Two Year Field Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Mamestra brassicae Nucleopolyhedrovirus Combined with Proteins Derived from Xestia c-nigrum Granulovirus

Japan has only three registered baculovirus biopesticides despite its long history of studies on insect viruses. High production cost is one of the main hindrances for practical use of baculoviruses. Enhancement of insecticidal effect is one possible way to overcome this problem, so there have been many attempts to develop additives for baculoviruses. We found that alkaline soluble proteins of capsules (GVPs) of Xestia c-nigrum granulovirus can increase infectivity of some viruses including Mamestra brassicae nucleopolyhedrovirus (MabrNPV), and previously reported that MabrNPV mixed with GVPs was highly infectious to three important noctuid pests of vegetables in the following order, Helicoverpa armigera, M. brassicae, and Autographa nigrisigna. In this study, small-plot experiments were performed to assess concentrations of MabrNPV and GVPs at three cabbage fields and a broccoli field for the control of M. brassicae. In the first experiment, addition of GVPs (10 µg/mL) to MabrNPV at 106 OBs/mL resulted in a significant increase in NPV infection (from 53% to 66%). In the second experiment, the enhancing effect of GVP on NPV infection was confirmed at 10-times lower concentrations of MabrNPV. In the third and fourth experiments, a 50% reduction in GVPs (from 10 µg/mL to 5 µg/mL) did not result in a lowering of infectivity of the formulations containing MabrNPV at 105 OBs/mL. These results indicate that GVPs are promising additives for virus insecticides

Speed adaptation for a robot walking with a human.

ABSTRACT We have taken steps towards developing a method that enables an interactive humanoid robot to adapt its speed to a walking human that it is moving together with. This is difficult because the human is simultaneously adapting to the robot. From a case study in human-human walking interaction we established a hypothesis about how to read a human's speed preference based on a relationship between humans' walking speed and their relative position in the direction of walking. We conducted two experiments to verify this hypothesis: one with two humans walking together, and one with a human subject walking with a humanoid robot, Robovie-IV. For 11 out of 15 subjects who walked with the robot, the results were consistent with the speed-position relationship of the hypothesis. We also conducted a preferred speed estimation experiment for six of the subjects. All of them were satisfied with one or more of the speeds that our algorithm estimated and four of them answered one of the speeds as the best one if the algorithm was allowed to give three options. In the paper, we also discuss the difficulties and possibilities that we learned from this preliminary trial

Robot Behavior Adaptation for Human-Robot Interaction based on Policy Gradient Reinforcement Learning

In this paper we propose an adaptation mechanism for robot behaviors to make robot-human interactions run more smoothly. We propose such a mechanism based on reinforcement learning, which reads minute body signals from a human partner, and uses this information to adjust interaction distances, gaze-meeting, and motion speed and timing in human-robot interaction. We show that this enables autonomous adaptation to individual preferences by an experiment with twelve subjects.© 2005 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works

Adapting robot behavior for human-robot interaction

Human beings subconsciously adapt their behaviors to a communication partner in order to make interactions run smoothly. In human-robot interactions, not only the human but also the robot is expected to adapt to its partner. Thus, to facilitate human-robot interactions, a robot should be able to read subconscious comfort and discomfort signals from humans and adjust its behavior accordingly, just like a human would. However, most previous, research works expected the human to consciously give feedback, which might interfere with the aim of interaction. We propose an adaptation mechanism based on reinforcement learning that reads subconscious body signals from a human partner, and uses this information to adjust interaction distances, gaze meeting, and motion speed and timing in human-robot interactions. The mechanism uses gazing at the robot's face and human movement distance as subconscious body signals that indicate a human's comfort and discomfort. A pilot study with a humanoid robot that has ten interaction behaviors has been conducted. The study result of 12 subjects suggests that the proposed mechanism enables autonomous adaptation to individual preferences. Also, detailed discussion and conclusions are presented.© 2008 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.QC 2011071

Broadening of the vocabulary of Grade 1-2 pupils with light mental developmental disturbances

