BACKGROUND:Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are one of the main components of arterial walls and actively remodel the arterial walls in which they reside through biomechanical signals applied to themselves. Contractile or differentiated VSMCs have been observed in normal blood vessels. In pathological vascular conditions, they become dedifferentiated from contractile to non-contractile or synthetic

BACKGROUND:Thrombus formation and hemolysis are important factors in developing blood pumps and mechanical heart valve prostheses. These phenomena are induced by flow properties. High shear stress induces platelet and red cell damage. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis calculates shear stress of fluid and particle pathlines of blood cells. OBJECTIVE:We studied blood cell damage in a blood

BACKGROUND:Pulmonary micronodules account for 80% of all lung nodules. Generally, pulmonary micronodules in the early stages can be detected on thoracic computed tomography (CT) scans. Early diagnosis is crucial for improving the patient’s survival rate. OBJECTIVE:This paper aims to estimate the malignancy risk of pulmonary micronodules and potentially improve the survival rate. METHODS:We extract

BACKGROUND:Laminectomy may cause kyphotic postoperative deformity in the cervical region leading to segmental instability over time. Laminoplasty may be an alternative procedure to laminectomy, as it protects the spine against post-laminectomy kyphosis; however, similar to laminectomy, laminoplastymay cause sagittal plane deformities by destructing or weakening the dorsal tension band. OBJECTIVE:Using

BACKGROUND:To ensure quality and stability, monitoring systems are recommended to analyze pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. OBJECTIVE:This study was performed to predict powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) patterns of formulation powders through attenuated total reflectance (ATR)-infrared (IR) spectroscopy in a nondestructive manner along with chemometrics. RESULTS:Caffeine anhydrate, acetaminophen

BACKGROUND:The design and fabrication of hemocompatible and low-toxicity formulations remains a challenging task. Hydrogels are of considerable importance for biomedical applications since they are highly compatible with living tissue, both in vivo and in vitro. OBJECTIVE:The present study aimed todevelop and evaluate the characterizations and in vitro hemocompatibility of a hydrogel using polyvinyl

BACKGROUND:Adipose tissue engineering has been studied as an alternative to current options for breast reconstruction, such as lipofilling, flap reconstruction, and silicone implants. Previously, we demonstrated that a poly(L-lactic acid) mesh containing a collagen sponge, containing neither cellsnor growth factors, could be filled with the regenerated adipose tissues when implanted in rodent models

BACKGROUND:Interfaces of transtibial prosthesis have an important role in the transmission of ground reaction forces, damping gait loads and tissue protection. OBJECTIVE:This work aims to study the influence of prosthesis interfaces on amputees’ gait and perception on pain, comfort and the overallinterface/prosthesis system. METHODS:Commercial samples of three different interface materials were selected:

BACKGROUND:It is well known that there is a relationship between bone strength and the forces that are daily applied to the bone. However, bone is a highly heterogeneous material and it is still not clear how mechanical variables regulate the distribution of bone mass in a femur. METHODS:We studiedthe role of four mechanical variables, i.e. principal tensile/compressive stress, von Mises stress, and

Objective:The main goal of this study was to examine the influence of hydroxyapatite (HAp) macroaggreate concentrations on thermal and mechanical properties of radioactive bone cement and to study the relation of glass transition Tg with its mechanical properties. Methods:The bone cement as (1-x)PMMA-xHAp binary system was prepared in six [x] distinct concentration parameters of 0.0 up to 0.5. The

BACKGROUND:Snoring source analysis is essential for an appropriate surgical decision for both simple snorers and obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) patients. OBJECTIVE:As snoring sounds carry significant information about tissue vibrations within the upper airway, a new feature entitled compressed histogram of oriented gradients (CHOG) is proposed to recognize vibration patterns of the

BACKGROUND:A neurological disorder is one of the significant problems of the nervous system that affects the essential functions of the human brain and spinal cord. Monitoring brain activity through electroencephalography (EEG) has become an important tool in the diagnosis of brain disorders. The robust automatic classification of EEG signals is an important step towards detecting a brain disorder

