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Galvez-Pol A, López-Martín G, Kilner JM. Social timing as an active, multisensory, and embodied process. A commentary on "The evolution of social timing" by Verga, Kotz and Ravignani. Phys Life Rev 2023; 47:128-130. [PMID: 37862899 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2023.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Galvez-Pol
- Psychology Department, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Active Cognition, Embodiment, and Environment Lab, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
| | - Genaro López-Martín
- Psychology Department, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Active Cognition, Embodiment, and Environment Lab, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - James M Kilner
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, Queen Square, London, UK
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Mérida-Calvo L, Feliu-Talegón D, Feliu-Batlle V. Improving the Detection of the Contact Point in Active Sensing Antennae by Processing Combined Static and Dynamic Information. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21051808. [PMID: 33807706 PMCID: PMC7962043 DOI: 10.3390/s21051808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The design and application of sensing antenna devices that mimic insect antennae or mammal whiskers is an active field of research. However, these devices still require new developments if they are to become efficient and reliable components of robotic systems. We, therefore, develop and build a prototype composed of a flexible beam, two servomotors that drive the beam and a load cell sensor that measures the forces and torques at the base of the flexible beam. This work reports new results in the area of the signal processing of these devices. These results will make it possible to estimate the point at which the flexible antenna comes into contact with an object (or obstacle) more accurately than has occurred with previous algorithms. Previous research reported that the estimation of the fundamental natural frequency of vibration of the antenna using dynamic information is not sufficient as regards determining the contact point and that the estimation of the contact point using static information provided by the forces and torques measured by the load cell sensor is not very accurate. We consequently propose an algorithm based on the fusion of the information provided by the two aforementioned strategies that enhances the separate benefits of each one. We demonstrate that the adequate combination of these two pieces of information yields an accurate estimation of the contacted point of the antenna link. This will enhance the precision of the estimation of points on the surface of the object that is being recognized by the antenna. Thorough experimentation is carried out in order to show the features of the proposed algorithm and establish its range of application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Mérida-Calvo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Energéticas y Aplicaciones Industriales, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain;
| | - Daniel Feliu-Talegón
- Robotics, Vision and Control Group, Universidad de Sevilla, 41092 Sevilla, Spain;
| | - Vicente Feliu-Batlle
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Industrial de Ciudad Real, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-926-295-364
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Pinnipeds orient and control their whiskers: a study on Pacific walrus, California sea lion and Harbor seal. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2020; 206:441-451. [PMID: 32077991 PMCID: PMC7192888 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-020-01408-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Whisker touch is an active sensory system. Previous studies in Pinnipeds have adopted relatively stationary tasks to judge tactile sensitivity, which may not accurately promote natural whisker movements and behaviours. This study developed a novel feeding task, termed fish sweeping to encourage whisker movements. Head and whisker movements were tracked from video footage in Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina), California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) and Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens). All species oriented their head towards the moving fish target and moved their whiskers during the task. Some species also engaged in whisker control behaviours, including head-turning asymmetry in the Pacific walrus, and contact-induced asymmetry in the Pacific walrus and California sea lion: behaviours that have only previously been observed in terrestrial mammals. This study confirms that Pinnipeds should be thought of as whisker specialists, and that whisker control (movement and positioning) is an important aspect of touch sensing in these animals, especially in sea lions and walruses. That the California sea lion controls whisker movement in relation to an object, and also had large values of whisker amplitude, spread and asymmetry, suggests that California sea lions are a promising model with which to further explore active touch sensing.
