Locomotion Performance Research Articles

ACTIVE PLAY INTERVENTIONS ON MOTOR SKILLS OF PRESCHOOLERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Active play can contribute to the reduction of sedentary time and generate potential benefits for the performance of fundamental motor skills in children. Thus, the aim of this systematic review was to provide a synthesis of evidence on the contributions of active play to fundamental motor skills in children aged 2 to 5 years typically developed, as well as to verify the differences between the intervention protocols used in the studies. The studies were identified by searching the PubMed, Web of Science and Lilacs databases. Clinical trials available in English, conducted in typically developing children, were included, and studies with the theme of electronic games were excluded. Two independent researchers examined the studies and conducted data extraction. Eight articles were included in the systematic review; three identified that children who experienced interventions with free active play had better performance in handling and balance skills. Four studies identified that children who practiced guided active play had better performance in locomotion, manipulation and balance skills, one study found no significant difference. We concluded that the practice of active play, especially guided active play, positively contributes to the fundamental motor skills of children aged 3 to 5 years typically developed.

Interesterified fat maternal consumption before conception programms memory and learning of adulthood offspring: How big is this deleterious repercussion?

In recent years, interesterified fat (IF) has largely replaced trans fat in industrialized food. Studies of our research group showed that IF consumption may not be safe for central nervous system (CNS) functions. Our current aim was to evaluate IF maternal consumption before conception on cognitive performance of adult rat offspring. Female Wistar rats were fed with standard chow plus 20% soybean and fish oil mix (control group) or plus 20% IF from weaning until adulthood (before mating), when the diets were replaced by standard chow only. Following the gestation and pups’ development, locomotion and memory performance followed by neurotrophin immunocontent and fatty acids (FA) profile in the hippocampus of the adulthood male offspring were quantified. Maternal IF consumption before conception decreased hippocampal palmitoleic acid incorporation, proBDNF and BDNF levels, decreasing both exploratory activity and memory performance in adult offspring. Considering that, the adult male offspring did not consume IF directly, further studies are needed to understand the molecular mechanisms and if the IF maternal preconception consumption could induce the epigenetic changes observed here. Our outcomes reinforce an immediate necessity to monitor and / or question the replacement of trans fat by IF with further studies involving CNS functions.

Beta band modulation by dopamine D2 receptors in the primary motor cortex and pedunculopontine nucleus in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease

Beta band (12–30 Hz) hypersynchrony within the basal ganglia-thalamocortical network has been suggested as a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathophysiology. Abnormal beta band oscillations are found in the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) and primary motor cortex (M1) and are correlated with dopamine depletion. Dopamine acts locomotion and motor performance mainly through dopamine receptors (D1 and D2). However, the precise mechanism by which dopamine receptors regulate beta band electrophysiological activities between the PPN and M1 is still unknown. Here, we recorded the neuronal activity of the PPN and M1 simultaneously by the administration of the drug (SCH23390 and raclopride), selectively blocking the dopamine D1 receptor and D2 receptor. We discovered that the increased coherent activity of the beta band (12–30 Hz) between M1 and PPN in the lesioned group could be reduced and restored by injecting raclopride in the resting and wheel running states. Our studies revealed the unique role of D2 dopamine receptor signaling in regulating β band oscillatory activity in M1 and PPN and their relationship after the loss of dopamine, which contributes to elucidating the underlying mechanism of the pathophysiology of PD.

