This thesis puts forward a computational framework that can be used by embodied artificial agents (and in particular autonomous robots) for ontogenetic development. The research investigates methods, endowed with which, an embodied agent can develop control structures for increasingly complex and better adapted behaviour, explicitly and incrementally from its history of interaction with its environment. The temporal horizon of an agent is extended so that past experience can be self-organized into a developing structure that can be used to anticipate the future and act appropriately in environments where state information is incomplete, such as a social environment. A formal definition of sensorimotor experience is given, and Crutchfield’s information metric is used as the basis for comparison of experiences. Information metrics are demonstrated to be able to characterize and identify time-extended behaviour. A definition of a metric space of experiences is followed by the introduction of an architecture that combines this with environmental reinforcement as the basis for a system for robot ontogeny. The architecture is demonstrated and tested in various robotic and simulation experiments. This thesis also introduces the early communication game “Peekaboo” as a tool for the study of human-robot interaction and development. The interaction history architecture is then used by two different robots to develop the capability to engage in the peekaboo game.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:22:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-02-24Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:48:51Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 lopes_ts_me_jabo.pdf: 688516 bytes, checksum: 27e94cbe3ca54f1add6bd864e9eea47c (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / O objetivo do trabalho foi acompanhar os efeitos durante o resfriamento, em quatro estádios de desenvolvimento embrionário de pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, em dois tempos de estocagem, seis e 10 horas. Embriões em quatro estádios de desenvolvimento (blastoderme, 64 células - 1,4-horas pós-fertilização, hpf; 25% do movimento de epibolia - 5,2-hpf; fechamento do blastóporo – 8-hpf e; aparecimento da vesícula óptica - 13,3-hpf) foram expostos a uma solução crioprotetora contendo metanol (10%) e sacarose (0,5M). A seguir, os embriões passaram por curva de resfriamento de 1°C por minuto até -8°C, onde foram mantidos nos dois períodos de estocagem. Utilizou-se delineamento inteiramente casualizado, as taxas de eclosão dos embriões foram avaliados para cada tratamento, com seis repetições, comparando-se com o controle que não foi resfriado. O número total de larvas estimadas para as duas primeiras fases do desenvolvimento ontogenético (1,4- e 5,2- hpf) foi estatisticamente menor que nas demais fases. Entretanto, os estádios de 8 e 13,3- hpf não diferiram entre si (49,90%±6,71 e 55,24%±6,71), respectivamente, encontrando-se mais próximas ao controle (90,67%±6,56). Além disso, a permeabilidade das membranas, estimada através do diâmetro dos embriões, variou estatisticamente do controle para seis e 10 horas de estocagem, quando utilizado os estádios de 1,4 e 5,2-hpf, enquanto para os demais não houve diferença. Da mesma forma, pode-se verificar que houve correlação negativa entre o número total de larvas e o diâmetro do embrião. Sendo assim, a utilização dos estádios embrionários de 8 e 13,3-hpf são os mais recomendados para o resfriamento de embriões de pacu estocados até 10 horas, a -8°C. / The objective of this research was to verify the effects of cooling of embryos of pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, in four stages of development, for two stocking periods. The stages of embryo development were: at blastoderm, ~64 cells - 1.4 hours after fertilization (haf); at 25% of the epiboly movement - 5.2 haf; at blastoporous closing - 8.0 haf; and at optical vesicle appearing - 13.3 haf. Embryos were exposed to a cryoprotectant solution containing methanol (10%) and sucrose (0.5M). After that, embryos were submitted to a cooling curve (-1oC/min) until -8oC and then kept at -8oC for six or ten hours. Also, for each stage of embryo development a control group with not cooled embryos was used to compare the eclosion rates. The total number of larvae estimated for the first two stages of ontogenetic development (1.4 and 5.2-haf) was lower compared to the other stages. There was no difference for the total number of larvae between the stages 8.0 e 13.3-haf (49.90%±6.71 and 55.24%±6.71, respectively). Therefore, the utilization of the embryonary stages of 8.0 and 13.3-haf are recommended for cooling pacu embryos stored up to 10 hours at -8 ° C.

