Showing papers on "Shear stress published in 2006"

Atherosclerotic Lesion Size and Vulnerability Are Determined by Patterns of Fluid Shear Stress

Abstract: Background— Atherosclerotic lesions are predominantly observed in curved arteries and near side branches, where low or oscillatory shear stress patterns occur, suggesting a causal connection. However, the effect of shear stress on plaque vulnerability is unknown because the lack of an appropriate in vivo model precludes cause-effect studies. Methods and Results— We developed a perivascular shear stress modifier that induces regions of lowered, increased, and lowered/oscillatory (ie, with vortices) shear stresses in mouse carotid arteries and studied plaque formation and composition. Atherosclerotic lesions developed invariably in the regions with lowered shear stress or vortices, whereas the regions of increased shear stress were protected. Lowered shear stress lesions were larger (intima/media, 1.38±0.68 versus 0.22±0.04); contained fewer smooth muscle cells (1.9±1.6% versus 26.3±9.7%), less collagen (15.3±1.0% versus 22.2±1.0%), and more lipids (15.8±0.9% versus 10.2±0.5%); and showed more outward vascu...

Suction Stress Characteristic Curve for Unsaturated Soil

Abstract: The concept of the suction stress characteristic curve (SSCC) for unsaturated soil is presented. Particle-scale equilibrium analyses are employed to distinguish three types of interparticle forces: (1) active forces transmitted through the soil grains; (2) active forces at or near interparticle contacts; and (3) passive, or counterbalancing, forces at or near interparticle contacts. It is proposed that the second type of force, which includes physicochemical forces, cementation forces, surface tension forces, and the force arising from negative pore-water pressure, may be conceptually combined into a macroscopic stress called suction stress. Suction stress characteristically depends on degree of saturation, water content, or matric suction through the SSCC, thus paralleling well-established concepts of the soil–water characteristic curve and hydraulic conductivity function for unsaturated soils. The existence and behavior of the SSCC are experimentally validated by considering unsaturated shear strength data for a variety of soil types in the literature. Its characteristic nature and a methodology for its determination are demonstrated. The experimental evidence shows that both Mohr–Coulomb failure and critical state failure can be well represented by the SSCC concept. The SSCC provides a potentially simple and practical way to describe the state of stress in unsaturated soil.

Wall shear stress--an important determinant of endothelial cell function and structure--in the arterial system in vivo. Discrepancies with theory.

Abstract: It has been well established that wall shear stress is an important determinant of endothelial cell function and gene expression as well as of its structure. There is increasing evidence that low wall shear stress, as present in artery bifurcations opposite to the flow divider where atherosclerotic lesions preferentially originate, expresses an atherogenic endothelial gene profile. Besides, wall shear stress regulates arterial diameter by modifying the release of vasoactive mediators by endothelial cells. Most of the studies on the influence of wall shear stress on endothelial cell function and structure have been performed in vitro, generally exposing endothelial cells from different vascular regions to an average wall shear stress level calculated according to Poiseuille's law, which does not hold for the in vivo situation, assuming wall shear stress to be constant along the arterial tree. Also in vivo wall shear stress has been determined based upon theory, assuming the velocity profile in arteries to be parabolic, which is generally not the case. Wall shear stress has been calculated, because of the lack of techniques to assess wall shear stress in vivo. In recent years, techniques have been developed to accurately assess velocity profiles in arterioles, using fluorescently labeled particles as flow tracers, and non-invasively in large arteries by means of ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging. Wall shear rate is derived from the in vivo recorded velocity profiles and wall shear stress is estimated as the product of wall shear rate and plasma viscosity in arterioles and whole blood viscosity in large arteries. In this review, we will discuss wall shear stress in vivo, paying attention to its assessment and especially to the results obtained in both arterioles and large arteries. The limitations of the methods currently in use are discussed as well. The data obtained in the arterial system in vivo are compared with the theoretically predicted ones, and the consequences of values deviating from theory for in vitro studies are considered. Applications of wall shear stress as in flow-mediated arterial dilation, clinically in use to assess endothelial cell (dys)function, are also addressed. This review starts with some background considerations and some theoretical aspects.

