Self-organization of reflexive behavior from spontaneous motor activity.

In mammals, the development of reflexes is often regarded as an innate process. However, recent findings show that fetuses are endowed with favorable conditions for ontogenetic development. In this article, we hypothesize that the circuitry of at least some mammalian reflexes can be self-organized from the sensory and motor interactions brought forth in a musculoskeletal system. We focus mainly on three reflexes: the myotatic reflex, the reciprocal inhibition reflex, and the reverse myotatic reflex. To test our hypothesis, we conducted a set of experiments on a simulated musculoskeletal system using pairs of agonist and antagonist muscles. The reflex connectivity is obtained by producing spontaneous motor activity in each muscle and by correlating the resulting sensor and motor signals. Our results show that, under biologically plausible conditions, the reflex circuitry thus obtained is consistent with that identified in relation to the analogous mammalian reflexes. In addition, they show that the reflex connectivity obtained depends on the morphology of the musculoskeletal system as well as on the environment that it is embedded in.

Morphological computation for adaptive behavior and cognition

Traditionally, in robotics, artificial intelligence and neuroscience, there has been a focus on the study of the control or the neural system itself. Recently there has been an increasing interest in the notion of embodiment not only in robotics and artificial intelligence, but also in the neurosciences, psychology and philosophy. In this paper, we introduce the notion of morphological computation, and demonstrate how it can be exploited on the one hand for designing intelligent, adaptive robotic systems, and on the other hand for understanding natural systems. While embodiment has often been used in its trivial meaning, i.e. "intelligence requires a body", the concept has deeper and more important implications, concerned with the relation between physical and information (neural, control) processes. Morphological computation is about connecting body, brain and environment. A number of case studies are presented to illustrate the concept. We conclude with some speculations about potential lessons for neuroscience and robotics. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Behavior learning of a face robot based on the characteristics of human instruction

Computer simulation experiments were performed to examine the effectiveness of OR- and comparative-reinforcement learning algorithms. In the simulation, human rewards were given as +1 and -1. Two models of human instruction that determine which reward is to be given in every step of a human instruction were used. Results show that human instruction may have a possibility of including both model-A and model-B characteristics, and it can be expected that the comparative-reinforcement learning algorithm is more effective for learning by human instructions.

Effects of several organic acids on the feeding behavior of Tilapia nilotica

Automatic recording of the frequency of feeding 'bites' was used to evaluate the effects of several organic acids (citric, metacectonic, lactic, acetic, and oxalic) on the stimulatory feeding behavior of Tilapia nilotica . Some of these acids are added to food stocks to retard spoilage. The results showed that citric acid at a concentration of 10(-2) to 10(-6) m, metacetonic acid at 10(-4) to 10(-6) m, and lactic acid at 10(-2) to 10(-5) m stimulated feeding. Fish tended to avoid metacetonic acid at 10(-3) m and acetic acid at 10(-3) m. Acetic acid at 10(-5) m and oxalic acid at 10(-6) m had no significant effects on fish feeding.

Comparative ontogenetic behavior and migration of kaluga, Huso dauricus, and Amur sturgeon, Acipenser schrenckii, from the Amur River

We conducted laboratory experiments with kaluga, Huso dauricus, and Amur sturgeon, Acipenser schrenckii, to develop a conceptual model of early behavior. We daily observed embryos (first life phase after hatching) and larvae (period initiating exogenous feeding) to day-30 (late larvae) for preference of bright habitat and cover, swimming distance above the bottom, up- and downstream movement, and diel activity. Day-0 embryos of both species strongly preferred bright, open habitat and initiated a strong, downstream migration that lasted 4 days (3 day peak) for kaluga and 3 days (2 day peak) for Amur sturgeon. Kaluga migrants swam far above the bottom (150 cm) on only 1 day and moved day and night; Amur sturgeon migrants swam far above the bottom (median 130 cm) during 3 days and were more nocturnal than kaluga. Post-migrant embryos of both species moved day and night, but Amur sturgeon used dark, cover habitat and swam closer to the bottom than kaluga. The larva period of both species began on day 7 (cumulative temperature degree-days, 192.0 for kaluga and 171.5 for Amur sturgeon). Larvae of both species preferred open habitat. Kaluga larvae strongly preferred bright habitat, initially swam far above the bottom (median 50-105 cm), and migrated downstream at night during days 10-16 (7-day migration). Amur sturgeon larvae strongly avoided illumination, had a mixed response to white substrate, swam 20-30 cm above the bottom during most days, and during days 12-34 (most of the larva period) moved downstream mostly at night (23-day migration). The embryo-larva migration style of the two species likely shows convergence of non-related species for a common style in response to environmental selection in the Amur River. The embryo-larva migration style of Amur sturgeon is unique among Acipenser yet studied.