BACKGROUND:Scallop shell powder is called bioshell calcium oxide (BiSCaO), which is known to possess deodorizing properties and broad antimicrobial activity against various pathogenic microbes, including viruses, bacteria, spores, and fungi. OBJECTIVE:This study aims to investigate the applicationsof BiSCaO suspension cleansing in clinical situations, for instance for the prevention and treatment of

BACKGROUND:Accelerated hydrothermal aging has long been one of the most widely accepted quality control tests for simulating low-temperature degradation (LTD) in zirconia-containing implants used in total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, it is still unclear how much consistency there is between theexperimental prediction from the internationally-standardized tests and the actual measurements from surgically-removed

BACKGROUND:Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is one of the standard methods to analyze ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) in orthopedic implants. For retrieved components, lipid extraction using an organic solvent prior to the measurement is necessary to eliminate the influence of lipids absorbed in vivo. However, its influence on the measurement has not been substantially

BACKGROUND:There are no studies on the scoliotic population in which lateral abdominal muscle (LAM) was measured. OBJECTIVE:The aim of the study was to deliver the first results on LAM elasticity assessed by shear wave elastography (SWE) in right-side and left-side thoracolumbar scoliosis patients.METHOD:Twelve patients (mean age 12.25) with thoracolumbar scoliosis were included in the study. Muscle

BACKGROUND Our previous study found that spray-dried glutinous rice starch (sGRS) is larger in size, rounder in shape and better in flowability than native GRS. It has the potential to be used for direct compression hydrophilic matrix (HM) tablets. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the factors that affect the propranolol release from directly compressed sGRS HM tablets. METHODS The effects

BACKGROUND Previously we found that a group of phosphorylated proteins (SIBLINGs) in bone binds with the Ti-device, and increases the early bone formation around the Ti-implants remarkably. From these results, we explained the biochemical mechanism of a strong bond between living bone and Ti, which was discovered by Brånemark and colleagues. For the clinical application of our findings, we need a large

BACKGROUND Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived hepatocytes are an attractive alternative cell source to primary human hepatocytes for tissue regeneration. OBJECTIVES This study presents an application of lactose-silk fibroin conjugates (Lac-CY-SF) bearing 𝛽-galactose residues as a substrate for culture of hiPSC-derived hepatocytes. A comparison of hiPSC-derived hepatocytes cultured

BACKGROUND A burn wound is one of the most frequent and devastating injuries for patients which requires extensive care. Early treatment of burn wounds improves healing significantly. OBJECTIVE This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of amnion and collagen-based hydrogels on cutaneous burn wound healing in rats with covering membrane. METHODS We prepared a novel cell free hydrogel comprising

BACKGROUND In some treatments using multiple dental implants, the implants are inserted in the bone with splinted or non-splinted implant prostheses. There are some reports about the influence of the splinted and non-splinted implants on stress distribution in the bone using the finite element method (FEM), and there is a controversy in the literature regarding whether the splinted or non-splinted

BACKGROUND Surface nanostructures in titanium (Ti) oral implants are critical for rapid osseointegration. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the growth of osteoblast-like (Saos-2) and epithelial-like (Ca9-22) cells on nanopatterned Ti films. METHODS Ti films with 500 nm grooves and pillars were fabricated by nanoimprinting, and seeded with Saos-2 and Ca9-22 cells. Cell viability and

A numerical investigation of Newtonian/non-Newtonian unsteady pulsatile entry blood flow inside a 3D curved stenosed artery is presented. For considering the non-Newtonian effect (shear thinning or shear thickening behavior), the blood viscosity is characterized by the power-law model (Ostwald de Waele Equation). At the inlet of the artery, a realistic pulsatile waveform is utilized according to the

BACKGROUND Real-time monitoring is required for the pharmaceutical manufacturing process to produce high-quality pharmaceutical products. OBJECTIVE Changes in the critical tableting process parameters of single-punch tableting machine due to variability in the moisture content of the raw powders were monitored by hybrid tableting pressure-time profiles. METHODS After mixing of the raw powders, which

