Fracture Resistance in Non-Vital Teeth: Absence of Interproximal Ferrule and Influence of Preparation Depth in CAD/CAM Endocrown Overlays—An In Vitro Study

There is ample evidence to support the use of endocrowns to restore endodontic teeth. However, the influence of the position of the interproximal margins on fracture strength has not yet been studied. The aim was to determine the relationship between the apicocoronal position of the interproximal restorative margins and fracture resistance in nonvital teeth restored with CAD/CAM endocrown overlays. Forty extracted human maxillary premolars were prepared for endocrown overlay restorations without ferrule on the interproximal aspects and classified according to the position of the interproximal restoration margins in relation to the alveolar crest: 2 mm (group A), 1 mm (group B), 0.5 mm (group C), and 0 mm (group D). Fracture strength was measured using a universal testing machine applying a compressive force to the longitudinal tooth axis. Group A had a mean fracture resistance of 859.61 (±267.951) N, group B 1053.9 (±333.985) N, group C 1124.6 (±291.172) N, and group D 780.67 (±183.269) N, with statistical differences between groups. Group C had the highest values for fracture strength compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). The location of the interproximal margins appears to influence the fracture resistance of CAD/CAM endocrown overlays. A distance of 0.5 mm between the interproximal margin and the alveolar crest was associated with increased fracture resistance.

A Pneumatic-based Mechanism for Inserting a Flexible Microprobe into the Brain

Insertion of flexible microprobes into the brain requires withstanding the compressive penetration force by the microprobes. To aid the insertion of the microprobes, most of the existing approaches employ pushing mechanisms to provide temporary stiffness increase for the microprobes to prevent buckling during insertion into the brain. However, increasing the microprobe stiffness may result in acute neural tissue damage during insertion. Moreover, any late or premature removal of the temporary stiffness after insertion may lead to further tissue damage due to brain micromotion, or inaccuracy in the microprobe positioning. In this study, a novel pneumatic-based insertion mechanism is proposed which simultaneously pulls and pushes a flexible microprobe towards the brain. As part of the brain penetration force in the proposed mechanism is supplied by the tensile force, the applied compressive force, which the microprobe must withstand during insertion, is lower compared to the existing approaches. Therefore, the microprobes with a critical buckling force less than the brain penetration force can be inserted into the brain without buckling. Since there is no need for temporary stiffness increment, the neural tissue damage during the microprobe insertion will be much lower compared to the existing insertion approaches. The pneumatic-based insertion mechanism is modelled analytically to investigate the effects of the microprobe configuration and the applied air pressure on the applied tensile and compressive forces to the microprobe. Next, finite element modelling is conducted, and its analysis results not only validate the analytical results but also confirm the efficiency of the mechanism.

Intermittent compressive force induces cell cycling and reduces apoptosis in embryoid bodies of mouse induced pluripotent stem cells

In vitro manipulation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by environmental factors is of great interest for three-dimensional (3D) tissue/organ induction. The effects of mechanical force depend on many factors, including force and cell type. However, information on such effects in iPSCs is lacking. The aim of this study was to identify a molecular mechanism in iPSCs responding to intermittent compressive force (ICF) by analyzing the global gene expression profile. Embryoid bodies of mouse iPSCs, attached on a tissue culture plate in 3D form, were subjected to ICF in serum-free culture medium for 24 h. Gene ontology analyses for RNA sequencing data demonstrated that genes differentially regulated by ICF were mainly associated with metabolic processes, membrane and protein binding. Topology-based analysis demonstrated that ICF induced genes in cell cycle categories and downregulated genes associated with metabolic processes. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database revealed differentially regulated genes related to the p53 signaling pathway and cell cycle. qPCR analysis demonstrated significant upregulation of Ccnd1, Cdk6 and Ccng1. Flow cytometry showed that ICF induced cell cycle and proliferation, while reducing the number of apoptotic cells. ICF also upregulated transforming growth factor β1 (Tgfb1) at both mRNA and protein levels, and pretreatment with a TGF-β inhibitor (SB431542) prior to ICF abolished ICF-induced Ccnd1 and Cdk6 expression. Taken together, these findings show that TGF-β signaling in iPSCs enhances proliferation and decreases apoptosis in response to ICF, that could give rise to an efficient protocol to manipulate iPSCs for organoid fabrication.