Diplomdarba tēma – „Vārdu krājuma paplašināšana 1. – 2. klašu skolēniem ar viegliem garīgās attīstības traucējumiem.” Diplomdarba autore Ieva Krapivņicka. Diplomdarba mērķis ir apkopot un izmantot koriģējoši attīstošās darbības metodes un paņēmienus vārdu krājuma paplašināšanā 1. – 2. klašu skolēniem ar viegliem garīgās attīstības traucējumiem. Teorētiskajā daļā veikts 1. – 2. klašu skolēnu ar viegliem garīgās attīstības traucējumiem un piecgadīga bērna pedagoģiski psiholoģiskais raksturojums. Raksturotas vārdu krājuma paplašināšanas iespējas 1. – 2. klašu skolēniem ar viegliem garīgās attīstības traucējumiem ievērojot vecumposma un attīstības īpatnības. Izklāstītas teorētiskās atziņas, kas nepieciešamas pedagoģiskā izmēģinājuma veikšanai un rezultātu analīzei. Diplomdarba praktiskā daļa sastāv no pedagoģiskās izmēģinājuma darbības, tās gaitas un rezultātu analīzes. Diplomdarbam ir pievienoti15 pielikumi. Atslēgvārdi: logopēds, vārdu krājums, 1. – 2. klašu skolēni ar viegliem garīgās attīstības traucējumiem, valodas sistēmas nepietiekama attīstība, garīgās attīstības traucējumi.Diploma author Ieva Krapivņicka. Diploma theme – "Vocabulary expansion of the 1. – 2. classes for students with mild mental disabilities. " Diploma aims – collect and use the corrective developing methods and techniques of vocabulary expansion for the first and second classes students with mild mental disabilities. The theoretical part is done for 1. – 2. grade students with mild mental disabilities and five year child's educational-psychological characteristics. Characterised vocabulary expansion options for 1. – 2. classes students with mild mental disabilities under age group and development characteristics. Some theoretical knowledge required for teaching piloting and analysis of the results is done here. The diploma practical part consists of a pilot educational activity, its development and some results of its analysis. There are15attachments for particular diploma paper, Keywords: a speech therapist, vocabulary, first and second class students with mild mental disabilities, language systems inadequate development, mental

Robot Behavior Adaptation for Human-Robot Interaction based on Policy Gradient Reinforcement Learning

(Please note: The main body of this paper is written in Japanese) When humans interact in a social context, there are many factors apart from the actual communication that need to be considered. Previous studies in behavioral sciences have shown that there is a need for a certain amount of personal space and that different people tend to meet the gaze of others to different extents. For humans, this is mostly subconscious, but when two persons interact, there is an automatic adjustment of these factors to avoid discomfort. In this paper we propose an adaptation mechanism for robot behaviors to make human-robot interactions run more smoothly. We propose such a mechanism based on policy gradient reinforcement learning, that reads minute body signals from a human partner, and uses this information to adjust interaction distances, gaze meeting, and motion speed and timing in human-robot interaction. We show that this enables autonomous adaptation to individual preferences by the experiment with twelve subjects.Note. To be able to read the pdf you need to have a Japanese Language Support on your computer.QC 2011111

Effects of Age, Phase Variation and Pheromones on Male Sperm Storage in the Desert Locust, Schistocerca gregaria

In general, sperm produced in the testis are moved into the seminal vesicle via the vas deferens in insects, where they are stored. How this sperm movement is controlled is less well understood in locusts or grasshoppers. In this study, the effects of age, phase variation and pheromones on male sperm storage were investigated in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål). In this locust, a pair of ducts, the vasa deferentia, connect the testes to a pair of the long, slender seminal vesicles that are folded approximately thirty times, and where the sperm are stored. We found that phase variation affected the level of sperm storage in the seminal vesicle. Moreover, adult males that detected pheromones emitted by mature adult males showed enhanced sperm storage compared with males that received the pheromones emitted from nymphs: The former, adult male pheromones are known to promote sexual maturation of immature adults of both sexes, whereas the latter, nymphal pheromones delay sexual maturation. Most mature adult males had much sperm in the vasa deferentia at all times examined, suggesting daily sperm movement from the testes to the seminal vesicles via the vasa deferentia. As adult males aged, sperm were accumulated from the proximal part to the distal end of the seminal vesicle. Many sperm remained in the seminal vesicle after mating. These results suggest that young or new sperm located near the proximal part of the seminal vesicle could be used for mating, whereas old sperm not used for mating are stored in the distal part of the seminal vesicle