A brain-inspired cognitive system that mimics the dynamics of human thought

In recent years, some impressive AI systems have been built that can play games and answer questions about large quantities of data. However, we are still a very long way from AI systems that can think and learn in a human-like way. We have a great deal of information about how the brain works and can simulate networks of hundreds of millions of neurons. So it seems likely that we could use our neuroscientific knowledge to build brain-inspired artificial intelligence that acts like humans on similar timescales. This paper describes an AI system that we have built using a brain-inspired network of artificial spiking neurons. On a word recognition and colour naming task our system behaves like human subjects on a similar timescale. In the longer term, this type of AI technology could lead to more flexible general purpose artificial intelligence and to more natural human-computer interaction

Muscle Protein Synthesis with a Hybrid Dairy and Plant‐Based Protein Blend (P4) Is Equal to Whey Protein in a Murine Ageing Model after Fasting

P4, a specific combination of dairy proteins (whey and casein) and plant‐based protein isolates (pea and soy), has been shown to provide a more balanced amino acid (AA) profile than its single constituent proteins; however, less is known about how this translates to muscle protein syn‐ thesis (MPS). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of P4 compared to whey or casein against fasted control on MPS. C57BL/6J mice, aged 25 months, were fasted overnight, followed by oral gavage of either whey, P4, casein, or water as a fasted control. Thirty minutes after ingestion, puromycin (0.04 μmol∙g‐1 bodyweight) was subcutaneously injected; 30‐min thereafter, mice were sacrificed. MPS was measured by the SUnSET method, and signalling proteins were determined in the left‐tibialis anterior (TA) muscle by the WES technique. AA composition was determined in plasma and right‐TA muscle. Dried blood spots (DBS) were analysed for postprandial AA dynamics at 10, 20, 45, 60 min. MPS was 1.6‐fold increased with whey (p = 0.006) and 1.5‐fold with P4 com‐ pared to fasted (p = 0.008), while no change was seen with casein. This was confirmed by a signifi‐ cant increase of phosphorylated/total ratio of 4E‐BP1 for both whey (p = 0.012) and P4 (p = 0.001). No changes were observed in p70S6K and mTOR phosphorylation/total ratio with whey or P4. In‐ tramuscular leucine levels were lower for P4 (0.71 μmol∙g dry weight−1) compared to whey (0.97 μmol∙g dry weight−1) (p = 0.0007). Ten minutes postprandial, DBS showed significantly increased blood AA levels of BCAAs, histidine, lysine, threonine, arginine, and tyrosine for P4 versus fasted. In conclusion, a hybrid mix of dairy and plant‐based proteins (P4) resulted in a MPS response that was similar to whey protein in aged mice after fasting. This suggests that other anabolic triggers beyond leucine or the well‐balanced amino acid profile and bioavailability of the blend benefit stim‐ ulation of MPS