Adaptive Intelligence: Intelligence Is Not a Personal Trait but Rather a Person × Task × Situation Interaction

This article explores the advantages of viewing intelligence not as a fixed trait residing within an individual, but rather as a person × task × situation interaction. The emphasis in the article is on the role of persons solving tasks embedded in situations involving learning, intellectual abilities, and competencies. The article opens with a consideration of the role of situations in intelligent behavior. The article then discusses how intelligence is more similar to creativity and wisdom, in terms of the role of situations, than many psychologists have realized. Then the article reviews the role of situations in identity-based and irrational thinking and in conspiratorial thinking and cults. Next the article discusses the demonstrated importance of situations in assessment, but also notes the difficulties in sampling situations. Finally, the article draws conclusions, in particular, that, given our lack of situation-based tests, we need to be more modest in our interpretations results from conventional tests of intelligence.

Fuzzy Logic Control with PSO Tuning

Several applications of artificial intelligence in the area of control of dynamic systems have proven to be an efficient tool for process improvement. In this context, control systems based on fuzzy logic - Fuzzy Logic Control (FLC) are part of a series of advances in the areas of control systems. Fuzzy control is based on natural language and therefore has the ability to make approximations closer to the real nature of the problems. The use of metaheuristic algorithms such as the particle swarm optimization (PSO) allows it to provide adequate adjustments to the fuzzy controller in an optimized manner. This technique allows to adjust the FLC in a simple way according to the performance desired by the designer, without the need for a long time of conventional tests.

Performance Evaluation of Asphalt Binder Modified by Natural Rock Asphalt

Rock asphalt is one of the widely distributed resources in nature. Therefore, this study employs natural rock asphalt as an additive. The focus of this study is to look at the potential of using natural rock asphalt as an asphalt binder modifier. The study looks at five different percentages of modified asphalt (NRA) concentration from Anbar factory asphalt for oxidized bitumen: 0%, 5%, 10%, 20%, and 30%. The results show that using modified natural rock asphalt increased the mechanical qualities of basic asphalt, such as penetration and softening point, flash point, and viscosity. In addition, the current results show that the asphaltic materials that can be used in paving according to the measuring of conventional tests such as ductility, penetration, and others. Furthermore, the findings indicate that modified asphalt has lower temperature sensitivity.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing in Sputum-Scarce or Smear-Negative Cases with Suspected Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Objective. To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples or lung biopsy specimens from which suspected pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients have no sputum or negative smear. Materials and Methods. Sputum-scarce or smear-negative cases with suspected PTB ( n = 107 ) were analyzed from January 2018 to June 2020. We collected BALF or lung tissue biopsy samples with these cases of suspected TB during hospitalization. The diagnostic accuracy of mNGS for these samples was compared with those of conventional tests or the T-SPOT.TB assay. Results. 46 cases of PTB patients and 61 cases of non-PTB patients were finally enrolled and analyzed. mNGS exhibited a sensitivity of 89.13%, which was higher than conventional tests (67.39%) but equivalent to those of the T-SPOT.TB assay alone (76.09%) or T-SPOT.TB assay in combination with conventional tests (91.30%). The specificity of mNGS was 98.36%, similar to conventional tests (95.08%) but significantly higher than those of the T-SPOT.TB assay alone (65.57%) or the T-SPOT.TB assay in combination with conventional tests (63.93%). There was no significant difference in the diagnostic accuracy of mNGS in BALF samples and lung biopsy tissue specimens. Conclusion. Our findings demonstrate that mNGS could offer improved detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in BALF or lung tissue biopsy samples in sputum-scarce or smear-negative cases with suspected PTB.

Resistance of Austenitic Stainless Steels to Ductility-Dip Cracking: Mechanisms

In Ni-based alloys, precipitates that form along grain boundaries (GBs) during terminal solidification have been shown to pin GBs and resist GB sliding, which can cause ductility-dip cracking (DDC). As a result, it is often suggested that the stainless steel skeletal/lacy  in a  matrix resists DDC because it pins GBs. In the present study, austenitic stainless steels 304, 316, 310, and 321 were quenched with liquid Wood’s metal (75˚C) during welding. Quenching captured the elevated-temperature micro-structure and simultaneously induced cracking, thus revealing the mechanisms of the resistance to DDC. In addition, DDC was much higher in 310 than 304, 316, and 321, which is consistent with results of conventional tests. Both 304 and 316 solidified as columnar  grains, with continuous  formed along GBs soon after solidification to resist DDC along the GBs. 321 solidified as equiaxed grains of  instead of columnar, and the tortuous GBs associated with equiaxed grains resisted DDC. 310, however, solidified as coarse, straight  grains with little  along the GBs, and solidification GBs migrated to become locally straight. The resulting GBs were long, straight, and naked, which is ideal for DDC. In 304, 316, or 321, skeletal/lacy  in a  matrix did not exist in the fusion zone near the mushy zone, where DDC occurs. This proved skeletal/lacy  cannot resist DDC as often suggested. Instead, the present study identified two new mechanisms of resistance to DDC: 1) formation of continuous or nearly continuous  along boundaries of columnar  grains and 2) solidification as equiaxed  grains.

