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Sample records for mechanisms coupling cell

  1. Simultaneously Coupled Mechanical-Electrochemical-Thermal Simulation of Lithium-Ion Cells: Preprint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Chao; Santhanagopalan, Shriram; Sprague, Michael A.; Pesaran, Ahmad A.

    2016-08-01

    Understanding the combined electrochemical-thermal and mechanical response of a system has a variety of applications, for example, structural failure from electrochemical fatigue and the potential induced changes of material properties. For lithium-ion batteries, there is an added concern over the safety of the system in the event of mechanical failure of the cell components. In this work, we present a generic multi-scale simultaneously coupled mechanical-electrochemical-thermal model to examine the interaction between mechanical failure and electrochemical-thermal responses. We treat the battery cell as a homogeneous material while locally we explicitly solve for the mechanical response of individual components using a homogenization model and the electrochemical-thermal responses using an electrochemical model for the battery. A benchmark problem is established to demonstrate the proposed modeling framework. The model shows the capability to capture the gradual evolution of cell electrochemical-thermal responses, and predicts the variation of those responses under different short-circuit conditions.

  2. A MODELING AND SIMULATION LANGUAGE FOR BIOLOGICAL CELLS WITH COUPLED MECHANICAL AND CHEMICAL PROCESSES.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Somogyi, Endre; Glazier, James A

    2017-04-01

    Biological cells are the prototypical example of active matter. Cells sense and respond to mechanical, chemical and electrical environmental stimuli with a range of behaviors, including dynamic changes in morphology and mechanical properties, chemical uptake and secretion, cell differentiation, proliferation, death, and migration. Modeling and simulation of such dynamic phenomena poses a number of computational challenges. A modeling language describing cellular dynamics must naturally represent complex intra and extra-cellular spatial structures and coupled mechanical, chemical and electrical processes. Domain experts will find a modeling language most useful when it is based on concepts, terms and principles native to the problem domain. A compiler must then be able to generate an executable model from this physically motivated description. Finally, an executable model must efficiently calculate the time evolution of such dynamic and inhomogeneous phenomena. We present a spatial hybrid systems modeling language, compiler and mesh-free Lagrangian based simulation engine which will enable domain experts to define models using natural, biologically motivated constructs and to simulate time evolution of coupled cellular, mechanical and chemical processes acting on a time varying number of cells and their environment.

  3. Coupling biochemistry and mechanics in cell adhesion: a model for inhomogeneous stress fiber contraction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Besser, Achim; Schwarz, Ulrich S

    2007-01-01

    Biochemistry and mechanics are closely coupled in cell adhesion. At sites of cell-matrix adhesion, mechanical force triggers signaling through the Rho-pathway, which leads to structural reinforcement and increased contractility in the actin cytoskeleton. The resulting force acts back to the sites of adhesion, resulting in a positive feedback loop for mature adhesion. Here, we model this biochemical-mechanical feedback loop for the special case when the actin cytoskeleton is organized in stress fibers, which are contractile bundles of actin filaments. Activation of myosin II molecular motors through the Rho-pathway is described by a system of reaction-diffusion equations, which are coupled into a viscoelastic model for a contractile actin bundle. We find strong spatial gradients in the activation of contractility and in the corresponding deformation pattern of the stress fiber, in good agreement with experimental findings

  4. Coupling mechanical tension and GTPase signaling to generate cell and tissue dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zmurchok, Cole; Bhaskar, Dhananjay; Edelstein-Keshet, Leah

    2018-07-01

    Regulators of the actin cytoskeleton such Rho GTPases can modulate forces developed in cells by promoting actomyosin contraction. At the same time, through mechanosensing, tension is known to affect the activity of Rho GTPases. What happens when these effects act in concert? Using a minimal model (1 GTPase coupled to a Kelvin–Voigt element), we show that two-way feedback between signaling (‘RhoA’) and mechanical tension (stretching) leads to a spectrum of cell behaviors, including contracted or relaxed cells, and cells that oscillate between these extremes. When such ‘model cells’ are connected to one another in a row or in a 2D sheet (‘epithelium’), we observe waves of contraction/relaxation and GTPase activity sweeping through the tissue. The minimal model lends itself to full bifurcation analysis, and suggests a mechanism that explains behavior observed in the context of development and collective cell behavior.

  5. Vinculin promotes cell spreading by mechanically coupling integrins to the cytoskeleton

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ezzell, R. M.; Goldmann, W. H.; Wang, N.; Parasharama, N.; Ingber, D. E.

    1997-01-01

    Mouse F9 embryonic carcinoma 5.51 cells that lack the cytoskeletal protein vinculin spread poorly on extracellular matrix compared with wild-type F9 cells or two vinculin-transfected clones (5.51Vin3 and Vin4; Samuels et al., 1993, J. Cell Biol. 121, 909-921). In the present study, we used this model system to determine how the presence of vinculin promotes cytoskeletal alterations and associated changes in cell shape. Microscopic analysis of cell spreading at early times, revealed that 5.51 cells retained the ability to form filopodia; however, they could not form lamellipodia, assemble stress fibers, or efficiently spread over the culture substrate. Detergent (Triton X-100) studies revealed that these major differences in cell morphology and cytoskeletal organization did not result from differences in levels of total polymerized or cross-linked actin. Biochemical studies showed that 5.51 cells, in addition to lacking vinculin, exhibited slightly reduced levels of alpha-actinin and paxillin in their detergent-insoluble cytoskeleton. The absence of vinculin correlated with a decrease in the mechanical stiffness of the integrin-cytoskeleton linkage, as measured using cell magnetometry. Furthermore, when vinculin was replaced by transfection in 5.51Vin3 and 5.51Vin4 cells, the levels of cytoskeletal-associated alpha-actinin and paxillin, the efficiency of transmembrane mechanical coupling, and the formation of actin stress fibers were all restored to near wild-type levels. These findings suggest that vinculin may promote cell spreading by stabilizing focal adhesions and transferring mechanical stresses that drive cytoskeletal remodeling, rather than by altering the total level of actin polymerization or cross-linking.

  6. Effects of Mechanical Coupling Between Cardiomyocytes and Cardiac Fibroblasts on Myocardium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zorlutuna, Pinar; Nguyen, Trung Dung; Nagarajan, Neerajha

    Cardiomyocytes show excitatory responses to stimulation solely by mechanical forces through their stretch-activated ion channels, and can fire action potentials upon mechanical stimulation through a pathway known as mechano-electric feedback. Furthermore, cardiomyocyte (CM) - cardiac fibroblasts (CF) can couple mechanically through cell-cell junctions. Here we investigated the effects of CM and CF mechanical coupling on myocardial physiology and pathology using a bio-nanoindentered coupled with fast calcium imaging and microelectrode arrays. In order to study mechanical signal transmission, we measured the contractile forces generated by CMs, as well as by CFs that were coupled to the CMs. We observed that CFs were beating with the same frequency but at smaller magnitude compared to CMs, and their contractility was dependent on the substrate stiffness. Our results showed that beating CMs actively stretched neighbouring CFs through the deformation of the substrate the cells were seeded on, which promoted the myocardial contractility through mechanical coupling. The results also revealed that CM contractility was propagated greater on soft substrates than stiff ones. Results of this study could help identify the role of the infarcted tissue stiffness and size on heart failure. This study is supported by NSF Grant No: 1530884.

  7. A coupled diffusion-fluid pressure model to predict cell density distribution for cells encapsulated in a porous hydrogel scaffold under mechanical loading.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Feihu; Vaughan, Ted J; Mc Garrigle, Myles J; McNamara, Laoise M

    2017-10-01

    Tissue formation within tissue engineering (TE) scaffolds is preceded by growth of the cells throughout the scaffold volume and attachment of cells to the scaffold substrate. It is known that mechanical stimulation, in the form of fluid perfusion or mechanical strain, enhances cell differentiation and overall tissue formation. However, due to the complex multi-physics environment of cells within TE scaffolds, cell transport under mechanical stimulation is not fully understood. Therefore, in this study, we have developed a coupled multiphysics model to predict cell density distribution in a TE scaffold. In this model, cell transport is modelled as a thermal conduction process, which is driven by the pore fluid pressure under applied loading. As a case study, the model is investigated to predict the cell density patterns of pre-osteoblasts MC3T3-e1 cells under a range of different loading regimes, to obtain an understanding of desirable mechanical stimulation that will enhance cell density distribution within TE scaffolds. The results of this study have demonstrated that fluid perfusion can result in a higher cell density in the scaffold region closed to the outlet, while cell density distribution under mechanical compression was similar with static condition. More importantly, the study provides a novel computational approach to predict cell distribution in TE scaffolds under mechanical loading. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Coupled Mechanical and Electrochemical Phenomena in Lithium-Ion Batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cannarella, John

    Lithium-ion batteries are complee electro-chemo-mechanical systems owing to a number of coupled mechanical and electrochemical phenomena that occur during operation. In this thesis we explore these phenomena in the context of battery degradation, monitoring/diagnostics, and their application to novel energy systems. We begin by establishing the importance of bulk stress in lithium-ion batteries through the presentation of a two-year exploratory aging study which shows that bulk mechanical stress can significantly accelerate capacity fade. We then investigate the origins of this coupling between stress and performance by investigating the effects of stress in idealized systems. Mechanical stress is found to increase internal battery resistance through separator deformation, which we model by considering how deformation affects certain transport properties. When this deformation occurs in a spatially heterogeneous manner, local hot spots form, which accelerate aging and in some cases lead to local lithium plating. Because of the importance of separator deformation with respect to mechanically-coupled aging, we characterize the mechanical properties of battery separators in detail. We also demonstrate that the stress state of a lithium-ion battery cell can be used to measure the cell's state of health (SOH) and state of charge (SOC)--important operating parameters that are traditionally difficult to measure outside of a laboratory setting. The SOH is shown to be related to irreversible expansion that occurs with degradation and the SOC to the reversible strains characteristic of the cell's electrode materials. The expansion characteristics and mechanical properties of the constituent cell materials are characterized, and a phenomenological model for the relationship between stress and SOH/SOC is developed. This work forms the basis for the development of on-board monitoring of SOH/SOC based on mechanical measurements. Finally we study the coupling between mechanical

  9. Non-linear mixing in coupled photonic crystal nanobeam cavities due to cross-coupling opto-mechanical mechanisms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramos, Daniel, E-mail: daniel.ramos@csic.es; Frank, Ian W.; Deotare, Parag B.; Bulu, Irfan; Lončar, Marko [School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 (United States)

    2014-11-03

    We investigate the coupling between mechanical and optical modes supported by coupled, freestanding, photonic crystal nanobeam cavities. We show that localized cavity modes for a given gap between the nanobeams provide weak optomechanical coupling with out-of-plane mechanical modes. However, we show that the coupling can be significantly increased, more than an order of magnitude for the symmetric mechanical mode, due to optical resonances that arise from the interaction of the localized cavity modes with standing waves formed by the reflection from thesubstrate. Finally, amplification of motion for the symmetric mode has been observed and attributed to the strong optomechanical interaction of our hybrid system. The amplitude of these self-sustained oscillations is large enough to put the system into a non-linear oscillation regime where a mixing between the mechanical modes is experimentally observed and theoretically explained.

  10. Coupling of Mechanical Behavior of Lithium Ion Cells to Electrochemical-Thermal Models for Battery Crush; NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pesaran, Ahmad; Zhang, Chao; Santhanagopalan, Shriram; Sahraei, Elham; Wierzbiki, Tom

    2015-06-15

    Propagation of failure in lithium-ion batteries during field events or under abuse is a strong function of the mechanical response of the different components in the battery. Whereas thermal and electrochemical models that capture the abuse response of batteries have been developed and matured over the years, the interaction between the mechanical behavior and the thermal response of these batteries is not very well understood. With support from the Department of Energy, NREL has made progress in coupling mechanical, thermal, and electrochemical lithium-ion models to predict the initiation and propagation of short circuits under external crush in a cell. The challenge with a cell crush simulation is to estimate the magnitude and location of the short. To address this, the model includes an explicit representation of each individual component such as the active material, current collector, separator, etc., and predicts their mechanical deformation under different crush scenarios. Initial results show reasonable agreement with experiments. In this presentation, the versatility of the approach for use with different design factors, cell formats and chemistries is explored using examples.

  11. Cellular Clocks : Coupled Circadian Dispatch and Cell Division Cycles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Merrow, Martha; Roenneberg, Till

    2004-01-01

    Gating of cell division by the circadian clock is well known, yet its mechanism is little understood. Genetically tractable model systems have led to new hypotheses and questions concerning the coupling of these two cellular cycles.

  12. Mechanical Coupling of Smooth Muscle Cells Using Microengineered Substrates and Local Stimulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Copeland, Craig; Hunter, David; Tung, Leslie; Chen, Christopher; Reich, Daniel

    2013-03-01

    Mechanical stresses directly affect many cellular processes, including signal transduction, growth, differentiation, and survival. Cells can themselves generate such stresses by activating myosin to contract the actin cytoskeleton, which in turn can regulate both cell-substrate and cell-cell interactions. We are studying mechanical forces at cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions using arrays of selectively patterned flexible PDMS microposts combined with the ability to apply local chemical stimulation. Micropipette ``spritzing'', a laminar flow technique, uses glass micropipettes mounted on a microscope stage to deliver drugs to controlled regions within a cellular construct while cell traction forces are recorded via the micropost array. The pipettes are controlled by micromanipulators allowing for rapid and precise movement across the array and the ability to treat multiple constructs within a sample. This technique allows for observing the propagation of a chemically induced mechanical stimulus through cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions. We have used this system to administer the acto-myosin inhibitors Blebbistatin and Y-27632 to single cells and observed the subsequent decrease in cell traction forces. Experiments using trypsin-EDTA have shown this system to be capable of single cell manipulation through removal of one cell within a pair configuration while leaving the other cell unaffected. This project is supported in part by NIH grant HL090747

  13. Collagen-based mechanical anisotropy of the tectorial membrane: implications for inter-row coupling of outer hair cell bundles.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Núria Gavara

    Full Text Available The tectorial membrane (TM in the mammalian cochlea displays anisotropy, where mechanical or structural properties differ along varying directions. The anisotropy arises from the presence of collagen fibrils organized in fibers of approximately 1 microm diameter that run radially across the TM. Mechanical coupling between the TM and the sensory epithelia is required for normal hearing. However, the lack of a suitable technique to measure mechanical anisotropy at the microscale level has hindered understanding of the TM's precise role.Here we report values of the three elastic moduli that characterize the anisotropic mechanical properties of the TM. Our novel technique combined Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM, modeling, and optical tracking of microspheres to determine the elastic moduli. We found that the TM's large mechanical anisotropy results in a marked transmission of deformations along the direction that maximizes sensory cell excitation, whereas in the perpendicular direction the transmission is greatly reduced.Computational results, based on our values of elastic moduli, suggest that the TM facilitates the directional cooperativity of sensory cells in the cochlea, and that mechanical properties of the TM are tuned to guarantee that the magnitude of sound-induced tip-link stretching remains similar along the length of the cochlea. Furthermore, we anticipate our assay to be a starting point for other studies of biological tissues that require directional functionality.

  14. Mechanical core coupling and reactors stability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suarez Antola, R.

    2006-01-01

    Structural parts of nuclear reactors are complex mechanical systems, able to vibrate with a set of proper frequencies when suitably excited. Cyclical variations in the strain state of the materials, including density perturbations, are produced. This periodic changes may affect reactor reactivity. But a variation in reactivity affects reactor thermal power, thus modifying the temperature field of the abovementiones materials. If the variation in temperature fields is fast enough, thermal-mechanical coupling may produce fast variations in strain states, and this, at its turn, modifies the reactivity, and so on. This coupling between mechanical vibrations of the structure and the materials of the core, with power oscillations of the reactor, not only may not be excluded a priori, but it seems that it has been present in some stage of the incidents or accidents that happened during the development of nuclear reactor technology. The purpose of the present communication is: (a) To review and generalize some mathematical models that were proposed in order to describe thermal-mechanical coupling in nuclear reactors. (b) To discuss some conditions in which significant instabilities could arise, including large amplitude power oscillations coupled with mechanical vibrations whose amplitudes are too small to be excluded by conventional criteria of mechanical design. Enough Certain aspects of thr physical safety of nuclear power reactors, that are objected by people that opposes to the renaissance of nucleoelectric generation, are discussed in the framework of the mathematical model proposed in this paper [es

  15. Coupling functions: Universal insights into dynamical interaction mechanisms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stankovski, Tomislav; Pereira, Tiago; McClintock, Peter V. E.; Stefanovska, Aneta

    2017-10-01

    The dynamical systems found in nature are rarely isolated. Instead they interact and influence each other. The coupling functions that connect them contain detailed information about the functional mechanisms underlying the interactions and prescribe the physical rule specifying how an interaction occurs. A coherent and comprehensive review is presented encompassing the rapid progress made recently in the analysis, understanding, and applications of coupling functions. The basic concepts and characteristics of coupling functions are presented through demonstrative examples of different domains, revealing the mechanisms and emphasizing their multivariate nature. The theory of coupling functions is discussed through gradually increasing complexity from strong and weak interactions to globally coupled systems and networks. A variety of methods that have been developed for the detection and reconstruction of coupling functions from measured data is described. These methods are based on different statistical techniques for dynamical inference. Stemming from physics, such methods are being applied in diverse areas of science and technology, including chemistry, biology, physiology, neuroscience, social sciences, mechanics, and secure communications. This breadth of application illustrates the universality of coupling functions for studying the interaction mechanisms of coupled dynamical systems.

  16. A micro-coupling for micro mechanical systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Wei; Zhou, Zhixiong; Zhang, Bi; Xiao, Yunya

    2016-05-01

    The error motions of micro mechanical systems, such as micro-spindles, increase with the increasing of the rotational speed, which not only decreases the rotational accuracy, but also promotes instability and limits the maximum operational speed. One effective way to deal with it is to use micro-flexible couplings between the drive and driven shafts so as to reduce error motions of the driven shaft. But the conventional couplings, such as diaphragm couplings, elastomeric couplings, bellows couplings, and grooved couplings, etc, cannot be directly used because of their large and complicated structures. This study presents a novel micro-coupling that consists of a flexible coupling and a shape memory alloy (SMA)-based clamp for micro mechanical systems. It is monolithic and can be directly machined from a shaft. The study performs design optimization and provides manufacturing considerations, including thermo-mechanical training of the SMA ring for the desired Two-Way-Shape-Memory effect (TWSMe). A prototype micro-coupling and a prototype micro-spindle using the proposed coupling are fabricated and tested. The testing results show that the prototype micro-coupling can bear a torque of above 5 N • mm and an axial force of 8.5 N and be fitted with an SMA ring for clamping action at room temperature (15 °C) and unclamping action below-5 °C. At the same time, the prototype micro-coupling can work at a rotational speed of above 200 kr/min with the application to a high-speed precision micro-spindle. Moreover, the radial runout error of the artifact, as a substitute for the micro-tool, is less than 3 μm while that of turbine shaft is above 7 μm. It can be concluded that the micro-coupling successfully accommodates misalignment errors of the prototype micro-spindle. This research proposes a micro-coupling which is featured with an SMA ring, and it is designed to clamp two shafts, and has smooth transmission, simple assembly, compact structure, zero-maintenance and

  17. Micropillar displacements by cell traction forces are mechanically correlated with nuclear dynamics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Qingsen; Makhija, Ekta; Hameed, F.M. [Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore (Singapore); Shivashankar, G.V., E-mail: shiva.gvs@gmail.com [Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore (Singapore); Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore (Singapore)

    2015-05-29

    Cells sense physical cues at the level of focal adhesions and transduce them to the nucleus by biochemical and mechanical pathways. While the molecular intermediates in the mechanical links have been well studied, their dynamic coupling is poorly understood. In this study, fibroblast cells were adhered to micropillar arrays to probe correlations in the physical coupling between focal adhesions and nucleus. For this, we used novel imaging setup to simultaneously visualize micropillar deflections and EGFP labeled chromatin structure at high spatial and temporal resolution. We observed that micropillar deflections, depending on their relative positions, were positively or negatively correlated to nuclear and heterochromatin movements. Our results measuring the time scales between micropillar deflections and nucleus centroid displacement are suggestive of a strong elastic coupling that mediates differential force transmission to the nucleus. - Highlights: • Correlation between focal adhesions and nucleus studied using novel imaging setup. • Micropillar and nuclear displacements were measured at high resolution. • Correlation timescales show strong elastic coupling between cell edge and nucleus.

  18. Cellular Mechanisms of Somatic Stem Cell Aging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Yunjoon

    2014-01-01

    Tissue homeostasis and regenerative capacity rely on rare populations of somatic stem cells endowed with the potential to self-renew and differentiate. During aging, many tissues show a decline in regenerative potential coupled with a loss of stem cell function. Cells including somatic stem cells have evolved a series of checks and balances to sense and repair cellular damage to maximize tissue function. However, during aging the mechanisms that protect normal cell function begin to fail. In this review, we will discuss how common cellular mechanisms that maintain tissue fidelity and organismal lifespan impact somatic stem cell function. We will highlight context-dependent changes and commonalities that define aging, by focusing on three age-sensitive stem cell compartments: blood, neural, and muscle. Understanding the interaction between extrinsic regulators and intrinsic effectors that operate within different stem cell compartments is likely to have important implications for identifying strategies to improve health span and treat age-related degenerative diseases. PMID:24439814

  19. Microfluidics as a functional tool for cell mechanics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanapalli, Siva A; Duits, Michel H G; Mugele, Frieder

    2009-01-05

    Living cells are a fascinating demonstration of nature's most intricate and well-coordinated micromechanical objects. They crawl, spread, contract, and relax-thus performing a multitude of complex mechanical functions. Alternatively, they also respond to physical and chemical cues that lead to remodeling of the cytoskeleton. To understand this intricate coupling between mechanical properties, mechanical function and force-induced biochemical signaling requires tools that are capable of both controlling and manipulating the cell microenvironment and measuring the resulting mechanical response. In this review, the power of microfluidics as a functional tool for research in cell mechanics is highlighted. In particular, current literature is discussed to show that microfluidics powered by soft lithographic techniques offers the following capabilities that are of significance for understanding the mechanical behavior of cells: (i) Microfluidics enables the creation of in vitro models of physiological environments in which cell mechanics can be probed. (ii) Microfluidics is an excellent means to deliver physical cues that affect cell mechanics, such as cell shape, fluid flow, substrate topography, and stiffness. (iii) Microfluidics can also expose cells to chemical cues, such as growth factors and drugs, which alter their mechanical behavior. Moreover, these chemical cues can be delivered either at the whole cell or subcellular level. (iv) Microfluidic devices offer the possibility of measuring the intrinsic mechanical properties of cells in a high throughput fashion. (v) Finally, microfluidic methods provide exquisite control over drop size, generation, and manipulation. As a result, droplets are being increasingly used to control the physicochemical environment of cells and as biomimetic analogs of living cells. These powerful attributes of microfluidics should further stimulate novel means of investigating the link between physicochemical cues and the biomechanical

  20. Mechanical Stress Promotes Cisplatin-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Death

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riad, Sandra; Bougherara, Habiba

    2015-01-01

    Cisplatin (CisPt) is a commonly used platinum-based chemotherapeutic agent. Its efficacy is limited due to drug resistance and multiple side effects, thereby warranting a new approach to improving the pharmacological effect of CisPt. A newly developed mathematical hypothesis suggested that mechanical loading, when coupled with a chemotherapeutic drug such as CisPt and immune cells, would boost tumor cell death. The current study investigated the aforementioned mathematical hypothesis by exposing human hepatocellular liver carcinoma (HepG2) cells to CisPt, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and mechanical stress individually and in combination. HepG2 cells were also treated with a mixture of CisPt and carnosine with and without mechanical stress to examine one possible mechanism employed by mechanical stress to enhance CisPt effects. Carnosine is a dipeptide that reportedly sequesters platinum-based drugs away from their pharmacological target-site. Mechanical stress was achieved using an orbital shaker that produced 300 rpm with a horizontal circular motion. Our results demonstrated that mechanical stress promoted CisPt-induced death of HepG2 cells (~35% more cell death). Moreover, results showed that CisPt-induced death was compromised when CisPt was left to mix with carnosine 24 hours preceding treatment. Mechanical stress, however, ameliorated cell death (20% more cell death). PMID:25685789

  1. Mechanical Stress Promotes Cisplatin-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Death

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laila Ziko

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Cisplatin (CisPt is a commonly used platinum-based chemotherapeutic agent. Its efficacy is limited due to drug resistance and multiple side effects, thereby warranting a new approach to improving the pharmacological effect of CisPt. A newly developed mathematical hypothesis suggested that mechanical loading, when coupled with a chemotherapeutic drug such as CisPt and immune cells, would boost tumor cell death. The current study investigated the aforementioned mathematical hypothesis by exposing human hepatocellular liver carcinoma (HepG2 cells to CisPt, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and mechanical stress individually and in combination. HepG2 cells were also treated with a mixture of CisPt and carnosine with and without mechanical stress to examine one possible mechanism employed by mechanical stress to enhance CisPt effects. Carnosine is a dipeptide that reportedly sequesters platinum-based drugs away from their pharmacological target-site. Mechanical stress was achieved using an orbital shaker that produced 300 rpm with a horizontal circular motion. Our results demonstrated that mechanical stress promoted CisPt-induced death of HepG2 cells (~35% more cell death. Moreover, results showed that CisPt-induced death was compromised when CisPt was left to mix with carnosine 24 hours preceding treatment. Mechanical stress, however, ameliorated cell death (20% more cell death.

  2. The Dynamical Mechanisms of the Cell Cycle Size Checkpoint

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng Shi-Fu; Yang Ling; Yan Jie; Liu Zeng-Rong

    2012-01-01

    Cell division must be tightly coupled to cell growth in order to maintain cell size, whereas the mechanisms of how initialization of mitosis is regulated by cell size remain to be elucidated. We develop a mathematical model of the cell cycle, which incorporates cell growth to investigate the dynamical properties of the size checkpoint in embryos of Xenopus laevis. We show that the size checkpoint is naturally raised from a saddle-node bifurcation, and in a mutant case, the cell loses its size control ability due to the loss of this saddle-node point

  3. Development of a 352 MHz Cell-Coupled Drift Tube Linac Prototype

    CERN Document Server

    Cuvet, Y; Völlinger, C; Vretenar, M; Gerigk, F

    2004-01-01

    At linac energies above 40 MeV, alternative structures to the conventional Drift Tube Linac can be used to increase efficiency and to simplify construction and alignment. In the frame of the R&D activities for the CERN SPL and Linac4, a prototype of Cell-Coupled Drift Tube Linac (CCDTL) at 352 MHz has been designed and built. This particular CCDTL concept is intended to cover the energy range from 40 to 90 MeV and consists of modules of ~5 m length made of 3-gap DTL tanks linked by coupling cells. The focusing quadrupoles are placed between tanks, and are aligned independently from the RF structure. The CCDTL prototype consists of two half tanks connected by a coupling cell and requires an RF power of 120 kW to achieve the design gradient. RF tests will be made at low and high power, the latter up to a 20% duty cycle. This paper introduces the main features of this CCDTL design and describes the RF and mechanical design of the prototype.