A new view of the onset of plasticity during the nanoindentation of aluminium

Abstract: In nanoscale contact experiments, it is generally believed that the shear stress at the onset of plasticity can approach the theoretical shear strength of an ideal, defect-free lattice1,2,3,4, a trend also observed in idealized molecular dynamics simulations5,6,7,8,9. Here we report direct evidence that plasticity in a dislocation-free volume of polycrystalline aluminium can begin at very small forces, remarkably, even before the first sustained rise in repulsive force. However, the shear stresses associated with these very small forces do approach the theoretical shear strength of aluminium (∼2.2 GPa). Our observations entail correlating quantitative load–displacement measurements with individual video frames acquired during in situ nanoindentation experiments in a transmission electron microscope. We also report direct evidence that a submicrometre grain of aluminium plastically deformed by nanoindentation to a dislocation density of ∼1014 m−2 is also capable of supporting shear stresses close to the theoretical shear strength. This result is contrary to earlier assumptions that a dislocation-free volume is necessary to achieve shear stresses near the theoretical shear strength of the material5,6,7,8,9. Moreover, our results in entirety are at odds with the prevalent notion that the first obvious displacement excursion in a nanoindentation test is indicative of the onset of plastic deformation.

Nanoliter scale microbioreactor array for quantitative cell biology

Abstract: A nanoliter scale microbioreactor array was designed for multiplexed quantitative cell biology. An addressable 8 x 8 array of three nanoliter chambers was demonstrated for observing the serum response of HeLa human cancer cells in 64 parallel cultures. The individual culture unit was designed with a "C" shaped ring that effectively decoupled the central cell growth regions from the outer fluid transport channels. The chamber layout mimics physiological tissue conditions by implementing an outer channel for convective "blood" flow that feeds cells through diffusion into the low shear "interstitial" space. The 2 microm opening at the base of the "C" ring established a differential fluidic resistance up to 3 orders of magnitude greater than the fluid transport channel within a single mold microfluidic device. Three-dimensional (3D) finite element simulation were used to predict fluid transport properties based on chamber dimensions and verified experimentally. The microbioreactor array provided a continuous flow culture environment with a Peclet number (0.02) and shear stress (0.01 Pa) that approximated in vivo tissue conditions without limiting mass transport (10 s nutrient turnover). This microfluidic design overcomes the major problems encountered in multiplexing nanoliter culture environments by enabling uniform cell loading, eliminating shear, and pressure stresses on cultured cells, providing stable control of fluidic addressing, and permitting continuous on-chip optical monitoring.

Wall Pressure and Shear Stress Spectra from Direct Simulations of Channel Flow

Abstract: Wall pressure and shear stress spectra from direct numerical simulations of turbulent plane channel flow are presented in this paper. Simulations have been carried out at a series of Reynolds numbers up to Re? = 1440, which corresponds to Re = 6:92 x 10(4) based on channel width and centerline velocity. Single-point and two-point statistics for velocity, pressure, and their derivatives have been collected, including velocity moments up to fourth order.§ The results have been used to study the Reynolds number dependence of wall pressure and shear stress spectra. It is found that the point spectrum of wall pressure collapses for Re? ? 360 under a mixed scaling for frequencies lower than the peak frequency of the frequency-weighted spectrum, and under viscous scaling for frequencies higher than the peak. Point spectra of wall shear stress components are found to collapse for Re? ? 360 under viscous scaling. The normalized mean square wall pressure increases linearly with the logarithm of Reynolds number. The rms wall shear stresses also increase with Reynolds number over the present range, but suggest some leveling off at high Reynolds number.

