May We Have Your Attention: Analysis of a Selective Attention Task

In this paper we present a deeper analysis than has previously been carried out of a selective attention problem, and the evolution of continuous-time recurrent neural networks to solve it. We show that the task has a rich structure, and agents must solve a variety of subproblems to perform well. We consider the relationship between the complexity of an agent and the ease with which it can evolve behavior that generalizes well across subproblems, and demonstrate a shaping protocol that improves generalization

Particle displacements in the elastic deformation of amorphous materials: local fluctuations vs. non-affine field

We study the local disorder in the deformation of amorphous materials by decomposing the particle displacements into a continuous, inhomogeneous field and the corresponding fluctuations. We compare these fields to the commonly used non-affine displacements in an elastically deformed 2D Lennard-Jones glass. Unlike the non-affine field, the fluctuations are very localized, and exhibit a much smaller (and system size independent) correlation length, on the order of a particle diameter, supporting the applicability of the notion of local "defects" to such materials. We propose a scalar "noise" field to characterize the fluctuations, as an additional field for extended continuum models, e.g., to describe the localized irreversible events observed during plastic deformation.Comment: Minor corrections to match the published versio

The brattleboro rat displays a natural deficit in social discrimination that is restored by clozapine and a neurotensin analog.

Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia are a major source of dysfunction for which more effective treatments are needed. The vasopressin-deficient Brattleboro (BRAT) rat has been shown to have several natural schizophrenia-like deficits, including impairments in prepulse inhibition and memory. We investigated BRAT rats and their parental strain, Long-Evans (LE) rats, in a social discrimination paradigm, which is an ethologically relevant animal test of cognitive deficits of schizophrenia based upon the natural preference of animals to investigate conspecifics. We also investigated the effects of the atypical antipsychotic, clozapine, and the putative antipsychotic, PD149163, a brain-penetrating neurotensin-1 agonist, on social discrimination in these rats. Adult rats were administered saline or one of the three doses of clozapine (0.1, 1.0, or 10 mg/kg) or PD149163 (0.1, 0.3, or 1.0 mg/kg), subcutaneously. Following drug administration, adult rats were exposed to a juvenile rat for a 4-min learning period. Animals were then housed individually for 30 min and then simultaneously exposed to the juvenile presented previously and a new juvenile for 4 min. Saline-treated LE rats, but not BRAT rats, exhibited intact social discrimination as evidenced by greater time spent exploring the new juvenile. The highest dose of clozapine and the two highest doses of PD149163 restored social discrimination in BRAT rats. These results provide further support for the utility of the BRAT rat as a genetic animal model relevant to schizophrenia and drug discovery. The potential of neurotensin agonists as putative treatments for cognitive deficits of schizophrenia was also supported

Carcinoembryonic antigen and glucose phosphate isomerase in a human colonic cancer model (GW-39).

Levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI) have been compared in the circulating blood of hamsters bearing intra-muscular grafts of GW-39 human colonic tumour. CEA in the sera of GW-39 tumour-bearing hamsters ranged from 2-6 to 8-4 ng/ml (mean = 4-5 +/- 1-7 ng/ml). GPI in the sera of normal hamsters ranged from 332 to 749 iu/1 (mean = 602 +/- 110 iu/1) while those with 14-week-old intra-muscular grafts of a hamster amelanotic melanoma, (A.Mel.3), or GW-39 human colonic carcinoma had a range of 664 to 1267 iu/1 (mean = 1024 +/- 220 iu/1) and 1430 to 4719 iu/1 (mean = 2065 +/- 601 iu/1) respectively. Thus, the ratio of enzyme activity in GW-39, A.Mel.3, and normal hamsters was 3-4:1-7:1, indicating a significant elevation (P less than 0-01) in animals bearing a human colon carcinoma or a hamster melanoma, with particularly high values obtained in hamsters with GW-39. Sequential determinations of CEA and GPI in a group of hamsters transplanted intra-muscularly with GW-39 tumours revealed that both markers increased proportionately with duration of tumour growth, suggesting that both serum CEA and GPI may be used as measures of tumour growth. The concentration of GPI in GW-39 human colonic carcinoma xenografts was also significantly higher than that measured in normal human colon, primary human colonic cancer, or normal hamster tissues. These results support the view that GPI, in addition to CEA, is a quantitatively increased marker in this tumour model, and is liberated into the circulation in proportion to the increase in tumour mass

On Ladder Logic Bombs in Industrial Control Systems

In industrial control systems, devices such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) are commonly used to directly interact with sensors and actuators, and perform local automatic control. PLCs run software on two different layers: a) firmware (i.e. the OS) and b) control logic (processing sensor readings to determine control actions). In this work, we discuss ladder logic bombs, i.e. malware written in ladder logic (or one of the other IEC 61131-3-compatible languages). Such malware would be inserted by an attacker into existing control logic on a PLC, and either persistently change the behavior, or wait for specific trigger signals to activate malicious behaviour. For example, the LLB could replace legitimate sensor readings with manipulated values. We see the concept of LLBs as a generalization of attacks such as the Stuxnet attack. We introduce LLBs on an abstract level, and then demonstrate several designs based on real PLC devices in our lab. In particular, we also focus on stealthy LLBs, i.e. LLBs that are hard to detect by human operators manually validating the program running in PLCs. In addition to introducing vulnerabilities on the logic layer, we also discuss countermeasures and we propose two detection techniques.Comment: 11 pages, 14 figures, 2 tables, 1 algorith

Greater response variability in adolescents is associated with increased white matter development.

Adolescence is a period of learning, exploration, and continuous adaptation to fluctuating environments. Response variability during adolescence is an important, understudied, and developmentally appropriate behavior. The purpose of this study was to identify the association between performance on a dynamic risky decision making task and white matter microstructure in a sample of 48 adolescents (14-16 years). Individuals with the greatest response variability on the task obtained the widest range of experience with potential outcomes to risky choice. When compared with their more behaviorally consistent peers, adolescents with greater response variability rated real-world examples of risk taking behaviors as less risky via self-report. Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) were used to examine fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD). Greater FA in long-range, late-maturing tracts was associated with higher response variability. Greater FA and lower MD were associated with lower riskiness ratings of real-world risky behaviors. Results suggest that response variability and lower perceived risk attitudes of real-world risk are supported by neural maturation in adolescents

Domino: exploring mobile collaborative software adaptation

Social Proximity Applications (SPAs) are a promising new area for ubicomp software that exploits the everyday changes in the proximity of mobile users. While a number of applications facilitate simple file sharing between co–present users, this paper explores opportunities for recommending and sharing software between users. We describe an architecture that allows the recommendation of new system components from systems with similar histories of use. Software components and usage histories are exchanged between mobile users who are in proximity with each other. We apply this architecture in a mobile strategy game in which players adapt and upgrade their game using components from other players, progressing through the game through sharing tools and history. More broadly, we discuss the general application of this technique as well as the security and privacy challenges to such an approach

Probiotics to prevent Clostridium difficile infection in patients receiving antibiotics

© 2018 American Medical Association. All rights reserved. CLINICAL QUESTION In adults and children prescribed antibiotics, is co-administration of a probiotic associated with a lower risk of symptomatic Clostridium difficile infection without an increase in adverse events? BOTTOM LINE Moderate-quality evidence suggests that probiotics are associated with a lower risk of C difficile infection and very low–quality evidence suggests that probiotics are associated with fewer adverse events vs placebo or no treatment