The study presents the connection between structure (anatomical and histochemical) and function (muscle contraction properties) of vastus medialis obliquus (VMO) and vastus medialis longus (VML). The non-invasive tensiomyography (TMG) method was used to determine the contractile properties (contraction time; Tc) of VML and VMO muscle, as a reflection of the ratio between the slow and fast fibers in two groups of nine young men. The observations indicate that VML is a slower and more fatigue-resistant muscle than VMO muscle. These characteristics correspond to the different functions of the VML, which is an extensor of the knee, and to the VMO, which maintains the stable position of the patella in the femoral groove. In conclusion, the results of this study provide evidence that the VML and VMO muscles are not only anatomically and histochemically different muscles, but also functionally different biological structures.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4533355
Due to the increasing number of traffic accidents involving the collisions of vehicles with the emergency-stop-area head walls in tunnels, a comparative numerical analysis in accordance with the EN 1317 standard has been performed in order to assess the quality of the available protective safety barriers. Based on the simulation results, the values of the relevant injury criteria the Acceleration Severity Index (ASI), the Theoretical Head Impact Velocity (THIV) and the Post-Impact Head Deceleration (PHD) were computed for several collision scenarios involving two different passenger vehicles colliding with two different safety barriers in various ways. The results show that due to the geometrical restrictions in the tunnels emergency stop area none of the barriers can provide total protection for the occupants of the vehicle in the event of a collision. The installation of a steel-sheet-tube crash cushion was, however, found to provide the best possible protection within the given limitations. The results of the analysis were the basis for selecting a safety-barrier design for existing tunnel installations and for the proposed changes in regulations governing the geometry of the tunnels emergency stop area.
COBISS.SI-ID: 13216027
This paper presents the use of computer simulations as the approach of determining the possible causes of various injuries sustained by motorcyclist in traffic accidents. In this research several typical motorcycle accidents were simulated. For simulating the motorcyclists’ accidents, the FEM models of the motorcycle Kawasaki ER-5, car Suzuki Swift and Hybrid III dummy were used. Based on the literature review, several most common motorcyclists’ accidents scenarios were determined and simulated with the use of LS-Dyna FEM software. Simulations results were then analysed to determine the loads and possible injuries on the individual body segments of motorcyclist. Simulation results were also used to determine damage to the accident involved vehicles and to correlate it to the impact speed, which is often difficult to determin. The paper outcoms can be helpful for forensic experts in determining the cause of various impact injuries in motorcyclist victims as well as for im-proving the road safety.
COBISS.SI-ID: 13275675