Particle diffusion in active fluids is non-monotonic in size

We experimentally investigate the effect of particle size on the motion of passive polystyrene spheres in suspensions of Escherichia coli. Using particles covering a range of sizes from 0.6 to 39 microns, we probe particle dynamics at both short and long time scales. In all cases, the particles exhibit super-diffusive ballistic behavior at short times before eventually transitioning to diffusive behavior. Surprisingly, we find a regime in which larger particles can diffuse faster than smaller particles: the particle long-time effective diffusivity exhibits a peak in particle size, which is a deviation from classical thermal diffusion. We also find that the active contribution to particle diffusion is controlled by a dimensionless parameter, the Péclet number. A minimal model qualitatively explains the existence of the effective diffusivity peak and its dependence on bacterial concentration. Our results have broad implications on characterizing active fluids using concepts drawn from classical thermodynamics.

Running and tumbling with E. coli in polymeric solutions

Run-and-tumble motility is widely used by swimming microorganisms including numerous prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Here, we experimentally investigate the run-and-tumble dynamics of the bacterium E. coli in polymeric solutions. We find that even small amounts of polymer in solution can drastically change E. coli dynamics: cells tumble less and their velocity increases, leading to an enhancement in cell translational diffusion and a sharp decline in rotational diffusion. We show that suppression of tumbling is due to fluid viscosity while the enhancement in swimming speed is mainly due to fluid elasticity. Visualization of single fluorescently labeled DNA polymers reveals that the flow generated by individual E. coli is sufficiently strong to stretch polymer molecules and induce elastic stresses in the fluid, which in turn can act on the cell in such a way to enhance its transport. Our results show that the transport and spread of chemotactic cells can be independently modified and controlled by the fluid material properties.

Flagellar kinematics and swimming of algal cells in viscoelastic fluids

The motility of microorganisms is influenced greatly by their hydrodynamic interactions with the fluidic environment they inhabit. We show by direct experimental observation of the bi-flagellated alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii that fluid elasticity and viscosity strongly influence the beating pattern - the gait - and thereby control the propulsion speed. The beating frequency and the wave speed characterizing the cyclical bending are both enhanced by fluid elasticity. Despite these enhancements, the net swimming speed of the alga is hindered for fluids that are sufficiently elastic. The origin of this complex response lies in the interplay between the elasticity-induced changes in the spatial and temporal aspects of the flagellar cycle and the buildup and subsequent relaxation of elastic stresses during the power and recovery strokes.

Flagellar dynamics of a connected chain of active, polar, Brownian particles

We show that active, self-propelled particles that are connected together to form a single chain that is anchored at one end can produce the graceful beating motions of flagella. Changing the boundary condition from a clamp to a pivot at the anchor leads to steadily rotating tight coils. Strong noise in the system disrupts the regularity of the oscillations. We use a combination of detailed numerical simulations, mean-field scaling analysis and first passage time theory to characterize the phase diagram as a function of the filament length, passive elasticity, propulsion force and noise. Our study suggests minimal experimental tests for the onset of oscillations in an active polar chain.

How things get stuck: kinetics, elastohydrodynamics, and soft adhesion

We consider the sticking of a fluid-immersed colloidal particle with a substrate coated by polymeric tethers, a model for soft, wet adhesion in many natural and artificial systems. Our theory accounts for the kinetics of binding, the elasticity of the tethers, and the hydrodynamics of fluid drainage between the colloid and the substrate, characterized by three dimensionless parameters: the ratio of the viscous drainage time to the kinetics of binding, the ratio of elastic to thermal energies, and the size of the particle relative to the height of the polymer brush. For typical experimental parameters and discrete families of tethers, we find that adhesion proceeds via punctuated steps, where rapid transitions to increasingly bound states are separated by slow aging transients, consistent with recent observations. Our results also suggest that the bound particle is susceptible to fluctuation-driven instabilities parallel to the substrate.

Dynamical self-regulation in self-propelled particle flows

We study a continuum model of overdamped self-propelled particles with aligning interactions in two dimensions. Combining analytical theory and computations, we map out the phase diagram for the parameter space covered by the model. We find that the system self-organizes into two robust structures in different regions of parameter space: solitary waves composed of ordered swarms moving through a low density disordered background, and stationary radially symmetric asters. The self-regulating nature of the flow yields phase separation, ubiquitous in this class of systems, and controls the formation of solitary waves. Self-propulsion and the associated active convection play a crucial role in aster formation.