The multivariate analysis of variance as a powerful approach for circular data

A broad range of scientific studies involve taking measurements on a circular rather than linear scale (often times or orientations). For linear measures there is a well-established statistical toolkit based on linear modelling to explore the associations between this focal variable and potentially several explanatory factors and covariates. However, most statistical testing of circular statistics is much simpler: often involving either testing whether variation in the focal measurements departs from circular uniformity, or whether a single explanatory factor with two levels is supported. Here we demonstrate that a MANOVA approach based on the sines and cosines of the circular data is as effective as the most-commonly used tests in these simple situations, while additionally it offers extension to multi-factorial modelling that these conventional tests do not. This, in combination with recent developments in Bayesian approaches, offers a substantial broadening of the scientific questions that can be addressed statistically with circular data.

Art Therapy: A Complementary Treatment for Mental Disorders

Art therapy, as a non-pharmacological medical complementary and alternative therapy, has been used as one of medical interventions with good clinical effects on mental disorders. However, systematically reviewed in detail in clinical situations is lacking. Here, we searched on PubMed for art therapy in an attempt to explore its theoretical basis, clinical applications, and future perspectives to summary its global pictures. Since drawings and paintings have been historically recognized as a useful part of therapeutic processes in art therapy, we focused on studies of art therapy which mainly includes painting and drawing as media. As a result, a total of 413 literature were identified. After carefully reading full articles, we found that art therapy has been gradually and successfully used for patients with mental disorders with positive outcomes, mainly reducing suffering from mental symptoms. These disorders mainly include depression disorders and anxiety, cognitive impairment and dementias, Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and autism. These findings suggest that art therapy can not only be served as an useful therapeutic method to assist patients to open up and share their feelings, views, and experiences, but also as an auxiliary treatment for diagnosing diseases to help medical specialists obtain complementary information different from conventional tests. We humbly believe that art therapy has great potential in clinical applications on mental disorders to be further explored.

Rotational thromboelastometry and conventional coagulation tests in patients undergoing major cardiac or aortic surgery: a retrospective single-center cohort study

Algorithms for treatment of diffuse bleeding in cardiac surgery are based on intervention thresholds of coagulation tests, such as rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) or conventional laboratory tests. The relationship between these two approaches is unclear in patients with increased risk of coagulation abnormalities. We retrospectively analyzed the data of 248 patients undergoing major cardiac and/or aortic surgery. ROTEM and conventional laboratory tests were performed simultaneously after termination of cardiopulmonary bypass and protamine administration to investigate the extrinsic and intrinsic system, and to determine deficiencies in platelets and fibrinogen. We evaluated the association between ROTEM and conventional tests by linear regression analysis and compared the frequency of exceeding established thresholds for clinical intervention. Significant linear associations between ROTEM 10 min after the start of coagulation, and plasma fibrinogen concentration or platelet count (FIBTEM A10, R2 = 0.67, p < 0.001; EXTEM A10, R2 = 0.47, p < 0.001) were obtained. However, the 95% prediction intervals exceeded clinically useful ranges (92–233 mg/dL fibrinogen at the intervention threshold of FIBTEM A10 = 10 mm; 14 × 103–122 × 103/µL platelets at the intervention threshold of EXTEM A10 = 40 mm). The association between EXTEM and INR (R2 = 0.23), and INTEM and aPTT (R2 = 0.095) was poor. The frequency of exceeding intervention thresholds and, consequently, of triggering treatment, varied markedly between ROTEM and conventional tests (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). The predictability of conventional coagulation test results by ROTEM is limited, thus hampering the interchangeability of methods in clinical practice.

The role of component-resolved diagnosis in Hymenoptera venom allergy in clinical practice

Background: Hymenoptera venom allergy is an immunoglobulin (Ig) E mediated hypersensitivity reaction to Hymenoptera venoms. Obvious identification of the culprit insect that causes the clinical symptoms and, hence, the accurate selection of venom for curative treatment, is of great importance for the effectiveness and safety of venom immunotherapy. Objective: In this study, the contribution of component-resolved diagnostics (CRD) is evaluated in the diagnosis of Hymenoptera venom allergy. Method: Ninety-three patients from four different centers in Turkey were included in the study. Conventional tests, including prick and intradermal skin tests, with commercial venom extracts and serum specific IgE (sIgE) levels for whole venoms were performed. An sIgE analysis for venom allergen components, including rApi m 1, rApi m 2, rApi m 10, rVes v 1, rVes v 5, were evaluated by immunoblotting. Results: In conventional test results, 17 of 35 patients with bee venom allergy were positive to honey bee venom, whereas 18 patients were positive to bee and wasp venoms. In 28 of 35 patients with bee venom allergy, the diagnosis was confirmed with CRD. CRD revealed a sensitivity of 80% in patients with bee venom allergy. According to conventional tests, 7 of 24 patients with vespid venom allergy demonstrated sensitivity only to Vespula species, whereas 17 patients revealed double positivity. The total diagnostic sensitivity of Ves v 1 and Ves v 5 was calculated as 87.5%. Ten of 23 patients with a history of hypersensitivity to both venoms showed double sensitivity with CRD; one patient had cross-reactivity, one patient was found to be sensitive only to bee venom, and, eight patients were sensitive only to Vespula species. Eleven patients had an uncertain history in terms of the culprit insect type and six of them had double sensitivity in CRD. Conclusion: CRD seemed to be more helpful in diagnosing vespid venom allergy than bee venom allergy. It can also discriminate clinically significant sensitizations from irrelevant ones.