Detailed investigation on biomechanics of a complex structure such as the human lumbar spine requires the use of advanced computer-based technique for both the geometrical reconstruction and the stress analysis. In the present study, the computer-assisted tomography (CAT) and finite element method (FEM) are merged to perform detailed three dimensional nonlinear analysis of the human ligamentous...

The compressive response of a three-dimensional (3D) non-interlaced composite comprising three orthogonal sets of carbon fibre tows within an epoxy matrix is analysed. First, the compressive response is measured in three orthogonal directions and the deformation/failure modes analysed by a combination of X-ray tomography and optical microscopy. In contrast to traditional unidirectional and two-...

The electroretinogram (ERG) is a transient biopotential that reflects the electrical response of the distal retina to photostimulation. Disturbances in retinal circulation produce characteristic abnormalities in the ERG wave form. The objective of this study was to investigate the changes in the ERG produced by combined retrobulbar and peribulbar injections of a large volume (8 ml) of local ana...

BACKGROUND Articular cartilage is exposed to high mechanical loads under normal physiological conditions and articular chondrocytes regulate the composition of cartilaginous matrix, in response to mechanical signals. However, the intracellular pathways involved in mechanotransduction are still being defined. Using the well-characterized chondrocyte/agarose model system and dynamic compression, ...

TCP/IP header compression has long been used to send information efficiently and to improve the response time of communication systems. It is also well known that errors on the link where header compression is used can deteriorate the performance. In addition, the recently noticed high frequency of some computer networking problems can make the performance of header compression even worse. Thes...

Compression and caching are two important issues for a large online image server. In this paper, we propose a new approach to compression by exploring image similarity in large image archives. An adaptive vector quantization (VQ) approach using content categorizations, including both the semantic level and the feature level, is developed to provide a differential compression scheme. We show tha...

The type of collision between the European and the Adriatic plates in the easternmost Alps is one of the most interesting questions regarding the Alpine evolution. Tectonic processes such as compression, escape and uplift are interconnected and shape this area. We can understand these ongoing processes better, if we look for signs of the deformation within the Earth's deep crust of the region. ...

Compression and noncompression amplification were compared for a range of conditions. The noncompression conditions included flat-frequency response and "LDL frequency response," with and without peak clipping. The compression conditions included a single-band compression system and two combinations of a two-channel compression system. The LDL frequency response was obtained by finding the LDL ...