@article {44, title = {Dye-enhanced visualization of rat whiskers for behavioral studies}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {6:e25290}, year = {2017}, abstract = {

Visualization and tracking of the facial whiskers is required in an increasing number of rodent studies. Though many approaches have been employed, only high-speed videography has proven adequate for measuring whisker motion and deformation during interaction with an object. However, whisker visualization and tracking is challenging for multiple reasons, primary among them the low contrast of the whisker against its background. Here we demonstrate a fluorescent dye method suitable for visualization of one or more rat whiskers. The process makes the dyed whisker(s) easily visible against a dark background. The coloring does not influence the behavioral performance of rats trained on a vibrissal vibrotactile discrimination task, nor does it affect the whiskers{\textquoteright} mechanical properties.

}, keywords = {behavioral studies, dye-enhanced visualization, rat whiskers}, doi = {10.7554/eLife.25290}, author = {Jacopo Rigosa and Alessandro Lucantonio and Giovanni Noselli and Arash Fassihi and Erik Zorzin and Fabrizio Manzino and Francesca Pulecchi and Mathew E Diamond} } @article {35, title = {Discrete one-dimensional crawlers on viscous substrates: achievable net displacements and their energy cost}, journal = {Mechanics Research Communications}, volume = {58}, year = {2014}, pages = {73{\textendash}81}, abstract = {

We study model one-dimensional crawlers, namely, model mechanical systems that can achieve self-propulsion by controlled shape changes of their body (extension or contraction of portions of the body), thanks to frictional interactions with a rigid substrate. We evaluate the achievable net displacement and the related energetic cost for self-propulsion by discrete crawlers (i.e., whose body is made of a discrete number of contractile or extensile segments) moving on substrates with either a Newtonian (linear) or a Bingham-type (stick-slip) rheology. Our analysis is aimed at constructing the basic building blocks towards an integrative, multi-scale description of crawling cell motility.

}, keywords = {cell migration, cell motility, crawling motility, limbless locomotion, motility on a solid substrate, self-propulsion, soft biomimetic robots}, doi = {10.1016/j.mechrescom.2013.10.023}, author = {Giovanni Noselli and Amabile Tatone and Antonio DeSimone} }