Detection of subthreshold pulses in neurons with channel noise.

Neurons are subject to various kinds of noise. In addition to synaptic noise, the stochastic opening and closing of ion channels represents an intrinsic source of noise that affects the signal-processing properties of the neuron. We study the response of a stochastic Hodgkin-Huxley neuron to transient input subthreshold pulses. It is found that the average response time decreases but variance increases as the amplitude of channel noise increases. In the case of single-pulse detection, we show that channel noise enables one neuron to detect the subthreshold signals and an optimal membrane area (or channel noise intensity) exists for a single neuron to achieve optimal performance. However, the detection ability of a single neuron is limited by large errors. Here, we test a simple neuronal network that can enhance the pulse-detecting abilities of neurons and find that dozens of neurons can perfectly detect subthreshold pulses. The phenomenon of intrinsic stochastic resonance is also found at both the level of single neurons and the level of networks. At the network level, the detection ability of networks can be optimized for the number of neurons comprising the network.

Emergence of synchronization induced by the interplay between two prisoner's dilemma games with volunteering in small-world networks.

We studied synchronization between prisoner's dilemma games with voluntary participation in two Newman-Watts small-world networks. It was found that there are three kinds of synchronization: partial phase synchronization, total phase synchronization, and complete synchronization, for varied coupling factors. Besides, two games can reach complete synchronization for the large enough coupling factor. We also discussed the effect of the coupling factor on the amplitude of oscillation of cooperator density.

Effect of memory on the prisoner's dilemma game in a square lattice.

We have studied the effect of memory on the evolution of the prisoner's dilemma game in square lattice networks. Based on extensive simulations, we found that the density of cooperators was enhanced by an increasing memory effect for most parameters. However, we also observed that the density of cooperators decreased with an increased memory effect in the case of a large memory and moderate temptation. It is interesting to note that memory makes cooperators immune from temptation. The strength of protection reaches its maximal value only for a moderate memory effect.

Spin-glass phase transitions and minimum energy of the random feedback vertex set problem.

A feedback vertex set (FVS) of an undirected graph contains vertices from every cycle of this graph. Constructing a FVS of sufficiently small cardinality is very difficult in the worst cases, but for random graphs this problem can be efficiently solved by converting it into an appropriate spin-glass model [H.-J. Zhou, Eur. Phys. J. B 86, 455 (2013)EPJBFY1434-602810.1140/epjb/e2013-40690-1]. In the present work we study the spin-glass phase transitions and the minimum energy density of the random FVS problem by the first-step replica-symmetry-breaking (1RSB) mean-field theory. For both regular random graphs and Erdös-Rényi graphs, we determine the inverse temperature ß_{l} at which the replica-symmetric mean-field theory loses its local stability, the inverse temperature ß_{d} of the dynamical (clustering) phase transition, and the inverse temperature ß_{s} of the static (condensation) phase transition. These critical inverse temperatures all change with the mean vertex degree in a nonmonotonic way, and ß_{d} is distinct from ß_{s} for regular random graphs of vertex degrees K>60, while ß_{d} are identical to ß_{s} for Erdös-Rényi graphs at least up to mean vertex degree c=512. We then derive the zero-temperature limit of the 1RSB theory and use it to compute the minimum FVS cardinality.

Patterns, entropy, and predictability of human mobility and life.

Cellular phones are now offering an ubiquitous means for scientists to observe life: how people act, move and respond to external influences. They can be utilized as measurement devices of individual persons and for groups of people of the social context and the related interactions. The picture of human life that emerges shows complexity, which is manifested in such data in properties of the spatiotemporal tracks of individuals. We extract from smartphone-based data for a set of persons important locations such as "home", "work" and so forth over fixed length time-slots covering the days in the data-set (see also [1], [2]). This set of typical places is heavy-tailed, a power-law distribution with an exponent close to -1.7. To analyze the regularities and stochastic features present, the days are classified for each person into regular, personal patterns. To this are superimposed fluctuations for each day. This randomness is measured by "life" entropy, computed both before and after finding the clustering so as to subtract the contribution of a number of patterns. The main issue that we then address is how predictable individuals are in their mobility. The patterns and entropy are reflected in the predictability of the mobility of the life both individually and on average. We explore the simple approaches to guess the location from the typical behavior, and of exploiting the transition probabilities with time from location or activity A to B. The patterns allow an enhanced predictability, at least up to a few hours into the future from the current location. Such fixed habits are most clearly visible in the working-day length.