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Myopia in human and animals is caused by the axial elongation of the eye and is closely linked to the thinning of the sclera which supports the eye tissue. This thinning has been correlated with the overproduction of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-2), an enzyme that degrades the collagen structure of the sclera. In this short paper, we propose a descriptive model of a regulatory network with hysteresis, which seems necessary for creating oscillatory behavior in the hybrid model between MMP-2, MT1-MMP and TIMP-2. Numerical results provide insight on the type of equilibria present in the system.

Vascular graft failure has persisted as a major clinical problem. Mechanical, structural, and transport properties of vascular grafts are critical factors that substantially affect their function and thus the outcome of implantation. The manufacturing method, post‐processing technique, and material of choice have a significant impact on these properties. The goal of this work is to use thermal treatment to modulate the transport properties of PCL‐based vascular engineered constructs. To this end, we electrospun PCL tubular constructs and thermally bonded the electrospun fibers in a convective oven at various temperatures (54, 57, and 60°C) and durations of treatment (15, 30, and 45 s). The effects of fiber thermal bonding (thermobonding) on the transport, mechanical, and structural properties of PCL tubular constructs were characterized. Increasing the temperature and treatment duration enhanced the degree of thermobonding by removing the interconnected void and fusing the fibers. Thermobonding at 57°C and 60°C for longer than 30 s increased the median tangential modulus (E = 126.1 MPa, [IQR = 20.7]), mean suture retention (F = 193.8 g, [SD = 18.5]), and degradation rate while it decreased the median permeability (kA = 0 m/s), and median thickness (t = 60 μm, [IQR = 2.5]). In particular, the thermobonding at 57°C allowed a finer modulation of permeability via treatment duration. We believe that the thermobonding method can be utilized to modulate the properties of vascular engineered constructs which can be useful in designing functional vascular grafts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The biomechanical behavior of the human abdominal aorta has been studied with great interest primarily due to its propensity to develop such maladies as atherosclerotic occlusive disease, dissections, and aneurysms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the age-related biaxial biomechanical behavior of human infrarenal aortic tissue. Methods of Approach: A total of 18 samples (13 autopsy, 5 organ donor) were harvested from patients in each of three age groups: Group 1 (60years old, n =6). Each specimen was tested biaxially using a tension-controlled protocol which spanned a large portion of the strain plane. Response functions fit to experimental data were used as a tool to guide the appropriate choice of the strain energy function W. Results: Under an equibiaxial tension of 120 N/m, the average peak stretch values in the circumferential direction for Groups 1, 2, and 3 were (mean[+ or -]SD) 1.46[+ or -] 0.07, 1.15 [+ or -] 0.07, and 1.11 [+ or -] 0.06, respectively, while the peak stretch values in the longitudinal direction were 1.41[+ or -]0.03, 1.19 [+ or -] 0.11, and 1.10_+0.04, respectively. There were no significant differences between the average longitudinal and circumferential peak stretch within each group (p > 0.1), but both of these values were significantly less (p < 0.001) for Groups 2 and 3 when compared to Group 1. Patients in Group 1 were modeled using a polynomial strain energy function HI, while patients in Groups 2 and 3 were modeled using an exponential form of W, suggesting an age-dependent shift in the mechanical response of this tissue. Conclusion: The biaxial tensile testing results reported here are, to our knowledge, the first given for the human infrarenal aorta and reinforce the importance of determining the functional form of W from experimental data. Such information may be useful for the clinician or researcher in identifying key changes in the biomechanical response of abdominal aorta in the presence of an aneurysm. Keywords: Abdominal Aorta, Biaxial, Constitutive Model, Biomechanics