Introduction: Arterial stiffness is an important predictor of cardiovascular risk. Several indices have been  introduced to estimate the arterial stiffness based on the changes in the brachial blood pressure. Since the  substitution  of  the  blood  pressure  changes  in  the  central  arteries  such  as  carotid  with  the  blood  pressure  changes in the brachial results in error in the blood...

AIMS The aim of our study was to assess the two-dimensional carotid strain as an index of arterial stiffness in a population of patients without carotid atherosclerotic plaques. METHODS AND RESULTS Two-dimensional carotid strain, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), stiffness index (β), Peterson's elastic modulus, and distensibility coefficient were evaluated in 47 patients. For all patient...

Polymer-clay nano-composite materials, in which nano-meter thick layers of clay dispersed in polymer matrix, have generally higher mechanical properties than normal polymeric materials. A new three-dimensional unit cell model has been developed for modeling three constituent phases including inclusion, interphase and matrix. The total elastic modulus of nano-composite is evaluated.  Numerical r...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS There is increasing evidence linking arterial (mainly aortic) stiffness and type 2 diabetes, a risk factor for arterial stiffness, to cognitive impairment and dementia. However, data on carotid stiffness, which may be especially relevant for cognitive performance, are scarce, and few studies have addressed the interplay between arterial stiffness, type 2 diabetes, and cognit...

The purpose of the present work is to analyze the modulus of elasticity of graphene (Gr) sheet-reinforced metal matrix nanocomposites (MMNCs) using a homogenized model based on the Mori-Tanaka micromechanics approach. The main focus is to investigate the effects of Gr sheet agglomeration on the MMNC macroscopic elastic modulus. Also, the role of aligning Gr sheets in the mechanical performance ...

As part of an ongoing program to study the thermo-mechanical effects associated with cryopreservation via vitrification (vitreous in Latin means glassy), the current study focuses on the development of a new device for mechanical testing of blood vessels at cryogenic temperatures. This device is demonstrated on a bovine carotid artery model, permeated with the cryoprotectant cocktail VS55 and a...

We compared large artery mechanical properties in children with nondialysis stages of chronic kidney disease with those in children with normal renal function, examining the potential effect of blood pressure (BP) components and level of renal dysfunction. Common carotid artery mechanical properties, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, and carotid and peripheral BP were measured in children (n...

Hypertension and diabetes are associated with an increased arterial stiffness. A direct blood pressure-independent effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors on arterial stiffness has never been unequivocally demonstrated. In this mechanistic study, we used an experimental design in which patients responding to 1 month treatment with 4 mg perindopril were randomized double-blind to eith...

BACKGROUND The mechanisms that link the metabolic syndrome to increased cardiovascular risk are incompletely understood, especially in young people. We therefore examined whether the metabolic syndrome was associated with arterial stiffness and whether any such associations were independent of cardiopulmonary fitness and subcutaneous trunk fat. METHODS Cross-sectional analyses of data on 364 ...