Background Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is life-threatening and requires close follow-up to prevent aortic dissection and/or rupture. Aortic wall stiffness and luminal size are considered to be coupled. Regional aortic wall stiffness in patients with TAA is unknown. Evaluation of regional stiffness may supplement monitoring for prediction of progressive aortic dilatation. Aortic Pulse Wave Ve...

This paper presents the effects of different amounts of reclaimed asphalt on fatigue life of asphalt mixtures. Central composite method was used to design of experiments based on response surface method (RSM). Binder type (Pen 60/70 and Pen 85/100), reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) content (25, 50 and 75%) and loading strain (150, 250 and 350 micro strain) were selected as independent variables...

BACKGROUND Evidence from animal models shows that tissue stiffness increases the invasion and progression of cancers, including mammary cancer. We here use measurements of the volume and the projected area of the compressed breast during mammography to derive estimates of breast tissue stiffness and examine the relationship of stiffness to risk of breast cancer. METHODS Mammograms were used t...

BACKGROUND The ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI) has been proposed as a novel measure of arterial stiffness and has been prospectively shown to predict stroke and cardiovascular death, but not cardiac death. This index has prompted considerable controversy as to whether it is a true measure of arterial stiffness. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS The present study aimed to examine three differen...

Twist stiffness and an asymmetric bending stiffness of a polymer or a polymer bundle is captured by the elastic ribbon model. We investigate the effects a ring geometry induces to a thermally fluctuating ribbon, finding bend-bend coupling in addition to twist-bend coupling. Furthermore, due to the geometric constraint the polymer's effective bending stiffness increases. A new parameter for expe...

Cell migration, which is central to many biological processes including wound healing and cancer progression, is sensitive to environmental stiffness, and many cell types exhibit a stiffness optimum, at which migration is maximal. Here we present a cell migration simulator that predicts a stiffness optimum that can be shifted by altering the number of active molecular motors and clutches. This ...

We present results for stiffness and damping prediction in a class of layered, wavy, metal–polymer composites that exceed conventionally published stiffness-damping maps (The Wang–Lakes line, see [14]). These composites are realized by judiciously placing selected, wavy, metal sheets that sandwich an ultra-thin layer of polymer. Stacks of alternating metal–polymer layered composites, when compr...

A Method to Measure Stiffness During Human Movements Human movements are generally stable due to the spring-like property of muscles. However, movements can become unstable when the limbs interact with the environment, e.g., when one lifts a weight overhead, or carves. The stiffness measured at the endpoint of the limb is indicative of this stability. I have developed a method to measure stiffn...