An exploration into the transplacental transfer of microplastics through placental transporters.

Finite element analysis of the impact of running foot strike pattern on patellar cartilage stress.

Dynamic modeling and model predictive control of wire mesh tension in multi-wire sawing of natural stone slabs

Determination of fenofibric acid in saliva and exhaled breath condensate samples using metal- organic frameworks based dispersive micro solid phase extraction coupled to HPLC-PDA.

Nanoscale analysis of superhydrophobic and anti-icing biomimetic carbon-modified geopolymer

Computational fluid dynamics study on gas-melt interaction in an industrial-scale top-submerged-lance furnace

A multi-device data fusion method for 3D rock fracture reconstruction: Development, comparison, and implications for hydro-mechanical simulations

Macroscale solid superlubricity from the perspective of tribochemistry.

Bacterial adhesion to biomaterials/tissues can lead to inevitable infection, inflammation, and even death, posing a serious threat to human health. An in-depth understanding of interactions between bacteria and biomaterial surfaces could provide effective strategies for inhibiting bacterial adhesion. Adhesion behavior can be quantified using adhesion forces measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based force spectroscopy. Although AFM-based force spectroscopy has been applied to investigate bacterial adhesion, the effect of biomaterials (including metals, ceramics, polymers, and cells) and surface modifications (including patterning and coating) on bacterial adhesion forces has not been systematically summarized. Therefore, this review provides a comprehensive overview of recent developments in bacterial adhesion on biomaterials, focusing on the use of AFM-based force spectroscopy with bacterial probes. Surface topography on metals and ceramics reduces the contact area and inhibits bacterial adhesion. Coatings and chemical modifications on ceramic surfaces can either inhibit or promote bacterial adhesion, depending on the surface properties. The discussion about the bacterial adhesion on different biomaterial surfaces would benefit the inhibition of adhesion and the rational surface design for enhanced antibacterial properties. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The growing threat of antimicrobial resistance has led to increased interest in developing antibacterial materials with tailored surface properties. A critical aspect of understanding bacterial adhesion on surfaces is quantifying bacterial adhesion forces, often using atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based force spectroscopy. While numerous studies have explored how biomaterials and surface modifications influence bacterial adhesion, a systematic review focusing on the nanomechanical aspects of adhesion forces is lacking. Here, a broad overview of the state-of-the-art research addresses this gap by summarizing the influence of biomaterials and surface modifications on bacterial adhesion forces in the context of AFM-based force spectroscopy. It will be of interest to researchers designing more effective antimicrobial materials and surfaces.

Vacuum chucks play an important role in securely holding silicon wafers during various semiconductor manufacturing processes, such as lithography, spin-coating, etching, metrology, and so on. This paper introduces a wafer-vacuum chuck interface characterization technique based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), providing solutions in wafer handling, alignment, chuck maintenance and better process controls. The EIS drew the impedance profile, the so-called Nyquist diagram, of the ϕ300 mm silicon wafer-chuck interface, and the impedance characteristics of the wafer-chuck interface were characterized according to various interface conditions. To differentiate ideal and practical wafer chucking conditions, the Nyquist diagrams were characterized depending on the existence of air gaps up to 20 μm. Here, the magnetic ball-ended probe was used with the EIS measurement system to avoid probing alignment error, apply a consistent probing force between the probe end and wafer surface, and minimize the probing contact area for enhancing the spatial resolution. Test silicon wafer impedance data was used to compare the total impedance of the equivalent circuit (wafer-air gap-chuck) during vacuum chucking with theoretical verification. The proposed method could be implemented in various semiconductor manufacturing processes and has the potential to enhance the pattern critical dimension (CD) and improve process control.

ABSTRACT Bone grinding often causes excessive force and thermal damage due to the heterogeneous nature of bone tissue. To reduce mechanical and thermal loads in conventional bone grinding (CBG), this study proposes a laser-assisted bone grinding (LABG) method using laser ablation as surface pretreatment. A two-dimensional thermal model was established to predict ablation depth and the thermally affected layer. Constant-depth scratch tests and comparative grinding experiments were conducted to investigate surface integrity and material removal behavior. Results showed that the laser-induced groove structure reduced the tool–workpiece contact area, decreasing the average grinding force by 69.35% while maintaining temperatures below the 50 °C biological threshold. The laser-pretreated layer promoted brittle-dominated removal, where thermal microcracks interacted with grinding-induced cracks to facilitate fracture-based material removal. The proposed LABG method provides an effective approach for low-damage and high-efficiency bone machining in orthopedic applications.

