The use of cubic splines, instead of polynomials, in representing static nonlinearities in block structured models is considered. A system identification algorithm for the Hammerstein structure, a static nonlinearity followed by a linear filter, is developed in which the static nonlinearity is represented by a cubic spline. The identification algorithm, based on a separable least squares Levenb...

Cytoskeletal reorganization and migration are critical responses which enable vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) cells to evade, compensate, or adapt to alterations in biomechanical stress. An increase in wall stress or biomechanical stretch as it is elicited by arterial hypertension promotes their reorganization in the vessel wall which may lead to arterial stiffening and contractile dysfunc...

Statistical and spectral analyses of the manipulation of a canonical zero pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer using static roughness and low-frequency dynamic roughness patches are presented. A shift of spectral energy away from the wall downstream of the roughness patch is observed. The dynamic roughness is shown to disrupt the structure of the boundary layer, while embedding its period...

OBJECTIVE We studied the fundamentals of muscle afferentation by building a Neuro-mechano-morphic system actuating a cadaveric finger. This system is a faithful implementation of the stretch reflex circuitry. It allowed the systematic exploration of the effects of different fusimotor drives to the muscle spindle on the closed-loop stretch reflex response. APPROACH As in Part I of this work, s...

conclusions the two treatment methods had similar effects and there were no significant difference between them, while significant improvement was seen in the experimental groups compared with the control group. background shortness of skeletal muscles may cause musculoskeletal disorders of body; improvement of these muscles may improve posture and body function. objectives the aim of this stud...

Until recently, the scientific community believed that post-exercise stretching could reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), but recent reviews of studies on the topic have concluded that pre- or post-exercise static stretching has no effect on mitigating DOMS. However, the effect of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) post-exercise stretching on preventing DOMS has not been a...

This paper is concerned with the free and forced vibration responses of a magneto/electroactive dielectric elastomer, emphasizing chaotic phenomena. The elastomers under external magnetic electrical excitations undergo large elastic deformation. magnetodielectric elastomer modeled based on Gent–Gent strain energy function to incorporate influence second invariant stiffening. viscoelasticity act...

It has been reported that triangular-shaped positive pressure pulses applied to the airway (high-frequency inflation, HFI) stimulates pulmonary stretch receptors and prolongs expiratory duration. In the present experiment, changes in the integrated curve of expiratory activity induced by HFI were investigated. Duration until the onset of the expiratory activity (E1 stage) was unchanged. In the ...

Muscle spindle activity has been shown to decrease in the sustained contracting muscle. The effect has been assumed to result from a declining fusimotor drive. Since accumulation of metabolites including H(+), lactate and CO(2) might also affect the receptor in the fatiguing muscle, the impulse activity of muscle spindles isolated from the cat tenuissimus muscle was characterized under varying ...