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Starostin EL, Grant RA, Dougill G, van der Heijden GHM, Goss VGA. The Euler spiral of rat whiskers. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaax5145. [PMID: 31998835 PMCID: PMC6962041 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax5145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This paper reports on an analytical study of the intrinsic shapes of 523 whiskers from 15 rats. We show that the variety of whiskers on a rat's cheek, each of which has different lengths and shapes, can be described by a simple mathematical equation such that each whisker is represented as an interval on the Euler spiral. When all the representative curves of mystacial vibrissae for a single rat are assembled together, they span an interval extending from one coiled domain of the Euler spiral to the other. We additionally find that each whisker makes nearly the same angle of 47∘ with the normal to the spherical virtual surface formed by the tips of whiskers, which constitutes the rat's tactile sensory shroud or "search space." The implications of the linear curvature model for gaining insight into relationships between growth, form, and function are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene L. Starostin
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, 103 Borough Rd., London SE1 0AA, UK
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, Gower St., London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Robyn A. Grant
- Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester St., Manchester M1 5GD, UK
| | - Gary Dougill
- Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester St., Manchester M1 5GD, UK
| | - Gert H. M. van der Heijden
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, Gower St., London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Victor G. A. Goss
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, 103 Borough Rd., London SE1 0AA, UK
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5
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Hofmann V, Chacron MJ. Novel Functions of Feedback in Electrosensory Processing. Front Integr Neurosci 2019; 13:52. [PMID: 31572137 PMCID: PMC6753188 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2019.00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental signals act as input and are processed across successive stages in the brain to generate a meaningful behavioral output. However, a ubiquitous observation is that descending feedback projections from more central to more peripheral brain areas vastly outnumber ascending feedforward projections. Such projections generally act to modify how sensory neurons respond to afferent signals. Recent studies in the electrosensory system of weakly electric fish have revealed novel functions for feedback pathways in that their transformation of the afferent input generates neural firing rate responses to sensory signals mediating perception and behavior. In this review, we focus on summarizing these novel and recently uncovered functions and put them into context by describing the more "classical" functions of feedback in the electrosensory system. We further highlight the parallels between the electrosensory system and other systems as well as outline interesting future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Hofmann
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Kim RC, Le D, Ma K, Heath-Heckman EAC, Whitehorn N, Kristan WB, Weisblat DA. Behavioral analysis of substrate texture preference in a leech, Helobdella austinensis. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2019; 205:191-202. [PMID: 30721348 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-019-01317-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Leeches in the wild are often found on smooth surfaces, such as vegetation, smooth rocks or human artifacts such as bottles and cans, thus exhibiting what appears to be a "substrate texture preference". Here, we have reproduced this behavior under controlled circumstances, by allowing leeches to step about freely on a range of silicon carbide substrates (sandpaper). To begin to understand the neural mechanisms underlying this texture preference behavior, we have determined relevant parameters of leech behavior both on uniform substrates of varying textures, and in a behavior choice paradigm in which the leech is confronted with a choice between rougher and smoother substrate textures at each step. We tested two non-exclusive mechanisms which could produce substrate texture preference: (1) a Differential Diffusion mechanism, in which a leech is more likely to stop moving on a smooth surface than on a rough one, and (2) a Smoothness Selection mechanism, in which a leech is more likely to attach its front sucker (prerequisite for taking a step) to a smooth surface than to a rough one. We propose that both mechanisms contribute to the texture preference exhibited by leeches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C Kim
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, 385 LSA, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3200, USA
| | - Dylan Le
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, 3119 Pacific Hall, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Kenny Ma
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, 385 LSA, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3200, USA
| | - Elizabeth A C Heath-Heckman
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, 385 LSA, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3200, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nathan Whitehorn
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - William B Kristan
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, 3119 Pacific Hall, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - David A Weisblat
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, 385 LSA, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3200, USA.
