This paper presents ConSCIS, conceptual space based cognitive imitation system, which tightly links low-level data processing with knowledge representation in the context of robot imitation. Our focus is on the program-level imitation: we are interested in the final effects of actions on objects, and not on the particular kinematic or dynamic properties of the motion. The same architecture is used both to analyze and represent the task to be imitated, and to perform the imitation by generalizing in novel and different circumstances. The implemented experimental scenario is a two dimensional world populated with various objects in which observation/imitation takes place. To validate our approach, we report some results concerned with the problem of teaching a humanoid hand/arm robotic system tasks of assembling different workspace objects

In this paper, we introduce Roillo, a social robotic platform for investigating, in the context of children's playrooms, questions about how to design compelling nonverbal interactive behaviors for social robots. Specifically, we are interested in the importance of rhythm to natural interactions and its role in the expression of affect, attention, and intent. Our design process has consisted of rendering, animation, surveys, mechanical prototyping, and puppeteered interaction with children

SAŽETAK: U ovom se istraživanju uporabom molekularnogenetičkih bi­ ljega i njihovom identifikacijom pokušalo odrediti podrijetlo Pančićeve omo­ rike iz plantaže s područja Kaknja, čija je veličina 8,2 ha. Uporabili su se izoenzimski biljezi, koji su korišteni ranije u istraživanju genetičke varijabilnosti Pančićeve omorike (Ballian i sur. 2006). U ovom istraživanju kao i onom ra­ nije, uporabilo se 12 enzimskih sustava s ukupno 16 genlokusa. Rezultati do kojih se došlo pokazuju da podrijetlo plantaže ne možemo pri­ pisati ni jednoj od identificiranih populacija Pančićeve omorike u Bosni i Hercegovini. Osnovni razlog leži u tome što smo u plantaži dobili alele koji su registrirani u više populacija omorike, dok je jedan od registriranih alela nije uopće registriran u prirodnim populacijama, već, vrlo vjerojatno, vodi podri­ jetlo iz neke od neistraženih populacija i l i iz manje skupine stabala. Ponuđeni model identifikacije sa 12 enzimskih sustava, odnosno 16 genlokusa mogao bi se u budućnosti pokazati prihvatljivim, jer su početna istraživanja pokazala jako dobar rezultat. K l j u č n e r i j e č i : Picea omorika, izoenzimi, plantaža, identifikacija.

We investigate the global asymptotic behavior of solutions of the system of difference equations xn+1 = (a+xn)/(b+yn), yn+1 = (d+yn)/(e+xn), n = 0,1,..., where the parameters a, b, d, and e are positive numbers and the initial conditions x0 and y0 are arbitrary nonnegative numbers. In certain range of parameters, we prove the existence of the global stable manifold of the unique positive equilibrium of this system which is the graph of an increasing curve. We show that the stable manifold of this system separates the positive quadrant of initial conditions into basins of attraction of two types of asymptotic behavior. In the case where a = d and b = e, we find an explicit equation for the stable manifold to be y = x.

We develop a many-body description of the nonadiabatic dynamics of quasiparticles in surface bands valid on an extremely ultrashort time scale by combining the formalism for the calculation of quasiparticle survival probabilities with the self-consistent treatment of the electronic response of the system. Applying this approach to the benchmark Cu(111) surface, we assess the behavior and intervals of preasymptotic electron and hole dynamics in surface bands and locate the transition to the asymptotic regime of the exponential quasiparticle decay characterized by the corrected Fermi golden rule-type of transition rate. The general validity of these findings enables distinguishing the various regimes of ultrafast electron dynamics that may be revealed in time resolved experiments.

In this paper we investigate the possible impact on the ecosystems of the active ingredients in pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs). These molecules are in their nature biologically active substances whose effects, once released into the environment, remain unclear. Commonly used drugs and cosmetics have been detected in drinking and surface waters suggesting possible consequences for environment and human health. Considering the possible bioaccumulation in the food chain and chronic toxicity due to a combination effect it is necessary to better understand their environmental fate. Pharmacologically and cosmetic active substances involved in our study were chosen according to their wide application in central Europe and to their suspected toxicity and bioaccumulation (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs, sunscreen agents, antiseptics). For isolation and identification of the selected compounds GC-MS procedure has been developed in our laboratory. To determine the presence of PPCP in the Slovene aquatic environment, different water samples (river, potable, well, lake, sea, swimming pool and waste water) were analyzed. The results show that the average PPCP contamination in Slovenian waters is comparable to published results for Central and Western Europe. To understand the environmental fate of these substances we studied the biodegradation paths in controlled conditions using laboratory scale bioreactor facilities. Degradation experiments were made with spiked water samples of different concentrations of pollutants (1μg/L-1ng/L) starting with activated biomass from the active wastewater treatment plant. After 6 months of continuous operation, a steady removal of all observed compounds (NSAID representatives) was achieved (up to 90%). In the future other PPCP representatives will be studied and the reactor configuration will be optimized.

Surface and waste waters are complex mixtures that may contain thousands of different pollutants of different origins (industrial, agricultural and domestic). Many of them show toxic and/or genotoxic effects and are therefore potentially hazardous for humans and the environment. It is extremely difficult to quantify the risk associated with xenobiotics in environmental samples because they usually occur in concentrations too low to allow chemical analytical determination. Additionally, single and combined biological effects of most of the micropollutants are not known. The best approach to evaluate potential toxic/genotoxic risks of such mixtures is to use biological test systems with living cells or organisms that give a global response to the pool of micropollutants present in the sample. In this study we evaluated the cytotoxic/genotoxic potential of 51 different water samples (river, potable, well, lake, and waste waters) potentially contaminated with pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCP). The samples were evaluated for their genotoxic potential with the bacterial SOS/umu test with Salmonella typhimurium TA1535/pSK1002 and for their cytotoxic potential with mammalian cell based MTT assay with human hepatoma (HepG2) cells. Genotoxicity of seven selected samples was further tested with the comet assay with metabolically competent HepG2 cells. The results from the present study confirmed that biological tests are indispensable for the reliable assessment of cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of surface and waste waters. There is also a need for chemical analytical characterisation of cytotoxic/genotoxic samples in order to identify and quantify the compounds responsible for the cytotoxicity/genotoxicity.