Mechanical Properties of Cells Estimated by Different Models of Micropipette Aspiration

Background The mechanical properties are related with many biological functions of cells. Accurate quantification of the mechanical properties of living cells require the combined use of experimental techniques and theoretical models. Micropipette aspiration (MPA) is one of common techniques in determining mechanical properties of the living cells. The halfspace model (HSM) is employed in MPA technique. However,in the conditions of linear constitutive relations and small deformations,the HSM is inadequate for characterizing the MPA of a spherical cell in two respects. Firstly,the cell size is fairly finite other than semi-infinite to the inner radius of a micropipette;Secondly,cells are compressible,with a Poisson’s ratioνvarying from 0. 2 to 0. 4 (23-25) instead of incompressible (ν=0. 5). Thus,a more accurate model is necessary.In this study,the viscoelastic expressions were derived from our previous MPA test. Then,a sphere model (SM) employed to analyze mechanical properties of rabbit chondrocytes combined with the experimental data. Differences in mechanical properties estimated by different mechanical models were evaluated.Methods A sphere model (SM) was employed. The relative dimension of cell to micropipette and the compressibility of the cell were taken into account,as shown in Fig. 1a.■Fig.1 Sphere model of the MPA of a single cell employing different constitutive relationships The approximate expression for the aspirated length was obtained from our previous study as follows:■Furthermore,assuming that the cell behaves as a homogeneous and isotropic standard linear solid (Fig. 1b),two viscoelastic creep expressions of the aspirated length for incompressible sphere model (ICSM) and for compressible sphere model (CSM) were derived by elastic-viscoelastic correspondence principle and integral transformation as Eqs.(2) and (3)respectively.■Results(1) Comparisons of models The elastic modulus from the ICSM was 47. 4%higher than that of the half-space model (HSM)(P<0. 001). For the CSM,the percentage increase in E over the value for the HSM was 87. 7%,78. 9%,and 64. 9%when the Poisson’s ratio was set to 0. 2,0. 3,and 0. 4,respectively.For the viscoelasticity,the parameters for the ICSM and CSM were significantly larger than those of the HSM (P <0. 001). The k1,k2,andμfor the ICSM were 37. 8%,37. 9%,and 39. 0%higher,respectively,than those of the HSM. For the CSM,the viscoelastic parameters decreased with the increase ofν. Whenν=0. 3,k1,k2,andμincreased by 71. 0%,200%,and 157%,respectively,compared to those of the ICSM (P<0. 001);For the cases ofν=0. 2 andν=0. 4,the above parameters were respectively 102%,243%,and 209%and 35. 3%,97. 5%,and 79%higher than those of the ICSM.(2) Predictions for the relative errors of mechanical parameters caused by HSM e is defined as the relative change of elastic moduli (or relative error) between the HSM and SM. As shown in Fig. 2,when Poisson’s ratioνis 0. 3,in order to let the e less than 30%,relative dimension between the cell and the micropipetteξneeds to be at least 5. 0. Whenνequals 0. 5 (ICSM),ξis about 3. 3 to make the e reach 20%. However,ξis rarely larger than 5. 0 in general MPA experiments,thus the relative error of modulus will exceed 30%. The above results are independent of cell types,thus they are applicable to other spherical solid-like cells.■Fig.2 Thresholds ofξvarying withνwhen e was 10%,20%,and 30%,respectively Another parameter VR was introduced to represent the relative errors of viscoelastic parameters between HSM and SM.With regard to ICSM (Fig. 3a),whenξis 3,VRis nearly 22%. If theξis larger than 8. 0,the relative error will be reduced to less than 10%. For the CSM,the viscoelastic parameters of a typical chondrocyte varying withξandνwere obtained,as shown from Figs. 3b to 3d. Whenνtends to 0. 5,the parameters tend to those of ICSM. When theξexceeds 10,each parameter changes very little. For a certain Poisson’s ratio (ν=0. 3),whenξis 3,the VR of k1,k2,andμare 47. 1%,70. 8%,and 68. 2%,respectively. Whenξequals 5 and 10,the above values are 42. 3%,68. 8%,65%,and 38. 4%,66. 0%,63. 2%,respectively. For a givenξ(ξ=3),whenνis 0. 2,the VR of k1,k2,andμare 53. 6%,73. 3%,and 75. 0%,respectively.Whenνis taken as 0. 3 and 0. 4,the above errors are 47. 7%,71. 1%,68. 2%,and 38. 4%,58. 8%,54. 8%,respectively.Thus,the VR also decreases with the increase ofξandν.Conclusions The effects of the relative dimension between the cell,and micropipette and the Poisson’s ratio of cell were remarkable and should be taken into consideration in the pursuit of more accurate mechanical parameters of cells.