Calculation features of compressed-bent build-up timber columns with nonlinear-deformable shear bracings

Object of research is build-up compressed–bent and eccentrically compressed columns on yielding nonlinear – deformable shear bracings. Purpose of the research is development of a numerical method for calculation of columns, allowing to take in account the influence of deflection of elastic axis of bar on the increment of the bending moment from the action of longitudinal compressive force and the nonlinear dependence between the forces and deformations in the shear bracings. Problem-solving method consists in dividing the column into separate sections, a system of equations is compiled from the condition of equality of the increment of concentrated shears. The loading process is divided into a set number of stages, at each forces in the shear bracings, the stresses in the branches, and the buckling function of the elastic axis of the element are determined. The obtained values of forces in the shear bracings and buckling are used to specify stiffness of the bracings and component of the bending moment arising due to eccentric application of the longitudinal compressive force when longitudinal axis of the element is deflecting. To obtain the resulting values, the obtained forces, deflections and stresses in the branches at each calculation stage are summed up.

The flexural strength of glue laminated timber beams based on deflection and strain rate with four point bending loading system

The development of utilization of low quality wood as construction material is needed to reduce the exploitation of natural forests. However, low quality wood species have disadvantages in terms of mechanical properties. The mechanical properties of Sengon wood are relatively low, so it does not qualify as a structural element. Therefore, the system glulam can be applied to overcome this problem. The system glulam can produce relatively light structural elements with adequate performance. This system has been extensively developed, even at the stage of applying external reinforcement, to improve the performance of structural laminated beams. On that basis, this study aims to determine the flexural strength of laminated beams of Sengon wood as a low quality wood species. In order to achieve this goal, the laminated beam was tested using method four point bending test method. Tests were carried out on long span laminated beams (L = 2750 mm) to observe flexural strength. There are five (5) laminated blocks tested, namely (BLS-1, BLS-2, BLS-3, BLS-4 and BLS-5). Each group has dimensions of 55 mm in width and 155 mm in height. Each specimen consists of six layers of wood boards with a density Falcata 0.3 g / cm3. The thickness of each layer was 26 mm and bonded with resin urea formaldehyde cold setting. Double-sided adhesive laying of 350 gr / m2 at a compressive force of 2 MPa. The analysis result shows that the load-deflection relationship between BS-L consists of linear and nonlinear phases. The load performance characteristics of the two types of laminated beams are expressed as the ratio of the proportional limit load to the maximum load. The ratio value is expressed in the form P eBL-s = 0.7P max BL-S andM eBL-s = 0.7M max BL-S. This form is similar to previous studies with a Pe to Pmax ratio of 0.80.9. In this case, the average flexural strength of the laminated beam is 17 MPa with a maximum strain of 0.004.

Correlation between hamstring tightness and time duration of disease in knee osteoarthritis: an observational cross-sectional study.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is gradually developing articular diseases that originate in the cartilage and affects the underlying bone, soft tissues as well as synovial fluid. OA usually occurs late in life and mainly it affects the hand and large weight-bearing joints such as the knee and hip. The knee joint is largely affected due to its weight-bearing nature. In many studies, this functional loss is related to muscular weakness caused by OA in particular the quadriceps and hamstring muscles. Flexibility is the ability of a muscle to lengthen and allow one joint [or more than one joint in a series] to move through a range of motion. The hamstring muscle group have tendency to shorten and the tightening results in increased patello-femoral compressive force, which may eventually lead to patello-femoral syndrome often associated with osteoarthritis. Method: Seventeen patients with knee osteoarthritis matched with the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Sit and Reach test was used to evaluate the hamstring tightness. Goniometer was used to evaluate knee active range of motion Spearman’s correlation was used to determine the relationship between hamstring tightness and duration of disease in knee osteoarthritis. Result: The present study found significant inverse correlation (r = -0.07) between hamstring tightness and duration of disease such that the hamstring flexibility decreases with increase in the duration of knee osteoarthritis. However, the correlation between duration of disease and knee active range of motion was negligible (r = 0.25). Conclusion: The results states that hamstring tightness and duration of the disease in knee osteoarthritis are correlated. Further research is indicated with a larger sample size. Keywords: Knee osteoarthritis, hamstring tightness, osteoarthritis.