Grain-scale processes governing shear band initiation and evolution in sands

Abstract: A variety of experimental techniques have been used to advance understanding of strain localization phenomena in sands. However, all of these methods have fallen short in characterizing the evolution of the grain-scale processes that necessarily control shear band formation and growth in sands. This paper presents results of application of the non-destructive displacement measurement technique of digital image correlation (DIC) to measure two- and three-dimensional surface displacements on plane strain and axisymmetric sand specimens over short time steps. The abundance of local displacement data, high level of accuracy, and nearly continuous (spatially and temporally) record of displacement evolution afforded by the DIC technique has finally enabled a means to quantify local displacements to particulate-scale intensity. The data have been used to evaluate the local displacement mechanisms leading to the triggering of the formation of persistent shear bands, the timing of shear band formation with regard to the achievement of peak stress, and the character of displacements within fully formed shear bands. Insights are offered regarding the relation between strain localization and global stress–strain behavior, and the ensuing interpretations of shear banding as a hardening or softening phenomenon. Comparison of behavior between plane strain and triaxial tests offer additional perspective on the influences of three-dimensional stresses and boundary conditions on shear banding. The results further shed light on the micro-deformation mechanisms (i.e. buckling columns) responsible for the observed local strain non-uniformities that characterize “steady-state” shear band evolution.

Fluid structure interaction of patient specific abdominal aortic aneurysms: a comparison with solid stress models.

Abstract: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a dilatation of the aortic wall, which can rupture, if left untreated. Previous work has shown that, maximum diameter is not a reliable determinant of AAA rupture. However, it is currently the most widely accepted indicator. Wall stress may be a better indicator and promising patient specific results from structural models using static pressure, have been published. Since flow and pressure inside AAA are non-uniform, the dynamic interaction between the pulsatile flow and wall may influence the predicted wall stress. The purpose of the present study was to compare static and dynamic wall stress analysis of patient specific AAAs. Patient-specific AAA models were created from CT scans of three patients. Two simulations were performed on each lumen model, fluid structure interaction (FSI) model and static structural (SS) model. The AAA wall was created by dilating the lumen with a uniform 1.5 mm thickness, and was modeled as a non-linear hyperelastic material. Commercial finite element code Adina 8.2 was used for all simulations. The results were compared between the FSI and SS simulations. Results are presented for the wall stress patterns, wall shear stress patterns, pressure, and velocity fields within the lumen. It is demonstrated that including fluid flow can change local wall stresses slightly. However, as far as the peak wall stress is concerned, this effect is negligible as the difference between SS and FSI models is less than 1%. The results suggest that fully coupled FSI simulation, which requires considerable computational power to run, adds little to rupture risk prediction. This justifies the use of SS models in previous studies.

A shear stress sensor for tactile sensing with the piezoresistive cantilever standing in elastic material

Abstract: In this paper, we propose a tactile sensor with standing piezoresistive cantilevers embedded in an elastic material. The sensor detects the shear stress applied on its surface. Each standing piezoresistive cantilever in the elastic material detects a certain axial component of applied shear stress. By arranging this standing piezoresistive cantilever in orthogonal directions, the directions and the magnitudes of applied shear stress is detected. The efficiency of this sensor was confirmed in the range of −5.0 to 5.0 kPa. We measured the 2.45 kPa shear stress applied to this sensor from several directions and confirmed that the sensor has a high accuracy for the shear stress detection.

Biomechanics of smooth adhesive pads in insects: influence of tarsal secretion on attachment performance

Abstract: Many insects possess smooth adhesive pads on their legs, which adhere by thin films of a two-phasic secretion. To understand the function of such fluid-based adhesive systems, we simultaneously measured adhesion, friction and contact area in single pads of stick insects (Carausius morosus). Shear stress was largely independent of normal force and increased with velocity, seemingly consistent with the viscosity-effect of a continuous fluid film. However, measurements of the remaining force 2 min after a sliding movement show that adhesive pads can sustain considerable static friction. Repeated sliding movements and multiple consecutive pull-offs to deplete adhesive secretion showed that on a smooth surface, friction and adhesion strongly increased with decreasing amount of fluid. In contrast, pull-off forces significantly decreased on a rough substrate. Thus, the secretion does not generally increase attachment but does so only on rough substrates, where it helps to maximize contact area. When slides were repeated at one position so that secretion could accumulate, sliding shear stress decreased but static friction remained clearly present. This suggests that static friction which is biologically important to prevent sliding is based on non-Newtonian properties of the adhesive emulsion rather than on a direct contact between the cuticle and the substrate.