Effect of addition of Si on microstructure, mechanical properties, bio-corrosion and cytotoxicity of Mg-6Al-1Zn alloy

The Mg-6Al-4Zn alloy was fabricated by mechanical alloying(MA)and hot pressing to serve as biodegradable metal implant.The influence of addition of 1%Si(mass fraction)on the microstructure,mechanical properties and bio-corrosion behavior of Mg-6Al-1Zn alloy was studied using X-ray diffractometry,transmission electron microscopy,compression test,as well as immersion,electrochemical test and MTT assay.The results showed that the addition of 1%Si to Mg-6Al-1Zn alloy led to the formation of fine Mg2Si phase with polygonal shape,and increased compressive strength,elongation and improved corrosion resistance.Furthermore,the cell viability of Saos-2 cells has been improved by addition of 1%Si to Mg-6Al-1Zn alloy.According to the results,the magnesium ions released in the methylthiazol tetrazolium(MTT)test have not shown any cell toxicity.All these indicated that the addition of 1%Si improved the properties of Mg-6Al-4Zn alloy for using as a biodegradable implant.

Structural properties of scaffolds:Crucial parameters towards stem cells differentiation

Tissue engineering is a multidisciplinary field that applies the principles of engineering and life-sciencesfor regeneration of damaged tissues. Stem cells have attracted much interest in tissue engineering as a cell source due to their ability to proliferate in an undifferentiated state for prolonged time and capability of differentiating to different cell types after induction. Scaffolds play an important role in tissue engineering as a substrate that can mimic the native extracellular matrix and the properties of scaffolds have been shown to affect the cell behavior such as the cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation. Here, we focus on the recent reports that investigated the various aspects of scaffolds including the materials used for scaffold fabrication, surface modification of scaffolds, topography and mechanical properties of scaffolds towards stem cells differentiation effect. We will present a more detailed overview on the effect of mechanical properties of scaffolds on stem cells fate.

Hydriding/dehydriding properties of Mg-Ni-based ternary alloys synthesized by mechanical grinding

The Mg-Ni-based ternary alloys Mg2-xTixNi(x=0,0.2,0.4)and Mg2Ni1-xZrx(x=0,0.2,0.4)were successfully synthesized by mechanical grinding.The phases in the alloys and the hydriding/dehydriding properties of the alloys were investigated.Mg2Ni and Mg are the main hydrogen absorption phases in the alloys by XRD analysis.Hydriding kinetics curves of the alloys indicate that the hydrogen absorption rate increases after partial substitution of Ti for Mg and Zr for Ni.According to the measurement of pressure-concentration-isotherms and Van't Hoff equation,the relationship between ln p(H2)and 1 000/T was established.It is found that while increasing the content of correspondingly substituted elements at the same temperature,the equilibrium pressure of dehydriding increases,the enthalpy change and the stability of the alloy hydride decrease.

The study of measuring technology on the dynamic mechanical properties of welded joint with high strainrate

In this paper, to meet the needs of studying work of dynamic mechanical properties of welded joint, the dynamic mechanical properties of welded joint were measured by means of SHPB(Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar).The dynamic mechanical property's curves of every part of welded joint were obtained. For studying the dynamic behavior of mechanical heterogeneity of welded joint, important data were offered. The method of test creates a new way of studying dynamic mechanical properties of welded joint.

