We tested an innovative method to estimate joint stiffness and damping during multijoint unfettered arm movements. The technique employs impulsive perturbations and a time-frequency analysis to estimate the arm's mechanical properties along a reaching trajectory. Each single impulsive perturbation provides a continuous estimation on a single-reach basis, making our method ideal to investigate m...

In this study, age hardenable material Aluminum alloy Al-7075-T6 (aged) was investigated for weldability. Al-7075-T6 plates were subjected to Al-7075-0 heat treatment and were joined with different welding parameters by means of friction stir welding method. After Joining, the parts which were subjected to tensile and bending tests were examined. As a result of the studies, it was observed that...

The degree of arterial stiffness is correlated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases and it is a powerful predictor for morbidity and mortality. Studies have shown that arterial stiffness reduction is associated with an improvement in survival. Reduction of arterial stiffness by pharmacological drugs varies according to the drugs and doses used and duration of treatment. This effect on the a...

A sample of 78 Pinus radiata D. Don logs was measured and sawn to maximise yields of 100 x 50-mm and 200 x 50-mm timber. The average bending strength and stiffness of the timber were found to depend on the basic density of the log but the lower fifth-percentile strength was more dependent on branch index. For the 28-year-old stand sampled, logs with a low branch index yielded 100 x 50-mm timber...

High-rise structures and large-span bridges have low vibration frequencies intrinsic damping hence are subjected to multimode vibrations under environmental excitation. Supplementing is a viable means suppress such vibrations. The amount of supplemental nevertheless limited as the devices in practice can only be attached structure at positions while displacements or relative small. Introducing ...

Varol and Ozaydin raise an important question about the effects of antihypertensive drugs and statins on arterial stiffness. In fact, antihypertensive drugs reduce large arterial stiffness, partly independently of blood pressure reduction, suggesting specific pharmacological effects on arterial remodeling. Furthermore, statins and other cholesterol-reducing agents have been shown to have benefi...

Pressure ulcer incidence rates have remained constant despite advances in support surface technology. Interface shear stress is recognized as a risk factor for pressure ulcer development and is the focus of many shear reduction technologies incorporated into wheelchair cushions; however, shear reduction has not been quantified in the literature. We evaluated 21 commercial wheelchair seat cushio...

A flying insect generates aerodynamic forces through the active manipulation of the wing and the “passive” properties of deformability and wing shape. To investigate these “passive” properties, the flexural stiffness of dried forewings belonging to 10 butterfly species was compared to the butterflies’ gross morphological parameters to determine allometric relationships. The results show that fl...