Fig. 2.

Specimen dissection. (a) Porcine aortic arch with ascending aortic ring removed. The white star represents a marker used to keep track of tissue sample orientation. (b) The ring was cut open along its superior edge and laid flat with the intimal surface up and the axial, Z, and circumferential, θ, directions along the vertical and horizontal directions, respectively. Axial and circumferential directions are shown with black arrows. (c) Schematic showing a typical sectioning and testing plan for an ascending aortic specimen.