Cell-structure and mechanical properties of closed-cell aluminum foam

The density, cell size and structure of closed-cell aluminum foam were measured by optical microscopy and image analysis. The properties and the mechanism of compressive deformation that occur in closed-cell aluminum foam were measured and discussed. The results show that the cell size of foam with density of 0.37 mg/m^3 is distributed in the range of 0.5 4.0 mm. The cell size of foam with density of 0.33 mg/m^3 is distributed in the range of 0.55.0 mm. The cell wall thickness of both types is 0.10.3 mm. The closed-cell aluminum foam almost belongs to isotropic one, with a variation of ±15% in elastic modulus and yield strength in longitudinal and transverse direction. Under compressive loading, foam materials show inhomogeneous macroscopic deformation. The site of the onset of local plastic deformation depends on the cell structure. The shape of cell is more important than size in determining the yielding susceptibility of the cells. At early stage of deformation,the deformation is localized in narrow bands having width of one cells diameter, and outside the bands the cell still remains the original shape. The cells within bands experience large permanent deformation. The band normals are usually within 20° of the loading axis.

Numerical simulation of thermo-mechanical fatigue properties for particulate reinforced composites

In this paper, a two dimensional Voronoi cell element, formulated with creep, thermal and plastic strain, is applied for the numerical simulation of thermo-mechanical fatigue behavior for particulate reinforced composites. The relation between mechanical fatigue phases and thermal fatigue phases influences the thermo-mechanical fatigue behavior and cyclic creep damage. The topological features of micro-structure in particulate reinforced composites, such as the orientation, depth-width ratio, distribution and volume fraction of inclusions, have a great influence on thermo-mechanical behavior. Some related conclusions are obtained by examples of numerical simulation.

A novel Al-10Si-2Fe master alloy and its ef ect on inoculation of eutectic cells in Sr-modii ed A356 alloy

To investigate the possibility of inoculating eutectic cells, a novel AI-10Si-2Fe master alloy was synthesized and tested in Sr-modified A356 alloy. The new master alloy that consists of reAl, Si andβ-AIsFeSi phases was prepared by a casting process, and the silicon phase was found to grow epitaxially from theβ-AIsFeSi particles. The inoculation efficiency of the new master alloy on Sr-modified A356 alloy has been investigated by quenching experiment and thermal analysis. With the addition of the new master alloy, the area density of eutectic cells is effectively increased by 100% and the eutectic growth temperature is increased by 1.5 ℃. Therefore, the new master alloy is deduced to introduce nucleating substrates for eutectic cells and to refine the eutectic cells in Sr-modifled A356 alloy. There is no poisonous interaction between the AI-10Si-2Fe master alloy and the Sr in this study. Consequently, the mechanical properties have been improved by the addition of the new master alloy.

Elastic modulus affects the growth and differentiation of neural stem cells

It remains poorly understood if carrier hardness, elastic modulus, and contact area affect neural stem cell growth and differentiation. Tensile tests show that the elastic moduli of Tiansu and SMI silicone membranes are lower than that of an ordinary dish, while the elastic modulus of SMI silicone membrane is lower than that of Tiansu silicone membrane. Neural stem cells from the cerebral cortex of embryonic day 16 Sprague-Dawley rats were seeded onto ordinary dishes as well as Tiansu silicone membrane and SMI silicone membrane. Light microscopy showed that neural stem cells on all three carriers show improved adherence. After 7 days of differentiation, neuron specific enolase, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and myelin basic protein expression was detected by immunofluorescence. Moreover, flow cytometry revealed a higher rate of neural stem cell differentiation into astrocytes on Tiansu and SMI silicone membranes than on the ordinary dish, which was also higher on the SMI than the Tiansu silicone membrane. These findings con- firm that all three cell carrier types have good biocompatibility, while SMI and Tiansu silicone membranes exhibit good mechanical homogenization. Thus, elastic modulus affects neural stem cell differentiation into various nerve cells. Within a certain range, a smaller elastic modulus re- sults in a more obvious trend of cell differentiation into astrocytes.

PREDICTION OF TEXTILE FABRIC REINFORCED COMPOSITE PROPERTIES BASED ON NODE INTERPOLATION CELL METHOD

Node interpolation cell method（NICM）is a micromechanics method employing the virtual displacement principle and the representative volume element（RVE）scheme to obtain the relationship between the global and the local strain.Mechanical properties of 2-D textile fabric reinforced ceramic matrix composites are predicted by NICM.Microstructures of 2-D woven and braided fabric reinforced composite are modeled by two kinds of RVE scheme.NICM is used to predict the macroscopic mechanical properties.The fill and warp yarns are simulated with cubic B-spline and their undulating forms are approximated by sinusoid.The effect of porosity on the fiber and matrix are considered as a reduction of elastic module.The connection of microstructure parameters and fiber volume fraction is modeled to investigate the reflection on the mechanical properties.The results predicted by NICM are compared with that by the finite element method（FEM）.The comparison shows that NICM is a valid and feasible method for predicting the mechanics properties of 2-D woven and braided fabric reinforced ceramic matrix composites.

