Preliminary Results from Psychophysical Studies on the Tactile Sensitivity in Marine Mammals

1990 ◽  
pp. 435-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guido Dehnhardt
Author(s):  
Gordon B. Bauer ◽  
Roger L. Reep ◽  
Christopher D. Marshall

The successful return of mammals to aquatic environments presented numerous sensory challenges to overcome. Aquatic habitats reduced the utility of vision and the type of chemoreception important in terrestrial perception. In several orders, the sense of touch assumed greater importance, especially when enhanced by the development of vibrissal (sensory hair) systems. Species of two extant orders, Sirenia and Cetacea, lost all of their hairs except for vibrissae. In the former, these hairs cover the entire bodies of the two families, Trichechidae and Dugongidae. Hairs in adult cetaceans are more constrained (e.g., some river dolphins and baleen whales) and are restricted primarily to rostral regions. Pinnipeds and sea otters retained their pelage, but in addition have elaborated their mystacial and other facial vibrissae. High numbers of vibrissal receptors, associated dense innervation, prominence of neural tracts, and hypertrophy of brain areas associated with touch suggest an importance of tactile senses for aquatic mammals. Experimental testing has demonstrated the exquisite tactile sensitivity of many marine mammal species. Sensory hairs contribute to that tactile sensitivity in both haptic and mechanosensory contexts. Several, if not most, pinniped species, seals and sea lions, can track prey based on mechanoreception alone. In this review we will discuss the neurobiological and behavioral evidence for the tactile senses of marine mammals.


1999 ◽  
Vol 173 ◽  
pp. 185-188
Author(s):  
Gy. Szabó ◽  
K. Sárneczky ◽  
L.L. Kiss

AbstractA widely used tool in studying quasi-monoperiodic processes is the O–C diagram. This paper deals with the application of this diagram in minor planet studies. The main difference between our approach and the classical O–C diagram is that we transform the epoch (=time) dependence into the geocentric longitude domain. We outline a rotation modelling using this modified O–C and illustrate the abilities with detailed error analysis. The primary assumption, that the monotonity and the shape of this diagram is (almost) independent of the geometry of the asteroids is discussed and tested. The monotonity enables an unambiguous distinction between the prograde and retrograde rotation, thus the four-fold (or in some cases the two-fold) ambiguities can be avoided. This turned out to be the main advantage of the O–C examination. As an extension to the theoretical work, we present some preliminary results on 1727 Mette based on new CCD observations.


2000 ◽  
Vol 179 ◽  
pp. 163-165
Author(s):  
S. K. Solanki ◽  
M. Fligge ◽  
P. Pulkkinen ◽  
P. Hoyng

AbstractThe records of sunspot number, sunspot areas and sunspot locations gathered over the centuries by various observatories are reanalysed with the aim of finding as yet undiscovered connections between the different parameters of the sunspot cycle and the butterfly diagram. Preliminary results of such interrelationships are presented.


1978 ◽  
Vol 48 ◽  
pp. 31-35
Author(s):  
R. B. Hanson

Several outstanding problems affecting the existing parallaxes should be resolved to form a coherent system for the new General Catalogue proposed by van Altena, as well as to improve luminosity calibrations and other parallax applications. Lutz has reviewed several of these problems, such as: (A) systematic differences between observatories, (B) external error estimates, (C) the absolute zero point, and (D) systematic observational effects (in right ascension, declination, apparent magnitude, etc.). Here we explore the use of cluster and spectroscopic parallaxes, and the distributions of observed parallaxes, to bring new evidence to bear on these classic problems. Several preliminary results have been obtained.


Author(s):  
Irwin Bendet ◽  
Nabil Rizk

Preliminary results reported last year on the ion etching of tobacco mosaic virus indicated that the diameter of the virus decreased more rapidly at 10KV than at 5KV, perhaps reaching a constant value before disappearing completely.In order to follow the effects of ion etching on TMV more quantitatively we have designed and built a second apparatus (Fig. 1), which incorporates monitoring devices for measuring ion current and vacuum as well as accelerating voltage. In addition, the beam diameter has been increased to approximately 1 cm., so that ten electron microscope grids can be exposed to the beam simultaneously.


Author(s):  
R. Varughese ◽  
S. W. Thompson ◽  
P. R. Howell

Ever since Habraken and Economopoulos first employed the term granular bainite to classify certain unconventional transformation products in continuously cooled steels, the term has been widely accepted and used, despite the lack of a clear consensus as to the detailed nature of the transformation products which constitute granular bainite. This paper presents the preliminary results of a TEM investigation of an 0.04 wt% C, copper-containing steel (designated HSLA-100). It is suggested that the term granular ferrite rather than granular bainite is a more accurate description of this multiphase reaction product.Figure 1 is a light micrograph of a sample which had been air-cooled from 900°C to room temperature. The microstructure is typical of that which has been termed granular bainite in the past and appears to consist of equiaxed ferritic grains together with other minor transformation products. In order to examine these structures in more detail, both continuously cooled and isothermally transformed and quenched materials have been examined with TEM. Granular bainite has been found in virtually all samples.


1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-269
Author(s):  
Granerus ◽  
Ohlsson ◽  
Areskog ◽  
Andersson

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