Can Machine Intelligence be Measured in the Same Way as Human intelligence?

In recent years the number of research projects on computer programs solving human intelligence problems in artificial intelligence (AI), artificial general intelligence, as well as in Cognitive Modelling, has significantly grown. One reason could be the interest of such problems as benchmarks for AI algorithms. Another, more fundamental, motivation behind this area of research might be the (implicit) assumption that a computer program that successfully can solve human intelligence problems has human-level intelligence and vice versa. This paper analyses this assumption

Experimental fragmentation of pipe bombs with varying case thickness

Among all the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) known, pipe bombs are one of the most popular devices used by terrorists. They are simple to use, easy to construct and materials are readily available. For this IED, fragmentation is the primary injury mechanism, which makes them a desirable weapon for terrorists aiming to inflict maximum human casualties. Although the investigation of fragmentation pattern is not novel, there is limited data available on pipe bombs performance in the open literature. Therefore, this research is looking at validating results in current literature, which showed limited repetition and weak experimental design so far; by trial with six pipe bombs with two different thickness (3 of each). The pipe bombs consisted of mild steel casing and aluminised ammonium nitrate as the explosive filler. Fragments were collected, with an average recovery of 72%, and measured regarding mass and velocity. The experiment results show a correlation between the pipe thickness and both the size and velocity of fragments

Neural Correlates of the Difference between Working Memory Speed and Simple Sensorimotor Speed: An fMRI Study

The difference between the speed of simple cognitive processes and the speed of complex cognitive processes has various psychological correlates. However, the neural correlates of this difference have not yet been investigated. In this study, we focused on working memory (WM) for typical complex cognitive processes. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired during the performance of an N-back task, which is a measure of WM for typical complex cognitive processes. In our N-back task, task speed and memory load were varied to identify the neural correlates responsible for the difference between the speed of simple cognitive processes (estimated from the 0-back task) and the speed of WM. Our findings showed that this difference was characterized by the increased activation in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the increased functional interaction between the right DLPFC and right superior parietal lobe. Furthermore, the local gray matter volume of the right DLPFC was correlated with participants' accuracy during fast WM tasks, which in turn correlated with a psychometric measure of participants' intelligence. Our findings indicate that the right DLPFC and its related network are responsible for the execution of the fast cognitive processes involved in WM. Identified neural bases may underlie the psychometric differences between the speed with which subjects perform simple cognitive tasks and the speed with which subjects perform more complex cognitive tasks, and explain the previous traditional psychological findings

Applications of Wine Pomace in the Food Industry: Approaches and Functions

Winemaking generates large amounts ofwine pomace, also called grape pomace. This by-product has attracted the attention of food scientists and the food industry, due to its high content in nutrients and bioactive compounds. This review mainly focuses on the different published approaches to the use of wine pomace and its functions in the food industry. Traditionally, wine pomace has been used to obtain wine alcohol, food colorings, and grape seed oil. More recently, research has focused in the production of other value-added products, such as extracts of bioactive compounds, mainly phenols, recovery of tartaric acid, and the making of flours. The most common functions associated with wine pomace products are their use as antioxidants, followed by their use as fortifying, coloring, and antimicrobial agents. These products have mainly been applied to the preparation of meat and fish products and to, a lesser extent, cereal products.Autonomous Government of Castilla y León, Spain, through the research project BU282U13

Rilievi sulla concentrazione di gas nocivi in porcilaie all'ingrasso

CO2, NH3 and H2S were measured under summer and winter conditions in 3 pig houses: (1) slatted floor, forced ventilation, underfloor slurry storage, (2) solid floor, separate slatted defaecation area, natural ventilation and (3) slatted floor, forced ventilation, underfloor slurry storage with oligolytic treatment. All 3 houses met CIGR recommended limits. However, the slurry lagoon beneath the slatted floor allowed emission of malodorous gases with consequent problems with occupants of nearby housing. Further research is recommended

Antioxidant protection of low density lipoprotein by procyanidins: structure/activity relationships

The antioxidant activity of catechins and oligomeric procyanidins against low density lipoproteins peroxidation was studied by means of three distinct methods: cis-parinaric acid fluorescence decay, conjugated-dienes detection, and oxygen consumption. A relationship between the radical trapping efficiency of procyanidins and their structure was investigated. The results indicated that: (i) interflavan linkage type (C4---C6 or C4---C8) exerts a significant effect upon radical-trapping antioxidant activity of procyanidins. It is suggested that the conformation adopted by each procyanidin in aqueous solution influence their hydrophilic character, hence affecting their interaction with the peroxyl radicals present in aqueous phase and those in LDL particle (lipidic nature); (ii) antioxidant activity increase with the degree of polymerization for the compounds with (-)-epicatechin (epi) as structural unit (epi, dimer B2 (epi-epi) and trimer C1 (epi-epi-epi)); (iii) galloylation increases antioxidant activity of procyanidins, specially in the case of B2-3''-O-gallate dimer, which revealed the maximal trapping efficiency.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6T4P-4991WTC-3/1/3df007cdd12590e401c8ed72a9760b7