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 >

John T. Parissis, Stamatis Adamopoulos¹, Koula Venetsanou, George Kostakis, Antonios Rigas, Spilios M. Karas, Dimitrios Kremastinos¹

European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.2, pp. 139-144, 2004

Abstract No in vivo data exist about the relationship of circulating granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and soluble adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 (sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1) to the severity of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and the pathophysiological events of post-infarction left ventricular dysfunction. We investigated the kinetics of these inflammatory mediators in the plasma of patients with AMI, and correlated the findings with the clinical severity of the disease during the first week of hospitalization as well as the degree of left ventricular dysfunction one month after the AMI.
Plasma levels of inflammatory markers were determined in… More >

Marielle K. Bouyou-Akotet^1,2,3, Maryvonne Kombila³, Peter G. Kremsner^1,2, Elie Mavoungou^1,2

European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.2, pp. 120-125, 2004

Abstract During gestation, inflammatory cytokines are sometimes more abundant than growth-promoting cytokines, and via direct or indirect effects, proinflammatory cytokines lead to intrauterine growth retardation. We used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to measure the concentrations of three proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-12 (IL-12p40), as well as interleukin-15 (IL-15) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), in plasma from peripheral, placental and cord blood of thirty pregnant Gabonese women. All of these women lived in Libreville and Lambaréné, two malaria hyperendemic areas. IL-12p40 concentrations were higher in cord blood than in placental or peripheral blood. The… More >

Yih-Hsin Chang¹, Chien-Ning Huang², Ming-Yuh Shiau^3,4

European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.2, pp. 112-116, 2004

Abstract Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis are two of the most important health problems according to current gastroenterology literature. Based on the recent developments in the field of immunology, advanced follow-up and treatment modalities have been introduced for these disorders. Immune defence against viral infections depends on effective cellular immune responses derived mainly from Th1-related cytokines. Th2 type immune responses can inhibit efficient immune function by secretion of several cytokines such as IL-10, TGF-β1. In this particular study, we determined the serum levels of TGF-β1, which plays a role in immune suppression and induction of tissue… More >