Nematic liquid crystals are textured, anisotropic, viscoelastic materials. The remarkable rheological properties of viscoelastic materials are governed by the flow-induced evolution of molecular configuration. Analogues to liquid crystal flow processes occur in the supramolecular selfassembly processes of living biological tissues. A good understanding of the relationships between rheological p...

CONTEXT Because of the lack of accurate values for mechanically applied forces in osteopathic manipulative treatment, osteopathic physicians must apply mechanical forces intuitively. However, excessive loading and high velocity maneuvers carry risks for patients. OBJECTIVE To determine the loads required to produce compression, shear, extension, and twist on biceps muscle during manual therap...

The deformation behavior and mechanical properties of articular chondrocytes are believed to play an important role in their response to mechanical loading of the extracellular matrix. This study utilized the micropipette aspiration test to measure the viscoelastic properties of chondrocytes isolated from macroscopically normal or end-stage osteoarthritic cartilage. A three-parameter standard l...

Accurate mechanical property data obtained at large shear deformations and high frequencies are a fundamental component of realistic numerical simulations of soft tissue injury. Although many commercial systems exist for testing shear properties of viscoelastic materials with properties similar to soft biological tissue, none are capable of determining properties at high loading rates necessary...

Synopsis A theoretical study of viscoelastic properties of composites is presented with the aim of identifying structures which give rise to a combination of high stiffness and high loss tangent. Laminates with Voigt and Reuss structure, as well as composite materials attaining the Hashin-Shtrikman bounds on stiffness were evaluated via the correspondence principle. Similarly, viscoelastic prop...

We present a quantitative method for determining the viscoelastic properties of materials with nanometer spatial resolution. The approach is based on the atomic force acoustic microscopy technique that involves the resonant frequencies of the atomic force microscopy cantilever when its tip is in contact with a sample surface. We derive expressions for the viscoelastic properties of the sample i...

This paper investigates the feasibility to use an electrodynamic loudspeaker to determine viscoelastic properties of sound-absorbing materials in the audible frequency range. The loudspeaker compresses the porous sample in a cavity, and a measurement of its electrical impedance allows one to determine the mechanical impedance of the sample: no additional sensors are required. Viscoelastic prope...

A mathematical model describing the constitutive properties of biofilms is required for predicting biofilm deformation, failure, and detachment in response to mechanical forces. Laboratory observations indicate that biofilms are viscoelastic materials. Likewise, current knowledge of biofilm internal structure suggests modeling biofilms as associated polymer viscoelastic systems. Supporting expe...

The goal of this study was to develop a nondestructive radial compression technique and to investigate the viscoelastic behavior of the rat tail disc under repeated radial compression. Rat tail intervertebral disc underwent radial compression relaxation testing and creep testing using a custom-made gravitational creep machine. The axisymmetric viscoelasticity and time-dependent recovery were de...