We describe string production after angled brane inflation. First, we point out that there was a discrepancy in previous discussions. The expected tension of the cosmic string calculated from the four-dimensional effective Lagrangian did not match the one obtained in the brane analysis. In the previous analysis, the cosmic string is assumed to correspond to the lower-dimensional daughter brane,...

For Cable-Driven Parallel Manipulators (CDPMs), employing redundant driving cables is necessary to obtain the full manipulation of the moving platform because of the unilateral driving property of the cables. Unlike rigid-link manipulators, the workspace of CDPMs is always determined and characterized by positive tension status of driving cables. In addition, it has been realized that the Tensi...

The atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been widely used to measure the mechanical properties of biological cells through indentations. In most of existing studies, the cell is supposed to be linear elastic within the small strain regime when analyzing the AFM indentation data. However, in experimental situations, the roles of large deformation and surface tension of cells should be taken into co...

Modular tissue engineering is based on the cells' innate ability to create bottom-up supramolecular assemblies with efficiency and efficacy still unmatched by man-made devices. Although the regenerative potential of such tissue substitutes has been documented in preclinical and clinical setting, the prolonged culture time required to develop an implantable device is associated with phenotypic d...

Despite the recent developments in structural health monitoring, there remain great challenges for accurately, conveniently, and economically assessing the in-service performance of the main cables for long-span suspension bridges. A long-term structural health monitoring technique is developed to measure the tension force with a conventional sensing technology and further provide the in-servic...

BACKGROUND Cytoskeletal tension is an intracellular mechanism through which cells convert a mechanical signal into a biochemical response, including production of cytokines and activation of various signaling pathways. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) were allowed to spread into large cells by seeding them at a low-density (1,250 cells/cm(2)), which was observed...

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been suggested as a potential cell source for tendon/ligament tissue engineering. Extrinsic cues, such as the chemical and physical properties of scaffolds, as well as external forces, play an important role in fibroblastic differentiation of these cells. In this study, we employed a collagen-fibre scaffold that mimics the chemical and fibrous structure and me...

All flexible materials such as textiles, papers, polymers or metals are handled on rollers during their processing. Maintaining web tension in the entire processing line under changing web speed is a key factor for achieving good final product quality. Two approaches are mostly used for tension control: load cells which provide direct web tension measurement or dancers which indirectly regulate...

Several publications have reported effects of hypobaric conditions in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. To the current authors' knowledge, similar studies concerning patients with restrictive lung disease have not been published. The effect of simulated air travel in a hypobaric chamber on arterial blood gases, blood pressure, and cardiac frequency during rest and 20 W exerci...