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Outputs (23)

The Mechanical Significance of the Temporal Fasciae in Macaca fascicularis: An Investigation Using Finite Element Analysis (2011)
Journal Article
Curtis, N., Witzel, U., Fitton, L., O'Higgins, P., & Fagan, M. (2011). The Mechanical Significance of the Temporal Fasciae in Macaca fascicularis: An Investigation Using Finite Element Analysis. Anatomical Record: Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology, 294(7), 1178-1190. https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.21415

Computational finite element analyses (FEAs) of the skull predict structural deformations under user specified loads and constraints, with results normally presented as stress and strain distributions over the skull's surface. The applied loads are g... Read More about The Mechanical Significance of the Temporal Fasciae in Macaca fascicularis: An Investigation Using Finite Element Analysis.

Feedback control from the jaw joints during biting: An investigation of the reptile Sphenodon using multibody modelling (2010)
Journal Article
Curtis, N., Jones, M. E. H., Evans, S., Evans, S. E., O'Higgins, P., & Fagan, M. J. (2010). Feedback control from the jaw joints during biting: An investigation of the reptile Sphenodon using multibody modelling. Journal of biomechanics, 43(16), 3132-3137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2010.08.001

Sphenodon, a lizard-like reptile, is the only living representative of a group that was once widespread at the time of the dinosaurs. Unique jaw mechanics incorporate crushing and shearing motions to breakdown food, but during this process excessive... Read More about Feedback control from the jaw joints during biting: An investigation of the reptile Sphenodon using multibody modelling.

Comparison between in vivo and theoretical bite performance: Using multi-body modelling to predict muscle and bite forces in a reptile skull (2010)
Journal Article
Curtis, N., Jones, M. E. H., Lappin, A. K., O'Higgins, P., Evans, S. E., & Fagan, M. J. (2010). Comparison between in vivo and theoretical bite performance: Using multi-body modelling to predict muscle and bite forces in a reptile skull. Journal of biomechanics, 43(14), 2804-2809. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2010.05.037

In biomechanical investigations, geometrically accurate computer models of anatomical structures can be created readily using computed-tomography scan images. However, representation of soft tissue structures is more challenging, relying on approxima... Read More about Comparison between in vivo and theoretical bite performance: Using multi-body modelling to predict muscle and bite forces in a reptile skull.

Visualising muscle anatomy using three-dimensional computer models - an example using the head and neck muscles of Sphenodon (2009)
Journal Article
Curtis, N., Jones, M. E., Evans, S. E., O'Higgins, P., & Fagan, M. J. (2009). Visualising muscle anatomy using three-dimensional computer models - an example using the head and neck muscles of Sphenodon. Palaeontologia electronica, 12(3), Article 12.3.7T

We demonstrate how the computer-based technique of multi-body dynamics analysis (MDA) can be used to create schematic, but informative three-dimensional (3D) representations of complex muscle anatomy. As an example we provide an overview of the head... Read More about Visualising muscle anatomy using three-dimensional computer models - an example using the head and neck muscles of Sphenodon.

Predicting muscle activation patterns from motion and anatomy: modelling the skull of Sphenodon (Diapsida: Rhynchocephalia) (2009)
Journal Article
Curtis, N., Jones, M. E., Evans, S. E., Shi, J., O'Higgins, P., & Fagan, M. J. (2010). Predicting muscle activation patterns from motion and anatomy: modelling the skull of Sphenodon (Diapsida: Rhynchocephalia). Journal of the Royal Society interface / the Royal Society, 7(42), 153-160. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2009.0139

The relationship between skull shape and the forces generated during feeding is currently under widespread scrutiny and increasingly involves the use of computer simulations such as finite element analysis. The computer models used to represent skull... Read More about Predicting muscle activation patterns from motion and anatomy: modelling the skull of Sphenodon (Diapsida: Rhynchocephalia).

Biomechanical assessment of evolutionary changes in the lepidosaurian skull (2009)
Journal Article
Moazen, M., Curtis, N., O'Higgins, P., Evans, S. E., & Fagan, M. J. (2009). Biomechanical assessment of evolutionary changes in the lepidosaurian skull. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 106(20), 8273-8277. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0813156106

The lepidosaurian skull has long been of interest to functional morphologists and evolutionary biologists. Patterns of bone loss and gain, particularly in relation to bars and fenestrae, have led to a variety of hypotheses concerning skull use and ki... Read More about Biomechanical assessment of evolutionary changes in the lepidosaurian skull.

γ-Secretase-dependent cleavage of amyloid precursor protein regulates osteoblast behavior (2009)
Journal Article
McLeod, J., Curtis, N., Lewis, H. D., Good, M. A., Fagan, M. J., & Genever, P. G. (2009). γ-Secretase-dependent cleavage of amyloid precursor protein regulates osteoblast behavior. FASEB Journal, 23(9), 2942-2955. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.08-121657

gamma-Secretase cleaves amyloid precursor protein (APP) to generate amyloid-beta (A beta) peptides, which aggregate in the brain in Alzheimer's disease (AD). gamma-Secretase also cleaves molecules that regulate osteoblast activity, such as Notch and... Read More about γ-Secretase-dependent cleavage of amyloid precursor protein regulates osteoblast behavior.

Assessment of the role of sutures in a lizard skull: a computer modelling study (2009)
Journal Article
Moazen, M., Curtis, N., O'Higgins, P., Jones, M. E., Evans, S. E., & Fagan, M. J. (2009). Assessment of the role of sutures in a lizard skull: a computer modelling study. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 276(1654), 39-46. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2008.0863

Sutures form an integral part of the functioning skull, but their role has long been debated among vertebrate morphologists and palaeontologists. Furthermore, the relationship between typical skull sutures, and those involved in cranial kinesis, is p... Read More about Assessment of the role of sutures in a lizard skull: a computer modelling study.

Combined finite element and multibody dynamics analysis of biting in aUromastyx hardwickiilizard skull (2008)
Journal Article
Moazen, M., Curtis, N., Evans, S. E., O’Higgins, P., & Fagan, M. J. (2008). Combined finite element and multibody dynamics analysis of biting in aUromastyx hardwickiilizard skull. Journal of anatomy, 213(5), 499-508. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7580.2008.00980.x

Lizard skulls vary greatly in shape and construction, and radical changes in skull form during evolution have made this an intriguing subject of research. The mechanics of feeding have surely been affected by this change in skull form, but whether th... Read More about Combined finite element and multibody dynamics analysis of biting in aUromastyx hardwickiilizard skull.

A new approach to amino acid racemization in enamel: testing of a less destructive sampling methodology (2008)
Journal Article
Griffin, R. C., Moody, H., Penkman, K. E. H., Fagan, M. J., Curtis, N., & Collins, M. J. (2008). A new approach to amino acid racemization in enamel: testing of a less destructive sampling methodology. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 53(4), 910-916. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2008.00753.x

Aspartic acid racemization has been found to be an accurate measure of age at death for recent forensic material. This paper examines the practicality of using acid etching of the tooth surface to extract amino acids from the enamel for racemization... Read More about A new approach to amino acid racemization in enamel: testing of a less destructive sampling methodology.