BACKGROUND We have developed a technology to electrically polarize living bone. OBJECTIVE The effects of stored electrical charge in electrical polarized bone on the facilitation of new bone formation were assayed. METHODS Stimulated depolarized current measurement was performed in electrically polarized and nonpolarized femora of SD rats. These bone specimens were implanted into bone defects of the

BACKGROUND Animal learning based on brain stimulation is an application in a brain-computer interface. Especially for birds, such a stimulation system should be sufficiently light without interfering with movements of wings. OBJECTIVE We proposed a fully-implantable system for wirelessly navigating a pigeon. In this paper, we report a handheld neural stimulation controller for this avian navigation

BACKGROUND Many novel biomaterials have been incorporated in toothpastes to promote remineralization of tooth structure. OBJECTIVES This study was carried out to compare the discrepancies between declared and actual total fluoride (TF) or total soluble fluoride (TSF) concentration of two modern toothpastes containing bioactive glasses; these were also assessed for their remineralization potential.

The utilization of Asymmetric stent for recovering atherosclerotic diseases, particularly non-symmetric obstruction, is a quite challenging breakthrough treatment. In terms of eccentric plaque, the non-uniform stiffness of arterial layer causes the increasingly complex issues of vulnerability. This study investigated the vulnerability of the interaction between the Asymmetric stent and the surrounding

Magnesium has attracted a lot of attention as a new class of biodegradable material. The surface properties of magnesium in simulated body fluid (SBF) were investigated in the current research work. Cast magnesium samples with different surface characteristics were prepared which were then placed in SBF for 2, 4 and 8 days. This led to the formation of hydroxylapatite coating on their surfaces. The

BACKGROUND Probing to assess conditions of hip capsule and acetabular labrum is performed by "surgeons' feeling". OBJECTIVE We investigated the resistance of the labrum and the hip capsule quantitatively while they were pulled with a probing device. METHODS With the probing device in which a strain gauge was embedded, ten fresh frozen specimens of the pelvis and proximal femur were measured in each

Calcium phosphate cement (CPC) has been studied extensively due to its bioactivity and biodegradability. CPC is typically made by a combination of multiple calcium phosphates that form a paste that sets and hardens in the body after being combined with either water or an aqueous solution. It is highly moldable and easily manipulated, and CPCs possess osteoconductive properties. Due to these characteristics

BACKGROUND Breakage of joint arthroplasty components are rare, yet during an implant retrieval program we found several cases. OBJECTIVE In this study we examined the components to determine the causes and mechanisms of breakage of these implants. METHODS From our collection of 849 retrievals we selected 682 cases with metal parts (503 hip, 79 knee arthroplasties) and identified fractured components:

BACKGROUND Human beings regularly walk over even and uneven surfaces during their daily activities. A human being with lower limb disability needs an exoskeleton to walk independently. However, walking surface irregularities increase the risk of falling of exoskeleton users. This falling tendency can be minimized by balancing the exoskeleton on irregular surface profiles against the gait cycle variation

OBJECTIVE Bone remodeling is mediated by the interaction between osteoblasts and osteoclasts, so does osteoinduction triggered by calcium phosphate (CaP) biomaterials. This study aims to investigate the role and function of osteoclasts in ectopic bone formation induced by CaP biomaterials. METHODS Four kinds of mice, two outbred mouse strains (KM and ICR) and two inbred mouse strains (C57BL/6 and BALB/c)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sodium hypochlorite and chlorhexidine solutions and their inactivating agents on the push-out bond strength of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). One hundred fifty root slices were prepared and their root canal spaces were enlarged using diamond burs. MTA was prepared and compacted to root canal spaces. The samples were randomly separated to

BACKGROUND Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a genetic disorder of the connective tissue. It most prominently influences the skeletal, cardiovascular, and ocular systems, but all fibrous connective tissue throughout the body can be affected as well. OBJECTIVE This study aims to investigate a realistic three-dimensional model of an aorta of a specific patient suffering from MFS by considering elastic and hyperelastic