Properties and microstructure of NiO/SDC materials for SOFC anode applications

NiO/SDC composites and Ni/SDC cermets for solid oxide fuel cell （SOFC） anode applications were prepared from nickel oxide （NiO） and samada doped ceria （SDC） powders by the powder metallurgy process. The physical and mechanical properties, as well as the microstructure of the NiO/SDC composites and the Ni/SDC cermets were investigated. It is shown that the sintedng temperature of the NiO/SDC composites and NiO content plays an important role in determining the microstructure and properties of the NiO/SDC composites, which, in turn, influences the microstructure, electrical conductivity, and mechanical properties of the Ni/SDC cermets. The present study demonstrated that composition and tprocess parameters must be appropriately selected to optimize the microstructure and the properties of NiO/SDC materials for solid oxide fuel cell applications.

Analysis of the mechanical property of mudstone/shale in paralic coal measures and its influence factors

The mechanical property of mudstone/shale in coal measures is a key factor of engineering mechanics that influences the development of shale gas. A rock mechanics test was performed in order to analyze the complete stress-strain mechanic characteristics and influence factors of mudstone/shale in paralic coal measures, from the Carboniferous-Permian periods in a coal field of Northern China. The relationship between the mechanical properties of mudstone/shale in coal measures, and its chemical component, water content are established, and their models are constructed. Research results show that mud- stone/shale has low mechanical strength, low elastic modulus and a high Poisson＇s ratio. The complete stress-strain curve has apparent elastoplastic deformation characteristics, and after reaching peak strength, it exhibits obvious strain softening characteristics. The uniaxial compressive strength of mudstone/shale and its elastic modulus increases exponentially with the increase of SiO2 content, and as the ignition loss increases, the uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus of mudstone/shale will decrease according to the law of power function. The compressive strength of mudstone/shale and its elastic modulus will decrease with the increase of water content in mudstone/shale.

Influence of pile-up on nanoindentation measurements in Cu-2wt.%Be samples with precipitates

The influence of pile-up on the nanoindentation measurements in Cu 2wt.%Be samples with precipitates was carefully studied.The precipitates were formed by aging treatments for 1 h at different temperatures between 540 and 680 K.The load depth curves were analyzed using the classical Oliver and Pharr method,and the obtained elastic modulus and hardness were compared with values estimated by other techniques.An important level of pile-up was found in samples with precipitates and differences in the load depth curves were observed between the unaged and aged samples.A correction of the contact depth considering the pile-up proposed by Loubet was used for hardness estimation.For the determination of the elastic modulus,an approach based on the relation between the ratio of unloading work to indentation total work,with the ratio H/Er(H is the hardness;Er is the reduced modulus),was employed.A specific relation between both parameters was developed.

Mechanical characterization of Pinus massoniana cell walls infected by blue-stain fungi using in situ nanoindentation

Characterizing the mechanical properties of wood cell walls will lead to better understanding and optimization of modifications made to wood infected by the blue-stain fungi.In this study,in situ nanoindentation was used to characterize the mechanical properties of the cell walls of Pinus massoniana infected by blue-stain fungi at the cellular level.The results show that in situ nanoindentation is an effective method for this purpose and that blue-stain fungi penetrate wood structures and degrade wood cell walls,significantly reducing the mechanical properties of the cell walls.The method can also be used to evaluate and improve the properties of other wood species infected by blue-stain fungi.

