Search

Shear wave elastography is emerging as a clinically valuable diagnostic tool to differentiate between benign and malignant breast masses. Elastography techniques assume that soft tissue can be modelled as a purely elastic medium. However, this assumption is often violated as soft tissue exhibits viscoelastic properties. In order to explore the role of viscoelastic parameters in suspicious breast masses, a study was conducted on a group of patients using shear wave dispersion ultrasound vibrometry in the frequency range of 50–400 Hz. A total of 43 female patients with suspicious breast masses were recruited before their scheduled biopsy. Of those, 15 patients did not meet the data selection criteria. Voigt model based shear elasticity showed a significantly (p = 7.88x10-6) higher median value for the 13 malignant masses (16.76±13.10 kPa) compared to 15 benign masses (1.40±1.12 kPa). Voigt model based shear viscosity was significantly different (p = 4.13x10-5) between malignant (8.22±3.36 Pa-s) and benign masses (2.83±1.47 Pa-s). Moreover, the estimated time constant from the Voigt model, which is dependent on both shear elasticity and viscosity, differed significantly (p = 6.13x10-5) between malignant (0.68±0.33 ms) and benign masses (3.05±1.95 ms). Results suggest that besides elasticity, viscosity based parameters like shear viscosity and time constant can also be used to differentiate between malignant and benign breast masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Living animal cells are strongly influenced by the mechanical properties of their environment. To model physiological conditions ultrasoft cell culture substrates, in some instances with elasticity (Young's modulus) of only 1 kPa, are mandatory. Due to their long shelf life PDMS-based elastomers are a popular choice. However, uncertainty about additives in commercial formulations and difficulties to reach very soft materials limit their use. Here, we produced silicone elastomers from few, chemically defined and commercially available substances. Elastomers exhibited elasticities in the range from 1 kPa to 55 kPa. In detail, a high molecular weight (155 kg/mol), vinyl-terminated linear silicone was crosslinked with a multifunctional (f = 51) crosslinker (a copolymer of dimethyl siloxane and hydrosilane) by a platinum catalyst. The following different strategies towards ultrasoft materials were explored: sparse crosslinking, swelling with inert silicone polymers, and, finally, deliberate introduction of dangling ends into the network (inhibition). Rheological experiments with very low frequencies led to precise viscoelastic characterizations. All strategies enabled tuning of stiffness with the lowest stiffness of ~1 kPa reached by inhibition. This system was also most practical to use. Biocompatibility of materials was tested using primary cortical neurons from rats. Even after several days of cultivation no adverse effects were found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Distraction osteogenesis is a procedure widely used for the correction of large bone defects. However, a high complication rate persists, likely due to insufficient stability during maturation. Numerical fracture healing models predict bone regeneration under different mechanical conditions allowing fixation stiffness optimization. However, most models apply a linear elastic material law inappropriate for the transient stresses/strains present during limb lengthening or segment transport. They are also often validated using in vivo osteotomy models lacking precise mechanical regulation due to the unavoidable stimulation of secondary interfragmentary motion during ambulation under finitely stiff fixation. Therefore, in order to create a robust numerical model of distraction osteogenesis, it is necessary to both characterize the new tissue’s viscoelasticity during distraction and determine the influence of strictly isolated stimulation in each loading mode (tension, compression, and shear) to account for potential differences in mechanical and histological response. Aim: Two electromechanical fixators with integrated load cells were designed to precisely perform and monitor in vivo lateral distraction and isolated stimulation in sheep tibiae using a mobile, hydroxyapatite-coated titanium plate. The novel surgical procedure circumvents osteotomy, eliminating the undesirable and unquantifiable mechanical stimulation during ambulation. Methods: After a 10-day post-surgery latency period, two 0.275 mm distraction steps were performed daily for 10 days. The load cell collected data before, during, and after each distraction step and was terminated after no less than one minute from the time of distraction. A 7-day consolidation period separated the distraction phase and 18-day stimulation phase. Stimulation was carried out in isolated tension, compression, or shear while recording force/time data. Each stimulation session consisted of 120 cycles with a magnitude of either 0.1 mm or 0.6 mm in the tension and compression groups and 1.0 mm in the shear group. The animals were euthanized after a 3-day holding period following stimulation. Results: Our initial results show that the tissue progressively stiffens and maintains an increasingly large residual traction. The force curves during compressive stimulation show a progressive drift from compression toward tension. We hypothesize that this behavior may be due to the preferential flow of fluid outward from the tissue and a greater resistance to reabsorption during the plate’s return to the starting position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As plant fibres are increasingly used in technical textiles and their composites, underlying principles of wound healing in living plant fibres are relevant to product quality, and provide inspiration for biomimetic healing in synthetic materials. In this work, two Linum usitatissimum cultivars differing in their stem mechanical properties, cv. Eden (stems resistant to lodging) and cv. Drakkar (with more flexible stems), were grown without wound or with stems previously wounded with a cut parallel or transversal to the stem. To investigate wound healing efficiency, growth traits, stem biomechanics with Dynamic Mechanical Analysis and anatomy were analysed after 25-day recovery. Longitudinal incisions formed open wounds while transversal incisions generated stem growth restoring the whole cross-section but not the original stem organisation. In the case of transversal wound healing, all the bast fibre bundles in the perturbed area became lignified and pulled apart by parenchyma cells growth. Both Linum cultivars