Latent force models are a Bayesian learning technique that combine physical knowledge with dimensionality reduction — sets of coupled differential equations are modelled via shared dependence on a low-dimensional latent space. Analogously, modal sound synthesis is a technique that links physical knowledge about the vibration of objects to acoustic phenomena that can be observed in data. We appl...

We consider a mathematical model of a linear vibrational system described by the second-order system of differential equations Mẍ +Dẋ+Kx = 0, where M, K and D are positive definite matrices, called mass, stiffness and damping, respectively. We are interested in finding an optimal damping matrix which will damp a certain part of the undamped eigenfrequencies. For this we use a minimization crite...

In this paper, the effects of post-yielding stiffness on the response of non-linear structural systems subject to seismic actions are investigated. For this purpose, two hysteretic models are analyzed and then compared. The first is a bilinear plastic model, representing structures that exhibit strain hardening characteristics. The second is the elastic-perfectly-plastic model, that, even if do...

Removal of the normal head-to-foot gravity vector and chronic weightlessness during spaceflight might induce cardiovascular and metabolic adaptations related to changes in arterial pressure and reduction in physical activity. We tested hypotheses that stiffness of arteries located above the heart would be increased postflight, and that blood biomarkers inflight would be consistent with changes ...

Arterial stiffness is an independent and powerful marker of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Pharmacological studies have shown that it is feasible to improve arterial stiffness or to slow its progression with a number of lifestyle modifications or pharmacological agents including antihypertensive, statins, nitrates, and others. Therapeutic improvement of arterial...

We introduce two essential building blocks with binary stiffness for mechanical digital machines. The large scale fully compliant mechanisms have rectilinear and rotational kinematics use a new V-shaped negative structure to create extreme states of by static balancing. bistable switch allows us toggle between near-zero-stiffness high-stiffness states, effectively turning off on stiffness. A re...

Chlorella is a unicellular green alga, which contains a variety of nutrients including amino acids, dietary fibers, n-3 unsaturated fatty acid, vitamins, and minerals. We previously demonstrated that Chlorella-derived multicomponent supplementation decreases arterial stiffness in young men. However, mechanisms underlying the reduction in arterial stiffness by Chlorella-derived supplementation a...

Arterial stiffness is nowadays a well-accepted predictor of cardiovascular mortality in general population; as well as in kidney transplant recipient population. The femoral-carotid pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) is the widest used method to assess the arterial stiffness. The aim of this study was to test whether CNI-free immunosuppression based on belatacept was associated with lower cf-PWV, as ...

Stroke is the second leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Early intervention is of great importance in reducing disease burden. Since the conventional risk factors cannot fully account for the pathogenesis of stroke, it is extremely important to detect useful biomarkers of the vascular disorder for appropriate intervention. Arterial stiffness, a newly recognised reliable feature ...

Trunk flexibility may be associated with arterial stiffness in young, middle-aged, and older healthy men after adjusting for blood pressure. This study assessed the effects of 4 weeks of regular static stretching on arterial stiffness in middle-aged men. Sixteen healthy men (43 ± 3 years) were assigned to control or intervention groups (n = 8 each). The control group did not alter their physica...