The locomotor central pattern generator is a neural network in the spinal cord that can generate the basic motor pattern for locomotion in the absence of sensory feedback or rhythmic input from the brain. Most research in rodents has focused on hind limb movements: the hind limb CPG is located in lower thoracic and lumbar segments of the spinal cord. This network generates both the locomotor rh...

In direct competition between national brands of consumer packaged goods (CPG), one brand often has a large local share advantage over the other despite that the products are similar. I present an explanation for these large and persistent advantages in the context of local competition on perceived quality or brand image. The main result of the analysis is a relation between varying degrees of ...

We have studied the scratch reflex in order to better understand the strategy that the spinal neural structures use to program limb movements. A network is proposed for the positioning and rhythmic portions of the scratch reflex in the deafferented preparation. This model is based on Berkinblit's hypotheses regarding organization of neurons constituting the spinal central pattern generator (CPG...

Neuromodulators are signaling molecules that induce long-lasting or network-wide changes in electrical activity, canonically through metabotropic G-coupled protein receptors. In contrast to classical neurotransmission, which directly opens ion channels, neuromodulators can act either synaptically or extra-synaptically (e.g., hormonal pathways) to modify neuronal activity. Because neuromodulator...

Gestational diabetes (GD) is a disorder of glucose tolerance occurred or first recognized during pregnancy. GD occurs in pregnant women towards the end of the second quarter. It can take time to pregnancy or be indicative of diabetes earlier. The clinical practice guidelines (CPG) from NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) report a number of risk factors for gestational d...

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Yannick Morel EPFL, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Lausanne, CH-1015 PHONE : (+41) 21 693 6714 FAX: (+41) 21 693 3705 [email protected] Mathieu Porez IRCCyN Laboratory Ecole des Mines de Nantes 44307 Nantes, France PHONE : (+33) 2 5185 8575 FAX: (+33) 2 4037 6930 [email protected] Auke J. Ijspeert EPFL, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Lausanne, CH-1015 PHONE :...

This article presents a project that aims at constructing a biologically inspired amphibious snake-like robot. The robot is designed to be capable of anguilliform swimming like sea-snakes and lampreys in water and lateral undulatory locomotion like a snake on ground. Both the structure and the controller of the robot are inspired by elongate vertebrates. In particular, the locomotion of the rob...

At the beginning of the 20th century, Thomas Graham Brown conducted experiments that after a long hiatus changed views on the neural control of locomotion. His seminal work supported by subsequent evidence generated largely from the 1960s onwards showed that across species walking, flying, and swimming are controlled largely by a neuronal network that has been referred to as the central pattern...