Fins incorporated into the design of a dynamic cervical spine implant have been employed to enhance axial load- bearing ability, yet their true biomechanical advantages, if any, have not been defined. Therefore, the goal of this study was to assess the biomechanical and axial load-bearing contributions of the fin components of the DOC ventral cervical stabilization system. Eighteen fresh cadave...

SUMMARY Narrow site specificity in parasites is assumed to be associated with fitness benefits, such as higher reproductive success, although this is never quantified. We linked the body mass and combined mass of egg sacs of female copepods, Neobrachiella spinicephala, parasitic on the sandperch, Pinguipes brasilianus, to attachment sites on the host. Adult females attach permanently either on ...

Location or stock-specific landing data are necessary to improve management of shark stocks, especially those imperiled by overexploitation as a result of the international shark fin trade. In the current absence of catch monitoring directly at extraction sites, genetic stock identification of fins collected from major market supply chain endpoints offers an overlooked but potentially useful ap...

The dorsal and pectoral fins are the primary locomotor organs in seahorses (Hippocampus) and pipefish (Syngnathus). The small dorsal fins beat at high oscillatory frequencies against the viscous medium of water. Both species are able to oscillate their fins at frequencies likely exceeding the point of flicker fusion for their predators, thus enhancing their ability to remain cryptic. High-speed...

Two-dimensional velocity fields around a freely swimming freshwater black shark fish in longitudinal (XZ) plane and transverse (YZ) plane are measured using digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV). By transferring momentum to the fluid, fishes generate thrust. Thrust is generated not only by its caudal fin, but also using pectoral and anal fins, the contribution of which depends on the fish's...

A numerical and experimental investigation of flow and heat transfer in a gas- liquid Thermosyphon Heat Exchanger "THE" with built in heat pipes and aluminum plate fins for moderate Reynolds numbers has been carried out. It's module is composed of 6 rows and 15 columns copper pipes with aluminum plate fins with dimensions of 130cm height, 47cm width and  20cm depth. The tubes have been fill...

To gain insight into the function of the dorsal fins in white-spotted bamboo sharks (Orectolobiformes: Hemiscyillidae) during steady swimming, data on three-dimensional kinematics and electromyographic recordings were collected. Bamboo sharks were induced to swim at 0.5 and 0.75 body lengths per second in a laminar flow tank. Displacement, lag and angles were analyzed from high-speed video imag...

The fast-start escape response is critically important to avoid predation, and axial movements driving it have been studied intensively. Large median dorsal and anal fins located near the tail have been hypothesized to increase acceleration away from the threat, yet the contribution of flexible median fins remains undescribed. To investigate the role of median fins, C-start escape responses of ...