Child abuse and neglect: Usefulness of the animal data.

This article reviews and critically discusses the relevance of animal data to research on child abuse and neglect. Although parental investment theory can be useful in investigating the adaptiveness, if any, of child abuse and neglect, the evolutionary approach also has some limitations. The most suitable animal models for investigating the psychosocial processes underlying child abuse and neglect are probably found among the nonhuman primates. Whereas the heuristic value of social deprivation paradigms may be limited, recent studies suggest that the spontaneous occurrence of infant maltreatment in monkeys may be the closest approximation to child maltreatment provided by nonhuman animals. The investigation of adaptive and maladaptive processes in the parenting behavior of socially living nonhuman primates can inform research on child abuse and neglect and allow investigators to conduct studies that would be difficult or impossible in humans. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessment of danger to themselves and their infants by rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) mothers.

This study investigated whether rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) mothers distinguish between what is dangerous to themselves and what is dangerous to their infants. The behavioral interactions between 11 mother–infant pairs and other females living in their group were analyzed in the 1st 2 mo of infant life. Mothers behaved as if they perceived higher ranking females as dangerous to both themselves and their infants, lower ranking females as dangerous to their infants but not to themselves, and their young daughters as relatively harmless to both themselves and their infants. Changes in maternal intolerance of infant handling between the 1st and 2nd mo covaried with changes in the probability of infant harassment rather than with the temporal pattern of aggression received by mothers. The possible cognitive mechanisms underlying parental recognition of infant's special needs are discussed in the light of comparative evidence from other mammalian species. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An advanced robot system for automated diagnostic tasks throughpalpation

An approach to the design of a robot system capable of executing complex sensory-motor sequences aimed at gathering data useful for diagnostic purposes is presented. The main features of such a robot system are discussed, and its possible integration in an advanced, interactive expert system for medical diagnosis is considered. As an example of implementation of the concept of a robot system for automated diagnostic tasks, the design characteristics of a tendon-actuated, anthropomorphic finger, incorporating force and position sensors for low-level compliant motion control and skin-like sensors for tactile perception, are outlined. The hierarchical control architecture devised for managing some different diagnostic sensory-motor sequences (subroutines) is also presented     

Evolution of neural control structures: some experiments on mobile robots

From perception to action and from action to perception, all elements of an autonomous agent are interdependent and need to be strongly coherent. The final behavior of the agent is the result of the global activity of this loop and every weakness or incoherence of a single element has strong consequences on the performances of the agent. We think that, for the purpose of building autonomous robots, all these elements need to be developed together in continuous interaction with the environment. We describe the implementation of a possible solution (artificial neural networks and genetic algorithms) on a real mobile robot through a set of three different experiments. We focus our attention on three different aspects of the control structure: perception, internal representation and action. In all the experiments these aspects are not considered as single processing elements, but as part of an agent. For every experiment, the advantages and disadvantages of this approach are presented and discussed. The results show that the combination of genetic algorithms and neural networks is a very interesting technique for the development of control structures in autonomous agents. The time necessary for evolution, on the other hand, is a very important limitation of the evolutionary approach.     

The Spline implant interface: analysis and initial clinical experiences

A new implant with a spline-shaped interface (Spline) was recently introduced. A common and preferred method of connecting two cylinders in many fields of industry, the Spline offers implant dentistry improved strength and precision compared to earlier and current implant connection designs. A comparative engineering analysis of the Spline and the major implant interfaces is offered, including the possible clinical implications. Initial surgical and restorative experiences with cement and screw-retained prostheses are presented in case reports.     

Hybrid FMS control architectures based on holonic principles

The escalation in processor technologies and the corresponding reduction in costs have enabled alternative FMS control architectures to be developed without the restrictions of fixed machine controller boundaries. These new architectures can be based upon the use of intelligent servo axes, which are desccribed in this article, as flexible numerical control (FNC). In current parlance, the FNC is a part movement holon within a manufacturing cell. The control architectures that can be derived from the FNC concept are referred to as hybrid architectures and share the emerging attributes of holonics. This article details the problems that arise in the scheduling and control of FMSs in the light of hybrid control architectures. A number of traditional scheduling approaches have been devised to cope with the scheduling of parts to discrete machines, but the problem here is to ascribe the processing (machining) of part features to axis groups. This article documents how two research programs, undertaken at the CIM Centre at Swinburne University of Technology in Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia, have endeavored to address the problem of hybrid architectures and their associated scheduling.     

A new type of machine control system to replace traditional CNC

This paper discusses the rationale behind a new form of machine tool control system which has been developed at the Key Centre for Computer Integrated Manufacture (CIM Centre) in Melbourne Australia. The new control system is based upon standard computer hardware and is intended as a replacement for computer numerical control (CNC), which has severe limitations in the CIM environment. The paper also outlines the new CIM possibilities which are now available as a result of this development.     

Two experiments for evaluating the impact of Hamcrest and AssertJ on assertion development

Software Quality Journal - Test automation enables continuous testing, a cornerstone of agile methods, and DevOps. Assertions play a fundamental role in test automation, and recently competing...