  4. From two competing oscillators to one coupled-clock pacemaker cell system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yaniv, Yael; Lakatta, Edward G.; Maltsev, Victor A.

    2015-01-01

    At the beginning of this century, debates regarding “what are the main control mechanisms that ignite the action potential (AP) in heart pacemaker cells” dominated the electrophysiology field. The original theory which prevailed for over 50 years had advocated that the ensemble of surface membrane ion channels (i.e., “M-clock”) is sufficient to ignite rhythmic APs. However, more recent experimental evidence in a variety of mammals has shown that the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) acts as a “Ca2+-clock” rhythmically discharges diastolic local Ca2+ releases (LCRs) beneath the cell surface membrane. LCRs activate an inward current (likely that of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger) that prompts the surface membrane “M-clock” to ignite an AP. Theoretical and experimental evidence has mounted to indicate that this clock “crosstalk” operates on a beat-to-beat basis and determines both the AP firing rate and rhythm. Our review is focused on the evolution of experimental definition and numerical modeling of the coupled-clock concept, on how mechanisms intrinsic to pacemaker cell determine both the heart rate and rhythm, and on future directions to develop further the coupled-clock pacemaker cell concept. PMID:25741284

  5. On non-linear dynamics of a coupled electro-mechanical system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Darula, Radoslav; Sorokin, Sergey

    2012-01-01

    Electro-mechanical devices are an example of coupled multi-disciplinary weakly non-linear systems. Dynamics of such systems is described in this paper by means of two mutually coupled differential equations. The first one, describing an electrical system, is of the first order and the second one...... excitation. The results are verified using a numerical model created in MATLAB Simulink environment. Effect of non-linear terms on dynamical response of the coupled system is investigated; the backbone and envelope curves are analyzed. The two phenomena, which exist in the electro-mechanical system: (a......, for mechanical system, is of the second order. The governing equations are coupled via linear and weakly non-linear terms. A classical perturbation method, a method of multiple scales, is used to find a steadystate response of the electro-mechanical system exposed to a harmonic close-resonance mechanical...

  6. Synchronization ability of coupled cell-cycle oscillators in changing environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    -wave periodic signal of cyclin synthesis is strongest in comparison to the other three different signals. Conclusions These results suggest that the reaction process in which the activated cyclin-CDK1 activates the Plk1 has a very important influence on the synchronization ability of the coupled system, and the square-wave periodic signal of cyclin synthesis is more conducive to the synchronization and robustness of the coupled cell-cycle oscillators. Our study provides insight into the internal mechanisms of the cell cycle system and helps to generate hypotheses for further research. PMID:23046815

  7. Transient thermal-mechanical coupling behavior analysis of mechanical seals during start-up operation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, B. C.; Meng, X. K.; Shen, M. X.; Peng, X. D.

    2016-05-01

    A transient thermal-mechanical coupling model for a contacting mechanical seal during start-up has been developed. It takes into consideration the coupling relationship among thermal-mechanical deformation, film thickness, temperature and heat generation. The finite element method and multi-iteration technology are applied to solve the temperature distribution and thermal-mechanical deformation as well as their evolution behavior. Results show that the seal gap transforms from negative coning to positive coning and the contact area of the mechanical seal gradually decreases during start-up. The location of the maximum temperature and maximum contact pressure move from the outer diameter to inside diameter. The heat generation and the friction torque increase sharply at first and then decrease. Meanwhile, the contact force decreases and the fluid film force and leakage rate increase.

  8. Electrical coupling between A17 cells enhances reciprocal inhibitory feedback to rod bipolar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elgueta, Claudio; Leroy, Felix; Vielma, Alex H; Schmachtenberg, Oliver; Palacios, Adrian G

    2018-02-15

    A17 amacrine cells are an important part of the scotopic pathway. Their synaptic varicosities receive glutamatergic inputs from rod bipolar cells (RBC) and release GABA onto the same RBC terminal, forming a reciprocal feedback that shapes RBC depolarization. Here, using patch-clamp recordings, we characterized electrical coupling between A17 cells of the rat retina and report the presence of strongly interconnected and non-coupled A17 cells. In coupled A17 cells, evoked currents preferentially flow out of the cell through GJs and cross-synchronization of presynaptic signals in a pair of A17 cells is correlated to their coupling degree. Moreover, we demonstrate that stimulation of one A17 cell can induce electrical and calcium transients in neighboring A17 cells, thus confirming a functional flow of information through electrical synapses in the A17 coupled network. Finally, blocking GJs caused a strong decrease in the amplitude of the inhibitory feedback onto RBCs. We therefore propose that electrical coupling between A17 cells enhances feedback onto RBCs by synchronizing and facilitating GABA release from inhibitory varicosities surrounding each RBC axon terminal. GJs between A17 cells are therefore critical in shaping the visual flow through the scotopic pathway.

  9. Mechanical stress as a regulator of cell motility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Putelat, T.; Recho, P.; Truskinovsky, L.

    2018-01-01

    The motility of a cell can be triggered or inhibited not only by an applied force but also by a mechanically neutral force couple. This type of loading, represented by an applied stress and commonly interpreted as either squeezing or stretching, can originate from extrinsic interaction of a cell with its neighbors. To quantify the effect of applied stresses on cell motility we use an analytically transparent one-dimensional model accounting for active myosin contraction and induced actin turnover. We show that stretching can polarize static cells and initiate cell motility while squeezing can symmetrize and arrest moving cells. We show further that sufficiently strong squeezing can lead to the loss of cell integrity. The overall behavior of the system depends on the two dimensionless parameters characterizing internal driving (chemical activity) and external loading (applied stress). We construct a phase diagram in this parameter space distinguishing between static, motile, and collapsed states. The obtained results are relevant for the mechanical understanding of contact inhibition and the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.

  10. Electrochemical-mechanical coupled modeling and parameterization of swelling and ionic transport in lithium-ion batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sauerteig, Daniel; Hanselmann, Nina; Arzberger, Arno; Reinshagen, Holger; Ivanov, Svetlozar; Bund, Andreas

    2018-02-01

    The intercalation and aging induced volume changes of lithium-ion battery electrodes lead to significant mechanical pressure or volume changes on cell and module level. As the correlation between electrochemical and mechanical performance of lithium ion batteries at nano and macro scale requires a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach, physical modeling accounting for chemical and mechanical phenomena during operation is very useful for the battery design. Since the introduced fully-coupled physical model requires proper parameterization, this work also focuses on identifying appropriate mathematical representation of compressibility as well as the ionic transport in the porous electrodes and the separator. The ionic transport is characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) using symmetric pouch cells comprising LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 (NMC) cathode, graphite anode and polyethylene separator. The EIS measurements are carried out at various mechanical loads. The observed decrease of the ionic conductivity reveals a significant transport limitation at high pressures. The experimentally obtained data are applied as input to the electrochemical-mechanical model of a prismatic 10 Ah cell. Our computational approach accounts intercalation induced electrode expansion, stress generation caused by mechanical boundaries, compression of the electrodes and the separator, outer expansion of the cell and finally the influence of the ionic transport within the electrolyte.

  11. Chemo-mechanical coupling behaviour of leached concrete

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen, V.H.; Nedjar, B.; Torrenti, J.M.

    2007-01-01

    The paper is concerned with a coupled chemo-mechanical model describing the interaction between the calcium leaching and the mechanical damage in concrete materials. On the one hand, the phenomenological chemistry is described by the nowadays well-known simplified calcium leaching approach. It is based on the dissolution-diffusion process together with the chemical equilibrium relating the calcium concentration of the solid's skeleton and the calcium in the pore solution. For concrete, a homogenization approach using asymptotic expansions is used to take into account the influence of the presence of the aggregates leading to an equivalent homogeneous medium. On the other hand, the continuum damage mechanics is used to describe the mechanical degradation of concrete. The modelling accounts for the fact that concrete becomes more and more ductile as the leaching process grows. The model also predicts the inelastic irreversible deformation as damage evolves. The growth of inelastic strains observed during the mechanical tests is described by means of an elastoplastic-like model. The coupled nonlinear problem at hand is addressed within the context of the finite element method. And finally, numerical simulations are compared with the experimental results of first part of this work

  12. Mechanisms of estradiol-induced insulin secretion by the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor GPR30/GPER in pancreatic beta-cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Geetanjali; Prossnitz, Eric R

    2011-08-01

    Sexual dimorphism and supplementation studies suggest an important role for estrogens in the amelioration of glucose intolerance and diabetes. Because little is known regarding the signaling mechanisms involved in estradiol-mediated insulin secretion, we investigated the role of the G protein-coupled receptor 30, now designated G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), in activating signal transduction cascades in β-cells, leading to secretion of insulin. GPER function in estradiol-induced signaling in the pancreatic β-cell line MIN6 was assessed using small interfering RNA and GPER-selective ligands (G-1 and G15) and in islets isolated from wild-type and GPER knockout mice. GPER is expressed in MIN6 cells, where estradiol and the GPER-selective agonist G-1 mediate calcium mobilization and activation of ERK and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. Both estradiol and G-1 induced insulin secretion under low- and high-glucose conditions, which was inhibited by pretreatment with GPER antagonist G15 as well as depletion of GPER by small interfering RNA. Insulin secretion in response to estradiol and G-1 was dependent on epidermal growth factor receptor and ERK activation and further modulated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity. In islets isolated from wild-type mice, the GPER antagonist G15 inhibited insulin secretion induced by estradiol and G-1, both of which failed to induce insulin secretion in islets obtained from GPER knockout mice. Our results indicate that GPER activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor and ERK in response to estradiol treatment plays a critical role in the secretion of insulin from β-cells. The results of this study suggest that the activation of downstream signaling pathways by the GPER-selective ligand G-1 could represent a novel therapeutic strategy in the treatment of diabetes.

  13. Mechanisms of Estradiol-Induced Insulin Secretion by the G Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor GPR30/GPER in Pancreatic β-Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Geetanjali

    2011-01-01

    Sexual dimorphism and supplementation studies suggest an important role for estrogens in the amelioration of glucose intolerance and diabetes. Because little is known regarding the signaling mechanisms involved in estradiol-mediated insulin secretion, we investigated the role of the G protein-coupled receptor 30, now designated G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), in activating signal transduction cascades in β-cells, leading to secretion of insulin. GPER function in estradiol-induced signaling in the pancreatic β-cell line MIN6 was assessed using small interfering RNA and GPER-selective ligands (G-1 and G15) and in islets isolated from wild-type and GPER knockout mice. GPER is expressed in MIN6 cells, where estradiol and the GPER-selective agonist G-1 mediate calcium mobilization and activation of ERK and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. Both estradiol and G-1 induced insulin secretion under low- and high-glucose conditions, which was inhibited by pretreatment with GPER antagonist G15 as well as depletion of GPER by small interfering RNA. Insulin secretion in response to estradiol and G-1 was dependent on epidermal growth factor receptor and ERK activation and further modulated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity. In islets isolated from wild-type mice, the GPER antagonist G15 inhibited insulin secretion induced by estradiol and G-1, both of which failed to induce insulin secretion in islets obtained from GPER knockout mice. Our results indicate that GPER activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor and ERK in response to estradiol treatment plays a critical role in the secretion of insulin from β-cells. The results of this study suggest that the activation of downstream signaling pathways by the GPER-selective ligand G-1 could represent a novel therapeutic strategy in the treatment of diabetes. PMID:21673097

  14. Failure mechanisms and electromechanical coupling in semiconducting nanowires

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peng B.

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available One dimensional nanostructures, like nanowires and nanotubes, are increasingly being researched for the development of next generation devices like logic gates, transistors, and solar cells. In particular, semiconducting nanowires with a nonsymmetric wurtzitic crystal structure, such as zinc oxide (ZnO and gallium nitride (GaN, have drawn immense research interests due to their electromechanical coupling. The designing of the future nanowire-based devices requires component-level characterization of individual nanowires. In this paper, we present a unique experimental set-up to characterize the mechanical and electromechanical behaviour of individual nanowires. Using this set-up and complementary atomistic simulations, mechanical properties of ZnO nanowires and electromechanical properties of GaN nanowires were investigated. In ZnO nanowires, elastic modulus was found to depend on nanowire diameter decreasing from 190 GPa to 140 GPa as the wire diameter increased from 5 nm to 80 nm. Inconsistent failure mechanisms were observed in ZnO nanowires. Experiments revealed a brittle fracture, whereas simulations using a pairwise potential predicted a phase transformation prior to failure. This inconsistency is addressed in detail from an experimental as well as computational perspective. Lastly, in addition to mechanical properties, preliminary results on the electromechanical properties of gallium nitride nanowires are also reported. Initial investigations reveal that the piezoresistive and piezoelectric behaviour of nanowires is different from bulk gallium nitride.

  15. Synchronization and chaotic dynamics of coupled mechanical metronomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ulrichs, Henning; Mann, Andreas; Parlitz, Ulrich

    2009-12-01

    Synchronization scenarios of coupled mechanical metronomes are studied by means of numerical simulations showing the onset of synchronization for two, three, and 100 globally coupled metronomes in terms of Arnol'd tongues in parameter space and a Kuramoto transition as a function of coupling strength. Furthermore, we study the dynamics of metronomes where overturning is possible. In this case hyperchaotic dynamics associated with some diffusion process in configuration space is observed, indicating the potential complexity of metronome dynamics.

  16. A novel mechanism involved in the coupling of mitochondrial biogenesis to oxidative phosphorylation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jelena Ostojić

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Mitochondria are essential organelles that are central to a multitude of cellular processes, including oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS, which produces most of the ATP in animal cells. Thus it is important to understand not only the mechanisms and biogenesis of this energy production machinery but also how it is regulated in both physiological and pathological contexts. A recent study by Ostojić et al. [Cell Metabolism (2013 18, 567-577] has uncovered a regulatory loop by which the biogenesis of a major enzyme of the OXPHOS pathway, the respiratory complex III, is coupled to the energy producing activity of the mitochondria.

  17. Bacterial Cell Mechanics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Auer, George K; Weibel, Douglas B

    2017-07-25

    Cellular mechanical properties play an integral role in bacterial survival and adaptation. Historically, the bacterial cell wall and, in particular, the layer of polymeric material called the peptidoglycan were the elements to which cell mechanics could be primarily attributed. Disrupting the biochemical machinery that assembles the peptidoglycan (e.g., using the β-lactam family of antibiotics) alters the structure of this material, leads to mechanical defects, and results in cell lysis. Decades after the discovery of peptidoglycan-synthesizing enzymes, the mechanisms that underlie their positioning and regulation are still not entirely understood. In addition, recent evidence suggests a diverse group of other biochemical elements influence bacterial cell mechanics, may be regulated by new cellular mechanisms, and may be triggered in different environmental contexts to enable cell adaptation and survival. This review summarizes the contributions that different biomolecular components of the cell wall (e.g., lipopolysaccharides, wall and lipoteichoic acids, lipid bilayers, peptidoglycan, and proteins) make to Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial cell mechanics. We discuss the contribution of individual proteins and macromolecular complexes in cell mechanics and the tools that make it possible to quantitatively decipher the biochemical machinery that contributes to bacterial cell mechanics. Advances in this area may provide insight into new biology and influence the development of antibacterial chemotherapies.

  18. Coupling of Luminescent Solar Concentrators to Plasmonic Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shu-Yi

    absorption at the emission peak of the dye. A factorial increase in the output power density of coupled PV as compared to PV exposed directly to solar spectrum is observed for high light concentration on the edge. These initial results motivated a more in-depth study of coupled LSC-PV system, which took into account the radiative transport inside the realistic LSC. These investigations were carried out on LSCs using Lumogen Red305 and Rhodamine 6G dyes coupled to pristine and plasmonic ultra-thin film silicon solar cells. Prediction based on detailed balance shows that the coupled LSC-plasmonic solar cell can generate 63.7 mW/cm2 with a photocurrent density of 71.3 mA/cm2 which is higher than that of cSi solar cells available on current market. The second part of the thesis focuses on PV absorption enhancement techniques. First, the effect of vertical positioning of plasmonic nanostructures on absorption enhancement was theoretically investigated to understand which one of the three mechanisms usually responsible for the enhancement (forward scattering, diffraction and localized surface plamson) plays the dominant role. Simulation results suggested that the maximum enhancement occurred when placing the nanostructures in the rear side of the cell because of longer path length due to scattering. The experimental effort then switched focus on substrate patterning, which is a less expensive alternative to plasmonic absorption enhancement. Specifically, a nanostructured substrate was prepared by a simple electrochemical process based on two-step aluminum anodization technique. The absorption of thin film silicon deposited on these substrates showed a broadband enhancement. The overall photocurrent density was up to 40% higher than that of films deposited on flat substrates. In conclusion, the studies carried out in this thesis indicate that spectral coupling of LSCs to thin film solar cells could lead to significant improvements in PV output power density. Moreover, while the

  19. Coupled Flow and Mechanics in Porous and Fractured Media*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, M. J.; Newell, P.; Bishop, J.

    2012-12-01

    Numerical models describing subsurface flow through deformable porous materials are important for understanding and enabling energy security and climate security. Some applications of current interest come from such diverse areas as geologic sequestration of anthropogenic CO2, hydro-fracturing for stimulation of hydrocarbon reservoirs, and modeling electrochemistry-induced swelling of fluid-filled porous electrodes. Induced stress fields in any of these applications can lead to structural failure and fracture. The ultimate goal of this research is to model evolving faults and fracture networks and flow within the networks while coupling to flow and mechanics within the intact porous structure. We report here on a new computational capability for coupling of multiphase porous flow with geomechanics including assessment of over-pressure-induced structural damage. The geomechanics is coupled to the flow via the variation in the fluid pore pressures, whereas the flow problem is coupled to mechanics by the concomitant material strains which alter the pore volume (porosity field) and hence the permeability field. For linear elastic solid mechanics a monolithic coupling strategy is utilized. For nonlinear elastic/plastic and fractured media, a segregated coupling is presented. To facilitate coupling with disparate flow and mechanics time scales, the coupling strategy allows for different time steps in the flow solve compared to the mechanics solve. If time steps are synchronized, the controller allows user-specified intra-time-step iterations. The iterative coupling is dynamically controlled based on a norm measuring the degree of variation in the deformed porosity. The model is applied for evaluation of the integrity of jointed caprock systems during CO2 sequestration operations. Creation or reactivation of joints can lead to enhanced pathways for leakage. Similarly, over-pressures can induce flow along faults. Fluid flow rates in fractures are strongly dependent on the

  20. Cell response to long term mechanical interaction with nanopipettes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orynbayeva, Zulfiya; Singhal, Riju; Vitol, Elina; Bouchard, Michael; Azizkhan-Clifford, Jane; Layton, Bradley; Friedman, Gary; Gogotsi, Yury

    2009-03-01

    Traditional microinjection into cells is performed over a relatively short term. Pipettes are typically withdrawn following any kind of injection. On the other hand, there is growing interest in using nanopipettes for cellular and subcellular probing. This interest is partly due to new developments in nanopipette technology which employ carbon nanotubes and provide robustness, flexibility, and biocompatibility. However, as far as we know, no systematic study of physiological, biochemical, and biophysical processes associated with cell response to lengthy mechanical stimulations by nanopipette probing have been performed so far. We present a detailed investigation of a wide range of effects of long term pipette insertion into a cell. Both traditional glass micropipettes and the novel carbon nanotube-tipped probes were involved in this study. The mechanism of Ca2+ response to the mechanical stimuli introduced by the nanopipette, and the role of different organelles in this mechanism were studied. We hypothesize that the calcium response is a function of cytoskeleton integrity and the mode of coupling between the cytoskeleton and the plasma membrane domains.

  1. Plasmonic Solar Cells: From Rational Design to Mechanism Overview.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Yoon Hee; Jang, Yu Jin; Kim, Seokhyoung; Quan, Li Na; Chung, Kyungwha; Kim, Dong Ha

    2016-12-28

    Plasmonic effects have been proposed as a solution to overcome the limited light absorption in thin-film photovoltaic devices, and various types of plasmonic solar cells have been developed. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art progress on the design and fabrication of plasmonic solar cells and their enhancement mechanism. The working principle is first addressed in terms of the combined effects of plasmon decay, scattering, near-field enhancement, and plasmonic energy transfer, including direct hot electron transfer and resonant energy transfer. Then, we summarize recent developments for various types of plasmonic solar cells based on silicon, dye-sensitized, organic photovoltaic, and other types of solar cells, including quantum dot and perovskite variants. We also address several issues regarding the limitations of plasmonic nanostructures, including their electrical, chemical, and physical stability, charge recombination, narrowband absorption, and high cost. Next, we propose a few potentially useful approaches that can improve the performance of plasmonic cells, such as the inclusion of graphene plasmonics, plasmon-upconversion coupling, and coupling between fluorescence resonance energy transfer and plasmon resonance energy transfer. This review is concluded with remarks on future prospects for plasmonic solar cell use.

  2. Defect-related internal dissipation in mechanical resonators and the study of coupled mechanical systems.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Friedmann, Thomas Aquinas; Czaplewski, David A.; Sullivan, John Patrick; Modine, Normand Arthur; Wendt, Joel Robert; Aslam, Dean (Michigan State University, Lansing, MI); Sepulveda-Alancastro, Nelson (University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, PR)

    2007-01-01

    Understanding internal dissipation in resonant mechanical systems at the micro- and nanoscale is of great technological and fundamental interest. Resonant mechanical systems are central to many sensor technologies, and microscale resonators form the basis of a variety of scanning probe microscopies. Furthermore, coupled resonant mechanical systems are of great utility for the study of complex dynamics in systems ranging from biology to electronics to photonics. In this work, we report the detailed experimental study of internal dissipation in micro- and nanomechanical oscillators fabricated from amorphous and crystalline diamond materials, atomistic modeling of dissipation in amorphous, defect-free, and defect-containing crystalline silicon, and experimental work on the properties of one-dimensional and two-dimensional coupled mechanical oscillator arrays. We have identified that internal dissipation in most micro- and nanoscale oscillators is limited by defect relaxation processes, with large differences in the nature of the defects as the local order of the material ranges from amorphous to crystalline. Atomistic simulations also showed a dominant role of defect relaxation processes in controlling internal dissipation. Our studies of one-dimensional and two-dimensional coupled oscillator arrays revealed that it is possible to create mechanical systems that should be ideal for the study of non-linear dynamics and localization.

  3. 49 CFR 238.207 - Link between coupling mechanism and car body.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Link between coupling mechanism and car body. 238.207 Section 238.207 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL... Requirements for Tier I Passenger Equipment § 238.207 Link between coupling mechanism and car body. All...

  4. Experimental study on synchronization of three coupled mechanical metronomes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu Qiang; Yang Hujiang; Xiao Jinghua; Liu Weiqing; Qian Xiaolan

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, a CCD acquisition system is set up to explore the dynamics of three coupled mechanical metronomes in order to compensate for the defects of visual observation. The facility is efficient to observe rich dynamics in an experiment, such as phase synchronization, partial phase synchronization and quasi-periodical oscillation, by accurately recording the trajectory of three coupled metronomes. The parameters, e.g., pendulum length and rolling friction are deemed to significantly influence the dynamics of three coupled mechanical metronomes judging from the experimental phenomena. The experimental results are confirmed by the numerical simulation based on the model with different intrinsic frequencies between three metronomes. The metronome and CCD acquisition systems are excellent demonstration apparatuses for a class and an undergraduate physics laboratory. (paper)

  5. Experimental study on synchronization of three coupled mechanical metronomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Qiang; Liu, Weiqing; Yang, Hujiang; Xiao, Jinghua; Qian, Xiaolan

    2013-03-01

    In this paper, a CCD acquisition system is set up to explore the dynamics of three coupled mechanical metronomes in order to compensate for the defects of visual observation. The facility is efficient to observe rich dynamics in an experiment, such as phase synchronization, partial phase synchronization and quasi-periodical oscillation, by accurately recording the trajectory of three coupled metronomes. The parameters, e.g., pendulum length and rolling friction are deemed to significantly influence the dynamics of three coupled mechanical metronomes judging from the experimental phenomena. The experimental results are confirmed by the numerical simulation based on the model with different intrinsic frequencies between three metronomes. The metronome and CCD acquisition systems are excellent demonstration apparatuses for a class and an undergraduate physics laboratory.

  6. Seven transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor repertoire of gastric ghrelin cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Engelstoft, Maja S; Park, Won-Mee; Sakata, Ichiro

    2013-01-01

    The molecular mechanisms regulating secretion of the orexigenic-glucoregulatory hormone ghrelin remain unclear. Based on qPCR analysis of FACS-purified gastric ghrelin cells, highly expressed and enriched 7TM receptors were comprehensively identified and functionally characterized using in vitro......, ex vivo and in vivo methods. Five Gαs-coupled receptors efficiently stimulated ghrelin secretion: as expected the β1-adrenergic, the GIP and the secretin receptors but surprisingly also the composite receptor for the sensory neuropeptide CGRP and the melanocortin 4 receptor. A number of Gαi....../o-coupled receptors inhibited ghrelin secretion including somatostatin receptors SSTR1, SSTR2 and SSTR3 and unexpectedly the highly enriched lactate receptor, GPR81. Three other metabolite receptors known to be both Gαi/o- and Gαq/11-coupled all inhibited ghrelin secretion through a pertussis toxin-sensitive Gαi...

  7. Fully coupled thermal-mechanical-fluid flow model for nonliner geologic systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hart, R.D.

    1981-01-01

    A single model is presented which describes fully coupled thermal-mechanical-fluid flow behavior of highly nonlinear, dynamic or quasistatic, porous geologic systems. The mathematical formulation for the model utilizes the continuum theory of mixtures to describe the multiphase nature of the system, and incremental linear constitutive theory to describe the path dependency of nonlinear material behavior. The model, incorporated in an explicit finite difference numerical procedure, was implemented in two different computer codes. A special-purpose one-dimensional code, SNEAKY, was written for initial validation of the coupling mechanisms and testing of the coupled model logic. A general purpose commercially available code, STEALTH, developed for modeling dynamic nonlinear thermomechanical processes, was modified to include fluid flow behavior and the coupling constitutive model. The fully explicit approach in the coupled calculation facilitated the inclusion of the coupling mechanisms and complex constitutive behavior. Analytical solutions pertaining to consolidation theory for soils, thermoelasticity for solids, and hydrothermal convection theory provided verification of stress and fluid flow, stress and conductive heat transfer, and heat transfer and fluid flow couplings, respectively, in the coupled model. A limited validation of the adequacy of the coupling constitutive assumptions was also performed by comparison with the physical response from two laboratory tests. Finally, the full potential of the coupled model is illustrated for geotechnical applications in energy-resource related areas. Examples in the areas of nuclear waste isolation and cut-and-fill mining are cited

  8. Quantum-coherent coupling of a mechanical oscillator to an optical cavity mode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verhagen, E; Deléglise, S; Weis, S; Schliesser, A; Kippenberg, T J

    2012-02-01

    Optical laser fields have been widely used to achieve quantum control over the motional and internal degrees of freedom of atoms and ions, molecules and atomic gases. A route to controlling the quantum states of macroscopic mechanical oscillators in a similar fashion is to exploit the parametric coupling between optical and mechanical degrees of freedom through radiation pressure in suitably engineered optical cavities. If the optomechanical coupling is 'quantum coherent'--that is, if the coherent coupling rate exceeds both the optical and the mechanical decoherence rate--quantum states are transferred from the optical field to the mechanical oscillator and vice versa. This transfer allows control of the mechanical oscillator state using the wide range of available quantum optical techniques. So far, however, quantum-coherent coupling of micromechanical oscillators has only been achieved using microwave fields at millikelvin temperatures. Optical experiments have not attained this regime owing to the large mechanical decoherence rates and the difficulty of overcoming optical dissipation. Here we achieve quantum-coherent coupling between optical photons and a micromechanical oscillator. Simultaneously, coupling to the cold photon bath cools the mechanical oscillator to an average occupancy of 1.7 ± 0.1 motional quanta. Excitation with weak classical light pulses reveals the exchange of energy between the optical light field and the micromechanical oscillator in the time domain at the level of less than one quantum on average. This optomechanical system establishes an efficient quantum interface between mechanical oscillators and optical photons, which can provide decoherence-free transport of quantum states through optical fibres. Our results offer a route towards the use of mechanical oscillators as quantum transducers or in microwave-to-optical quantum links.

