Ligament viscoelasticity controls viscous dissipation of energy and thus the potential for injury or catastrophic failure. Viscoelasticity under different loading conditions is likely related to the organization and anisotropy of the tissue. The objective of this study was to quantify the strain- and frequency-dependent viscoelastic behavior of the human medial collateral ligament (MCL) in tens...

The vascular endothelium, by virtue of its position at the interface between blood and the vessel wall, is known to play a critical role in the control of thrombosis and fibrinolysis. Thrombomodulin (TM) is a surface receptor that binds thrombin and is a potent activator of the protein C anticoagulant pathway. Although TM expression is known to be regulated by various cytokines, little is known...

INTRODUCTION Non-maturation and post-maturation venous stenosis are the primary causes of failure within arteriovenous fistulae (AVFs). Although the exact mechanisms triggering failure remain unclear, abnormal hemodynamic profiles are thought to mediate vascular remodelling and can adversely impact on fistula patency. AIM The review aims to clarify the role of shear stress on outward remodell...

Compared to the abdominal aorta, the hemodynamic environment in the inferior vena cava (IVC) is not well described. Using cine phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a custom MRI-compatible cycle in an open-magnet, we quantified mean blood flow rate, wall shear stress, and cross-sectional lumen area in eleven young, normal subjects at the supraceliac and infrarenal levels of the ao...

BACKGROUND Physical forces, such as pressure and flow, are well known to affect vascular function in the coronary circulation. Increases in shear stress produce vasodilation in coronary arterioles in vitro, and constant-flow preparations suggest a role for shear stress-induced vasodilation during adjustments to metabolic demand in vivo. Hypothetically, the regulation of shear stress can be view...

We perform extensive molecular dynamics simulations of two-dimensional frictionless granular materials to determine whether these systems can be characterized by a single static yield shear stress. We consider boundary-driven planar shear at constant volume and either constant shear force or constant shear velocity. Under steady flow conditions, these two ensembles give similar results for the ...

nowadays, soil reinforcement using polymer elements have been investigated by a number of researchers in order to increase the load capacity of soils. reinforcing soils using fibers is a method of soil improvement, which offers a homogenous mixture in combination with soils, regarding their tensile strength. this combination maintains pressure loading capacity and properties in mutual resistant...

We present detailed results for the motion of a finite sized gas bubble in a blood vessel. The bubble (dispersed phase) size is taken to be such as to nearly occlude the vessel. The bulk medium is treated as a shear thinning Casson fluid and contains a soluble surfactant that adsorbs and desorbs from the interface. Three different vessel sizes, corresponding to a small artery, a large arteriole...

BACKGROUND Exposure to disturbed flow, including oscillatory shear stress, stimulates endothelial cells (ECs) to produce bone morphogenic protein (BMP) 4, which in turn activates inflammation, a critical atherogenic step. BMP activity is regulated by the level of BMP antagonists. Until now it was not known whether shear also regulates the expression of BMP antagonists and whether they play a ro...