9510401 Setton This project is a Research Planning Grant made to help increase the number of new women investigators participating in National Science Foundation (NSF) research programs, and to facilitate preliminary studies and other activities related to the development of competitive NSF research proposals. This project will seek to quantify the state of swelling- induced residual stress and strain in the anulus fibrosus, a part of the intervertebral (spinal) disc. Disc degeneration causes great discomfort to a large number of individuals and results of the investigation are expected to generate new knowledge for consideration of appropriate tissue substitutes or chemical treatments to alleviate disc degeneration. The Principal Investigator is expected to submit a full research proposal to NSF subsequent to the completion of this project. Gilbert B. Devey August 16, 1995