Learning and adaptation in physical heterogeneous teams of robots

In this paper we present a novel approach to assigning roles to robots in a team of physical heterogeneous robots. Its members compete for these roles and get rewards for them. The rewards are used to determine each agent’s preferences and which agents are better adapted to the environment. These aspects are included in the decision making process. Agent interactions are modelled using the concept of an ecosystem in which each robot is a species, resulting in emergent behaviour of the whole set of agents. One of the most important features of this approach is its high adaptability. Unlike some other learning techniques, this approach does not need to start a whole exploitation process when the environment changes. All this is exemplified by means of experiments run on a simulator. In addition, the algorithm developed was applied as applied to several teams of robots in order to analyse the impact of heterogeneity in these systems

Transcript profiling suggests that differential metabolic adaptation of mice to a high fat diet is associated with changes in liver to muscle lipid fluxes.

Genetically homogenous C57Bl/6 mice display differential metabolic adaptation when fed a high fat diet for 9 months. Most become obese and diabetic, but a significant fraction remains lean and diabetic or lean and non-diabetic. Here, we performed microarray analysis of "metabolic" transcripts expressed in liver and hindlimb muscles to evaluate: (i) whether expressed transcript patterns could indicate changes in metabolic pathways associated with the different phenotypes, (ii) how these changes differed from the early metabolic adaptation to short term high fat feeding, and (iii) whether gene classifiers could be established that were characteristic of each metabolic phenotype. Our data indicate that obesity/diabetes was associated with preserved hepatic lipogenic gene expression and increased plasma levels of very low density lipoprotein and, in muscle, with an increase in lipoprotein lipase gene expression. This suggests increased muscle fatty acid uptake, which may favor insulin resistance. In contrast, the lean mice showed a strong reduction in the expression of hepatic lipogenic genes, in particular of Scd-1, a gene linked to sensitivity to diet-induced obesity; the lean and non-diabetic mice presented an additional increased expression of eNos in liver. After 1 week of high fat feeding the liver gene expression pattern was distinct from that seen at 9 months in any of the three mouse groups, thus indicating progressive establishment of the different phenotypes. Strikingly, development of the obese phenotype involved re-expression of Scd-1 and other lipogenic genes. Finally, gene classifiers could be established that were characteristic of each metabolic phenotype. Together, these data suggest that epigenetic mechanisms influence gene expression patterns and metabolic fates.

Psychological needs of adolescents in the early phase of bipolar disorder: implications for early intervention.

Aim: This paper will describe the rationale for, and importance of, psychological interventions for young people early in the course of bipolar disorder. Methods: Emerging literature in this field will be discussed in addition to describing specific clinical challenges and opportunities with this population. Results: In order to be more developmentally appropriate for young people with bipolar disorder, eight aspects of clinical work which may require modification were identified. Conclusions: The evidence base for the effectiveness of psychological interventions for people diagnosed with bipolar disorder is growing. However, some aspects relating to working with adults with bipolar disorder require modification to be effective in working with young people early in the course of the disorder.

Role of the circadian clock gene Per2 in adaptation to cold temperature.

Adaptive thermogenesis allows mammals to resist to cold. For instance, in brown adipose tissue (BAT) the facultative uncoupling of the proton gradient from ATP synthesis in mitochondria is used to generate systemic heat. However, this system necessitates an increase of the Uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp1) and its activation by free fatty acids. Here we show that mice without functional Period2 (Per2) were cold sensitive because their adaptive thermogenesis system was less efficient. Upon cold-exposure, Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) induced Per2 in the BAT. Subsequently, PER2 as a co-activator of PPARα increased expression of Ucp1. PER2 also increased Fatty acid binding protein 3 (Fabp3), a protein important to transport free fatty acids from the plasma to mitochondria to activate UCP1. Hence, in BAT PER2 is important for the coordination of the molecular response of mice exposed to cold by synchronizing UCP1 expression and its activation.

Assessing psychosocial vulnerability and care needs of pretransplant patients by means of the INTERMED.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether the INTERMED, a generic instrument for assessing biopsychosocial case complexity and direct care, identifies organ transplant patients at risk of unfavourable post-transplant development by comparing it to the Transplant Evaluation Rating Scale (TERS), the established measure for pretransplant psychosocial evaluation. METHOD: One hundred nineteen kidney, liver, and heart transplant candidates were evaluated using the INTERMED, TERS, SF-36, EuroQol, Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS: We found significant relationships between the INTERMED and the TERS scores. The INTERMED highly correlated with the HADS,MADRS, and mental and physical health scores of the SF-36 Health Survey. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate the validity and usefulness of the INTERMED instrument for pretransplant evaluation. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate the different qualities of INTERMED and TERS in clinical practice. The advantages of the psychiatric focus of the TERS and the biopsychosocial perspective of the INTERMED are discussed in the context of current literature on integrated care.

