BACKGROUND Iron may damage sarcomeric proteins through oxidative stress. We explored the left ventricular (LV) torsional mechanics in patients with beta-thalassaemia major and its relationship to myocardial iron load. Using HL-1 cell and B6D2F1 mouse models, we further determined the impact of iron load on proteolysis of the giant sarcomeric protein titin. METHODS AND RESULTS In 44 thalassaem...

ÐBy incorporating the e€ects of interfacial adhesion in the mechanics of rounded contact between two bodies, a new approach is proposed for the quantitative analysis of a wide variety of contact fatigue situations involving cyclic normal, tangential or torsional loading. In this method, conditions of ``strong'' and ``weak'' adhesion are identi®ed by relating contact mechanics and fracture mecha...

Dear Editor-in-Chief, I am writing as an engineer and orthopaedic surgeon to express a few concerns about methodology for mechanical testing appearing in your journal over the years. The latest example is that by Hutcheson, et al., “Comparison of double locking plate constructs with single non-locking plate constructs in single cycle to failure in bending and torsion”, that appeared in VCOT iss...

A hybrid longitudinal-torsional ultrasonic transducer is designed and fabricated in this research. The design of the transducer was performed using the FE method with ABAQUS software, with the aim of combining the longitudinal and torsional vibration modes. The transducer horn is then fabricated using a 4-axis milling machine. The PZT stacks are employed in order to excite the transducer. The t...