Publications by authors named "Merel J W Van Gorp"
Intrauterine undernutrition in humans typically results in low birth weight ([small for gestational age] SGA) and delayed postnatal neuromotor maturation. Since SGA and intrauterine growth retardation are also common in domestic pigs, piglets are premised as models to study delayed motor development. Applied to the locomotor paradigm, however, questions emerge: (i) how to map the developmental time scale of the precocial model onto the altricial target species and (ii) how to distinguish size from maturation effects? Gait data were collected at self-selected voluntary walking speed during early development (0-96 hours postpartum; pp) for SGA- and normal ([appropriate for gestational age] AGA) piglets.
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- Boxfish have unique body shapes with bony keels that may affect their swimming dynamics.
- A study was conducted using computational fluid dynamics to assess the hydrodynamic performance of boxfish with different carapace designs, revealing that original carapace shapes did not reduce drag or improve stability significantly compared to modified versions.
- Results indicated that the presence of keels increased drag during rolling movements, suggesting they play a crucial role in allowing boxfish to swim forward efficiently and control their maneuvers.