Mechanopathology of red blood cell diseases — Why mechanics matters

During the onset of a disease a cell may experience alterations in both the composition and organization of its cellular and molecular structures. These alterations may eventually lead to changes in its geometrical and mechanical properties such as cell size and shape, deformability and adhesion. As such, knowing how diseased cells respond to mechanical forces can reveal ways by which they differ from healthy ones. Here, we will present biomechanistic insights into red blood cell related diseases that manifest mechanical property changes and how they directly contribute to the pathophysiology of diseases. By conducting cell and molecular mechanics studies, not only can we elucidate changes in the structure-property-function relationship of diseased cells, we can also exploit the new knowledge gained to develop biomechanics based devices that may better detect and diagnose these diseases as well as help identify important biomechanical targets for possible therapeutic interventions.     

Evolution of damage-induced nonlinearity in proximity of discontinuities in concrete

Understanding the mechanisms and modalities of damage progression close to discontinuities in solids, such as joints, is of great importance for applications in different fields. The interaction between damage and elasticity causes a nonlinear elastic response of the sample to a stress excitation (e.g. in the ultrasonic frequency range). Extracting physical or mechanical information on the sample properties from recorded ultrasonic signals requires a realistic model and an efficient detection method, as it will be discussed in this paper. We study here the successive phases that concrete samples with discontinuities enter by progressively increase the applied external load. Considerations on the mechanisms of damage progression are derived from experimental data using a Preisach–Mayergoyz space approach, developed in order to capture all the observed behaviors.     

Transient wave-blockage interaction and extended blockage detection in elastic water pipelines

Extended partial blockages are common in pressurized water pipelines and can result in the wastage of energy, the reduction in system carrying capacity and the increased potential for contamination. This paper investigates the transient wave-blockage interaction and its application to extended blockage detection in pipelines, where blockage-induced changes to the system resonant frequencies are observed. The frequency shifting is first inspected and explained in this study through wave perturbation analysis, providing a theoretical confirmation for the result that unlike discrete blockages, extended blockages cause resonant frequency shifts in the system. Furthermore, an analytical expression is derived for the relationship between the blockage properties and the resonant frequency shifts and is used to detect the blockages in this study. The obtained results are validated through both numerical applications and laboratory experiments, where the accuracy and efficiency of the developed method for extended blockage detection are tested.     

面向血管病变力学特性表征的光学相干弹性成像研究进展

由于血管病主要发病机制是动脉粥样硬化斑块破裂,所以动脉斑块的力学特性表征对血管病病理研究和诊治具有重要意义.光学相干断层扫描(OCT)作为心血管成像的新技术,能识别斑块的细微组织成分,但是不能评估或预测斑块的破裂风险.面向斑块力学特性表征的弹性成像技术(OCE)近年来逐渐成为了血管力学领域的一个研究热点.本综述首先介绍...     

Metal-based nanoparticles for cardiovascular disease diagnosis and therapy

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the most prominent cause of disability and mortality in the world. Although there have been a variety of therapeutic options for the management of CVDs, most of the traditional therapeutic strategies could not sufficiently stop or reduce the progression of these diseases and may result in some side effects. With the advance in nanotechnology, a number of metal-based nanoparticles have been developed and shown promising potentials in the treatment of CVDs. In this review, we provide a comprehensive review of researches on recent development of metal-based nanoparticles in diagnosis and therapy in CVDs as biomedical materials. We also discuss the challenges in the clinical translation and potential risks in their application of CVD therapy. Based on the ongoing research and applications, we can conclude metal-based nanoparticles are expected to become potential therapeutics for the treatment of CVDs. But their application is still in its infancy and much more efforts should be made to enforce a clinical breakthrough.     

Effects of physical properties of supercritical water on coarse graining of particle cluster

The coarse graining of particle cluster is of great significance to the study of a fluidized bed. The effects of variations in the physical properties of supercritical water on the coarse graining of particle cluster are investigated in this work. The drag coefficient distributions of the particle cluster are not influenced by the physical properties. However, the physical properties have effects on the values of drag coefficient. The effects of physical properties are weaker in the case of large particle concentrations. Furthermore, the physical properties lead to that the effect of particle cluster wake on the drag of downstream particles being significantly different from that of constant property flow. The variation trend of drag of coarse graining particle is consistent with that of isolated particle. The physical properties lead to significant differences in the values of drag. In this paper, the dominance of the effects of physical properties in a variety of cases is confirmed. Finally, a physical properties effect model is developed accordingly.     