Shear stresses on megathrusts: Implications for mountain building behind subduction zones

Abstract: [1] Shear stresses τ on a subduction megathrust play an important role in determining the forces available for mountain building adjacent to a subduction zone. In this study, the temperatures and shear stresses on megathrusts in 11 subduction zones around the Pacific rim (Hikurangi, Tonga, Izu-Ogasawara, western Nankai, northeastern Japan, Aleutians, western Alaska, Cascadia, northern Chile, southern Chile) and SE Asia (northern Sumatra) have been determined. The main constraint is that vertical normal stresses beneath the highlands behind the subduction zone are nearly equal to horizontal normal stresses, in the plane of a trench- or arc-normal section. For a typical brittle and ductile megathrust rheology, frictional shear stress τ = μρgz, for depth z, and ductile shear stress τ = A exp (B/RT) at temperature T, where μ, A, B are rheological parameters treated as constants. Rheological constants common to all the megathrusts (μcrust, μmantle, B) are determined by simultaneously solving for the force balance in the overlying wedge and megathrust thermal structure, using a simplex minimization algorithm, taking account of the induced mantle corner flow at depth (65 ± 15 km (2σ)) and constant radiogenic heating (0.65 ± 0.3 μW m−3 (2σ)) throughout the crust. The A constants are solved individually for each subduction zone, assuming that the maximum depth of interplate slip earthquakes marks the brittle-ductile transition. The best fit solution shows two groupings of megathrusts, with most subduction zones having a low mean shear stress in the range 7–15 MPa (μcrust = 0.032 ± 0.006, μmantle = 0.019 ± 0.004) and unable to support elevations >2.5 km. For a typical frictional sliding coefficient ∼0.5, the low effective coefficients of friction suggest high pore fluid pressures at ∼95% lithostatic pressure. Tonga and northern Chile require higher shear stresses with μcrust = 0.095 ± 0.024, μmantle = 0.026 ± 0.007, suggesting slightly lower pore fluid pressures, at ∼81% lithostatic. Ductile shear in the crust is poorly resolved but in the mantle appears to show a strong power law dependency, with B = 36 ± 18 kJ mol−1. Amantle values are sensitive to the precise value of B but are in the range 1–20 kPa. The power law exponent n for mantle flow is poorly constrained but is likely to be large (n > 4). The brittle-ductile transition in the crust occurs at temperatures in the range 370°C–512°C, usually close to the base of the crust and in the mantle at much lower temperatures (180°C–300°C), possibly reflecting a marked change in pore fluid pressure or quasi ductile and subfrictional properties. In subduction zones where the subducted slab is older than 50 Ma, a significant proportion of the integrated shear force on the megathrust is taken up where it cuts the mantle and temperatures are ≤300°C. In much younger subduction zones, the stress transmission is confined mainly to the crust. The shear stresses, particularly in the crust, may be kept low by some sort of lubricant such as abundant water-rich trench fill, which lowers the frictional sliding coefficient or effective viscosity and/or raises pore fluid pressure. The unusual high stress subduction zone in northern Chile lacks significant trench fill and may be poorly lubricated, with a mean shear stress ∼37 MPa required to support elevations >4 km in the high Andes. However, where the crust is thin in sediment-starved and poorly lubricated subduction zones, such as Tonga, the mean shear stress will still be low. Sediment may lubricate megathrusts accommodating underthrusting of continental crust, such as in the Himalayas or eastern central Andes, which have a low mean shear stress ∼15 MPa.

Estimation of bed shear stress using the turbulent kinetic energy approach- : A comparison of annular flume and field data

Abstract: Annular flumes are often used to quantify the interactions between hydrodynamics, biological activity and sediment dynamics. Therefore it is essential that experimental laboratory flume systems adequately replicate natural conditions occurring in the field. This paper applies the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) approach to the determination of bed shear stresses (τ0) on natural sediments from several sites in southern England and briefly discusses the advantages of this method compared to alternatives (log-profile) in the context of a combined flume and field study. Sediments studied varied in roughness length from 0.0013–1.18×10−3 m (drag coefficient 0.0017–0.0204) and exhibited a non-linear increase in bed shear stress with increasing current velocity. The slope of this relationship increased also with increasing bed roughness. Several ‘smooth’ sediments (roughness length

