BACKGROUND Myofascial tissues generate integrated webs and networks of passive and active tensional forces that provide stabilizing support and that control movement in the body. Passive [central nervous system (CNS)-independent] resting myofascial tension is present in the body and provides a low-level stabilizing component to help maintain balanced postures. This property was recently called ...

Although immunization against amyloid-beta (Abeta) holds promise as a disease-modifying therapy for Alzheimer disease (AD), it is associated with an undesirable accumulation of amyloid in the cerebrovasculature [i.e., cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA)] and a heightened risk of micro-hemorrhages. The central and peripheral mechanisms postulated to modulate amyloid with anti-Abeta immunotherapy r...

The mutable collagenous tissue (MCT) of echinoderms has the ability to undergo rapid and reversible changes in passive mechanical properties that are initiated and modulated by the nervous system. Since the mechanism of MCT mutability is poorly understood, the aim of this work was to provide a detailed morphological analysis of a typical mutable collagenous structure in its different mechanical...

We report the generation and manipulation of electrorheological (ER) droplets that exhibit the giant ER effect. The experiments were carried out on specially designed microfluidic chips, in which the ER droplets were generated by using the microfluidic flow-focusing approach. Both the size and formation rate of these droplets can be controlled through digitally applied electrical signals. The p...

A concept for monitoring of maritime traffic by micro-satellites has been studied at FFI [1]. The concept is based on localization of maritime vessels by passive detection of their X-band navigation radar (3 cm wavelength), and subsequent direction finding and determination of the geographic position. A Phase-A study [3] on the utilization of this concept, for monitoring of the maritime traffic...

Nutrient absorption in the small intestine cannot occur until molecules are presented to the epithelial cells that line intestinal villi, finger-like protrusions under enteric control. Using a two-dimensional multiscale lattice Boltzmann model of a lid-driven cavity flow with 'villi' at the lower surface, we analyse the hypothesis that muscle-induced oscillatory motions of the villi generate a ...

This article outlines a new control approach for flapping-wing micro-aerial vehicles (MAVs), inspired both by biological systems and by the need for lightweight actuation and control solutions. In our approach, the aerodynamic forces required for agile motions are achieved indirectly, by modifying passive impedance properties that couple motion of the power stroke to the angle of attack (AoA) o...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Serologic tests for granulocyte antibodies, i.e., the granulocyte agglutination test and the granulocyte immunofluorescence test, require panels of typed granulocytes that cannot be preserved for more than a few hours. We have developed a new method in which granulocyte antigens, extracted into saline containing 3% sucrose, are coated onto U-type Terasaki plates. With ...

Recent progress in silicon nanophotonics has dramatically advanced the possible realization of large-scale on-chip optical interconnects integration. Adopting photons as information carriers can break the performance bottleneck of electronic integrated circuit such as serious thermal losses and poor process rates. However, in integrated photonics circuits, few reported work can impose an upper ...

In this paper, analytical modeling of passive rectifying circuits and the harvesting of electromagnetic (EM) power from intentionally generated as well as from ubiquitous sources are presented. The presented model is based on the linearization of rectifying circuits. The model provides an accurate method of determining the output characteristics of rectifying circuits. The model was verified wi...