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE In this research, using our proposed method, clinical measurements on the pulsatile velocity of blood vessel wall were conducted for cases with aneurysm. Furthermore, detailed analyses of frequency and attracter of trajectories of velocity of blood vessel wall were conducted. On the basis of these analyses, we tried to conduct unified clarification of the change and disturbance

OBJECTIVE We aimed to develop a novel ultrasound system and examine its feasibility for noninvasively detecting thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) in clinical settings. METHODS We developed a novel ultrasound system consisting of a modified console and data analysis algorithm. The exploratory study included 100 patients hospitalized for elective cardiovascular surgery. After admission, the arterial pulse

BACKGROUND In vivo evaluation of the elastic properties of the knee joint capsule has not been adequately performed. OBJECTIVES To establish a methodology to assess the stiffness of the normal knee joint capsule over a range of knee flexion angles using ultrasound elastography. METHODS Ultrasound elastography with an acoustic coupler was used to assess the stiffness of the anteromedial capsule of the

BACKGROUND Surface modification of metallic implants is critical for improving the clinical performance of the dental and orthopedic devices. Bioactive glasses exhibit different levels of cellular function and physicochemical behavior; however, there have been few previous studies on the effect of constituents of the bioactive glasses on the in vitro osteogenic activity and corrosion resistance of

BACKGROUND A tissue engineering technique based on use of the extracellular matrix (ECM) as a scaffold shows great potential for preparing small-caliber vascular grafts. Decellularization protocols are still not standardized for bioengineering. The effects of freeze-thaw cycles used for decellularization are unknown. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of freeze-thaw cycles on porcine carotid arteries

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE We present a description of an experiment in which the parameters describing the quality of the mandrel embedding an implant into a bone were determined. A method was developed that allows, from outside a living organism, the strength of the mandrel of the implant in the bone tissue to be determined. Using the proposed technique, we investigated how the mechanical properties of

BACKGROUND Component malalignment in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) has been related to the concentration in tibiofemoral joint of contact stress and to poor post-operative outcomes. Few studies investigated a biomechanical effect of femur component position in sagittal plane. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical effect of the femoral components on the sagittal alignment

BACKGROUND The conservation of the joint anatomy is an important factor in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The restoration of the femoral posterior condylar offset (PCO) has been well known to influence the clinical outcome after TKA. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanism of PCO in finite element models with conservation of subject anatomy and different PCO of ±1, ±2, ±3

BACKGROUND Human dentin is a highly calcified tissue of mesenchymal origin with a heterogeneous structure. Its morphology is constantly remodelled throughout the life span of the tooth, as well as under the influence of external stimuli. OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to obtain information about the thermal changes in the crown and root dentin specimens of vital and devitalized teeth. METHODS

BACKGROUND The effects of the posterior slope of the tibial prosthesis on unicompartmental knee arthroplasty have not been fully evaluated and controversies still exist. OBJECTIVE This study evaluates the effects of the posterior slope of the tibia on contact stresses in polyethylene inserts and articular cartilage using finite element analysis. METHODS We generated a computational model followed by

BACKGROUND Meniscus tissue engineering has provided a great potential treatment for meniscal injuries. However, few scaffolds in meniscus tissue engineering have matched the mechanical properties of native meniscus. OBJECTIVE In this study, we developed a composite scaffold using decellularized meniscus extracellular matrix (DMECM) and gelatin/chitosan (G/C) to explore a preferable ratio to enhance

BACKGROUND The development of any disturbance in the Circle of Willis (COW) can change the hemodynamics of blood flow and result in damage to the vascular system. Clinical methods such as TCD for diagnosing an aneurysm or growth factors and rupture can measure blood velocity. Several factors influence the accuracy of TCD that can lead to wrong evaluations and affect the treatment planning. OBJECTIVE

BACKGROUND The most common cause of coronary artery disease (CAD) is vascular damage with the cholesterol built-up and other materials on the inner arterial wall, known as atherosclerosis. OBJECTIVE This paper aims to investigate the effect of stenosis on the hemodynamics in the four suspected coronary artery disease patients. Computer tomography (CT) data was acquired from patients of suspected coronary

