169,727 research outputs found
Stress relaxation through crosslink unbinding in cytoskeletal networks
No full textThe mechanical properties of cells are dominated by the cytoskeleton, an interconnected network of long elastic filaments. The connections between the filaments are provided by crosslinking proteins, which constitute, next to the filaments, the second important mechanical element of the network. An important aspect of cytoskeletal assemblies is their dynamic nature, which allows remodeling in response to external cues. The reversible nature of crosslink binding is an important mechanism that underlies these dynamical processes. Here, we develop a theoretical model that provides us insight into how the mechanical properties of cytoskeletal networks may depend on their underlying constituting elements. We incorporate three important ingredients: non-affine filament deformations in response to network strain; the interplay between filament and crosslink mechanical properties; and reversible crosslink (un) binding in response to the imposed stress. With this we are able to self-consistently calculate the nonlinear modulus of the network as a function of deformation amplitude and crosslink as well as filament stiffnesses. During loading, crosslink unbinding processes lead to a relaxation of stress and therefore to a reduction of the network modulus and eventually to network failure, when all crosslinks are unbound. This softening due to crosslink unbinding generically competes with an inherent stiffening response, which may be due to either filament or crosslink nonlinear elasticity.Open-Access-Publikationsfonds 201
Cross-linked biopolymer bundles: Cross-link reversibility leads to cooperative binding/unbinding phenomena
No full textWe consider a biopolymer bundle consisting of filaments that are cross-linked together. The cross-links are reversible: they can dynamically bind and unbind adjacent filament pairs as controlled by a binding enthalpy. The bundle is subjected to a bending deformation and the corresponding distribution of cross-links is measured. For a bundle consisting of two filaments, upon increasing the bending amplitude, a first-order transition is observed. The transition is from a state where the filaments are tightly coupled by many bound cross-links, to a state of nearly independent filaments with only a few bound cross-links. For a bundle consisting of more than two filaments, a series of first-order transitions is observed. The transitions are connected with the formation of an interface between regions of low and high cross-link densities. Combining umbrella sampling Monte Carlo simulations with analytical calculations, we present a detailed picture of how the competition between cross-link shearing and filament stretching drives the transitions. We also find that, when the cross-links become soft, collective behavior is not observed: the cross-links then unbind one after the other leading to a smooth decrease of the average cross-link density. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3675832]Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) [VI 483/1-1
Rheology near jamming: The influence of lubrication forces
No full textWe study, by computer simulations, the roles of different dissipation forces in the rheological properties of highly dense particle-laden flows. In particular, we are interested in the close-packing limit (jamming) and the question of whether "universal" observables can be identified that do not depend on the details of the dissipation model. To this end, we define a simplified lubrication force and systematically vary the range h(c) of this interaction. For fixed hc a crossover is seen from a Newtonian flow regime at small strain rates to inertia-dominated flow at larger strain rates. The same crossover is observed as a function of the lubrication range hc. At the same time, but only at high densities close to jamming, single-particle velocities as well as local density distributions are unaffected by changes in the lubrication range-they are candidates for universal behavior. At densities away from jamming, this invariance is lost: short-range lubrication forces lead to pronounced particle clustering, while longer-ranged lubrication does not. These findings highlight the importance of "geometric" packing constraints for particle motion-independent of the specific dissipation model. With the free volume vanishing at random close packing, particle motion is more and more constrained by the ever smaller amount of free space. On the other hand, macroscopic rheological observables as well as higher-order correlation functions retain the variability of the underlying dissipation model.DFG via the Emmy Noether program [He 6322/1-1
Theory of crosslinked bundles of helical filaments: Intrinsic torques in self-limiting biopolymer assemblies
No full textInspired by the complex influence of the globular crosslinking proteins on the formation of biofilament bundles in living organisms, we study and analyze a theoretical model for the structure and thermodynamics of bundles of helical filaments assembled in the presence of crosslinking molecules. The helical structure of filaments, a universal feature of biopolymers such as filamentous actin, is shown to generically frustrate the geometry of crosslinking between the "grooves" of two neighboring filaments. We develop a coarse-grained model to investigate the interplay between the geometry of binding and mechanics of both linker and filament distortion, and we show that crosslinking in parallel bundles of helical filaments generates intrinsic torques, of the type that tend to wind the bundle superhelically about its central axis. Crosslinking mediates a non-linear competition between the preference for bundle twist and the size-dependent mechanical cost of filament bending, which in turn gives rise to feedback between the global twist of self-assembled bundles and their lateral size. Finally, we demonstrate that above a critical density of bound crosslinkers, twisted bundles form with a thermodynamically preferred radius that, in turn, increases with a further increase in crosslinking bonds. We identify the stiffness of crosslinking bonds as a key parameter governing the sensitivity of bundle structure and assembly to the availability and affinity of crosslinkers. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3610431]German Humboldt Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF) [09-55760
Discontinuous shear-thinning in adhesive dispersions