showed a healing efficiency from 79% to 95% with higher scores for transversal healing. Morphological and anatomical modifications of Linum were related to mechanical properties and healing ability. Alongside with an increased understanding of wound healing in plants, our results highlight their possible impact on textile quality and fibre yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The addition of a cosmetic glove to an upper limb prosthesis has a distinct effect on the cosmetic value, but its viscoelastic behaviour adds a substantial amount of stiffness and hysteresis to the system. As a result, the overall usability of the prosthesis is degraded. A novel negative stiffness element is designed to compensate for the cosmetic glove's stiffness. A combination of linear helical springs and the concept of rolling link mechanisms has resulted in a Rolling Stiffness Compensation Mechanism (RSCM). Results show that the RSCM is capable of exerting a progressive negative stiffness characteristic and can be built small enough to fit inside a 33 mm diameter wrist. Using the RSCM, an otherwise voluntary opening toddler-sized prosthesis is converted into a voluntary closing device, reducing maximum operation forces down to 40 N with a combined efficiency of 52%. Further adjustments to the design are possible to further improve the efficiency of the mechanism. Moreover, changes in geometric relations of the mechanism offers possibilities for a wide range of prostheses and other applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional seismic rehabilitation methods may not be suitable for some buildings owing to their high cost and time-consuming foundation work. In recent years, viscoelastic dampers (VEDs) have been widely used in many mid- and high-rise buildings. This study introduces a viscoelastic passive control system called rotary rubber braced damper (RRBD). The RRBD is an economical, lightweight, and easy-to-assemble device. A finite element model considering nonlinearity, large deformation, and material damage is developed to conduct a parametric study on different damper sizes under pushover cyclic loading. The fundamental characteristics of this VED system are clarified by analyzing building structures under cyclic loading. The result show excellent energy absorption and stable hysteresis loops in all specimens. Additionally, by using a sinusoidal shaking table test, the effectiveness of the RRBD to manage the response displacement and acceleration of steel frames is considered. The RRBD functioned at early stages of lateral displacement, indicating that the system is effective for all levels of vibration. Moreover, the proposed damper shows significantly better performance in terms of the column compression force resulting from the brace action compared to chevron bracing (CB). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple and easy methods to evaluate swallowing are required because of the recently increased need of rehabilitation for dysphagia. "Artificial food bolus", but not "artificial food", would be a valuable tool for swallowing evaluation without considering the mastication effect which is altered according to the individual's oral condition. Thus, this study was carried out to fabricate artificial bolus resembling natural food bolus. The mechanical property and the volume change of food bolus in normal people were firstly investigated. Thirty healthy adults without dysphagia were selected and asked to chew four sample foods (rice cake, peanut, burdock, and gummy candy). The results indicated that Young’s modulus of bolus before swallowing was below 150 kPa. The bolus volume before swallowing was below 400 mm3. In addition, the saliva component ratio of each bolus was approximately 30wt%, and the average saliva viscosity of research participants was approximately 10 mPa•s. Based on the obtained data, artificial food bolus was designed and fabricated by using alginate hydrogel as a visco-elastic material and gelatin solution as a viscotic material with a ratio of 7:3 based on weight. Consequently, the swallowing time of fabricated artificial food bolus was measured among the same participants. The results indicated the participants swallowed fabricated food bolus with similar manner reflecting their mechanical property and volume. Thus, this artificial food bolus would be a promising tool for evaluation of swallowing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft tissue often displays marked age-associated stiffening. This study aims to investigate how age affects scleral biomechanical properties in a canine glaucoma model with ADAMTS10 mutation, whose extracellular matrix is concomitantly influenced by the mutation and an increased mechanical load from an early age. Biomechanical data was acquired from ADAMTS10-mutant dogs (n = 10, 21 to 131 months) and normal dogs (n = 5, 69 to 113 months). Infusion testing was first performed in the whole globes to measure ocular rigidity. After infusion experiments, the corneas were immediately trephined to prepare scleral shells that were mounted on a pressurization chamber to measure strains in the posterior sclera using an inflation testing protocol. Dynamic viscoelastic mechanical testing was then performed on dissected posterior scleral strips and the data were combined with those reported earlier by our group from the same animal model (Palko et al, IOVS 2013). The association between age and scleral biomechanical properties was evaluated using multivariate linear regression. The relationships between scleral properties and the mean and last measured intraocular pressure (IOP) were also evaluated. Our results showed that age was positively associated with complex modulus (p<0.001) and negatively associated with loss tangent (p<0.001) in both the affected and the normal groups, suggesting an increased stiffness and decreased mechanical damping with age. The regression slopes were not different between the groups, although the complex modulus was significantly lower in the affected group (p = 0.041). The posterior circumferential tangential strain was negatively correlated with complex modulus (R = -0.744, p = 0.006) showing consistent mechanical evaluation between the testing methods. Normalized ocular rigidity was negatively correlated with the last IOP in the affected group (p = 0.003). Despite a mutation that affects the extracellular matrix and a chronic IOP elevation in the affected dogs, age-associated scleral stiffening and loss of mechanical damping were still prominent and had a similar rate of change as in the normal dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]