Search results for "imulation"
showing 10 items of 7271 documents
Numerical simulations demonstrate that the double tapering of the spatualae of lizards and insects maximize both detachment resistance and stability
2011
Many biological attachment devices of insects, spiders and geckos consist of arrays of hairs (setae), which are terminated by contact elements of different shapes. However, the most frequently observed shape is a thin plate-like spatula. In spite of a rather wide range of sizes, most spatulae of different animals are not uniform, but rather possess a gradient in thickness and width. Here we show that the spatulae of insects and geckos become gradually thinner and wider approaching the end. This geometrical effect is explained in the present paper, by using a numerical approach for the modelling of the van der Waals adhesion and friction between the contact elements and the substrate. The ap…
A computational model of postprandial adipose tissue lipid metabolism derived using human arteriovenous stable isotope tracer data
2019
Given the association of disturbances in non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) metabolism with the development of Type 2 Diabetes and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, computational models of glucose-insulin dynamics have been extended to account for the interplay with NEFA. In this study, we use arteriovenous measurement across the subcutaneous adipose tissue during a mixed meal challenge test to evaluate the performance and underlying assumptions of three existing models of adipose tissue metabolism and construct a new, refined model of adipose tissue metabolism. Our model introduces new terms, explicitly accounting for the conversion of glucose to glyceraldehye-3-phosphate, the postprandial …
Effects of gait speed on stability of walking revealed by simulated response to tripping perturbation
2013
The objective of this work was to study stability of walking over a range of gait speeds by means of muscle-driven simulations. Fast walking has previously been related to high likelihood of falling due to tripping. Various measures of stability have shown different relationships between walking speed and stability. These measures may not be associated with tripping, so it is unclear whether the increase in likelihood of falling is explicable by an increase in instability. Here, stability with respect to a constant tripping perturbation was quantified as the immediate passive response of torso to the perturbation. Subject-specific muscle-driven simulations of eight young healthy subjects wa…
SINGLE-TRIAL BASED INDEPENDENT COMPONENT ANALYSIS ON MISMATCH NEGATIVITY IN CHILDREN
2010
Independent component analysis (ICA) does not follow the superposition rule. This motivates us to study a negative event-related potential — mismatch negativity (MMN) estimated by the single-trial based ICA (sICA) and averaged trace based ICA (aICA), respectively. To sICA, an optimal digital filter (ODF) was used to remove low-frequency noise. As a result, this study demonstrates that the performance of the sICA+ODF and aICA could be different. Moreover, MMN under sICA+ODF fits better with the theoretical expectation, i.e., larger deviant elicits larger MMN peak amplitude.
Cholinergic-Adrenergic Presynaptic Interactions on the Heart in the Millisecond Range as Studied With the Pulse-to-Pulse Method
1988
A method has been devised to study the interactions of cholinergic and adrenergic nerves in the rabbit atria, a tissue known to be densely innervated by both vagus and sympathetic nerve fibres. The atria were isolated and perfused via the ascending branches of the coronary arteries. The acetylcholine (ACh) stores were labelled with [14C]-choline and the noradrenaline (NA) stores with [3H]-NA. The radioactive compounds were separated on columns and determined by scintillation spectrometry.
Control of the production of oxygen intermediates of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes and monocytes by beta-adrenergic receptors.
1983
The control by beta-adrenergic receptors of the production of oxygen radicals by zymosan-stimulated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and monocytes (M phi) was studied in vitro by means of chemiluminescence. In addition we asked whether PMN and M phi exhibit differential sensitivity to beta-adrenergic stimulation. For beta-adrenergic stimulation we applied fenoterol ranging from 10(-5) to 10(-9) M x 2.7. We found a dose-dependent suppression of the production of oxygen radicals, the ID50 being approximately 10(-6) M both for PMN and M phi. By assessment of lactic dehydrogenase release a cytotoxic effect of the drug could be ruled out. When incubated together with the beta-adrenergic …
Importance of Sampling Frequency to Detect Differential Timing of Migration: A Case Study with BlackcapsSylvia atricapilla
2009
Our aim was to assess to what extent detection of differential timing of passage in migrant birds depends on the sampling frequency (SF). We determined if Blackcaps Sylvia atricapilla performed differential migration by age and sex when passing over N Iberia. We mist netted and ringed migrating Blackcaps at a stopover site, both during the autumn (2005) and the spring (2006) migrations. During autumn, adult female Blackcaps passed later than juvenile birds and adult males. In spring, however, migration differed mainly by sex rather than by age. In particular, males passed over earlier than females, likely due to the pressure on males to earlier arrival at their breeding areas. A simulation …
Evolution of lactase persistence: an example of human niche construction
2011
Niche construction is the process by which organisms construct important components of their local environment in ways that introduce novel selection pressures. Lactase persistence is one of the clearest examples of niche construction in humans. Lactase is the enzyme responsible for the digestion of the milk sugar lactose and its production decreases after the weaning phase in most mammals, including most humans. Some humans, however, continue to produce lactase throughout adulthood, a trait known as lactase persistence. In European populations, a single mutation (−13910*T) explains the distribution of the phenotype, whereas several mutations are associated with it in Africa and the Middle …
One year of training with FES has impressive beneficial effects in a 36-year-old woman with spinal cord injury
2015
International audience; CONTEXT:Reductions of muscular and cardiorespiratory functions are often observed in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) and several studies demonstrated the benefits of aerobic and strengthening exercise training for this population. Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) of paralyzed muscles has been proposed as a strategy to assist patients in executing functional movement but its utilization during long durations has never been investigated. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of a one-year training program with FES (strengthening and rowing) in one subject with SCI. Evoked torque, quadriceps muscle thickness, aerobic exercise capacity an…
Evidence of a contralateral motor influence on reciprocal inhibition in man
1992
The role of contralateral movement on both H reflex and reciprocal inhibition was studied. In normal men H reflex was induced by median nerve stimulation. Reciprocal inhibition was achieved through stimulation of the antagonist radial nerve. On this basis the effects of contralateral arm movement were analized. Furthermore the putative influence of exteroceptive origin was also verified by means of digit stimulation. Results showed that contralateral arm movement did not affect H reflex amplitude; on the contrary, it was able to enhance reciprocal inhibition induced by extensors on flexors. Study of cutaneous afferents demonstrated that contralateral digit stimulation failed to elicit modif…