Nearly all mechanochemical models of the cross-bridge treat myosin as a simple linear spring arranged parallel to the contractile filaments. These single-spring models cannot account for the radial force that muscle generates (orthogonal to the long axis of the myofilaments) or the effects of changes in filament lattice spacing. We describe a more complex myosin cross-bridge model that uses mul...

There are approximately 470,000 km(2) of karst aquifers that feed many large springs in North China. Turbulent flow often exists in these karst aquifers, which means that the classical ground water model based on Darcy's law cannot be applied here. Ground water data are rare for these aquifers. As a consequence, it is difficult to quantitatively investigate ground water flow in these karst syst...

The karst hydrological processes are the response of karst groundwater system to precipitation. This study provided a concept model of karst hydrological processes. The hydraulic response time of spring discharge to precipitation includes the time that precipitation penetrates through the vadose zone, and the subsequent groundwater pressure wave propagates to a spring outlet. Due to heterogenei...

ATRIAS is a human-scale 3D-capable bipedal robot designed to mechanically embody the spring-mass model for dynamic walking and running. To help bring the extensive work on this theoretical model further into practice, we present the design and validation of a spring-mass robot that can operate in real-world settings (i.e. off-tether and without planarizing restraints). We outline the mechanisms...

The planar spring-mass model is frequently used to describe bouncing gaits (running, hopping, trotting, galloping) in animal and human locomotion and robotics. Although this model represents a rather simple mechanical system, an analytical solution predicting the center of mass trajectory during stance remains open. We derive an approximate solution in elementary functions assuming a small angu...

As future personal vehicles start enjoying the ability to fly, tackling safe transportation coordination can be a tremendous task, far beyond the current challenge on radar screen monitoring of the already saturated air traffic control. Our focus is on the distributed safe-distance coordination among a group of autonomous flying vehicle agents, where each follows its own current straight-line d...

[1] Long-term observations at Arctic sites (Alert and Zeppelin) show large interannual variability (IAV) in atmospheric mercury (Hg), implying a strong sensitivity of Hg to environmental factors and potentially to climate change. We use the GEOS-Chem global biogeochemical Hg model to interpret these observations and identify the principal drivers of spring and summer IAV in the Arctic atmospher...

Solar absorption decays exponentially with depth in snowpacks. However, most climate models constrain all snowpack absorption to occur uniformly in the top-most snow layer. We show that 20–45% of solar absorption by deep snowpacks occurs more than 2 cm beneath the surface. Accounting for vertically-resolved solar heating alters steady-state snow mass without changing bulk snow albedo, and ice-a...

Are the fastest running speeds achieved using the simple-spring stance mechanics predicted by the classic spring-mass model? We hypothesized that a passive, linear-spring model would not account for the running mechanics that maximize ground force application and speed. We tested this hypothesis by comparing patterns of ground force application across athletic specialization (competitive sprint...

Three sensitivity experiments using an Ocean Atmosphere General Circulation Model (OAGCM) are conducted to simulate the climate impact of precession. The relative contributions of components of the hydrological cycle including the albedo of Arctic sea ice, advection of atmospheric water vapor and sea surface temperature to the summer Arctic melt process are evaluated. Timing of the perihelion i...