Heat transfer characteristics of developing gaseous slip-flow in rectangular microchannels with variable physical properties

The effects of variable physical properties on the flow and heat transfer characteristics of simultaneously developing slip-flow in rectangular microchannels with constant wall temperature are numerically investigated. A colocated finite-volume method is used in order to solve the mass, momentum and energy equations in their most general form. Various channel aspect ratios are studied at different Knudsen numbers. Simulations indicate that the constant physical property assumption can result in under/over-prediction of the local friction and heat transfer coefficients depending on the problem configuration. Density and thermo-physical property variations have significant effects on predicting flow and heat transfer characteristics in the developing and fully-developed regions. The degree of discrepancy varies for different cases depending on Knudsen number, aspect ratio and the temperature difference between the channel inlet and the wall. The results suggest that even low temperature differences can alter the friction and heat transfer coefficients considerably.     

The influence of fluid properties on electrohydrodynamic heat transfer enhancement in liquids under viscous and electrically dominated flow conditions

Fluid property effects on electrohydrodynamic (EHD) heat transfer enhancement were investigated. Heat transfer, pressure drop, electrical power requirements, and the transition between the viscous dominated and electrically dominated flow regimes as a function of fluid properties were examined using three cooling oils having widely varying physical properties. Low viscosity and low electrical conductivity gave the greatest heat transfer enhancement for a given electrical power input. The required electrical power to achieve a specified heat transfer enhancement was greater for working fluids that had a small charge relaxation time, defined as the ratio of the electrical permittivity to the electrical conductivity. These results correlate well with available experimental and analytical data. A theoretical prediction of the effect of fluid properties and forced flow rate on the onset of EHD enhancement was experimentally verified. The onset of significant EHD heat transfer enhancement occurs most readily in low viscosity liquids at low Reynolds number flows for a given electrical power input.     

含肿瘤皮肤组织传热分析的广义有限差分法

生物传热分析在低温外科手术、肿瘤热疗、病热诊断等临床医学治疗和诊断中有着广泛的应用. 由于健康皮肤组织内肿瘤的存在使得肿瘤附近区域的温度会明显升高, 这一特性常被用于检测皮肤组织内的肿瘤生长, 因此有必要开展生物传热数值分析的研究. 本文以含肿瘤的皮肤组织为研究对象, 将一种新型区域型无网格配点法——广义有限差分法应用于能描述含肿瘤皮肤组织传热过程的Pennes方程求解. 广义有限差分法利用泰勒展开式与移动最小二乘法将计算区域内的每个离散点上的物理量导数表示成其与邻近点物理量及权重系数的线性组合, 进而构建得到仅含各离散点未知物理量的线性方程组. 该方法不仅具有无需划分网格、避免数值积分等无网格配点法的优点, 同时还克服了大多数无网格配点法中插值矩阵高度病态的问题, 为此类方法在大规模工程数值计算中的应用提供了可能性. 本文首先介绍了模拟含肿瘤皮肤组织传热过程的广义有限差分法离散模型, 随后通过不含肿瘤与含规则形状肿瘤的基准算例, 检验广义有限差分法的计算精度与收敛性; 在此基础上, 通过数值模拟研究不同肿瘤形状及肿瘤位置分布对皮肤组织内温度分布的影响.      

Indentation of plastically graded substrates by sharp indentors

The present paper investigates the indentation of plastically graded substrates by sharp indentors. Contact analysis of plastically graded surfaces can be particularly useful in the design of load-bearing devices such as gears, rollers and electric contacts found in many macro- and micro-electro-mechanical systems. Substrates made of plastically graded materials are often encountered in nature or are artificially produced as a result of chemical and/or physical surface treatments. The variation of the plastic properties depends on micro-structural or compositional changes of the material with depth. The analysis of indentation of plastically graded substrates by sharp indentors provide the load-penetration response, as well as the strains and stresses inside the substrate, at maximum loading and at complete unloading. The parametric analysis of the solutions enables the direct correlation of the plastic properties and the load-penetration curves obtained from instrumented indentation tests. The variation of the plastic properties can subsequently be related to important micro-structural parameters such as particle composition, dislocation density and grain size. The results of this work show how surface modifications can induce plastic graded properties that strengthen substrates against contact-induced damage.     

Spontaneous instability of soft thin films on curved substrates due to van der Waals interaction

The linear bifurcation theory is used to investigate the stability of soft thin films bonded to curved substrates. It is found that such a film can spontaneously lose its stability due to van der Waals or electrostatic interaction when its thickness reduces to the order of microns or nanometers. We first present the generic method for analyzing the surface stability of a thin film interacting with the substrate and then discuss several important geometric configurations with either a positive or negative mean curvature. The critical conditions for the onset of spontaneous instability in these representative examples are established analytically. Besides the surface energy and Poisson's ratio of the thin film, the curvature of the substrate is demonstrated to have a significant influence on the wrinkling behavior of the film. The results suggest that one may fabricate nanopatterns or enhance the surface stability of soft thin films on curved solid surfaces by modulating the mechanical properties of the films and/or such geometrical properties as film thickness and substrate curvature. This study can also help to understand various phenomena associated with surface instability.     

