BACKGROUND Increased arterial stiffness and higher plasma natriuretic peptide and homocysteine levels are associated with elevated risk for cardiovascular disease. Little is known about the relations of natriuretic peptides and homocysteine to arterial wall stiffness in the community. METHODS AND RESULTS We assessed the relations of plasma N-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide, B-type natriur...

The main purpose of this study was to construct and validate a motion equation for the flight of the badminton and to find the relationship between the air resistance force and a shuttlecock's speed. This research method was based on motion laws of aerodynamics. It applied aerodynamic theories to construct motion equation of a shuttlecock's flying trajectory under the effects of gravitational f...

Large-scale volcanic eruptions produce fine ash (< 200 μm) which has a long atmospheric residence time (1 hour or more) and can be transported great distances from the volcanic source, thus, becoming a hazard to aircraft and public health. Ash particles have irregular shapes, so data on particle shape, size, and terminal velocities are needed to understand how the irregular-shaped particles aff...

The objective of the study was to determine geometric, gravimetric, aerodynamic, and frictional properties maize grain as affected by varietal differences moisture content. Honampa, Omankwa, Abontem, Timtim, Obatanpa were five varieties studied. Moisture content, geometric properties, gravimetric aerodynamic mean diameters ranged between 6.65 7.55 mm, while projected areas 52.98 73.12 m2. surfa...

Background The aim of this study was to compare centre of pressure (COP) characteristics between healthy adults with normal, planus or cavus feet who were allocated to groups based on reliable foot posture measurement techniques. Methods Ninety-two healthy adult participants (aged 18 to 45) were recruited and classified as either normal (n = 35), pes planus (n = 31) or pes cavus (n = 26) base...

This paper presents a trajectory tracking control method for nonholonomic mobile robot which is based only on kinematic model. A mobile robot trajectory tracking control method, based on terminal sliding mode control, with asymptotic stability is presented. Based on kinematic model of mobile robot, a terminal sliding mode control law for the angular velocity is proposed to reduce the tracking e...

How vesicles are born in the trans-Golgi network and reach their docking sites at the plasma membrane is still largely unknown and is investigated in the present study on live, primary cultured atrial cardiomyocytes. Secretory vesicles (n=422) are visualized by expressing fusion proteins of proatrial natriuretic peptide (proANP) and green fluorescent protein. Myocytes expressing fusion proteins...

We study quantitatively the formation and radiation acceleration of electronpositron pair plasmoids produced by photon-photon collisions near Galactic black holes (GBHs). The terminal ejecta velocity is found to be completely determined by the total disk luminosity, proton loading factor and disk size, with no dependence on the initial velocity. We discuss potential applications to the recently...

This paper aims to study the path oscillations of single, spherical water droplets levitated in a wind tunnel better comprehend mechanical motion small raindrops. The observations were carried out Mainz vertical tunnel. discrete, fast Fourier transform was used determine oscillatory frequencies droplet paths, and Hilbert applied analyze their instantaneous frequency stability. Both transversal ...

We study the settling dynamics of non-Brownian prolate spheroids under steady-state sedimentation. We consider the case of moderate particle Reynolds numbers properly taking into account the hydrodynamic effects. For small volume fractions, we find an orientational transition of the spheroids, characterized by enhanced density fluctuations. Around the transition, the average settling velocity h...