Shape-based compliance control for snake robots

I serpenti robot sono una classe di meccanismi iper-ridondanti che appartiene alla robotica modulare. Grazie alla loro forma snella ed allungata e all'alto grado di ridondanza possono muoversi in ambienti complessi con elevata agilità. L'abilità di spostarsi, manipolare e adattarsi efficientemente ad una grande varietà di terreni li rende ideali per diverse applicazioni, come ad esempio attività di ricerca e soccorso, ispezione o ricognizione. I robot serpenti si muovono nello spazio modificando la propria forma, senza necessità di ulteriori dispositivi quali ruote od arti. Tali deformazioni, che consistono in movimenti ondulatori ciclici che generano uno spostamento dell'intero meccanismo, vengono definiti andature. La maggior parte di esse sono ispirate al mondo naturale, come lo strisciamento, il movimento laterale o il movimento a concertina, mentre altre sono create per applicazioni specifiche, come il rotolamento o l'arrampicamento. Un serpente robot con molti gradi di libertà deve essere capace di coordinare i propri giunti e reagire ad ostacoli in tempo reale per riuscire a muoversi efficacemente in ambienti complessi o non strutturati. Inoltre, aumentare la semplicità e ridurre il numero di controllori necessari alla locomozione alleggerise una struttura di controllo che potrebbe richiedere complessità per ulteriori attività specifiche. L'obiettivo di questa tesi è ottenere un comportamento autonomo cedevole che si adatti alla conformazione dell'ambiente in cui il robot si sta spostando, accrescendo le capacità di locomozione del serpente robot. Sfruttando la cedevolezza intrinseca del serpente robot utilizzato in questo lavoro, il SEA Snake, e utilizzando un controllo che combina cedevolezza attiva ad una struttura di coordinazione che ammette una decentralizzazione variabile del robot, si dimostra come tre andature possano essere modificate per ottenere una locomozione efficiente in ambienti complessi non noti a priori o non modellabili.

Effects of a 12-week aerobic exercise intervention on eating behaviour, food cravings and 7-day energy intake and energy expenditure in inactive men

This study examined effects of 12 weeks of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on eating behaviour, food cravings and weekly energy intake and expenditure in inactive men. Eleven healthy men (mean ± SD: age, 26 ± 5 years; body mass index, 24.6 ± 3.8 kg/m2; maximum oxygen uptake, 43.1 ± 7.4 mL/kg/min) completed the 12-week supervised exercise programme. Body composition, health markers (e.g. blood pressure), eating behaviour, food cravings and weekly energy intake and expenditure were assessed before and after the exercise intervention. There were no intervention effects on weekly free-living energy intake (p=0.326, d=-0.12) and expenditure (p=0.799, d=0.04), or uncontrolled eating and emotional eating scores (p>0.05). However, there was a trend with a medium effect size (p=0.058, d=0.68) for cognitive restraint to be greater after the exercise intervention. Total food cravings (p=0.009, d=-1.19) and specific cravings of high-fat foods (p=0.023, d=-0.90), fast-food fats (p=0.009, d=-0.71) and carbohydrates/starches (p=0.009, d=-0.56) decreased from baseline to 12 weeks. Moreover, there was a trend with a large effect size for cravings of sweets (p=0.052, d=-0.86) to be lower after the exercise intervention. In summary, 12 weeks of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise reduced food cravings and increased cognitive restraint, however, these were not accompanied by changes in other eating behaviours and weekly energy intake and expenditure. The results indicate the importance of exercising for health improvements even when reductions in body mass are modest.

