Inhibition of vection by red

We investigated the effects of colors on vection induction. Expanding optical flows during one’s forward self-motion were simulated by moving dots. The dots and the background were painted in equiluminant red and green. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that vection was weaker when the background was red than when the background was green. In addition, Experiment 3 showed that vection was weaker when the moving dots were red than when the dots were green. Experiment 4 demonstrated that red dots on a red background induced very weak vection, as compared with green dots on a green background. In Experiments 5 and 6, we showed that the present results could not be explained by a luminance artifact. Furthermore, Experiment 7 showed that a moving red grating induced weaker vection than did a green one. We concluded that a red visual stimulus inhibits vection.     

Hierarchical organization of the coordinative structure of the skill of clay kneading

An experiment was conducted to study the skill of clay kneading in pottery. This task usually requires a few years to master and is therefore well suited to study the long-term development of a complex motor skill. Participants' kneading movements were measured in 3D using a motion capture device and phase relations among coordinates and joint angles were analyzed in terms of the mutual phase relative to a reference point using the Hilbert transform. While a certain degree of periodicity was observed in all 10 participants, the behavior of the experts was characterized by a significant delay for the right elbow (i.e., the pushing arm) and the fore-aft position of the upper torso and only brief delays for the other parts, which all tended to synchronize with the reference. These findings are consistent with our notion of "differentiation within coordination", according to which skill learning proceeds in a hierarchical manner in that coordination among limb movements is established first, followed by modulations of specific limb movements within the established coordination. Although this feature of expert behavior was also apparent in our previous studies of clay kneading and samba shaking and dancing, the numbers of participants in those studies were not sufficient to draw firm conclusions. Since the present study involved more participants and a superior method of analysis, the present evidence for the principle of differentiation within coordination is more conclusive.     

Sex differences in preferences for coffee sweetness among Japanese students

The purpose of the present study was to examine sex differences in preferences for coffee sweetness. The participants were 59 Japanese undergraduate students. Men preferred sweeter coffee than women, while both men and women showed almost the same preference for acidic beverage sweetness. The sex difference in preferences for coffee sweetness may be related to coffee-drinking habits.     

Ontogeny of sex differences in defensive burying behavior in rats: effect of social isolation

The aim of the present experiments was to clarify sex differences in socio-developmental factors that affected defense behavior in rats. Sex differences in the defensive burying behavior of rats, and related social factors, were explored in three developmental stages: juvenile, puberty, and adult; 30, 50, and 80 days of age, respectively. The duration of burying, digging into bedding material, stretch-attend postures, and crouch/freezing were measured in a shock-prod test. For males, the duration of burying was longer in the juvenile and pubertal stages than in adulthood. For females, no age differences in the duration of burying were found. Males showed longer burying durations than females in both the juvenile and pubertal stages. For both sexes, the highest duration of digging was found in the juvenile stage, and females showed longer durations of digging than males. Both male and female rats isolated during the juvenile stage, from 26 to 40 days of age, showed smaller durations of burying behavior compared to pair-reared rats. This effect of juvenile isolation was maintained among both adult males and females even when they were returned to pair rearing after isolation. Isolation during adulthood, from 66 to 80 days of age, increased burying behavior in males, but decreased it in females. The durations of digging, stretch-attend postures, and crouch/freezing were not affected by isolation. The decrease in defensive burying and its increase resulting from isolation in adult male rats, suggest that the emergence of adult-like social relationships in males suppressed the duration of burying. Male and female rats isolated during the juvenile stage maintained lower levels of burying, suggesting that social experience as juveniles is important for the emergence of defensive burying behavior.     

