Striate cortex extracts higher-order spatial correlations from visual textures

Spatial correlations define the statistical structure of any visual image. Two-point correlations inform the visual system about the spatial frequency content of an image. Higher-order correlations can capture salient features such as object contours. We studied "isodipole" texture discrimination in V1 to determine if higher-order spatial correlations can be extracted by early stages of cortical processing. We made epicortical, local field potential, and single-cell recordings of responses elicited by isodipole texture interchange in anesthetized monkeys. Our studies demonstrate that single neurons in V1 can signal the presence of higher-order spatial correlations in visual textures. This places a computational mechanism, which may be essential for form vision at the earliest stage of cortical processing.     

Developmental stages in experimental liver metastases: relation to invasiveness

We have previously reported that an invasive morphotype can be evoked in a rat colon carcinoma by transplanting it into pre-induced subcutaneous granulation tissue. We have now studied the interaction of the same tumor with liver tissue, which is extremely poor in connective tissue in comparison with the subcutaneous site. Tumor cells were injected into the portal system and the resulting experimental liver metastases were examined by electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Early metastases consisted of well-differentiated acini, fully surrounded by connective tissue that was derived from the periportal stroma. In a later stage, this connective tissue was overgrown by tumor cells and, almost immediately, acinar differentiation was lost. Most metastases eventually reached the liver capsule, which reacted by forming a layer of granulation tissue. Only in this layer, we observed invasion by thin tumor cell strands, which were often intimately associated with fibroblasts or with blood capillaries. The tumor cells remained smooth and rounded during this process. After fully penetrating the granulation tissue, the tumor cell strands reached the liver surface, where they formed poorly structured papillary masses that were nearly devoid of stroma. Our observations indicate that, even in a relatively homogeneous organ like the liver, the tumor-host interaction is highly complex and dynamic. They also confirm the notion that granulation tissue stimulates tumor invasiveness. Finally, they show that tumor cells can actively invade host tissues without exhibiting a "fibroblastic" morphology.     

Formulaic methods of estimating calorie requirements in mechanically ventilated obese patients: a reappraisal

We reviewed 410 cases, 365 males and 45 females, mean age 64 years, of inguinal and femoral hernia, from 1/1/1991 to 31/12/1994, repaired with Lichtenstein and Trabucco techniques. Recurrent hernias repaired were 36 (8,8%). Local anesthesia was used in 82% and follow-up has ranged from 6 months to 4 years. The meshes used are made with a single layer of polipropylene and the Trabucco plugs T1 were made by hand at the operating table. In our experience these two techniques are simple, but is very important, before application of the mesh, a correct dissection of inguinal region. We made a complete excision of cremasteric fibers preservig, if possible, the genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve. The transversalis fascia is introflected and sutured in direct hernia repair or when there are a loss of tissues. The preliminary results obtained with the "tension free" hernioplasty are satisfying. The most important complications were 9 hematomas and an important and persistent inguinal neuralgia in 1 case. There were no recurrences, but we must considered the short follow-up period.     

Room-Temperature-Processable Highly Reliable Resistive Switching Memory with Reconfigurability for Neuromorphic Computing and Ultrasonic Tissue Classification

Reversible metal-filamentary mechanism has been widely investigated to design an analog resistive switching memory (RSM) for neuromorphic hardware-implementation. However, uncontrollable filament-formation, inducing its reliability issues, has been a fundamental challenge. Here, an analog RSM with 3D ion transport channels that can provide unprecedentedly high reliability and robustness is demonstrated. This architecture is realized by a laser-assisted photo-thermochemical process, compatible with the back-end-of-line process and even applicable to a flexible format. These superior characteristics also lead to the proposal of a practical adaptive learning rule for hardware neural networks that can significantly simplify the voltage pulse application methodology even with high computing accuracy. A neural network, which can perform the biological tissue classification task using the ultrasound signals, is designed, and the simulation results confirm that this practical adaptive learning rule is efficient enough to classify these weak and complicated signals with high accuracy (97%). Furthermore, the proposed RSM can work as a diffusive-memristor at the opposite voltage polarity, exhibiting extremely stable threshold switching characteristics. In this mode, several crucial operations in biological nervous systems, such as Ca²⁺ dynamics and nonlinear integrate-and-fire functions of neurons, are successfully emulated. This reconfigurability is also exceedingly beneficial for decreasing the complexity of systems—requiring both drift- and diffusive-memristors.     