Study and comparison on freshwater snail fauna in the paddy fields and related river and lake (Babolroad & Parishan) water supply in Mazandaran & Frace provinces of Iran

As a result of this investigation, for the first time from Babolroud river in Iran is 15 species identified, which they belong to 8 genera, from 7 families. The most and least distribution, 13 and 5 species, belong to Miandasht and Rostaye Anarestane Babol stations respectively, which they are 50 kilometers away from each other. Also 20 species belong to 10 genera from 6 families were identified in Parishan lake. The most the distribution belong to stations 1 and 5 with 6 and 18 species respectively. The most commonly distributed family is Lymnaeidae with 6 species: Lyamnaea truncatula, L. auricularia, L. palustris, L. pereger, L. stagnalis and L. gedrosiana, which L. trancatula is identified as the most frequent and has medical importance. L. stagnalis is identified to be the most important to agriculture. Planorbis planorhis, Physa acuta, Lymnaea pereger, Bithynia tenculata and Vavata piscinalis are reported for the first time from this region.

Can't see the snake for the leaves: enhanced edges disrupt depth perception.

This is an abstract of an invited talk presented at the AVA Animal Vision Meeting / Camocon 2015 in Liverpool UK, on the 23rd of August 2015.

Reorganisation ofHoxdregulatory landscapes during the evolution of a snake-like body plan

Within land vertebrate species, snakes display extreme variations in their body plan, characterized by the absence of limbs and an elongated morphology. Such a particular interpretation of the basic vertebrate body architecture has often been associated with changes in the function or regulation of Hox genes. Here, we use an interspecies comparative approach to investigate different regulatory aspects at the snake HoxD locus. We report that, unlike in other vertebrates, snake mesoderm-specific enhancers are mostly located within the HoxD cluster itself rather than outside. In addition, despite both the absence of limbs and an altered Hoxd gene regulation in external genitalia, the limb-associated bimodal HoxD chromatin structure is maintained at the snake locus. Finally, we show that snake and mouse orthologous enhancer sequences can display distinct expression specificities. These results show that vertebrate morphological evolution likely involved extensive reorganisation at Hox loci, yet within a generally conserved regulatory framework.

Advances in gastropod immunity from the study of the interaction between the snail Biomphalaria glabrata and its parasites: A review of research progress over the last decade

This review summarizes the research progress made over the past decade in the field of gastropod immunity resulting from investigations of the interaction between the snail Biomphalaria glabrata and its trematode parasites. A combination of integrated approaches, including cellular, genetic and comparative molecular and proteomic approaches have revealed novel molecular components involved in mediating Biomphalaria immune responses that provide insights into the nature of host-parasite compatibility and the mechanisms involved in parasite recognition and killing. The current overview emphasizes that the interaction between B. glabrata and its trematode parasites involves a complex molecular crosstalk between numerous antigens, immune receptors, effectors and anti-effector systems that are highly diverse structurally and extremely variable in expression between and within host and parasite populations. Ultimately, integration of these molecular signals will determine the outcome of a specific interaction between a B. glabrata individual and its interacting trematodes. Understanding these complex molecular interactions and identifying key factors that may be targeted to impairment of schistosome development in the snail host is crucial to generating new alternative schistosomiasis control strategies.

Refolding of omega conotoxin peptide derived from marine snail, Conus magus, to evaluate its analgesic effects

Oxidative refolding is one of the key challenges hampering the development of peptide based compounds as therapeutics. The correct refolding for three disulfide peptide like w-Conotoxi n MVIIA is difficult and crucial for biological activity. This work advanced knowledge of chemical and biological for improve oxidative refolding of synthetic w-Conotoxi n MVIIA in base of Conus magus venom. The present study aimed to set up an appropriate and effective protocols for refolding of disulfide-rich w-Conotoxin MVIIA. In this study, the crude peptide was protected with Acm group, according to the right amino acid sequences (Synthesized by Australian Company). The crude peptide was purified by H PLC. To prepare the peptide to refolding, innovative deprotection applied molar ratio (AMR) method was performed based on mercury. Accuracy of deprotection was approved by reverse phase chromatography. The deprotected target peptide (omega-conotoxin) was determined by SDS-PAGE. Then the Oxidative refolding of target peptide was performed in six protocol based on Guanidinium chloride and oxidized and reduced Glutathione. Analgesic effect of refolded peptide was surveyed with formalin test in mice Balb/c. Non neurotoxic effects of target peptides were survey with ICV injection in mice model (C57/BL6). The innovative deprotection protocol performed based on the best ratio of mercury/2-mercaptoethanol adjusted to 1mg/10p1 in 90 minute. The results showed the yield and purity of omega-conotoxin MVIIA as 93 and 95%, respectively. Refolding of 40 mg omega Conotoxin with GSSG and GSH on ratio of 10:1 and 20 mM ammonium acetate showed the best analgesic effect compared with the other methods. The result showed 95.5% yield and 98% purity of omega-conotoxin MVIIA in this refolding method. Related refolding method reduced 85% pain in experimented mice using 7 ng of the peptide. That was 71.5 fold stronger than morphine and 2 times than standard Prialt®. And it was not neurotoxic in mice. In this study, refolding method for omega-conotoxin MVIIA was optimized in the fourth factor including: reducing the time, amount and number of reagent and increase the efficiency. We introduced new method for deprotection of omega-conotoxin MVIIA. Effective, economic and applied refolding and deprotecti on method was performed in this research may al so be applied to similar omega conotoxin peptides.

