Theranostic Applications of an Ultra-Sensitive T1 and T2 Magnetic Resonance Contrast Agent Based on Cobalt Ferrite Spinel Nanoparticles.

Nano-dimensional materials have become a focus of multiple clinical applications due to their unique physicochemical properties. Magnetic nanoparticles represent an important class of nanomaterials that are widely studied for use as magnetic resonance (MR) contrast and drug delivery agents, especially as they can be detected and manipulated remotely. Using magnetic cobalt ferrite spinel (MCFS) nanoparticles, this study was aimed at developing a multifunctional drug delivery platform with MRI capability for use in cancer treatment. We found that MCFS nanoparticles demonstrated outstanding properties for contrast MRI (r1 = 22.1 s-1mM-1 and r2 = 499 s-1mM-1) that enabled high-resolution T1- and T2-weighted MRI-based signal detection. Furthermore, MCFS nanoparticles were used for the development of a multifunctional targeted drug delivery platform for cancer treatment that is concurrently empowered with the MR contrast properties. Their therapeutic effect in systemic chemotherapy and unique MRI double-contrast properties were confirmed in vivo using a breast cancer mouse tumor model. Our study thus provides an empirical basis for the development of a novel multimodal composite drug delivery system for anticancer therapy combined with noninvasive MRI capability.

Computational Indicator Approach for Assessment of Nanotoxicity of Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials.

The increasing growth in the development of various novel nanomaterials and their biomedical applications has drawn increasing attention to their biological safety and potential health impact. The most commonly used methods for nanomaterial toxicity assessment are based on laboratory experiments. In recent years, with the aid of computer modeling and data science, several in silico methods for the cytotoxicity prediction of nanomaterials have been developed. An affordable, cost-effective numerical modeling approach thus can reduce the need for in vitro and in vivo testing and predict the properties of designed or developed nanomaterials. We propose here a new in silico method for rapid cytotoxicity assessment of two-dimensional nanomaterials of arbitrary chemical composition by using free energy analysis and molecular dynamics simulations, which can be expressed by a computational indicator of nanotoxicity (CIN2D). We applied this approach to five well-known two-dimensional nanomaterials promising for biomedical applications: graphene, graphene oxide, layered double hydroxide, aloohene, and hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets. The results corroborate the available laboratory biosafety data for these nanomaterials, supporting the applicability of the developed method for predictive nanotoxicity assessment of two-dimensional nanomaterials.

Role of Adhesion Stress in Controlling Transition between Plastic, Grinding and Breakaway Regimes of Adhesive Wear.

A discrete-element based model of elastic-plastic materials with non-ideal plasticity and with an account of both cohesive and adhesive interactions inside the material is developed and verified. Based on this model, a detailed study of factors controlling the modes of adhesive wear is performed. Depending on the material and loading parameters, we observed three main modes of wear: slipping, plastic grinding, cleavage, and breakaway. We find that occurrence of a particular mode is determined by the combination of two dimensionless material parameters: (1) the ratio of the adhesive stress to the pure shear strength of the material, and (2) sensitivity parameter of material shear strength to local pressure. The case study map of asperity wear modes in the space of these parameters has been constructed. Results of this study further develop the findings of the widely discussed studies by the groups of J.-F. Molinari and L. Pastewka.

Effect of elastic grading on fretting wear.

We consider fretting wear in elastic frictional contact under influence of oscillations of small amplitude and investigate the question, how wear damage can be influenced by the introduction of material gradients. To achieve a general understanding we restrict our consideration to media with a power-law dependency of the elastic modulus on depth. In this case, a complete analytical solution can be found for the final worn shape. In the limiting case of small fretting oscillations we obtain a simple, closed-form asymptotic solution of the problem. We find that the optimum grading depends on the oscillation amplitude: for large amplitudes, the use of materials with a positive exponent decreases the wear volume whilst for very small amplitudes the use of graded materials with slightly negative exponent is beneficial. Especially interesting is the case of the Gibson-medium which may help avoiding both fretting wear and fretting fatigue.

Strength of shear bands in fluid-saturated rocks: a nonlinear effect of competition between dilation and fluid flow.

This study shows the significant and nonlinear effect of the competition between dilation and fluid flow on the shear strength of constrained shear bands in fluid-saturated rocks. This effect is conditioned by the contribution of the pore pressure to the yield stress and strength. The pore pressure is controlled by the dilation of the pore space in the solid skeleton of the shear band during plastic deformation and by squeezing of pores in surrounding blocks by the dilating shear band due to the high stiffness of the host massif. A generalized equation has been derived to describe the dependence of the shear band strength on the ratio of strain rate to fluid flow rate.

The Continuum Approach to the Description of Semi-Crystalline Polymers Deformation Regimes: The Role of Dynamic and Translational Defects.