BACKGROUND The chemical properties of the oral environment have an appreciable influence on the in vivo degradation of CAD/CAM materials. OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of organic acids, heptane and ethanol (the food-simulating liquids) on CAD/CAM restorative materials. METHODS Four CAD/CAM materials were selected: (1) 3M ESPE LAVA Ultimate, (2) VITA Enamic, (3)

BACKGROUND Various biomaterials/technologies have been tested for treatment of intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IDD). Only few non-surgical options exist. OBJECTIVE Assessment of efficacy and safety of the hyaluronic acid derivative hydrogel HYADD®4-G in IDD using a well-established rabbit annular puncture model. METHODS Rabbits were punctured at two IVDs to induce IDD. Thirty days after, IVDs

Brain tumors are considered to be a leading cause of cancer death among young people. Early diagnosis is thus essential for treatment. The brain segmentation process is still challenging due to complexity and variation of the tumor structure, intensity similarity between tumor tissues and normal brain tissues. In this paper, a fully automated and reliable brain tumor segmentation system is proposed

BACKGROUND Adhesion strength of orthodontic attachments to enamel should be within optimal range to resist occlusal forces and to allow debonding without enamel damage. OBJECTIVE The present study compared the effect of non-thermal plasma (NTP) and conventional surface treatment on the adhesion strength of orthodontic bracket to enamel. METHODS A total of 100 premolar teeth were allocated into 5 groups

In this work, a nonlocal dual-phase-lag (NL DPL) model is introduced to accommodate the effects of thermomass and size-dependent thermophysical properties at nanoscale heat transport. Heat transfer at nanoscale is essentially nonlocal and quite different from that at the micro- or macro scale. To illustrate the nonlocal effect, a bi-layered structure is considered during magnetic fluid hyperthermia

BACKGROUND The scaffold for head and neck reconstruction needs mechanical strength to maintain specific forms. Hydroxyapatite (HA) enhances the mechanical strength of hydrogel and is routinely used for cartilage regeneration. However, there is a demand for hydroxyapatite that controls chondrogenic cell behavior. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to regulate HA morphology through a hydrothermal process using organic

BACKGROUND Ceramic crown that fires the layering porcelain on zirconia corping is starting to be used due to aesthetic requirements. However, many ceramics are used, but wear characteristics are often unknown. OBJECTIVE This study was performed to investigate the wear of human enamel by porcelains, and to determine the influence of porcelain hardness, surface roughness and crystal of porcelain on the

BACKGROUND Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been used to solubilize freeze-dried chitosan (CS) formulations to form injectable implants for tissue repair. OBJECTIVE To determine whether the in vitro performance of the formulations depends on the type of PRP preparation used to solubilize CS. METHODS Formulations containing 1% (w/v) CS with varying degrees of deacetylation (DDA 80.5-84.8%) and number

BACKGROUND Biocompatible hydrogel systems with tunable mechanical properties have been reported to influence the behavior and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). OBJECTIVE To develop a functionalized hydrogel system with well-defined chemical structures and tunable mechanical property for regulation of stem cell differentiation. METHODS An in situ-forming hydrogel system is developed

BACKGROUND The development of biomaterial scaffolds and implementation of tissue engineering techniques are necessary. Therefore, Polycaprolactone/Sodium Hyaluronate/Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes/Extract of Mimosa tenuiflora composites have been produced by a thermally-induced phase separation method. OBJECTIVE The objective of this research was to evaluate the in vitro bioactivity and in vitro biocompatibility

BACKGROUND Biodegradable implant coatings promote proliferation and expression of BMP-2, VEGF, and TGF-β2 genes and enhance BMP-2, VEGF, and TGF-β2 regulatory effects at different stages of reparative osteogenesis. OBJECTIVE To study the topography and ratio of PCNA-, VEGF-, BMP-2-, and TGF-β2-immunoreactive cells in rat femoral bone after closed fracture and implantation of titanium implants with