A comparative study of temporary splints: bonded polyethylene fiber reinforcement ribbon and stainless steel wire + composite resin splint in the treatment of chronic periodontitis

The present clinical study was undertaken to determine the effects of splinting overunsplinted mobile teeth following periodontal surgery and compared the efficacy of two splinting materials, i.e. Ribbond ribbon + Composite with Stainless steel wire + Composite.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Total of 30 patients (20 experimental and 10 control) formed the study group. Entire study was extended over a period of 12 weeks for each patient and treatment plan was divided into 8 phases. Healing response was monitored and application, durability, biocompatibility of splint material was assessed.

RESULTS

Splint had a promising and beneficial effects on anterior teeth exhibiting Grade I to Grade II degrees of mobility. Experimental group showed a greater reduction in tooth mobility compared to control group. There was no significant difference in plaque index and Ribbond Ribbon reinforced with composite resin was an excellent material for application, patient comfort, resistance to fracture, biocompatable and esthetic acceptability.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Splinting is recommended as an adjunct to periodontal surgery in the treatment of hypermobile teeth, especially in cases where patient discomfort is a prominent factor.

Elastohydrodynamics of wet bristles, carpets and brushes

Surfaces covered by bristles, hairs, polymers and other filamentous structures arise in a variety of natural settings in science such as the active lining of many biological organs, e.g. lungs, reproductive tracts, etc., and have increasingly begun to be used in technological applications. We derive an effective field theory for the elastohydrodynamics of ordered brushes and disordered carpets that are made of a large number of elastic filaments grafted on to a substrate and interspersed in a fluid. Our formulation for the elastohydrodynamic response of these materials leads naturally to a set of constitutive equations coupling bed deformation to fluid flow, accounts for the anisotropic properties of the medium, and generalizes the theory of poroelasticity to these systems. We use the effective medium equations to study three canonical problems—the normal settling of a rigid sphere onto a carpet, the squeeze flow in a carpet and the tangential shearing motion of a rigid sphere over the carpet, all problems of relevance in mechanosensation in biology with implications for biomimetic devices.

Gastric emptying of hexose sugars: role of osmolality, molecular structure and the CCK₁ receptor

BACKGROUND

It is widely reported that hexose sugars slow gastric emptying (GE) via osmoreceptor stimulation but this remains uncertain. We evaluated the effects of a panel of hexoses of differing molecular structure, assessing the effects of osmolality, intra-individual reproducibility and the role of the CCK(1) receptor, in the regulation of GE by hexoses.

METHODS

Thirty one healthy non-obese male and female subjects were studied in a series of protocols, using a (13) C-acetate breath test to evaluate GE of varying concentrations of glucose, galactose, fructose and tagatose, with water, NaCl and lactulose as controls. GE was further evaluated following the administration of a CCK(1) receptor antagonist. Three subjects underwent repeated studies to evaluate intra-individual reproducibility.

KEY RESULTS

At 250 mOsmol, a hexose-specific effect was apparent: tagatose slowed GE more potently than water, glucose and fructose (P < 0.05). Fructose (P < 0.05) also slowed GE, but with substantial inter-, but not intra-, individual differences. As osmolality increased further the hexose-specific differences were lost. At 500 mOsmol, all hexoses slowed GE compared with water (P < 0.05), whereas lactulose and saline did not. The slowing of GE by hexose sugars appeared to be CCK(1) receptor-dependent.

CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES

The effects of hexose sugars on GE appear related to their molecular structure rather than osmolality per se, and are, at least in part, CCK(1) receptor-dependent.

Involvement of human decidual cell-expressed tissue factor in uterine hemostasis and abruption

Vascular injury increases access and binding of plasma-derived factor VII to perivascular cell membrane-bound tissue factor (TF). The resulting TF/VIIa complex promotes hemostasis by cleaving pro-thrombin to thrombin leading to the fibrin clot. In human pregnancy, decidual cell-expressed TF prevents decidual hemorrhage (abruption). During placentation, trophoblasts remodel decidual spiral arteries into high conductance vessels. Shallow trophoblast invasion impedes decidual vascular conversion, producing an inadequate uteroplacental blood flow that elicits abruption-related placental ischemia. Thrombin induces several biological effects via cell surface protease activated receptors. In first trimester human DCs thrombin increases synthesis of sFlt-1, which elicits placental ischemia by impeding angiogenesis-related decidual vascular remodeling. During pregnacy, the fibrillar collagen-rich amnion and choriodecidua extracellular matrix (ECM) provides greater than additive tensile strength and structural integrity. Thrombin acts as an autocrine/paracrine mediator that degrades these ECMs by augmenting decidual cell expression of: 1) matrix metalloproteinases and 2) interleukin-8, a key mediator of abruption-associated decidual infiltration of neutrophils, which express several ECM degrading proteases. Among the cell types at the maternal fetal interface at term, TF expression is highest in decidual cells indicating that this TF meets the hemostatic demands of labor and delivery. TF expression in cultured term decidual cells is enhanced by progestin and thrombin suggesting that the maintenance of elevated circulating progesterone provides hemostatic protection and that abruption-generated thrombin acts in an autocrine/paracrine fashion on decidual cells to promote hemostasis via enhanced TF expression.