Observations on behavior and ecology of the Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis) group at Tian-e-Zhou Oxbow of the Yangtze River

The authors made 39 surveys (a total of 161 days) in the Tian-e-Zhou Oxbow of the Yangtze River, China, for observing 13 Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis) captured from the main stream of the Yangtze River and 7 juveniles born in the oxbow from January 1997 to July 2000. The animals were usually divided into several "core" groups and moved around in shallow, muddy-bottom areas with the largest individual in the lead. Each core group was composed of 2-3 animals (either 2 adults, 1 adult and 1 juvenile, 2 adults and 1 juvenile, or 2 adults and 1 calf). Newly-released animals joined the other animals first, and then reorganized their own groups one or two days later. Average breath interval was 34.4 s (+/- s.d. 4.39) for individuals in the group. The animals mated from May through June and gave birth during the second and last ten days of April of the next year. The gestation period was estimated as 310 - 320 days. Calves over 5 months old began to eat small fish. The distance of calves swimming apart from their suspected mothers increased each month. These findings will help in the management of the reserve to protect this unique freshwater porpoise.

Ontogenetic behavior and migration of Chinese sturgeon, Acipenser sinensis

The Chinese sturgeon, Acipenser sinensis, is an anadromous protected species that presently only spawns in the Yangtze River. Using laboratory experiments, we examined the behavioral preference of young Chinese sturgeon to physical habitat (water depth, illumination intensity, substrate color, and cover) and monitored their downstream migration. Hatchling free embryos were photopositive, preferred open habitat, and immediately upon hatching, swam far above the bottom using swim-up and drift. Downstream migration peaked on days 0-1, decreased about 50% or more during days 2-7, and ceased by day 8. Days 0-1 migrants were active both day and night, but days 2-7 migrants were most active during the day. After ceasing migration, days 8-11 embryos were photonegative, preferred dark substrate and sought cover. Free embryos developed into larvae and began feeding on day 12, when another shift in behavior occurred-larvae returned to photopositive behavior and preferred white substrate. The selective factor favoring migration of free embryos upon hatching and swimming far above the bottom may be avoidance of benthic predatory fishes. Free embryos, which must rely on yolk energy for activity and growth, only used 19 cumulative temperature degree-days for peak migration compared to 234 degree-days for growth to first feeding larvae, a 1 : 12 ratio of cumulative temperature units. This ratio suggests that sturgeon species with large migratory embryos, like Chinese sturgeon, which require a high level of energy to swim during migration, may migrate only a short time to conserve most yolk energy for growth.

Comparative investigation on spindle behavior and MPF activity changes during oocyte maturation between gynogenetic and amphimictic crucian carp

The spindle behavior and MPF activity changes in the progression of oocyte maturation were investigated and compared with cytological observation and kinase assay between gynogenetic silver crucian carp and amphimictic colored crucian carp. MPF activity was measured by using histone I-Il as phosphorylation substrate. There were two similar oscillatory MPF kinase activity changes during oocyte maturation in two kinds of fishes with different reproductive modes, but there existed some subtle difference between them. The subtle difference was that the first peak of MPF kinase activity was kept to a longer-lasting time in the gynogenetic silver crucian carp than in the amphimictic colored crucian carp. It was suggested that the difference may be related to the spindle behavior changes, such as tripolar spindle formation and spindle rearrangement in the gynogenetic crucian carp.

