Reilly Bloom (costcare8)
3, which was lower than in dried samples (74° ± 2.9). Three-point bending mechanical tests showed that the average maximum flexural stress of dried SRW (134.1 ± 34.3 MPa) and PRW samples (117.8 ± 22.3 MPa) were significantly higher than those of hydrated SRW (25.7 ± 6.3 MPa) and PRW (19.7 ± 4.8 MPa) baleen. Scanning electron microscope images showed the stratification of the outer cortical layer, with cross-linked keratin fibres observed within and between baleen keratin sheets. Hydrated baleen, as in its natural and functional behaviour, has greater flexibility and strength, attributes necessary for the complex filter feeding mechanism characteristic of whales. Hydration must be considered when addressing the physical and mechanical properties of baleen, especially when using dried museum specimens.To develop an orthopedic material for bone substitution, the substitute material must mimic living tissue from an anatomical and physiological point of view. The high wear and impact resistance besides the low friction coefficient, make ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) a suitable material to be used in orthopedic applications. However, UHMWPE is a bioinert material, not providing a proper interaction with the bone tissue surrounding to the implant. One way to mitigate this issue is improving UHMWPE bioactivity. This can be done by adding bioactive fillers in the polymeric matrix. In this work, UHMWPE composites were prepared by twin-screw extrusion. The fillers used were carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHA) and hybrids formed by precipitating CHA in collagens (hydrolyzed and type II). The results show that the fillers used caused a slight reduction in UHMWPE crystallinity degree, while both crystallization and melting temperatures remained almost unchanged. Dynamic-mechanical thermal analysis indicated a weak adhesion between filler and polymeric matrix, which is good from the biological point of view since the bioactive filler surface will be available to apatite deposition. The obtained materials exhibited good mechanical properties and in vitro bioactivity assay showed that all of the prepared materials are bioactive.Panoramic shape and deformation measurements of human skin in vivo may provide important information for biomechanical analysis, exercise guidance and medical diagnosis. This work proposes the application of an advanced mirror-assisted multi-view digital image correlation (DIC) method for dynamic measurements of 360-deg shape and deformation of human body parts in vivo. The main advantage of this method consists in its capabilities to perform full-panoramic non-contact measurements with a single pair of synchronized cameras and two planar mirrors thus representing a lean yet effective alternative to conventional multi-camera DIC systems in 'surrounding' configuration. We demonstrate the capabilities of this method by measuring the full-panoramic shape of a plastic human head, the deformation of a woman face and the principal strain distribution over the full-360-deg surface of a forearm during fist clenching. The applications of this method can be the most disparate but, given the possibility to determine the full-field strains and derived information (e.g. skin tension lines), we envisage a great potential for the study of skin biomechanics in vivo.We report on the mechanical properties regarding self-cured acrylic polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) reinforced with hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and stabilized zirconia (8Y ZrO2) nanopowders. The nanocomposites were prepared by using both manual and ultrasonic mixing techniques. The fabricated specimens were subjected to micro indentation, bending strength, and modulus of elasticity measurements. A fully complete polymerization process under liquid monomer was provided by ultrasonic mixing as evidenced by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) measurement. Independently of the nanopowder used, the hardness, bending strength, and modulus of elasticity of the for