Empfehlungen zur Diagnostik und Therapie der behavioralen und psychologischen Symptome der Demenz (BPSD) [Recommendations for diagnosis and therapy of behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia (BPSD)].

In patients with dementia, Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) are frequent findings that accompany deficits caused by cognitive impairment and thus complicate diagnostics, therapy and care. BPSD are a burden both for affected individuals as well as care-givers, and represent a significant challenge for therapy of a patient population with high degree of multi-morbidity. The goal of this therapy-guideline issued by swiss professional associations is to present guidance regarding therapy of BPSD as attendant symptoms in dementia, based on evidence as well as clinical experience. Here it appears to be of particular importance to take into account professional experience, as at this point for most therapeutic options no sufficiently controlled clinical trials are available. A critical discussion of pharmaco-therapeutic intervention is necessary, as this patient-population is particularly vulnerable for medication side-effects. Finally, a particular emphasis is placed on incorporating and systematically reporting psycho-social and nursing options therapeutic intervention.

Pain assessment in PICU and NICU: Have we got it right?

Pain assessment in critically ill infants and nonverbal children remains a challenge for health professionals. Despite the numerous pain observational measures that have been developed or adapted for infants and children with impaired communication, pain prevalence in paediatric and neonatal intensive care unit remains too high. As pain assessment has been recognised as a pre-requisite for appropriate pain management, much effort was put in the validation or the adaptation of pain measures with little emphasis on implementation of these instruments into practice. Only a few studies demonstrated the benefit of using standardised protocols for the management of pain to guide practice with variable effects. When standardised protocols are undeniably useful in practice, they do not replace health professionals' clinical reasoning necessary to care for individuals. The diversity of the PICU population makes that pain scores need to be interpreted within its clinical context. This session will present pain assessment as a complex transaction that describes structured clinical reasoning from expert nurses that goes beyond the "silver" standard of hetero-evaluation of pain in non-communicative children. Besides pain scores, several patients and nurses factors play a major role in making decisions about analgesia and/or sedation. Patient's clinical instability, change in patient's clinical status, source for observed agitated behaviour, patient's known reactions to analgesia and sedation and anticipation of risks are factors that should be taken into account when implementing pain assessment and management guidelines in PICU and NICU.

Psychotherapeutic case conceptualization using plan analysis for bipolar affective disorder.

Valid individualized case conceptualization methodologies, such as plan analysis, are rarely used for the psychotherapeutic treatment conceptualization and planning of bipolar affective disorder (BD), even if data do exist showing that psychotherapy interventions might be enhanced by applying such analyses for treatment planning for several groups of patients. We applied plan analysis as a research tool (Caspar, 1995) to N=30 inpatients presenting BD, who were interviewed twice. Our study aimed at producing a prototypical plan structure encompassing the most relevant data from the 30 individual case conceptualizations. Special focus was given to links with emotions and coping plans. Inter-rater reliability of these plan analyses was considered sufficient. Results suggest the presence of two subtypes based on plananalytic principles: emotion control and relationship control, along with a mixed form. These subtypes are discussed with regard to inherent plananalytic conflicts, specific emotions and coping plans, as well as symptom level and type. Finally, conclusions are drawn for enhancing psychotherapeutic practice with BD patients, based on the motive-oriented therapeutic relationship.

Adaptation to marginal habitats

The ability to adapt to marginal habitats, in which survival and reproduction are initially poor, plays a crucial role in the evolution of ecological niches and species ranges. Adaptation to marginal habitats may be limited by genetic, developmental, and functional constraints, but also by consequences of demographic characteristics of marginal populations. Marginal populations are often sparse, fragmented, prone to local extinctions, or are demographic sinks subject to high immigration from high-quality core habitats. This makes them demographically and genetically dependent on core habitats and prone to gene flow counteracting local selection. Theoretical and empirical research in the past decade has advanced our understanding of conditions that favor adaptation to marginal habitats despite those limitations. This review is an attempt at synthesis of those developments and of the emerging conceptual framework.

