The paper concentrates on the development and control of the humanoid robot arm iSoRA, intended for operation in a dynamic unstructured environment. Optical torque sensors integrated into each joint enable measurement of contacting forces along the entire manipulator surface. A variable admittance control strategy was elaborated to increase the robot functionality and to achieve the human-like ...

Leishmaniasis, Chagas' disease and schistosomiasis (bilharzia) are parasitic diseases with wide distribution on the American continent, affecting millions of people. In the present study, biological assays for antiprotozoal and molluscicidal activities were carried out with ethanolic extracts of plant species from the Brazilian part of the Upper Paraná River. Crude extracts were obtained by per...

This investigation examined the molluscicidal and larvicidal activity of eight plants that are used in the traditional medicine of the Pankararé indigenous people in the Raso da Catarina region, Bahia state, Brazil. The tested plants were chosen based on the results of previous studies. Only those plants that were used either as insect repellents or to treat intestinal parasitic infections were...

We studied the morphology and diet of Musonycteris harrisoni, an endangered nectar-feeding bat endemic to western Mexico, and explored potential reasons for the cranial specialization of this extraordinarily long-snouted bat. We achieved 28 captures in the wet season and 30 in the dry season, which represents the largest data set in existence for this rare species. We took morphological data an...