The problem of optimal sensor locations in nonparametric identification of viscoelastic materials is considered. Different criteria of the covariance matrix, connected to Aand D-optimal experiment design, are considered and evaluated. The results of the paper can be used to design experiments with improved accuracy of the estimates. Copyright c 2005 IFAC.

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Soft fiber-reinforced tissues such as the cornea, tendons, and blood vessels have a unique combination of mechanical properties that enables them to perform important structural, protective, and energyabsorbing applications. Because of their fiber-reinforced microstructure, these tissues are extraordinarily stiff and strong for their weight. They also possess a unique combination of flexibility...

INTRODUCTION Articular cartilage is known to exhibit strong transient mechanical behavior. When subjected to high strainrate loading, its apparent stiffness can be 10 times greater than its stiffness at equilibrium. However, the mechanism of this strain-rate dependent response is not completely understood. While some studies have shown evidence of a fluid-flow dominant mechanism of the strain-r...

We summarize different studies describing mechanisms through which bacteria in a biofilm mode of growth resist mechanical and chemical challenges. Acknowledging previous microscopic work describing voids and channels in biofilms that govern a biofilms response to such challenges, we advocate a more quantitative approach that builds on the relation between structure and composition of materials ...

We investigate the mechanical property predictions for a three-phase viscoelastic (VE) composite by the use of two micromechanical models: the original Mori–Tanaka (MT) method and an extension of the Mori–Tanaka solution developed by Benveniste to treat fibers with interphase regions. These micro-mechanical solutions were compared to a suitable finite-element analysis, which provided the benchm...

The effects of three different mixers, two different feeding orders and nanoclay content on the structure development and rheological properties of PE/nanoclay nanocomposite samples were investigated. Fractional Zener and Carreau–Yasuda models were applied to discuss the melt linear viscoelastic properties of the samples. Moreover, scaling law for fractal networks was used to quantify clay disp...

Cardiomyocyte phenotype changes significantly in 2D culture systems depending on the substrate composition and organization. Given the variety of substrates that are used both for basic cardiac cell culture studies and for regenerative medicine applications, there is a critical need to understand how the different matrices influence cardiac cell mechanics. In the current study, the mechanical p...

We demonstrate that the microstructural and mechanical properties of bacterial biofilms can be created through colloidal self-assembly of cells and polymers, and thereby link the complex material properties of biofilms to well understood colloidal and polymeric behaviors. This finding is applied to soften and disassemble staphylococcal biofilms through pH changes. Bacterial biofilms are viscoel...

Aqueous extraction processing (AEP) of soy is a promising green alternative to hexane extraction processing. To improve AEP oil yields, experiments were conducted to probe the mechanisms of oil release. Microscopy of extruded soy before and after extraction with and without protease indicated that unextracted oil is sequestered in an insoluble matrix of denatured protein and is released by prot...