Because wrist rotation dynamics are dominated by stiffness (Charles SK, Hogan N. J Biomech 44: 614-621, 2011), understanding how humans plan and execute coordinated wrist rotations requires knowledge of the stiffness characteristics of the wrist joint. In the past, the passive stiffness of the wrist joint has been measured in 1 degree of freedom (DOF). Although these 1-DOF measurements inform u...

Wrist stiffness has been shown to have a greater effect on wrist dynamics than inertia and damping for all but the fastest wrist rotations [1]. Therefore, making coordinated wrist rotations requires that humans predict and compensate for the effects of wrist stiffness. Because wrist stiffness is anisotropic (with greater stiffness in radial-ulnar deviation than flexion-extension), some movement...

– This report presents some improvements to the radial stiffness of a magnetic suspension in a new ventricular assist device (VAD) that has been jointly developed by Dante Pazzanese Cardiology Institute (IDPC) and Escola Politecnica of São Paulo University. This VAD has a novel architecture that distinguishes it from other known VADs. In this, the rotor that impels and pressurizes the blood has...

BACKGROUND Arterial stiffness and homocysteine are both powerful predictors of cardiovascular disease, especially in older populations. Previous studies have investigated the association of homocysteine with arterial stiffness in human subjects, while the relationship between homocysteine and arterial stiffness in the elderly is still indefinite. The current study examined the association of ho...

Background and Objectives:Arterial stiffness assessed non-invasively with the aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) has been associated with atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries and also cardiovascular mortality. The aim of this study was to determine whether arterial stiffness may predict the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD). Subjects and Methods:We enrolled 106 consecutive, symptomati...

BACKGROUND The radial head is considered the main stabilizer of the elbow when the medial collateral ligament and lateral ulnar collateral ligament have been compromised. Radial head replacement (RHR) is indicated for patients with irreparable or non-united radial head fractures associated with elbow stiffness or instability. The present study aimed to analyze the clinical results after treatme...

The mechanical properties of the cochlear partition are fundamental to auditory transduction. We measured the point stiffness of the partition, in vivo, at up to 17 radial positions spanning its width, in the basal turn of the gerbil cochlea. We found the linear stiffness at the position that is most likely under the outer pillar cells to be 1.5 times greater than adjacent positions toward the ...

Aortic stiffness is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease. However, the rate of progression of arterial stiffness and the role of cardiovascular risk factors in the progression of arterial stiffness has never been established in a longitudinal study. In a prospective, longitudinal, observational study, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and ...

Anterior leaflet (AL) stiffening during isovolumic contraction (IVC) may aid mitral valve closure. We tested the hypothesis that AL stiffening requires atrial depolarization. Ten sheep had radioopaque-marker arrays implanted in the left ventricle, mitral annulus, AL, and papillary muscle tips. Four-dimensional marker coordinates (x, y, z, and t) were obtained from biplane videofluoroscopy at ba...