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Muchlinski MN, Wible JR, Corfe I, Sullivan M, Grant RA. Good Vibrations: The Evolution of Whisking in Small Mammals. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2018; 303:89-99. [PMID: 30332721 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 01/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
While most mammals have whiskers, some tactile specialists-mainly small, nocturnal, and arboreal species-can actively move their whiskers in a symmetrical, cyclic movement called whisking. Whisking enables mammals to rapidly, tactually scan their environment to efficiently guide locomotion and foraging in complex habitats. The muscle architecture that enables whisking is preserved from marsupials to primates, prompting researchers to suggest that a common ancestor might have had moveable whiskers. Studying the evolution of whisker touch sensing is difficult, and we suggest that measuring an aspect of skull morphology that correlates with whisking would enable comparisons between extinct and extant mammals. We find that whisking mammals have larger infraorbital foramen (IOF) areas, which indicates larger infraorbital nerves and an increase in sensory acuity. While this relationship is quite variable and IOF area cannot be used to solely predict the presence of whisking, whisking mammals all have large IOF areas. Generally, this pattern holds true regardless of an animal's substrate preferences or activity patterns. Data from fossil mammals and ancestral character state reconstruction and tracing techniques for extant mammals suggest that whisking is not the ancestral state for therian mammals. Instead, whisking appears to have evolved independently as many as seven times across the clades Marsupialia, Afrosoricida, Eulipotyphla, and Rodentia, with Xenarthra the only placental superordinal clade lacking whisking species. However, the term whisking only captures symmetrical and rhythmic movements of the whiskers, rather than all possible whisker movements, and early mammals may still have had moveable whiskers. Anat Rec, 2018. © 2018 American Association for Anatomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena N Muchlinski
- Center for Anatomical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas
| | - John R Wible
- Section of Mammals, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Ian Corfe
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Matthew Sullivan
- Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Robyn A Grant
- Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
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Farhat SM, Mahboob A, Ahmed T. Cortex- and Amygdala-Dependent Learning and Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Gene Expression is Severely Impaired in Mice Orally Treated with AlCl 3. Biol Trace Elem Res 2017; 179:91-101. [PMID: 28101715 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-017-0942-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Recent industrialization has increased human exposure to bio-available aluminum (Al). If more Al enters the brain than leaves, Al concentration will rise in the brain leading to neurodegenerative disorders. The aim of the present study was to determine Al concentration, neurodegeneration, and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) gene expression in the cortex and amygdala after oral ingestion of Al salt. The effect of Al on cortex- and amygdala-dependent learning and memory functions was also assessed. Mice were given AlCl3 (250 mg/kg) in drinking water for 42 days. nAChR gene expression was determined in the cortex and amygdala. The mice were subjected to behavior tests (fear conditioning, fear extinction, and open field), to assess memory deficits. The acquisition of fear memory in the fear conditioning test remained unaffected due to the Al administration. However, fear extinction (which is a new learning) was severely impaired. The behavioral analysis in the open field test showed greater anxiety and less adaptability to the new environment in Al-treated animals. High Al concentration and severe neurodegeneration in the cortex were observed following Al treatment while a slight, non-significant elevation in Al concentration was observed in the amygdala of Al-treated animals. The analysis of nAChR gene expression via RT-PCR showed a significant reduction in expression of α7, α4, and β2 nAChR genes in the cortex of Al-treated animals, while in the amygdala, the level of the α4 nAChR gene remained unaltered. Oral Al ingestion causes neuropathological changes and suppresses expression of nAChR genes that lead to deficits in learning and higher anxiety in Al-treated animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syeda Mehpara Farhat
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Sector H-12, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan
| | - Aamra Mahboob
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Sector H-12, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan
| | - Touqeer Ahmed
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Sector H-12, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan.
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Feliu-Batlle V, Feliu-Talegon D, Castillo-Berrio CF. Improved Object Detection Using a Robotic Sensing Antenna with Vibration Damping Control. SENSORS 2017; 17:s17040852. [PMID: 28406449 PMCID: PMC5424729 DOI: 10.3390/s17040852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Some insects or mammals use antennae or whiskers to detect by the sense of touch obstacles or recognize objects in environments in which other senses like vision cannot work. Artificial flexible antennae can be used in robotics to mimic this sense of touch in these recognition tasks. We have designed and built a two-degree of freedom (2DOF) flexible antenna sensor device to perform robot navigation tasks. This device is composed of a flexible beam, two servomotors that drive the beam and a load cell sensor that detects the contact of the beam with an object. It is found that the efficiency of such a device strongly depends on the speed and accuracy achieved by the antenna positioning system. These issues are severely impaired by the vibrations that appear in the antenna during its movement. However, these antennae are usually moved without taking care of these undesired vibrations. This article proposes a new closed-loop control schema that cancels vibrations and improves the free movements of the antenna. Moreover, algorithms to estimate the 3D beam position and the instant and point of contact with an object are proposed. Experiments are reported that illustrate the efficiency of these proposed algorithms and the improvements achieved in object detection tasks using a control system that cancels beam vibrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicente Feliu-Batlle
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain.
