OBJECTIVES This work deals with the conformational and thermal characterization of a synthetic peptide (S4) released during the proteolysis of human tropoelastin by the matrix metalloproteinase-12 that was shown to form amyloid-like fibres under certain conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS S4 peptides were synthesized by solid-phase methodology and aggregated in solution at 80°C. Fourier transfo...

Natural fibres constitute interesting, low cost and environmentally friendly precursors of carbon fibres. However, they are prone to fuse degrade upon thermal treatment, affecting the properties products unless a stabilization step was included. Aiming reach better understanding mechanism wool as potential precursor for preparation fibres, in this study we have analysed chemical, structural mor...

BACKGROUND It has been established during recent years that smoking is an independent risk factor for the development of premature facial wrinkling. The underlying mechanism is not well known, but elastic fibres of the dermis seem to be the major target of smoke components. OBJECTIVES To determine quantitative and qualitative changes of the dermal elastic tissue of non-sun-exposed skin induce...

Structural batteries are multifunctional devices that store energy and carry mechanical load, simultaneously. The pivotal constituent is the carbon fibre, which acts as not only structural reinforcement, but also electrode by reversibly hosting Li ions. Still, little known about how fibres interact. Here we map inserted in polyacrylonitrile based with Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). We show ...

The centrally located, mitochondria-poor (CMP) and superficially located, mitochondria-rich (SMR) circular muscle fibres in the mantles of some squids provide one of the few known examples of specialization in an obliquely striated muscle. Little is known of the mechanical properties or of the mechanisms and performance consequences of specialization in these fibres. We combined morphological a...

Passive skeletal muscle derives its structural response from the combination of the titin filaments in the muscle fibres, the collagen fibres in the connective tissue and incompressibility due to the high fluid content. Experiments have shown that skeletal muscle tissue presents a highly asymmetrical three-dimensional behaviour when passively loaded in tension or compression, but structural mod...

Saltatory impulse conduction in invertebrates is rare and has only been found in a few giant nerve fibres, such as the pairs of medial giant fibres with a compact multilayered myelin sheath found in shrimps (Penaeus chinensis and Penaeus japonicus) and the median giant fibre with a loose multilayered myelin sheath found in the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris. Small regions of these nerve fibres ...

Soft biological tissues such as aortic walls can be viewed as fibrous composites assembled by a ground matrix and embedded families of collagen fibres. Changes in the structural components of aortic walls such as the ground matrix and the embedded families of collagen fibres have been shown to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of aortic degeneration. Hence, there is a need to develop ...

High-performance fibres are fibre materials that exhibit at least one extraordinary property compared to conventional materials. That is frequently related excellent stability against certain influences such as fire, heat, chemicals or light. Also, a high mechanical strength often of high-performance fibres. Nevertheless, it should be noted weaknesses in addition their advantages. This review p...

Insect muscle fibres can be classed as either phasic or tonic according to their response to potassium depolarization. The phasic fibres contract only transiently during prolonged potassium depolarization, whereas the tonic fibres give a sustained contracture. The extensor tibiae muscle in the metathoracic leg of the locust contains both tonic (T/et) and phasic (P/et) fibres; the electrical, me...