The objective of this work is the extension of a specific family of Self Organizing Maps named granular Self-Organizing Maps or grSOM for short, by using a novel parameterized metric distance based on lattice theory. The resulting Self-Organizing map, namely, mass-grSOM is applicable beyond Rn to Fn where Fn denotes the set of fuzzy interval numbers (FINs). The proposed Self-Organizing Map, use...

Liquid behaviors, including droplet condensation and frost melt water retention, of fins during frosting and defrosting processes on three aluminum fins with different surface characteristics under winter operating conditions of an air source heat pump were investigated. The effects of the surface characteristics, including the contact angle and the contact angle hysteresis, were analyzed. Drop...

Swimming fishes exhibit remarkable diversities of the caudal fin geometries. In this work, a computational study is conducted to investigate the effects of the caudal fin shape on the hydrodynamic performance and wake patterns in flapping propulsion. We construct the propulsor models in different shapes by digitizing the real caudal fins of fish across a wide range of species spanning homocerca...

OBJECTIVE To investigate predictors of hepatic steatosis in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and their diagnostic values in hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. METHODS A total of 106 HBeAg-negative CHB patients with clinically and pathologically proven steatosis and 98 patients without steatosis were recruited into this study. The levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting...

There is a growing need to identify shark products in trade, in part due to the recent listing of five commercially important species on the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES; porbeagle, Lamna nasus, oceanic whitetip, Carcharhinus longimanus scalloped hammerhead, Sphyrna lewini, smooth hammerhead, S. zygaena and great hammerhead S. mokarran) in add...

This paper presents a locomotion control implementation of a robotic system mimicking the undulating fins of fish. To mimic the actual flexible fin of a real fish, we created a ribbon fin type actuation device with a series of connecting linkages and attached it to the robotic fish. By virtue of a specially designed strip with a slider, each link is able to turn and slide with respect to the ad...

—Black hamlet (Hypoplectrus nigricans) was observed to vary in coloration and morphology in Puerto Rico, Mexico and Belize. H. nigricans from Puerto Rico exhibited a larger, grayish body (pectoral fins transparent), with long and pointed pelvic fins, and lunate caudal fin, while individuals from Mexico and Belize exhibited a smaller, darker body (including pectoral fins), with shorter and no po...

The pelvic fin position among teleost fishes has shifted rostrally during evolution, resulting in diversification of both behavior and habitat. We explored the developmental basis for the rostral shift in pelvic fin position in teleost fishes using zebrafish (abdominal pelvic fins) and Nile tilapia (thoracic pelvic fins). Cell fate mapping experiments revealed that changes in the distribution o...

Escape responses of fishes are one of the best characterized vertebrate behaviors, with extensive previous research on both the neural control and biomechanics of startle response performance. However, very little is known about the hydrodynamics of escape responses, despite the fact that understanding fluid flow patterns during the escape is critical for evaluating how body movement transfers ...

Complex structured environments offer fish advantages as places of refuge and areas of greater potential prey densities, but maneuvering through these environments is a navigational challenge. To successfully navigate complex habitats, fish must have sensory input relaying information about the proximity and size of obstacles. We investigated the role of the pectoral fins as mechanosensors in b...