Drug‐Loaded Mucoadhesive Patch with Active Delivery and Controlled Releasing Ability

Herein, a mucoadhesive patch for gastrointestinal tracts with active delivery, hyperthermia, and controlled drug release function using a magnetically actuated capsule is proposed to overcome the drug delivery and efficiency challenges of wireless structures. The proposed patch has excellent adhesion to the gastrointestinal tract and contains anticancer drug doxorubicin and magnetic nanoparticles. This enables hyperthermia and the controlled release of the loaded drug under an alternating magnetic field (AMF). In addition, it can be delivered to multiple intestinal target lesions using a magnetically actuated capsule. Characteristic analyses of the proposed patch are performed, such as morphology, adhesion force measurement with intestine, temperature change under an AMF, and drug release. The feasibility of the patch delivery into the gastrointestinal tract is verified through locomotion performance tests and ex vivo patch delivery experiments using a magnetically actuated capsule. Finally, through an in vitro therapeutic effect test, the death of tumor cells using the proposed patch is confirmed. As a result, the possibility that the multiple mucoadhesive patches can be delivered to target lesions in a digestive tract through a magnetically actuated capsule and can treat the lesions through hyperthermia and active drug release using an AMF stimulation is verified.

Locomotion of Bioinspired Underwater Snake Robots Using Metaheuristic Algorithm

Snake Robots (SR) have been successfully deployed and proved to attain bio-inspired solutions owing to its capability to move in harsh environments, a characteristic not found in other kinds of robots (like wheeled or legged robots). Underwater Snake Robots (USR) establish a bioinspired solution in the domain of underwater robotics. It is a key challenge to increase the motion efficiency in underwater robots, with respect to forwarding speed, by enhancing the locomotion method. At the same time, energy efficiency is also considered as a crucial issue for long-term automation of the systems. In this aspect, the current research paper concentrates on the design of effectual Locomotion of Bioinspired Underwater Snake Robots using Metaheuristic Algorithm (LBIUSR-MA). The proposed LBIUSR-MA technique derives a bi-objective optimization problem to maximize the Forward Velocity (FV) and minimize the Average Power Consumption (APC). LBIUSR-MA technique involves the design of Manta Ray Foraging Optimization (MRFO) technique and derives two objective functions to resolve the optimization issue. In addition to these, effective weighted sum technique is also used for the integration of two objective functions. Moreover, the objective functions are required to be assessed for varying gait variables so as to inspect the performance of locomotion. A detailed set of simulation analyses was conducted and the experimental results demonstrate that the developed LBIUSR-MA method achieved a low Average Power Consumption (APC) value of 80. under δ value of 50. The proposed model accomplished the minimum PAC and maximum FV of USR in an effective manner.

Locomotion Performance of Soft Actuator with Auxetic-typed Armored Structure

Soft robots employing soft polymer materials such as gels and elastomers have various advantages such as compact, lightweight, and silent motion. Recently, biomimetic structures driven by pneumatic control have been attracting attention though various driving sources have been proposed. In this study, we have fabricated cylinder-shaped soft robot with an armored (exoskeleton-like) auxetic structure with a negative poisson's ratio that placed around bellows-typed tube. We have investigated the structural variability and walking performance of the armored cylinder structure.

A Muscle-Driven Mechanism for Locomotion of Snake-Robots

This paper presents the concept of muscle-driven locomotion for planar snake robots, which combines the advantages of both rigid and soft robotic approaches to enhance the performance of snake robot locomotion. For this purpose, two adjacent links are connected by a pair of pneumatic artificial muscles wherein an alternate actuation of these soft actuators causes a rotational motion at the connecting joints. The muscle-based actuated linkage mechanism, as a closed six-linkage mechanism, was designed and prototyped. The linear motion and force generation of the pneumatic artificial muscle was experimentally characterized using isotonic and isometric contraction experiments. A predictive model was developed based on the experimental data to describe the relationship between the force–length–pressure of the PAMs. Additionally, the muscle-driven mechanism was kinematically and dynamically characterized based on both theoretical and experimental studies. The experimental data generally agreed with our model’s results and the generated joint angle and torque were comparable to the current snake-like robots. A skx-link planar snake robot with five joints, five pairs of antagonistic muscles, and an associated pneumatic controller was prototyped and examined for simple movements on a straight-line. We demonstrated the muscle-driven locomotion of the six-link snake robot, and the results show the feasibility of using the proposed mechanism for future explorations of snake robot locomotion.

