The effect of wing flexibility in hoverflies was investigated using an at-scale mechanical model. Unlike dynamically-scaled models, an at-scale model can include all phenomena related to motion and deformation of the wing during flapping. For this purpose, an at-scale polymer wing mimicking a hoverfly was fabricated using a custom micromolding process. The wing has venation and corrugation prof...

OBJECTIVES We aimed to further evaluate the biomechanical characteristics of two locking screws versus three standard bicortical screws in synthetic models of normal and osteoporotic bone. METHODS Synthetic tubular bone models representing normal bone density and osteoporotic bone density were used. Artificial fracture gaps of 1 cm were created in each specimen before fixation with one of two...

It is essential to investigate the mechanical behaviour of cytoskeletal actin filaments in order to understand their critical role as mechanical components in various cellular functional activities. These actin filaments consisting of monomeric molecules function in the thermal fluctuations. Hence, it is important to understand their mechanical behaviour on the microscopic scale by comparing th...

A new method is presented for identifying the local stiffness of a structure from vibration test data. The method is based on a projection of the experimentally measured flexibility matrix onto the strain energy distribution in local elements or regional superelements. Using both a presumed connectivity and a presumed strain energy distribution pattern, the method forms a well-determined linear...

Background: Determining the stability of a callus distraction is today largely based on measurement of bone density and qualitative evaluation of bone structure on plain radiographs. In the present study, we demonstrate how computed tomography (CT) and finite element (FE) models can be used together in a simple and effective manner to evaluate the healing of a leg lengthening. Method of Approac...

We present an optimization approach for a tubular steel trellis motorbike-frame based on evolutionary methods. The optimization objective is to minimize the mass of the frame subject to a given torsional stiffness and a strength constraint occurring during braking of the motorbike. Further we take into account different constraints on available tube sizes, what leads to continuous, discrete or ...

Biomechanical research relies heavily on laboratory evaluation and testing with osseous animal structures. While many femora models are currently in use, including those of the European red deer (Cervus elaphus), the Odocoileus virginianus femur remains undocumented, despite its regional abundance in North America. The objective of this study was to compare biomechanical and morphological prope...

This paper analyses whether it is possible to use dynamic compression plates (DCPs) and screw locking elements (SLEs) to vary the flexibility of osteoporotic fracture fixation without compromising the strength and stability of the construct. Compression, torsion and four-point bending static strength tests were conducted. Cyclic load tests of up to 10,000 load cycles were also carried out to de...

The free vibration characteristics of a dual split torque transmission are studied in this work. A transversetorsional coupling dynamic model is developed using lumped parameter method. The natural frequencies and mode shapes are calculated by solving the eigenvalue problem of the differential equations of motion. The vibration modes of the system are classified into translational mode and rota...