81st (Spring) Meeting of Ulster Society of Internal Medicine, Friday 15th May 2009 Medical Education Centre, Craigavon Hospital, Portadown

We describe the locomotion dynamics of a biomimetic robot and compare them with those of its exemplar: the cockroach. The robot is a small (0.275kg) hexapod created using a layered manufacturing technique that allows us to tailor the compliance and damping of the limbs to achieve passive stabilization similar to that observed in insects. The robot runs at over 3 body-lengths per second (55 cm/s...

crumple, stretch, or tear it. Sometimes the sheet can spring right back to its original form, as with a roll of paper, while other times it is permanently changed, as with torn plastic. Much can be learned from such everyday acts. The subtle mathematics of differential geometry is needed to make sense of the deformed sheets, and along the way it offers insights into issues such as the shapes of...

In this study, it is theorized that party websites play a distinctive role in two regards: (i) they function as a pluralistic civic forum by facilitating the voice of oppositional challengers and increasing the visibility of minor and fringe parties, so that attentive citizens can learn more about the range of electoral choices; (ii) in addition, party websites function as a channel for politic...

The design of European two–axle freight wagons can be traced back to the 1890’es. It has been and still is widely used in Europe because it is simple, rugged and cheap in price and maintenance. The internationally approved suspension for two–axle freight wagons in Europe is known as the UIC standard suspension (see Fig. 1). Each wagon has four of these suspensions. They consist of a leaf spring...

This study investigates how elbow hyperextension affects ball release speed in fast bowling. A two-segment planar computer simulation model comprising an upper arm and forearm + hand was customised to an elite fast bowler. A constant torque was applied at the shoulder and elbow hyperextension was represented using a damped linear torsional spring at the elbow. The magnitude of the constant shou...

Birds that repeatedly visit distinct places along their migratory routes in consecutive years must be able to navigate these and respond appropriately unfavourable wind conditions. This study analysed the routes, repeatedly-visited areas responses sidewinds of 15 GPS-tracked adult ospreys Pandion haliaetus from northeast Germany migrating wintering sites Africa back. We determined stopovers int...