  9. Concise Review: Plasma and Nuclear Membranes Convey Mechanical Information to Regulate Mesenchymal Stem Cell Lineage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uzer, Gunes; Fuchs, Robyn K; Rubin, Janet; Thompson, William R

    2016-06-01

    Numerous factors including chemical, hormonal, spatial, and physical cues determine stem cell fate. While the regulation of stem cell differentiation by soluble factors is well-characterized, the role of mechanical force in the determination of lineage fate is just beginning to be understood. Investigation of the role of force on cell function has largely focused on "outside-in" signaling, initiated at the plasma membrane. When interfaced with the extracellular matrix, the cell uses integral membrane proteins, such as those found in focal adhesion complexes to translate force into biochemical signals. Akin to these outside-in connections, the internal cytoskeleton is physically linked to the nucleus, via proteins that span the nuclear membrane. Although structurally and biochemically distinct, these two forms of mechanical coupling influence stem cell lineage fate and, when disrupted, often lead to disease. Here we provide an overview of how mechanical coupling occurs at the plasma and nuclear membranes. We also discuss the role of force on stem cell differentiation, with focus on the biochemical signals generated at the cell membrane and the nucleus, and how those signals influence various diseases. While the interaction of stem cells with their physical environment and how they respond to force is complex, an understanding of the mechanical regulation of these cells is critical in the design of novel therapeutics to combat diseases associated with aging, cancer, and osteoporosis. Stem Cells 2016;34:1455-1463. © 2016 AlphaMed Press.

  10. NONO couples the circadian clock to the cell cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kowalska, Elzbieta; Ripperger, Juergen A; Hoegger, Dominik C; Bruegger, Pascal; Buch, Thorsten; Birchler, Thomas; Mueller, Anke; Albrecht, Urs; Contaldo, Claudio; Brown, Steven A

    2013-01-29

    Mammalian circadian clocks restrict cell proliferation to defined time windows, but the mechanism and consequences of this interrelationship are not fully understood. Previously we identified the multifunctional nuclear protein NONO as a partner of circadian PERIOD (PER) proteins. Here we show that it also conveys circadian gating to the cell cycle, a connection surprisingly important for wound healing in mice. Specifically, although fibroblasts from NONO-deficient mice showed approximately normal circadian cycles, they displayed elevated cell doubling and lower cellular senescence. At a molecular level, NONO bound to the p16-Ink4A cell cycle checkpoint gene and potentiated its circadian activation in a PER protein-dependent fashion. Loss of either NONO or PER abolished this activation and circadian expression of p16-Ink4A and eliminated circadian cell cycle gating. In vivo, lack of NONO resulted in defective wound repair. Because wound healing defects were also seen in multiple circadian clock-deficient mouse lines, our results therefore suggest that coupling of the cell cycle to the circadian clock via NONO may be useful to segregate in temporal fashion cell proliferation from tissue organization.

  11. G Protein-Coupled Receptor 87 (GPR87 Promotes Cell Proliferation in Human Bladder Cancer Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xia Zhang

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available G protein-coupled receptor 87 (GPR87 is a newly deorphanized member of the cell surface molecule G protein-coupled receptor family. GPR signaling was shown to play a role in promotion of cell growth and survival, metastasis, and drug resistance. The overexpression of GPR87 has also been reported in many malignant tumors including bladder cancer. The aim of the present study is to examine the effect of silencing GPR87 expression with a replication-deficient recombinant adenoviral vector expressing short hairpin RNA targeting GPR87 (Ad-shGPR87 and to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms in bladder cancer cells. Six GPR87-expressing human bladder cancer cells, HT1197, HT1376, J82, RT112, TCCSUP and UMUC3, were used. Infection with Ad-shGPR87 effectively downregulated the GPR87 expression, and significantly reduced the percentage of viable cells in 4 of 6 cell lines as detected by an MTT assay. Significant inhibition on cell proliferation with Ad-shGPR87 was observed in the wild-type p53 bladder cancer cell lines (HT1197, RT112, TCCSUP and UMUC3, but not in the mutant p53 cells (HT1376 and J82. As represented by a wild-type p53 RT112 cell, Ad-shGPR87 infection significantly enhanced p53 and p21 expression and caused caspase-dependent apoptosis. Furthermore, the treatment with Ad-shGPR87 exerted a significant antitumor effect against the GPR87-expressing RT112 xenografts. GPR87 appeared to be a promising target for gene therapy, and Ad-shGPR87 had strong antitumor effects, specifically anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects, against GPR87-expressing human bladder cancer cells.

  12. A Dual-Continuum Model for Brine Migration in Salt Associated with Heat-Generating Nuclear Waste: Fully Coupled Thermal-Hydro-Mechanical Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, M.; Rutqvist, J.

    2017-12-01

    The disposal of heat-generating nuclear waste in salt host rock establishes a thermal gradient around the waste package that may cause brine inclusions in the salt grains to migrate toward the waste package. In this study, a dual-continuum model is developed to analyze such a phenomenon. This model is based on the Finite Volume Method (FVM), and it is fully thermal-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupled. For fluid flow, the dual-continuum model considers flow in the interconnected pore space and also in the salt grains. The mass balance of salt and water in these two continua is separately established, and their coupling is represented by flux associated with brine migration. Together with energy balance, such a system produces a coupled TH model with strongly nonlinear features. For mechanical analysis, a new formulation is developed based on the Voronoi tessellated mesh. By relating each cell to several connected triangles, first-order approximation is constructed. The coupling between thermal and mechanical fields is only considered in terms of thermal expansion. And the coupling between the hydraulic and mechanical fields in terms of pore-volume effects is consistent with Biot's theory. Therefore, a fully coupled THM model is developed. Several demonstration examples are provided to verify the model. Last the new model is applied to analyze coupled THM behavior and the results are compared with experimental data.

  13. Strain-mediated coupling in a quantum dot-mechanical oscillator hybrid system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeo, I; de Assis, P-L; Gloppe, A; Dupont-Ferrier, E; Verlot, P; Malik, N S; Dupuy, E; Claudon, J; Gérard, J-M; Auffèves, A; Nogues, G; Seidelin, S; Poizat, J-Ph; Arcizet, O; Richard, M

    2014-02-01

    Recent progress in nanotechnology has allowed the fabrication of new hybrid systems in which a single two-level system is coupled to a mechanical nanoresonator. In such systems the quantum nature of a macroscopic degree of freedom can be revealed and manipulated. This opens up appealing perspectives for quantum information technologies, and for the exploration of the quantum-classical boundary. Here we present the experimental realization of a monolithic solid-state hybrid system governed by material strain: a quantum dot is embedded within a nanowire that features discrete mechanical resonances corresponding to flexural vibration modes. Mechanical vibrations result in a time-varying strain field that modulates the quantum dot transition energy. This approach simultaneously offers a large light-extraction efficiency and a large exciton-phonon coupling strength g0. By means of optical and mechanical spectroscopy, we find that g0/2 π is nearly as large as the mechanical frequency, a criterion that defines the ultrastrong coupling regime.

  14. Coupling between chemical degradation and mechanical behaviour of leached concrete

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen, V.H.

    2005-10-01

    This work is in the context of the long term behavior of concrete employed in radioactive waste disposal. The objective is to study the coupled chemo-mechanical modelling of concrete. In the first part of this contribution, experimental investigations are described where the effects of the calcium leaching process of concrete on its mechanical properties are highlighted. An accelerated method has been chosen to perform this leaching process by using an ammonium nitrate solution. In the second part, we present a coupled phenomenological chemo-mechanical model that represents the degradation of concrete materials. On one hand, the chemical behavior is described by the simplified calcium leaching approach of cement paste and mortar. Then a homogenization approach using the asymptotic development is presented to take into account the influence of the presence of aggregates in concrete. And on the other hand, the mechanical part of the modelling is given. Here continuum damage mechanics is used to describe the mechanical degradation of concrete. The growth of inelastic strains observed during the mechanical tests is describes by means of a plastic like model. The model is established on the basis of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes framework. The coupled nonlinear problem at hand is addressed within the context of the finite element method. Finally, numerical simulations are compared with the experimental results for validation. (author)

  15. Mechanics rules cell biology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang James HC

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Cells in the musculoskeletal system are subjected to various mechanical forces in vivo. Years of research have shown that these mechanical forces, including tension and compression, greatly influence various cellular functions such as gene expression, cell proliferation and differentiation, and secretion of matrix proteins. Cells also use mechanotransduction mechanisms to convert mechanical signals into a cascade of cellular and molecular events. This mini-review provides an overview of cell mechanobiology to highlight the notion that mechanics, mainly in the form of mechanical forces, dictates cell behaviors in terms of both cellular mechanobiological responses and mechanotransduction.

  16. A geometrical multi-scale numerical method for coupled hygro-thermo-mechanical problems in photovoltaic laminates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenarda, P; Paggi, M

    A comprehensive computational framework based on the finite element method for the simulation of coupled hygro-thermo-mechanical problems in photovoltaic laminates is herein proposed. While the thermo-mechanical problem takes place in the three-dimensional space of the laminate, moisture diffusion occurs in a two-dimensional domain represented by the polymeric layers and by the vertical channel cracks in the solar cells. Therefore, a geometrical multi-scale solution strategy is pursued by solving the partial differential equations governing heat transfer and thermo-elasticity in the three-dimensional space, and the partial differential equation for moisture diffusion in the two dimensional domains. By exploiting a staggered scheme, the thermo-mechanical problem is solved first via a fully implicit solution scheme in space and time, with a specific treatment of the polymeric layers as zero-thickness interfaces whose constitutive response is governed by a novel thermo-visco-elastic cohesive zone model based on fractional calculus. Temperature and relative displacements along the domains where moisture diffusion takes place are then projected to the finite element model of diffusion, coupled with the thermo-mechanical problem by the temperature and crack opening dependent diffusion coefficient. The application of the proposed method to photovoltaic modules pinpoints two important physical aspects: (i) moisture diffusion in humidity freeze tests with a temperature dependent diffusivity is a much slower process than in the case of a constant diffusion coefficient; (ii) channel cracks through Silicon solar cells significantly enhance moisture diffusion and electric degradation, as confirmed by experimental tests.

  17. A variationally coupled FE-BE method for elasticity and fracture mechanics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Y. Y.; Belytschko, T.; Liu, W. K.

    1991-01-01

    A new method for coupling finite element and boundary element subdomains in elasticity and fracture mechanics problems is described. The essential feature of this new method is that a single variational statement is obtained for the entire domain, and in this process the terms associated with tractions on the interfaces between the subdomains are eliminated. This provides the additional advantage that the ambiguities associated with the matching of discontinuous tractions are circumvented. The method leads to a direct procedure for obtaining the discrete equations for the coupled problem without any intermediate steps. In order to evaluate this method and compare it with previous methods, a patch test for coupled procedures has been devised. Evaluation of this variationally coupled method and other methods, such as stiffness coupling and constraint traction matching coupling, shows that this method is substantially superior. Solutions for a series of fracture mechanics problems are also reported to illustrate the effectiveness of this method.

  18. The influence of nonbilinear system-bath coupling on quantum-mechanical activated rate processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Navrotskaya, Irina; Geva, Eitan

    2006-01-01

    The dependence of quantum-mechanical activated rate processes on the system-bath coupling strength was investigated in the case of a double-well nonbilinearly coupled to a harmonic bath, where the system-bath coupling is linear in the bath coordinates and nonlinear in the reaction coordinate. Such nonbilinear coupling is known to give rise to a classical friction kernel which is explicitly dependent on the reaction coordinate. We show that it can also lead to quantum-mechanical barrier-crossing rates, whose dependence on the system-bath coupling strength is qualitatively different from that observed in the quantum-mechanical bilinear case and classical nonbilinear case. More specifically, it is shown that the quantum-mechanical barrier-crossing rate may monotonically increase as a function of the system-bath coupling strength, in cases where the classical barrier-crossing rate goes through a turnover, and that the rate of quantum-mechanical barrier-crossing can be lower than that of classical barrier-crossing. We show that those purely quantum-mechanical effects are of a thermodynamical, rather than dynamical, nature, and that they originate from the difference in friction between the barrier top and the reactant and product wells. Our conclusions are supported by results obtained via the CMD method, which were also found to be in very good agreement with numerically exact calculations based on the QUAPI method

  19. Multiscale simulations in face-centered cubic metals: A method coupling quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu Xiao-Xiang; Wang Chong-Yu

    2013-01-01

    An effective multiscale simulation which concurrently couples the quantum-mechanical and molecular-mechanical calculations based on the position continuity of atoms is presented. By an iterative procedure, the structure of the dislocation core in face-centered cubic metal is obtained by first-principles calculation and the long-range stress is released by molecular dynamics relaxation. Compared to earlier multiscale methods, the present work couples the long-range strain to the local displacements of the dislocation core in a simpler way with the same accuracy. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

  20. Static and Dynamic Amplification Using Strong Mechanical Coupling

    KAUST Repository

    Ilyas, Saad

    2016-07-28

    Amplifying the signal-to-noise ratio of resonant sensors is vital toward the effort to miniaturize devices into the sub-micro and nano regimes. In this paper, we demonstrate theoretically and experimentally, amplification through mechanically coupled microbeams. The device is composed of two identical clamped-clamped beams, made of polyimide, connected at their middle through a third beam, which acts as a mechanical coupler. Each of the clamped-clamped microbeams and the coupler are designed to be actuated separately, hence providing various possibilities of actuation and sensing. The coupled resonator is driven into resonance near its first resonance mode and its dynamic behavior is explored via frequency sweeps. The results show significant amplification in the resonator amplitude when the signal is measured at the midpoint of the coupler compared with the response of the individual uncoupled beams. The static pull-in characteristics of the resonator are also studied. It is shown that the compliant mechanical coupler can serve as a low-power radio frequency switch actuated at low voltage loads. [2016-0100

  1. Examination of a proposed phonon-coupling mechanism for cold fusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crawford, O.H.

    1992-01-01

    In this paper the proposed nuclear energy in an atomic lattice (NEAL) mechanism for nuclear fusion in a cathode during electrolysis of D 2 O is examined. In this mechanism, coupled harmonic motion of deuterons is supposed to lead to a reduction in the width of the Coulomb barrier for proton-deuteron (p-d) fusion in palladium, thereby substantially increasing the fusion rate. Instead, it is argued that deuteron-deuteron coupling does not have an important effect and that interaction with phonons does not enhance the p-d fusion rate

  2. Observation and inverse problems in coupled cell networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joly, Romain

    2012-01-01

    A coupled cell network is a model for many situations such as food webs in ecosystems, cellular metabolism and economic networks. It consists in a directed graph G, each node (or cell) representing an agent of the network and each directed arrow representing which agent acts on which. It yields a system of differential equations .x(t)=f(x(t)), where the component i of f depends only on the cells x j (t) for which the arrow j → i exists in G. In this paper, we investigate the observation problems in coupled cell networks: can one deduce the behaviour of the whole network (oscillations, stabilization, etc) by observing only one of the cells? We show that the natural observation properties hold for almost all the interactions f

  3. Reducing mechanical cross-coupling in phased array transducers using stop band material as backing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henneberg, J.; Gerlach, A.; Storck, H.; Cebulla, H.; Marburg, S.

    2018-06-01

    Phased array transducers are widely used for acoustic imaging and surround sensing applications. A major design challenge is the achievement of low mechanical cross-coupling between the single transducer elements. Cross-coupling induces a loss of imaging resolution. In this work, the mechanical cross-coupling between acoustic transducers is investigated for a generic model. The model contains a common backing with two bending elements bonded on top. The dimensions of the backing are small; thus, wave reflections on the backing edges have to be considered. This is different to other researches. The operating frequency in the generic model is set to a low kHz range. Low operating frequencies are typical for surround sensing applications. The influence of the backing on cross-coupling is investigated numerically. In order to reduce mechanical cross-coupling a stop band material is designed. It is shown numerically that a reduction in mechanical cross-coupling can be achieved by using stop band material as backing. The effect is validated with experimental testing.

  4. Coupling of Mechanical Behavior of Lithium Ion Cells to Electrochemical-Thermal (ECT) Models for Battery Crush

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Chao; Santhanagopalan, Shriram; Pesaran, Ahmad; Sahraei, Elham; Wierzbicki, Tom

    2016-06-14

    Vehicle crashes can lead to crushing of the battery, damaging lithium ion battery cells and causing local shorts, heat generation, and thermal runaway. Simulating all the physics and geometries at the same time is challenging and takes a lot of effort; thus, simplifications are needed. We developed a material model for simultaneously modeling the mechanical-electrochemical-thermal behavior, which predicted the electrical short, voltage drop, and thermal runaway behaviors followed by a mechanical abuse-induced short. The effect of short resistance on the battery cell performance was studied.

  5. Cell metabolomics reveals the neurotoxicity mechanism of cadmium in PC12 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zong, Li; Xing, Junpeng; Liu, Shu; Liu, Zhiqiang; Song, Fengrui

    2018-01-01

    The heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) can induce neurotoxicity. Extensive studies about the effects of Cd on human health have been reported, however, a systematic investigation on the molecular mechanisms of the effects of Cd on central nervous system is still needed. In this paper, the neuronal PC-12 cells were treated with a series of concentrations of CdCl 2 for 48h. Then the cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. The IC 15 value (15% inhibiting concentration) was selected for further mechanism studies. After PC-12 cells incubated with CdCl 2 at a dose of IC 15 for 48h, the intracellular and extracellular metabolites were profiled using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS)-based cell metabolomics approach. As found, the effects of the heavy metal Cd produced on the PC-12 cell viability were dose-dependent. The metabolic changes were involved in the glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, biopterin metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and fatty acids beta-oxidation. These could cause the perturbation of cell membrane, redox balance, energy supply, cellular detoxification, further affecting the cellular proliferation and apoptosis and other cellular activities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Coupling primary and stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes in an in vitro model of cardiac cell therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aratyn-Schaus, Yvonne; Pasqualini, Francesco S.; Yuan, Hongyan; McCain, Megan L.; Ye, George J.C.; Sheehy, Sean P.; Campbell, Patrick H.

    2016-01-01

    The efficacy of cardiac cell therapy depends on the integration of existing and newly formed cardiomyocytes. Here, we developed a minimal in vitro model of this interface by engineering two cell microtissues (μtissues) containing mouse cardiomyocytes, representing spared myocardium after injury, and cardiomyocytes generated from embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells, to model newly formed cells. We demonstrated that weaker stem cell–derived myocytes coupled with stronger myocytes to support synchronous contraction, but this arrangement required focal adhesion-like structures near the cell–cell junction that degrade force transmission between cells. Moreover, we developed a computational model of μtissue mechanics to demonstrate that a reduction in isometric tension is sufficient to impair force transmission across the cell–cell boundary. Together, our in vitro and in silico results suggest that mechanotransductive mechanisms may contribute to the modest functional benefits observed in cell-therapy studies by regulating the amount of contractile force effectively transmitted at the junction between newly formed and spared myocytes. PMID:26858266

  7. Mechanical coupling and liquid exchanges in the pleural space.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agostoni, E; Zocchi, L

    1998-06-01

    The pleural space provides the mechanical coupling between lung and chest wall: two views about this coupling are reported and discussed. Information on volume, composition, thickness, and pressure of the pleural liquid under physiologic conditions in a few species is provided. The Starling pressures of the parietal pleura filtering liquid into pleural space, and those of the visceral pleura absorbing liquid from the space are considered along with the permeability of the mesothelium. Information on the lymphatic drainage through the parietal pleura and on the solute-coupled liquid absorption from the pleural space under physiologic conditions and with various kinds of hydrothorax are provided.

  8. Mechanical coupling for a rotor shaft assembly of dissimilar materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Jun [Glastonbury, CT; Bombara, David [New Hartford, CT; Green, Kevin E [Broad Brook, CT; Bird, Connic [Rocky Hill, CT; Holowczak, John [South Windsor, CT

    2009-05-05

    A mechanical coupling for coupling a ceramic disc member to a metallic shaft includes a first wedge clamp and a second wedge clamp. A fastener engages a threaded end of a tie-bolt to sandwich the ceramic disc between the wedge clamps. An axial spring is positioned between the fastener and the second wedge clamp to apply an axial preload along the longitudinal axis. Another coupling utilizes a rotor shaft end of a metallic rotor shaft as one wedge clamp. Still another coupling includes a solid ceramic rotor disc with a multiple of tie-bolts radially displaced from the longitudinal axis to exert the preload on the solid ceramic rotor disc.

  9. Fluid coupling in a discrete model of cochlear mechanics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elliott, Stephen J; Lineton, Ben; Ni, Guangjian

    2011-09-01

    A discrete model of cochlear mechanics is introduced that includes a full, three-dimensional, description of fluid coupling. This formulation allows the fluid coupling and basilar membrane dynamics to be analyzed separately and then coupled together with a simple piece of linear algebra. The fluid coupling is initially analyzed using a wavenumber formulation and is separated into one component due to one-dimensional fluid coupling and one comprising all the other contributions. Using the theory of acoustic waves in a duct, however, these two components of the pressure can also be associated with a far field, due to the plane wave, and a near field, due to the evanescent, higher order, modes. The near field components are then seen as one of a number of sources of additional longitudinal coupling in the cochlea. The effects of non-uniformity and asymmetry in the fluid chamber areas can also be taken into account, to predict both the pressure difference between the chambers and the mean pressure. This allows the calculation, for example, of the effect of a short cochlear implant on the coupled response of the cochlea. © 2011 Acoustical Society of America

  10. 3-D Modelling of Electromagnetic, Thermal, Mechanical and Metallurgical Couplings in Metal Forming Processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chenot, Jean-Loup; Bay, Francois

    2007-01-01

    The different stages of metal forming processes often involve - beyond the mechanical deformations processes - other physical coupled problems, such as heat transfer, electromagnetism or metallurgy. The purpose of this paper is to focus on problems involving electromagnetic couplings. After a brief recall on electromagnetic modeling, we shall then focus on induction heating processes and present some results regarding heat transfer, as well as mechanical couplings. A case showing coupling for metallurgic microstructure evolution will conclude this paper

  11. The disconnection mechanism of coupled migration and shear at grain boundaries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khater, H.A.; Serra, A.; Pond, R.C.; Hirth, J.P.

    2012-01-01

    The mechanism of coupled migration and shear is studied in a range of [0 0 0 1] tilt boundaries in hexagonal close-packed metal using atomic-scale computer simulation. Symmetrical tilt boundaries spanning the low- and high-angle regimes and comprising regular arrays of grain boundary dislocations are simulated. For each misorientation, θ, the perfect boundary (pristine) is investigated as well as one containing a disconnection. Both types of structures are subjected to incremental applied strains to determine the stress that produces coupled migration and shear. The stress for motion in the pristine case, entailing nucleation, is higher than the Peierls stress for motion when disconnections are present. We conclude that the applied stresses in our simulations exert a Peach–Koehler force on pre-existing disconnections, thereby providing a feasible mechanism with a well-defined driving force that produces coupled migration and shear. This mechanism is feasible for the lower-angle boundaries studied, and facile for the high-angle cases.

  12. Towards Tuning the Mechanical Properties of Three-Dimensional Collagen Scaffolds Using a Coupled Fiber-Matrix Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shengmao Lin

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Scaffold mechanical properties are essential in regulating the microenvironment of three-dimensional cell culture. A coupled fiber-matrix numerical model was developed in this work for predicting the mechanical response of collagen scaffolds subjected to various levels of non-enzymatic glycation and collagen concentrations. The scaffold was simulated by a Voronoi network embedded in a matrix. The computational model was validated using published experimental data. Results indicate that both non-enzymatic glycation-induced matrix stiffening and fiber network density, as regulated by collagen concentration, influence scaffold behavior. The heterogeneous stress patterns of the scaffold were induced by the interfacial mechanics between the collagen fiber network and the matrix. The knowledge obtained in this work could help to fine-tune the mechanical properties of collagen scaffolds for improved tissue regeneration applications.

  13. Finite element procedures for coupled linear analysis of heat transfer, fluid and solid mechanics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutjahjo, Edhi; Chamis, Christos C.

    1993-01-01

    Coupled finite element formulations for fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and solid mechanics are derived from the conservation laws for energy, mass, and momentum. To model the physics of interactions among the participating disciplines, the linearized equations are coupled by combining domain and boundary coupling procedures. Iterative numerical solution strategy is presented to solve the equations, with the partitioning of temporal discretization implemented.

  14. Macroscopic Entangled State Generation with Optomechanical Coupling of Two Mechanical Modes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weaver, Matthew; Luna, Fernando; Buters, Frank; Heeck, Kier; de Man, Sven; Bouwmeester, Dirk

    Mechanical resonators with a large quantum position uncertainty are an excellent test system for proposed decoherence mechanisms in massive systems. We present a scheme to optomechanically entangle two mechanical resonators with large frequency separation via two tone driving and single photon projection measurements. The quantum position uncertainty can be tuned with a variable optical pulse displacement operation, and independent single photon readout of the two resonators provides robust verification of the quantum states of the system. This scheme is currently experimentally feasible in a number of high mass opto- and electro-mechanical systems. We demonstrate one such system with two spatially and frequency separated Si3N4 trampoline resonators. We also show how the resonators can be coupled with two tone driving and the single photon optomechanical coupling rates can be tuned.

