Search results for "TACL"
showing 10 items of 204 documents
Gradient-based time to contact on paracatadioptric camera
2013
International audience; The problem of time to contact or time to collision (TTC) estimation is largely discussed in perspective images. However, a few works have dealt with images of catadioptric sensors despite of their utility in robotics applications. The objective of this paper is to develop a novel model for estimating TTC with catadioptric images relative to a planar surface, and to demonstrate that TTC can be estimated only with derivative brightness and image coordinates. This model, called "gradient based time to contact", does not need high processing such as explicit estimation of optical flow and feature detection/or tracking. The proposed method allows to estimate TTC and give…
Hepatoprotective effects of extracts, fractions and compounds from the stem bark of Pentaclethra macrophylla Benth: Evidence from in vitro and in viv…
2021
Abstract Aim To identify the bioactive hepatoprotective components of the ethanol extract of Pentaclethra macrophylla stem bark using in vitro and in vivo approaches. Methods The bioguided-fractionation of the ethanol extract was based on the substances’ capacity to prevent in vitro, the lipid peroxidation of hepatocytes’ membranes induced by hydrogen peroxide. For the in vivo hepatoprotective test, mice were treated orally with the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction of the ethanol extract at doses of 50 and 75 mg/kg/day for one week and subjected to d -galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide (GaIN/LPS)-induced hepatotoxicity. Blood samples were collected for alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), aspartate…
Morphology, performance and attachment function in Corynosoma spp. (Acanthocephala)
2018
Background: Functional inference on the attachment of acanthocephalans has generally been drawn directly from morphology. However, performance of structures is often non-intuitive and context-dependent, thus performance analysis should be included whenever possible to improve functional interpretation. In acanthocephalans, performance analysis of attachment is available only for Acanthocephalus ranae, a species that solely relies on the proboscis to attach. Here we compare body morphology and muscle arrangement in 13 species of Corynosoma, which use their spiny body as a fundamental holdfast. A basic performance analysis using live cystacanths of two representative species is also provided.…
Mesoglea Extracellular Matrix Reorganization during Regenerative Process in Anemonia viridis (Forskål, 1775)
2021
Given the anatomical simplicity and the extraordinary ability to regenerate missing parts of the body, Cnidaria represent an excellent model for the study of the mechanisms regulating regenerative processes. They possess the mesoglea, an amorphous and practically acellular extracellular matrix (ECM) located between the epidermis and the gastrodermis of the body and tentacles and consists of the same molecules present in the ECM of vertebrates, such as collagen, laminin, fibronectin and proteoglycans. This feature makes cnidarians anthozoans valid models for understanding the ECM role during regenerative processes. Indeed, it is now clear that its role in animal tissues is not just tissue su…
Gap perception in bumblebees
2018
ABSTRACT A number of insects fly over long distances below the natural canopy, where the physical environment is highly cluttered consisting of obstacles of varying shape, size and texture. While navigating within such environments, animals need to perceive and disambiguate environmental features that might obstruct their flight. The most elemental aspect of aerial navigation through such environments is gap identification and ‘passability’ evaluation. We used bumblebees to seek insights into the mechanisms used for gap identification when confronted with an obstacle in their flight path and behavioral compensations employed to assess gap properties. Initially, bumblebee foragers were train…
Energy analysis of a non-linear dynamic impact using FEM
2014
In the car industry, the Finite Element Method (FEM) is being more and more used to analyze the crashworthiness performance of vehicles. In order to validate the results, these impact simulations are normally compared with real crash footage and acceleration data. This paper studies the deformation- and energy output of a simple dummy model during a non-linear dynamic impact. The dummy model is crashed into an obstacle at three different velocities to observe the energy dissipated through different damping mechanisms. Furthermore, in impact simulations, material damping plays an important role in energy dissipation. However, it can be difficult to determine realistic damping parameter value…
Tentacle-shaped mesh for fixation-free repair of umbilical hernias
2019
Purpose: Mesh fixation and broad overlap represent an open issue in umbilical hernia repair. A proprietary-designed implant with tentacle straps at its boundary has been developed to ensure a suture-free repair and a broader coverage of the abdominal wall. The study describes the results of umbilical hernia procedures carried out with the tentacle-shaped implant and the related surgical technique. Methods: A proprietary tentacle-shaped flat mesh having a central body with integrated radiating arms at its edge was used to repair large umbilical hernias in 62 patients. The implant was placed in preperitoneal sublay. The friction of the straps, crossing the abdominal wall thanks to a special n…
Associations of Physical Fitness and Body Composition Characteristics With Simulated Military Task Performance
2017
Pihlainen, K, Santtila, M, Hakkinen, K, and Kyrolainen, H. Associations of physical fitness and body composition characteristics with simulated military task performance. J Strength Cond Res 32(4): 1089-1098, 2018-The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations of physical fitness and body composition characteristics with anaerobic endurance performance, tested in the combat load using the occupationally relevant military simulation test (MST). Eighty-one male soldiers, deployed to a crisis management operation in the Middle East, volunteered for the study and participated in a test battery consisting measurements of muscle strength, body composition characteristics, endurance ca…
Extraordinarily White: The De/Spectacularization of the Albinotic Body and the Normalization of Its Audience
2018
This chapter discusses three cultural institutions–freak show, art photography and fashion modelling–and the respective figures they produced by presenting albinotic bodies. How are bodily deviance and norm negotiated in these cases of structured seeing? Spectacularizing the ‘albino freak’ as a categorical in-between phenomenon, the freak show drew a sharp distinction between the extraordinary figure on stage and its audience while bestowing the latter with normality. On the other hand, Rick Guidotti’s photographic activism invoking ‘positive exposure’ personalizes albinotic subjects and thus partly breaks down the differentiation between deviant other and normal spectator. Finally, in the …
Thin obstacle problem : Estimates of the distance to the exact solution
2018
We consider elliptic variational inequalities generated by obstacle type problems with thin obstacles. For this class of problems, we deduce estimates of the distance (measured in terms of the natural energy norm) between the exact solution and any function that satisfies the boundary condition and is admissible with respect to the obstacle condition (i.e., they are valid for any approximation regardless of the method by which it was found). Computation of the estimates does not require knowledge of the exact solution and uses only the problem data and an approximation. The estimates provide guaranteed upper bounds of the error (error majorants) and vanish if and only if the approximation c…