Nonlinear evolution analysis and stability for convection in a mushy layer with permeable interface

We consider the problem of two- and three-dimensional nonlinear buoyant flows in horizontal mushy layers during the solidification of binary alloys. We study the nonlinear evolution of such flow based on a recently developed realistic model for the mushy layer with permeable interface. The evolution approach is based on a Landau type equation for the amplitude of the secondary nonlinear solution, which can be in the form of rolls, squares, rectangles or hexagons. Using both analytical and computational methods, we calculate the solutions to the evolution equation near the onset of motion for both subcritical and supercritical regimes and determine the stable solutions. We find, in particular, that for several investigated cases with different parameter regimes, secondary solution in the form of subcritical down-hexagons or supercritical up-hexagons can be stable. However, the preferred solution for smallest values of the Rayleigh number and the amplitude of motion is in the form of subcritical down-hexagons. This result appears to agree with the experimental observation on the form of the convective flow near the onset of motion.     

Matrix crack initiation and progression in compositelaminatessubjected to bending and extension

An experimental investigation of matrix crack initiation and progression inglass/epoxy laminates of differentstacking sequences is presented. The laminates have beenloaded in extension and bending, and the degree ofdamage as function of the load has beenrecorded. The changes in certain elastic properties caused by the damagewere also measured, andare compared to results from a previously developed approximate analytic model. Anenergyrelease rate resistance curve is adopted in an attempt to describe the initiation and progression ofmatrixcracks in the laminates. The amount of cracking is also viewed in relation to the straintransverse to the fibres inthe ply under consideration, and the ply stresses at the onset of crackingare calculated. The different damageevolution criteria are compared to the experimental results,and their validity and reliability are discussed. By use ofthe ply strain transverse to the fibres as acritical parameter for damage evolution, the load–deformation curves ofthe tested laminates aresimulated taking damage progression into account.     

Influence of dynamic processes in a film on damage development in an adhesive base

In the process of deformation of such multilayer structures, significant stresses can arise on the foundation-coating interface because of the difference in their physical and mechanical properties, which can result in fracture or coating separation. The action of static or impact loads on damage onset and development in the adhesive layer in such multilayer structures has been investigated almost completely, but similar processes in the case of suddenly applied vibration loads have not been studied to a large extent. The latter draw attention because of the fact that even small variable actions can localize vibrations near the imperfections (inclusions, defects, etc.) and can be accompanied with an increase in the damage of the adhesion layer, which results in partial separation of the film. In the present paper, the possibility of vibration localization in damaged regions and the influence of the localization on the damage development till the film separation are studied. The first of the possible scenarios of the damage region behavior is its monotone increase. The second scenario of damage behavior is its constant stepwise growth. In this case, damage increases on some time intervals and is constant between the intervals. Under the conditions obtained in the paper, this second scenario can be transformed into the first one. The third scenario is that damage does not increase. This scenario can be realized under sufficiently large vibration load frequencies. Some conditions under which damage behavior is determined by the localized oscillating part of the solution are derived.     

攀枝花地区冰期膨胀土的工程特性研究

攀枝花地区冰期膨胀土生成于二冰期晚期中更新统冰期,通过室内和现场物理力学试验和分析,揭示攀枝花地区冰期膨胀土的物理力学性质具有很大的离散性,其性质受土体的矿物成分、含水率、裂隙面、埋藏深度、级配、试验条件等因素、条件的影响。试验研究表明:膨胀土中的裂隙面按光滑程度不相同,可分为两种类型,即光滑裂隙面和光滑擦痕裂隙面; 粗粒矿物对胀缩性影响不大,而细粒矿物对胀缩性影响较大; 裸露或近地表,土层风化剧烈,裂隙较发育,膨胀力度就稍大; 同一地区的膨胀土,蒙脱石含量愈高,自由膨胀率愈大,其膨胀等级就愈高; 不同场地内的膨胀土其物理力学性质指标存在一些差异,但差异性较小; 攀枝花冰期膨胀土层的黏粒含量并不大; 不同场地内的膨胀土抗剪强度值变化较大,同一场地内的膨胀土抗剪强度值有起伏; 攀枝花冰期膨胀土多数呈硬塑-坚硬状,自然状态下其抗压变形能力较好,在浸水饱和状态下,膨胀土的承载力几乎成倍数下降。     