  15. Tight coupling between nucleus and cell migration through the perinuclear actin cap

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Dong-Hwee; Cho, Sangkyun; Wirtz, Denis

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT Although eukaryotic cells are known to alternate between ‘advancing’ episodes of fast and persistent movement and ‘hesitation’ episodes of low speed and low persistence, the molecular mechanism that controls the dynamic changes in morphology, speed and persistence of eukaryotic migratory cells remains unclear. Here, we show that the movement of the interphase nucleus during random cell migration switches intermittently between two distinct modes – rotation and translocation – that follow with high fidelity the sequential rounded and elongated morphologies of the nucleus and cell body, respectively. Nuclear rotation and translocation mediate the stop-and-go motion of the cell through the dynamic formation and dissolution, respectively, of the contractile perinuclear actin cap, which is dynamically coupled to the nuclear lamina and the nuclear envelope through LINC complexes. A persistent cell movement and nuclear translocation driven by the actin cap are halted following the disruption of the actin cap, which in turn allows the cell to repolarize for its next persistent move owing to nuclear rotation mediated by cytoplasmic dynein light intermediate chain 2. PMID:24639463

  16. Modelling cell cycle synchronisation in networks of coupled radial glial cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrack, Duncan S; Thul, Rüdiger; Owen, Markus R

    2015-07-21

    Radial glial cells play a crucial role in the embryonic mammalian brain. Their proliferation is thought to be controlled, in part, by ATP mediated calcium signals. It has been hypothesised that these signals act to locally synchronise cell cycles, so that clusters of cells proliferate together, shedding daughter cells in uniform sheets. In this paper we investigate this cell cycle synchronisation by taking an ordinary differential equation model that couples the dynamics of intracellular calcium and the cell cycle and extend it to populations of cells coupled via extracellular ATP signals. Through bifurcation analysis we show that although ATP mediated calcium release can lead to cell cycle synchronisation, a number of other asynchronous oscillatory solutions including torus solutions dominate the parameter space and cell cycle synchronisation is far from guaranteed. Despite this, numerical results indicate that the transient and not the asymptotic behaviour of the system is important in accounting for cell cycle synchronisation. In particular, quiescent cells can be entrained on to the cell cycle via ATP mediated calcium signals initiated by a driving cell and crucially will cycle in near synchrony with the driving cell for the duration of neurogenesis. This behaviour is highly sensitive to the timing of ATP release, with release at the G1/S phase transition of the cell cycle far more likely to lead to near synchrony than release during mid G1 phase. This result, which suggests that ATP release timing is critical to radial glia cell cycle synchronisation, may help us to understand normal and pathological brain development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Nuclear Mechanics and Stem Cell Differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, Xinjian; Gavara, Nuria; Song, Guanbin

    2015-12-01

    Stem cells are characterized by their self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation potential. Stem cell differentiation is a prerequisite for the application of stem cells in regenerative medicine and clinical therapy. In addition to chemical stimulation, mechanical cues play a significant role in regulating stem cell differentiation. The integrity of mechanical sensors is necessary for the ability of cells to respond to mechanical signals. The nucleus, the largest and stiffest cellular organelle, interacts with the cytoskeleton as a key mediator of cell mechanics. Nuclear mechanics are involved in the complicated interactions of lamins, chromatin and nucleoskeleton-related proteins. Thus, stem cell differentiation is intimately associated with nuclear mechanics due to its indispensable role in mechanotransduction and mechanical response. This paper reviews several main contributions of nuclear mechanics, highlights the hallmarks of the nuclear mechanics of stem cells, and provides insight into the relationship between nuclear mechanics and stem cell differentiation, which may guide clinical applications in the future.

  18. Molecular Theory of the Living Cell Concepts, Molecular Mechanisms, and Biomedical Applications

    CERN Document Server

    Ji, Sungchul

    2012-01-01

    This book presents a comprehensive molecular theory of the living cell based on over thirty concepts, principles and laws imported from thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, chemical kinetics, informatics, computer science, linguistics, semiotics, and philosophy. The author formulates physically, chemically and enzymologically realistic molecular mechanisms to account for the basic living processes such as ligand-receptor interactions, protein folding, single-molecule enzymic catalysis, force-generating mechanisms in molecular motors, signal transduction, regulation of the genome-wide RNA metabolism, morphogenesis, the micro-macro coupling in coordination dynamics, the origin of life, and the mechanisms of biological evolution itself. Possible solutions to basic and practical problems facing contemporary biology and biomedical sciences have been suggested, including pharmacotheragnostics and personalized medicine.

  19. Qubit Coupled Mechanical Resonator in an Electromechanical System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hao, Yu

    This thesis describes the development of a hybrid quantum electromechanical system. In this system the mechanical resonator is capacitively coupled to a superconducting transmon which is embedded in a superconducting coplanar waveguide (CPW) cavity. The difficulty of achieving high quality of superconducting qubit in a high-quality voltage-biased cavity is overcome by integrating a superconducting reflective T-filter to the cavity. Further spectroscopic and pulsed measurements of the hybrid system demonstrate interactions between the ultra-high frequency mechanical resonator and transmon qubit. The noise of mechanical resonator close to ground state is measured by looking at the spectroscopy of the transmon. At last, fabrication and tests of membrane resonators are discussed.

  20. Computer simulations of neural mechanisms explaining upper and lower limb excitatory neural coupling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ferris Daniel P

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background When humans perform rhythmic upper and lower limb locomotor-like movements, there is an excitatory effect of upper limb exertion on lower limb muscle recruitment. To investigate potential neural mechanisms for this behavioral observation, we developed computer simulations modeling interlimb neural pathways among central pattern generators. We hypothesized that enhancement of muscle recruitment from interlimb spinal mechanisms was not sufficient to explain muscle enhancement levels observed in experimental data. Methods We used Matsuoka oscillators for the central pattern generators (CPG and determined parameters that enhanced amplitudes of rhythmic steady state bursts. Potential mechanisms for output enhancement were excitatory and inhibitory sensory feedback gains, excitatory and inhibitory interlimb coupling gains, and coupling geometry. We first simulated the simplest case, a single CPG, and then expanded the model to have two CPGs and lastly four CPGs. In the two and four CPG models, the lower limb CPGs did not receive supraspinal input such that the only mechanisms available for enhancing output were interlimb coupling gains and sensory feedback gains. Results In a two-CPG model with inhibitory sensory feedback gains, only excitatory gains of ipsilateral flexor-extensor/extensor-flexor coupling produced reciprocal upper-lower limb bursts and enhanced output up to 26%. In a two-CPG model with excitatory sensory feedback gains, excitatory gains of contralateral flexor-flexor/extensor-extensor coupling produced reciprocal upper-lower limb bursts and enhanced output up to 100%. However, within a given excitatory sensory feedback gain, enhancement due to excitatory interlimb gains could only reach levels up to 20%. Interconnecting four CPGs to have ipsilateral flexor-extensor/extensor-flexor coupling, contralateral flexor-flexor/extensor-extensor coupling, and bilateral flexor-extensor/extensor-flexor coupling could enhance

  1. G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling in Stem Cells and Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynch, Jennifer R; Wang, Jenny Yingzi

    2016-05-11

    G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a large superfamily of cell-surface signaling proteins that bind extracellular ligands and transduce signals into cells via heterotrimeric G proteins. GPCRs are highly tractable drug targets. Aberrant expression of GPCRs and G proteins has been observed in various cancers and their importance in cancer stem cells has begun to be appreciated. We have recently reported essential roles for G protein-coupled receptor 84 (GPR84) and G protein subunit Gαq in the maintenance of cancer stem cells in acute myeloid leukemia. This review will discuss how GPCRs and G proteins regulate stem cells with a focus on cancer stem cells, as well as their implications for the development of novel targeted cancer therapies.

  2. G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling in Stem Cells and Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer R. Lynch

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs are a large superfamily of cell-surface signaling proteins that bind extracellular ligands and transduce signals into cells via heterotrimeric G proteins. GPCRs are highly tractable drug targets. Aberrant expression of GPCRs and G proteins has been observed in various cancers and their importance in cancer stem cells has begun to be appreciated. We have recently reported essential roles for G protein-coupled receptor 84 (GPR84 and G protein subunit Gαq in the maintenance of cancer stem cells in acute myeloid leukemia. This review will discuss how GPCRs and G proteins regulate stem cells with a focus on cancer stem cells, as well as their implications for the development of novel targeted cancer therapies.

  3. Coupled Mechanical-Electrochemical-Thermal Analysis of Failure Propagation in Lithium-ion Batteries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Chao; Santhanagopalan, Shriram; Pesaran, Ahmad

    2016-07-28

    This is a presentation given at the 12th World Congress for Computational Mechanics on coupled mechanical-electrochemical-thermal analysis of failure propagation in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.

  4. Investigation research on the evaluation of a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical phenomena. Outline report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Amemiya, Kiyoshi; Neyama, Atsushi; Iwata, Hiroshi; Nakagawa, Koichi; Ishihara, Yoshinao; Shiozaki, Isao; Sagawa, Hiroshi

    2002-02-01

    In order to realize a coupling analysis in the near field of the geological disposal system, this study has been studied on the addition of the mass transport model to the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis code (THAMES) and preliminary coupling analysis by using development environmental tool (Diffpack) for numerical analysis. (1) In order to prepare the strategy on the addition of the mass transport model to the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis code (THAMES), we have studied on the requirement of THAMES-Transport and methodology of coupling analysis. After that we set out modification plan by the Eulerian-Lagrangian (EL) method. (2) Based on the document of modification plan, we have done addition of the mass transport model to the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis code (THAMES) and carried out verification analysis in order to confirm on the accuracy of THAMES-Transport. (3) In order to understand on the behavior of NaCl in the porewater under the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena in the HLW engineered barrier system, we have calculated coupling phenomenon by using THAMES-Transport. Transportation and concentration phenomena of NaCl are calculated but precipitation of NaCl is not occurred under the analysis conditions in this report. (4) In order to confirm about feasibility of coupling analysis under the development environmental tool (Diffpack) for numerical analysis, we have carried out on the design work and writing program of the preliminary coupling system. In this study, we have adopted existing transport model (HYDROGEOCHEM) and geochemical model (phreeqe60) for preliminary coupling system. (5) In order to confirm program correctness of preliminary coupling system, we have carried out benchmarking analysis by using existing reactive-transport analysis code (HYDROGEOCHEM). (6) We have been prepared short-range development plan based on through the modification study of THAMES and writing program of the preliminary coupling

  5. Investigation research on the evaluation of a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical phenomena. Result report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Amemiya, Kiyoshi; Shiozaki, Isao; Neyama, Atsushi; Iwata, Hiroshi; Nakagawa, Koichi; Ishihara, Yoshinao; Sagawa, Hiroshi

    2002-02-01

    In order to realize a coupling analysis in the near field of the geological disposal system, this study has been studied on the addition of the mass transport model to the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis code (THAMES) and preliminary coupling analysis by using development environmental tool (Diffpack) for numerical analysis. (1) In order to prepare the strategy on the addition of the mass transport model to the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis code (THAMES), we have studied on the requirement of THAMES-Transport and methodology of coupling analysis. After that we set out modification plan by the Eulerian-Lagrangian (EL) method. (2) Based on the document of modification plan, we have done addition of the mass transport model to the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis code (THAMES) and carried out verification analysis in order to confirm on the accuracy of THAMES-Transport. (3) In order to understand on the behavior of NaCl in the porewater under the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena in the HLW engineered barrier system, we have calculated coupling phenomenon by using THAMES-Transport. Transportation and concentration phenomena of NaCl are calculated but precipitation of NaCl is not occurred under the analysis conditions in this report. (4) In order to confirm about feasibility of coupling analysis under the development environmental tool (Diffpack) for numerical analysis, we have carried out on the design work and writing program of the preliminary coupling system. In this study, we have adopted existing transport model (HYDROGEOCHEM) and geochemical model (phreeqe 60) for preliminary coupling system. (5) In order to confirm program correctness of preliminary coupling system, we have carried out benchmarking analysis by using existing reactive-transport analysis code (HYDROGEOCHEM). (6) We have been prepared short-range development plan based on through the modification study of THAMES and writing program of the preliminary coupling

  6. Revealing the Interface Structure and Bonding Mechanism of Coupling Agent Treated WPC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiuping Rao

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the interfacial optimisation of wood plastic composites (WPC based on recycled wood flour and polyethylene by employing maleated and silane coupling agents. The effect of the incorporation of the coupling agents on the variation of chemical structure of the composites were investigated by Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR and Solid state 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR analyses. The results revealed the chemical reactions that occurred between the coupling agents and raw materials, which thus contributed to the enhancement of compatibility and interfacial adhesion between the constituents of WPC. NMR results also indicated that there existed the transformation of crystalline cellulose to an amorphous state during the coupling agent treatments, reflecting the inferior resonance of crystalline carbohydrates. Fluorescence Microscope (FM and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM analyses showed the improvements of wood particle dispersion and wettability, compatibility of the constituents, and resin penetration, and impregnation of the composites after the coupling agent treatments. The optimised interface of the composites was attributed to interdiffusion, electrostatic adhesion, chemical reactions, and mechanical interlocking bonding mechanisms.

  7. Contributions of non-intrusive coupling in nonlinear structural mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duval, Mickael

    2016-01-01

    This PhD thesis, part of the ANR ICARE project, aims at developing methods for complex analysis of large scale structures. The scientific challenge is to investigate very localised areas, but potentially critical as of mechanical systems resilience. Classically, representation models, discretizations, mechanical behaviour models and numerical tools are used at both global and local scales for simulation needs of graduated complexity. Global problem is handled by a generic code with topology (plate formulation, geometric approximation...) and behaviour (homogenization) simplifications while local analysis needs implementation of specialized tools (routines, dedicated codes) for an accurate representation of the geometry and behaviour. The main goal of this thesis is to develop an efficient non-intrusive coupling tool for multi-scale and multi-model structural analysis. Constraints of non-intrusiveness result in the non-modification of the stiffness operator, connectivity and the global model solver, allowing to work in a closed source software environment. First, we provide a detailed study of global/local non-intrusive coupling algorithm. Making use of several relevant examples (cracking, elastic-plastic behaviour, contact...), we show the efficiency and the flexibility of such coupling method. A comparative analysis of several optimisation tools is also carried on, and the interacting multiple patches situation is handled. Then, non-intrusive coupling is extended to globally non-linear cases, and a domain decomposition method with non-linear re-localization is proposed. Such methods allowed us to run a parallel computation using only sequential software, on a high performance computing cluster. Finally, we apply the coupling algorithm to mesh refinement with patches of finite elements. We develop an explicit residual based error estimator suitable for multi-scale solutions arising from the non-intrusive coupling, and apply it inside an error driven local mesh

  8. Higher order coupling between rigid-body and elastic motion in flexible mechanisms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Esat, I.I.; Ianakiev, A.

    1995-01-01

    The paper presents an investigation of the influence of the higher order coupling terms between the rigid-body and elastic motion into flexible mechanism dynamics. The configuration of the mechanical system is obtained by using the so called hybrid coordinates. The kinematic description of the mechanism was obtained using the D-H 4 x 4 transformation matrices. The elastic deformation of each point of the mechanism is described by the finite element modeling (FEM) type interpolation scheme. The dynamic model of the flexible mechanism consists due to the hybrid coordinates of two groups of differential equations. The first group describes the manipulator transport motion and the second group describes the vibration. In this paper the authors evaluated the contribution of the coupling terms between the two groups of differential equations and selected only those with high contribution

  9. Substrate-Na{sup +} complex formation: Coupling mechanism for {gamma}-aminobutyrate symporters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pallo, Anna; Simon, Agnes [Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Chemical Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Hungary); Bencsura, Akos [Department of Theoretical Chemistry, Institute of Structural Chemistry, Chemical Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest (Hungary); Heja, Laszlo [Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Chemical Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Hungary); Kardos, Julianna, E-mail: jkardos@chemres.hu [Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Chemical Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Hungary)

    2009-07-24

    Crystal structures of transmembrane transport proteins belonging to the important families of neurotransmitter-sodium symporters reveal how they transport neurotransmitters across membranes. Substrate-induced structural conformations of gated neurotransmitter-sodium symporters have been in the focus of research, however, a key question concerning the mechanism of Na{sup +} ion coupling remained unanswered. Homology models of human glial transporter subtypes of the major inhibitory neurotransmitter {gamma}-aminobutyric acid were built. In accordance with selectivity data for subtype 2 vs. 3, docking and molecular dynamics calculations suggest similar orthosteric substrate (inhibitor) conformations and binding crevices but distinguishable allosteric Zn{sup 2+} ion binding motifs. Considering the occluded conformational states of glial human {gamma}-aminobutyric acid transporter subtypes, we found major semi-extended and minor ring-like conformations of zwitterionic {gamma}-aminobutyric acid in complex with Na{sup +} ion. The existence of the minor ring-like conformation of {gamma}-aminobutyric acid in complex with Na{sup +} ion may be attributed to the strengthening of the intramolecular H-bond by the electrostatic effect of Na{sup +} ion. Coupling substrate uptake into cells with the thermodynamically favorable Na{sup +} ion movement through substrate-Na{sup +} ion complex formation may be a mechanistic principle featuring transmembrane neurotransmitter-sodium symporter proteins.

  10. Strain coupling between nitrogen vacancy centers and the mechanical motion of a diamond optomechanical crystal resonator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cady, J. V.; Lee, K. W.; Ovartchaiyapong, P.; Bleszynski Jayich, A. C.

    Several experiments have recently demonstrated coupling between nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond and mechanical resonators via crystal strain. In the strong coupling regime, such devices could realize applications critical to emerging quantum technologies, including phonon-mediated spin-spin interactions and mechanical cooling with the NV center1. An outstanding challenge for these devices is generating higher strain coupling in high frequency devices while maintaining the excellent coherence properties of the NV center and high mechanical quality factors. As a step toward these objectives, we demonstrate single-crystal diamond optomechanical crystal resonators with embedded NV centers. These devices host highly-confined GHz-scale mechanical modes that are isolated from mechanical clamping losses and generate strain profiles that allow for large strain coupling to NV centers far from noise-inducing surfaces.

  11. Changing the threshold-Signals and mechanisms of mast cell priming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halova, Ivana; Rönnberg, Elin; Draberova, Lubica; Vliagoftis, Harissios; Nilsson, Gunnar P; Draber, Petr

    2018-03-01

    Mast cells play a key role in allergy and other inflammatory diseases involving engagement of multivalent antigen with IgE bound to high-affinity IgE receptors (FcεRIs). Aggregation of FcεRIs on mast cells initiates a cascade of signaling events that eventually lead to degranulation, secretion of leukotrienes and prostaglandins, and cytokine and chemokine production contributing to the inflammatory response. Exposure to pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, bacterial and viral products, as well as some other biological products and drugs, induces mast cell transition from the basal state into a primed one, which leads to enhanced response to IgE-antigen complexes. Mast cell priming changes the threshold for antigen-mediated activation by various mechanisms, depending on the priming agent used, which alone usually do not induce mast cell degranulation. In this review, we describe the priming processes induced in mast cells by various cytokines (stem cell factor, interleukins-4, -6 and -33), chemokines, other agents acting through G protein-coupled receptors (adenosine, prostaglandin E 2 , sphingosine-1-phosphate, and β-2-adrenergic receptor agonists), toll-like receptors, and various drugs affecting the cytoskeleton. We will review the current knowledge about the molecular mechanisms behind priming of mast cells leading to degranulation and cytokine production and discuss the biological effects of mast cell priming induced by several cytokines. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. A Lever Coupling Mechanism in Dual-Mass Micro-Gyroscopes for Improving the Shock Resistance along the Driving Direction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Gao

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the design and application of a lever coupling mechanism to improve the shock resistance of a dual-mass silicon micro-gyroscope with drive mode coupled along the driving direction without sacrificing the mechanical sensitivity. Firstly, the mechanical sensitivity and the shock response of the micro-gyroscope are theoretically analyzed. In the mechanical design, a novel lever coupling mechanism is proposed to change the modal order and to improve the frequency separation. The micro-gyroscope with the lever coupling mechanism optimizes the drive mode order, increasing the in-phase mode frequency to be much larger than the anti-phase one. Shock analysis results show that the micro-gyroscope structure with the designed lever coupling mechanism can notably reduce the magnitudes of the shock response and cut down the stress produced in the shock process compared with the traditional elastic coupled one. Simulations reveal that the shock resistance along the drive direction is greatly increased. Consequently, the lever coupling mechanism can change the gyroscope’s modal order and improve the frequency separation by structurally offering a higher stiffness difference ratio. The shock resistance along the driving direction is tremendously enhanced without loss of the mechanical sensitivity.

  13. Laminin-332 alters connexin profile, dye coupling and intercellular Ca2+ waves in ciliated tracheal epithelial cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olsen Colin E

    2006-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Tracheal epithelial cells are anchored to a dynamic basement membrane that contains a variety of extracellular matrix proteins including collagens and laminins. During development, wound repair and disease of the airway epithelium, significant changes in extracellular matrix proteins may directly affect cell migration, differentiation and events mediated by intercellular communication. We hypothesized that alterations in cell matrix, specifically type I collagen and laminin α3β3γ2 (LM-332 proteins within the matrix, directly affect intercellular communication in ciliated rabbit tracheal epithelial cells (RTEC. Methods Functional coupling of RTEC was monitored by microinjection of the negatively charged fluorescent dyes, Lucifer Yellow and Alexa 350, into ciliated RTEC grown on either a LM-332/collagen or collagen matrix. Coupling of physiologically significant molecules was evaluated by the mechanism and extent of propagated intercellular Ca2+ waves. Expression of connexin (Cx mRNA and proteins were assayed by reverse transcriptase – polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemistry, respectively. Results When compared to RTEC grown on collagen alone, RTEC grown on LM-332/collagen displayed a significant increase in dye transfer. Although mechanical stimulation of RTEC grown on either LM-332/collagen or collagen alone resulted in intercellular Ca2+ waves, the mechanism of transfer was dependent on matrix: RTEC grown on LM-332/collagen propagated Ca2+waves via extracellular purinergic signaling whereas RTEC grown on collagen used gap junctions. Comparison of RTEC grown on collagen or LM-332/collagen matrices revealed a reorganization of Cx26, Cx43 and Cx46 proteins. Conclusion Alterations in airway basement membrane proteins such as LM-332 can induce connexin reorganizations and result in altered cellular communication mechanisms that could contribute to airway tissue function.

  14. Revisiting coupled Shukla-Varma and convective cell mode in classical and quantum dusty magnetoplasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masood, W.; Mirza, Arshad M.; Nargis, Shahida

    2010-08-01

    The coupled Shukla-Varma (SV) and convective cell mode is revisited in classical and quantum dusty magnetoplasmas. It is shown that the inclusion of electron thermal effects modifies the original coupled SV and convective cell mode. It is also discussed how the quantum effects can be incorporated in the coupled SV and convective cell mode.

  15. A three-dimensional coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical model for deformable fractured geothermal systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Salimzadeh, Saeed; Paluszny, Adriana; Nick, Hamidreza M.

    2018-01-01

    A fully coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) finite element model is presented for fractured geothermal reservoirs. Fractures are modelled as surface discontinuities within a three-dimensional matrix. Non-isothermal flow through the rock matrix and fractures are defined and coupled to a mec......A fully coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) finite element model is presented for fractured geothermal reservoirs. Fractures are modelled as surface discontinuities within a three-dimensional matrix. Non-isothermal flow through the rock matrix and fractures are defined and coupled....... The model has been validated against several analytical solutions, and applied to study the effects of the deformable fractures on the injection of cold water in fractured geothermal systems. Results show that the creation of flow channelling due to the thermal volumetric contraction of the rock matrix...

  16. High-performance coupled poro-hydro-mechanical models to resolve fluid escape pipes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Räss, Ludovic; Makhnenko, Roman; Podladchikov, Yury

    2017-04-01

    Field observations and laboratory experiments exhibit inelastic deformation features arising in many coupled settings relevant to geo-applications. These irreversible deformations and their specific patterns suggest a rather ductile or brittle mechanism, such as viscous creep or micro cracks, taking place on both geological (long) and human (short) timescales. In order to understand the underlying mechanisms responsible for these deformation features, there is a current need to accurately resolve the non-linearities inherent to strongly coupled physical processes. Among the large variety of modelling tools and softwares available nowadays in the community, very few are capable to efficiently solve coupled systems with high accuracy in both space and time and run efficiently on modern hardware. Here, we propose a robust framework to solve coupled multi-physics hydro-mechanical processes on very high spatial and temporal resolution in both two and three dimensions. Our software relies on the Finite-Difference Method and a pseudo-transient scheme is used to converge to the implicit solution of the system of poro-visco-elasto-plastic equations at each physical time step. The rheology including viscosity estimates for major reservoir rock types is inferred from novel lab experiments and confirms the ease of flow of sedimentary rocks. Our results propose a physical mechanism responsible for the generation of high permeability pathways in fluid saturated porous media and predict their propagation in rates observable on operational timescales. Finally, our software scales linearly on more than 5000 GPUs.

  17. The coupling of mechanical dynamics and induced currents in plates and surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weissenburger, D.W.; Bialek, J.M.

    1986-10-01

    Significant mechanical reactions and deflections may be produced when electrical eddy currents induced in a conducting structure by transformer-like electromotive forces interact with background magnetic fields. Additional eddy currents induced by structural motion through the background fields modify both the mechanical and electrical dynamic behavior of the system. The observed effects of these motional eddy currents are sometimes referred to as magnetic damping and magnetic stiffness. This paper addresses the coupled structural deformation and eddy currents in flat plates and simple two-dimensional surfaces in three-space. A coupled system of equations has been formulated using finite element techniques for the mechanical aspects and a mesh network method for the electrical aspects of the problem

  18. Nuclear-Mechanical Coupling: Small Amplitude Mechanical Vibrations and High Amplitude Power Oscillations in Nuclear Reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suarez Antola, R.

    2008-11-01

    The cores of nuclear reactors, including its structural parts and cooling fluids, are complex mechanical systems able to vibrate in a set of normal modes and frequencies, if suitable perturbed. The cyclic variations in the strain state of the core materials may produce changes in density. Changes in density modify the reactivity. Changes in reactivity modify thermal power. Modifications in thermal power produce variations in temperature fields. Variations in temperature produce variations in strain due to thermal-elastic effects. If the variation of the temperature field is fast enough and if the Doppler Effect and other stabilizing prompt effects in the fuel are weak enough, a fast oscillatory instability could be produced, coupled with mechanical vibrations of small amplitude. A recently constructed, simple mathematical model of nuclear reactor kinetics, that improves the one due to A.S. Thompson, is reviewed. It was constructed in order to study, in a first approximation, the stability of the reactor: a nonlinear nuclear-thermal oscillator (that corresponds to reactor point kinetics with thermal-elastic feedback and with frozen delayed neutron effects) is coupled nonlinearly with a linear mechanical-thermal oscillator (that corresponds to the first normal mode of mechanical vibrations excited by thermo-elastic effects). This mathematical model is studied here from the standpoint of mechanical vibrations. It is shown how, under certain conditions, a suitable mechanical perturbation could elicit fast and growing oscillatory instabilities in the reactor power. Applying the asymptotic method due to Krylov, Bogoliubov and Mitropolsky, analytical formulae that may be used in the calculation of the time varying amplitude and phase of the mechanical oscillations are given, as functions of the mechanical, thermal and nuclear parameters of the reactor. The consequences for the mechanical integrity of the reactor are assessed. Some conditions, mainly, but not exclusively

  19. Coupling device of the control rod and of the drive mechanism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Savary, F.

    1986-01-01

    The invention proposes a coupling device removable in which the connection between the upper head of the control rod and the drive mechanism is a real rigid fixing, in the mechanical sense of the term, suppressing longitudinal play and allowing to restrict the momenta occurring when locating the control rods [fr

  20. A multi-scale computational scheme for anisotropic hydro-mechanical couplings in saturated heterogeneous porous media

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mercatoris, B.C.N.; Massart, T.J.; Sluys, L.J.