In this work, the detailed analysis of GABAB-R/G protein coupling in the course of pre- and postnatal development of rat brain cortex indicated the significant intrinsic efficacy of GABAB-receptors already shortly after the birth: at postnatal day 1 and 2. Subsequently, both baclofen and SKF97541-stimulated G protein activity, measured as the high-affinity [35 S]GTPγS binding, was increased. The highest level of agonist-stimulated [35 S]GTPγS binding was detected at postnatal days 14 and 15. In older rats, the efficacy, i.e. the maximum response of baclofen- and SKF97541-stimulated [35 S]GTPγS binding was continuously decreased so, that the level in adult, 90-days old rats was not different from that in newborn animals. The potency of G protein response to baclofen stimulation, characterized by EC50 values, was also high at birth but unchanged by further development. The individual variance among the agonists was observed in this respect, as the potency of SKF97541 response was decreased when compared in 2-days old and adult rats. The highest plasma membrane density of GABAB-R, determined by saturation binding assay with specific antagonist [3 H]CGP54626AA, was observed in 1-day old animals. The further development was reflected in decrease of receptor number. The adult level was ≈3- fold lower than...

Resumo: O objetivo do trabalho foi acompanhar os efeitos durante o resfriamento, em quatro estádios de desenvolvimento embrionário de pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, em dois tempos de estocagem, seis e 10 horas. Embriões em quatro estádios de desenvolvimento (blastoderme, 64 células - 1,4-horas pós-fertilização, hpf; 25% do movimento de epibolia - 5,2-hpf; fechamento do blastóporo - 8-hpf e; aparecimento da vesícula óptica - 13,3-hpf) foram expostos a uma solução crioprotetora contendo metanol (10%) e sacarose (0,5M). A seguir, os embriões passaram por curva de resfriamento de 1°C por minuto até -8°C, onde foram mantidos nos dois períodos de estocagem. Utilizou-se delineamento inteiramente casualizado, as taxas de eclosão dos embriões foram avaliados para cada tratamento, com seis repetições, comparando-se com o controle que não foi resfriado. O número total de larvas estimadas para as duas primeiras fases do desenvolvimento ontogenético (1,4- e 5,2- hpf) foi estatisticamente menor que nas demais fases. Entretanto, os estádios de 8 e 13,3- hpf não diferiram entre si (49,90%±6,71 e 55,24%±6,71), respectivamente, encontrando-se mais próximas ao controle (90,67%±6,56). Além disso, a permeabilidade das membranas, estimada através do diâmetro dos embriões, variou estatisticamente do controle para seis e 10 horas de estocagem, quando utilizado os estádios de 1,4 e 5,2-hpf, enquanto para os demais não houve diferença. Da mesma forma, pode-se verificar que houve correlação negativa entre o número total de larvas e o diâmetro do embrião. Sendo assim, a utilização dos estádios embrionários de 8 e 13,3-hpf são os mais recomendados para o resfriamento de embriões de pacu estocados até 10 horas, a -8°C. / Abstract: The objective of this research was to verify the effects of cooling of embryos of pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, in four stages of development, for two stocking periods. The stages of embryo development were: at blastoderm, ~64 cells - 1.4 hours after fertilization (haf); at 25% of the epiboly movement - 5.2 haf; at blastoporous closing - 8.0 haf; and at optical vesicle appearing - 13.3 haf. Embryos were exposed to a cryoprotectant solution containing methanol (10%) and sucrose (0.5M). After that, embryos were submitted to a cooling curve (-1oC/min) until -8oC and then kept at -8oC for six or ten hours. Also, for each stage of embryo development a control group with not cooled embryos was used to compare the eclosion rates. The total number of larvae estimated for the first two stages of ontogenetic development (1.4 and 5.2-haf) was lower compared to the other stages. There was no difference for the total number of larvae between the stages 8.0 e 13.3-haf (49.90%±6.71 and 55.24%±6.71, respectively). Therefore, the utilization of the embryonary stages of 8.0 and 13.3-haf are recommended for cooling pacu embryos stored up to 10 hours at -8 ° C. / Orientadora: Elizabeth Romagosa / Coorientador: DaniloPedro Streit Junior / Banca: Luis David Solis Murgas / Banca: Sérgio Ricardo Batlouni / Mestre

The human face is characterized by a combination of morphological characters, which are unique for each individual. These characters are subject to change during ontogeny influenced by age, pathological conditions, injuries. The aim of this diploma thesis was an observation of age changes in the face of individuals in the age range from one to eighteen. Resource material were black and white photographs of girls and boys. Analysis of age changes in facial area was performed using methods of geometric morphometrics, specifically thin plate spine (TPS). The shape analysis confirmed, that between age and face shape exists significant relationship. It was found, that is mainly due to significant changes in height and width ratios. Face extends and narrows, forehead height is reduced and lower jaw grows to lenght. Facial changes are also influenced by the sex of individuals, while for girls the overall growth in the face stopps about age of fifteen, for boys continues to the age of eighteen years. Keywords Geometric morphometrics, thin plate spline, ontogenetic development of the face, age changes.