The Effect of Different Weight Plate Widths (Bumper vs. Standard) on the Biomechanics of the Bench Press.

Fiedler, MJ, Triplett, NT, Hamilton, KC, Needle, AR, and van Werkhoven, H. The effect of different weight plate widths (bumper vs. standard) on the biomechanics of the bench press.

Towards Distributed Recycling with Additive Manufacturing of PET Flake Feedstocks.

This study explores the potential to reach a circular economy for post-consumer Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (rPET) packaging and bottles by using it as a Distributed Recycling for Additive Manufacturing (DRAM) feedstock. Specifically, for the first time, rPET water bottle flake is processed using only an open source toolchain with Fused Particle Fabrication (FPF) or Fused Granular Fabrication (FGF) processing rather than first converting it to filament. In this study, first the impact of granulation, sifting, and heating (and their sequential combination) is quantified on the shape and size distribution of the rPET flakes.

Fused Particle Fabrication 3-D Printing: Recycled Materials' Optimization and Mechanical Properties.

Fused particle fabrication (FPF) (or fused granular fabrication (FGF)) has potential for increasing recycled polymers in 3-D printing. Here, the open source Gigabot X is used to develop a new method to optimize FPF/FGF for recycled materials. Virgin polylactic acid (PLA) pellets and prints were analyzed and were then compared to four recycled polymers including the two most popular printing materials (PLA and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)) as well as the two most common waste plastics (polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP)).

Improving balance function using vestibular stochastic resonance: optimizing stimulus characteristics.

Stochastic resonance (SR) is a phenomenon whereby the response of a non-linear system to a weak periodic input signal is optimized by the presence of a particular non-zero level of noise. Stochastic resonance using imperceptible stochastic vestibular electrical stimulation, when applied to normal young and elderly subjects, has been shown to significantly improve ocular stabilization reflexes in response to whole-body tilt; improved balance performance during postural disturbances and optimize covariance between the weak input periodic signals introduced via venous blood pressure receptors and the heart rate responses. In our study, 15 subjects stood on a compliant surface with their eyes closed.

Estimating functional stability boundaries for bipedal stance.

We propose a technique to estimate functional limits of stability (LOS) during bipedal stance using a controlled, low speed, voluntary leaning protocol requiring feet to remain in contact with the ground. LOS are estimated from ellipses fit to center-of-mass position data obtained during the leaning protocol. The LOS of nine healthy subjects were found to be 20-59% closer to the center of stance than the more frequently used anatomical boundaries and were reduced by closing the eyes.

Virtual reality for robotic laparoscopic surgical training.

Unlabelled: Virtual reality (VR) simulation has been used to improve training for manual laparoscopy and to give surgeons superior performance in the operating room. However, VR has not been used to train surgeons in robotic laparoscopy.

Subjects: Five students of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and the University of Nebraska at Omaha gave consent according to UNMC ethical guidelines.