A preliminary examination of the relationship between compulsive exercise and shame in individuals with an eating disorder: and clinical research portfolio

Objective: To explore the relationship between compulsive exercise and shame in a clinical sample of eating disorder patients. Method: In a cross-sectional study, individuals with an eating disorder (n=21) completed self-report measures of compulsive exercise, internal shame, external shame, bodily shame, anxiety and depression. Results: Internal shame was moderately associated with compulsive exercise (r=.496, p<.05). No further variables were significantly related to compulsive exercise. Individuals with Anorexia-Nervosa and Bulimia-Nervosa did not significantly differ on any of the study variables. Discussion: Hypotheses regarding the possible nature of the relationship between compulsive exercise and shame are suggested. For instance, that compulsive exercise may serve a role in the regulation of internal shame. That compulsive exercise may act as a compensatory behaviour and be a consequence of high levels of shame. Or that internal shame may result as a response to negative perceptions of one’s exercise habits. The results are discussed in line with current literature.

Eating and drinking places and hotels and motels wage survey.

Title from caption.

The Ethics of Eating Animals in Tudor and Stuart Theaters

A pressing challenge for the study of animal ethics in early modern literature is the very breadth of the category “animal,” which occludes the distinct ecological and economic roles of different species. Understanding the significance of deer to a hunter as distinct from the meaning of swine for a London pork vendor requires a historical investigation into humans’ ecological and cultural relationships with individual animals. For the constituents of England’s agricultural networks – shepherds, butchers, fishwives, eaters at tables high and low – animals matter differently. While recent scholarship on food and animal ethics often emphasizes ecological reciprocation, I insist that this mutualism is always out of balance, both across and within species lines. Focusing on drama by William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, and the anonymous authors of late medieval biblical plays, my research investigates how sixteenth-century theaters use food animals to mediate and negotiate the complexities of a changing meat economy. On the English stage, playwrights use food animals to impress the ethico-political implications of land enclosure, forest emparkment, the search for new fisheries, and air and water pollution from urban slaughterhouses and markets. Concurrent developments in animal husbandry and theatrical production in the period thus led to new ideas about emplacement, embodiment, and the ethics of interspecies interdependence.

Effects of morin on snake venom phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2))

Flavonoids are potent anti-inflammatory compounds isolated from several plant extracts, and have been used experimentally against inflammatory processes. In this work, a PLA(2) isolated from the Crotalus durissus cascavella venom and rat paw oedema were used as a model to. study the effect of flavonoids on PLA(2). We observed that a treatment of PLA(2) with morin induces several modifications in the aromatic amino acids, with accompanying changes in its amino acid composition. In addition, results from circular dichroism spectroscopy and UV scanning revealed important structural modifications. Concomitantly, a considerable decrease in the enzymatic and antibacterial activities was observed, even though anti-inflammatory and neurotoxic activities were not affected. These apparent controversial results may be an indication that PLA(2) possess a second pharmacological site which does not affect or depend on the enzymatic activity. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.