Trading energy for safety, bees extend legs to stay stable in wind

... CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 2, 2009 -- New research shows some bees brace themselves against wind and turbulence by extending their sturdy hind legs while flying. But this approach comes at a steep cost, increasing ...

Fossil evidence of missing link in the origin of seals, sea lions, walruses found in Canadian Arctic

... by occasionally hunting for food in shallow water, then in streams or lakes, might at last be converted in an animal so thoroughly aquatic as to brace the open ocean." "The find suggests that pinnipeds went through a freshwater phase in their evolution. It also provides us with a glimpse of what ...

Study to explore using magnets to correct 'sunken chest'

... a second magnet embedded in a lightweight plastic brace that the child wears under clothing. The attraction between the two magnets holds the brace in place. Because the internal magnet is ... relatively little discomfort. The child wears the brace for three to 12 months, depending on the severity ...

Robotic exoskeleton replaces muscle work

... incomplete injuries of the spinal cord," said Daniel Ferris, associate professor in movement science at U-M. "For patients that can walk slowly, a brace like this may help them walk faster and more effectively." Ferris and former U-M doctoral student Keith Gordon, who is now a post-doctoral ...

One small step means giant leap for spinal cord research

... muscles as they walked. Over the course of 12 to 18 weeks, the patients gradually improved -- one woman was even able to stop using a full-length leg brace while walking. While the patients' walking skills had decreased 10 weeks after treatment finished, the team found that overall walking skills were ...

Virginia Tech football player uses prototype cast

... running back Cedric Humes was able to play against Boston College despite a broken arm (the ulna bone) thanks, in part, to a prototype composite brace designed for him by Virginia Tech engineers. Brian Love, a professor of materials science and engineering in the College of Engineering, and his ...

New SARS Protein Linked To Important Cell Doorway

... As public health officials in China brace for a potential resurgence in SARS (Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in connection with Chinese New Year on February 9, researchers at Washington ...