Digest: More than just a pretty fin: The evolution of sexual ornaments in killifish.

What conditions favor the evolution of elaborate sexual ornaments? In freshwater killifishes, Sowersby etal. found that larger sexual ornaments were negatively associated with locomotive performance. Although selection clearly favored large ornamental fins in environments with fewer predators, there was no clear association between large ornamental fins and differences in life-history strategy. This finding illustrates that habitat differences in predation risk have the potential to influence the evolution of secondary sexual traits such as ornaments through natural selection.

Individual variation in marine larval‐fish swimming speed and the emergence of dispersal kernels

Dispersal emerges as a consequence of how an individual's phenotype interacts with the environment. Not all dispersing individuals have the same phenotype, and variation among individuals can generate complex variation in the distribution of dispersal distances and directions. While active locomotion performance is an obvious candidate for a dispersal phenotype, its effects on dispersal are difficult to measure or predict, especially in small organisms dispersing in wind or currents. Therefore, we analyzed the effects of larval swimming on dispersal and settlement of coral‐reef fish larvae using a high‐resolution biophysical model. The model is, to date, the only biophysical model of marine larval dispersal that has been statistically validated against genetic parentage estimates of larval origin and destination, and incorporates empirically‐estimated larval behaviors and their ontogeny. Larval swimming, in combination with depth, orientation and navigation behaviors, actually reduced dispersal distances compared to those of passive larvae. Swimming had no consistent effects on long distance dispersal, but increased the spread of settlement locations. Swimming speed, in contrast, did not consistently affect median dispersal distances, but faster swimming larvae had greater mean and maximum dispersal distances than slower swimming larvae. Finally, faster larval swimming speeds consistently increased the probability of settlement. Our analysis shows how larval swimming differentially affects multiple properties of dispersal kernels. In doing so, it indicates how selection could favor faster larval swimming to increase settlement and local retention, which may actually result in longer dispersal distances as a by‐product of larvae trying to locate habitat rather than to disperse greater distances.

Performance verification of heavy-duty motorcycles adjusting intake and exhaust timing

Heavy-duty locomotives with large exhaust vehicles have become a common means of transportation for Taiwanese. However, for car owners to increase power output, improve efficiency, and reduce fuel use, the original factory has designed demand settings for cost, environmental protection, and regulations. This leads to the sacrifice of the performance of the original car design, so the RC2 Super ECU is used to replace the original injection computer, and the air-fuel ratio, ignition angle and exhaust pipe are modified. Without the need to change the structure of the heavy locomotive, the horsepower of the heavy locomotive is improved. It is pointed out that the modification of these three original factory settings has greatly improved the overall speed performance of the heavy-duty locomotive horsepower. Therefore, it is proposed that “heavy locomotive performance verification by changing the timing of intake and exhaust” is mainly to verify the performance benefits and performance brought about by modifying the air-fuel ratio, ignition angle and exhaust pipe.

Effect of dietary inclusion of Fireweed (Crassocephalum crepidioides) on behavioural patterns, memory indices, and activities of cholinergic and monoaminergic enzymes in a fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) model of Alzheimer's disease

