S. Itoh¹, K. Taguchi¹, Y. Umemoto¹, H. Serizawa¹, H. Murakawa¹

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.5, No.2, pp. 47-54, 2008, DOI:10.3970/icces.2008.005.047

Abstract The authors have proposed Fractal and Hierarchical Multi-Grid Methods for solving ultra large FE problems [1, 2]. In these methods, the domain to be analyzed is subdivided into multi-grid which has fractal or hierarchical structure and the solution is obtained by solving equations for small cells or nodes at each hierarchy successively. In this research, potential capability of a Hierarchical Multi-Grid method is examined through simple example problems. More >

Chen X.Y.^∗,†, Liu Y.^2,‡, Fu B.M.^§, Fan J.T.^¶, Yang J.M.¹

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.5, No.4, pp. 275-284, 2008, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2008.005.275

Abstract Surface glycocalyx, as a barrier to material exchange between circulating blood and body tissues, can be treated as a periodic square array of cylindrical fibers. Previous study treated the glycocalyx as porous media and simulated by continuum theory. However, it has recently been found that a relatively hexagonal fibre-matrix structure may be responsible for the ultrafiltration properties of microvascular walls. The fibre-matrix is an underlaying three-dimensional meshwork with a fibre diameter of 10$\sim$12 nm and characteristic spacing of about 20 nm. The porous medium model does not consider the particle size, when the particle size… More >

Chun Yang^∗,†, Dalin Tang^∗,‡, Shunichi Kobayashi^§, Jie Zheng^¶, Pamela K. Woodard^§, Zhongzhao Teng^*, Richard Bach^||, David N. Ku^∗∗

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.5, No.4, pp. 259-274, 2008, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2008.005.259

Abstract Many acute cardiovascular syndromes such as heart attack and stroke are caused by atherosclerotic plaque ruptures which often happen without warning. MRI-based models with fluid-structure interactions (FSI) have been introduced to perform flow and stress/strain analysis for atherosclerotic plaques and identify possible mechanical and morphological indices for accurate plaque vulnerability assessment. In this paper, cyclic bending was added to 3D FSI coronary plaque models for more accurate mechanical predictions. Curvature variation was prescribed using the data of a human left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. Five computational models were constructed based on ex vivo MRI… More >

Colin K. Choi^*, Brian P. Helmke^∗,†

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.5, No.4, pp. 247-258, 2008, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2008.005.247

Abstract Hemodynamic shear stress guides a variety of endothelial phenotype characteristics, including cell morphology, cytoskeletal structure, and gene expression profile. The sensing and processing of extracellular fluid forces may be mediated by mechanotransmission through the actin cytoskeleton network to intracellular locations of signal initiation. In this study, we identify rapid actin-mediated morphological changes in living subconfluent and confluent bovine aortic endothelial cells (ECs) in response to onset of unidirectional steady fluid shear stress (15 dyn/cm²). After flow onset, subconfluent cells exhibited dynamic edge activity in lamellipodia and small ruffles in the downstream and side directions for the… More >

Abhijit Sinha Roy^*, Lloyd H. Back^†, Rupak K. Banerjee^‡

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.5, No.4, pp. 229-246, 2008, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2008.005.229

Abstract The in vivo and ex vivo compliance of arteries are expected to be closely related and estimated. Fluid-structure interaction analysis can assess the agreement between the two compliances. To evaluate this hypothesis, a pulsatile fluid-structure interaction analysis of blood flow in femoral artery of a dog was conducted using: (1) measured in vivo mean pressure (72.5 mmHg), mean pressure drop (0.59 mmHg), mean velocity (15.1 cm/sec); and (2) ex vivo measurements of non -- linear elastic properties of femoral artery. Additional analyses were conducted for physiological pressures (104.1 and 140.7 mmHg) and blood flow using a characteristic linear pressure More >

Jie Wu^∗,†, Quan Long^‡, Shixiong Xu^*, Anwar R. Padhani^§, Yuping Jiang^¶

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.5, No.4, pp. 217-228, 2008, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2008.005.217

Abstract In this paper, a 3D mathematical model of tumour angiogenesis is developed, to generate a functional tumour vasculature for blood microcirculation. The model follows that of Anderson and Chaplain (1998) ^[1] with three exceptions: (a) extending the model from 2D to 3D, one arteriole and one venule is induced as two parent vessels to form an intact circulation network for blood flow; (b) generating networks able to penetrate into the tumour interior rather than the exterior only; (c) considering branching generations with different diameters, based on which three groups of vessels, such as arterioles, venules and… More >

K.Y. Volokh ^*

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.5, No.3, pp. 207-216, 2008, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2008.005.207

Abstract One of the seminal contributions of Y.C. Fung to biomechanics of soft tissue is the introduction of the models of arterial deformation based on the exponential stored energy functions, which are successfully used in various applications. The Fung energy functions, however, explain behavior of intact arteries and do not include a description of arterial failure. The latter is done in the present work where Fung's model is enhanced with a failure description. The description is based on the introduction of a limiter for the stored energy -- the average energy of chemical bonds, which can More >

Benjamin L. Wong^*, Won C. Bae^*, Kenneth R. Gratz^*, Robert L. Sah^∗,†

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.5, No.3, pp. 197-206, 2008, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2008.005.197

Abstract During joint articulation, the biomechanical behavior of cartilage not only facilitates load-bearing and low-friction, but also provides regulatory cues to chondrocytes. Elucidation of cartilage kinematics under combined compression and shearing conditions clarifies these cues in health and disease. The objectives of this study were to elucidate the effects of lubricant, tissue degeneration, and stress relaxation duration on cartilage shear kinematics during articulation. Human osteochondral cores with normal and mildly degenerate surface structures were isolated. Paired blocks from each core were apposed, compressed, allowed to stress relax for 5 or 60 min, and shear tested with… More >

Benjamin A. Coppola^*, Jeffrey H. Omens^∗,†

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.5, No.3, pp. 183-196, 2008, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2008.005.183

Abstract It is well known that systolic wall thickening in the inner half of the left ventricular (LV) wall is of greater magnitude than predicted by myofiber contraction alone. Previous studies have related the deformation of the LV wall to the orientation of the laminar architecture. Using this method, wall thickening can be interpreted as the sum of contributions due to extension, thickening, and shearing of the laminar sheets. We hypothesized that the thickening mechanics of the ventricular wall are determined by the structural organization of the underlying tissue, and may not be influenced by factors… More >

Vedula S.R.K.^*, Lim T.S.^†, Hunziker W.^‡, Lim C.T.^§

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.5, No.3, pp. 169-182, 2008, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2008.005.169

Abstract Intercellular adhesion molecules play an important role in regulating several cellular processes such as a proliferation, migration and differentiation. They also play an important role in regulating solute diffusion across monolayers of cells. The adhesion characteristics of several intercellular adhesion molecules have been studied using various biochemical assays. However, the advent of single molecule force spectroscopy as a powerful tool to analyze the kinetics and strength of protein interactions has provided us with an opportunity to investigate these interactions at the level of a single molecule. The study of interactions involving intercellular adhesion molecules has More >