No full textWe present simulations for the steady-shear rheology of a model adhesive dispersion in the dense regime. We vary the range of the attractive interparticle forces u as well as the strength of the dissipation b. For large dissipative forces, the rheology is governed by the Weissenberg number Wi similar to b(gamma) over dot / u and displays Herschel-Bulkley form sigma = sigma(y) + cWi(v) with exponent v = 0.45. Decreasing the strength of dissipation, the scaling with Wi breaks down and inertial effects show up. The stress decreases via the Johnson-Samwer law Delta sigma similar to T-s(2/3), where temperature T-s is exclusively due to shear-induced vibrations. During flow, particles slide past each other such that their relative velocities are primarily directed tangentially to the particle surfaces. This tangential channel of energy dissipation and its suppression leads to a discontinuity in the flow curve and an associated discontinuous shear-thinning transition. We set up an analogy with frictional systems, where the phenomenon of discontinuous shear-thickening occurs. In both cases, tangential forces, frictional or viscous, mediate a transition from one branch of the flow curve with low tangential dissipation to one with larger tangential dissipation
Jamming of frictional particles: A non-equilibrium first order phase transition
No full textWe propose a phase diagram for the shear flow of dry granular particles in two dimensions based on simulations and a phenomenological Landau theory for a nonequilibrium first-order phase transition. Our approach incorporates both frictional as well as frictionless particles. The most important feature of the frictional phase diagram is reentrant flow and a critical jamming point at finite stress. In the frictionless limit the regime of reentrance vanishes and the jamming transition is continuous with a critical point at zero stress. The jamming phase diagrams derived from the model agree with the experiments of Bi et al. [Nature (London) 480, 355 (2011)] and brings together previously conflicting numerical results.DFG [FOR 1394]; Emmy Noether program [He 6322/1-1
Free volume under shear
No full textUsing an athermal quasistatic simulation protocol, we study the distribution of free volumes in sheared hard-particle packings close to, but below, the random-close packing threshold. We show that under shear, and independent of volume fraction, the free volumes develop features similar to close-packed systems - particles self-organize in a manner as to mimick the isotropically jammed state. We compare athermally sheared packings with thermalized packings and show that thermalization leads to an erasure of these structural features. The temporal evolution in particular the opening-up and the closing of free-volume patches is associated with the single-particle dynamics, showing a crossover from ballistic to diffusive behavior. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.German Science Foundation via the Emmy Noether Program [He 6322/1-1
Nonlinear and heterogeneous elasticity of multiply-crosslinked biopolymer networks
No full textWe simulate randomly crosslinked networks of biopolymers, characterizing linear and nonlinear elasticity under different loading conditions (uniaxial extension, simple shear, and pure shear). Under uniaxial extension, and upon entering the nonlinear regime, the network switches from a dilatant to contractile response. Analogously, under isochoric conditions (pure shear), the normal stresses change their sign. Both effects are readily explained with a generic weakly nonlinear elasticity theory. The elastic moduli display an intermediate super-stiffening regime, where moduli increase much stronger with applied stress sigma than predicted by the force-extension relation of a single wormlike-chain (G(wlc) similar to sigma(3/2)). We interpret this super-stiffening regime in terms of the reorientation of filaments with the maximum tensile direction of the deformation field. A simple model for the reorientation response gives an exponential stiffening, G similar to e(sigma), in qualitative agreement with our data. The heterogeneous, anisotropic structure of the network is reflected in correspondingly heterogeneous and anisotropic elastic properties. We provide a coarse-graining scheme to quantify the local anisotropy, the fluctuations of the elastic moduli, and the local stresses as a function of coarse-graining length. Heterogeneities of the elastic moduli are strongly correlated with the local density and increase with applied strain.Open-Access Publikationsfonds 201
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Mitomycin C in highly myopic eyes - Author reply
No full textOphthalmology. 2005 Feb;112(2):208-18; discussion 219.
Mitomycin C modulation of corneal wound healing after photorefractive keratectomy in highly myopic eyes.
Gambato C, Ghirlando A, Moretto E, Busato F, Midena E.
SourceRefractive Surgery Service and Antimetabolite Therapy Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of topical mitomycin C in corneal wound healing (CWH) after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in highly myopic eyes.
DESIGN: Prospective, double-masked, randomized clinical trial.
PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-two eyes of 36 patients affected by high (>7 diopters) myopia.
METHODS: In each patient, one eye was randomly assigned to PRK with intraoperative topical 0.02% mitomycin C application, and the fellow eye was treated with a placebo. Postoperatively, mitomycin C-treated eyes received artificial tears (3 times daily, tapered in 3 months), whereas the fellow eye was treated with fluorometholone sodium 2% and artificial tears (3 times daily, tapered in 3 months).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), contrast sensitivity, manifest refraction, and biomicroscopy. Contrast sensitivity was determined using the Pelli-Robson chart. Corneal confocal microscopy documented CWH.
RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 18 months (range, 12-36). No side effects or toxic effects were documented. At 12-month follow-up examination, UCVAs (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) were 0.4+/-0.48 and 0.5+/-0.53 (P = .03) in mitomycin C-treated eyes and corticosteroid-treated eyes, respectively. At 1 year, corneal haze developed in 20% of corticosteroid-treated eyes, versus 0% of mitomycin C-treated eyes. At 12, 24, and 36 months, corneal confocal microscopy showed activated keratocytes and extracellular matrix significantly more evident in untreated eyes (Ps = 0.004, 0.024, and 0.046, respectively).
CONCLUSION: Topical intraoperative application of 0.02% mitomycin C can reduce haze formation in highly myopic eyes undergoing PRK.
Comment in
Ophthalmology. 2006 Feb;113(2):357; author reply 357-8
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