Integration of a microprobe into a CMM

Various microprobes have been developed in the last decade to address the needs of micrometrology. However, most microprobes are only employed in specialized measuring machines located in a few research institutes and are not widespread in the industry. This work aims to extend the capabilities of conventional coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) towards measuring microgeometries through the low-cost integration of a tactile microprobe. In order to demonstrate this, a gear measuring instrument (GMI), which is a commercial CMM not specialized for measurements at the microscale, has been equipped with a recently developed silicon-membrane-based microprobe. In the first part of this work, the working principle of the microprobe, its assembly and its integration into the GMI are described. Two different mounting setups of the microprobe onto the GMI were evaluated and tested. Measurements on the GMI were performed solely with the microprobe or by combining the microprobe and the measurement system already present on the GMI. This combination makes it possible to use the microprobe advantageously and to exchange it in a comfortable semi-automatic way. To test these two mounting setups, a new involute scanning artifact (SAFT) with superimposed waviness was measured

Integration of an isotropic microprobe and a microenvironment into a conventional CMM

This paper describes the experimental verification of the novel IMT-PTB microprobe combined with a uniquely designed microenvironment. The microprobe consists of three silicon-based parallelograms stacked orthogonally, which leads to high isotropy. The probe tip deflections are detected in 3D with the help of piezoresistors placed in the parallelograms. The microenvironment facilitates and improves the measurement of workpieces with submillimeter features. The new microprobe and the microenvironment were integrated into a commercial coordinate measuring machine (CMM). To evaluate the microprobe performance, PTB produced and calibrated three reference objects: a cube, a sphere, and a microgear measurement standard. The differences between the calibration values and the measurement results obtained by the microprobe were in the sub-micrometer range. Furthermore, the microprobe was compared with the standard probing system of the gear measuring machine by measuring the reference objects with identical parameters. The results show the excellent performance of the micro probing system, thereby extending the capability of the CMM for high-precision measurements of complex workpieces at the microscale

Third Report on Chicken Genes and Chromosomes 2015

Following on from the First Report on Chicken Genes and Chromosomes [Schmid et al., 2000] and the Second Report in 2005 [Schmid et al., 2005], we are pleased to publish this long-awaited Third Report on the latest developments in chicken genomics. The First Report highlighted the availability of genetic and physical maps, while the Second Report was published as the chicken genome sequence was released. This report comes at a time of huge technological advances (particularly in sequencing methodologies) which have allowed us to examine the chicken genome in detail not possible until now. This has also heralded an explosion in avian genomics, with the current availability of more than 48 bird genomes [Zhang G et al., 2014b; Eöry et al., 2015], with many more planned

[Avian cytogenetics goes functional] Third report on chicken genes and chromosomes 2015

High-density gridded libraries of large-insert clones using bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) and other vectors are essential tools for genetic and genomic research in chicken and other avian species... Taken together, these studies demonstrate that applications of large-insert clones and BAC libraries derived from birds are, and will continue to be, effective tools to aid high-throughput and state-of-the-art genomic efforts and the important biological insight that arises from them

Does individual personality predict male mating preference for female body size in the Trinidadian guppy?

Kniel N, Godin J‐GJ. Does individual personality predict male mating preference for female body size in the Trinidadian guppy? Ethology. 2020;126(11):1019-1030.Within populations, individual animals vary considerably in their behaviour, including mate choice and personality. There is mounting interest in the potential covariation between these two behaviours within individuals, such that personality would influence mate choice. We experimentally tested this proposition under controlled laboratory conditions using male Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) as a model study system. We assayed repeatedly the mating preference of individual males for females based on their body size. Additionally, we assayed repeatedly two ecologically relevant personality traits in males, namely exploration of a novel environment and boldness under a simulated predation threat. Finally, we analysed whether male mating preference and personality traits were repeatable, and tested whether the personality of individual males was correlated (covaried) with their mating preference scores. Although all but one of the measures of exploration and boldness behaviour were repeatable over time, male mating preference scores were not repeatable. Measures of male exploration and boldness were not inter‐correlated among individuals, suggesting the absence of a behavioural syndrome between exploration and boldness. Unexpectedly, males did not exhibit on average a significant mating preference for larger females over smaller ones; they chose randomly between the paired stimulus females. Overall, we found no compelling evidence for a relationship between individual personality traits and mating preference in male guppies, suggesting that personality does not predict mate choice, at least in our study population and under our experimental conditions. We discuss potential factors, other than male personality and body length, that might maintain inter‐individual variation in male mating preferences in the guppy in the wild