Herein, we report the dynamic nucleation and growth behavior of individual hydrogen microbubbles on a thin-film Pt ultramicroelectrode (UME). By depositing and patterning a thin layer of platinum metal on a transparent, conductive, but electrocatalytically inert indium-tin oxide (ITO) substrate, we are able to obtain individual Pt UMEs and use them to image hydrogen microbubbles formed by the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in an acid solution. The use of reflection microscopy and the semitransparent Pt UME allows us to observe hydrogen microbubbles as they nucleate on the UME surface, track their growth with time, and image their movement and bubble-bubble interaction on the electrode. Our results show that H2 microbubbles formed on a Pt UME tend to move toward the center of the microelectrode as they grow bigger in size and extend their contact area on the electrode. Our results suggest multiple microbubbles forming on the same electrode compete with each other for bubble growth, following a mechanism similar to Ostwald ripening.

Droplet impact on liquid films underlies applications from drug delivery and metallic quenching to inkjet printing and raindrop interactions with oil slicks. Although many involve immiscible droplet-pool systems, most prior studies have focused on miscible regimes. This work compares cavity evolution for miscible and immiscible impacts, highlighting velocity fields, and pressure distributions. At impact, both systems show similar force magnitudes, but differences in distribution and contact area drive distinct pathways. Miscible systems mix immediately, eliminating interfacial boundaries and producing near-spherical cavities governed by inertia and capillarity. Immiscible systems retain a sharp interface where interfacial tension reshapes cavity morphology, redirects forces, and induces early recirculation. Velocity analysis shows suppressed vortices in miscible cases, while immiscibility intensifies recirculation, reducing peak velocity by nearly half. Pressure fields further distinguish regimes: miscible impacts concentrate pressure at the contact point, whereas immiscible impacts spread forces, lowering peak pressure by ∼0.9 times the maximum pressure for the miscible case and generating uneven gradients that promote negative zones. These effects accelerate cavity retraction and advance Worthington jet formation. A theoretical model is proposed predicting the reduction in cavity formation time with respect to interfacial tension, predicting a reduction of 0.7 times the miscible case for the current study.

Fixed cavovarus foot deformity is characterised by a plantar-flexed first ray, hindfoot varus, and abnormal plantar loading, often resulting in pain, instability, and gait dysfunction. The surgical correction we performed involved a deformity-driven approach to address the structural apex and associated components. Evidence linking this multilevel correction strategy to objective biomechanical improvement remains limited. This prospective case series evaluated outcomes following a uniform deformity-driven multilevel surgical correction protocol for fixed cavovarus deformity consisting of combined Cole midfoot osteotomy, Dwyer calcaneal osteotomy, and open Achilles tendon lengthening performed in all cases. Thirty-two relatively young skeletally mature patients (37 feet), predominantly with neuromuscular etiology, were included and followed for a minimum of 18 months. Primary outcome measures were patient-reported functional outcomes assessed using the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure Activities of Daily Living subscale (FAAM-ADL), radiologic alignment parameters on standardised weight-bearing radiographs, and objective gait and plantar pressure metrics. Secondary outcomes included postoperative complications. The Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI) was analysed as a secondary patient-reported outcome. FAAM-ADL scores improved significantly from a preoperative mean of 45.2 to 77.2 at 18 months (P < .001). All radiologic parameters demonstrated significant correction, including Meary angle, calcaneal pitch angle, lateral talocalcaneal angle, anteroposterior talometatarsal angle, and talonavicular coverage angle (all P < .001). Gait analysis demonstrated a significant increase in comfortable walking speed (1.0 to 1.4 m/s, P < .001) and redistribution of plantar loading, with reduced lateral column pressures and increased midfoot contact area (all P < .001). The secondary FADI score also improved significantly over time (P < .001). Complications included transient postoperative pain during the first 12 months, 1 superficial wound infection, and 1 case of deformity recurrence. In this prospective case series, deformity-driven multilevel surgical correction for fixed cavovarus deformity with a midfoot apex was associated with significant improvements in patient-reported function, radiologic alignment, and objective biomechanical parameters. These findings support the role of apex-targeted multilevel correction in appropriately selected patients with rigid midfoot-driven cavovarus deformity.