AbstractDietary supplementation of functional foods has been established for cognitive enhancement. Fireweed (Crassocephalum crepidioides) is a notable vegetable reported in folklore for its anti‐neurodegenerative property, with paucity of information on its mechanism of action using a cell‐based system. This study sought to evaluate the effect of fireweed leaf dietary inclusion (FDI) on some biochemical indices of neurodegeneration of a fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Transgenic (modeled for AD) and Harwich (the wild control) fruit fly strains were used, and were exposed separately to 0%, 0.31%, 0.63%, 1.25%, and 2.50% FDI for 14 days. Survival rate, locomotive performance, and short‐term memory index of the flies were assessed. Thereafter, the flies’ homogenates were prepared and used for the determination of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and monoamine oxidase (MAO), catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione S‐transferase activities, total thiol, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) levels. The result revealed that AD flies treated with FDI had 70%–80% improved survival rate and behavioural performance. Furthermore, AChE, BChE, and MAO activities were significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited, while antioxidant status was also boosted in the AD flies comparable with the wild control flies. In conclusion, the modulation of cholinesterases and monoamine oxidase activities as well as oxidative stress biomarkers could be among the neuroprotective mechanisms of fireweed leaf. These effects could be attributed to the abundant polyphenols and dietary fibers present. Hence, its use in folklore for the management of neurological disorder is justified.

High‐Performance Magnetic FePt (L10) Surface Microrollers Towards Medical Imaging‐Guided Endovascular Delivery Applications

AbstractControlled microrobotic navigation in the vascular system can revolutionize minimally invasive medical applications, such as targeted drug and gene delivery. Magnetically controlled surface microrollers have emerged as a promising microrobotic platform for controlled navigation in the circulatory system. Locomotion of micrororollers in strong flow velocities is a highly challenging task, which requires magnetic materials having strong magnetic actuation properties while being biocompatible. The L10‐FePt magnetic coating can achieve such requirements. Therefore, such coating has been integrated into 8 µm‐diameter surface microrollers and investigated the medical potential of the system from magnetic locomotion performance, biocompatibility, and medical imaging perspectives. The FePt coating significantly advanced the magnetic performance and biocompatibility of the microrollers compared to a previously used magnetic material, nickel. The FePt coating also allowed multimodal imaging of microrollers in magnetic resonance and photoacoustic imaging in ex vivo settings without additional contrast agents. Finally, FePt‐coated microrollers showed upstream locomotion ability against 4.5 cm s−1 average flow velocity with real‐time photoacoustic imaging, demonstrating the navigation control potential of microrollers in the circulatory system for future in vivo applications. Overall, L10‐FePt is conceived as the key material for image‐guided propulsion in the vascular system to perform future targeted medical interventions.

Artificial flexible sperm-like nanorobot based on self-assembly and its bidirectional propulsion in precessing magnetic fields

Sperm cells can move at a high speed in biofluids based on the flexible flagella, which inspire novel flagellar micro-/nanorobots to be designed. Despite progress in fabricating sperm-type robots at micro scale, mass fabrication of vivid sperm-like nanorobots with flagellar flexibility is still challenging. In this work, a facile and efficient strategy is proposed to produce flexible sperm-like nanorobots with self-assembled head-to-tail structure, and its bidirectional propulsion property was studied in detail. The nanorobots were composed of a superparamagnetic head and a flexible Au/PPy flagellum, which were covalently linked via biotin-streptavidin bonding with a high yield. Under precessing magnetic fields, the head drove the flexible tail to rotate and generated undulatory bending waves propagating along the body. Bidirectional locomotion was investigated, and moving velocity as well as direction varied with the actuating conditions (field strength, frequency, direction) and the nanorobot’s structure (tail length). Effective flagellar propulsion was observed near the substrate and high velocities were attained to move back and forth without U-turn. Typical modelling based on elastohydrodynamics and undulatory wave propagation were utilized for propulsion analysis. This research presents novel artificial flexible sperm-like nanorobots with delicate self-assembled head-to-tail structures and remarkable bidirectional locomotion performances, indicating significant potentials for nanorobotic design and future biomedical application.

The relative effects of pace of life-history and habitat characteristics on the evolution of sexual ornaments: A comparative assessment.

