Higher-order Petri net models based on artificial neural networks

AbstractIn this paper, the properties of higher-order neural networks are exploited in a new class of Petri nets, called higher-order Petri nets (HOPN). Using the similarities between neural networks and Petri nets this paper demonstrates how the McCullock-Pitts models and the higher-order neural networks can be represented by Petri nets. A 5-tuple HOPN is defined, a theorem on the relationship between the potential firability of the goal transition and the T-invariant (HOPN) is proved and discussed. The proposed HOPN can be applied to the polynomial clause subset of first-order predicate logic. A five-clause polynomial logic program example is also included to illustrate the theoretical results

Induction of Maternal Immune Activation in Mice at Mid-gestation Stage with Viral Mimic Poly(I:C)

Maternal immune activation (MIA) model is increasingly well appreciated as a rodent model for the environmental risk factor of various psychiatric disorders. Numerous studies have demonstrated that MIA model is able to show face, construct, and predictive validity that are relevant to autism and schizophrenia. To model MIA, investigators often use viral mimic polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)) to activate the immune system in pregnant rodents. Generally, the offspring from immune activated dam exhibit behavioral abnormalities and physiological alterations that are associated with autism and schizophrenia. However, poly(I:C) injection with different dosages and at different time points could lead to different outcomes by perturbing brain development at different stages. Here we provide a detailed method of inducing MIA by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of 20 mg/kg poly(I:C) at mid-gestational embryonic 12.5 days (E12.5). This method has been shown to induce acute inflammatory response in the maternal-placental-fetal axis, which ultimately results in the brain perturbations and behavioral phenotypes that are associated with autism and schizophrenia

Navigating the Complexity of Describing Chinese Historical Places Using the Wikibase Platform

Chinese historical places, with their extensive history spanning thousands of years, serve as profound symbols of the nation's rich cultural legacy. Capturing their historical changes in a consistent data model for describing cultural heritage, however, poses significant challenges due to shifts in the places’ name, administrative boundaries, administrative units, and geographical locations. Various data models on platforms like Wikidata offer differing approaches: some separate place names and locations into distinct classes, while others consolidate them. This poster showcases the authors’ investigation into different data models for describing cultural heritage historical places and their chosen approach. By leveraging Wikibase as a testbed database, the authors delve into the merits and limitations of each data model, unveiling the techniques employed for bulk data creation, complexities encountered, and valuable insights derived from this exploration.</p

Employee motivation, external orientation and technical efficiency of foreign-financed firms in China: a stochastic frontier analysis

By using a stochastic frontier model, we have identified several firm-specific attributes as determinants of technical efficiency in foreign-financed manufacturing firms in southern China. The empirical results suggest a strong association between efficiency and employee motivation, which includes the use of bonus incentives and flexibility in employment policy. In terms of the external orientation behavior of firms, the findings do not support the export/efficiency relationship. Sample firms with a high degree of export-orientedness were less efficient, possibly due to the high transaction costs in China of exportation. As for the effects of expatriate input on production, our empirical evidence revealed that firms with a relatively high expatriate ratio performed less efficiently than others did. These two findings may have significant implications for the marketing strategies and management (including the localization) of human resources of foreign-financed firms in China

Toward a Metagenomic Understanding on the Bacterial Composition and Resistome in Hong Kong Banknotes

Currency is possibly one of the main media transmitting pathogens and drug resistance due to its wide circulation in daily life. In this study, we made a comprehensive characterization of the bacterial community present on banknotes collected from different geographical regions of Hong Kong (HK) by performing in vitro characterization of the bacterial presence and resistome profile, as well as metagenomic analysis including microbial diversity, the prevalence of potential pathogens, the dissemination potential of antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs), among others. When comparing the bacterial community of HK banknotes with other HK environmental samples, including water and marine sediment, we revealed that HK banknotes cover nearly 50% of total genera found in all the environmental samples, implying that banknotes harbor diverse bacteria originated from a variety of environments. Furthermore, the banknotes have higher abundance of potential pathogenic species (~5 times more) and ARGs (~5 times more) with higher dissemination potential (~48 times more) compared with other environmental samples. These findings unveiled the capabilities of this common medium of exchange to accommodate various bacteria, and transmit pathogens and antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, the observed independence of microbiome profile from the city's topological indices led us to formulate a hypothesis that due to their high circulation banknotes may harbor a homogenized microbiome.published_or_final_versio

Stable nanosecond passively Q-switched all-fiber erbium-doped laser with a 45° tilted fiber grating

Nanosecond passive Q-switching generation from an all-fiber erbium-doped laser with a UV inscribed 45° tilted fiber grating (TFG) is systematically demonstrated. The 45° TFG is employed as a polarizer together with two polarization controllers (PCs) to realize nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR). Because of the NPR effect, stable Q-switched pulses with an average output power of 17.5 mW, a single pulse energy of 72.7 nJ, a repetition rate of 241 kHz, a pulse width of 466 ns, and a signal to noise ratio (SNR) of 58.8 dB are obtained with 600 mW pump power. To the best of our knowledge, the SNR is the highest among all-fiber passively Q-switched erbium-doped laser. The stability of this erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) is also examined by monitoring the laser consecutively for 5 h under laboratory conditions

Genome maps across 26 human populations reveal population-specific patterns of structural variation.

Large structural variants (SVs) in the human genome are difficult to detect and study by conventional sequencing technologies. With long-range genome analysis platforms, such as optical mapping, one can identify large SVs (&gt;2 kb) across the genome in one experiment. Analyzing optical genome maps of 154 individuals from the 26 populations sequenced in the 1000 Genomes Project, we find that phylogenetic population patterns of large SVs are similar to those of single nucleotide variations in 86% of the human genome, while ~2% of the genome has high structural complexity. We are able to characterize SVs in many intractable regions of the genome, including segmental duplications and subtelomeric, pericentromeric, and acrocentric areas. In addition, we discover ~60 Mb of non-redundant genome content missing in the reference genome sequence assembly. Our results highlight the need for a comprehensive set of alternate haplotypes from different populations to represent SV patterns in the genome