... of applied stretch, despite known force sensitivities of the vascular tissue at the cellular level. We attribute this resilience to the presence and mechanical properties of the tunic, the cellulose-enriched gel-like substance that encases the animal bodies and surrounding vasculature. * Author...

...Alberto E. Minetti; Fabrizio Rapuzzi; Cristine Lima Alberton; Gaspare Pavei ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanical and metabolic reasons for the spontaneous gait/speed choice when ascending a short flight of stairs, where walking on every step or running on every other...

...Brett R. Aiello; Adam R. Hardy; Chery Cherian; Aaron M. Olsen; Sihyun E. Ahn; Melina E. Hale; Mark W. Westneat ABSTRACT The functional capabilities of flexible, propulsive appendages are directly influenced by their mechanical properties. The fins of fishes have undergone extraordinary evolutionary...

... their body mass, over long distances up and down the steep mountain footpaths. In Africa, women transport their loads economically thanks to an energy-saving gait adaptation. We hypothesized that the Nepalese porters may have developed a corresponding mechanism. To investigate this proposition, we measured...

... processing: vibrissa mechanics and texture features shape micromotions in actively sensing rats . Neuron   57 , 599 - 613 . 10.1016/j.neuron.2007.12.024 Schroeder , C. L. and Hartmann , M. J. Z. ( 2012 ). Sensory prediction on a whiskered robot: a tactile analogy to “optical flow...

... mechanics. Study of these fish has resulted in models that illuminate the principles behind their electrosensory system and unique swimming abilities. These models have uncovered the mechanisms by which knifefish generate thrust for swimming forward and backward, hovering, and heaving dorsally using...

... coordination parameters are dissociated. Consequently, transitions are the periods where it is possible to detect and identify those parameters involved in the mechanical or neural control of locomotion. We studied interlimb coordination using a sequential method (antero-posterior sequence) to measure...

...Chen Li; S. Tonia Hsieh; Daniel I. Goldman SUMMARY A diversity of animals that run on solid, level, flat, non-slip surfaces appear to bounce on their legs; elastic elements in the limbs can store and return energy during each step. The mechanics and energetics of running in natural terrain...

... and environments. Diminished performance could increase susceptibility to predation, yet the mechanism(s) by which gravidity and pregnancy affect locomotion remains largely unexplored. Here we demonstrate that morphology, hydrodynamics and kinematics were altered during pregnancy, providing a mechanism...

... to two different photoperiod regimes at a room temperature of 19–21°C: long photoperiod (control, 16 h:8 h light:dark, N =8) and short photoperiod (torpor, 8 h:16 h light:dark, N =8). After 14 weeks, muscle mechanics were analyzed in each group, examining both extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle...

... ; Goldspink, 1983 ; Gauthier et al., 1978 ; Bandman, 1985 ; Gondret et al., 1996 ), changes in the ratio of the alkali light chains ( Sweeney et al., 1988 ) or changes in calcium sensitivity via expression of isoforms of troponinT ( Fitzhugh and Marden, 1997 ), squids appear to modify muscle mechanical...

...Laura Farran; A. Roland Ennos; Stephen J. Eichhorn SUMMARY Fingernails are a characteristic anatomical feature of primates and their function is dictated by the environment in which they are utilised. The present study examined the mechanical properties of human fingernails as a function...

... to breath, yet the dorsoventral oscillations used during locomotion may be compromised by the lateral flexibility evident in the fetus. The unique fetal position of dolphins, coupled with their need to swim at birth, places conflicting mechanical demands on the tailstock. Our previous research demonstrated...

... for correspondence (e-mail: [email protected] ) 24 10 2007 © The Company of Biologists Limited 2008 2008 modeling bite force bats muscle mechanics Bats are one of the most diverse groups of mammals( Kunz and Pierson, 1994 ; Huston, 1994 ; Simmons, 2005 ) including species...

[email protected] ) 2 10 2006 © The Company of Biologists Limited 2006 2006 cetacean odontocete dolphin calf ontogeny swimming performance mechanics kinematics Tursiops truncatus Swimming performance undoubtedly changes dramatically during the postnatal development of aquatic...

... dynamics in the perturbed step. This will yield insight into how animals integrate mechanics and control to maintain dynamic stability in the face of real-world perturbations. Our results show that, despite altered body dynamics and a great deal of variability in the response, guinea fowl are quite...

..., A. A. ( 1989 ). Scaling body support in mammals: limb posture and muscle mechanics. Science 245 , 45 -48. Biewener, A. A. ( 1993 ). Safety factors in bone strength. Calcif. Tiss. Int. 53 , S68 -S74. Biewener, A. A., Farley, C. T., Roberts, T. J. and Temaner,M. ( 2004 ). Muscle mechanical...

... behaviour. They probably act to increase the nail's bending strength, and as they wrap around the edge of the nail, they also help prevent cracks from forming. These results cast light on the mechanical behaviour and care of fingernails. To perform the actual tests, the crosshead of the Instron...

... cannot be measured by these methods( Alexander, 1980 ). In 1980, Alexander showed that the classic method ('energy' method) of calculating the net work performed during walking, the sum of the increases in mechanical energy of the body, did not measure the work done by one leg against the other...

...Devin L. Jindrich; Robert J. Full SUMMARY To stabilize locomotion, animals must generate forces appropriate to overcome the effects of perturbations and to maintain a desired speed or direction of movement. We studied the stabilizing mechanism employed by rapidly running insects by using a novel...