Selection may favor greater investment into sexual ornaments when opportunities for future reproduction are limited, for example, under high adult mortality. However, predation, a key driver of mortality, typically selects against elaborate sexual ornaments. Here, we examine the evolution of sexual ornaments in killifishes, which have marked contrasts in life-history strategy among species and inhabit environments that differ in accessibility to aquatic predators. We first assessed if the size of sexual ornaments (unpaired fins) influenced swimming performance. Second, we investigated whether the evolution of larger ornamental fins is driven primarily by the pace of life-history (investment into current vs. future reproduction) or habitat type (a proxy for predation risk). We found that larger fins negatively affected swimming performance. Further, males from species inhabiting ephemeral habitats, with lower predation risk, had larger fins and greater sexual dimorphism in fin size, compared to males from more accessible permanent habitats. We show that enlarged ornamental fins, which impair locomotion, evolve more frequently in environments that are less accessible to predators, without clear associations to life-history strategy. Our results provide a rare link between the evolution of sexual ornaments, effects on locomotion performance, and natural selection on ornament size potentially through habitat differences in predation risk.

유전 알고리즘을 이용한 뱀형 로봇 주행 패턴 생성

This paper presents a novel method of designing an efficient locomotion pattern generating algorithm for snake robots by a genetic algorithm (GA). In search and rescue operations in disaster areas, a snake robot requires multiple locomotion patterns. To overcome the complexity of snake robot control, we used a central pattern generator (CPG)-based control method which mimics the motion of a biological snake. GA was used to optimize CPG parameters to maximize locomotion performance. The locomotion performance according to the CPG parameters change was analyzed using the snake robot simulator. The proposed locomotion pattern generation algorithm evolved quickly for the target performance and obtained CPG parameters for the desired locomotion.

A Millimeter-Scale Rolling Microrobot Driven by a Micro-Geared Ultrasonic Motor

We present a millimeter-scale rolling microrobot driven by a set of a micro ultrasonic motor and a micro planetary gear train. The micro ultrasonic motor, consisting of a metallic cube with a side length of 2 mm, can produce a torque of 60 μNm and speed exceeding 4500 rpm. By attaching a micro planetary gear train with a gear ratio of 64, the assembled geared motor obtains high torque that can lift a payload with a maximum torque of 1 mNm. The prototype microrobot, with continuously rolling wheels driven by the geared motor, measures 14 mm in length, 10 mm in width, and 7 mm in height and weighs 640 mg. This microrobot is one of the smallest and most powerful mobile robots available at the millimeter scale. In the experiments, the microrobot is operated on planes with the slopes of 0 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">°</sup> , 15 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">°</sup> , 30 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">°</sup> , and 45 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">°</sup> for evaluating its locomotion performance. The microrobot reaches a velocity of 5.6 mm/s on a horizontal plane and maintains its speed even on sharp slopes with a sufficiently high friction coefficient, even though slopes with low friction reduce the velocity owing to the slip of wheels.

Mini Review: Comparison of Bio-Inspired Adhesive Feet of Climbing Robots on Smooth Vertical Surfaces.

Developing climbing robots for smooth vertical surfaces (e.g., glass) is one of the most challenging problems in robotics. Here, the adequate functioning of an adhesive foot is an essential factor for successful locomotion performance. Among the various technologies (such as dry adhesion, wet adhesion, magnetic adhesion, and pneumatic adhesion), bio-inspired dry adhesion has been actively studied and successfully applied to climbing robots. Thus, this review focuses on the characteristics of two different types of foot microstructures, namely spatula-shaped and mushroom-shaped, capable of generating such adhesion. These are the most used types of foot microstructures in climbing robots for smooth vertical surfaces. Moreover, this review shows that the spatula-shaped feet are particularly suitable for massive and one-directional climbing robots, whereas mushroom-shaped feet are primarily suitable for light and all-directional climbing robots. Consequently, this study can guide roboticists in selecting the right adhesive foot to achieve the best climbing ability for future robot developments.

