains that evolved in silico solve particular tasks, and show how information fragmentation analysis provides deeper insights into how these brains process information and “think”. The measures of information fragmentation and encryption that result from our methods also quantify complexity of information processing in these networks and how this processing complexity differs between primary exposure to sensory data (early in the lifetime) and later routine processing.     

From topology to dynamics in biochemical networks

Abstract formulations of the regulation of gene expression as random Boolean switching networks have been studied extensively over the past three decades. These models have been developed to make statistical predictions of the types of dynamics observed in biological networks based on network topology and interaction bias, p. For values of mean connectivity chosen to correspond to real biological networks, these models predict disordered dynamics. However, chaotic dynamics seems to be absent from the functioning of a normal cell. While these models use a fixed number of inputs for each element in the network, recent experimental evidence suggests that several biological networks have distributions in connectivity. We therefore study randomly constructed Boolean networks with distributions in the number of inputs, K, to each element. We study three distributions: delta function, Poisson, and power law (scale free). We analytically show that the critical value of the interaction bias parameter, p, above which steady state behavior is observed, is independent of the distribution in the limit of the number of elements N--> infinity. We also study these networks numerically. Using three different measures (types of attractors, fraction of elements that are active, and length of period), we show that finite, scale-free networks are more ordered than either the Poisson or delta function networks below the critical point. Thus the topology of scale-free biochemical networks, characterized by a wide distribution in the number of inputs per element, may provide a source of order in living cells. (c) 2001 American Institute of Physics.     

基于有限资源提升网络可生存性的拓扑重构方法

给定网络拓扑结构和有限添加边资源,如何优化配置添加边使重构后的网络拓扑结构具有最优可生存性是非常有价值的研究问题.本文首先明确网络可生存性的量化评估指标,以移除节点后网络结构的鲁棒性和有效性为优化目标,提出网络拓扑重构优化问题的建模与分析方法.同时在给定资源代价的约束下,为实现添加边资源配置效率的最大化,提出优先配置节点加强保护圈的启发式算法.仿真实验表明,该算法在有限资源约束的随机局部故障和选择性攻击环境中,能兼顾改善网络鲁棒性和传输效率,有效提升网络结构的可生存性.     

Model for cascading failures with adaptive defense in complex networks

<正>This paper investigates cascading failures in networks by considering interplay between the flow dynamic and the network topology,where the fluxes exchanged between a pair of nodes can be adaptively adjusted depending on the changes of the shortest path lengths between them.The simulations on both an artificially created scale-free network and the real network structure of the power grid reveal that the adaptive adjustment of the fluxes can drastically enhance the robustness of complex networks against cascading failures.Particularly,there exists an optimal region where the propagation of the cascade is significantly suppressed and the fluxes supported by the network are maximal. With this understanding,a costless strategy of defense for preventing cascade breakdown is proposed.It is shown to be more effective for suppressing the propagation of the cascade than the recent proposed strategy of defense based on the intentional removal of nodes.     

Evolution of a population of random Boolean networks

We investigate the evolution of populations of random Boolean networks under selection for robustness of the dynamics with respect to the perturbation of the state of a node. The fitness landscape contains a huge plateau of maximum fitness that spans the entire network space. When selection is so strong that it dominates over drift, the evolutionary process is accompanied by a slow increase in the mean connectivity and a slow decrease in the mean fitness. Populations evolved with higher mutation rates show a higher robustness under mutations. This means that even though all the evolved populations exist close to the plateau of maximum fitness, they end up in different regions of network space.     

Damage spreading and criticality in finite random dynamical networks

We systematically study and compare damage spreading at the sparse percolation (SP) limit for random Boolean and threshold networks with perturbations that are independent of the network size N. This limit is relevant to information and damage propagation in many technological and natural networks. Using finite-size scaling, we identify a new characteristic connectivity Ks, at which the average number of damaged nodes d[over ], after a large number of dynamical updates, is independent of N. Based on marginal damage spreading, we determine the critical connectivity Kc(sparse)(N) for finite N at the SP limit and show that it systematically deviates from Kc, established by the annealed approximation, even for large system sizes. Our findings can potentially explain the results recently obtained for gene regulatory networks and have important implications for the evolution of dynamical networks that solve specific tasks.     

Stability and topology of scale-free networks under attack and defense strategies

We study tolerance and topology of random scale-free networks under attack and defense strategies that depend on the degree k of the nodes. This situation occurs, for example, when the robustness of a node depends on its degree or in an intentional attack with insufficient knowledge of the network. We determine, for all strategies, the critical fraction p(c) of nodes that must be removed for disintegrating the network. We find that, for an intentional attack, little knowledge of the well-connected sites is sufficient to strongly reduce p(c). At criticality, the topology of the network depends on the removal strategy, implying that different strategies may lead to different kinds of percolation transitions.     

无线认知网络中拓扑控制方法研究

作为下一代通信网络,无线认知网络已成为当前的研究热点。由于节点的移动性,无线网络拓扑结构动态变化,拓扑控制一直是无线网络的难点问题。通过借鉴移动自组织网络(MANETS)中的拓扑控制方法,提出了无线认知网络中基于博弈论和认知功能相结合的拓扑控制方法。无线认知节点能够通过主动决策调节自身节点位置,在保证网络连通性的基础上实现网络覆盖面积最大。仿真实验结果验证了方法的有效性和收敛性。     

Characteristics of microRNA co-target networks

The database of microRNAs and their predicted target genes in humans were used to extract a microRNA co-target network. Based on the finding that more than two miRNAs can target the same gene, we constructed a microRNA co-target network and analyzed it from the perspective of the complex network. We found that a network having a positive assortative mixing can be characterized by small-world and scale-free characteristics which are found in most complex networks. The network was further analyzed by the nearest-neighbor average connectivity, and it was shown that the more assortative a microRNA network is, the wider the range of increasing average connectivity. In particular, an assortative network has a power-law relationship of the average connectivity with a positive exponent. A percolation analysis of the network showed that, although the network is diluted, there is no percolation transition in the network. From these findings, we infer that the microRNAs in the network are clustered together, forming a core group. The same analyses carried out on different species confirmed the robustness of the main results found in the microRNA networks of humans.     

