Turing Test, Chinese Room Argument, Symbol Grounding Problem. Meanings in Artificial Agents

The Turing Test (TT), the Chinese Room Argument (CRA), and the Symbol Grounding Problem (SGP) are about the question “can machines think?”. We propose to look at that question through the capability for Artificial Agents (AAs) to generate meaningful information like humans. We present TT, CRA and SGP as being about generation of human-like meanings and analyse the possibility for AAs to generate such meanings. We use for that the existing Meaning Generator System (MGS) where a system submitted to a constraint generates a meaning in order to satisfy its constraint. Such system approach allows comparing meaning generation in animals, humans and AAs. The comparison shows that in order to design AAs capable of generating human-like meanings, we need the possibility to transfer human constraints to AAs. That requirement raises concerns coming from the unknown natures of life and human consciousness which are at the root of human constraints. Corresponding implications for the TT, the CRA and the SGP are highlighted. The usage of the MGS shows that designing AAs capable of thinking and feeling like humans needs an understanding about the natures of life and human mind that we do not have today. Following an evolutionary approach, we propose as a first entry point an investigation about extending life to AAs in order to design AAs carrying a “stay alive” constraint.\ud Ethical concerns are raised from the relations between human constraints and human values.\ud Continuations are proposed

Stationary probability of the identity for the TASEP on a ring

Consider the following Markov chain on permutations of length $n$. At each time step we choose a random position. If the letter at that position is smaller than the letter immediately to the left (cyclically) then these letters swap positions. Otherwise nothing happens, corresponding to a loop in the Markov chain. This is the circular TASEP. We compute the average proportion of time the chain spends at the identity permutation (and, in greater generality, at sorted words). This answers a conjecture by Thomas Lam.Comment: 6 page

Ventricular androgenic-anabolic steroid-related remodeling: an immunohistochemical study

Background: Several fatal cases of bodybuilders, following a myocardial infarction after long exposure to androgenicanabolic steroids (AAS), are reported. In recent years, evidence has emerged of cases of heart failure related to AAS consumption, with no signs of coronary or aorta atherosclerosis. This study aims to further investigate the pathogenesis of the ventricular AAS-related remodeling performing immunohistochemistry (IHC). Method: In order to examine innate immunity activity and myocytes and endothelial cell apoptosis, IHC analyses were performed on heart tissue of two cases of bodybuilders who died after years of supratherapeutic use of metelonone and nandrolone and where no atherosclerosis or thrombosis were found, using the following antibodies: anti-CD68, anti-iNOS, anti-CD163, anti-CD 15, anti-CD8, anti-CD4, anti-HIF1 α, and in situ TUNEL staining. Results: Results confirm the experimental findings of recent research that, in the absence of other pathological factors, if intensive training is combined with AAS abuse, myocytes and endothelial cells undergo apoptotic alterations. The absence of inflammatory reactions and the presence of an increased number of M2 macrophages in the areas of fibrotic remodeling confirm that the fibrotic changes in the heart are apoptosisrelated and not necrosis-related. Conclusions In conclusion, the study indicates that, in very young subjects with chronic hypoxia-related alterations of the heart, signs of a heart failure in the other organs and a history of AAS abuse, death can be ascribed to progressive heart failure due to the direct apoptotic cardiac and endothelial changes produced by AAS

Extreme enrichment in atmospheric 15N15N.

Molecular nitrogen (N2) comprises three-quarters of Earth's atmosphere and significant portions of other planetary atmospheres. We report a 19 per mil (‰) excess of 15N15N in air relative to a random distribution of nitrogen isotopes, an enrichment that is 10 times larger than what isotopic equilibration in the atmosphere allows. Biological experiments show that the main sources and sinks of N2 yield much smaller proportions of 15N15N in N2. Electrical discharge experiments, however, establish 15N15N excesses of up to +23‰. We argue that 15N15N accumulates in the atmosphere because of gas-phase chemistry in the thermosphere (>100 km altitude) on time scales comparable to those of biological cycling. The atmospheric 15N15N excess therefore reflects a planetary-scale balance of biogeochemical and atmospheric nitrogen chemistry, one that may also exist on other planets

Numerical simulations of a ballistic spin interferometer with the Rashba spin-orbital interaction

We numerically investigate the transport behavior of a quasi one-dimension (1D) square loop device containing the Rashba spin-orbital interaction in the presence of a magnetic flux. The conductance versus the magnetic field shows the Al'tshuler-Aronov-Spivak (AAS) and Aharonov-Bohm (AB) oscillations. We focus on the oscillatory amplitudes, and find that both of them are strongly dependent on the spin precession angle (i.e. the strength of the spin-orbit interaction) and exhibit no-periodic oscillations, which are well in agreement with a recent experiment by Koga et al. [cond-mat/0504743(unpublished)]. However, our numerical results for the ideal 1D square loop device for the node positions of the amplitudes of the AB and AAS oscillations are found to be of some discrepancies comparing with quasi-1D square loop with a finite width. In the presence of disorder and taking the disorder ensemble average, the AB oscillation in the conductance will disappear, while the time-reversal symmetric AAS oscillation still remains. Furthermore, the node positions of the AAS oscillatory amplitude remains the same.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure

A product formula for the TASEP on a ring

For a random permutation sampled from the stationary distribution of the TASEP on a ring, we show that, conditioned on the event that the first entries are strictly larger than the last entries, the order of the first entries is independent of the order of the last entries. The proof uses multi-line queues as defined by Ferrari and Martin, and the theorem has an enumerative combinatorial interpretation in that setting. Finally, we present a conjecture for the case where the small and large entries are not separated.Comment: 13 page

Food and nutrition security in Solomon Islands

This report is a literature review on Food and Nutrition Security in Solomon Islands, based on data from surveys conducted by Solomon Islands National Statistical Office, as well as from national and international organizations working in Solomon Islands. The purpose of the report is to present information outlining the current food and nutrition situation in Solomon Islands before implementation of the CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS), led by WorldFish. The aim of the AAS program is to enhance production in natural freshwater and/or coastal ecosystems to improve household livelihood, including income and food security. This report summarizes national statistics and also focuses in more detail on a subset of provinces: Guadalcanal, Malaita and Western. In 2012, the AAS program was rolled out in Guadalcanal, Central and Malaita Provinces, designated the Central Hub. In 2013, roll out is beginning in the Western Hub (Western and Isabel Provinces). The priority province for the Central Hub has been identified as Malaita

Predicting calcium in grape must and base wine by FT-NIR spectroscopy

Calcium content in sparkling wines may not exceed 80 mg/L due to the risk of aggregation with alginate capsules. The high calcium content usually found in wine and must emphasizes the need to develop alternative and appropriate techniques faster and cleaner than atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). To obtain a robust model to predict calcium content, FT-NIR spectroscopy was used in 98 base white wine samples and 60 must samples from an Alentejo winery. The reference method for calcium determination was AAS technique, with a dry ashing sample procedure, as a prior treatment. Results confirmed the ability of FT-NIR as an alternative technique to AAS, to predict calcium content in grape must and base wine. Advance knowledge of the calcium content in the grape must will help avoid obtaining a mixture of musts with a high calcium content in the same container