INFLUENCE OF LINEAR ALKYLBENZENE SULFONATE (LAS) AS ORGANIC COSOLVENT ON LEACHING BEHAVIOR OF PCDD/FS FROM FLY-ASH AND SOIL

The leaching of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) was measured in soil and standard fly ash column eluted with pure water and linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS)- water. The data obtained were used to evaluate the leachability of PCDD/Fs from waste dump like incineration residual slag and fly ash deposition. The leaching rate was shown to be increased significantly by using LAS water. The leachate contents of PCDD/Fs were above their known water solubility. Concentration of PCDD/Fs in the leachates as well as the relative leaching (calculated on the fly ash content) increased with increasing chlorinating degree and decreasing water solubility. LAS above the critical micelle concentration (CMC) probably enhances PCDD/Fs solubility.

MEIOTIC CHROMOSOME BEHAVIOR IN FEMALE INTERSEXES OF ARTIFICIAL TRIPLOID TRANSPARENT-COLORED CRUCIAN CARP

Chromosome behavior in meiosis was studied by air-drying, C-banding and surface-spreading methods in female intersexes of artificial triploid transparent-colored crucian carp (Carassius auratus). Chromosome pairing and contraction were obviously asynchronous. The preferential pairing of two homologous chromosomes was the major pattern of chromosome pairing, and a few triple pairing, repeated pairing, telomer or centromere associating and multiple pairing were also observed in the pachytene cells. The metaphase I cells were mainly composed of univalents, bivalents and trivalents, as well as few of other multivalents, such as tetravalents, pentavalents, hexavalents and heptavalents, were also found in some metaphase I cells. The chromosome elements including uni-, bi-, tri- and other multivalents varied considerably among the metaphase I cells, and the associating patterns of multivalents were also diverse. Some 6 n and 12 n cells, in which premeiotic endomitosis occurred once or twice, were found at the prophase and first metaphase of meiosis, and the pairing and associating patterns were basically similar to that of the triploid cells.

Tensile and compressive mechanical behavior of twinned silicon carbide nanowires

Molecular dynamics simulations with the Tersoff potential were used to study the response of twinned SiC nanowires under tensile and compressive strain. The critical strain of the twinned nanowires can be enhanced by twin stacking faults, and their critical strains are larger than those of perfect nanowires with the same diameters. Under axial tensile strain, the bonds of the nanowires are stretched just before failure. The failure behavior is found to depend on the twin segment thickness and the diameter of the nanowires. An atomic chain is observed for thin nanowires with small twin segment thickness under tension strain. Under axial compressive strain, the collapse of twinned SiC nanowires exhibits two different failure modes, depending on the length and diameter of the nanowires, i.e., shell buckling for short nanowires and columnar buckling for longer nanowires.

First-principles study of ground-state properties and high pressure behavior of ThO2

The mechanical properties, electronic structure and phonon dispersion of ground state ThO2 as well as the structure behavior up to 240 GPa are studied using first-principles density-functional theory. Our calculated elastic constants indicate that both the ground-state fluorite structure and high pressure cotunnite structure of ThO2 are mechanically stable. The bulk modulus, shear modulus, and Young's modulus of cotunnite ThO2 are all smaller by approximately 25% compared with those of fluorite ThO2. The Poisson's ratios of both structures are approximately equal to 0.3 and the hardness of fluorite ThO2 is 22.4 GPa. The electronic structure and bonding nature of fluorite ThO2 are fully analyzed, and show that the Th-O bond displays a mixed ionic/covalent character. The phase transition from the fluorite to cotunnite structure is calculated to occur at the pressure of 26.5 GPa, consistent with recent experimental measurement by ldiri et al. [1]. For the cotunnite phase it is further predicted that an isostructural transition takes place in the pressure region of 80-130 GPa.

Au@Si-n: Growth behavior, stability and electronic structure

The configurations, stability, and electronic structure of AuSin (n = 1-16) clusters have been investigated within the framework of the density functional theory at the B3PW91/LanL2DZ and PW91/DNP levels. The results show that the Au atom begins to occupy the interior site for cages as small as Si-11 and for Si-12 the Au atom completely falls into the interior site forming Au@Si-12 cage. A relatively large embedding energy and small HOMO-LUMO gap are also found for this Au@Si-12 structure indicating enhanced chemical activity and good electronic transfer properties. All these make Au@Si-12 attractive for cluster-assembled materials.