Synchronisation effects on the behavioural performance and information dynamics of a simulated minimally cognitive robotic agent

Oscillatory activity is ubiquitous in nervous systems, with solid evidence that synchronisation mechanisms underpin cognitive processes. Nevertheless, its informational content and relationship with behaviour are still to be fully understood. In addition, cognitive systems cannot be properly appreciated without taking into account brain–body– environment interactions. In this paper, we developed a model based on the Kuramoto Model of coupled phase oscillators to explore the role of neural synchronisation in the performance of a simulated robotic agent in two different minimally cognitive tasks. We show that there is a statistically significant difference in performance and evolvability depending on the synchronisation regime of the network. In both tasks, a combination of information flow and dynamical analyses show that networks with a definite, but not too strong, propensity for synchronisation are more able to reconfigure, to organise themselves functionally and to adapt to different behavioural conditions. The results highlight the asymmetry of information flow and its behavioural correspondence. Importantly, it also shows that neural synchronisation dynamics, when suitably flexible and reconfigurable, can generate minimally cognitive embodied behaviour

Neotectónica de la Provincia de San Juan. Centro-oeste de Argentina

La provincia de San Juan, en el centro-oeste de Argentina, posee numerosas evidencias de fallas con actividad tectónica cuaternaria. Las discontinuidades estructurales a lo largo de Cordillera Frontal, Precordillera y Sierras Pampeanas, determinan las diferentes características superficiales de las deformaciones cuaternarias, que a la vez producen distintos escenarios paleosísmicos. La mayor parte de estas deformaciones y estructuras sismogénicas, actualmente conocidas en el territorio argentino, se ubican dentro de un cinturón sísmico definido entre Cordillera Frontal y Sierras Pampeanas Occidentales (27º ‒ 33º de latitud sur). Esta región también constituye un área con interacciones complejas entre estilos estructurales de piel fina y gruesa. Los sismos más destructivos en los últimos 120 años (M 7.5, en octubre de 1894; M 7.0, en enero de 1944; 6.8, en junio de 1952; y M 7.4 en noviembre de 1977) se han ubicado en esta zona. En este trabajo se presenta una síntesis del estado del conocimiento neotectónico de la provincia de San Juan, con los resultados de los últimos estudios sobre fallas con actividad tectónica cuaternaria en la región.San Juan province in central-western Argentina shows evidence of active faulting affecting Quaternary sediments. The structural discontinuities along the Frontal Cordillera, Precordillera and Sierras Pampeanas foothills determine the different superficial characteristics of the Quaternary deformations, which in turn produce different paleoseismic scenarios. Most the Quaternary deformations and seismogenic structures currently known in Argentina are located within a seismic belt including the Precordillera and the Western Pampean Ranges (27º ‒ 33º south latitude). This area also constitutes a setting with complex interactions between thin-skinned and thick-skinned structural styles. The most destructive earthquakes of the last 120 years (M 7.5, October 1894; M 7.0, January 1944; 6.8, June 1952; and M 7.4, November 1977) were located in this region. This paper presents an overview of the state of knowledge on the neotectonics of the San Juan province, with the results from recent studies on faults with Quaternary tectonic activity in the regionFil: Perucca, Laura Patricia A.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico San Juan. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicas y Naturales. Instituto de Geologia "Dr. Emiliano Aparicio". Gabinete de Neotectonica y Geomorfologia; ArgentinaFil: Vargas, Nicolas. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Cs.exactas Fisicas y Naturales. Departamento de Geologia; Argentin

Improving the predictive performance of SAFEL: A Situation-Aware FEar Learning model

In this paper, we optimize the predictive performance of a Situation-Aware FEar Learning model (SAFEL) by investigating the relationship between its parameters. SAFEL is a hybrid computational model based on the fear-learning system of the brain, which was developed to provide robots with the capability to predict threatening or undesirable situations based on temporal context. The main aim of this work is to improve SAFEL's emotional response. An emotional response coherent with environmental changes is essential not only for self-preservation and adaptation purposes, but also for improving the believability and interaction skills of companion robots. Experiments with a NAO humanoid robot show that adjusting the ratio between two parameters of SAFEL can significantly increase the predictive performance and reduce parameter settings

The Loma Negra braqui-anticline: A Quaternary folding structure in the Central Precordillera, San Juan province

