A Cybernetic View Of Biological Growth

Maia is the story of an idea, and its development into a working hypothesis, that provides a cybernetic interpretation of how growth is controlled. Growth at the lowest level is controlled by regulating the rate of growth. Access to the output of control mechanisms is provided by perturbing the growing organism, and then filtering out the consequences to growth rate. The output of the growth control mechanism is then accessible for interpretation and modelling. Perturbation experiments have been used to provide interpretations of hormesis, the neutralization of inhibitory load and acquired tolerance to toxic inhibition, and catch-up growth. The account begins with an introduction to cybernetics covering the regulation of growth and population increase in animals and man and describes this new approach to access the control of growth processes. This book is suitable for postgraduate students of biological cybernetics and researchers of biological growth, endocrinology, population ecology and toxicology.

Cybernetics and Development deals with the ways in which growing and developing biological systems control themselves during development. It is a preliminary attempt to apply some of the insights and techniques of cybernetics to the problem of understanding such development and its control. The book begins with a discussion of the nature of cybernetics and its methods. Separate chapters cover the use of cybernetics in the field of biological development; previous work in the area of cybernetics related to automata theory; and the application of information theory to development. Subsequent chapters present models of development. These include computer programs which continually replicate themselves and control the resulting development; growing automata nets as models of development; and a method that allows a system to control the relative sizes of its parts during development and afterwards during regeneration. This book provides enough background material to make it understandable both to the biologist with little knowledge of cybernetics and the cybernetician with no great knowledge of developmental biology.

Hayes’ Principles and Methods of Toxicology has long been established as a reliable reference to the concepts, methodologies, and assessments integral to toxicology. The new sixth edition has been revised and updated while maintaining the same high standards that have made this volume a benchmark resource in the field. With new authors and new chapters that address the advances and developments since the fifth edition, the book presents everything toxicologists and students need to know to understand hazards and mechanisms of toxicity, enabling them to better assess risk. The book begins with the four basic principles of toxicology—dose matters, people differ, everything transforms, and timing is crucial. The contributors discuss various agents of toxicity, including foodborne, solvents, crop protection chemicals, radiation, and plant and animal toxins. They examine various methods for defining and measuring toxicity in a host of areas, including genetics, carcinogenicity, toxicity in major body systems, and the environment. This new edition contains an expanded glossary reflecting significant changes in the field. New topics in this edition include: The importance of dose–response Systems toxicology Food safety The humane use and care of animals Neurotoxicology The comprehensive coverage and clear writing style make this volume an invaluable text for students and a one-stop reference for professionals.

Mankind’s dependence on artificial intelligence and robotics is increasing rapidly as technology becomes more advanced. Finding a way to seamlessly intertwine these two worlds will help boost productivity in society and aid in a variety of ways in modern civilization. Androids, Cyborgs, and Robots in Contemporary Culture and Society is an essential scholarly resource that delves into the current issues, methodologies, and trends relating to advanced robotic technology in the modern world. Featuring relevant topics that include STEM technologies, brain-controlled androids, biped robots, and media perception, this publication is ideal for engineers, academicians, students, and researchers that would like to stay current with the latest developments in the world of evolving robotics.

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Feature Papers for Celebrating the Fifth Anniversary of the Founding of Processes" that was published in Processes

Psychobiological Aspects of Cognitive Growth elucidates the psychobiological aspects of cognitive development. The goals of this book are limited to a description of what may be defined as ""borderline"" phenomena of cognitive development. These are phenomena that can be observed and measured behaviorally, and also can be conveniently investigated by neurophysiological, genetic, and biological methods. The book begins with a review of ""basic approaches"" to the problems of psychobiological interaction in cognitive processes. It then presents major theoretical contributions of prominent authors to this subject, namely, Werner's sensoritonic theory, Rothschild's model of the biosemiotic structure of the nervous system, and Piaget's psychobiological interpretations of intellectual growth. This is followed by a general discussion of psychobiological aspects of cognitive development in infancy, and a report on physical correlates of school readiness, including some investigations on relations between static balance ability and reading skill. After a presentation of findings and theoretical considerations related to effects of birth season on physical and mental growth, the final chapter summarizes three studies on the impact of physiological pubertal maturation on mental achievements at adolescence.