Role of co-contraction of antagonist muscles during predatory strike in the mantis

The 11th International Symposium on Adaptive Motion of Animals and Machines. Kobe University, Japan. 2023-06-06/09. Adaptive Motion of Animals and Machines Organizing Committee.Poster Session P2

Versican is induced in infiltrating monocytes in myocardial infarction

Versican, a large chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, plays a role in conditions such as wound healing and tissue remodelling. To test the hypothesis that versican expression is transiently upregulated and plays a role in the infarcted heart, we examined its expression in a rat model of myocardial infarction. Northern blot analysis demonstrated increased expression of versican mRNA. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis revealed that versican mRNA began to increase as early as 6 h and reached its maximal level 2 days after coronary artery ligation. Versican mRNA then gradually decreased, while the mRNA of decorin, another small proteoglycan, increased thereafter. Versican mRNA was localized in monocytes, as indicated by CD68-positive staining, around the infarct tissue. The induction of versican mRNA was accelerated by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), which was characterized by massive cell infiltration and enhanced inflammatory response. To examine the alteration of versican expression in monocytes/macrophages, we isolated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and stimulated them with granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Stimulation of mononuclear cells with GM-CSF increased the expression of versican mRNA as well as cytokine induction. The production of versican by monocytes in the infarct area represents a novel finding of the expression of an extracellular matrix gene by monocytes in the infarcted heart. We suggest that upregulation of versican in the infarcted myocardium may have a role in the inflammatory reaction, which mediates subsequent chemotaxis in the infarcted heart

Reactive direction control for a mobile robot: A locust-like control of escape direction emerges when a bilateral pair of model locust visual neurons are integrated

Locusts possess a bilateral pair of uniquely identifiable visual neurons that respond vigorously to the image of an approaching object. These neurons are called the lobula giant movement detectors (LGMDs). The locust LGMDs have been extensively studied and this has lead to the development of an LGMD model for use as an artificial collision detector in robotic applications. To date, robots have been equipped with only a single, central artificial LGMD sensor, and this triggers a non-directional stop or rotation when a potentially colliding object is detected. Clearly, for a robot to behave autonomously, it must react differently to stimuli approaching from different directions. In this study, we implement a bilateral pair of LGMD models in Khepera robots equipped with normal and panoramic cameras. We integrate the responses of these LGMD models using methodologies inspired by research on escape direction control in cockroaches. Using ‘randomised winner-take-all’ or ‘steering wheel’ algorithms for LGMD model integration, the khepera robots could escape an approaching threat in real time and with a similar distribution of escape directions as real locusts. We also found that by optimising these algorithms, we could use them to integrate the left and right DCMD responses of real jumping locusts offline and reproduce the actual escape directions that the locusts took in a particular trial. Our results significantly advance the development of an artificial collision detection and evasion system based on the locust LGMD by allowing it reactive control over robot behaviour. The success of this approach may also indicate some important areas to be pursued in future biological research

The Ganymede Laser Altimeter (GALA) for the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE): Mission, science, and instrumentation of its receiver modules

The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) is a science mission led by the European Space Agency, being developed for launch in 2023. The Ganymede Laser Altimeter (GALA) is an instrument onboard JUICE, whose main scientific goals are to understand ice tectonics based on topographic data, the subsurface structure by measuring tidal response, and small-scale roughness and albedo of the surface. In addition, from the perspective of astrobiology, it is imperative to study the subsurface ocean scientifically. The development of GALA has proceeded through an international collaboration between Germany (the lead), Japan, Switzerland, and Spain. Within this framework, the Japanese team (GALA-J) is responsible for developing three receiver modules: the Backend Optics (BEO), the Focal Plane Assembly (FPA), and the Analog Electronics Module (AEM). Like the German team, GALA-J also developed software to simulate the performance of the entire GALA system (performance model). In July 2020, the Proto-Flight Models of BEO, FPA, and AEM were delivered from Japan to Germany. This paper presents an overview of JUICE/GALA and its scientific objectives and describes the instrumentation, mainly focusing on Japan’s contribution

行動実験によるカマキリの視覚系の解析

京都大学0048新制・課程博士博士(理学)甲第7696号理博第2081号新制||理||1105(附属図書館)UT51-99-G290京都大学大学院理学研究科生物科学専攻(主査)教授 山岸 哲, 教授 堀 道雄, 助教授 今福 道夫学位規則第4条第1項該当Doctor of ScienceKyoto UniversityDA

オオカマキリ衝突検出ニューロンの応答に対するコントラストの影響

Responses of the looming-sensitive neurons to visual stimuli were recorded extracellularly from the cervical connective of the mantis Tenodera aridifolia. Responses to looming stimuli were affected by the contrast polarity between objects and background. Although the looming-sensitive neuron responded to looming objects both darker and lighter than the background, the maximum spike frequency during the presentation of a white looming circle on black background was significantly lower than that of a black-on-white looming circle. On the checkerboard background, which had the similar average luminance to gray, the maximum spike frequencies in response to a white looming circle were significantly smaller than that to black and gray looming circles. Finally, responses to black and gray looming circles on checkerboard background appeared to be similar: there was no significant difference in the maximum spike frequency between them.オオカマキリの腹髄から衝突検出ニューロンの応答を細胞外記録した. 衝突検出ニューロンの応答は物体と背景の間のコントラストの方向に影響された. 衝突検出ニューロンは背景よりも明るい接近刺激と暗い接近刺激ともに応答したが, 黒背景白図形の接近刺激を提示した時の最大スパイク頻度は白背景黒図形のものに比べて有意に低かった. 平均の明るさが灰色とほとんど等しい市松模様を背景にした場合, 白色の接近刺激に対する応答の最大スパイク頻度は, 黒色・灰色の接近刺激に対するものと比べて有意に低かった. 市松模様背景における黒色と灰色の接近刺激に対する応答は似ており, 最大スパイク頻度の間には有意差が見られなかった