RF Magnetic Signal Localization at Very High Magnetic Field Systems

The impetus of this work originated from the advent of high magnetic field magnetic resonance imaging scanners with B0 fields of 4T, 7T, and 9.4T. These ultrahigh magnetic field systems generally improve the signal to noise ratios. However, B1 field non-uniformity also occurs due to the increased RF field frequencies when wavelengths in the head become shorter than its size. As interest in multiple channel transmission line coils increases, the control of the amplitude and phase of individual coil elements is required in order to develop desired B1 field. The choice of the excitation of the coil elements may be determined by convex optimization. Convex optimization is used provides results very fast, when the problem is formulated globally. In addition, convex optimization provides better signal to noise (SNR) ratio when anatomic specific regions are investigated. In this paper, simulation and experimental results are discussed at 9.4T systems based on the number of elements. The primary objective of this study is to increase the signal in a specific target region and decrease the signal and noise in the outside region termed the suppression region. The convex formulations are minimizing the maximum field point in the suppression region while keeping the center of target maximum. Based on this min-max optimization criterion, an iteration method which modifies the selection of suppression fields is also performed to produce better results. The results of the localization on FDTD human data at 9.4T are shown in Fig. 1. In these figures, the axial slices of the center of human head model provided by XFDTD are used after manipulating with MATLAB and the 16 channel head coil is excited. Figure 1 shows an improvement of the homogeneity in the suppression region when the target region is at center. In Fig. 2, received signal localizations are obtained for three different regions of interest (ROI) after using the convex optimization. Note that the selection of ROI is limited by the geometric setting of phantom in the 8-channel TEM head coil. Convex optimization with an iterative method was performed on both the human head and phantom models with operating frequency 400 MHz to design coil channel excitation parameters. By applying the iterative method to the convex optimization, more homogeneous B1 fields are obtained in the suppression region for 9.4T system.

Cell and biomolecular mechanics in silico

Recent developments in computational cell and biomolecular mechanics have provided valuable insights into the mechanical properties of cells, subcellular components and biomolecules, while simultaneously complementing new experimental techniques used for deciphering the structure-function paradigm in living cells. These computational approaches have direct implications in understanding the state of human health and the progress of disease and can therefore aid immensely in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. We provide an overview of the computational approaches that are currently used in understanding various aspects of cell and bimolecular mechanics. Our emphasis is on state-of-the-art techniques and the progress made in addressing key challenges in biomechanics.

Compressibility effects on steady streaming from a noncompact rigid sphere

The problem of steady streaming around a rigid isolated sphere in a plane standing acoustic field is considered. Existing results in the literature have been generalized to allow for noncompactness of the sphere, and the influence of fluid compressibility on the streaming behavior has been included. It is found that in the high-frequency limit of interest for which the streaming is strongest, the effective steady slip velocity at the edge of the inner boundary layer region that is responsible for driving the steady streaming in the bulk of the fluid in the outer region, has a complex variation over the surface of the sphere that depends on (i) the sphere position (with respect to the node/antinode of the acoustic field), (ii) the extent of sphere compactness, and (iii) on a well-defined function (representing compressibility effects) of the fluid Prandtl number and its ratio of specific heats. Not surprisingly, the contribution from this function is negligible when the host fluid is a liquid. The steady streaming behavior around the sphere is demonstrated with the help of flow streamlines for various cases in the diffusive limit of weak outer flow for low streaming Reynolds numbers.

Spatial-mode control of vertical-cavity lasers with micromirrors fabricated and replicated in semiconductor materials

Micromirrors were fabricated in gallium phosphide by mass transport to provide spatial-mode control of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL's). The concave mirrors were used in an external-cavity configuration to provide spatial filtering in the far field. Single-mode cw lasing was demonstrated in 15-microm-diameter VCSEL's with currents as high as 6 times threshold. The fabrication process was extended to micromirrors in gallium arsenide by use of a replication and dry-etch transfer process.