The Organization and Role During Locomotion of the Proximal Musculature of the Cricket Foreleg. II. Electromyographic Activity During Stepping Patterns

A description is made of the patterns of electrical activity in the proximal muscles of the cricket foreleg during restrained locomotion and seeking movements, while the animal is held by the mesonotum, allowing the legs complete freedom of movement. 1. The initiation of the swing phase corresponds to the onset of the abductor muscle activity (Fig. 1). Its duration is matched by that of abduction-promotion and does not depend on the step frequency. Leg position is more variable at the end of the stance than at the end of the swing. 2. The promotor and abductor muscle activities are linked (Fig. 2). At least three units can be distinguished in each and the duration of their bursts is independent of the period (Fig. 3). 3. In the double depressors of the trochanter, muscles 77-lb,c (Fig. 4), one unit per muscle was identified, bursting during the swing phase. The duration of the burst is independent of the period. Some isolated potentials occasionally occur during the stance phase. 4. The overall activity in the lateral and medial remotors is coupled to the period; three main patterns can be described, depending upon the muscle bundle and the velocity of movement (Fig. 5). 5. In the coxal depressors two patterns of activity are described which depend on velocity of stepping (Fig. 6): (i) during regular and fast stepping (at frequencies greater than 2–5 Hz), the activity is coupled to that of the double depressors; (ii) during slow or irregular stepping, the activity is biphasic: an initial burst is followed after a latency correlated to the period by a second one in the second half of the stance phase. Conversely, the latency between the end of the second burst and the onset of the following abductor burst does not depend on the period. In most cases, a fast neurone (large amplitude, short phasic activation) is recruited when a slow one reaches high rates of discharge

The Organization and Role During Locomotion of the Proximal Musculature of the Cricket Foreleg : I. Anatomy and Innervation

The structure of the proximal segments of the cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) foreleg, together with the associated musculature and its innervation are described. The morphology of 50 motor neurones involved in the control of this musculature has been revealed using backfilling techniques with cobalt, horseradish peroxidase and Lucifer Yellow. The ‘ball and socket’ pleurocoxal joint is moved by three sets of anatomical antagonists (promotor-remotor, abductor-adductor, anterior-posterior rotator muscles) inserted on each side of the three axes of rotation. The axial coxotrochanteral joint is moved by the intrinsic levator and the depressor muscles; these depressors are composed of an intrinsic (coxotrochanteral) and a ‘double’ (pleurotrochanteral) subgroup. The double depressors, and all the muscles inserting on the trochantin (promotors) or the anterior coxal rim (adductor, abductors, anterior rotators) are supplied by at least eighteen neurones, whose axons run in nerve 3. The muscles that insert on the posterior coxal rim (remotors, posterior rotators) are innervated by at least twelve similar neurones whose axons run in nerve 4. The intrinsic coxal muscles are supplied by branches of nerve 5 (ten motor neurones to the levators, two to the depressors). Three presumably common inhibitors, and one Dorsal Unpaired Median (DUM) neurone have also been found

On the multipacking number of grid graphs

In 2001, Erwin introduced broadcast domination in graphs. It is a variant of classical domination where selected vertices may have different domination powers. The minimum cost of a dominating broadcast in a graph $G$ is denoted $\gamma_b(G)$. The dual of this problem is called multipacking: a multipacking is a set $M$ of vertices such that for any vertex $v$ and any positive integer $r$, the ball of radius $r$ around $v$ contains at most $r$ vertices of $M$ . The maximum size of a multipacking in a graph $G$ is denoted mp(G). Naturally mp(G) $\leq \gamma_b(G)$. Earlier results by Farber and by Lubiw show that broadcast and multipacking numbers are equal for strongly chordal graphs. In this paper, we show that all large grids (height at least 4 and width at least 7), which are far from being chordal, have their broadcast and multipacking numbers equal

Modelling the kinetics of transesterification reaction of sunflower oil with ethanol in microreactors

Transesterification reaction of vegetable oil with ethanol leads to ethyl esters, used to date for applications principally in food and cosmetic industry. To open the application field to biofuels (to substitute current fuels resulting from fossil resources), the process efficiency has to be developed to be economically profitable. In this work, the sunflower oil ethanolysis was performed in a micro-scaled continuous device, inducing better control for heat and mass transfer in comparison with batch processes. Moreover, this device ensures kinetic data acquisition at the first seconds of the reaction, which was not feasible in a conventional batch process. These data were used to model occurring phenomena and to determine kinetic constants and mass transfer coefficients. A single set of these parameters is able to represent the evolution of the reaction media composition function of time for five ethanol to oil molar ratios (6.0, 9.0, 16.2, 22.7 and 45.4). The model was validated in reaction and diffusion mode. Finally, it was subsequently used to simulate reactions with other operational conditions and to propose other process implementation

