Dimitrije Stamenovic´ ¹

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.2, No.2, pp. 69-76, 2005, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2005.002.069

Abstract It is well established that adherent cells change their orientation in response to non-uniform substrate stretching. Most observations indicate that cells orient away from the direction of the maximal substrate strain, whereas in some cases cells also align with the direction of the maximal strain. Previous studies suggest that orientation and steering of the cell may be closely tied to cytoskeletal contractile stress but they could not explain the mechanisms that direct cell reorientation. This led us to develop a simple, mechanistic theoretical model that could predict a direction of cell orientation in response to More >

R. Matsumoto¹, M. Nakagaki¹, A. Nakatani², H. Kitagawa³

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.9, No.1, pp. 75-84, 2005, DOI:10.3970/cmes.2005.009.075

Abstract In this paper, the internal structure-changes around the crack-tip and the pertinent crack growth behavior in an amorphous metal were studied by a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. In order to perform a large scale calculation, the domain decomposition method was used for parallel calculation. The Finnis-Sinclair potential for$\alpha$-iron was used to describe the interatomic potential. Computed results show that nano-scaled crystalline phase grows around the crack-tip. The distribution of deformation zones and deformation mechanism are significantly altered. While grains are relatively small, they are not deformed, and the most amorphous-crystal interfaces have a large strain More >

X. Han¹, H. Ding^∗2, G. R. Liu¹

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.9, No.1, pp. 49-56, 2005, DOI:10.3970/cmes.2005.009.049

Abstract An analytical-numerical method is presented for analyzing dispersion and characteristic surface of waves in a hybrid multilayered piezoelectric plate. In this method, the multilayered piezoelectric plate is divided into a number of layered elements with three-nodal-lines in the wall thickness, the coupling between the elastic field and the electric field is considered in each element. The associated frequency dispersion equation is developed and the phase velocity and slowness, as well as the group velocity and slowness are established in terms of the Rayleigh quotient. Six characteristic wave surfaces are introduced to visualize the effects of More >

W. J. Ferguson¹, B. Palananthakumar²

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.8, No.3, pp. 201-216, 2005, DOI:10.3970/cmes.2005.008.201

Abstract Environmental and safety issues associated with landfill gas require the control of off-site migration. Mathematical modelling can assist in the understanding of the processes and mechanisms controlling gas migration from municipal waste disposal sites. This paper presents the development and application of a mathematical model that simulates landfill gas migration within a partially saturated soil. This model accounts for two-phase flow and incorporates multi-component (methane, carbon dioxide, dry air and moisture) transport in the gas and liquid phases together with concomitant heat migration. The governing system of fully coupled non-linear partial differential equations of the… More >

S. Deguchi^1,2, T. Ohashi², M. Sato²

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.2, No.4, pp. 205-216, 2005, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2005.002.205

Abstract Intracellular stress transmission through subcellular structural components has been proposed to affect activation of localized mechano-sensing sites such as focal adhesions in adherent cells. Previous studies reported that physiological extracellular forces produced heterogeneous spatial distributions of cytoplasmic strain. However, mechanical signaling pathway involved in intracellular force transmission through basal actin stress fibers (SFs), a mechano-responsive cytoskeletal structure, remains elusive. In the present study, we investigated force balance within the basal SFs of cultured smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells by (i) removing the cell membrane and cytoplasmic constituents except for materials physically attaching to the… More >

R. Matsumoto, M. Nakagaki

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.10, No.3, pp. 187-198, 2005, DOI:10.3970/cmes.2005.010.187

Abstract Large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of tensile deformation of amorphous metals containing a nano-crystalline particle were performed in order to clarify the effects of particle size and crystal volume fraction on the deformation mechanism and strength. It became clear that particle size has very little effect, while crystal volume fraction has a substantial influence. Elastic modulus and flow stress intensify as crystal volume fraction increases. Furthermore, the stress in the crystal phase continues to increase, even after yielding in the amorphous phase. Consequently, work-hardening effects appear, preventing localization of plastic deformation. Thus, the dispersed nano-crystalline particles… More >

J. Bahen¹, O. Gaber¹, K. Behdinan², J. De Beer³, P. Zalzal⁴, M. Papini¹, M. Z. Saghir¹

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.1, No.4, pp. 343-352, 2005, DOI:10.3970/fdmp.2005.001.343

Abstract The penetration of the reamer into the medullary cavity can be compared to a piston entering a cylinder filled with viscous fluid. When the flutes of the reamer are clogged with bone debris, fat and marrow, the piston effect is magnified and larger pressures are usually obtained. This paper considers a reamer with clogged flutes and investigates whether the rotation speed of the reamer has a significant influence on the pressure within the intramedullary cavity. The effect of reamer rotation speed on the pressure distribution within the bone is investigated numerically by solving the full More >

C. W. Lan¹, B. C. Yeh

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.1, No.1, pp. 33-44, 2005, DOI:10.3970/fdmp.2005.001.033

Abstract The suppression of unstable Marangoni convection in floating-zone crystal growth by magnetic fields has enjoyed over recent years a widespread use as a reliable and useful strategy. A transversal direction of the field is particularly efficient, but asymmetric zone shapes and thus segregation are induced. Counter-rotation of the feed and of the crystal rods is a common way to improve dopant homogeneity. However, its effects under magnetic fields are complex and have not yet been studied in detail. In the present analysis, three-dimensional (3D) simulations based on a finite-volume/multigrid method are used to illustrate the More >

G. Mishuris¹, A. Öchsner², G. Kuhn³

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.2, No.4, pp. 227-238, 2005, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2005.002.227

Abstract FEM-evaluation of imperfect transmission conditions has been performed for a modelling problem of an elastic structure with a thin intermediate interface. Very good correlations with theoretical results have been obtained. Additionally, the possible error connected with introducing the transmission conditions instead of the intermediate zone has been estimated depending on mechanical properties of the zone. More >

Marcello Lappa ¹

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 51-64, 2005, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2005.002.051

Abstract A possible approach for the investigation of a number of aspects related to the processing of immiscible alloys, made possible by recent progress in both fields of moving boundary (VOF) methods and speed of computers, is discussed. It can capture in a single numerical treatment and without limiting assumptions both macroscopic information (i.e. the macrophysical problem, heretofore treated in terms of population dynamics) and microscopic details (i.e. the microphysical problem, heretofore treated within the framework of boundary integral methods and/or under the assumption of nondeformable drops). The role played by coalescence in changing the Marangoni More >