Phase clustering in complex networks of delay-coupled oscillators

We study the clusterization of phase oscillators coupled with delay in complex networks. For the case of diffusive oscillators, we formulate the equations relating the topology of the network and the phases and frequencies of the oscillators (functional response). We solve them exactly in directed networks for the case of perfect synchronization. We also compare the reliability of the solution of the linear system for non-linear couplings. Taking advantage of the form of the solution, we propose a frequency adaptation rule to achieve perfect synchronization. We also propose a mean-field theory for uncorrelated random networks that proves to be pretty accurate to predict phase synchronization in real topologies, as for example, the Caenorhabditis elegans or the autonomous systems connectivity.     

A Robustness Model of Complex Networks with Tunable Attack Information Parameter

We introduce a novel model for robustness of complex with a tunable attack information parameter. The random failure and intentional attack known are the two extreme cases of our model. Based on the model, we study the robustness of complex networks under random information and preferential information, respectively. Using the generating function method, we derive the exact value of the critical removal fraction of nodes for the disintegration of networks and the size of the giant component. We show that hiding just a small fraction of nodes randomly can prevent a scale-free network from collapsing and detecting just a small fraction of nodes preferentially can destroy a scale-free network.     

Complex brain networks: From topological communities to clustered dynamics

Recent research has revealed a rich and complicated network topology in the cortical connectivity of mammalian brains. A challenging task is to understand the implications of such network structures on the functional organisation of the brain activities. We investigate synchronisation dynamics on the corticocortical network of the cat by modelling each node of the network (cortical area) with a subnetwork of interacting excitable neurons. We find that this network of networks displays clustered synchronisation behaviour and the dynamical clusters closely coincide with the topological community structures observed in the anatomical network. The correlation between the firing rate of the areas and the areal intensity is additionally examined. Our results provide insights into the relationship between the global organisation and the functional specialisation of the brain cortex.      

Coevolutionary,coexisting learning and teaching agents model for prisoner’s dilemma games enhancing cooperation with assortative heterogeneous networks

Unlike other natural network systems, assortativity can be observed in most human social networks, although it has been reported that a social dilemma situation represented by the prisoner’s dilemma favors dissortativity to enhance cooperation. We established a new coevolutionary model for both agents’ strategy and network topology, where teaching and learning agents coexist. Remarkably, this model enables agents’ enhancing cooperation more than a learners-only model on a time-frozen scale-free network and produces an underlying assortative network with a fair degree of power-law distribution. The model may imply how and why assortative networks are adaptive in human society.     

Shuttle-run synchronization in mobile ad hoc networks

In this work, we study the collective dynamics of phase oscillators in a mobile ad hoc network whose topology changes dynamically. As the network size or the communication radius of individual oscillators increases, the topology of the ad hoc network first undergoes percolation, forming a giant cluster, and then gradually achieves global connectivity. It is shown that oscillator mobility generally enhances the coherence in such networks. Interestingly, we find a new type of phase synchronization/clustering, in which the phases of the oscillators are distributed in a certain narrow range, while the instantaneous frequencies change signs frequently, leading to shuttle-run-like motion of the oscillators in phase space. We conduct a theoretical analysis to explain the mechanism of this synchronization and obtain the critical transition point.     

Networks of strong ties

Social networks transmitting covert or sensitive information cannot use all ties for this purpose. Rather, they can only use a subset of ties that are strong enough to be “trusted”. This paper addresses whether it is still possible, under this restriction, for information to be transmitted widely and rapidly in social networks. We use transitivity as evidence of strong ties, requiring one or more shared contacts in order to count an edge as strong. We examine the effect of removing all non-transitive ties in two real social network data sets, imposing varying thresholds in the number of shared contacts. We observe that transitive ties occupy a large portion of the network and that removing all other ties, while causing some individuals to become disconnected, preserves the majority of the giant connected component. Furthermore, the average shortest path, important for the rapid diffusion of information, increases only slightly relative to the original network. We also evaluate the cost of forming transitive ties by modeling a random graph composed entirely of closed triads and comparing its connectivity and average shortest path with the equivalent Erdös–Renyi random graph. Both the empirical study and random model point to a robustness of strong ties with respect to the connectivity and small world property of social networks.     

Epilepsy is related to theta band brain connectivity and network topology in brain tumor patients

Background  

Both epilepsy patients and brain tumor patients show altered functional connectivity and less optimal brain network topology when compared to healthy controls, particularly in the theta band. Furthermore, the duration and characteristics of epilepsy may also influence functional interactions in brain networks. However, the specific features of connectivity and networks in tumor-related epilepsy have not been investigated yet. We hypothesize that epilepsy characteristics are related to (theta band) connectivity and network architecture in operated glioma patients suffering from epileptic seizures. Included patients participated in a clinical study investigating the effect of levetiracetam monotherapy on seizure frequency in glioma patients, and were assessed at two time points: directly after neurosurgery (t1), and six months later (t2). At these time points, magnetoencephalography (MEG) was recorded and information regarding clinical status and epilepsy history was collected. Functional connectivity was calculated in six frequency bands, as were a number of network measures such as normalized clustering coefficient and path length.