The supracoracoideus (SUPRA) is the primary upstroke muscle for avian flight and is the antagonist to the downstroke muscle, the pectoralis (PECT). We studied in vivo contractile properties and mechanical power output of both muscles during take-off, level and landing flight. We measured muscle length change and activation using sonomicrometry and electromyography, and muscle force development ...

The ontogeny of shivering thermogenesis was investigated in the altricial red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). Two indices of heat production ­ the rate of oxygen consumption (V(dot)O2) of the bird and the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the pectoralis (PECT) and gastrocnemius (GAST) muscles ­ were measured simultaneously in adult and nestling red-winged blackbirds as they we...

1Abstract Software components are deployed in tightly coupled environments within the context of a component model. Techniques such as PredictionEnabled Component Technology (PECT) [4] combine component technologies with analysis models to address the issue of consumer trust in the quality of assemblies. Service-oriented thinking and challenges surrounding distributed environments are not new, ...

The electrical control of the magnetization switching in ferromagnets is highly desired for future spintronic applications. Here we report on hybrid piezoelectric (PZT)/ferromagnetic (Co2FeAl) devices in which the planar Hall voltage in the ferromagnetic layer is tuned solely by piezo voltages. The change of planar Hall voltage is associated with magnetization switching through 90° in the plane...

Piezo ceramics are the key to significant improvements over conventional electromagnetic motors for the execution of precise movements with medical equipment. The latest generation piezo ceramic motors and actuators are more compact, require lower voltage, deliver higher torque, have shorter response time, generate less heat, and are nonmagnetic and vacuum compatible compared to EM motors. With...

The piezoelectric properties of bone play an important role in the bone remodeling process and can be employed in clinical bone repair. In this study, the piezo-voltage of bone between two surfaces of a bone beam under bending deformation was measured using an ultra-high-input impedance bioamplifier. The influence of shear stress on the signs of piezo-voltages in bone was determined by comparin...

Stimulated by state-of-the-art robotic and computer technology, Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) automation aims to scale and seamlessly transfer the human hand movements into more precise and fast movements of the micro manipulator. Piezo-drill cell injection, a novel technique using piezo-driven pipettes with a very small mercury column, has significantly improves the survival rates o...

The Sagnac Interferometer has historically been used for detecting non-reciprocal phenomena, such as rotation. We demonstrate an apparatus in which this technique is employed for high resolution measurements of the Magneto-Optical Polar Kerr effect-a direct indicator of magnetism. Previous designs have incorporated free-space components which are bulky and difficult to align. We improve upon th...