The perception of an opening from expanding motion

The ability of humans to detect an opening’s 3-D structure from expanding motion was tested. Computer simulations of dotted tunnels were used to generate optical flows typically encountered when one moves through an opening. Experiment 1 qualitatively tested the ability to detect the shape of a tunnel’s vertical section. The observers could choose the correct shape for each of seven simulated shapes. The percentages of correct responses were much higher than those under static conditions. Experiment 2 tested whether or not one could quantitatively detect the vertical-horizontal proportion of the elliptic tunnels. The result shows quite high correlations (r = .93≈.97) between perceived proportions and simulated ones. The slopes of the regression lines were around 1.0. Experiment 3 investigated the necessary stimulus duration for detecting an opening’s shape. Relative size (width and height) was significantly detected under four-frame (72.7-msec) conditions by 3 out of 4 subjects. The other subject performed well under eight-frame conditions. These results indicate that the human visual system can instantly detect the 3-D structure of an opening surrounded by objects from expanding optical flows while one is in forward motion.     

Intuitive control of mobile robots: an architecture for autonomous adaptive dynamic behaviour integration

In this paper, we present a novel approach to human–robot control. Taking inspiration from behaviour-based robotics and self-organisation principles, we present an interfacing mechanism, with the ability to adapt both towards the user and the robotic morphology. The aim is for a transparent mechanism connecting user and robot, allowing for a seamless integration of control signals and robot behaviours. Instead of the user adapting to the interface and control paradigm, the proposed architecture allows the user to shape the control motifs in their way of preference, moving away from the case where the user has to read and understand an operation manual, or it has to learn to operate a specific device. Starting from a tabula rasa basis, the architecture is able to identify control patterns (behaviours) for the given robotic morphology and successfully merge them with control signals from the user, regardless of the input device used. The structural components of the interface are presented and assessed both individually and as a whole. Inherent properties of the architecture are presented and explained. At the same time, emergent properties are presented and investigated. As a whole, this paradigm of control is found to highlight the potential for a change in the paradigm of robotic control, and a new level in the taxonomy of human in the loop systems.     

The effect of odors on human newborn infants under stress

Five-day-old human infants' responses to heelstick stress were assessed with behavioral and physiological indices. The subjects were divided randomly into three groups: the LAV group, who were presented with artificial odor of lavender during the heelstick; the MILK group, who were presented with artificial odor of milk during the heelstick; and the CONT group, who were presented with no special odors. The CONT group showed more adrenocortisol release in saliva than the other groups, but there were no differences between the two odors.     

The neural correlates of driving performance identified using positron emission tomography

Driving is a complex behavior involving multiple cognitive domains. To identify neural correlates of driving performance, [15O]H2O positron emission tomography was performed using a simulated driving task. Compared with the resting condition, simulated driving increased regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the cerebellum, occipital, and parietal cortices. Correlations between rCBF and measurements of driving performance were evaluated during simulated driving. Interestingly, rCBF in the thalamus, midbrain, and cerebellum were positively correlated with time required to complete the course and rCBF in the posterior cingulate gyrus was positively correlated with number of crashes during the task. These brain regions may thus play roles in the maintenance of driving performance.     

Rapid image-segmentation and perceptual transparency share a process which utilises X-junctions generated by temporal integration in the visual system

Perceptual transparency requires local same-polarity X-junctions, which can also be generated by temporal integration under natural dynamic conditions. In this study, segmentation performance and target appearance were measured for a uniform gray target embedded in a random-dot frame presented with a temporally adjacent mask. Although static cues for both segmentation and transparency were unavailable, transparency was observed only when collinear same-polarity edges reduced backward masking, in both the fovea and the perifovea. These results suggest that the visual system has a common underlying mechanism for rapid segmentation and transparency, which utilises same-polarity X-junctions generated by temporal integration.     

Effects of textual prompts and feedback on social niceties of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder in a simulated workplace

Previous research demonstrates the efficacy of behavioral skills training with a textual prompt to establish greetings and conversational skills. This study examined the efficacy of a brief intervention of textual prompts with performance feedback for increasing social niceties of adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder in a simulated workplace. Target social niceties included “Do you have a minute?” when a participant initiated an interaction and “Thank you for your time” when a participant ended the interaction. Results revealed this intervention was effective for 7 of 9 participants. This study expands upon previous studies by showing the efficacy of a resource-efficient training on acquisition and generalization of social niceties by people with autism spectrum disorder.