动脉粥样硬化晚期斑块局部应力的流固耦合分析及体外反搏作用干预机制的研究

生物机械力被普遍认为在动脉粥样硬化晚期斑块进程及最终破裂中起着重要的作用. 本文的目的是研究血流灌注、动脉内压、斑块组织和材料特性等因素对斑块局部流动切应力 及斑块结构应力 水平的影响,同时评价临床中的非介入辅助循环疗法 —— 体外反搏 对斑块局部应力水平的干预作用. 采用结合猪动物模型在体测量及三维流固耦合数值仿真的研究方法. 结果显示,当斑块狭窄率一定时 (50%),斑块的流动切应力水平主要由血流灌注决定;而斑块结构应力主要取决于动脉内压及纤维帽 厚度. 只有在纤维帽足够薄的情况下,斑块的材料特性才对斑块结构应力有显著影响;当纤维帽最薄同时脂质池材料最软时,临界斑块壁面应力 因子达到极值的 257.72 kPa (正常生理状态) 及 300.20 kPa (体外反博状态). 由于最大壁面应力、临界斑块壁面应力 及全局最大斑块壁面应力 三个应力因子中,只有临界斑块壁面应力 明显受纤维帽厚度和脂质池材料特性的影响,因此 其可能与斑块进程的关联最为紧密. 此外,体外反博作用明显提高了晚期斑块的应力水平,这是否会给斑块进程及重构带来慢性的影响,需要作更深入的研究.      

Damage process detection of a ceramic tile system by acoustic emission

The debonding and falloff of ceramic tile systems are common failure modes for ceramic finishes of buildings and infrastructures due to the damage accumulation caused by application of mechanical load or changes in environmental conditions. To better understand the mechanism of the damage, a newly developed push-off test was conducted and a quantitative acoustic emission (AE) technique was developed to detect the damage processes during the loading history. The source locations of internal damage were determined by a new three-dimensional algorithm. Test results show that the growth of damage and the onset of failure can be monitored by AE technique. Also, the experimental results indicate that a probability density function of AE activity can be used to quantitatively describe the degree of damage of a material. It was found that the ceramic tile system with a lower strength adhesive displayed a higher AE rate than that with a higher strength adhesive at the same loading level prior to failure.     

磁敏弹性膜的研制、性能表征及应用研究进展

磁敏弹性膜是一种新型的智能材料,其力学、电学、磁学、声学等性质能够受外加磁场的控制,从而在多个领域展现在广泛的应用前景。本文首先从材料设计、制备工艺、结构设计等方面综述了磁敏弹性膜的研制方法,随后详细阐述了磁敏弹性膜的力学、电磁、声学等性能表征及内部机理,最后介绍了磁敏弹性膜在传感器、执行器、柔性机器人等领域的应用,在上述基础上,展望了磁敏弹性膜的发展,也提出了面临的问题及挑战。     

Medical image-based simulation of abdominal aortic aneurysm growth

Advances in theoretical modeling of biological tissue growth and remodeling (G&R) and computational biomechanics have been helpful to capture salient features of vascular remodeling during the progression of vascular diseases. Nevertheless, application of such advances to individualized diagnosis and clinical treatment of diseases such as abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) remains challenging. As a step toward that goal, in this paper, we present a computational framework necessary towards patient-specific modeling of AAA growth. Prior to AAA simulations, using an inverse optimization method, initial material parameters are identified for a healthy aorta such that a homeostatic condition is satisfied for the given medical image-based geometrical model under physiological conditions. Various shapes of AAAs are then computationally created by inducing elastin degradation with different spatio-temporal distributions. The simulation results emphasize the role of extent of elastin damage, geometric complexity of an enlarged AAA, and sensitivity of stress-mediated collagen turnover on the wall stress distribution and the rate of expansion. The results also show that the distributions of stress and local expansion initially correspond to the extent of elastin damage, but change via stress-mediated tissue G&R depending on the aneurysm shape. Finally, we suggest that the current framework can be utilized along with medical images from an individual patient to predict the AAA shape and mechanical properties in the near future via an inverse scheme.     

Towards the efficient computation of effective properties of microstructured materialsVers le calcul efficace des propriétés effectives de materiaux microstructurés

An algorithm for partially relaxing multiwell energy densities, such as for materials undergoing martensitic phase transitions, is presented here. The detection of the rank-one convex hull, which describes effective properties of such materials, is carried out for the most prominent nontrivial case, namely the so-called T_k-configurations. Despite the fact that the computation of relaxed energies (and with it effective properties) is inherently unstable, we show that the detection of these hulls (T₄-configurations) can be carried out exactly and with high efficiency. This allows in practice for their computation to arbitrary precision. In particular, our approach to detect these hulls is not based on any approximation or grid-like discretization. This makes the approach very different from previous (unstable and computationally expensive) algorithms for the computation of rank-one convex hulls or sequential-lamination algorithms for the simulation of martensitic microstructure. It can be used to improve these algorithms. In cases where there is a strict separation of length scales, these ideas can be integrated at a sub-grid level to macroscopic finite-element computations. The algorithm presented here enables, for the first time, large numbers of tests for T₄-configurations. Stochastic experiments in several space dimensions are reported here. To cite this article: C.-F. Kreiner et al., C. R. Mecanique 332 (2004).