    2013-01-01

    This contribution discusses a coupled two-scale framework for hydro-mechanical problems in saturated heterogeneous porous geomaterials. The heterogeneous nature of such materials can lead to an anisotropy of the hydro-mechanical couplings and non-linear effects. Based on an assumed model of the

  1. A Model to Couple Flow, Thermal and Reactive Chemical Transport, and Geo-mechanics in Variably Saturated Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeh, G. T.; Tsai, C. H.

    2015-12-01

    This paper presents the development of a THMC (thermal-hydrology-mechanics-chemistry) process model in variably saturated media. The governing equations for variably saturated flow and reactive chemical transport are obtained based on the mass conservation principle of species transport supplemented with Darcy's law, constraint of species concentration, equation of states, and constitutive law of K-S-P (Conductivity-Degree of Saturation-Capillary Pressure). The thermal transport equation is obtained based on the conservation of energy. The geo-mechanic displacement is obtained based on the assumption of equilibrium. Conventionally, these equations have been implicitly coupled via the calculations of secondary variables based on primary variables. The mechanisms of coupling have not been obvious. In this paper, governing equations are explicitly coupled for all primary variables. The coupling is accomplished via the storage coefficients, transporting velocities, and conduction-dispersion-diffusion coefficient tensor; one set each for every primary variable. With this new system of equations, the coupling mechanisms become clear. Physical interpretations of every term in the coupled equations will be discussed. Examples will be employed to demonstrate the intuition and superiority of these explicit coupling approaches. Keywords: Variably Saturated Flow, Thermal Transport, Geo-mechanics, Reactive Transport.

  2. Chemo-mechanical coupling in kerogen gas adsorption/desorption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Tuan Anh; Wang, Yifeng; Criscenti, Louise J

    2018-05-09

    Kerogen plays a central role in hydrocarbon generation in an oil/gas reservoir. In a subsurface environment, kerogen is constantly subjected to stress confinement or relaxation. The interplay between mechanical deformation and gas adsorption of the materials could be an important process for shale gas production but unfortunately is poorly understood. Using a hybrid Monte Carlo/molecular dynamics simulation, we show here that a strong chemo-mechanical coupling may exist between gas adsorption and mechanical strain of a kerogen matrix. The results indicate that the kerogen volume can expand by up to 5.4% and 11% upon CH4 and CO2 adsorption at 192 atm, respectively. The kerogen volume increases with gas pressure and eventually approaches a plateau as the kerogen becomes saturated. The volume expansion appears to quadratically increase with the amount of gas adsorbed, indicating a critical role of the surface layer of gas adsorbed in the bulk strain of the material. Furthermore, gas uptake is greatly enhanced by kerogen swelling. Swelling also increases the surface area, porosity, and pore size of kerogen. Our results illustrate the dynamic nature of kerogen, thus questioning the validity of the current assumption of a rigid kerogen molecular structure in the estimation of gas-in-place for a shale gas reservoir or gas storage capacity for subsurface carbon sequestration. The coupling between gas adsorption and kerogen matrix deformation should be taken into consideration.

  3. Quantification of plant cell coupling with three-dimensional photoactivation microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liesche, J; Schulz, A

    2012-07-01

    Plant cells are directly connected by plasmodesmata that form channels through the cell wall and enable the intercellular movement of cytosolic solutes, membrane lipids and signalling molecules. Transport through plasmodesmata is regulated not only by a fixed size-exclusion limit, but also by physiological and pathological adaptation. To understand plant cell communication, carbon allocation and pathogen attack, the capacities for a specific molecule to pass a specific cell-wall interface is an essential parameter. So far, the degree of cell coupling was derived from frequency and diameter of plasmodesmata in relevant tissues as assessed by electron microscopy of fixed material. However, plasmodesmata functionality and capacity can only be determined in live material, not from electron microscopy, which is static and prone to fixation artefacts. Plasmodesmata functionality was a few times assessed using fluorescent tracers with diffusion properties similar to cytosolic solutes. Here, we used three-dimensional photoactivation microscopy to quantify plasmodesmata-mediated cell-wall permeability between living Cucurbita maxima leaf mesophyll cells with caged fluorescein as tracer. For the first time, all necessary functional and anatomical data were gathered for each individual cell from three-dimensional time series. This approach utilized a confocal microscope equipped with resonant scanner, which provides the high acquisition speed necessary to record optical sections of whole cells and offers time resolution high enough to follow the kinetics of photoactivation. The results were compared to two-dimensional measurements, which are shown to give a good estimate of cell coupling adequate for homogenous tissues. The two-dimensional approach is limited whenever tissues interfaces are studied that couple different cell types with diverse cell geometries. © 2011 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2011 Royal Microscopical Society.

  4. Coupling Langevin Dynamics With Continuum Mechanics: Exposing the Role of Sarcomere Stretch Activation Mechanisms to Cardiac Function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takumi Washio

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available High-performance computing approaches that combine molecular-scale and macroscale continuum mechanics have long been anticipated in various fields. Such approaches may enrich our understanding of the links between microscale molecular mechanisms and macroscopic properties in the continuum. However, there have been few successful examples to date owing to various difficulties associated with overcoming the large spatial (from 1 nm to 10 cm and temporal (from 1 ns to 1 ms gaps between the two scales. In this paper, we propose an efficient parallel scheme to couple a microscopic model using Langevin dynamics for a protein motor with a finite element continuum model of a beating heart. The proposed scheme allows us to use a macroscale time step that is an order of magnitude longer than the microscale time step of the Langevin model, without loss of stability or accuracy. This reduces the overhead required by the imbalanced loads of the microscale computations and the communication required when switching between scales. An example of the Langevin dynamics model that demonstrates the usefulness of the coupling approach is the molecular mechanism of the actomyosin system, in which the stretch-activation phenomenon can be successfully reproduced. This microscopic Langevin model is coupled with a macroscopic finite element ventricle model. In the numerical simulations, the Langevin dynamics model reveals that a single sarcomere can undergo spontaneous oscillation (15 Hz accompanied by quick lengthening due to cooperative movements of the myosin molecules pulling on the common Z-line. Also, the coupled simulations using the ventricle model show that the stretch-activation mechanism contributes to the synchronization of the quick lengthening of the sarcomeres at the end of the systolic phase. By comparing the simulation results given by the molecular model with and without the stretch-activation mechanism, we see that this synchronization contributes to

  5. A dynamic allocation mechanism of delivering capacity in coupled networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du, Wen-Bo; Zhou, Xing-Lian; Zhu, Yan-Bo; Zheng, Zheng

    2015-01-01

    Traffic process is ubiquitous in many critical infrastructures. In this paper, we introduce a mechanism to dynamically allocate the delivering capacity into the data-packet traffic model on the coupled Internet autonomous-system-level network of South Korea and Japan, and focus on its effect on the transport efficiency. In this mechanism, the total delivering capacity is constant and the lowest-load node will give one unit delivering capacity to the highest-load node at each time step. It is found that the delivering capacity of busy nodes and non-busy nodes can be well balanced and the effective betweenness of busy nodes with interconnections is significantly reduced. Consequently, the transport efficiency such as average traveling time and packet arrival rate is remarkably improved. Our work may shed some light on the traffic dynamics in coupled networks.

  6. Inductively coupled hydrogen plasma processing of AZO thin films for heterojunction solar cell applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, H.P.; Xu, S.; Zhao, Z.; Xiang, Y.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • A high-density plasma reactor of inductively coupled plasma source is used in this work. • The conductivity and transmittance can be enhanced simultaneously in the hydrogen process. • The formation of additional donors and passivation due to the hydrogen plasma processing. • The photovoltaic improvement due to the improved AZO layer and hetero-interface quality in the solar cells. - Abstract: Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films deposited by means of RF magnetron sputtering were processed in a low frequency inductively coupled plasma of H 2 , aiming at heterojunction (HJ) solar cell applications. A variety of characterization results show that the hydrogen plasma processing exerts a significant influence on the microstructures, electrical and optical properties of the AZO films. The incorporation of hydrogen under the optimum treatment simultaneously promoted the transmittance and conductivity due to the hydrogen associated passivation effect on the native defects and the formation of shallow donors in the films, respectively. A p-type c-Si based HJ solar cell with a front AZO contact was also treated in as-generated non-equilibrium hydrogen plasma and the photovoltaic performance of the solar cell was prominently improved. The underlying mechanism was discussed in terms of the beneficial impacts of high-density hydrogen plasma on the properties of AZO itself and the hetero-interfaces involved in the HJ structure (interface defect and energy band configuration)

  7. Optical Control of Mechanical Mode-Coupling within a MoS2 Resonator in the Strong-Coupling Regime.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Chang-Hua; Kim, In Soo; Lauhon, Lincoln J

    2015-10-14

    Two-dimensional (2-D) materials including graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are an exciting platform for ultrasensitive force and displacement detection in which the strong light-matter coupling is exploited in the optical control of nanomechanical motion. Here we report the optical excitation and displacement detection of a ∼ 3 nm thick MoS2 resonator in the strong-coupling regime, which has not previously been achieved in 2-D materials. Mechanical mode frequencies can be tuned by more than 12% by optical heating, and they exhibit avoided crossings indicative of strong intermode coupling. When the membrane is optically excited at the frequency difference between vibrational modes, normal mode splitting is observed, and the intermode energy exchange rate exceeds the mode decay rate by a factor of 15. Finite element and analytical modeling quantifies the extent of mode softening necessary to control intermode energy exchange in the strong coupling regime.

  8. Characterization and modeling of the thermal mechanics of lithium-ion battery cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oh, Ki-Yong; Epureanu, Bogdan I.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Thermal swelling shape is different than Li-ion intercalation swelling shape. • Nonuniform temperature and gap creation leads to a convex shape at free conditions. • Important parameters of thermal mechanics are estimated through experiments. • A coupled thermal-structural analysis accurately predicts thermal swelling shape. • Nonuniform temperature still plays a critical role at pack conditions. - Abstract: The thermal mechanics of Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries is explored with a focus on thermal swelling. Experiments show for the first time that the swelling shape of prismatic battery cells due to temperature variations is significantly different from that due to Li-ion intercalation in unconstrained conditions. In contrast to uniform and orthotropic Li-ion intercalation swelling in a direction perpendicular to electrodes, the nonuniform temperature distribution in the jellyroll and the gaps/voids between electrodes result in distinguishable different swelling shapes. A unique coupled thermal-structural analysis with a simple, but efficient 3-D finite numerical model is proposed to investigate the impact of temperature variations on the thermal behaviors of battery cells. Anisotropic heat conduction and temperature dependency of the coefficient of thermal expansion are taken into account and found to have an impact on temperature distribution and thermal expansion. Experimental validation of the proposed model clearly demonstrates that the coupled thermal-structural analysis with the proposed model can predict accurately the thermal swelling at unconstrained conditions. The solution at pack (constrained) conditions shows that the nonuniform temperature distribution of the jellyroll still plays a critical role for the thermal swelling shape, although the gaps/voids do not occur because of the constraints from spacers in the pack, suggesting that the estimation of core temperature is important. Such an accurate model, able to estimate cell

  9. A One-Structure-Based Multieffects Coupled Nanogenerator for Simultaneously Scavenging Thermal, Solar, and Mechanical Energies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Yun; Zhang, Kewei; Yang, Ya

    2018-02-01

    Rapid advances in various energy harvesters impose the challenge on integrating them into one device structure with synergetic effects for full use of the available energies from the environment. Here, a multieffect coupled nanogenerator based on ferroelectric barium titanate is reported. It promotes the ability to simultaneously scavenging thermal, solar, and mechanical energies. By integration of a pyroelectric nanogenerator, a photovoltaic cell, and a triboelectric-piezoelectric nanogenerator in one structure with only two electrodes, multieffects interact with each other to alter the electric output, and a complementary power source with peak current of ≈1.5 µA, peak voltage of ≈7 V, and platform voltage of ≈6 V is successfully achieved. Compared with traditional hybridized nanogenerators with stacked architectures, the one-structure-based multieffects coupled nanogenerator is smaller, simpler, and less costly, showing prospective in practical applications and represents a new trend of all-in-one multiple energy scavenging.

  10. Coupling of single quantum emitters to plasmons propagating on mechanically etched wires

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kumar, Shailesh; Huck, Alexander; Lu, Ying-Wei

    2013-01-01

    We demonstrate the coupling of a single nitrogen vacancy center in a nanodiamond to propagating plasmonic modes of mechanically etched silver nanowires. The mechanical etch is performed on single crystalline silver nanoplates by the tip of an atomic force microscope cantilever to produce wires...

  11. Developmental changes in cytosolic coupling between epidermis cells as visualized by photoactivation of fluorescein

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liu, Xiangdong; Martens, Helle; Schulz, Alexander

    Developmental changes in cytosolic coupling between epidermis cells as visualized by photoactivation of fluorescein.......Developmental changes in cytosolic coupling between epidermis cells as visualized by photoactivation of fluorescein....

  12. A morphing approach to couple state-based peridynamics with classical continuum mechanics

    KAUST Repository

    Han, Fei

    2016-01-04

    A local/nonlocal coupling technique called the morphing method is developed to couple classical continuum mechanics with state-based peridynamics. State-based peridynamics, which enables the description of cracks that appear and propagate spontaneously, is applied to the key domain of a structure, where damage and fracture are considered to have non-negligible effects. In the rest of the structure, classical continuum mechanics is used to reduce computational costs and to simultaneously satisfy solution accuracy and boundary conditions. Both models are glued by the proposed morphing method in the transition region. The morphing method creates a balance between the stiffness tensors of classical continuum mechanics and the weighted coefficients of state-based peridynamics through the equivalent energy density of both models. Linearization of state-based peridynamics is derived by Taylor approximations based on vector operations. The discrete formulation of coupled models is also described. Two-dimensional numerical examples illustrate the validity and accuracy of the proposed technique. It is shown that the morphing method, originally developed for bond-based peridynamics, can be successfully extended to state-based peridynamics through the original developments presented here.

  13. A morphing approach to couple state-based peridynamics with classical continuum mechanics

    KAUST Repository

    Han, Fei; Lubineau, Gilles; Azdoud, Yan; Askari, Abe

    2016-01-01

    A local/nonlocal coupling technique called the morphing method is developed to couple classical continuum mechanics with state-based peridynamics. State-based peridynamics, which enables the description of cracks that appear and propagate spontaneously, is applied to the key domain of a structure, where damage and fracture are considered to have non-negligible effects. In the rest of the structure, classical continuum mechanics is used to reduce computational costs and to simultaneously satisfy solution accuracy and boundary conditions. Both models are glued by the proposed morphing method in the transition region. The morphing method creates a balance between the stiffness tensors of classical continuum mechanics and the weighted coefficients of state-based peridynamics through the equivalent energy density of both models. Linearization of state-based peridynamics is derived by Taylor approximations based on vector operations. The discrete formulation of coupled models is also described. Two-dimensional numerical examples illustrate the validity and accuracy of the proposed technique. It is shown that the morphing method, originally developed for bond-based peridynamics, can be successfully extended to state-based peridynamics through the original developments presented here.

  14. Progressive damage analysis of carbon/epoxy laminates under couple laser and mechanical loading

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wanlei Liu

    Full Text Available A multiscale model based bridge theory is proposed for the progressive damage analysis of carbon/epoxy laminates under couple laser and mechanical loading. The ablation model is adopted to calculate ablation temperature changing and ablation surface degradation. The polynomial strengthening model of matrix is used to improve bridging model for reducing parameter input. Stiffness degradation methods of bridging model are also improved in order to analyze the stress redistribution more accurately when the damage occurs. Thermal-mechanical analyses of the composite plate are performed using the ABAQUS/Explicit program with the developed model implemented in the VUMAT. The simulation results show that this model can be used to proclaim the mesoscale damage mechanism of composite laminates under coupled loading. Keywords: Laser irradiation, Multiscale analysis, Bridge model, Thermal-mechanical

  15. Nanoparticle-Cell Interaction: A Cell Mechanics Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Septiadi, Dedy; Crippa, Federica; Moore, Thomas Lee; Rothen-Rutishauser, Barbara; Petri-Fink, Alke

    2018-05-01

    Progress in the field of nanoparticles has enabled the rapid development of multiple products and technologies; however, some nanoparticles can pose both a threat to the environment and human health. To enable their safe implementation, a comprehensive knowledge of nanoparticles and their biological interactions is needed. In vitro and in vivo toxicity tests have been considered the gold standard to evaluate nanoparticle safety, but it is becoming necessary to understand the impact of nanosystems on cell mechanics. Here, the interaction between particles and cells, from the point of view of cell mechanics (i.e., bionanomechanics), is highlighted and put in perspective. Specifically, the ability of intracellular and extracellular nanoparticles to impair cell adhesion, cytoskeletal organization, stiffness, and migration are discussed. Furthermore, the development of cutting-edge, nanotechnology-driven tools based on the use of particles allowing the determination of cell mechanics is emphasized. These include traction force microscopy, colloidal probe atomic force microscopy, optical tweezers, magnetic manipulation, and particle tracking microrheology. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Coupling effects of chemical stresses and external mechanical stresses on diffusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xuan Fuzhen; Shao Shanshan; Wang Zhengdong; Tu Shantung

    2009-01-01

    Interaction between diffusion and stress fields has been investigated extensively in the past. However, most of the previous investigations were focused on the effect of chemical stress on diffusion due to the unbalanced mass transport. In this work, the coupling effects of external mechanical stress and chemical stress on diffusion are studied. A self-consistent diffusion equation including the chemical stress and external mechanical stress gradient is developed under the framework of the thermodynamic theory and Fick's law. For a thin plate subjected to unidirectional tensile stress fields, the external stress coupled diffusion equation is solved numerically with the help of the finite difference method for one-side and both-side charging processes. Results show that, for such two types of charging processes, the external stress gradient will accelerate the diffusion process and thus increase the value of concentration while reducing the magnitude of chemical stress when the direction of diffusion is identical to that of the stress gradient. In contrast, when the direction of diffusion is opposite to that of the stress gradient, the external stress gradient will obstruct the process of solute penetration by decreasing the value of concentration and increasing the magnitude of chemical stress. For both-side charging process, compared with that without the coupling effect of external stress, an asymmetric distribution of concentration is produced due to the asymmetric mechanical stress field feedback to diffusion.

  17. Prevalence and pattern of sickle cell disease in premarital couples ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Context: Premarital haemoglobin screening is an important strategy for the control of Sickle Cell Disease. Aims: To determine the prevalence and pattern of sickle cell disease among premarital couples and to assess their attitude to the risk of sickle cell anaemia in their offspring. Settings and Design: A cross sectional ...

  18. Phase locking and multiple oscillating attractors for the coupled mammalian clock and cell cycle

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    C. Feillet (Céline); C.A. Krusche; F. Tamanini (Filippo); R. Janssens (Roel); R.A. Downey (Roger); P. Martin (Patrick); J.L. Teboul (Jean Louis); S. Saito (Seiji); F.A. Lévi (Francis); T. Bretschneider (Till); G.T.J. van der Horst (Gijsbertus); F. Delaunay (Franck); D.A. Rand (David)

    2014-01-01

    textabstractDaily synchronous rhythms of cell division at the tissue or organism level are observed in many species and suggest that the circadian clock and cell cycle oscillators are coupled. For mammals, despite known mechanistic interactions, the effect of such coupling on clock and cell cycle

  19. A new coupling mechanism between two graphene electron waveguides for ultrafast switching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Wei; Liang, Shi-Jun; Kyoseva, Elica; Ang, Lay Kee

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, we report a novel coupling between two graphene electron waveguides, in analogy the optical waveguides. The design is based on the coherent quantum mechanical tunneling of Rabi oscillation between the two graphene electron waveguides. Based on this coupling mechanism, we propose that it can be used as an ultrafast electronic switching device. Based on a modified coupled mode theory, we construct a theoretical model to analyze the device characteristics, and predict that the switching speed is faster than 1 ps and the on-off ratio exceeds 106. Due to the long mean free path of electrons in graphene at room temperature, the proposed design avoids the limitation of low temperature operation required in the traditional design by using semiconductor quantum-well structure. The layout of our design is similar to that of a standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor that should be readily fabricated with current state-of-art nanotechnology.

  20. Role of temperature and composition on the thermal-hydro-mechanical coupling of concretes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brue, Flore

    2009-01-01

    The French project of the storage of nuclear wastes, which is managed by the Andra, needs some experimental data on the durability of the concrete. Loadings which are taken into account are the desaturation/re-saturation processes, the heat load and the mechanical evolution. Hence this study focuses on the coupling thermo-hydro-mechanical on concretes of the research program of Andra, made with CEM I and CEM V/A cement type. The water saturation degree and shrinkages of materials, which are subjected to desiccation or re-saturation, are dependent on the imposed thermal and hydrous conditions and on their microstructural characteristics. Moreover the study of the mechanical evolution is gone further at 20 C in function of the water saturation degree. Different short-term tests highlight a hydrous damage, which determine the mechanical behaviour. The long-term study of desiccation creep shows the coupling between the durability, the mechanical evolution and the desiccation. (author)

  1. Path coupling and aggregate path coupling

    CERN Document Server

    Kovchegov, Yevgeniy

    2018-01-01

    This book describes and characterizes an extension to the classical path coupling method applied to statistical mechanical models, referred to as aggregate path coupling. In conjunction with large deviations estimates, the aggregate path coupling method is used to prove rapid mixing of Glauber dynamics for a large class of statistical mechanical models, including models that exhibit discontinuous phase transitions which have traditionally been more difficult to analyze rigorously. The book shows how the parameter regions for rapid mixing for several classes of statistical mechanical models are derived using the aggregate path coupling method.

  2. Measurements and Simulations on the Mechanisms of Efficiency Losses in HIT Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silvio Pierro

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available We study the electrical and the optical behavior of HIT solar cell by means of measurements and optoelectrical simulations by TCAD simulations. We compare the HIT solar cell with a conventional crystalline silicon solar cell to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the HIT technology. Results highlight different mechanisms of electrical and optical efficiency losses caused by the presence of the amorphous silicon layer. The higher resistivity of the a-Si layers implies a smaller distance between the metal lines that causes a higher shadowing. The worst optical coupling between the amorphous silicon and the antireflective coating implies a slight increase of reflectivity around the 600 nm wavelength.

  3. Capturing intracellular pH dynamics by coupling its molecular mechanisms within a fully tractable mathematical model.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yann Bouret

    Full Text Available We describe the construction of a fully tractable mathematical model for intracellular pH. This work is based on coupling the kinetic equations depicting the molecular mechanisms for pumps, transporters and chemical reactions, which determine this parameter in eukaryotic cells. Thus, our system also calculates the membrane potential and the cytosolic ionic composition. Such a model required the development of a novel algebraic method that couples differential equations for slow relaxation processes to steady-state equations for fast chemical reactions. Compared to classical heuristic approaches based on fitted curves and ad hoc constants, this yields significant improvements. This model is mathematically self-consistent and allows for the first time to establish analytical solutions for steady-state pH and a reduced differential equation for pH regulation. Because of its modular structure, it can integrate any additional mechanism that will directly or indirectly affect pH. In addition, it provides mathematical clarifications for widely observed biological phenomena such as overshooting in regulatory loops. Finally, instead of including a limited set of experimental results to fit our model, we show examples of numerical calculations that are extremely consistent with the wide body of intracellular pH experimental measurements gathered by different groups in many different cellular systems.

  4. A Rock Mechanics and Coupled Hydro mechanical Analysis of Geological Repository of High Level Nuclear Waste in Fractured Rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Min, Kibok

    2011-01-01

    This paper introduces a few case studies on fractured hard rock based on geological data from Sweden, Korea is one of a few countries where crystalline rock is the most promising rock formation as a candidate site of geological repository of high level nuclear waste. Despite the progress made in the area of rock mechanics and coupled hydro mechanics, extensive site specific study on multiple candidate sites is essential in order to choose the optimal site. For many countries concerned about the safe isolation of nuclear wastes from the biosphere, disposal in a deep geological formation is considered an attractive option. In geological repository, thermal loading continuously disturbs the repository system in addition to disturbances a recent development in rock mechanics and coupled hydro mechanical study using DFN(Discrete Fracture Network) - DEM(Discrete Element Method) approach mainly applied in hard, crystalline rock containing numerous fracture which are main sources of deformation and groundwater flow

  5. K -essence model from the mechanical approach point of view: coupled scalar field and the late cosmic acceleration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bouhmadi-López, Mariam; Kumar, K. Sravan; Marto, João [Departamento de Física, Universidade da Beira Interior, Rua Marquês D' Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã (Portugal); Morais, João [Department of Theoretical Physics, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, P.O. Box 644, 48080 Bilbao (Spain); Zhuk, Alexander, E-mail: mbl@ubi.pt, E-mail: sravan@ubi.pt, E-mail: jmarto@ubi.pt, E-mail: jviegas001@ikasle.ehu.eus, E-mail: ai.zhuk2@gmail.com [Astronomical Observatory, Odessa National University, Street Dvoryanskaya 2, Odessa 65082 (Ukraine)

    2016-07-01

    In this paper, we consider the Universe at the late stage of its evolution and deep inside the cell of uniformity. At these scales, we can consider the Universe to be filled with dust-like matter in the form of discretely distributed galaxies, a K -essence scalar field, playing the role of dark energy, and radiation as matter sources. We investigate such a Universe in the mechanical approach. This means that the peculiar velocities of the inhomogeneities (in the form of galaxies) as well as the fluctuations of the other perfect fluids are non-relativistic. Such fluids are designated as coupled because they are concentrated around the inhomogeneities. In the present paper, we investigate the conditions under which the K -essence scalar field with the most general form for its action can become coupled. We investigate at the background level three particular examples of the K -essence models: (i) the pure kinetic K -essence field, (ii) a K -essence with a constant speed of sound and (iii) the K -essence model with the Lagrangian bX + cX {sup 2}− V (φ). We demonstrate that if the K -essence is coupled, all these K -essence models take the form of multicomponent perfect fluids where one of the component is the cosmological constant. Therefore, they can provide the late-time cosmic acceleration and be simultaneously compatible with the mechanical approach.

  6. Prevalence and pattern of sickle cell disease in premarital couples in Southeastern Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nnaji, G A; Ezeagwuna, D A; Nnaji, Ijf; Osakwe, J O; Nwigwe, A C; Onwurah, O W

    2013-01-01

    Premarital haemoglobin screening is an important strategy for the control of Sickle Cell Disease. To determine the prevalence and pattern of sickle cell disease among premarital couples and to assess their attitude to the risk of sickle cell anaemia in their offspring. A cross sectional descriptive study using interviewer administered questionnaire and haemoglobin screening to collect data. Systematic sampling of every third premarital couples attending the General outpatient Clinic of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, between November 2010 and October 2011 was used to select the subjects for the study. SPSS version 16 was used for statistical analysis of data from 212 premarital couples or 424 subjects. The prevalence of HbAA and HbAS were 72.64% or 308/424 and 26.4% or 112/424, respectively, while HbSS was 0.94% or 4/424. In 95.3% of the couples there was no risk of offspring inheriting sickle cell anaemia. An equal percentage of males (χ2 = 24.704; df = 6; P = 0.000) and females (χ2 = 12. 684; df 6; P = 0.048) (67.9% or 144/212) would call-off their marriage if there was risk of their offspring being HbSS. Three quarters of the premarital couples had HbAA, while one quarter had Sickle cell trait. A very low percentage of the couples (2.8%) had 1:4 risk of their offspring inheriting SCA (HbSS). About 2/3 of the subjects would call-off the marriage if there was risk of their offspring inheriting SCA.