This paper presents a new approach to describe the mechanical behavior of semi-crystalline polymers, the plastic deformation of which is determined by their two-phase structure. To describe the plastic behavior of semi-crystalline polymers, a two-phase model is used. In the framework of this model, one phase is in a hard (crystalline) state, and the other in a soft (amorphous) state. The two-phase material is modeled by a single-phase homogeneous continuum based on the approximation of the effective medium. It is assumed that two infinitely close material points of the continuum are connected in series by elastic and viscous bonds, which corresponds to the Maxwell model. It is shown that, in this case, the Maxwell continuum is a pseudo-Euclidean space. Generalizing the definition of defects from a three-dimensional space to a four-dimensional pseudo-Euclidean space, we obtained a dynamic system of nonlinear, interrelated equations to describe the behavior of translational-type defects in the solid phase and dynamic defects in the amorphous phase. As an example of an application for these equations, the phenomenon of creep under uniaxial loading is considered. It is shown that the formalism of the proposed two-phase model makes it possible to describe creep phenomenon regularities, which correspond to both the aging theory and the flow theory.

Nonlinear effect of elastic vortexlike motion on the dynamic stress state of solids.

We present a theoretical analysis of the dynamic stress-strain state of regions in a solid body that are involved in a collective elastic vortexlike motion. It is shown that the initiation of elastic vortexlike motion in the material is accompanied by the appearance of dilatancy and equivalent strain, the magnitudes of which are proportional to the square of the ratio of linear velocity on the periphery of the elastic vortex to the velocity of longitudinal elastic waves (P wave). Under conditions of dynamic loading the described dynamic effects are able to initiate inelastic deformation or destruction of the material at loading speeds of a few percent of the P-wave speed. The obtained analytical estimates suggest that dynamic nonlinear strains can make a significant contribution in a number of widely studied nonlinear dynamic phenomena in solids. Among them are the effect of acoustic (dynamic) dilatancy in solids and granular media, which leads to the generation of longitudinal elastic waves by transverse waves [V. Tournat et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 085502 (2004)10.1103/PhysRevLett.92.085502] and the formation of an array of intense "hot spots" (reminiscent of shear-induced hydrodynamic instabilities in fluids) in adiabatic shear bands [P. R. Guduru et al., Phys. Rev. E 64, 036128 (2001)10.1103/PhysRevE.64.036128].

Universal limiting shape of worn profile under multiple-mode fretting conditions: theory and experimental evidence.

We consider multiple-mode fretting wear in a frictional contact of elastic bodies subjected to a small-amplitude oscillation, which may include in-plane and out-of-plane translation, torsion and tilting ("periodic rolling"). While the detailed kinetics of wear depends on the particular loading history and wear mechanism, the final worn shape, under some additional conditions, occurs to be universal for all types and loading and wear mechanisms. This universal form is determined solely by the radius of the permanent stick region and the maximum indentation depth during the loading cycle. We provide experimental evidence for the correctness of the theoretically predicted limiting shape. The existence of the universal limiting shape can be used for designing joints which are resistant to fretting wear.

Key role of elastic vortices in the initiation of intersonic shear cracks.

Using the particle-based method of movable cellular automata, we analyze the initiation and propagation of intersonic mode II cracks along a weak interface. We show that the stress concentration in front of the crack tip, which is believed to be the mechanism of acceleration of the crack beyond the speed of shear waves, is due to the formation of an elastic vortex. The vortex develops in front of the crack during the short initial period of crack propagation. It expands and moves away from the crack tip and finally detaches from it. Maximum stress concentration in the vortex is achieved at the moment of detachment of the vortex. The crack can accelerate towards the longitudinal wave speed if the magnitude of shear stresses in the elastic vortex reaches the material shear strength before vortex detachment. We have found that for given material parameters, the condition for the unstable accelerated crack propagation depends only on the ratio of the initial crack length to its width (e.g., due to surface roughness).

On the role of scales in contact mechanics and friction between elastomers and randomly rough self-affine surfaces.

The paper is devoted to a qualitative analysis of friction of elastomers from the point of view of scales contributing to the force of friction. We argue that--contrary to widespread opinion--friction between a randomly rough self-affine fractal surface and an elastomer is not a multiscale phenomenon, but is governed mostly by the interplay of only two scales--as a rule the largest and the smallest scales of roughness of the contacting bodies. The hypothesis of two-scale character of elastomer friction is illustrated by computer simulations in the framework of the paradigm of Greenwood, Tabor and Grosch using a simplified one-dimensional model.

Kinetics of the coefficient of friction of elastomers.

We study theoretically and numerically the kinetics of the coefficient of friction of an elastomer due to abrupt changes of sliding velocity. Numerical simulations reveal the same qualitative behavior which has been observed experimentally on different classes of materials: the coefficient of friction first jumps and then relaxes to a new stationary value. The elastomer is modeled as a simple Kelvin body and the surface as a self-affine fractal with a Hurst exponent in the range from 0 to 1. Parameters of the jump of the coefficient of friction and the relaxation time are determined as functions of material and loading parameters. Depending on velocity and the Hurst exponent, relaxation of friction with characteristic length or characteristic time is observed.