Towards Autonomous Creative Systems: A Computational Approach

This paper reviews the long-standing debate surrounding the nature of machine intelligence, autonomy and creativity and argues for an approach to developing autonomous computational creativity that models personal motivations, social interactions and the evolution of domains. The implications of this argument on the types of cognitive processes that are required for the development of autonomous computational creativity are explored and a possible approach to achieving the goal is described. In particular, this paper describes the development of artificial creative systems composed of intrinsically motivated agents engaging in language games to interact with a shared social and cultural environment. The paper discusses the implications that this type of approach may have for the development of autonomous creative systems.     

Brain responses to stimuli mimicking dental treatment among non‐phobic individuals: A meta‐analysis

Numerous neuroimaging studies have attempted to identify how the brain responds to stimuli mimicking dental treatment in normal non‐phobic individuals. However, results were sometimes inconsistent due to small sample sizes and methodological variations. This meta‐analysis employs standardized procedures to summarize data from previous studies to identify brain regions that were consistently activated across studies, elicited by stimuli such as pictures, sounds, or audiovisual footage mimicking those encountered during dental treatments. A systematic literature search was carried out using PubMed and Scopus. The meta‐analysis analyzed data from 120 healthy subjects from seven neuroimaging studies. We assessed the risk of bias among the included studies with the Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Nonrandomized Studies. One study appeared to have a high risk of selection bias, whereas the others were considered to have a low risk of bias. Results revealed three clusters of activation with cluster sizes ranging from 768 mm³ to 1,424 mm³. Stimuli mimicking dental treatment consistently activated the bilateral anterior insula; right dorsal anterior cingulate, putamen, and medial prefrontal cortex; and left claustrum. This study confirmed that audio and/or visual stimuli mimicking dental treatment consistently activated the fear‐related brain regions among healthy subjects, mostly consistent with activations from general anxiety but without the involvement of the amygdala.     

Prenatal maternal stress is associated with delivery analgesia and unplanned cesareans

We tested the hypothesis that women with greater prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) would be more likely to receive intravenous opiates and epidural for delivery, and thereby increase the likelihood of unplanned cesarean delivery. PNMS was assessed during early, mid, and late pregnancy using psychometrically sound instruments in structured interviews with women receiving prenatal care at a public university clinic. Medical records were abstracted for analgesia during delivery, fetal heart tracing (FHT) abnormalities, and method of delivery. Only subjects attempting vaginal delivery (N = 298) were included. Using structural equation modeling, a PNMS variable was constructed from five indicators: pregnancy-specific distress, number of prenatal stressful life events, distress from life events, state anxiety, and perceived stress. After controlling for medical predictors of analgesia receipt and surgical delivery, women with higher PNMS were more likely to receive analgesia, and those who received analgesia were more likely to deliver surgically. Analgesia was also associated with FHT abnormalities, which in turn was associated with surgical delivery (all p's < 0.05). Women who received both an epidural and meperidine were most likely to have a cesarean delivery; 29% of this group delivered surgically. Results indicate that PNMS contributes to higher likelihood of unplanned cesarean delivery through its association with delivery analgesia.     

Treating obesity in patients with cardiovascular disease: the pharmacotherapeutic options

Introduction: Obesity is a growing health problem that has numerous comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). The multi-disciplinary treatment of obesity now includes the use of pharmacotherapy. When treating patients with obesity and CVD, certain medications may be more appropriate than others.

Areas covered: Herein, the authors review the most commonly used FDA approved medications for the treatment of obesity, describing their mechanism of action, and the efficacy and safety of the medications as seen in recent studies, particularly in patients with CVD.

Expert opinion: In the population of patients with obesity and CVD, the medications orlistat, lorcaserin and liraglutide are considered the most appropriate options for their treatment, in terms of safety. Sympathomimetic medications, such as phentermine, should be avoided in this group. The recent CAMELLIA-TIMI 61 trial supports the safety of lorcaserin in patients with CVD. Until there are more studies, it is reasonable to extrapolate the findings of the LEADER trial, which found improved CV outcomes in subjects with type 2 diabetes taking liraglutide, to the population of nondiabetic patients being treated for obesity. Further cardiovascular outcomes trials (CVOT) are needed to assess the safety of other pharmacotherapeutic options for weight loss.