  7. The Adhesion G Protein-Coupled Receptor GPR56/ADGRG1 Is an Inhibitory Receptor on Human NK Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gin-Wen Chang

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Natural killer (NK cells possess potent cytotoxic mechanisms that need to be tightly controlled. Here, we explored the regulation and function of GPR56/ADGRG1, an adhesion G protein-coupled receptor implicated in developmental processes and expressed distinctively in mature NK cells. Expression of GPR56 was triggered by Hobit (a homolog of Blimp-1 in T cells and declined upon cell activation. Through studying NK cells from polymicrogyria patients with disease-causing mutations in ADGRG1, encoding GPR56, and NK-92 cells ectopically expressing the receptor, we found that GPR56 negatively regulates immediate effector functions, including production of inflammatory cytokines and cytolytic proteins, degranulation, and target cell killing. GPR56 pursues this activity by associating with the tetraspanin CD81. We conclude that GPR56 inhibits natural cytotoxicity of human NK cells.

  8. Coupled Acoustic-Mechanical Bandgaps

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Jakob Søndergaard; Kook, Junghwan

    2016-01-01

    medium and the presence of acoustic resonances. It is demonstrated that corrugation of the plate structure can introduce bending wave bandgaps and bandgaps in the acoustic domain in overlapping and audible frequency ranges. This effect is preserved also when taking the physical coupling between the two...... domains into account. Additionally, the coupling is shown to introduce extra gaps in the band structure due to modal interaction and the appearance of a cut-on frequency for the fundamental acoustic mode....

  9. Gamma activity coupled to alpha phase as a mechanism for top-down controlled gating

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bonnefond, M.; Jensen, O.

    2015-01-01

    Coupling between neural oscillations in different frequency bands has been proposed to coordinate neural processing. In particular, gamma power coupled to alpha phase is proposed to reflect gating of information in the visual system but the existence of such a mechanism remains untested. Here, we

  10. Coupled iterated map models of action potential dynamics in a one-dimensional cable of cardiac cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Shihong; Xie Yuanfang; Qu Zhilin

    2008-01-01

    Low-dimensional iterated map models have been widely used to study action potential dynamics in isolated cardiac cells. Coupled iterated map models have also been widely used to investigate action potential propagation dynamics in one-dimensional (1D) coupled cardiac cells, however, these models are usually empirical and not carefully validated. In this study, we first developed two coupled iterated map models which are the standard forms of diffusively coupled maps and overcome the limitations of the previous models. We then determined the coupling strength and space constant by quantitatively comparing the 1D action potential duration profile from the coupled cardiac cell model described by differential equations with that of the coupled iterated map models. To further validate the coupled iterated map models, we compared the stability conditions of the spatially uniform state of the coupled iterated maps and those of the 1D ionic model and showed that the coupled iterated map model could well recapitulate the stability conditions, i.e. the spatially uniform state is stable unless the state is chaotic. Finally, we combined conduction into the developed coupled iterated map model to study the effects of coupling strength on wave stabilities and showed that the diffusive coupling between cardiac cells tends to suppress instabilities during reentry in a 1D ring and the onset of discordant alternans in a periodically paced 1D cable

  11. Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes associated with a radioactive waste repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsang, C.F.

    1988-01-01

    The performance assessment of a nuclear waste geologic repository presents a scientific and technical problem of a scope far beyond the evaluation of most civil and geologic constructions. First performance prediction must be made for tens of thousands of years, and a secondly, in calculating potential leakage rates from a repository to the biosphere the authors must determine not only the mean or average travel time but also the shorter travel times of low concentrations. These two criteria demand an understanding of all significant physical and chemical processes likely to occur around a nuclear waste repository. In particular, processes coupling thermal transfer fluid flow, mechanical deformation and chemical reactors, which may be slow in a laboratory time scale, may become very important. This paper gives a general survey on the subject, with specific examples of a number of relevant coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes associated with nuclear waste repository

  12. Defect forces, defect couples and path integrals in fracture mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roche, R.L.

    1979-07-01

    In this work, it is shown that the path integrals can be introduced without any reference to the material behavior. The method is based on the definition in a continuous medium of a set of vectors and couples having the dimension of a force or a moment. More precisely, definitions are given of volume defect forces, surface defect forces, volume defect couples, and surface defect couples. This is done with the help of the stress working variation of a particule moving through the solid. The most important result is: the resultant of all the defect forces included in a volume V is the J integral on the surface surrounding V and the moment resultant is the L integral. So these integrals are defined without any assumption on the material constitutive equation. Another result is the material form of the virtual work principle - defect forces are acting like conventional forces in the conventional principles of virtual work. This lead to the introduction of the energy momentum tensor and of the associated couple stress. Application of this method is made to fracture mechanics in studying the defect forces distribution around a crack [fr

  13. Circadian Clock Synchronization of the Cell Cycle in Zebrafish Occurs through a Gating Mechanism Rather Than a Period-phase Locking Process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laranjeiro, Ricardo; Tamai, T Katherine; Letton, William; Hamilton, Noémie; Whitmore, David

    2018-04-01

    Studies from a number of model systems have shown that the circadian clock controls expression of key cell cycle checkpoints, thus providing permissive or inhibitory windows in which specific cell cycle events can occur. However, a major question remains: Is the clock actually regulating the cell cycle through such a gating mechanism or, alternatively, is there a coupling process that controls the speed of cell cycle progression? Using our light-responsive zebrafish cell lines, we address this issue directly by synchronizing the cell cycle in culture simply by changing the entraining light-dark (LD) cycle in the incubator without the need for pharmacological intervention. Our results show that the cell cycle rapidly reentrains to a shifted LD cycle within 36 h, with changes in p21 expression and subsequent S phase timing occurring within the first few hours of resetting. Reentrainment of mitosis appears to lag S phase resetting by 1 circadian cycle. The range of entrainment of the zebrafish clock to differing LD cycles is large, from 16 to 32 hour periods. We exploited this feature to explore cell cycle entrainment at both the population and single cell levels. At the population level, cell cycle length is shortened or lengthened under corresponding T-cycles, suggesting that a 1:1 coupling mechanism is capable of either speeding up or slowing down the cell cycle. However, analysis at the single cell level reveals that this, in fact, is not true and that a gating mechanism is the fundamental method of timed cell cycle regulation in zebrafish. Cell cycle length at the single cell level is virtually unaltered with varying T-cycles.

  14. Electricity Generation Characteristics of Energy-Harvesting System with Piezoelectric Element Using Mechanical-Acoustic Coupling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hirotarou Tsuchiya

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes the electricity generation characteristics of a new energy-harvesting system with piezoelectric elements. The proposed system is composed of a rigid cylinder and thin plates at both ends. The piezoelectric elements are installed at the centers of both plates, and one side of each plate is subjected to a harmonic point force. In this system, vibration energy is converted into electrical energy via electromechanical coupling between the plate vibration and piezoelectric effect. In addition, the plate vibration excited by the point force induces a self-sustained vibration at the other plate via mechanical-acoustic coupling between the plate vibrations and an internal sound field into the cylindrical enclosure. Therefore, the electricity generation characteristics should be considered as an electromechanical-acoustic coupling problem. The characteristics are estimated theoretically and experimentally from the electric power in the electricity generation, the mechanical power supplied to the plate, and the electricity generation efficiency that is derived from the ratio of both power. In particular, the electricity generation efficiency is one of the most appropriate factors to evaluate a performance of electricity generation systems. Thus, the effect of mechanical-acoustic coupling is principally evaluated by examining the electricity generation efficiency.

  15. Development of a finite element code to solve thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling and simulate induced seismicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    María Gómez Castro, Berta; De Simone, Silvia; Rossi, Riccardo; Larese De Tetto, Antonia; Carrera Ramírez, Jesús

    2015-04-01

    Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical modeling is essential for CO2 storage because of (1) large amounts of CO2 will be injected, which will cause large pressure buildups and might compromise the mechanical stability of the caprock seal, (2) the most efficient technique to inject CO2 is the cold injection, which induces thermal stress changes in the reservoir and seal. These stress variations can cause mechanical failure in the caprock and can also trigger induced earthquakes. To properly assess these effects, numerical models that take into account the short and long-term thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling are an important tool. For this purpose, there is a growing need of codes that couple these processes efficiently and accurately. This work involves the development of an open-source, finite element code written in C ++ for correctly modeling the effects of thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling in the field of CO2 storage and in others fields related to these processes (geothermal energy systems, fracking, nuclear waste disposal, etc.), and capable to simulate induced seismicity. In order to be able to simulate earthquakes, a new lower dimensional interface element will be implemented in the code to represent preexisting fractures, where pressure continuity will be imposed across the fractures.

  16. Manganese-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of Aryl Halides and Grignard Reagents by a Radical Mechanism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Antonacci, Giuseppe; Ahlburg, Andreas; Fristrup, Peter

    2017-01-01

    The substrate scope and the mechanism have been investigated for the MnCl2-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction between aryl halides and Grignard reagents. The transformation proceeds rapidly and in good yield when the aryl halide component is an aryl chloride containing a cyano or an ester group....... Two radical-clock experiments were carried out, and in both cases an intermediate aryl radical was successfully trapped. The cross-coupling reaction is therefore believed to proceed by an SRN1 mechanism, with a triorganomanganate complex serving as the most likely nucleophile and single-electron donor...

  17. Two-way coupling of magnetohydrodynamic simulations with embedded particle-in-cell simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makwana, K. D.; Keppens, R.; Lapenta, G.

    2017-12-01

    We describe a method for coupling an embedded domain in a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation with a particle-in-cell (PIC) method. In this two-way coupling we follow the work of Daldorff et al. (2014) [19] in which the PIC domain receives its initial and boundary conditions from MHD variables (MHD to PIC coupling) while the MHD simulation is updated based on the PIC variables (PIC to MHD coupling). This method can be useful for simulating large plasma systems, where kinetic effects captured by particle-in-cell simulations are localized but affect global dynamics. We describe the numerical implementation of this coupling, its time-stepping algorithm, and its parallelization strategy, emphasizing the novel aspects of it. We test the stability and energy/momentum conservation of this method by simulating a steady-state plasma. We test the dynamics of this coupling by propagating plasma waves through the embedded PIC domain. Coupling with MHD shows satisfactory results for the fast magnetosonic wave, but significant distortion for the circularly polarized Alfvén wave. Coupling with Hall-MHD shows excellent coupling for the whistler wave. We also apply this methodology to simulate a Geospace Environmental Modeling (GEM) challenge type of reconnection with the diffusion region simulated by PIC coupled to larger scales with MHD and Hall-MHD. In both these cases we see the expected signatures of kinetic reconnection in the PIC domain, implying that this method can be used for reconnection studies.

  18. Investigation of the Biochemical Mechanism for Cell-Substrate Mechanical Sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ricotta, Vincent Anthony

    Advancements in stem cell biology and materials science have enabled the development of new treatments for tissue repair. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), which are highly proliferative and can be induced to differentiate along several mesenchymal cell lineages, offer the possibility for pulpal regeneration and treatment of injured dentition. Polybutadiene (PB) may be used as a substrate for these cells. This elastomer can be spun casted into films of different thicknesses with different moduli. DPSCs grown on PB films, which are relatively hard (less than 1500 A thick), biomineralize depositing crystalline calcium phosphate without a requirement for the typical induction factor, dexamethasone (Dex). The moduli of cells track with the moduli of the surface suggesting that mechanics controls mineralization. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the major effect of Dex on biomineralization is the result of its ability to alter cell mechanics or its ability to induce osteogenesis/odontogenesis. DPSCs sense substrate mechanics through the focal adhesions, whose function is in part regulated by the Ras homolog gene (Rho) and its downstream effectors Rho associated kinases (ROCKs). ROCKs control actin filament polymerization and interactions with myosin light chain. Because cells sense substrate mechanics through focal adhesion proteins whose function is regulated by ROCKs, the impact of a ROCK inhibitor, Y-27632, was monitored. Blocking this pathway with Y-27632 suppressed the ability of DPSCs to sense the PB substrate. The cell modulus, plasma membrane stiffness, and cytosol stiffness were all lowered and biomineralization was suppressed in all cultures independent of substrate modulus or the presence of Dex. In other words, the inability of DPSCs to sense mechanical cues suppressed their ability to promote mineralization. On the other hand the expression of osteogenic/odontogenic markers (alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin) was enhanced, perhaps due to Y

  19. Cell differentiation through tissue elasticity-coupled, myosin-driven remodeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zajac, Allison L; Discher, Dennis E

    2008-12-01

    Cells may lack eyes to see and ears to hear, but cells do seem to have a sense of 'touch' that allows them to feel their microenvironment. This is achieved in part through contractility coupled adhesion to physically flexible 'soft' tissue. Here we summarize some of the known variations in elasticity of solid tissue and review some of the long-term effects of cells 'feeling' this elasticity, focusing on differentiation processes of both committed cell types and stem cells. We then highlight what is known of molecular remodeling in cells under stress on short time scales. Key roles for forces generated by ubiquitous and essential myosin-II motors in feedback remodeling are emphasized throughout.

  20. Quadrature squeezing of a mechanical resonator generated by the electromechanical coupling with two coupled quantum dots

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yan, Yan [Department of Physics, Huazhong Normal University, Wuhan (China); School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Yangtze University, Jingzhou (China); Zhu, Jia-pei [Department of Physics, Honghe University, Mengzi (China); Zhao, Shao-ming; Li, Gao-xiang [Department of Physics, Huazhong Normal University, Wuhan (China)

    2015-01-01

    The quadrature squeezing of a mechanical resonator (MR) coupled with two quantum dots (QDs) through the electromechanical coupling, where the QDs are driven by a strong and two weak laser fields is investigated. By tuning the gate voltage, the electron can be trapped in a quantum pure state. Under certain conditions, the discrepancies between the transition frequency and that of two weak fields are compensated by the phonons induced by the electromechanical coupling of the MR with QDs. In this case, some dissipative processes occur resonantly. The phonons created and (or) annihilated in these dissipative processes are correlated thus leading to the quadrature squeezing of the MR. A squeezed vacuum reservoir for the MR is built up. By tuning the gate voltage to control the energy structure of the QDs, the present squeezing scheme has strong resistance against the dephasing processes of the QDs in low temperature limit. The role of the temperature of the phonon reservoir is to damage squeezing of the MR. (copyright 2014 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  1. Probing cell mechanical properties with microfluidic devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowat, Amy

    2012-02-01

    Exploiting flow on the micron-scale is emerging as a method to probe cell mechanical properties with 10-1000x advances in throughput over existing technologies. The mechanical properties of cells and the cell nucleus are implicated in a wide range of biological contexts: for example, the ability of white blood cells to deform is central to immune response; and malignant cells show decreased stiffness compared to benign cells. We recently developed a microfluidic device to probe cell and nucleus mechanical properties: cells are forced to deform through a narrow constrictions in response to an applied pressure; flowing cells through a series of constrictions enables us to probe the ability of hundreds of cells to deform and relax during flow. By tuning the constriction width so it is narrower than the width of the cell nucleus, we can specifically probe the effects of nuclear physical properties on whole cell deformability. We show that the nucleus is the rate-limiting step in cell passage: inducing a change in its shape to a multilobed structure results in cells that transit more quickly; increased levels of lamin A, a nuclear protein that is key for nuclear shape and mechanical stability, impairs the passage of cells through constrictions. We are currently developing a new class of microfluidic devices to simultaneously probe the deformability of hundreds of cell samples in parallel. Using the same soft lithography techniques, membranes are fabricated to have well-defined pore distribution, width, length, and tortuosity. We design the membranes to interface with a multiwell plate, enabling simultaneous measurement of hundreds of different samples. Given the wide spectrum of diseases where altered cell and nucleus mechanical properties are implicated, such a platform has great potential, for example, to screen cells based on their mechanical phenotype against a library of drugs.

  2. Study of gap conductance model for thermo mechanical fully coupled finite element model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Hyo Cha; Yang, Yong Sik; Kim, Dae Ho; Bang, Je Geon; Kim, Sun Ki; Koo, Yang Hyun

    2012-01-01

    A light water reactor (LWR) fuel rod consists of zirconium alloy cladding and uranium dioxide pellets, with a slight gap between them. Therefore, the mechanical integrity of zirconium alloy cladding is the most critical issue, as it is an important barrier for fission products released into the environment. To evaluate the stress and strain of the cladding during operation, fuel performance codes with a one-dimensional (1D) approach have been reported since the 1970s. However, it is difficult for a 1D model to simulate the stress and strain of the cladding accurately owing to a lack of degree of freedom. A LWR fuel performance code should include thermo-mechanical coupled model owing to the existence of the fuel-cladding gap. Generally, the gap that is filled with helium gas results in temperature drop along radius direction. The gap conductance that determines temperature gradient within the gap is very sensitive to gap thickness. For instance, once the gap size increases up to several microns in certain region, difference of surface temperatures increases up to 100 Kelvin. Therefore, iterative thermo-mechanical coupled analysis is required to solve temperature distribution throughout pellet and cladding. Consequently, the Finite Element (FE) module, which can simulate a higher degree of freedom numerically, is an indispensable requirement to understand the thermomechanical behavior of cladding. FRAPCON-3, which is reliable performance code, has iterative loop for thermo-mechanical coupled calculation to solve 1D gap conductance model. In FEMAXI-III, 1D thermal analysis module and FE module for stress-strain analysis were separated. 1D thermal module includes iterative analysis between them. DIONISIO code focused on thermal contact model as function of surface roughness and contact pressure when the gap is closed. In previous works, gap conductance model has been developed only for 1D model or hybrid model (1D and FE). To simulate temperature, stress and strain

  3. Micro and Nano-Scale Technologies for Cell Mechanics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mustafa Unal

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Cell mechanics is a multidisciplinary field that bridges cell biology, fundamental mechanics, and micro and nanotechnology, which synergize to help us better understand the intricacies and the complex nature of cells in their native environment. With recent advances in nanotechnology, microfabrication methods and micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS, we are now well situated to tap into the complex micro world of cells. The field that brings biology and MEMS together is known as Biological MEMS (BioMEMS. BioMEMS take advantage of systematic design and fabrication methods to create platforms that allow us to study cells like never before. These new technologies have been rapidly advancing the study of cell mechanics. This review article provides a succinct overview of cell mechanics and comprehensively surveys micro and nano-scale technologies that have been specifically developed for and are relevant to the mechanics of cells. Here we focus on micro and nano-scale technologies, and their applications in biology and medicine, including imaging, single cell analysis, cancer cell mechanics, organ-on-a-chip systems, pathogen detection, implantable devices, neuroscience and neurophysiology. We also provide a perspective on the future directions and challenges of technologies that relate to the mechanics of cells.

  4. Endocannabinoid release modulates electrical coupling between CCK cells connected via chemical and electrical synapses in CA1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonathan eIball

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Electrical coupling between some subclasses of interneurons is thought to promote coordinated firing that generates rhythmic synchronous activity in cortical regions. Synaptic activity of cholesystokinin (CCK interneurons which co-express cannbinoid type-1 (CB1 receptors are powerful modulators of network activity via the actions of endocannabinoids. We investigated the modulatory actions of endocannabinoids between chemically and electrically connected synapses of CCK cells using paired whole-cell recordings combined with biocytin and double immunofluorescence labelling in acute slices of rat hippocampus at P18-20 days. CA1 stratum radiatum CCK Schaffer collateral associated (SCA cells were coupled electrically with each other as well as CCK basket cells and CCK cells with axonal projections expanding to dentate gyrus. Approximately 50% of electrically coupled cells received facilitating, asynchronously released IPSPs that curtailed the steady-state coupling coefficient by 57%. Tonic CB1 receptor activity which reduces inhibition enhanced electrical coupling between cells that were connected via chemical and electrical synapses. Blocking CB1 receptors with antagonist, AM-251 (5M resulted in the synchronized release of larger IPSPs and this enhanced inhibition further reduced the steady-state coupling coefficient by 85%. Depolarization induced suppression of inhibition (DSI, maintained the asynchronicity of IPSP latency, but reduced IPSP amplitudes by 95% and enhanced the steady-state coupling coefficient by 104% and IPSP duration by 200%. However, DSI did not did not enhance electrical coupling at purely electrical synapses. These data suggest that different morphological subclasses of CCK interneurons are interconnected via gap junctions. The synergy between the chemical and electrical coupling between CCK cells probably plays a role in activity-dependent endocannabinoid modulation of rhythmic synchronization.

  5. Tre1, a G protein-coupled receptor, directs transepithelial migration of Drosophila germ cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prabhat S Kunwar

    2003-12-01

    Full Text Available In most organisms, germ cells are formed distant from the somatic part of the gonad and thus have to migrate along and through a variety of tissues to reach the gonad. Transepithelial migration through the posterior midgut (PMG is the first active step during Drosophila germ cell migration. Here we report the identification of a novel G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR, Tre1, that is essential for this migration step. Maternal tre1 RNA is localized to germ cells, and tre1 is required cell autonomously in germ cells. In tre1 mutant embryos, most germ cells do not exit the PMG. The few germ cells that do leave the midgut early migrate normally to the gonad, suggesting that this gene is specifically required for transepithelial migration and that mutant germ cells are still able to recognize other guidance cues. Additionally, inhibiting small Rho GTPases in germ cells affects transepithelial migration, suggesting that Tre1 signals through Rho1. We propose that Tre1 acts in a manner similar to chemokine receptors required during transepithelial migration of leukocytes, implying an evolutionarily conserved mechanism of transepithelial migration. Recently, the chemokine receptor CXCR4 was shown to direct migration in vertebrate germ cells. Thus, germ cells may more generally use GPCR signaling to navigate the embryo toward their target.

  6. The M1 muscarinic receptor and its second messenger coupling in human neuroblastoma cells and transfected murine fibroblast cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mei, Lin.

    1989-01-01

    The data of this study indicate that pirenzepine (PZ)-high affinity muscarinic receptors (mAChRs) are coupled to the hydrolysis of inositol lipids and not to the adenylate cyclase system in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. The maximal carbachol(CCh)-stimulated [ 3 H]IP 1 accumulation in the SH-SY5Y cells was decreased in the presence of 1μg/ml pertussis toxin, suggesting that a pertussis toxin sensitive G-protein may be involved in the coupling. Several cell clones which express only M 1 mAChR were generated by transfecting the murine fibroblast B82 cells with the cloned rat genomic m 1 gene. The transfected B82 cells (cTB10) showed specific [ 3 H](-)QNB binding activity. The mAChRs in these cells are of the M 1 type defined by their high affinity for PZ and low affinity for AF-DX 116 and coupled to hydrolysis of inositol lipids, possibly via a pertussis toxin sensitive G protein. The relationship between the M 1 mAChR density and the receptor-mediated hydrolysis of inositol lipids was studied in 7 clones. The M 1 mAChR densities in these cells characterized by [ 3 H](-)MQNB binding ranged from 12 fmol/10 6 cells in LK3-1 cells to 260 fmol/10 6 cells in the LK3-8 cells

  7. Mechanical behaviour of PEM fuel cell catalyst layers during regular cell operation

    OpenAIRE

    Maher A.R. Sadiq Al-Baghdadi

    2010-01-01

    Damage mechanisms in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell are accelerated by mechanical stresses arising during fuel cell assembly (bolt assembling), and the stresses arise during fuel cell running, because it consists of the materials with different thermal expansion and swelling coefficients. Therefore, in order to acquire a complete understanding of the mechanical behaviour of the catalyst layers during regular cell operation, mechanical response under steady-state hygro-thermal stresses s...

  8. A chemo-mechanical free-energy-based approach to model durotaxis and extracellular stiffness-dependent contraction and polarization of cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shenoy, Vivek B; Wang, Hailong; Wang, Xiao

    2016-02-06

    We propose a chemo-mechanical model based on stress-dependent recruitment of myosin motors to describe how the contractility, polarization and strain in cells vary with the stiffness of their surroundings and their shape. A contractility tensor, which depends on the distribution of myosin motors, is introduced to describe the chemical free energy of the cell due to myosin recruitment. We explicitly include the contributions to the free energy that arise from mechanosensitive signalling pathways (such as the SFX, Rho-Rock and MLCK pathways) through chemo-mechanical coupling parameters. Taking the variations of the total free energy, which consists of the chemical and mechanical components, in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics provides equations for the temporal evolution of the active stress and the contractility tensor. Following this approach, we are able to recover the well-known Hill relation for active stresses, based on the fundamental principles of irreversible thermodynamics rather than phenomenology. We have numerically implemented our free energy-based approach to model spatial distribution of strain and contractility in (i) cells supported by flexible microposts, (ii) cells on two-dimensional substrates, and (iii) cells in three-dimensional matrices. We demonstrate how the polarization of the cells and the orientation of stress fibres can be deduced from the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the contractility tensor. Our calculations suggest that the chemical free energy of the cell decreases with the stiffness of the extracellular environment as the cytoskeleton polarizes in response to stress-dependent recruitment of molecular motors. The mechanical energy, which includes the strain energy and motor potential energy, however, increases with stiffness, but the overall energy is lower for cells in stiffer environments. This provides a thermodynamic basis for durotaxis, whereby cells preferentially migrate towards stiffer regions of the

  9. Numerical modeling for hydro-mechanical coupled problems in the context of geo-materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernandes, R.

    2009-01-01

    The main technical purpose of this PhD Thesis is to build up and validate a regularisation method, able to remedy to the spurious mesh dependency of post localized computations, in order to make possible hydro-mechanical coupling studies for geo-materials. The proposed model is based on the framework of second gradient models and is called the micro-dilation model. It allows to predict robustly the hydro-mechanical coupled behaviors related to the degradation of natural soils and rocks. This modeling is a clear enhancement with respect to classical second gradient computations since it requires less degrees of freedom and consequently is less time consuming. Its efficiency is shown through hydro-mechanical coupled simulations of underground excavations. Finally, an algorithm to detect several solutions in the direction of singular modes associated with negative eigenvalues is presented. It allows us to deal with the non-linear nature of the irreversible behavior of soils and rocks. The scope of this bifurcation analysis is restricted to symmetrical operators. Through the simulations of homogeneous biaxial tests and underground excavations under drained conditions, it is shown that this algorithm is an efficient and robust tool not only to detect several solutions but also to overcome numerical instabilities near singular points or due to snap-back. (author)

  10. Effect Of Coupling Agent On Microstructure And Mechanical Properties Of Polipropene-Flour Maizena Composite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sudirman; Karo Karo, Aloma; Darwinto, Tri; Teguh, Yulius S.P.P.; Handayani, Ari; Iraman, Dian

    2001-01-01

    Synthesize of PoIipropilene-flour maizena composite with addition of coupling agent have been done. Polypropylene (PP') which containing of CH 3 functional group was choosen due to its good property of degradable compare to Polyethylene (PE). The experiment carried out by mixing thermoplastic polymer (polypropylene with variation of PP MF2 and PP MFIO) with natural polymer ,flour maizena) varied in the mixing temperature of 180 c . The mixing caused the decreased mechanical properties of the PI' as major component. In addition, PE has better Mechanical properties than PP. Therefore, coupling agent of 3-Aminoprophyl triethoxy silane was added into the composite having function to homogenize the composite, thus the mechanical properties of the composite could increased. The experimental result showed that by adding the coupling agent of 10 phr (per hundred polypmpilene) ioto the PP-Maizena composite (60:40) . of the PP MFIO type could increased a tensile strength from 150.11kg/cm 2 to 226.93 kg/cm 2 , but it decreased the elongation at break from 75.7% to be brittle. Oil the contrary. the addition of coupling agent of 10 phr into PP MF2 could decreased either the tensile strength from 172.05 kg/cm2 to 154.93 kg/cm 2 , or the elongation at break of the composite from 520 % to 425 %

  11. Endocannabinoid Release Modulates Electrical Coupling between CCK Cells Connected via Chemical and Electrical Synapses in CA1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iball, Jonathan; Ali, Afia B.

