Fish larvae, like most adult fish, undulate their bodies to propel themselves. A detailed kinematic study of the larval body wave is a prerequisite to formulate a set of functional requirements that the locomotor system must fulfil to generate the observed swimming kinematics. Lateral displacement and curvature profiles were obtained for zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae at 2-21 days post-fertilis...

Obesity has reached epidemic levels and carries a risk for cardiovascular disease. Obesity's effects on the vascular systems of young adults and African Americans have not been well characterized. The aim of this study was to assess the association between measures of obesity and aortic stiffness in 186 young adults (20 to 40 years, 50% African American) and 177 older adults (41 to 70 years, 33...

In rectilinear locomotion, snakes propel themselves using unidirectional travelling waves of muscular contraction, in a style similar to earthworms. In this combined experimental and theoretical study, we film rectilinear locomotion of three species of snakes, including red-tailed boa constrictors, Dumeril's boas and Gaboon vipers. The kinematics of a snake's extension-contraction travelling wa...