Swallowing accelerometry is a biomechanical approach for the assessment of difficulties during deglutition. However, the effects of various swallowing tasks and different anthropometric/demographic variables on the statistical behavior of these accelerometric signals are unknown. In particular, to understand the statistical persistence of these signals, we used detrended fluctuation analysis (D...

Introduction In a broad review, evidence that the corneal biomechanical properties influence the results and outcomes of various ocular measurements and procedures has existed for some time [1,2]. However, assessing the biomechanical properties of corneal tissue in vivo has previously not been possible. With the recent introduction of the Reichert Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA), direct clinical...

Experimental valveless muscular blood pumps (biomechanical hearts) in goats can pump more than 1 L.min(-1), but due to a high pendulum volume, no significant flow contribution to the circulation is gained. Thus valved and valveless biomechanical hearts were compared for efficacy. Heart failure was induced in 5 adult Bore goats by repeated intracoronary embolization. A valved and balloon-equippe...

Identification of a patient at risk of aspiration is a major problem in the rehabilitation of the dysphagic patient. The present methods of diagnosis are based on clinical evaluation or videofluorography or fiberoptic endoscopic examination of swallowing (FEES). Recently, we developed biomechanical techniques for noninvasive quantitative assessment of the dysphagic patient. The purpose of the p...

BACKGROUND Compliance behavior depends on the specific clinical situation, the nature of the illness, and the treatment program. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of drug compliance in families caring for a child or adolescent with epilepsy and to describe some associated factors. METHODS All the patients with epilepsy under 18 years of age who were attending the Motahary Clinic...

After acute myocardial infarction, patients remain at high risk for recurrent cardiovascular events and mortality. Despite the compelling scientific and clinical trial evidence that lipid-lowering medications reduce mortality in patients after acute myocardial infarction, this life-saving therapy continues to be underutilized. A number of studies in a variety of clinical settings have documente...

In cluster randomized trials (CRTs), individuals belonging to the same cluster are very likely to resemble one another, not only in terms of outcomes but also in terms of treatment compliance behavior. Although the impact of resemblance in outcomes is well acknowledged, little attention has been given to the possible impact of resemblance in compliance behavior. This study defines compliance in...

Electronic means for generating music are often criticized for their “non-human” feeling. Models of expressive music performance have been used to alleviate this limitation by recreating human patterns found in music performance. These patterns are the outcome of both cognitive and biomechanical constrains. This paper focuses on the latter. We are interested in extracting biomechanical informat...