Predicting Forefoot-Orthosis Interactions in Rheumatoid Arthritis Using Computational Modelling

Foot orthoses are prescribed to reduce forefoot plantar pressures and pain in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Computational modelling can assess how the orthoses affect internal tissue stresses, but previous studies have focused on a single healthy individual. This study aimed to ascertain whether simplified forefoot models would produce differing biomechanical predictions at the orthotic interface between people with rheumatoid arthritis of varying severity, and in comparison to a healthy control. The forefoot models were developed from magnetic resonance data of 13 participants with rheumatoid arthritis and one healthy individual. Measurements of bony morphology and soft tissue thickness were taken to assess deformity. These were compared to model predictions (99th% shear strain and plantar pressure, max. pressure gradient, volume of soft tissue over 10% shear strain), alongside clinical data including body mass index and Leeds Foot Impact Scale–Impairment/Footwear score (LFIS-IF). The predicted pressure and shear strain for the healthy participant fell at the lower end of the rheumatoid models’ range. Medial first metatarsal head curvature moderately correlated to all model predicted outcomes (0.529 < r < 0.574, 0.040 < p < 0.063). BMI strongly correlated to all model predictions except pressure gradients (0.600 < r < 0.652, p < 0.05). There were no apparent relationships between model predictions and instances of bursae, erosion and synovial hypertrophy or LFIS-IF score. The forefoot models produced differing biomechanical predictions between a healthy individual and participants with rheumatoid arthritis, and between individuals with rheumatoid arthritis. Models capable of predicting subject specific biomechanical orthotic interactions could be used in the future to inform more personalised devices to protect skin and soft tissue health. While the model results did not clearly correlate with all clinical measures, there was a wide range in model predictions and morphological measures across the participants. Thus, the need for assessment of foot orthoses across a population, rather than for one individual, is clear.

Settlement and Bearing Capacity of Rectangular Footing in Reliance on the Pre-Overburden Pressure of Soil Foundation

This article presents a solution for the quantitative evaluation of the stress–strain state (SSS) and the bearing capacity of rectangular foundations, factoring in the unit weight of the soil mass and different values of pre-overburden pressure (POP). In order to assess the SSS of the soil subgrade below a rigid rectangular footing under a uniformly distributed load, the authors applied the Boussinesq basic solution for an elastic half-space subjected to a vertical point load on its surface. As a result, the formulas for vertical stress, mean stress, shear strain, and volumetric strain for any point in Cartesian coordinates (x, y, z) and foundation settlement were determined. Additionally, the application of Hencky’s system of physical equations, with non-linear dependencies between mean stress and volumetric strain as well as deviator stress and shear strain, along with the experimental curves, depicts the relationships between bulk modulus and volume stress, and shear modulus and shear stress. The authors point out the non-linear behavior of the subgrade soil and propose a method for estimating the bearing capacity of a rigid rectangular foundation.

Dislocation Analysis of 3C-SiC Nanoindentation with Different Crystal Plane Groups Based on Molecular Dynamics Simulation

To explore the deformation law of nanoindentation dislocations of different crystal plane groups of 3C-SiC by cube indenter. The molecular dynamics simulation method is used to construct the different crystal plane family models of 3C-SiC, select the ensemble, set the potential function, optimize the crystal structure, and relax the indentation process. The radial distribution function, shear strain, and dislocation deformation of nanoindentation on (001), (110), and (111) planes were analyzed, respectively. In the radial distribution function, the change in g r in the (110) crystal plane is the most obvious. Shear strain and dislocation occur easily at the boundary of square indentation defects. During the indentation process, the shear strain is enhanced along the atomic bond arrangement structure, (001) crystal plane shear strain is mainly concentrated around and below the indentation defects and produce a large number of cross dislocations, (110) the crystal plane shear strain is mainly concentrated in the shear strain chain extending around and below the indentation defect, which mainly produces horizontal dislocations, and (111) the crystal plane shear strain is mainly concentrated in four weeks extending on the left and right sides in the direction below the indentation defect and produces horizontal and vertical dislocations. The direction of shear stress release is related to the crystal structure. The crystal structure affects the direction of atomic slip, resulting in the results of sliding in different directions. The final dislocation rings are different, resulting in different indentation results.