In Situ Consolidation of Thermoplastic Prepreg by Generating Harmonic Oscillations on the Consolidation Roller

Automation technologies such as Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) or Automated Tape Laying (ATL) are widely used in the aerospace industry today. However, these processes can still be further improved for higher productivity. Fiber-reinforced plastics allow the production of components with extremely high specific strength and stiffness. Regarding the automated manufacturing processes, the thermoplastic tape placement offers efficiency improvements compared to the nowadays more commonly used thermoset tape placement, especially through the substitution of the expensive and time-consuming autoclave process. The consolidation of thermoplastic Prepregs is achieved with an elastic or rigid roller according to the current state of the art. The Prepregs must be consolidated precisely on the substrate or on top of each other. The most important process parameters for high-quality laminate structure with low porosity are the control of heat source, consolidation force, consolidation roll speed, and tape tension. The efficiency of the AFP process can generally be improved by increasing the speed of the consolidation roller. By increasing the speed of the consolidation roller, porosity is increased and mechanical properties of the laminate are reduced significantly due to the short contact time between consolidation roller and Prepregs. This study investigates a process that can reduce these challenges by increasing the contact time and force duration of the consolidation roller on the Prepregs. The consolidation roller in this study is additionally to be driven by the harmonic oscillations. The new method allows the consolidation roller to oscillate forward and backward during the fiber placement process. This creates another force vector in addition to the compressive force of the consolidation roller and increases the bonding strength between the layers.

GDF15 Supports the Inflammatory Response of PdL Fibroblasts Stimulated by P. gingivalis LPS and Concurrent Compression

Periodontitis is characterized by bacterially induced inflammatory destruction of periodontal tissue. This also affects fibroblasts of the human periodontal ligaments (HPdLF), which play a coordinating role in force-induced tissue and alveolar bone remodeling. Excessive inflammation in the oral tissues has been observed with simultaneous stimulation by pathogens and mechanical forces. Recently, elevated levels of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), an immuno-modulatory member of the transforming growth factor (TGFB) superfamily, were detected under periodontitis-like conditions and in force-stressed PdL cells. In view of the pleiotropic effects of GDF15 in various tissues, this study aims to investigate the role of GDF15 in P. gingivalis-related inflammation of HPdLF and its effect on the excessive inflammatory response to concurrent compressive stress. To this end, the expression and secretion of cytokines (IL6, IL8, COX2/PGE2, TNFα) and the activation of THP1 monocytic cells were analyzed in GDF15 siRNA-treated HPdLF stimulated with P. gingivalis lipopolysaccharides alone and in combination with compressive force. GDF15 knockdown significantly reduced cytokine levels and THP1 activation in LPS-stimulated HPdLF, which was less pronounced with additional compressive stress. Overall, our data suggest a pro-inflammatory role for GDF15 in periodontal disease and demonstrate that GDF15 partially modulates the force-induced excessive inflammatory response of PdLF under these conditions.

Finite Element Modeling for Static Bending Behaviors of Rotating FGM Porous Beams with Geometrical Imperfections Resting on Elastic Foundation and Subjected to Axial Compression

The static bending analysis of the FG porous beam resting on the two-parameter elastic foundation is initially carried out using a combination of Reddy’s high-order shear deformation theory and the finite element technique, where the initial geometrical imperfection and rotation movement in one fixed axis are calculated. Through the power-law distribution function with porosities, material characteristics vary constantly from one surface to the next in the direction of thickness, and the beam is concurrently impacted by an acting force perpendicular to the beam axis and an axial compressive force. The stiffness matrix of the beam element changes as a result, and the static bending response of this beam is significantly different from that of ordinary beams. Comparison cases with published findings are used to verify the computational theory. The calculations clearly reveal many innovations for rotating beams that are influenced by many different kinds of loads, which may be used to the designing, manufacturing, and usage of these structures in reality.