Peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects 8 to 10 million Americans, and the incidence of PAD is expected to increase as the population ages. A high percentage of the PAD is undiagnosed prior to the onset of a serious cardiovascular event; therefore, the inability to screen and diagnose for PAD in the early stages could hinder efforts to decrease adverse consequences of cardiovascular disease. In...

This paper demonstrates the influence of the trailing end of the piston, or inboard, pad on the propensity of a brake to generate audible squeal. The unique technique was employed to measure the dynamic centre of pressure at the pad/disc interface during a normal braking operation. This novel technique uses an embedded pressure sensitive film within the pad. The paper also presents the co-plana...

BACKGROUND Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a major complication of atherosclerosis. PAD can be diagnosed with low-cost diagnostic techniques and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. While the major epidemiologic risk factors for PAD have been established in the western world, data from resource-poor countries are limited. We performed a cross-sectional study to determine t...

We examined clinging ability, subdigital pad area and body mass in 14 pad-bearing lizard species from three families to test three predictions: (1) clinging ability and pad area should be tightly correlated among species; (2) pad area and clinging ability should scale similarly to body mass among 14 species; and (3) functional similarity in clinging capabilities should exist among species despi...

A polymer network can absorb a solvent and swell, forming an elastomeric gel. The model of ideal elastomeric gels is based on two assumptions. First, the volume of a gel is the sum of the volume of the dry network and that of the solvent. Second, the free energy of the gel is the sum of the free energy due to stretching the network and that due to mixing the polymer and the solvent. These assum...

BACKGROUND Autoclave sterilization and microwave sterilization has been suggested as the effective methods for the disinfection of elastomeric impressions, but subjecting elastomeric impressions to extreme temperature may have adverse effects on critical properties of the elastomers. AIM To evaluate the effect of chemical disinfection as well as autoclave and microwave sterilization on the su...

[Purpose] This study investigated the optimal thickness of the wheelchair backrest for lumbar load and increased comfort. [Subjects] Fifteen healthy people participated. [Methods] The study examined three randomized backrest conditions: no pad; a 3-cm-thick lumbar pad; and a 6-cm-thick lumbar pad. The location of the lumbar pad was standardized at the mid-lumbar level (L3). Participants were in...

Studies of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in minority populations provide researchers with an opportunity to evaluate PAD risk factors and disease severity under different types of conditions. Examination 1 of the Strong Heart Study (1989-1992) provided data on the prevalence of PAD and its risk factors in a sample of American Indians. Participants (N = 4,549) represented 13 tribes located i...