    2011-01-01

    Electrical coupling between some subclasses of interneurons is thought to promote coordinated firing that generates rhythmic synchronous activity in cortical regions. Synaptic activity of cholecystokinin (CCK) interneurons which co-express cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) receptors are powerful modulators of network activity via the actions of endocannabinoids. We investigated the modulatory actions of endocannabinoids between chemically and electrically connected synapses of CCK cells using paired whole-cell recordings combined with biocytin and double immunofluorescence labeling in acute slices of rat hippocampus at P18–20 days. CA1 stratum radiatum CCK Schaffer collateral-associated cells were coupled electrically with each other as well as CCK basket cells and CCK cells with axonal projections expanding to dentate gyrus. Approximately 50% of electrically coupled cells received facilitating, asynchronously released inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSPs) that curtailed the steady-state coupling coefficient by 57%. Tonic CB1 receptor activity which reduces inhibition enhanced electrical coupling between cells that were connected via chemical and electrical synapses. Blocking CB1 receptors with antagonist, AM-251 (5 μM) resulted in the synchronized release of larger IPSPs and this enhanced inhibition further reduced the steady-state coupling coefficient by 85%. Depolarization induced suppression of inhibition (DSI), maintained the asynchronicity of IPSP latency, but reduced IPSP amplitudes by 95% and enhanced the steady-state coupling coefficient by 104% and IPSP duration by 200%. However, DSI did not did not enhance electrical coupling at purely electrical synapses. These data suggest that different morphological subclasses of CCK interneurons are interconnected via gap junctions. The synergy between the chemical and electrical coupling between CCK cells probably plays a role in activity-dependent endocannabinoid modulation of rhythmic synchronization. PMID

  12. Sequential activities of Dynein, Mud and Asp in centrosome-spindle coupling maintain centrosome number upon mitosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bosveld, Floris; Ainslie, Anna; Bellaïche, Yohanns

    2017-10-15

    Centrosomes nucleate microtubules and are tightly coupled to the bipolar spindle to ensure genome integrity, cell division orientation and centrosome segregation. While the mechanisms of centrosome-dependent microtubule nucleation and bipolar spindle assembly have been the focus of numerous works, less is known about the mechanisms ensuring the centrosome-spindle coupling. The conserved NuMA protein (Mud in Drosophila ) is best known for its role in spindle orientation. Here, we analyzed the role of Mud and two of its interactors, Asp and Dynein, in the regulation of centrosome numbers in Drosophila epithelial cells. We found that Dynein and Mud mainly initiate centrosome-spindle coupling prior to nuclear envelope breakdown (NEB) by promoting correct centrosome positioning or separation, while Asp acts largely independently of Dynein and Mud to maintain centrosome-spindle coupling. Failure in the centrosome-spindle coupling leads to mis-segregation of the two centrosomes into one daughter cell, resulting in cells with supernumerary centrosomes during subsequent divisions. Altogether, we propose that Dynein, Mud and Asp operate sequentially during the cell cycle to ensure efficient centrosome-spindle coupling in mitosis, thereby preventing centrosome mis-segregation to maintain centrosome number. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  13. Analysis of the Coupling Behavior of PEM Fuel Cells and DC-DC Converters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Achim Kienle

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available The connection between PEM fuel cells and common DC-DC converters is examined. The analysis is model-based and done for boost, buck and buck-boost converters. In a first step, the effect of the converter ripples upon the PEM fuel cell is shown. They introduce oscillations in the fuel cell. Their appearance is explained, discussed and possibilities for their suppression are given. After that, the overall behaviors of the coupled fuel cell-converter systems are analyzed. It is shown, that neither stationary multiplicities nor oscillations can be introduced by the couplings and therefore separate control approaches for both the PEMFC and the DC-DC converters are applicable.

  14. Electro-mechanical coupling of semiconductor film grown on stainless steel by oxidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, M. C.; Wang, G.; Guo, L. Q.; Qiao, L. J.; Volinsky, Alex A.

    2013-09-01

    Electro-mechanical coupling phenomenon in oxidation film on stainless steel has been discovered by using current-sensing atomic force microscopy, along with the I-V curves measurements. The oxidation films exhibit either ohmic, n-type, or p-type semiconductor properties, according to the obtained I-V curves. This technique allows characterizing oxidation films with high spatial resolution. Semiconductor properties of oxidation films must be considered as additional stress corrosion cracking mechanisms.

  15. Fully coupled opto-electronic modelling of organic solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reinke, Nils A.; Haeusermann, Roger; Huber, Evelyne; Moos, Michael [ZHAW, Institute of Comp. Physics (Germany); Flatz, Thomas [Fluxim AG (Switzerland); Ruhstaller, Beat [ZHAW, Institute of Comp. Physics (Germany); Fluxim AG (Switzerland)

    2009-07-01

    Record solar power conversion efficiencies of up to 5.5 % for single junction organic solar cells (OSC) are encouraging but still inferior to values of inorganic solar cells. For further progress, a detailed analysis of the mechanisms that limit the external quantum efficiency is crucial. It is widely believed that the device physics of OSCs can be reduced to the processes, which take place at the donor/acceptor-interface. Neglecting transport, trapping and ejection of charge carriers at the electrodes raises the question of the universality of such a simplification. In this study we present a fully coupled opto-electronic simulator, which calculates the spatial and spectral photon flux density inside the OSC, the formation of the charge transfer state and its dissociation into free charge carriers. Our simulator solves the drift- diffusion equations for the generated charge carriers as well as their ejection at the electrodes. Our results are in good agreement with both steady-state and transient OSC characteristics. We address the influence of physical quantities such as the optical properties, film-thicknesses, the recombination rate and charge carrier mobilities on performance figures. For instance the short circuit current can be enhanced by 15% to 25% when using a silver instead of an aluminium cathode. Our simulations lead to rules of thumb, which help to optimise a given OSC structure.

  16. Targeting to cells of fluorescent liposomes covalently coupled with monoclonal antibody or protein A

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leserman, Lee D.; Barbet, Jacques; Kourilsky, François; Weinstein, John N.

    1980-12-01

    Many applications envisioned for liposomes in cell biology and chemotherapy require their direction to specific cellular targets1-3. The ability to use antibody as a means of conferring specificity to liposomes would markedly increase their usefulness. We report here a method for covalently coupling soluble proteins, including monoclonal antibody and Staphylococcus aureus protein A (ref. 4), to small sonicated liposomes, by using the heterobifunctional cross-linking reagent N-hydroxysuccinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate (SPDP, Pharmacia). Liposomes bearing covalently coupled mouse monoclonal antibody against human β2-microglobulin [antibody B1.1G6 (IgG2a, κ) (B. Malissen et al., in preparation)] bound specifically to human, but not to mouse cells. Liposomes bearing protein A became bound to human cells previously incubated with the B1.1G6 antibody, but not to cells incubated without antibody. The coupling method results in efficient binding of protein to the liposomes without aggregation and without denaturation of the coupled ligand; at least 60% of liposomes bound functional protein. Further, liposomes did not leak encapsulated carboxyfluorescein (CF) as a consequence of the reaction.

  17. Plasmon field enhancement oscillations induced by strain-mediated coupling between a quantum dot and mechanical oscillator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Yong

    2017-06-23

    We utilize the surface plasmon field of a metal nanoparticle (MNP) to show strain-mediated coupling in a quantum dot-mechanical resonator hybrid system including a quantum dot (QD) embedded within a conical nanowire (NW) and a MNP in the presence of an external field. Based on the numerical solutions of the master equation, we find that a slow oscillation, originating from the strain-mediated coupling between the QD and the NW, appears in the time evolution of the plasmon field enhancement. The results show that the period (about [Formula: see text]) of the slow oscillation is equal to that of the mechanical resonator of NW, which suggests that the time-resolved measurement of the plasmon field enhancement can be easily achieved based on the current experimental conditions. Its amplitude increases with the increasing strain-mediated coupling strength, and under certain conditions there is a linear relationship between them. The slow oscillation of the plasmon field enhancement provides valuable tools for measurements of the mechanical frequency and the strain-mediated coupling strength.

  18. Electro-Mechanical Coupling of Indium Tin Oxide Coated Polyethylene Terephthalate ITO/PET for Flexible Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Saleh, Mohamed A.

    2013-05-15

    Indium tin oxide (ITO) is the most widely used transparent electrode in flexible solar cells because of its high transparency and conductivity. But still, cracking of ITO on PET substrates due to tensile loading is not fully understood and it affects the functionality of the solar cell tremendously as ITO loses its conductivity. Here, we investigate the cracking evolution in ITO/PET exposed to two categories of tests. Monotonous tensile testing is done in order to trace the crack propagation in ITO coating as well as determining a loading range to focus on during our study. Five cycles test is also conducted to check the crack closure effect on the resistance variation of ITO. Analytical model for the damage in ITO layer is implemented using the homogenization concept as in laminated composites for transverse cracking. The homogenization technique is done twice on COMSOL to determine the mechanical and electrical degradation of ITO due to applied loading. Finally, this damage evolution is used for a simulation to predict the degradation of ITO as function in the applied load and correlate this degradation with the resistance variation. Experimental results showed that during unloading, crack closure results in recovery of conductivity and decrease in the overall resistance of the cracked ITO. Also, statistics about the crack spacing showed that the cracking pattern is not perfectly periodical however it has a positively skewed distribution. The higher the applied load, the less the discrepancy in the crack spacing data. It was found that the cracking mechanism of ITO starts with transverse cracking with local delamination at the crack tip unlike the mechanism proposed in the literature of having only cracking pattern without any local delamination. This is the actual mechanism that leads to the high increase in ITO resistance. The analytical code simulates the damage evolution in the ITO layer as function in the applied strain. This will be extended further to

  19. Mechanical coupling of microtubule-dependent motor teams during peroxisome transport in Drosophila S2 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Rossi, María Cecilia; Wetzler, Diana E; Benseñor, Lorena; De Rossi, María Emilia; Sued, Mariela; Rodríguez, Daniela; Gelfand, Vladimir; Bruno, Luciana; Levi, Valeria

    2017-12-01

    Intracellular transport requires molecular motors that step along cytoskeletal filaments actively dragging cargoes through the crowded cytoplasm. Here, we explore the interplay of the opposed polarity motors kinesin-1 and cytoplasmic dynein during peroxisome transport along microtubules in Drosophila S2 cells. We used single particle tracking with nanometer accuracy and millisecond time resolution to extract quantitative information on the bidirectional motion of organelles. The transport performance was studied in cells expressing a slow chimeric plus-end directed motor or the kinesin heavy chain. We also analyzed the influence of peroxisomes membrane fluidity in methyl-β-ciclodextrin treated cells. The experimental data was also confronted with numerical simulations of two well-established tug of war scenarios. The velocity distributions of retrograde and anterograde peroxisomes showed a multimodal pattern suggesting that multiple motor teams drive transport in either direction. The chimeric motors interfered with the performance of anterograde transport and also reduced the speed of the slowest retrograde team. In addition, increasing the fluidity of peroxisomes membrane decreased the speed of the slowest anterograde and retrograde teams. Our results support the existence of a crosstalk between opposed-polarity motor teams. Moreover, the slowest teams seem to mechanically communicate with each other through the membrane to trigger transport. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Propagating gene expression fronts in a one-dimensional coupled system of artificial cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tayar, Alexandra M.; Karzbrun, Eyal; Noireaux, Vincent; Bar-Ziv, Roy H.

    2015-12-01

    Living systems employ front propagation and spatiotemporal patterns encoded in biochemical reactions for communication, self-organization and computation. Emulating such dynamics in minimal systems is important for understanding physical principles in living cells and in vitro. Here, we report a one-dimensional array of DNA compartments in a silicon chip as a coupled system of artificial cells, offering the means to implement reaction-diffusion dynamics by integrated genetic circuits and chip geometry. Using a bistable circuit we programmed a front of protein synthesis propagating in the array as a cascade of signal amplification and short-range diffusion. The front velocity is maximal at a saddle-node bifurcation from a bistable regime with travelling fronts to a monostable regime that is spatially homogeneous. Near the bifurcation the system exhibits large variability between compartments, providing a possible mechanism for population diversity. This demonstrates that on-chip integrated gene circuits are dynamical systems driving spatiotemporal patterns, cellular variability and symmetry breaking.

  1. Beam coupling in hybrid photorefractive inorganic-cholesteric liquid crystal cells: Impact of optical rotation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reshetnyak, V. Yu.; Pinkevych, I. P.; Sluckin, T. J.; Cook, G.; Evans, D. R.

    2014-01-01

    We develop a theoretical model to describe two-beam energy exchange in a hybrid photorefractive inorganic-cholesteric cell. A cholesteric layer is placed between two inorganic substrates. One of the substrates is photorefractive (Ce:SBN). Weak and strong light beams are incident on the hybrid cell. The interfering light beams induce a periodic space-charge field in the photorefractive window. This penetrates into the cholesteric liquid crystal (LC), inducing a diffraction grating written on the LC director. In the theory, the flexoelectric mechanism for electric field-director coupling is more important than the LC static dielectric anisotropy coupling. The LC optics is described in the Bragg regime. Each beam induces two circular polarized waves propagating in the cholesteric cell with different velocities. The model thus includes optical rotation in the cholesteric LC. The incident light beam wavelength can fall above, below, or inside the cholesteric gap. The theory calculates the energy gain of the weak beam, as a result of its interaction with the pump beam within the diffraction grating. Theoretical results for exponential gain coefficients are compared with experimental results for hybrid cells filled with cholesteric mixture BL038/CB15 at different concentrations of chiral agent CB15. Reconciliation between theory and experiment requires the inclusion of a phenomenological multiplier in the magnitude of the director grating. This multiplier is cubic in the space-charge field, and we provide a justification of the q-dependence of the multiplier. Within this paradigm, we are able to fit theory to experimental data for cholesteric mixtures with different spectral position of cholesteric gap relative to the wavelength of incident beams, subject to the use of some fitting parameters

  2. Coupling of aggregation and immunogenicity in biotherapeutics: T- and B-cell immune epitopes may contain aggregation-prone regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Sandeep; Singh, Satish K; Wang, Xiaoling; Rup, Bonita; Gill, Davinder

    2011-05-01

    Biotherapeutics, including recombinant or plasma-derived human proteins and antibody-based molecules, have emerged as an important class of pharmaceuticals. Aggregation and immunogenicity are among the major bottlenecks during discovery and development of biotherapeutics. Computational tools that can predict aggregation prone regions as well as T- and B-cell immune epitopes from protein sequence and structure have become available recently. Here, we describe a potential coupling between aggregation and immunogenicity: T-cell and B-cell immune epitopes in therapeutic proteins may contain aggregation-prone regions. The details of biological mechanisms behind this observation remain to be understood. However, our observation opens up an exciting potential for rational design of de-immunized novel, as well as follow on biotherapeutics with reduced aggregation propensity.

  3. Investigation research on the evaluation of a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical phenomena. 4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishihara, Yoshinao; Sagawa, Hiroshi; Matsuoka, Fushiki; Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Amemiya, Kiyoshi

    2005-02-01

    In order to realize a coupling analysis in the near field of the geological disposal system, the coupling analysis code 'COUPLYS (Coupling analysis system)' on the Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) phenomena by THAMES, Dtransu-3D·EL and PHREEQC, those are existing analysis code, is developed in this study. (1) We have introduced 8 nodes element for THAMES code in order to solve the coupled thermal, hydraulic and mechanical phenomena. Furthermore, in order to obtain the reliable resolution, each phenomenon is solved separately instead of full coupling. (2) In order to upgrade Dtransu-3D·EL model, we have introduced gas diffusion independent on aqueous element. (3) We have adopted surface site density for the bentonite depend on water content and CSH solid phase based on the ratio of C/S for cementitious material in the geochemistry module, and studied on the methodology of time mesh for kinetic model and separate method for pore water chemistry in the bentonite. (4) In order to develop THMC code, we have modified Multi p hreeqc to keep efficiency distributed processing for geochemical calculation and modified COUPLYS to calculate continuous treatment, and studied on the coupling module. After THAMES, Dtransu, PHREEQC and the hydraulic conductivity module were installed in COUPLYS, verification study was carried out to check basic function. (5) In order to ensure efficiency of analysis processor, we have developed supporting tool for graphic processor for THMC code and supporting tool of interpretation for geochemistry results. (author)

  4. From Cycling Between Coupled Reactions to the Cross-Bridge Cycle: Mechanical Power Output as an Integral Part of Energy Metabolism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frank Diederichs

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available ATP delivery and its usage are achieved by cycling of respective intermediates through interconnected coupled reactions. At steady state, cycling between coupled reactions always occurs at zero resistance of the whole cycle without dissipation of free energy. The cross-bridge cycle can also be described by a system of coupled reactions: one energising reaction, which energises myosin heads by coupled ATP splitting, and one de-energising reaction, which transduces free energy from myosin heads to coupled actin movement. The whole cycle of myosin heads via cross-bridge formation and dissociation proceeds at zero resistance. Dissipation of free energy from coupled reactions occurs whenever the input potential overcomes the counteracting output potential. In addition, dissipation is produced by uncoupling. This is brought about by a load dependent shortening of the cross-bridge stroke to zero, which allows isometric force generation without mechanical power output. The occurrence of maximal efficiency is caused by uncoupling. Under coupled conditions, Hill’s equation (velocity as a function of load is fulfilled. In addition, force and shortening velocity both depend on [Ca2+]. Muscular fatigue is triggered when ATP consumption overcomes ATP delivery. As a result, the substrate of the cycle, [MgATP2−], is reduced. This leads to a switch off of cycling and ATP consumption, so that a recovery of [ATP] is possible. In this way a potentially harmful, persistent low energy state of the cell can be avoided.

  5. Coupled hygrothermal, electrochemical, and mechanical modelling for deterioration prediction in reinforced cementitious materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Michel, Alexander; Geiker, Mette Rica; Lepech, M.

    2017-01-01

    In this paper a coupled hygrothermal, electrochemical, and mechanical modelling approach for the deterioration prediction in cementitious materials is briefly outlined. Deterioration prediction is thereby based on coupled modelling of (i) chemical processes including among others transport of hea......, i.e. information, such as such as corrosion current density, damage state of concrete cover, etc., are constantly exchanged between the models....... and matter as well as phase assemblage on the nano and micro scale, (ii) corrosion of steel including electrochemical processes at the reinforcement surface, and (iii) material performance including corrosion- and load-induced damages on the meso and macro scale. The individual FEM models are fully coupled...

  6. An Equatorial Contractile Mechanism Drives Cell Elongation but not Cell Division

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denker, Elsa; Bhattachan, Punit; Deng, Wei; Mathiesen, Birthe T.; Jiang, Di

    2014-01-01

    Cell shape changes and proliferation are two fundamental strategies for morphogenesis in animal development. During embryogenesis of the simple chordate Ciona intestinalis, elongation of individual notochord cells constitutes a crucial stage of notochord growth, which contributes to the establishment of the larval body plan. The mechanism of cell elongation is elusive. Here we show that although notochord cells do not divide, they use a cytokinesis-like actomyosin mechanism to drive cell elongation. The actomyosin network forming at the equator of each notochord cell includes phosphorylated myosin regulatory light chain, α-actinin, cofilin, tropomyosin, and talin. We demonstrate that cofilin and α-actinin are two crucial components for cell elongation. Cortical flow contributes to the assembly of the actomyosin ring. Similar to cytokinetic cells, membrane blebs that cause local contractions form at the basal cortex next to the equator and participate in force generation. We present a model in which the cooperation of equatorial actomyosin ring-based constriction and bleb-associated contractions at the basal cortex promotes cell elongation. Our results demonstrate that a cytokinesis-like contractile mechanism is co-opted in a completely different developmental scenario to achieve cell shape change instead of cell division. We discuss the occurrences of actomyosin rings aside from cell division, suggesting that circumferential contraction is an evolutionally conserved mechanism to drive cell or tissue elongation. PMID:24503569

  7. Simulation of Weld Mechanical Behavior to Include Welding-Induced Residual Stress and Distortion: Coupling of SYSWELD and Abaqus Codes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-11-01

    Memorandum Simulation of Weld Mechanical Behavior to Include Welding-Induced Residual Stress and Distortion: Coupling of SYSWELD and Abaqus Codes...Weld Mechanical Behavior to Include Welding-Induced Residual Stress and Distortion: Coupling of SYSWELD and Abaqus Codes by Charles R. Fisher...Welding- Induced Residual Stress and Distortion: Coupling of SYSWELD and Abaqus Codes 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER N/A 5b. GRANT NUMBER N/A 5c

  8. Exploiting translational coupling for the selection of cells producing toxic recombinant proteins from expression vectors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tagliavia, Marcello; Cuttitta, Angela

    2016-01-01

    High rates of plasmid instability are associated with the use of some expression vectors in Escherichia coli, resulting in the loss of recombinant protein expression. This is due to sequence alterations in vector promoter elements caused by the background expression of the cloned gene, which leads to the selection of fast-growing, plasmid-containing cells that do not express the target protein. This phenomenon, which is worsened when expressing toxic proteins, results in preparations containing very little or no recombinant protein, or even in clone loss; however, no methods to prevent loss of recombinant protein expression are currently available. We have exploited the phenomenon of translational coupling, a mechanism of prokaryotic gene expression regulation, in order to select cells containing plasmids still able to express recombinant proteins. Here we designed an expression vector in which the cloned gene and selection marker are co-expressed. Our approach allowed for the selection of the recombinant protein-expressing cells and proved effective even for clones encoding toxic proteins.

  9. Modeling mechanical interactions in growing populations of rod-shaped bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winkle, James J.; Igoshin, Oleg A.; Bennett, Matthew R.; Josić, Krešimir; Ott, William

    2017-10-01

    Advances in synthetic biology allow us to engineer bacterial collectives with pre-specified characteristics. However, the behavior of these collectives is difficult to understand, as cellular growth and division as well as extra-cellular fluid flow lead to complex, changing arrangements of cells within the population. To rationally engineer and control the behavior of cell collectives we need theoretical and computational tools to understand their emergent spatiotemporal dynamics. Here, we present an agent-based model that allows growing cells to detect and respond to mechanical interactions. Crucially, our model couples the dynamics of cell growth to the cell’s environment: Mechanical constraints can affect cellular growth rate and a cell may alter its behavior in response to these constraints. This coupling links the mechanical forces that influence cell growth and emergent behaviors in cell assemblies. We illustrate our approach by showing how mechanical interactions can impact the dynamics of bacterial collectives growing in microfluidic traps.

  10. Mechanisms of DNA uptake by cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lacks, S.A.

    1977-01-01

    Three categories of cellular uptake of DNA can be distinguished. First, in the highly transformable bacteria, such as Diplococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Bacillus subtilis, elaborate mechanisms of DNA transport have evolved, presumably for the purpose of genetic exchange. These mechanisms can introduce substantial amounts of DNA into the cell. Second, methods have been devised for the forced introduction of DNA by manipulation of bacterial cells under nonphysiological conditions. By such means small but significant amounts of DNA have been introduced into various bacteria, including Escherichia coli. Third, mammalian cells are able to take up biologically active DNA. This has been most clearly demonstrated with viral DNA, although the mechanism of uptake is not well understood. The intention, here, is to survey current understanding of the various mechanisms of DNA uptake. A review of experience with the bacterial systems may throw some light on the mammalian system and lead to suggestions for enhancing DNA uptake by mammalian cells.

  11. Nonlinear coupled equations for electrochemical cells as developed by the general equation for nonequilibrium reversible-irreversible coupling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bedeaux, Dick; Kjelstrup, Signe; Öttinger, Hans Christian

    2014-09-28

    We show how the Butler-Volmer and Nernst equations, as well as Peltier effects, are contained in the general equation for nonequilibrium reversible and irreversible coupling, GENERIC, with a unique definition of the overpotential. Linear flux-force relations are used to describe the transport in the homogeneous parts of the electrochemical system. For the electrode interface, we choose nonlinear flux-force relationships. We give the general thermodynamic basis for an example cell with oxygen electrodes and electrolyte from the solid oxide fuel cell. In the example cell, there are two activated chemical steps coupled also to thermal driving forces at the surface. The equilibrium exchange current density obtains contributions from both rate-limiting steps. The measured overpotential is identified at constant temperature and stationary states, in terms of the difference in electrochemical potential of products and reactants. Away from these conditions, new terms appear. The accompanying energy flux out of the surface, as well as the heat generation at the surface are formulated, adding to the general thermodynamic basis.

  12. Nonlinear coupled equations for electrochemical cells as developed by the general equation for nonequilibrium reversible-irreversible coupling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bedeaux, Dick; Kjelstrup, Signe; Öttinger, Hans Christian

    2014-09-01

    We show how the Butler-Volmer and Nernst equations, as well as Peltier effects, are contained in the general equation for nonequilibrium reversible and irreversible coupling, GENERIC, with a unique definition of the overpotential. Linear flux-force relations are used to describe the transport in the homogeneous parts of the electrochemical system. For the electrode interface, we choose nonlinear flux-force relationships. We give the general thermodynamic basis for an example cell with oxygen electrodes and electrolyte from the solid oxide fuel cell. In the example cell, there are two activated chemical steps coupled also to thermal driving forces at the surface. The equilibrium exchange current density obtains contributions from both rate-limiting steps. The measured overpotential is identified at constant temperature and stationary states, in terms of the difference in electrochemical potential of products and reactants. Away from these conditions, new terms appear. The accompanying energy flux out of the surface, as well as the heat generation at the surface are formulated, adding to the general thermodynamic basis.