On-line monitoring of the transesterification reaction carried out in microreactors using near infrared spectroscopy

Biodiesel can be produced from vegetable oils, animal fats, and waste cooking oils by transesterification with ethanol (also called ethanolysis) in order to substitute fossil fuels. In this work, the batch ethanolysis of high oleic sunflower oil was transferred into a continuous microstructured device, which induces a better control of heat and mass transfers. Various parameters were studied, notably the initial ethanol to oil molar ratio. An innovative method using NIR spectroscopy was also developed to on-line monitor the transesterification reaction of high oleic sunflower oil with ethanol in microreactors (circular PFA tube 1/1600 OD, 0.0200 ID). The reactions were monitored directly in the microreactors through sequential scans of the reaction medium by the means of an adequate probe. The asset of the method is that no sample collection or preparation is necessary. Partial Least Squares regression was used to develop calibration and prediction models between NIR spectral data and analytical data obtained by a reference method (gas chromatography with flame ionization detection, GC–FID). This method is fast, safe, reliable, nondestructive and inexpensive contrary to conventional procedures, such as gas chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography generally used to determine the composition of crude transesterification medium

OF INFINITE REGRESS: PARADIGMS UNBROKEN IN J.-K. HUYSMANS'S A REBOURS

A problemática multiplexa do texto como postura, construção, subterfúgio, em si mesma compelativa e emaranhada, cria repercussões ainda mais engenhosas e extirpadoras em A rebours, de Huysmans. Aqui a narrativa entra num diálogo lúdico e mudo com o Eu numa espécie de proliferação e escoriação auto-anulativa de in-significado. Assim, testemunhamos um pseudo-desafio de dentro, uma mascarada de tocaia, uma confabulação intrincada alçada ao segundo poder

Regulation of synaptic connectivity: levels of fasciclin II influence synaptic growth in the Drosophila CNS

Much of our understanding of synaptogenesis comes from studies that deal with the development of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Although well studied, it is not clear how far the NMJ represents an adequate model for the formation of synapses within the CNS. Here we investigate the role of Fasciclin II (Fas II) in the development of synapses between identified motor neurons and cholinergic interneurons in the CNS of Drosophila. Fas II is a neural cell adhesion molecule homolog that is involved in both target selection and synaptic plasticity at the NMJ in Drosophila. In this study, we show that levels of Fas II are critical determinants of synapse formation and growth in the CNS. The initial establishment of synaptic contacts between these identified neurons is seemingly independent of Fas II. The subsequent proliferation of these synaptic connections that occurs postembryonically is, in contrast, significantly retarded by the absence of Fas II. Although the initial formation of synaptic connectivity between these neurons is seemingly independent of Fas II, we show that their formation is, nevertheless, significantly affected by manipulations that alter the relative balance of Fas II in the presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons. Increasing expression of Fas II in either the presynaptic or postsynaptic neurons, during embryogenesis, is sufficient to disrupt the normal level of synaptic connectivity that occurs between these neurons. This effect of Fas II is isoform specific and, moreover, phenocopies the disruption to synaptic connectivity observed previously after tetanus toxin light chain-dependent blockade of evoked synaptic vesicle release in these neurons

On-line monitoring of the transesterification reaction between triglycerides and ethanol using near infrared spectroscopy combined with gas chromatography

Many analytical procedures have been developed to determine the composition of reaction mixtures during transesterification of vegetable oils with alcohols. However, despite their accuracy, these methods are time consuming and cannot be easily used for on-line monitoring. In this work, a fast analytical method was developed to on-line monitor the transesterification reaction of high oleic sunflower oil with ethanol using Near InfraRed spectroscopy and a multivariate approach. The reactions were monitored through sequential scans of the reaction medium with a probe in a one-liter batch reactor without collecting and preparing samples. To calibrate the NIR analytical method, gas chromatography-flame ionization detection was used as a reference method. The method was validated by studying the kinetics of the EtONa-catalyzed transesterification reaction. Activation energy (51.0 kJ/mol) was also determined by considering a pseudo second order kinetics model