The escape response to fluid mechanical signals was examined in 6 protists, 4 ciliates and 2 dinoflagellates. When exposed to a siphon flow, 3 species of ciliates, Balanion comatum, Strobilidium sp., and Mesodinium pulex, responded with escape jumps. The threshold deformation rates required to elicit an escape ranged between 1.8 and 3 s–1. Escape speeds varied between 100 to 150 body length s–1...

A bioinspired jumping robot has a strong ability to overcome obstacles. It can be applied to the occasion with complex and changeable environment, such as detection of planet surface, postdisaster relief, and military reconnaissance. So the bioinspired jumping robot has broad application prospect. The jumping process of the robot can be divided into three stages: takeoff, air posture adjustment...

To return to their feet, inverted click-beetles (Elateridae) jump without using their legs. When a beetle is resting on its dorsal side, a hinge mechanism is locked to store elastic energy in the body and releases it abruptly to launch the beetle into the air. While the functional morphology of the jumping mechanism is well known, the level of control that the beetle has over this jumping techn...

Genetic parameters for traits evaluated in the Swedish stallion performance test (SPT) and correlations between stallion performance test traits and 4-year-old offspring results from field tests were estimated. Heritability coefficients were on average 0.40 for individual gaits under rider and 0.23–0.47 for jumping traits at SPTs. Repeatabilities between tests at 6-month intervals were 0.75–0.7...

We introduce real log canonical threshold and real jumping numbers for real algebraic functions. A real jumping number is a root of the b-function up to a sign if its difference with the minimal one is less than 1. The real log canonical threshold, which is the minimal real jumping number, coincides up to a sign with the maximal pole of the distribution defined by the complex power of the absol...

Water striders are water-walking insects that can jump upwards from the water surface. Quick jumps allow striders to avoid sudden dangers such as predators' attacks, and therefore their jumping is expected to be shaped by natural selection for optimal performance. Related species with different morphological constraints could require different jumping mechanics to successfully avoid predation. ...

We studied the effects of the lower leg bi-articular muscle in vertebrates in jumping. We used the proposed Jumping Jack model in computer simulation to analyze the impact of bi-articular muscle on postural jumping stability, energy transition caused by postural change, and the relationship between the ground reaction force and the center of gravity. We made a trial model and measured the jumpi...

BACKGROUND Little is known about the characteristics of people who die by jumping from different locations (e.g. bridges, buildings) and the factors that might influence the effectiveness of suicide prevention measures at such sites. METHODS We collected data on suicides by jumping (n = 134) between 1994 and 2003 in Bristol, UK, an area that includes the Clifton Suspension Bridge, a site reno...