The Normal Force Characteristic of a Novel Magnetorheological Elastomer Based on Butadiene Rubber Matrix Compounded with the Self-Fabricated Silly Putty

In this paper, a novel magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) was prepared by dispersing carbonyl iron particles (CIPs) into a composite matrix compounded by butadiene rubber (BR) and self-fabricated Silly Putty. The rate-sensitive and magneto-induced characteristics of normal force were experimental investigated to discuss the working mechanism. The results demonstrated that the normal force increased with the compression rate and the mass fraction of boron-silicon copolymer added to the composite matrix due to the formation of the more and more B-O cross bonds which could be blocked in the C-C cross-linked network of BR. Meanwhile, the magneto-induced normal force was positively correlated with the applied magnetic field strength and the compression strain due to the decreased gap between the centers of soft magnetic particles and the increased particle intensity of magnetization. Moreover, the magneto-induced normal force continued to enhance with the increase of compression strain because the CIP chains fixed in the C-C cross-linked network could bend to a radian and CIP chains in B-O cross-linked network could rupture to form more stable and intensive short-chain structures. Besides, a simplified model was deduced to characterize the mechanism of the generation of the magneto-induced normal force. Furthermore, the normal force varied stably with the oscillatory shear strain (less than 9%) at different magnetic induction intensities and suddenly reduced when the applied oscillatory shear strain was more than 9%.

Dynamic Nonlinear and Residual Deformation Behaviors of the Fly Ash-Modified Loess

Metastable loess soils can deform, inducing geological and engineering disasters. Therefore, the behavior of the loess under dynamic load is gaining massive attention from researchers to improve the strength of the soils. Fly ash mixed with loess can improve strength and reduce construction costs and environmental pollution. Moreover, it has strong economic and social benefits. This paper investigates the influence of fly ash on the dynamic properties of the modified loess through a series of dynamic triaxial tests of the fly ash modified loess with different fly ash contents. The treated soil samples were prepared using a static compaction method in both ends and cured for 28 days. The dynamic shear modulus ratio, the damping ratio, and the dynamic residual strain of the modified loess were analyzed. The variation characteristics of the dynamic shear modulus ratio and damping ratio with the dynamic shear strain of the fly ash modified loess were obtained. The effect of fly ash content on the dynamic nonlinear parameters of the modified loess was also investigated. In addition, the relationship between the dynamic residual strain and the fly ash content was discussed. The results show that the dynamic shear modulus ratio of fly ash modified loess decreases nonlinearly with the increase in the dynamic shear strain. However, the attenuation rate difference of the curves is small. The damping ratio increases gradually with increasing dynamic shear strain. Under a certain dynamic shear strain level, the damping ratio decreases with the increase in the fly ash content. The dynamic residual strain increases with the increase in the dynamic stress. However, it decreases with the increase in the fly ash content. When the fly ash content is between 10% and 20%, the dynamic residual strain of fly ash modified loess is reduced rapidly. However, when the fly ash content exceeds 20%, the dynamic residual strain decreases slowly. The fly ash content of 20% could be suggested as an optimal content for seismic resistance of the loess foundation.

Pore water pressure responses of saturated sand and clay under undrained cyclic shearing

In this study, changes in the pore water pressure were observed for saturated specimens of a loose fined-grain sand (Nam O sand) and a soft silty clay (Hue clay) subjected to undrained cyclic shearing with different testing conditions. The cyclic shear tests were run for relatively wide range of shear strain amplitude (g = 0.05%-2%), different cycle numbers (n = 10, 50, 150 and 200) and various shear directions (uni-direction and two-direction with phase difference of q = 0o, 45o and 90o). It is indicated from the experimental results that under the same cyclic shearing condition, the pore water pressure accumulation in Hue clay is at a slower rate, suggesting a higher cyclic shear resistance of Hue clay than that of Nam O sand. Liquefaction is reached easily in nominally 50% relative density specimens of Nam O sand when g ³ 0.4%, meanwhile soft specimen of Hue clay is not liquefied regardless of the cyclic shearing conditions used in this study. The threshold number of cycles for the pore water pressure generation generally decreases with g meanwhile, the threshold cumulative shear strain for such a property mostly approaches 0.1%. In addition, by using this new strain path parameter, it becomes more advantageous when evaluating the pore water pressure accumulation in Nam O sand and Hue clay subjected to undrained uni-directional and two-directional cyclic shears.