Background:Posterior medial meniscal root (PMMR) tears have been shown to create a biomechanically unfavorable environment for knee cartilage. While various PMMR repair methods have been shown to restore normal knee biomechanics, there is little consensus on the ideal repair technique.Purpose:To compare PMMR repair using a knotless all-suture anchor versus traditional transosseous fixation using a suture button.Study Design:Controlled laboratory study.Methods:Ten matched pairs of fresh-frozen cadaveric knees were biomechanically tested in intact, torn, and surgically repaired conditions. One limb from each donor was repaired using a traditional suture and bone tunnel technique (control group), while the contralateral limb was repaired with a knotless all-suture anchor (anchor group). The limbs were distributed equally between the 2 surgical procedure groups, so that each group contained a nearly equal number of right and left knees.Results:There were no significant differences in normalized contact area or normalized contact pressure between control and anchor groups at 0°, 30°, or 60° of knee flexion. Contact pressure returned to near-intact values at 0°, 30°, and 60° for both groups. This was also the case at 90° for the anchor group. However, the control group did not return to intact values at 90°, resulting in a significantly (P = .007) higher normalized contact pressure in the control group compared with the anchor group. This finding was also true at 90° for normalized contact area, which was significantly lower (P = .0001) in the control group than in the anchor group.Conclusion:At time zero, knotless all-suture repair of PMMR tears performed biomechanically similarly or better than transosseous suture button fixation at 0°, 30°, and 60° of flexion, with significantly improved contact area and contact pressure at 90° of flexion. Thus, knotless all-suture anchor repair may represent a viable alternative technique for PMMR repair.Clinical Relevance:The knowledge that knotless all-suture anchor repair performed as well as or better than a more traditional technique allows for a technically simpler surgery, which precludes the need for drilling through the tibia.

ObjectivesThere is notable sex difference in the manner of locomotion, but researchers are yet to obtain the comprehensive information about the biomechanical difference in gait pattern between males and females. The present study aimed to investigate sex differences in plantar pressure distribution during self-paced walking using a cluster-based permutation approach.MethodPlantar pressure data were collected from 24 healthy males and 68 healthy females using a pressure-sensor footplate. Group comparisons were conducted for basic gait parameters as well as pressure-related metrics, including maximum force, peak pressure, and contact area size. Additionally, time-series characteristics of total force were compared between sexes. A cluster-based permutation test was used to identify spatial and temporal regions with significant sex differences in plantar pressure distribution at high resolution.ResultsAnalyses revealed that females exhibited shorter step durations and higher cadence compared to males, attributable in part to differences in the duration of the late stance phase. Females also demonstrated higher weight-normalized plantar pressures across most of the stance phase. Sex-specific differences in plantar pressure distribution were localized to the calcaneal and second metatarsal regions.ConclusionSpatially localized pattern of sex difference in the plantar pressure indicates that biomechanical factors may contribute to the sex difference in the incidence rates of clinical conditions such as stress fracture. There was also a hitherto unreported pattern of sex difference in the time-series of total force, that may be related to sex-specific strategy to keep a self-preferred walking speed.

The exceptional structure of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) makes them a promising candidate for energy storage. One strategy for optimizing electrode materials involves incorporating similar structures into other materials. In this study, rod-shaped Mn2SnO4@C was synthesized using rod-shaped MOF Mn-BTC as a precursor with Sn source regulation. The rod-shaped structure effectively increases the contact area with the electrolyte and shortens the ion transport distance, thereby enhancing the electrochemical performance. Mn2SnO4@C exhibits a specific capacity of 608.3 mAh g-1 after 150 cycles at 0.1 A g-1 and maintains a specific capacity of 179.2 mAh g-1 even after 2000 cycles at 1 A g-1. The Mn2SnO4@C//AC lithium-ion capacitor assembled with Mn2SnO4@C as the anode exhibits a maximum energy density of 124.7 Wh kg-1 and a maximum power density of 20,000 W kg-1, achieving a maximum specific capacity of 44.5 mAh g-1 at 2 A g-1. The inheritance of MOF structures has effectively enhanced the performance of materials and devices while also providing new strategies for structural optimization of materials.