| | - Daniel Feliu-Talegon
- Instituto de Investigaciones Energéticas y Aplicaciones Industriales (INEI), Campus Universitario de Ciudad Real, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain.
| | - Claudia Fernanda Castillo-Berrio
- Engineering and Architecture Faculty, Mechatronic Engineering, Istanbul Gelisim University, Cihangir mah. Sehit Jandarma Komando Er Hakan Oner Sk. No. 1 Avcilar, 34351 Istanbul, Turkey.
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Milne AO, Grant RA. Characterisation of whisker control in the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) during a complex, dynamic sensorimotor task. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2014; 200:871-9. [PMID: 25138923 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-014-0931-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2014] [Revised: 08/04/2014] [Accepted: 08/09/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Studies in pinniped whisker use have shown that their whiskers are extremely sensitive to tactile and hydrodynamic signals. While pinnipeds position their whiskers on to objects and have some control over their whisker protractions, it has always been thought that head movements are more responsible for whisker positioning than the movement of the whiskers themselves. This study uses ball balancing, a dynamic sensorimotor skill that is often used in human and robotic coordination studies, to promote sea lion whisker movements during the task. For the first time, using tracked video footage, we show that sea lion whisker movements respond quickly (26.70 ms) and mirror the movement of the ball, much more so than the head. We show that whisker asymmetry and spread are both altered to help sense and control the ball during balancing. We believe that by designing more dynamic sensorimotor tasks we can start to characterise the active nature of this specialised sensory system in pinnipeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyx O Milne
- Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology, Conservation, Evolution and Behaviour Research Group, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
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Hofmann V, Geurten BRH, Sanguinetti-Scheck JI, Gómez-Sena L, Engelmann J. Motor patterns during active electrosensory acquisition. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:186. [PMID: 24904337 PMCID: PMC4036139 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2014] [Accepted: 05/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor patterns displayed during active electrosensory acquisition of information seem to be an essential part of a sensory strategy by which weakly electric fish actively generate and shape sensory flow. These active sensing strategies are expected to adaptively optimize ongoing behavior with respect to either motor efficiency or sensory information gained. The tight link between the motor domain and sensory perception in active electrolocation make weakly electric fish like Gnathonemus petersii an ideal system for studying sensory-motor interactions in the form of active sensing strategies. Analyzing the movements and electric signals of solitary fish during unrestrained exploration of objects in the dark, we here present the first formal quantification of motor patterns used by fish during electrolocation. Based on a cluster analysis of the kinematic values we categorized the basic units of motion. These were then analyzed for their associative grouping to identify and extract short coherent chains of behavior. This enabled the description of sensory behavior on different levels of complexity: from single movements, over short behaviors to more complex behavioral sequences during which the kinematics alter between different behaviors. We present detailed data for three classified patterns and provide evidence that these can be considered as motor components of active sensing strategies. In accordance with the idea of active sensing strategies, we found categorical motor patterns to be modified by the sensory context. In addition these motor patterns were linked with changes in the temporal sampling in form of differing electric organ discharge frequencies and differing spatial distributions. The ability to detect such strategies quantitatively will allow future research to investigate the impact of such behaviors on sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Hofmann
- Active Sensing, Faculty of Biology, Cognitive Interaction Technology - Center of Excellence, Bielefeld University Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Bart R H Geurten
- Cellular Neurobiology, Schwann-Schleiden Research Centre, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany
| | - Juan I Sanguinetti-Scheck
- Sección Biomatemática, Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica Montevideo, Uruguay ; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Humboldt Universität Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | - Leonel Gómez-Sena
- Sección Biomatemática, Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Jacob Engelmann
- Active Sensing, Faculty of Biology, Cognitive Interaction Technology - Center of Excellence, Bielefeld University Bielefeld, Germany
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