A Review of: “A White Man's Foot”

While conducting research among the Aran Islanders of Ireland between 1958 and 1968, the author and his wife became aware that their interpretation of Aran culture and personality was at variance with those of filmmakers and writers of fame who had portrayed the Aran milieu in film, books, and plays. This article examines the several reasons why his and his wife's interpretation differs from those, in particular, of Robert Flaherty, John M. Synge, Pat Mullen, and P. A. Ó Síocháin, with special emphasis on the influence of nativism and primitivism on their portrayals. The setting of the article is Ireland of four decades ago and mirrors conditions much different from those of today.     

Aetiology of Papillon LeFèvre Syndrome

Papillon LeFèvre Syndrome, or PLS, was first described over 70 years ago. It is characterised by severe periodontal disease, typically leading to loss of teeth by adolescence, combined with palmoplantar hyperkeratosis. The fact that it is associated with consanguinity in particular ethnic groups suggests that genotype may contribute to the aetiology of this syndrome. Microbiological studies have been hampered by the rareness of the condition which makes prospective studies virtually impossible to perform. Numerous studies on small groups of patients, sometimes single cases, together suggest an association of recognised periodontal pathogens with PLS. Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans has been especially linked to PLS and raised levels of antibody to A.a. have been measured in some PLS patients, though not others. Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia have also been detected in plaque samples from PLS, using monoclonal antibodies. Many other species have also been associated with PLS following culture and identification, as well as use of probes. Treatment has been attempted by eradication of periodontal pathogens so that teeth can erupt into a ‘safe’ environment. Successful treatment has needed intensive treatment and monitoring and good oral hygiene as well as thorough antibiotic therapy of patient, family members and even pets. Recently a Cathepsin C genotype has been strongly linked to PLS. However, this gene cannot account for all features of PLS and we can speculate that additional genes must be involved. It is concluded that PLS results from a combination of host and bacterial factors, including recessive human gene(s) associated with consanguinity, specific periodontal pathogens and lack of thorough oral hygiene. It is also believed that the human genetic component may merit examination as a ‘host factor’ in other bacterial infections.     

The Contrast Sensitivity of the Visual System in “Dry” Immersion Conditions

Biophysics - We have studied the contrast sensitivity of the visual system in various ranges of the spatial frequencies in “dry” immersion conditions that simulate the physiological...     

Dynamics of Body Composition Indices and Biochemical Parameters in Participants of Countermeasure-Free 21-Day “Dry” Immersion

Human Physiology - Time-dependent changes in body composition and the levels of hormones involved in regulating energy metabolism and eating behavior were studied in ten healthy volunteers who were...     

Contrast Sensitivity of Visual System in 5-Day “Dry” Immersion with a Course of High-Frequency Electromyostimulation

Human Physiology - We aimed to study the sensitivity of the visual system in 5-day “dry” immersion (DI) with a course of high-frequency electromyostimulation (HFEMS). The contrast...     

Postactivation Effect in the Deltoid Muscle of Healthy Young Subjects after a Short-Term “Dry” Immersion

Human Physiology - The objective of this study was to characterize, using surface electromyography (EMG), the postactivation effect (PAE) arising in the deltoid muscles of healthy young subjects...     

Susceptibility of Healthy Volunteers’ Adaptive Immune Cells to MSC-Mediated Immunomodulation in Long-Term “Dry” Immersion Experiment

Human Physiology - The susceptibility of T cells of healthy subjects during 21 days of “dry” immersion (DI) to MSC-mediated immunosuppression was investigated in vitro. During DI, the...     

The Modulation and Control of the Gecko''''s Foot Movement

1IntroductionAttachment is still a difficult problem in wall-climbing robotics.There are two main types ofattachment mechanisms for wall climbing robots.One issuction,which has major drawbacks.The mechanismrequires the contacting surface being smooth,otherwise itwill be ineffective.This limits adhesion of the suctioncup to relatively smooth,non-porous,non-crackedsurfaces.Another issue associated with suction adhesionis that this method requires time to develop enoughvacuum to generate suffici…     

Specific Features of the Motor Potentials of the Leg Muscles Induced by Magnetic Stimulation under the Conditions of a Five-Day “Dry” Immersion in Healthy Volunteers

Human Physiology - The aim of this study was to analyze the mechanisms of the development of hypogravitational hyperreflexia in the motoneuron pool of gravity-dependent muscles such as the...     

The Modulation and Control of the Gecko＇s Foot Movement

The modulation and control of gecko＇s foot movements were studied electrophysiologically in order to design the motor control system of a gecko-mimic robot. In this study （1） the anatomy of the peripheral nerves controlling the gecko＇s foot movements was determined; （2） the relationship between the limb nerves of the gecko and its foot motor patterns was studied; （3） the afferent impulses of the nerves evoked by rubbing the gecko＇s toes and palm were recorded; （4） copying the natural patterns of movement of the gecko＇s foot （abduction, adduction, flexion, and revolution） and its limb nerve modulation and control mechanism, the nerves were stimulated under computer control, and the results recorded by CCD. Results suggest that gecko＇s foot movements can be successfully controlled by artificial electrical signals.     

Functionally Different Pads on the Same Foot Allow Control of Attachment: Stick Insects Have Load-Sensitive “Heel” Pads for Friction and Shear-Sensitive “Toe” Pads for Adhesion

Stick insects (Carausius morosus) have two distinct types of attachment pad per leg, tarsal “heel” pads (euplantulae) and a pre-tarsal “toe” pad (arolium). Here we show that these two pad types are specialised for fundamentally different functions. When standing upright, stick insects rested on their proximal euplantulae, while arolia were the only pads in surface contact when hanging upside down. Single-pad force measurements showed that the adhesion of euplantulae was extremely small, but friction forces strongly increased with normal load and coefficients of friction were 1. The pre-tarsal arolium, in contrast, generated adhesion that strongly increased with pulling forces, allowing adhesion to be activated and deactivated by shear forces, which can be produced actively, or passively as a result of the insects'' sprawled posture. The shear-sensitivity of the arolium was present even when corrected for contact area, and was independent of normal preloads covering nearly an order of magnitude. Attachment of both heel and toe pads is thus activated partly by the forces that arise passively in the situations in which they are used by the insects, ensuring safe attachment. Our results suggest that stick insect euplantulae are specialised “friction pads” that produce traction when pressed against the substrate, while arolia are “true” adhesive pads that stick to the substrate when activated by pulling forces.