Sobre el piedemonte oriental de la sierra de Talacasto, en Precordillera Central, se reconocieron numerosas evidencias de fallamiento activo y plegamiento cuaternario. En este trabajo se presentan los resultados preliminares de los estudios geomorfológicos realizados en el anticlinal de Loma Negra y se describen las principales estructuras de deformación cuaternarias reconocidas. La expresión morfotectónica de las fallas activas identificadas incluye escarpas de fallas a contrapendiente y a favor de la misma, distintos niveles de abanicos aluviales colgados y/o basculados, discordancias progresivas, plegamiento reciente en depósitos fangloméradicos pleistocenos y control de la red de drenaje. Las evidencias morfotectónicas identificadas en los depósitos cuaternarios indican una deformación progresiva hacia el este, con predominio de fallamiento inverso y plegamiento que migra en este sentido.Several evidences of Quaternary active faulting and folding were recognized on the eastern piedmont of the Sierra de Talacasto in Central Precordillera. In this paper we present the preliminary results of geomorphological studies carried out in the Loma Negra anticline and major Quaternary deformation structures are described. Morphotectonic expression of the identified active faults includes counter-slope or favor-slope scarps and different levels of hanging and / or tilted alluvial fans, progressive unconformities, recent folding of Pleistocene fanglomerates and control of the drainage network. Morphotectonic evidence in the Quaternary deposits indicates a progressive deformation eastward, dominated by reverse faulting and folding that migrate in this sense.Fil: Perucca, Laura Patricia A.. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Cs.exactas Fisicas y Naturales. Instituto de Geologia "dr.emiliano Aparicio". Gabinete de Neotectonica y Geomorfologia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico San Juan. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera; ArgentinaFil: Pantano Zuñiga, Ana Vanesa. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Cs.exactas Fisicas y Naturales. Instituto de Geologia "dr.emiliano Aparicio". Gabinete de Neotectonica y Geomorfologia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico San Juan. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera; ArgentinaFil: Vargas, Nicolás. CHISÑANCO SRL.; Argentin

Morphotectonic and neotectonic control on river pattern in the Sierra de la Cantera piedmont, Central Precordillera, province of San Juan, Argentina

The drainage pattern on the western piedmont of the Sierra de La Cantera is divergent, typical of alluvial fans and showing anomalies that are directly related to the trace of La Cantera thrust. In previous studies, two types of anomalies were identified: upstream of the fault scarp, rivers have a broom-shaped pattern, while downstream – in the hanging block – streams become denser, more sinuous and incised. In this contribution, these morphotectonic aspects were analyzed in detail, making direct and indirect analysis to quantify the relationship between these anomalies and the faults affecting alluvial fans. In addition, the influence of neotectonic activity on smaller water course patterns in the alluvial fan areas was investigated in order to find indicators of on-going vertical movements, since the spatial arrangements of these piedmont channels are determined by slope and structure, where active faults cause diversions or anomalies. Topographic profiles in two selected channels cutting across the trace of the fault were performed using a differential GPS in order to establish the relationship between the sinuosity and slope of these rivers. The results obtained allow us to state that the most sinuous channels have lower slopes and are located in the hanging wall of the fault. Morphometric analysis of scarps stated that active tectonics have played an essential role in controlling the drainage pattern in the piedmont, leading the rivers to adjust to these slope variations.Fil: Perucca, Laura Patricia A.. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicas y Naturales. Instituto de Geologia "Dr. Emiliano Aparicio". Gabinete de Neotectonica y Geomorfologia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Rothis, Luis Martin. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicas y Naturales. Instituto de Geologia "Dr. Emiliano Aparicio". Gabinete de Neotectonica y Geomorfologia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Provincia de San Juan. Ministerio de Planificacion Federal, Inversion Publica y Servicios. Secretaria de Obras Publicas. Instituto Nacional de Prevencion Sismica; ArgentinaFil: Vargas, Horacio N.. CHISÑANCO SRL.; Argentin

A Situation-Aware Fear Learning (SAFEL) Model for Robots

This work proposes a novel Situation-Aware FEar Learning (SAFEL) model for robots. SAFEL combines concepts of situation-aware expert systems with well-known neuroscientific findings on the brain fear-learning mechanism to allow companion robots to predict undesirable or threatening situations based on past experiences. One of the main objectives is to allow robots to learn complex temporal patterns of sensed environmental stimuli and create a representation of these patterns. This memory can be later associated with a negative or positive “emotion”, analogous to fear and confidence. Experiments with a real robot demonstrated SAFEL’s success in generating contextual fear conditioning behaviour with predictive capabilities based on situational information