Picture-Neutrosophic Trusted Safe Semi-Supervised Fuzzy Clustering for Noisy Data

Clustering is a crucial method for deciphering data structure and producing new information. Due to its significance in revealing fundamental connections between the human brain and events, it is essential to utilize clustering for cognitive research. Dealing with noisy data caused by inaccurate synthesis from several sources or misleading data production processes is one of the most intriguing clustering difficulties. Noisy data can lead to incorrect object recognition and inference. This research aims to innovate a novel clustering approach, named Picture-Neutrosophic Trusted Safe Semi-Supervised Fuzzy Clustering (PNTS3FCM), to solve the clustering problem with noisy data using neutral and refusal degrees in the definition of Picture Fuzzy Set (PFS) and Neutrosophic Set (NS). Our contribution is to propose a new optimization model with four essential components: clustering, outlier removal, safe semi-supervised fuzzy clustering and partitioning with labeled and unlabeled data. The effectiveness and flexibility of the proposed technique are estimated and compared with the state-of-art methods, standard Picture fuzzy clustering (FC-PFS) and Confidence-weighted safe semi-supervised clustering (CS3FCM) on benchmark UCI datasets. The experimental results show that our method is better at least 10/15 datasets than the compared methods in terms of clustering quality and computational time.     

Intelligent wavelet fuzzy brain emotional controller using dual function-link network for uncertain nonlinear control systems

This study aims to propose a more efficient hybrid algorithm to achieve favorable control performance for uncertain nonlinear systems. The proposed algorithm comprises a dual function-link network-based multilayer wavelet fuzzy brain emotional controller and a sign(.) functional compensator. The proposed algorithm estimates the judgment and emotion of a brain that includes two fuzzy inference systems for the amygdala network and the prefrontal cortex network via using a dual-function-link network and three sub-structures. Three sub-structures are a dual-function-link network, an amygdala network, and a prefrontal cortex network. Particularly, the dual-function-link network is used to adjust the amygdala and orbitofrontal weights separately so that the proposed algorithm can efficiently reduce the tracking error, follow the reference signal well, and achieve good performance. A Lyapunov stability function is used to determine the adaptive laws, which are used to efficiently tune the system parameters online. Simulation and experimental studies for an antilock braking system and a magnetic levitation system are presented to verify the effectiveness and advantage of the proposed algorithm.

     

Phonon Scattering in Thin Silica Films Below 1 K

A method is described for studying thermal phonon scattering in thin films on dielectric substrates below a few Kelvin. It is used to study silica films on silicon substrates. Using Monte Carlo simulations with no free parameters, we find that thermally grown silica films 0.1 to 1.0 m thick scatter the phonons as strongly as bulk silica, and hence, have the same thermal conductivity as bulk silica, while a 0.1 m thick e-beam evaporated silica film has a thermal conductivity five times smaller than bulk silica, indicative of additional defects.     

Properties of whole saliva and dental plaque in relation to 40-month consumption of chewing gums containing xylitol, sorbitol of sucrose

The concern with nursing research in the future work of nurse graduates. Expectations from the viewpoint of the nurse researcher. Keeping in mind the concerns which occupy nurse researchers now and in the future, expectations are raised of the graduates of degree programmes in nursing science which are now also being established in the Federal Republic of Germany. This takes into account the structurally determined areas of self determined action in new fields of professional practice. Nurse graduates will be seen as "change agents" in their future areas of work and will have three essential aspects of involvement with nursing research: 1. they themselves will conduct research 2. they will receive, put into practice and transmit results of nursing research 3. they will initiate and commission nursing research projects. According to the broad topics of nursing research, requirements for nurses to act as professionals in their new working fields are formulated referring to the given structural conditions in Germany.