T. Sakai, W. Li, B. Lian, N. Oguma

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 7-8, 2011, DOI:10.3970/icces.2011.016.007

Abstract Long term use of mechanical products provides us a lot of positive environmental effects such as saving resources, saving energy, reducing environmental load to globe and reducing the industrial wastes. Thus, fatigue property of metallic materials in very high cycle regime such as gigacycles has been a new important subject to ensure the long durability of actual mechanical structures during the latest decades. From this point of view, fatigue tests in the long life regime were performed for various kinds of metallic materials by many researchers and a series of experimental results were reported. One… More >

Q. Chen, K. Kariya

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 3-4, 2011, DOI:10.3970/icces.2011.016.003

Abstract Abstract Al alloys have been widely used as engineering materials in many machines and structures because of their excellent properties such as high specific strength, high resistance to corrosion and easy to recycle. Especially, high strength Al alloys are effective to reduce environment load through achieving low fuel consumption in automobile engines. On the other hand, high strength Al alloys have no definite fatigue limit and their fatigue strengths are very low in comparison with their high static strengths. It is important to know the fatigue strength of high strength Al alloys in the long… More >

Shu Q. Liu^∗,†, Brandon J. Tefft^*, Di Zhang^*, Derek Roberts^*, Daniel J. Schuster^*, Allison Wu^*

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.8, No.4, pp. 319-338, 2011, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2011.008.319

Abstract Myocardial ischemia, a disorder causing myocardial infarction and malfunction, can activate various adaptive mechanisms that protect cardiomyocytes from ischemic injury. During the early hours post myocardial ischemia, injured cardiac cells can release several molecules, including adenosine, opioids, and bradykinin, which promote myocardial survival by activating the G protein signaling pathways. During a later phase about several days, myocardial ischemia induces upregulation of growth factors and cytokines, including VEGF, ILGF, HGF, and SDF-1, in the injured myocardium, contributing to cardioprotection. In addition to the injured heart, the liver participates in cardioprotection. In response to myocardial ischemia, More >

H.F. Zhan, Y.T. Gu¹

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.80, No.1, pp. 23-56, 2011, DOI:10.3970/cmes.2011.080.023

Abstract Based on the embedded atom method (EAM) and molecular dynamics (MD) method, in this paper, the tensile deformation properties of Cu nanowires (NWs) with different pre-existing defects, including single surface defects, surface bi-defects and single internal defects, are systematically studied. In-depth deformation mechanisms of NWs with pre-existing defects are also explored. It is found that Young's modulus is insensitive to different pre-existing defects, but yield strength shows an obvious decrease. Defects are observed influencing greatly on NWs' tensile deformation mechanisms, and playing a role of dislocation sources. Besides of the traditional deformation process dominated by More >

Xiaonan Hou¹, Hong Hu¹, Yanping Liu¹, Vadim Silberschmidt²

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.23, No.2, pp. 119-134, 2011, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2011.023.119

Abstract Compressibility of warp-knitted spacer fabrics is one of their important mechanical properties with regard to many special applications such as body protection, cushion and mattresses. Due to specific structural features of the fabric and a non-linear mechanical behavior of monofilaments, the compression properties of this kind of fabrics are very complicated. Although several studies have been performed to investigate their compression behavior, its mechanism has not well been understood yet. This work is concerned with a study of compression mechanism of a selected warp-knitted spacer fabric with a given sandwich structure. Both experimental and numerical… More >

Anneleen Berende^1,3, Marije Oosting^1,2, Bart-Jan Kullberg^1,2, Mihai G. Netea^1,2, Leo A. B. Joosten^1,2

European Cytokine Network, Vol.21, No.1, pp. 7-18, 2010, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2009.0179

Abstract Borrelia is the causative agent of Lyme disease, a widespread disease with important health conse-quences. Immune-mediated mechanisms are believed to play a major role in both host defense and in late com-plications of Lyme disease. Recognition of Borrelia and the initial activation of the innate immune system are important for host defense, as well as modulation of adaptive responses. Several classes of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) have been suggested to be involved in the recognition of Borrelia: Toll-like receptors (TLRs), NOD-like receptors (NLRs) and C-type lectin receptors (CLRs). TLR2 has been found to be the most important More >

Marine Desroches, Gauthier Louis, Aude Gleizes, Roman Krzysiek, Dominique Emilie

European Cytokine Network, Vol.21, No.4, pp. 226-231, 2010, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2010.0212

Abstract The use of TNF-α antagonists has substantially improved the care of many patients with inflam-matory and autoimmune diseases. However, approximately one third of such patients fail to respond well totreatment, regardless of the antagonist used or of the underlying disease. The mechanisms underlying these fail-ures are analyzed in this review, and proposals made concerning how best to adapt therapeutic decisions inthese instances. More >

Fausto Pedro García Márquez¹

Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.6, No.2, pp. 89-100, 2010, DOI:10.3970/sdhm.2010.006.089

Abstract This paper presents a simple graphic method for detecting and classifying faults in point mechanisms based on the study of some statistical parameters of the force and current signals of the point machine. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) employed in order to reduce the number of these parameters. PCA is utilised in this paper for modifying the parameter dataset, and reducing the coordinate system by linear transformation. It is then possible to plot the new coordinate system in 2 or 3 dimensions, where the faults can be detected and identified. In this work most of the More >

I. Černý^1,2, D. Mikulová¹

Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.6, No.1, pp. 43-52, 2010, DOI:10.3970/sdhm.2010.006.043

Abstract Alternative methods of material machining like electro-erosive or water jet cutting, respectively, represent modern technologies, which are perspective to be used as final end-to-shape operations due to their possibilities of automatization and cutting precision. The paper contains results of an investigation of resistance of an aircraft AISI 4340 steel against fatigue loading performed using specimens loaded by three point bending at ambient temperature and standard laboratory conditions. Results of fatigue tests of specimens with surface after electro-erosive and water jet cutting, respectively, are presented, whereas in the latter case, areas of water jet incidence and… More >

R. M. Ardito Marretta^*, F. Ales^†

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.7, No.4, pp. 225-266, 2010, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2010.007.225

Abstract In this paper, cell cycle in higher eukaryotes and their molecular networks signals both inG1/SandG2/Mtransitions are replicatedin silico. Biochemical kinetics, converted into a set of differential equations, and system control theory are employed to design multi-nested digital layers to simulate protein-to-protein activation and inhibition for cell cycle dynamics in the presence of damaged genomes. Sequencing and controlling the digital process of four micro-scale species networks (p53/Mdm2/DNA damage, p21mRNA/cyclin-CDK complex, CDK/CDC25/wee1/ SKP2/APC/CKI and apoptosis target genes system) not only allows the comprehension of the mechanisms of these molecule interactions but paves the way for unraveling the… More >