Deformational style variation along the La Cantera Fault System, Central Precordillera, San Juan, Argentina

El Sistema de Falla La Cantera (SFLC) es una de las principales estructuras activas en el ámbito de la Precordillera Central de San Juan, centro-oeste de Argentina, que se extiende por 47 km a lo largo del valle que separa las sierras de La Cantera y La Invernada, al norte del río San Juan. La orientación promedio de las fallas es N20ºE y buzan al oeste entre 15º y 30º en el tramo norte, aproximadamente 40º O en el tramo central y hasta 60º O en el extremo sur. La estructura es fundamentalmente un cabalgamiento que deforma y desplaza todos los niveles de abanicos aluviales del Pleistoceno y Holoceno pertenecientes al piedemonte occidental de la sierra de La Cantera y está definida por una serie de geoformas típicas de fallamiento activo de carácter compresivo, entre las que se destacan escarpes de falla a contrapendiente, simples y compuestos, escarpes flexurales, terrazas fluviales escalonadas, lagunas de falla, fuentes alineadas, redes en rastrillo, cauces desplazados, obturados, colgados y con diferentes grados de incisión. Se presentan así, evidencias sobre la reactivación cuaternaria tardía del SFLC, un cabalgamiento de vergencia oriental, enlazando los episodios tectónicos con las modificaciones del paisaje. A lo largo de todo su trazado se identificaron y analizaron numerosas trincheras naturales, y tres de ellas fueron analizadas. En ellas se pudo observar cómo la falla corta los depósitos holocenos en el extremo norte, mientras que hacia el sur afecta a niveles más antiguos, constituyendo un cabalgamiento ciego. En las trincheras seleccionadas en el tramo norte y central se identificaron dos cuñas coluviales que permitieron interpretar de forma preliminar dos eventos sísmicos durante el Holoceno para el sector, mientras que en el tramo sur, sólo fue posible reconocer una cuña coluvial, relacionada con un evento sísmico. Sobre la base de las características y parámetros geomorfológicos, estratigráficos y estructurales analizados, se considera al SFLC como una fuente sismogénica de importancia para la ciudad de San Juan (> 700.000 habitantes), y para los tres embalses construidos a lo largo del río San Juan (a 10, 35 y 40 km de distancia del SFLC).The La Cantera Fault System (LCFS) is one of the main Quaternary structures in the Central Precordillera of San Juan, central-western Argentina, which extends for 47 km along the intermountain valley that separates the La Cantera and La Invernada mountain ranges, north of the San Juan River. The average fault trend is N20ºE and dip to the west with angles varying between 15 and 30° W in the northern section, to approximately 40° W in the central section and up to 60° W in the southern segment. The fault affects the Pleistocene-Holocene alluvial sediments of to the western piedmont of the Sierra de La Cantera and is defined by a series of landforms typical of active compressive tectonics, including simple and compound counterslope fault scarps, unpaired alluvial terraces, sag ponds, flexural scarps, aligned springs, broom-shaped drainage patterns, river diversions, beheaded channels and changes of incision depths, sinuosity and river gradient along channels. Evidence of the Late Quaternary reactivation in the LCFS, a thrust with an eastern vergence, is here presented. As a result, a series of tectonic events and landscape modifications are described. Several natural trenches were identified and analyzed and three of them were selected. It was observed that the fault cuts Holocene deposits in the north, while to the south affects older levels; forming a blind thrust. Two colluvial wedges preliminary implying two seismic events during the Holocene were recognized in north and central trenches and only one in the southern one. Based on the geomorphologic, stratigraphic and structural characteristics analyzed, LCFS is considered a relevant seismogenic source for the city of San Juan (> 700,000 inhabitants), in addition to the three dams built along the San Juan River (10, 35 and 40 km away from the fault).Fil: Perucca, Laura Patricia A.. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicas y Naturales. Instituto de Geologia "Dr. Emiliano Aparicio". Gabinete de Neotectonica y Geomorfologia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico San Juan. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera; ArgentinaFil: Onorato, Maria Romina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Millan, José. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Bustos, Ariel. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Vargas, Nicolás. CHISÑANCO SRL.; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Cs.exactas Fisicas y Naturales. Departamento de Geologia; Argentin