Laboratory for Neuroinformatics
Research Areas
| Neuroscience is advancing rapidly and many important results have been published in recent years. One important role of neuroinformatics (NI) is to provide and maintain different databases related to brain sciences. To achieve this goal, the laboratory has developed a base NI platform:XooNIps, which can be easily customized to support the various requirements of the different brain databases and their portals. This system is currently being maintained under the supervision of the Neuroinformatics Japan Center. Aside from this major project, which is global in scope, the laboratory is also developing NI technologies geared for the individual researcher, such as a personal data and meta-information manager: Concierge, simulation software: Satellite, modeling and graphing tools: Samurai Graph, indexing and visualization tools: 3D-SE Viewer, and keyword extraction and document search tool: Related Abstract Search tool. Moreover, as a concrete research example for the evaluation of a knowledge integration system, we are carrying on research to collect and integrate findings from the various levels of the visual system, from single retinal neuron to higher visual function, by developing mathematical models from electrophysiological and psychophysical experiments. |  Laboratory Head Shiro USUI (Ph.D.)  |
Research Subjects
| (1) | Development of database content visualization technology |
| (2) | Research resources management tool: Concierge |
| (3) | Collaborative base platform for large scale brain model: Plato |
| (4) | Neuroscience research in vision |
| (5) | Computational neuroscience research in vision |
List of Selected Publications
| (1) | Yonehara, K., Ishikane, H., Sakuta, H., Shintani, T., N-Y K., Kamiji, N., Usui, S., and Noda, M.: "Identification of Retinal Ganglion Cells and Their Projections Involved in Central Tansmission of Information about Upward and Downward Image Motion." PLoS ONE, 4-1, e4320, 1-14 (2009) |
| (2) | Satoh, S. and Usui, S.: "Engineering-Approach Accelerates Computational Understanding of V1-V2 Neural Properties." Cognitive Neurodynamics, 3, 1-8 (2009) |
| (3) | Satoh, S. and Usui, S.: "Computational theory and applications of a filling-in process at the blind spot." Neural Networks, 21, 1261-1271(2008) |
| (4) | Naud, A. and Usui, S.: "Exploration of a collection of documents in Neuroscience and extraction of topics by clustering." Neural Networks, 21, 1205-1211(2008) |
| (5) | Ikeno, H., Nishioka, T., Hachida, T., Kanzaki, R., Seki, Y., Ohzawa, I., and Usui, S.: "Development and application of CMS-based database modules for neuroinformatics." Neurocomputing, 70, 2122-2128 (2007) |
| (6) | Sakai, H., Kannon, T., and Usui, S.: "Effect of surrounding blur on foveal visibility." The Open Ophthalmology Journal, 1, 4-7(2007) |
| (7) | Sakai, H., Aoyama, T., Yamaji, K., and Usui, S.: "Concierge: Personal database software for managing digital research resources." Frontiers in Neuroinformatics (e-Journal), 1-5, 1-6 (2007) |
| (8) | Naud, A., Usui, S., Ueda, N., and Taniguchi, T.: "Visualization of documents and concepts in neuroinformatics with the 3D-SE viewer." Frontiers in Neuroinformatics (e-Journal), 1-7, 1-6 (2007) |
| (9) | Usui, S., Palms, P., Nagata, K., Taniguchi, T., and Ueda, N.: "Keyword extraction, ranking, and organization form the neuroinfromatics platform." BioSystem, 88, 334-342 (2007) |
| (10) | Yamaji, K., Sakai, H., Okumura, Y., and Usui, S.: "Customizable neuroinformatics database system: XooNIps and its application to the pupil platform." Computer in Biology and Medicine, 37, 7, 1036-1041(2007) |