Fluid Flow Analysis of Integrated Porous Bone Scaffold and Cancellous Bone at Different Skeletal Sites: In Silico Study

The dynamic characteristic of bone is its ability to remodel itself through mechanobiological responses. Bone regeneration is triggered by mechanical cues from physiological activities that generate structural strain and cause bone marrow movement. This phenomenon is crucial for bone scaffold when implanted in the cancellous bone as host tissue. Often, the fluid movement of bone scaffold and cancellous bone is studied separately, which does not represent the actual environment once implanted. In the present study, the fluid flow analysis properties of bone scaffold integrated into the cancellous bone at different skeletal sites are investigated. Three types of porous bone scaffolds categorized based on pore size configurations: 1 mm, 0.8 mm and hybrid (0.8 mm interlaced with 0.5 mm) were used. Three different skeletal sites of femoral bone were selected: neck, lateral condyle and medial condyle. Computational fluid dynamics was utilized to analyze the fluid flow properties of bone scaffold integrated cancellous bone. The results of this study reveal that the localization and maximum value of shear stress in an independent bone scaffold are significantly different compared to the bone scaffold integrated with cancellous bone by about 160% to 448% percentage difference. Low shear stress and high permeability were found across models that have higher Tb.Sp (trabecular separation). Specimen C and femoral lateral condyle showed the highest permeability in their respective category.

     

Entrainment of randomly coupled oscillator networks by a pacemaker

Entrainment by a pacemaker, representing an element with a higher frequency, is numerically investigated for several classes of random networks which consist of identical phase oscillators. We find that the entrainment frequency window of a network decreases exponentially with its depth, defined as the mean forward distance of the elements from the pacemaker. Effectively, only shallow networks can thus exhibit frequency locking to the pacemaker. The exponential dependence is also derived analytically as an approximation for large random asymmetric networks.     

Vibrational energy distribution of CO in the oxidation of C on Pt

CO, excited to its seventh vibrational level, is generated by C oxidation on Pt at 1000–1400 K. Analysis of its Fourier transform IR emission spectrum suggests a non-equilibrium, yet statistical, vibrational distribution. A long-lived reaction complex involving 2–3 Pt atoms is postulated.     

Synchronization engineering: theoretical framework and application to dynamical clustering

A method for engineering the global behavior of populations of rhythmic elements is presented. The framework, which is based on phase models, allows a nonlinear time-delayed global feedback signal to be constructed which produces an interaction function corresponding to the desired behavior of the system. It is shown theoretically and confirmed in numerical simulations that a polynomial, delayed feedback is a versatile tool to tune synchronization patterns. Dynamical states consisting of one to four clusters were engineered to demonstrate the application of synchronization engineering in an experimental electrochemical system.     

Desynchronization and clustering with pulse stimulations of coupled electrochemical relaxation oscillators

Effects of pulse stimulations on the dynamics of relaxation oscillator populations were experimentally studied in a globally coupled electrochemical system. Similar to smooth oscillations, weakly and moderately relaxational oscillations possess a vulnerable phase, ?_S; pulses applied at ?_S resulted in desynchronization followed by a return to the synchronized state. In contrast to smooth oscillators, weakly and moderately relaxational oscillators exhibited transient and itinerant cluster dynamics, respectively. With strongly relaxational oscillators the pulse applied at a vulnerable phase effected transitions to other cluster configurations without effective desynchronization. Repeated pulse administration resulted in a cluster state that is stable against the perturbation; the cluster configuration is specific to the pulse administered at the vulnerable phase. The pulse-induced transient clusters are interpreted with a phase model that includes first and second harmonics in the interaction function and exhibits saddle type cluster states with strongly stable intra-cluster and weakly unstable inter-cluster modes.     

Determination of 1,3-bis(4-hydroxyiminomethylpyridinium)-propane dichloride (TMB-4) with Pd(II)

The colour reaction of TMB-4 and palladium(II) chloride has been investigated. The optimum reaction conditions, spectral characteristics, stability constant and composition of the yellow water-soluble complex have been established. A new spectrophotometric method is proposed for microdetermination of TMB-4.