More Like this

1. Revealing chemistry-structure-function relationships in shark vertebrae across length scales

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2024.09.041  

   Raja_Somu, Dawn; Fuentes, Malena; Lou, Lihua; Agarwal, Arvind; Porter, Marianne; Merk, Vivian (September 2024, Acta Biomaterialia)

   Wagner, R William (Ed.)

   Shark cartilage presents a complex material composed of collagen, proteoglycans, and bioapatite. In the present study, we explored the link between microstructure, chemical composition, and biomechanical function of shark vertebral cartilage using Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Confocal Raman Microspectroscopy, and Nanoindentation. Our investigation focused on vertebrae from Blacktip and Shortfin Mako sharks. As typical representatives of the orders Carcharhiniformes and Lamniformes, these species differ in preferred habitat, ecological role, and swimming style. We observed structural variations in mineral organization and collagen fiber arrangement using PLM and AFM. In both sharks, the highly calcified corpus calcarea shows a ridged morphology, while a chain-like network is present in the less mineralized intermedialia. Raman spectromicroscopy demonstrates a relative increase of glucosaminocycans (GAGs) with respect to collagen and a decrease in mineral-rich zones, underlining the role of GAGs in modulating bioapatite mineralization. Region-specific testing confirmed that intravertebral variations in mineral content and arrangement result in distinct nanomechanical properties. Local Young's moduli from mineralized regions exceeded bulk values by a factor of 10. Overall, this work provides profound insights into a flexible yet strong biocomposite, which is crucial for the extraordinary speed of cartilaginous fish in the worlds’ oceans. 

   more » « less
2. The load-bearing function of the colorectal submucosa and its relevance to visceral nociception elicited by mechanical stretch

   https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpgi.00127.2019  

   Siri, Saeed; Maier, Franz; Santos, Stephany; Pierce, David M; Feng, Bin (July 2019, American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology)

   Mechanical distension beyond a particular threshold evokes visceral pain from distal colon and rectum (colorectum) and thus biomechanics plays a central role in visceral nociception. In this study we focused on the layered structure of the colorectum through the wall thickness and determined the biomechanical properties of layer-separated colorectal tissue. We harvested the distal 30 mm of mouse colorectum and dissected into inner and outer composite layers. The inner composite consists of the mucosa and submucosa while the outer composite includes the muscular layers and serosa. We divided each composite axially into three 10 mm-long segments and conducted biaxial mechanical extension tests and opening-angle measurements for each tissue segment. In addition, we quantified the thickness of the rich collagen network in the submucosa by nonlinear imaging via second harmonic generation (SHG). Our results reveal the inner composite is slightly stiffer in the axial direction while the outer composite is stiffer circumferentially. The stiffness of the inner composite in the axial direction is about twice that in the circumferential direction, consistent with the orientations of collagen fibers in the submucosa approximately ±30 degrees to the axial direction. Submucosal thickness measured by SHG showed no difference from proximal to distal colorectum under load-free condition, which likely contributes to the comparable tension stiffness of the inner composite along the colorectum. This, in turn, strongly indicates the submucosa as the load-bearing structure of the colorectum. This further implies nociceptive roles for the colorectal afferent endings in the submucosa that likely encode tissue-injurious mechanical distension. 

   more » « less
3. Second Harmonic Generation Imaging Reveals Entanglement of Collagen Fibers in the Elephant Trunk Skin Dermis

   https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.08.11.553031  

   Schulz, Andrew K; Plotczyk, Magdalena; Sordilla, Sophia; Boyle, Madeline; Singal, Krishma; Reidenberg, Joy S; Hu, David L; Higgins, Claire A (August 2023, bioRxiv)