The relationship between facial anatomical features and contact pressure for prone support pillow designs: A combined analytical and experimental approach.

The rapid growth of electric vehicles (EVs) has increased tire-tread wear because higher load and instantaneous torque generate elevated vertical and tangential stresses. Rubber friction consists of two physically distinct mechanisms – adhesion, governed by real contact area, and hysteresis, governed by viscoelastic energy dissipation – each responding differently to slip velocity, temperature, and multiscale roughness. However, previous studies could not quantitatively separate these contributions because the required viscoelastic, roughness, friction, and wear data were not acquired under matched conditions and were rarely integrated within a unified physics-based framework, leading to reliance on total friction coefficients. Although theoretical models such as Klüppel – Heinrich and Persson establish the basis for adhesion and hysteresis friction, experimental studies have rarely extended these frameworks to mechanism-specific energy-to-wear correlations. This study extends the Klüppel – Heinrich (KH) friction model to compute adhesion- and hysteresis-related frictional-energy rates and correlates them with LAT-100 abrasion results. Adhesion energy exhibited a stronger correlation with wear, supporting a physics-based framework for EV-specific tread-wear prediction within the investigated compound – surface configuration.

To observe the effect of acupotomy on cartilage degeneration in rabbits with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) from the perspectives of force line and knee joint stress distribution, and to explore the biomechanical mechanism of acupotomy for KOA. A total of 24 male New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, an electroacupuncture (EA) group and an acupotomy group, 6 rabbits in each group. Except for the normal group, in the other 3 groups, the left hind limbs were immobilized for 6 weeks to establish KOA model using the modified Videman method. In the EA group, EA was applied at left "Neixiyan" (EX-LE4), "Dubi" (ST35), "Zusanli" (ST36) and "Yanglingquan" (GB34), with disperse-dense wave, in frequency of 2 Hz/100 Hz and current of 3 mA, 20 min each time, once every other day. In the acupotomy group, acupotomy intervention was delivered at the insertion site of the vastus medialis tendon, insertion site of the vastus lateralis tendon, etc. of the left knee joint, once a week. The interventions lasted for 3 weeks in the EA group and the acupotomy group. Before and after intervention, the Lequesne MG score was observed. After intervention, the force line angle of knee joint was measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); the stress distribution of the knee joint was observed by the three-dimensional finite element analysis; the morphology of knee joint cartilage was observed by HE staining; the protein expression of type Ⅱ collagen (Col-Ⅱ) and Aggrecan in the knee joint cartilage was detected by Western blot. Compared with the normal group, the Lequesne MG score was increased (P<0.01), the knee joint force line angle was increased (P<0.05), and the protein expression of Col-Ⅱ and Aggrecan in the knee joint cartilage was decreased (P<0.01) in the model group. Compared with the model group, the Lequesne MG scores were decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01), the knee joint force line angles were decreased (P<0.05), and the protein expression of Col-Ⅱ and Aggrecan in the knee joint cartilage was increased (P<0.05) in the EA group and the acupotomy group. All the above indexes in the acupotomy group were superior to those in the EA group (P<0.05). Severe cartilage damage, disordered arrangement of chondrocytes and unclear tide line could be observed in the model group. Compared with the model group, the damage of knee joint cartilage was alleviated, the arrangement of chondrocytes was more orderly and the tide line was clearer in the EA group and the acupotomy group, and the improvement of knee joint cartilage damage in the acupotomy group was superior to that in the EA group. Compared with the normal group, in the model group, the peak Von Mises stress and peak contact stress, the stress value and the contact stress value in the high-stress areas of the knee joint were increased (P<0.05), the stress was more concentrated. Compared with the model group, in the EA group and the acupotomy group, the above stress-related indexes were decreased (P<0.05), the stress concentration was relieved, and those in the acupotomy group were superior to the EA group (P<0.05). Compared with the normal group, in the model group, the ratios and the contact areas of the medial and lateral condyles of the meniscus, femoral cartilage and tibial cartilage were significantly deviated. Those in the EA group and the acupotomy group tended to be more similar to the normal group, and those in the acupotomy group were superior to the EA group. Acupotomy can correct the knee joint force line, improve the stress concentration, delay cartilage degeneration of the knee joint, thereby improving the symptoms of KOA.