Validation of Rotoscoping Method for Two-Marker Bones in the Alligator Forearm

Nina Pitre ’22Majors: Biology and PsychologyFaculty Mentor: Dr. David Baier, Biology XROMM methods re-animate 3D skeletal motion of living animals by aligning digital bone models to X-ray videos. Surgically implanted markers permit automatic alignment of bone models if three or more markers are used. However, one of our specimens only had two markers implanted. These bones could be automatically positioned and partially oriented using the two markers, but then required manual alignment to the X-ray images to orient about the axis passing between the two markers. Here, we validated the method by digitally removing a marker from a 3-marker bone and comparing 2-marker to 3-marker reconstructions of elbow motion

Validation of Rotoscoping Method for Two-Marker Bones in the Alligator Forearm

Nina Pitre ’22Majors: Biology and PsychologyFaculty Mentor: Dr. David Baier, Biology XROMM methods re-animate 3D skeletal motion of living animals by aligning digital bone models to X-ray videos. Surgically implanted markers permit automatic alignment of bone models if three or more markers are used. However, one of our specimens only had two markers implanted. These bones could be automatically positioned and partially oriented using the two markers, but then required manual alignment to the X-ray images to orient about the axis passing between the two markers. Here, we validated the method by digitally removing a marker from a 3-marker bone and comparing 2-marker to 3-marker reconstructions of elbow motion

Elbow Motion in Walking Alligators

Thao Pham ’21, BiologyMegan Rowlings ’21, BiologyNina Pitre ’22, BiologyLuciana Emmanuelli ’23, BiologyFaculty Mentor: Dr. David Baier, Biology Crocodylia regularly use a “high-walk” during terrestrial locomotion unlike other non-mammals, thus drawing interest from both biomechanical and evolutionary research communities. Here, we employ the highly accurate XROMM (X-ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology) method to measure joint motion between the three forelimb bones (humerus, ulna, and radius) of alligators performing high-walks on a treadmill. This method literally “re-animates” bone motion by combining bi-planar X-ray video with digital bone models from CT scans in the animation program Maya (Autodesk)

Well-being in College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Erin O. Muldoon ’21, Psychology majorNina E.Pitre ’22, Psychology majorJennifer Caramanica ’21, Psychology majorAnnie B. Newbauer ’22, Psychology majorFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Van Reet, Psycholog