   Abstract Form-function relationships often have tradeoffs: if a material is tough, it is often inflexible, and vice versa. This is particularly relevant for the elephant trunk, where the skin should be protective yet elastic. To investigate how this is achieved, we used classical histochemical staining and second harmonic generation microscopy to describe the morphology and composition of elephant trunk skin. We report structure at the macro and micro scales, from the thickness of the dermis to the interaction of 10μm thick collagen fibers. We analyzed several sites along the length of the trunk, to compare and contrast the dorsal-ventral and proximal-distal skin morphologies and compositions. We find the dorsal skin of the elephant trunk can have keratin armor layers over 2mm thick, which is nearly 100 times the thickness of the equivalent layer in human skin. We also found that the structural support layer (the dermis) of elephant trunk contains a distribution of collagen-I (COL1) fibers in both perpendicular and parallel arrangement. The bimodal distribution of collagen is seen across all portions of the trunk, and is dissimilar from that of human skin where one orientation dominates within a body site. We hypothesize that this distribution of COL1 in the elephant trunk allows both flexibility and load-bearing capabilities. Additionally, when viewing individual fiber interaction of 10μm thick collagen, we find the fiber crossings per unit volume are five times more common than in human skin, suggesting that the fibers are entangled. We surmise that these intriguing structures permit both flexibility and strength in the elephant trunk. The complex nature of the elephant skin may inspire the design of materials that can combine strength and flexibility. 

   more » « less
4. Being thin-skinned can still reduce damage from dynamic puncture

   https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2024.0311  

   Zhang, Bingyang; Baskota, Bishal; Anderson, Philip_S L (October 2024, Journal of The Royal Society Interface)

   The integumentary system in animals serves as an important line of defence against physiological and mechanical external forces. Over time, integuments have evolved layered structures (scales, cuticle and skin) with high toughness and strength to resist damage and prevent wound expansion. While previous studies have examined their defensive performance under low-rate conditions, the failure response and damage resistance of these thin layers under dynamic biological puncture remain underexplored. Here, we utilize a novel experimental framework to investigate the mechanics of dynamic puncture in both bilayer structures of synthetic tissue-mimicking composite materials and natural skin tissues. Our findings reveal the remarkable efficiency of a thin outer skin layer in reducing the overall extent of dynamic puncture damage. This enhanced damage resistance is governed by interlayer properties through puncture energetics and diminishes in strength at higher puncture rates due to rate-dependent effects in silicone tissue simulants. In addition, natural skin tissues exhibit unique material properties and failure behaviours, leading to superior damage reduction capability compared with synthetic counterparts. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the inherent biomechanical complexity of biological puncture systems with layered composite material structures. They lay the groundwork for future comparative studies and bio-inspired applications. 

   more » « less
5. Dehydrofluorinated PVDF for structural health monitoring in fiber reinforced composites

   https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2021.108982  

   Groo, Lori Anne; Inman, Daniel; Sodano, Henry (September 2021, Composites science and technology)

   null (Ed.)

   Structural health monitoring of fiber reinforced composites is an extensive field of research that aims to reduce maintenance costs through in-situ damage detection. However, the need for externally bonded sensor systems and complicated fabrication processes limit the widespread application of most current structural health monitoring techniques. This work introduces a novel multifunctional fiber reinforced composite that relies on a ferroelectric prepreg fabricated using dehydrofluorinated (DHF) polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), which exhibits a thermally stable piezoelectric response. The self-sensing material presented in this work requires minimal external components, as the piezoelectric sensing mechanism is fully contained within the composite. This is accomplished by fabricating a ferroelectric prepreg consisting of DHF PVDF infused woven fiberglass, which is sandwiched between woven carbon fabric layers that act as electrodes, thus forming a piezoelectric sensor fabricated with entirely structural composite materials. Notably, the sensing material is a fully distributed prepreg rather than discretely embedded sensors which enables simplified monitoring of complex structures. As the composite experiences damage under flexural and tensile loading, the internal change in strain results in a charge separation that is detectable as a voltage emission across the sample electrodes. The self-sensing capabilities of this material are explored using traditional mechanical testing techniques, showing comparable performance to common damage detection methods, all while eliminating the need for external bonding of sensors to the structure. 

   more » « less