Mechanical stretching of 3D hydrogels for neural stem cell differentiation

While it is known that mechanical dynamics are influential in neural differentiation for critical processes like neurogenesis or neurodegeneration, studies on neural stem cell therapies usually focus on biochemical interactions rather than mechanical aspects, frequently resulting in low efficacy and unfulfilled potential. Therefore, current studies are attempting to elucidate the effect of mechanical stimulus on neural performance using conventional two-dimensional(2D) planar substrates. Yet, these2D substrates fail to capture the defining three-dimensional(3D) characteristics of the in vivo neural stem cell environment.To complete this research gap, we synthesized a series of soft and elastic 3D hydrogels to mimic the neural tissue mechanical environment for 3D cell culture, using long-chain polyethylene glycol diacrylate(PEGDA) and gelatin-methacryloyl(Gel MA).By varying the concentration of the polymer, we obtained biomimicking hydrogels with a tensile modulus as low as 10 k Pa and a compressive modulus as low as 0.8 k Pa. The in vitro results demonstrated that Gel MA-PEGDA hydrogels have the high biocompatibility required to support neural cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation, as well as neurite outgrowth. We then studied the effect of mechanical stretching on the behaviors of neural cells and observed that mechanical stretching could significantly enhance neurite extension and axon elongation. In addition, the neurites were more directionally oriented to the stretching direction. Immunocytochemistry and relative gene expression data also suggested that mechanical tension could upregulate the expression of neural differentiation protein and genes, including GFAP and βIII-Tubulin. Overall, this study shows that in addition to the specific mechanical properties of Gel MA-PEGDA that improve neural differentiation towards specific lineages, hydrogel stretching is also a potentially attractive strategy to improve the therapeutic outcomes of neural stem cell therapies.

Easy calibration method of vision system for in-situ measurement of strain of thin films

An easy calibration method was presented for in-situ measurement of displacement in the order of nanometer during micro-tensile test for thin films by using CCD camera as a sensing device. The calibration of the sensing camera in the system is a central element part to measure displacement in the order of nanometer using images taken with the camera. This was accomplished by modeling the optical projection through the camera lens and relative locations between the object and camera in 3D space. A set of known 3D points on a plane where the film is located on is projected to an image plane as input data. These points, known as a calibration points, are then used to estimate the projection parameters of the camera. In the measurement system of the micro-scale by CCD camera, the calibration data acquisition and one-to-one matching steps between the image and 3D planes need precise data extraction procedures and repetitive user's operation to calibrate the measuring devices. The lack of the robust image feature extraction and easy matching prevent the practical use of these methods. A data selection method was proposed to overcome these limitations and offer an easy and convenient calibration of a vision system that has the CCD camera and the 3D reference plane with calibration marks of circular type on the surface of the plane. The method minimizes the user's intervention such as the fine tuning of illumination system and provides an efficient calibration method of the vision system for in-situ axial displacement measurement of the micro-tensile materials.

Sensitizing Mechanism and Adsorption Properties of Dye-sensitized TiO_2 Thin Films

The dye-sensitized TiO2 complex films were prepared by the dye coat onto TiO2 surfaces, and the sensitizing mechanism and adsorption properties of the dye-sensitized TiO2 complex films were investigated. The influence of the application conditions of dye adsorbed on TiO2 films on the amount of dye adsorption was discussed. Experimental results show that the concentration, the temperature of dye solutions and the dipping time of TiO2 films in the dye solutions have a significant influence on the amount of dye adsorption. Cell test indicates that the conversion efficiency of light to electricity increases with the amount of dye adsorption.

STUDY OF DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF HUMANRED BLOOD CELL SUSPENSION FROM 243HEALTHY PERSONS AT RADIO FREQUENCIES

Dielectric properties or kuamn red blood cell (RBC) suspension (ltematocrit 50%) from 243 healthy persons (120 males, 123 remales) were measured at 25Cin the frequency range rrom 1 to 500MHz, and analysed statistically. The measuringsystem controlled by an IBM-PC computer was composed or a network analyzer(HP4195A), coaxial line sensor and a temperature controlling set. The results showedthat the dielectric properties did not depend on either sex or blood group. However, agehad definite erfect. There was a critical age around 49 years when the dielectric data ofhuman RBC suspensions varied signiricantly.

PROPERTIES OF FeMnSiCrNi SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS

Some mechanical and thermal properties of FeMnSiCrNi shape memory alloys are studied The results show that Fe 14Mn 6Si 9Cr 5Ni alloy among the alloys studied has the best SME with an absolute recovery strain of 6 2% when training method is used The preexisting ε martensite (thermal and stress induced)is beneficial to the shape memory effect Up to a critical prestrain with a critical training time,the absolute recovery strain increases. Any further increase of prestrain or training time leads to the appearance of α′ phase identified by superelasticity measurement Alloys with good SME also have good creep and stress relaxation resistance,and hence possible industrial application for couplings