In this paper piezo actuated micromanipulators are considered with serial-parallel structure including elastic joints. Such structure allows a preliminary tension of the mechanical system in order to eliminate backlashes and to improve the performance of the piezo-actuators. A kinematics model of a serial-parallel structure for local micro manipulators is build here. A pseudo rigid body approac...

This paper presents the test results to characterise the moment-rotation response of nominally pinned joints in frames of pultruded shapes. Mimicking conventional steel construction the major-axis beamto-column joints are formed using pultruded FRP web cleats having steel bolting. There are two joint configurations with either a single row of three or two bolts per cleat leg. Testing is conduct...

Different models for animal cell cytokinesis posit that the stiffness of the equatorial cortex is either increased or decreased relative to the stiffness of the polar cortex. A recent work has suggested that the critical cytokinesis signaling complex centralspindlin may reduce the stiffness of the equatorial cortex by inactivating the small GTPase Rac. To determine if such a reduction occurs an...

Structural analysis of atherosclerotic coronary arteries has suggested that stress concentrations are associated with plaque rupture and that these stress concentrations are critically dependent on the geometry and mechanical properties of the fibrous cap and lipid pool. Recent clinical trials of lipid-lowering therapy have shown a significant reduction in cardiac events associated with plaque ...

The manner in which activation levels influence intrinsic muscular properties and contributions of the stretch reflex were studied in homogeneous soleus (SOL) and heterogeneous gastrocnemius (G) muscles in the decerebrate cat. Intrinsic mechanical properties were represented by the initial stiffness of the muscle, measured prior to reflex action, and by the tendency of the muscle to yield durin...