Gait and locomotion analysis of a soft-hybrid multi-legged modular miniature robot

The locomotion performance of the current legged miniature robots remains inferior compared to even the most simple insects. The inferiority has led researchers to utilize biological principles and control in their designs, often resulting in improved performance and robot capabilities. Additionally, optimizing the locomotion patterns compatible with the robot’s limitations (such as the gaits achievable by the robot) improves the performance significantly and results in a robot operating with its maximum capabilities. This paper studies the locomotion characteristics of running/walking n-legged modular miniature robots with soft or rigid module connections. The locomotion study is done using the presented dynamic model, and the results are verified using a legged modular miniature robot with soft and rigid backbones (SMoLBot). The optimum foot contact sequences for an n-legged robot with different compliance values between the modules are derived using the locomotion analyses and the dynamic and kinematic formulations. Our investigations determine unique optimum foot contact sequences for multi-legged robots with different body compliances and module numbers. Locomotion analyses of a multi-legged robot with different backbones operating with optimum gaits show two main motion characteristics; the rigid robots minimize the number of leg-ground contacts to increase velocity, whereas soft-backbone robots use a lift–jump–fall motion sequence to maximize the translational speeds. These two behaviors are similar between different soft-backbone and rigid-backbone robots; however, the optimal foot contact sequences are different and unpredictable.

An enriched polyphenolic extract obtained from the by-product of Rosa damascena hydrodistillation activates antioxidant and proteostatic modules

BackgroundProlonged maintenance of proteome stability and functionality (proteostasis) is of emerging significance in aging retardation and healthspan. PurposeAn enriched polyphenolic extract obtained from the hydrodistillation of rose petals was tested for its capacity to activate the proteostasis network modules, and thus modulate health- and/or lifespan at the cellular and whole organism level. MethodsThe aqueous extract that remained after the hydrodistillation of Rosa damascena petals, was processed with a polystyrene-FPX66 adsorption resin and sequentially fractionated by FCPC. NMR and UHPLC-HRMS analyses revealed the presence of 28 metabolites, mainly glycosides of kaempferol and quercetin. ResultsThe extract showed high in vitro antioxidant activity and was not toxic in normal human skin fibroblasts, while it promoted the upregulation of NRF2-induced antioxidant genes and main proteostatic modules. Consistently, supplementation of this extract in Drosophila flies’ culture medium induced a cncC/NRF2-mediated upregulation of antioxidant and proteostatic modules. Prolonged administration of the extract in flies’ culture medium was not toxic and did not affect food intake rate or fecundity; also, it delayed the age-related decline of stress tolerance and locomotion performance (neuromuscular functionality) and dose-dependently extended flies’ lifespan. ConclusionOur findings indicate that the enriched polyphenolic extract obtained from the residue of R. damascena hydrodistillation activates cytoprotective cellular modules that, likely, contribute to its potential anti-aging properties.

HYDRODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF BIONIC CHIMERICAL WING PLANFORMS INSPIRED BY MANTA RAY EIDONOMY

In this paper, inspired by the external morphology of a manta ray (Mobula alfredi), four chimerical wing planforms are designed to assess its gliding performance. The planforms possess an arbitrary combination of extra hydrodynamic features like tubercles at the leading edge (L.E.) and trailing edge (T.E.) inspired by humpback whale's flippers and flukes, respectively, as longitudinal ridges inspired by whale shark's economy. In addition, another planform is designed to investigate the possible effects of manta ray's injuries (geometric deficiency) generated by predator's attacks or boat strikes on its locomotion (gliding) performance. In this regard, turbulent flow physics involved in the problem is numerically simulated at different angles of attack (AoA). High Reynolds number, 106, corresponding to the swimming of a juvenile manta ray at an average speed equals one m/s. The results show that the manta ray-inspired planform with L.E. undulations exhibits a superior performance at high AoAs than its other counterpart variants. In addition, the results demonstrate that injuries on the manta ray's body can noticeably modify hydrodynamics and, as a result corresponding hydrodynamical forces and moments acting on the swimming animal in the gliding phase.