PURPOSE Linear second-order models have often been used to investigate properties of speech production. However, these models are inaccurate approximations of the speech apparatus. This study aims at assessing how reliably stiffness can be estimated from kinematics with these models. METHOD Articulatory movements were collected for 9 speakers of German during the production of reiterant CVCV ...

38 39 Distractions affect postural control, but this mechanism is not well understood. Diversion of 40 resources during cognitive stress may lead to decreased motor drive and postural muscle tone. 41 This may appear as decreased postural stiffness, and increased postural sway amplitude. We 42 hypothesized that dual tasking leads to decreased stiffness and increased sway amplitude. 43 Postural s...

BACKGROUND Psychological features have been related to trunk muscle activation patterns in low back pain (LBP). We hypothesised higher pain-related fear would relate to changes in trunk mechanical properties, such as higher trunk stiffness. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the relationship between trunk mechanical properties and psychological features in people with recurrent LBP. METHODS The relatio...

Piezoelectric-based shunt dampers are developed in recent years because of simplicity in comparison with other methods. In these methods, a part of converted mechanical energy is stored in the internal el...

MODELING OF EQUILIBRIUM POINT TRAJECTORY CONTROL IN HUMAN ARM MOVEMENTS by Kai Chen The underlying concept of the Equilibrium Point Hypothesis (EPH) is that the CNS provides a virtual trajectory of joint motion, representing spacing and timing, with actual movement dynamics being produced by interactions of limb inertia, muscle viscosity and speed/position feedback from muscle spindles. To coun...

In this research, a functionally graded microbeam bonded with piezoelectric layers is analyzed under electric force. Static and dynamic instability due to the electric actuation is studied because of its importance in micro electro mechanical systems, especially in micro switches. In order to prevent pull-in instability, two piezoelectric layers are used as sensor and actuator. A current amplif...

The VST (VLT Survey Telescope) is a 2.6 m class Alt-Az telescope to be installed on Cerro Paranal in the Atacama desert, Northern Chile, in the European Southern Observatory (ESO) site. The VST is a widefield imaging facility planned to supply databases for the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) science and carry out stand-alone observations in the UltraViolet to Infrared spectral range. So far no ...

A maximal product of stiffness and viscoelastic damping (E tan d), a figure of merit for damping layers, is desirable for structural damping applications. Particulate-reinforced metal–matrix composites were prepared by ultrasonic agitation of the melt and composed of the zinc–aluminum (ZnAl) alloy Zn80Al20 (in wt%) as the lossy matrix and SiC or BaTiO3 as the particulate reinforcements. ZnAl–Si...