A further examination of the distinction between dependency-oriented and achievement-oriented parental psychological control: Psychometric properties of the DAPCS with French-speaking late adolescents

Psychological control refers to parental behaviors that intrude on the psychological and emotional development of the child. In 2010, Soenens and colleagues proposed a distinction between two domain-specific expressions of psychological control, that is, Dependency-oriented Psychological Control (DPC) and Achievement-oriented Psychological Control (APC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the factor structure, reliability, and convergent validity of the French form of the Dependency-oriented and Achievement-oriented Psychological Control Scale (DAPCS; Soenens, Vansteenkiste, and Luyten, 2010) in a sample of late adolescents (N = 291, mean age = 21.65). Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the hypothesized two-factor solution of the DAPCS for paternal as well as for maternal ratings. Moreover, high indices of internal consistency indicated that both subscales produced reliable scores. Further, convergent validity was confirmed by theoretically consistent associations between the DAPCS' subscales and well-established assessments of general parenting style dimensions. Finally, results evidenced gender specific patterns supporting the relevance of domain differentiation in the assessment of psychological control. Overall, the results of this study indicated that the French form of the DAPCS might be a useful instrument to assess two domainspecific types of parental psychological control among French-speaking adolescents.

To say or not to say: a qualitative study on the disclosure of their condition by human immunodeficiency virus-positive adolescents.

PURPOSE: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive adolescents face a number of challenges in dealing with their disease, treatment, and developmental tasks. This qualitative study describes some of the reasons why, and the extent to which, adolescents may or may not disclose their condition to others. METHODS: A semistructured interview lasting 40-110 minutes was conducted with each of 29 adolescents 12-20 years old, 22 female and seven male) living in Switzerland. Interviews were tape recorded and transcribed verbatim. The analysis of the content of interviews allowed us to identify salient topics (e.g., disclosure), which were then explored in detail. RESULTS: Of 29 participants, eight had not disclosed their condition to anyone outside the family, 19 had disclosed it to good friends, and 16 had disclosed it to some teachers. Four participants had engaged in public disclosure, and six of 10 sexually active teenagers disclosed their status to their partners. The attitudes toward disclosure among younger adolescents were mostly related to those of the parents, particularly the mother. Older adolescents, engaged in their search for autonomy, tended to decide independently what to say and to whom. Although foster/adoptive parents would often encourage disclosure, biological parents, especially HIV-positive mothers, insisted on not disclosing the adolescent's status for fear of stigma. CONCLUSION: The health care team should systematically address the issue of disclosure with the adolescent and his family (or foster parents), the aim being to balance the right of the adolescent and that adolescent's family to maintain privacy against the concerns of sexual partners, as well as the adolescent's interest in divulging HIV status to relatives, school staff, and friends.

Birth and rapid subcellular adaptation of a hominoid-specific CDC14 protein

Gene duplication was prevalent during hominoid evolution, yet little is known about the functional fate of new ape gene copies. We characterized the CDC14B cell cycle gene and the functional evolution of its hominoid-specific daughter gene, CDC14Bretro. We found that CDC14B encodes four different splice isoforms that show different subcellular localizations (nucleus or microtubule-associated) and functional properties. A microtubular CDC14B variant spawned CDC14Bretro through retroposition in the hominoid ancestor 18-25 million years ago (Mya). CDC14Bretro evolved brain-/testis-specific expression after the duplication event and experienced a short period of intense positive selection in the African ape ancestor 7-12 Mya. Using resurrected ancestral protein variants, we demonstrate that by virtue of amino acid substitutions in distinct protein regions during this time, the subcellular localization of CDC14Bretro progressively shifted from the association with microtubules (stabilizing them) to an association with the endoplasmic reticulum. CDC14Bretro evolution represents a paradigm example of rapid, selectively driven subcellular relocalization, thus revealing a novel mode for the emergence of new gene function

Identification of psychological dysfunctions and eating disorders in obese women seeking weight loss: cross-sectional study.

Objective. The aim of this study is to analyse associations between eating behaviour and psychological dysfunctions in treatment-seeking obese patients and identify parameters for the development of diagnostic tools with regard to eating and psychological disorders. Design and Methods. Cross-sectional data were analysed from 138 obese women. Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh and Eating Disorder Inventory-2 assessed eating behaviours. Beck Depression Inventory II, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, form Y, Rathus Assertiveness Schedule, and Marks and Mathews Fear Questionnaire assessed psychological profile. Results. 61% of patients showed moderate or major depressive symptoms and 77% showed symptoms of anxiety. Half of the participants presented with a low degree of assertiveness. No correlation was found between psychological profile and age or anthropometric measurements. The prevalence and severity of depression, anxiety, and assertiveness increased with the degree of eating disorders. The feeling of ineffectiveness explained a large degree of score variance. It explained 30 to 50% of the variability of assertiveness, phobias, anxiety, and depression. Conclusion. Psychological dysfunctions had a high prevalence and their severity is correlated with degree of eating disorders. The feeling of ineffectiveness constitutes the major predictor of the psychological profile and could open new ways to develop screening tools.