Dynamics of a river channel confluence with discordant beds: Flow turbulence, bed load sediment transport, and bed morphology

Abstract: [1] River channel confluences play a major role in the dynamics of all fluvial systems, and yet our understanding of bed load routing at these sites is very sparse. The dynamics of confluences are a function of the momentum ratio between the combining flows and the three-dimensional geometry of the junction. Recent experiments have shown that discordance in bed height between the confluent rivers increases turbulence intensity and enhances upwelling of flow within the confluence. However, the significance of these flow characteristics on sediment transport is still unknown. To examine the relations between flow and sediment transport, we have measured near-bed flow turbulence, bed load transport rates, and changes in bed morphology for eight different flow conditions at a sand bed discordant confluence. Detailed analysis of the near-bed flow patterns reveals that within the shear layer, low mean flow velocities are combined with the highest values of Reynolds shear stresses and that turbulence generation is associated with intense upward movements of flow. High sediment transport rates are found at the edges of the shear layer region where horizontal-vertical cross stresses (ρUw′) are high. These patterns match changes in bed morphology where erosion occurs along the shear layer. The relation between the shear layer and sediment transport confirms the role of bed discordance on the dynamics of the confluence. Migration of the shear layer into the confluence, as a result of a change in momentum ratio, modifies local near-bed flow characteristics, sediment transport rates, and the spatial distribution of deposition and erosion zones.

Effects of substrate and hydrodynamic conditions on the formation of mussel beds in a large river

Abstract: A numerical model for simulation of freshwater mussel dynamics was used to investigate the effects of substrate and hydrodynamic conditions on the formation of mussel beds in a 10-km reach of the Upper Mississippi River (UMR). Suitable habitats for mussel survival were identified by creating a dimensionless parameter (shear stress ratio) combining shear force and substrate type. This parameter is a measure of substrate stability that could be used in many different applications. Dispersal of juvenile mussels with flow as they detach from their fish hosts was simulated by a particle-tracking mechanism that identified suitable areas for colonization with the potential to evolve into mussel beds. Simulated areas of mussel accumulation coincided with reported locations of mussel beds, and simulated densities were in the range of abundant mussel beds in other reaches of the UMR. These results, although more qualitative than quantitative, provide insight into factors influencing the formation of mussel ...

Importance of in-plane shear rigidity in finite element analyses of woven fabric composite preforming

Abstract: A finite element made of woven unit cells under biaxial tension and in-plane shear is proposed for the simulation of fabric forming. The simulation is made within an explicit dynamic approach and is based on a simplified dynamic equation accounting for tension and in-plane shear strain energy. The biaxial tensile properties (given by two surfaces) and the in-plane shear properties (given by a curve) can be determined both by biaxial tensile tests and picture frame experiments or obtained by mesoscopic 3D finite element analyses of the woven unit cell. The interior load components of the proposed finite element are calculated explicitly and simply from the tensions and shear torque on four woven cells. The results obtained by the simulations of a hemispherical forming process on a very unbalanced fabric are compared to experiments. It is shown that the tension strain energy permits to describe the asymmetry of the response but that the computation of wrinkles and of the deformed states when the locking angle is exceeded needs to take the in-plane shear stiffness and its evolution with shear angle into account.

Experimental In-Plane Shear Strength Investigation of Reinforced Concrete Masonry Walls

Abstract: This paper presents test results of ten single-story reinforced concrete masonry shear walls. Test results are summarized and compared with design formulae specified by the New Zealand masonry design standard NZS 4230:1990 and by the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. It was determined that the test walls exhibited shear strength significantly exceeding the NZS 4230:1990 maximum permissible shear stress, confirming that NZS 4230:1990 was overly conservative in accounting for masonry shear strength. It was also confirmed from the test results that masonry shear strength increases with the magnitude of applied axial compressive stress and the amount of shear reinforcement, but that the shear strength decreases inversely in relation to an increase in wall aspect ratio. In addition, it was shown that the postcracking performance of shear dominated walls was substantially improved when uniformly distributing the shear reinforcement up the height of the walls.