  13. Influence of additional coupling agent on the mechanical properties of polyester–agave cantala roxb based composites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ubaidillah, E-mail: ubaidillah@uns.ac.id [Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Sebelas Maret University, Jl. Ir. Sutami 36A, Kentingan, Surakarta, 57126 (Indonesia); Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Raharjo, Wijang W.; Wibowo, A. [Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Sebelas Maret University, Jl. Ir. Sutami 36A, Kentingan, Surakarta, 57126 (Indonesia); Harjana [Iwany Acoustic Research Group, Sebelas Maret University, Jl. Ir. Sutami 36A, Kentingan, Surakarta, 57126 (Indonesia); Mazlan, S. A., E-mail: amri.kl@utm.my [Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

    2016-03-29

    The mechanical and morphological properties of the unsaturated polyester resins (UPRs)-agave cantala roxb based composite are investigated in this paper. The cantala fiber woven in 3D angle interlock was utilized as the composite reinforcement. Surface grafting of the cantala fiber through chemical treatment was performed by introducing silane coupling agent to improving the compatibility with the polymer matrix. The fabrication of the composite specimens was conducted using vacuum bagging technique. The effect of additional coupling agent to the morphological appearance of surface fracture was observed using scanning electron microscopy. Meanwhile, the influence of additional silane to the mechanical properties was examined using tensile, bending and impact test. The photograph of surface fracture on the treated specimens showed the residual matrix left on the fibers in which the phenomenon was not found in the untreated specimens. Based on mechanical tests, the treated specimens were successfully increased their mechanical properties by 55%, 9.67%, and 92.4% for tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact strength, respectively, at 1.5% silane coupling agent.

  14. Fully-coupled hydro-mechanical modelling of the D-holes and validation drift inflow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Monsen, K.; Barton, N.; Makurat, A.

    1992-02-01

    This report presents the results from fully-coupled hydro-mechanical modelling of the D-hole and drift inflows. Joints represented in Harwells stochastically generated 8m x 8m x 8m cubes were used to select two possible joint geometries for two-dimensional rock mechanics simulations of the 2.8 x 2.2m validation drift, and the rock mass response to its excavation. The joints intersecting the four end faces of these cubes were set up in distinct element UDEC-BB models and loaded with boundary stresses of 10 MPa vertically and 14 MPa horizontally. In numerical models 5 and 8, which were run first as mechanical response (M) models (TR 91-05), full H-M coupling was performed, with calculations of inflow. In general, response to excavation was a little stronger than in hte un-coupled mechanical response (M) modelling. In the D-hole simulations, however, channel development int he disturbed zone could not occur due to less displacement taking place in the rock mass. For this reason, the stress levels were also generally much more moderate, preventing the joints from closing as much as in the drift simulations. Consequently, the D-hole model had a much better radial connectivity. It was possible to observe that the radial inflow to the D-holes was significantly higher than the flow into the drift models. However, due to the extremely small joint apertures involved (<1μm), time steps and calculation times were very slow in the H-M models, and although mechanical behaviour appeared to have reached equilibrium, there was evidence of continued transients in some of the flow regions. The drift excavation caused nearly total closing of critical joints due to local normal stress inceases. Near-blockage of fluid transportation routes was demonstrated. (au)

  15. Mechanics governs single-cell signaling and multi-cell robustness in biofilm infections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, Vernita

    In biofilms, bacteria and other microbes are embedded in extracellular polymers (EPS). Multiple types of EPS can be produced by a single bacterial strain - the reasons for this redundancy are not well-understood. Our work suggests that different polymers may confer distinct mechanical benefits. Our model organism is Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic human pathogen that forms chronic biofilm infections associated with increased antibiotic resistance and evasion of the immune defense. Biofilms initiate when bacteria attach to a surface, sense the surface, and change their gene expression. Changes in gene expression are regulated by a chemical signal, cyclic-di-GMP. We find that one EPS material, called ``PEL,'' enhances surface sensing by increasing mechanical coupling of single bacteria to the surface. Measurements of bacterial motility suggest that PEL may increase frictional interactions between the surface and the bacteria. Consistent with this, we show that bacteria increase cyclic-di-GMP signaling in response to mechanical shear stress. Mechanosensing has long been known to be important to the function of cells in higher eukaryotes, but this is one of only a handful of studies showing that bacteria can sense and respond to mechanical forces. For the mature biofilm, the embedding polymer matrix can protect bacteria both chemically and mechanically. P. aeruginosa infections in the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung often last for decades, ample time for the infecting strain(s) to evolve. Production of another EPS material, alginate, is well-known to tend to increase over time in CF infections. Alginate chemically protects biofilms, but also makes them softer and weaker. Recently, it is being increasingly recognized that bacteria in chronic CF infections also evolve to increase PSL production. We use oscillatory bulk rheology to determine the unique contributions of EPS materials to biofilm mechanics. Unlike alginate, increased PSL stiffens biofilms. Increasing both

  16. Functionalized magnetic nanowires for chemical and magneto-mechanical induction of cancer cell death

    KAUST Repository

    Martinez Banderas, Aldo; Aires, Antonio; Teran, Francisco J.; Perez, Jose E.; Cadenas, Jael F.; Alsharif, Nouf; Ravasi, Timothy; Cortajarena, Aitziber L.; Kosel, Jü rgen

    2016-01-01

    Exploiting and combining different properties of nanomaterials is considered a potential route for next generation cancer therapies. Magnetic nanowires (NWs) have shown good biocompatibility and a high level of cellular internalization. We induced cancer cell death by combining the chemotherapeutic effect of doxorubicin (DOX)-functionalized iron NWs with the mechanical disturbance under a low frequency alternating magnetic field. (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were separately used for coating NWs allowing further functionalization with DOX. Internalization was assessed for both formulations by confocal reflection microscopy and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. From confocal analysis, BSA formulations demonstrated higher internalization and less agglomeration. The functionalized NWs generated a comparable cytotoxic effect in breast cancer cells in a DOX concentration-dependent manner, (~60% at the highest concentration tested) that was significantly different from the effect produced by free DOX and non-functionalized NWs formulations. A synergistic cytotoxic effect is obtained when a magnetic field (1 mT, 10 Hz) is applied to cells treated with DOX-functionalized BSA or APTES-coated NWs, (~70% at the highest concentration). In summary, a bimodal method for cancer cell destruction was developed by the conjugation of the magneto-mechanical properties of iron NWs with the effect of DOX producing better results than the individual effects.

  17. Functionalized magnetic nanowires for chemical and magneto-mechanical induction of cancer cell death

    KAUST Repository

    Martinez Banderas, Aldo Isaac

    2016-10-24

    Exploiting and combining different properties of nanomaterials is considered a potential route for next generation cancer therapies. Magnetic nanowires (NWs) have shown good biocompatibility and a high level of cellular internalization. We induced cancer cell death by combining the chemotherapeutic effect of doxorubicin (DOX)-functionalized iron NWs with the mechanical disturbance under a low frequency alternating magnetic field. (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were separately used for coating NWs allowing further functionalization with DOX. Internalization was assessed for both formulations by confocal reflection microscopy and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. From confocal analysis, BSA formulations demonstrated higher internalization and less agglomeration. The functionalized NWs generated a comparable cytotoxic effect in breast cancer cells in a DOX concentration-dependent manner, (~60% at the highest concentration tested) that was significantly different from the effect produced by free DOX and non-functionalized NWs formulations. A synergistic cytotoxic effect is obtained when a magnetic field (1 mT, 10 Hz) is applied to cells treated with DOX-functionalized BSA or APTES-coated NWs, (~70% at the highest concentration). In summary, a bimodal method for cancer cell destruction was developed by the conjugation of the magneto-mechanical properties of iron NWs with the effect of DOX producing better results than the individual effects.

  18. Functionalized magnetic nanowires for chemical and magneto-mechanical induction of cancer cell death.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Banderas, Aldo Isaac; Aires, Antonio; Teran, Francisco J; Perez, Jose Efrain; Cadenas, Jael F; Alsharif, Nouf; Ravasi, Timothy; Cortajarena, Aitziber L; Kosel, Jürgen

    2016-10-24

    Exploiting and combining different properties of nanomaterials is considered a potential route for next generation cancer therapies. Magnetic nanowires (NWs) have shown good biocompatibility and a high level of cellular internalization. We induced cancer cell death by combining the chemotherapeutic effect of doxorubicin (DOX)-functionalized iron NWs with the mechanical disturbance under a low frequency alternating magnetic field. (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were separately used for coating NWs allowing further functionalization with DOX. Internalization was assessed for both formulations by confocal reflection microscopy and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. From confocal analysis, BSA formulations demonstrated higher internalization and less agglomeration. The functionalized NWs generated a comparable cytotoxic effect in breast cancer cells in a DOX concentration-dependent manner, (~60% at the highest concentration tested) that was significantly different from the effect produced by free DOX and non-functionalized NWs formulations. A synergistic cytotoxic effect is obtained when a magnetic field (1 mT, 10 Hz) is applied to cells treated with DOX-functionalized BSA or APTES-coated NWs, (~70% at the highest concentration). In summary, a bimodal method for cancer cell destruction was developed by the conjugation of the magneto-mechanical properties of iron NWs with the effect of DOX producing better results than the individual effects.

  19. Mechanical features of a 700 MHz bridge-coupled drift tube linac

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liska, D.; Smith, P.; Carlisle, L.; Larkin, T.; Lawrence, G.; Garnett, R.

    1992-01-01

    Modem linac designs for treating radioactive waste achieve high proton currents through funneling at low energy, typically around 20 MeV. The resulting switch to a high-frequency accelerating structure poses severe performance and fabrication difficulties below 100 MeV. Above 100 MeV, proven coupled-cavity linacs (CCLS) are available. However, at 20 MeV one must choose between a high-frequency drift-tube linac (DTL) or a coupled-cavity linac with very short cells. Potential radiation damage from the CW beam, excessive RF power losses, multipactoring, and fabricability all enter into this decision. At Los Alamos, we have developed designs for a bridge-coupled DTL (BCDTL) that, like a CCL, uses lattice focusing elements and bridge couplers, but that unlike a CCL, accelerates the beam in simple, short, large-aperture DTL modules with no internal quadrupole focusing. Thus, the BCDTL consumes less power than the CCL linac without beam performance and is simpler and cheaper to fabricate in the 20 to 100 MeV range

  20. Effect of Nb2O5 doping on improving the thermo-mechanical stability of sealing interfaces for solid oxide fuel cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qi; Du, Xinhang; Tan, Shengwei; Tang, Dian; Chen, Kongfa; Zhang, Teng

    2017-07-13

    Nb 2 O 5 is added to a borosilicate sealing system to improve the thermo-mechanical stability of the sealing interface between the glass and Fe-Cr metallic interconnect (Crofer 22APU) in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The thermo-mechanical stability of the glass/metal interface is evaluated experimentally as well as by using a finite element analysis (FEA) method. The sealing glass doped with 4 mol.% Nb 2 O 5 shows the best thermo-mechanical stability, and the sealing couple of Crofer 22APU/glass/GDC (Gd 0.2 Ce 0.8 O 1.9 ) remains intact after 50 thermal cycles. In addition, all sealing couples show good joining after being held at 750 °C for 1000 h. Moreover, the possible mechanism on the thermo-mechanical stability of sealing interface is investigated in terms of stress-based and energy-based perspectives.

  1. Investigation research on the evaluation of a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical phenomena. 2. Result report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishihara, Yoshinao; Ito Takaya; Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Amemiya, Kiyoshi; Shiozaki, Isao; Neyama, Atsushi; Tanaka, Yumiko

    2003-02-01

    In order to realize a coupling analysis in the near field of the geological disposal system, the coupling analysis code on the thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical phenomena by THAMES, Dtransu and phreeqe60, which are existing analysis code, is developed in this study. And we carried out the case analysis on the thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical phenomena by this code. (1) We have developed coupling analysis system to manage coupling analysis and to control coupling process automatically for THAMES (thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis code), Dtransu (mass transport analysis code) and phreeqe60 (geochemical analysis code). (2) Some supporting module, which includes transfer of dissolution concentration and total concentration (dissolution + precipitation concentration), was prepared as a functional expansion. And in order to treat multi-chemical elements, we have codified mass transport analysis code. (3) We have prepared hydraulic conductivity module of buffer material depending on change of dry density due to chemical equilibrium (dissolution and precipitation of minerals), and change of concentration of NaCl solutions. After THAMES, Dtransu, phreeqe60 and hydraulic conductivity module were installed in the COUPLYS, sensitivity analysis was carried out to check basic operation. (4) In order to confirm the applicability of the developed THMC analysis code, we have carried out case analysis on 1-dimensional and 3-dimensional model which including vitrified waste, over-pack, buffer material and rock in the HLW near-field. (author)

  2. In Vivo Quantification of Cell Coupling in Plants with Different Phloem-Loading Strategies[W][OA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liesche, Johannes; Schulz, Alexander

    2012-01-01

    Uptake of photoassimilates into the leaf phloem is the key step in carbon partitioning and phloem transport. Symplasmic and apoplasmic loading strategies have been defined in different plant taxa based on the abundance of plasmodesmata between mesophyll and phloem. For apoplasmic loading to occur, an absence of plasmodesmata is a sufficient but not a necessary criterion, as passage of molecules through plasmodesmata might well be blocked or restricted. Here, we present a noninvasive, whole-plant approach to test symplasmic coupling and quantify the intercellular flux of small molecules using photoactivation microscopy. Quantification of coupling between all cells along the prephloem pathways of the apoplasmic loader Vicia faba and Nicotiana tabacum showed, to our knowledge for the first time in vivo, that small solutes like sucrose can diffuse through plasmodesmata up to the phloem sieve element companion cell complex (SECCC). As expected, the SECCC was found to be symplasmically isolated for small solutes. In contrast, the prephloem pathway of the symplasmic loader Cucurbita maxima was found to be well coupled with the SECCC. Phloem loading in gymnosperms is not well understood, due to a profoundly different leaf anatomy and a scarcity of molecular data compared with angiosperms. A cell-coupling analysis for Pinus sylvestris showed high symplasmic coupling along the entire prephloem pathway, comprising at least seven cell border interfaces between mesophyll and sieve elements. Cell coupling together with measurements of leaf sap osmolality indicate a passive symplasmic loading type. Similarities and differences of this loading type with that of angiosperm trees are discussed. PMID:22422939

  3. Mechanism of electromechanical coupling in voltage-gated potassium channels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rikard eBlunck

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Voltage-gated ion channels play a central role in the generation of action potentials in the nervous system. They are selective for one type of ion – sodium, calcium or potassium. Voltage-gated ion channels are composed of a central pore that allows ions to pass through the membrane and four peripheral voltage sensing domains that respond to changes in the membrane potential. Upon depolarization, voltage sensors in voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv undergo conformational changes driven by positive charges in the S4 segment and aided by pairwise electrostatic interactions with the surrounding voltage sensor. Structure-function relations of Kv channels have been investigated in detail, and the resulting models on the movement of the voltage sensors now converge to a consensus; the S4 segment undergoes a combined movement of rotation, tilt and vertical displacement in order to bring 3-4 e+ each through the electric field focused in this region. Nevertheless, the mechanism by which the voltage sensor movement leads to pore opening, the electromechanical coupling, is still not fully understood. Thus, recently, electromechanical coupling in different Kv channels has been investigated with a multitude of techniques including electrophysiology, 3D crystal structures, fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations. Evidently, the S4-S5 linker, the covalent link between the voltage sensor and pore, plays a crucial role. The linker transfers the energy from the voltage sensor movement to the pore domain via an interaction with the S6 C-termini, which are pulled open during gating. In addition, other contact regions have been proposed. This review aims to provide (i an in-depth comparison of the molecular mechanisms of electromechanical coupling in different Kv channels; (ii insight as to how the voltage sensor and pore domain influence one another; and (iii theoretical predictions on the movement of the cytosolic face of the KV channels

  4. Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory coupled-cavity linac mechanical design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Starling, W.J.; Cain, T.

    1992-01-01

    A collaboration between the Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory (SSCL) and the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) for the engineering and mechanical design of the SSCL Coupled-Cavity Linac (CCL) has yielded an innovative example of the well known side coupled-cavity type of linear accelerator. The SSCL CCL accelerates an H - beam from 70 MeV to 600 MeV with an rf cavity structure consisting of eight tanks in each of nine modules for a total length of about 112 meters. Magnetically-coupled bridge couplers transfer power from tank to tank within a module. A single rf power input is located at the center bridge coupler of each module. The bridge couplers permit placement along the beam line of combined function focusing/steering electromagnets and diagnostic pods for beam instrumentation. Each tank and bridge coupler is rf frequency stabilized, nominally to 1,283 MHz, by water pumped through integral water passages. Air isolation grooves surround the water passages at each braze joint so that water-to-vacuum interfaces are avoided. Each tank is supported by adjustable spherical bearing rod end struts to permit alignment and accommodate thermal expansion and contraction of the rf structure. Tank struts, electromagnet/diagnostic pod support frames, vacuum manifolds and utilities are all mounted to a girder-and-leg support stand running the full length of the CCL. (Author) tab., fig

  5. Quantification of stromal vascular cell mechanics with a linear cell monolayer rheometer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elkins, Claire M., E-mail: cma9@stanford.edu; Fuller, Gerald G. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Shen, Wen-Jun; Khor, Victor K.; Kraemer, Fredric B. [Division of Endocrinology, Gerontology and Metabolism, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 and Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California 94304 (United States)

    2015-01-15

    Over the past few decades researchers have developed a variety of methods for measuring the mechanical properties of whole cells, including traction force microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and single-cell tensile testing. Though each of these techniques provides insight into cell mechanics, most also involve some nonideal conditions for acquiring live cell data, such as probing only one portion of a cell at a time, or placing the cell in a nonrepresentative geometry during testing. In the present work, we describe the development of a linear cell monolayer rheometer (LCMR) and its application to measure the mechanics of a live, confluent monolayer of stromal vascular cells. In the LCMR, a monolayer of cells is contacted on both top and bottom by two collagen-coated plates and allowed to adhere. The top plate then shears the monolayer by stepping forward to induce a predetermined step strain, while a force transducer attached to the top plate collects stress information. The stress and strain data are then used to determine the maximum relaxation modulus recorded after step-strain, G{sub r}{sup 0}, referred to as the zero-time relaxation modulus of the cell monolayer. The present study validates the ability of the LCMR to quantify cell mechanics by measuring the change in G{sub r}{sup 0} of a confluent cell monolayer upon the selective inhibition of three major cytoskeletal components (actin microfilaments, vimentin intermediate filaments, and microtubules). The LCMR results indicate that both actin- and vimentin-deficient cells had ∼50% lower G{sub r}{sup 0} values than wild-type, whereas tubulin deficiency resulted in ∼100% higher G{sub r}{sup 0} values. These findings constitute the first use of a cell monolayer rheometer to quantitatively distinguish the roles of different cytoskeletal elements in maintaining cell stiffness and structure. Significantly, they are consistent with results obtained using single-cell mechanical testing methods

  6. Eigenstrain as a mechanical set-point of cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Shengmao; Lampi, Marsha C; Reinhart-King, Cynthia A; Tsui, Gary; Wang, Jian; Nelson, Carl A; Gu, Linxia

    2018-02-05

    Cell contraction regulates how cells sense their mechanical environment. We sought to identify the set-point of cell contraction, also referred to as tensional homeostasis. In this work, bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs), cultured on substrates with different stiffness, were characterized using traction force microscopy (TFM). Numerical models were developed to provide insights into the mechanics of cell-substrate interactions. Cell contraction was modeled as eigenstrain which could induce isometric cell contraction without external forces. The predicted traction stresses matched well with TFM measurements. Furthermore, our numerical model provided cell stress and displacement maps for inspecting the fundamental regulating mechanism of cell mechanosensing. We showed that cell spread area, traction force on a substrate, as well as the average stress of a cell were increased in response to a stiffer substrate. However, the cell average strain, which is cell type-specific, was kept at the same level regardless of the substrate stiffness. This indicated that the cell average strain is the tensional homeostasis that each type of cell tries to maintain. Furthermore, cell contraction in terms of eigenstrain was found to be the same for both BAECs and fibroblast cells in different mechanical environments. This implied a potential mechanical set-point across different cell types. Our results suggest that additional measurements of contractility might be useful for monitoring cell mechanosensing as well as dynamic remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM). This work could help to advance the understanding of the cell-ECM relationship, leading to better regenerative strategies.

  7. The emergence of extracellular matrix mechanics and cell traction forces as important regulators of cellular self-organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Checa, Sara; Rausch, Manuel K; Petersen, Ansgar; Kuhl, Ellen; Duda, Georg N

    2015-01-01

    Physical cues play a fundamental role in a wide range of biological processes, such as embryogenesis, wound healing, tumour invasion and connective tissue morphogenesis. Although it is well known that during these processes, cells continuously interact with the local extracellular matrix (ECM) through cell traction forces, the role of these mechanical interactions on large scale cellular and matrix organization remains largely unknown. In this study, we use a simple theoretical model to investigate cellular and matrix organization as a result of mechanical feedback signals between cells and the surrounding ECM. The model includes bi-directional coupling through cellular traction forces to deform the ECM and through matrix deformation to trigger cellular migration. In addition, we incorporate the mechanical contribution of matrix fibres and their reorganization by the cells. We show that a group of contractile cells will self-polarize at a large scale, even in homogeneous environments. In addition, our simulations mimic the experimentally observed alignment of cells in the direction of maximum stiffness and the building up of tension as a consequence of cell and fibre reorganization. Moreover, we demonstrate that cellular organization is tightly linked to the mechanical feedback loop between cells and matrix. Cells with a preference for stiff environments have a tendency to form chains, while cells with a tendency for soft environments tend to form clusters. The model presented here illustrates the potential of simple physical cues and their impact on cellular self-organization. It can be used in applications where cell-matrix interactions play a key role, such as in the design of tissue engineering scaffolds and to gain a basic understanding of pattern formation in organogenesis or tissue regeneration.

  8. Nanodiamond internalization in cells and the cell uptake mechanism

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perevedentseva, E. [National Dong Hwa University, Department of Physics (China); Hong, S.-F.; Huang, K.-J. [National Dong Hwa University, Department of Life Sciences (China); Chiang, I.-T.; Lee, C.-Y. [National Dong Hwa University, Department of Physics (China); Tseng, Y.-T. [National Dong Hwa University, Department of Life Sciences (China); Cheng, C.-L., E-mail: clcheng@mail.ndhu.edu.tw [National Dong Hwa University, Department of Physics (China)

    2013-08-15

    Cell type-dependent penetration of nanodiamond in living cells is one of the important factors for using nanodiamond as cellular markers/labels, for drug delivery as well as for other biomedical applications. In this work, internalization of 100 nm nanodiamonds by A549 lung human adenocarcinoma cell, Beas-2b non-tumorigenic human bronchial epithelial cell, and HFL-1 fibroblast-like human fetal lung cell is studied and compared. The penetration of nanodiamond into the cells was observed using confocal fluorescence imaging and Raman imaging methods. Visualization of the nanodiamond in cells allows comparison of the internalization for diamond nanoparticles in cancer A549 cell, non-cancer HFL-1, and Beas-2b cells. The dose-dependent and time-dependent behavior of nanodiamond uptake is observed in both cancer as well as non-cancer cells. The mechanism of nanodiamond uptake by cancer and non-cancer cells is analyzed by blocking different pathways. The uptake of nanodiamond in both cancer and non-cancer cells was found predominantly via clathrin-dependent endocytosis. In spite of observed similarity in the uptake mechanism for cancer and non-cancer cells, the nanodiamond uptake for cancer cell quantitatively exceeds the uptake for non-cancer cells, for the studied cell lines. The observed difference in internalization of nanodiamond by cancer and non-cancer cells is discussed.

  9. Nanodiamond internalization in cells and the cell uptake mechanism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perevedentseva, E.; Hong, S.-F.; Huang, K.-J.; Chiang, I.-T.; Lee, C.-Y.; Tseng, Y.-T.; Cheng, C.-L.

    2013-01-01

    Cell type-dependent penetration of nanodiamond in living cells is one of the important factors for using nanodiamond as cellular markers/labels, for drug delivery as well as for other biomedical applications. In this work, internalization of 100 nm nanodiamonds by A549 lung human adenocarcinoma cell, Beas-2b non-tumorigenic human bronchial epithelial cell, and HFL-1 fibroblast-like human fetal lung cell is studied and compared. The penetration of nanodiamond into the cells was observed using confocal fluorescence imaging and Raman imaging methods. Visualization of the nanodiamond in cells allows comparison of the internalization for diamond nanoparticles in cancer A549 cell, non-cancer HFL-1, and Beas-2b cells. The dose-dependent and time-dependent behavior of nanodiamond uptake is observed in both cancer as well as non-cancer cells. The mechanism of nanodiamond uptake by cancer and non-cancer cells is analyzed by blocking different pathways. The uptake of nanodiamond in both cancer and non-cancer cells was found predominantly via clathrin-dependent endocytosis. In spite of observed similarity in the uptake mechanism for cancer and non-cancer cells, the nanodiamond uptake for cancer cell quantitatively exceeds the uptake for non-cancer cells, for the studied cell lines. The observed difference in internalization of nanodiamond by cancer and non-cancer cells is discussed

  10. Propagation of SH waves in a piezoelectric/piezomagnetic plate: Effects of interfacial imperfection couplings and the related physical mechanisms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wei, Hong-Xing [Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Imaging Technology, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048 (China); Li, Yong-Dong, E-mail: LYDbeijing@163.com [Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Imaging Technology, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048 (China); Department of Mechanical Engineering, Academy of Armored Force Engineering, Beijing 100072 (China); Xiong, Tao [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Academy of Armored Force Engineering, Beijing 100072 (China); Guan, Yong [Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Imaging Technology, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048 (China)

    2016-09-07

    The problem of dispersive SH wave in a piezoelectric/piezomagnetic plate that contains an imperfect interface is considered in the present work. An imperfection coupling model is adopted to describe the magnetic, electric and mechanical imperfections on the interface. A transcendental dispersion equation is derived and numerically solved to get the phase velocity. The validity of the numerical procedure is verified in a degenerated case. The effects of the coupled interfacial imperfections on the dispersion behavior of SH waves are discussed in detail and the related underlying physical mechanisms are explained. - Highlights: • SH-wave is investigated in a multiferroic plate with coupled interfacial imperfections. • SH-wave is affected by both interfacial imperfections and their inter-couplings. • Physical mechanisms of the effects are explained via energy transformations.

  11. Propagation of SH waves in a piezoelectric/piezomagnetic plate: Effects of interfacial imperfection couplings and the related physical mechanisms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei, Hong-Xing; Li, Yong-Dong; Xiong, Tao; Guan, Yong

    2016-01-01

    The problem of dispersive SH wave in a piezoelectric/piezomagnetic plate that contains an imperfect interface is considered in the present work. An imperfection coupling model is adopted to describe the magnetic, electric and mechanical imperfections on the interface. A transcendental dispersion equation is derived and numerically solved to get the phase velocity. The validity of the numerical procedure is verified in a degenerated case. The effects of the coupled interfacial imperfections on the dispersion behavior of SH waves are discussed in detail and the related underlying physical mechanisms are explained. - Highlights: • SH-wave is investigated in a multiferroic plate with coupled interfacial imperfections. • SH-wave is affected by both interfacial imperfections and their inter-couplings. • Physical mechanisms of the effects are explained via energy transformations.

  12. On the use of effective stress in three-dimensional hydro-mechanical coupled model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arairo, W.; Prunier, F.; Djeran-Maigre, I.; Millard, A.

    2014-01-01

    In the last decades, a number of hydro-mechanical elastoplastic constitutive models for unsaturated soils have been proposed. Those models couple the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils, and take into account the effects of the degree of saturation on the stress-strain behaviour and the effects of deformation on the soil-water characteristic response with a simple reversible part for the hysteresis. In addition, the influence of the suction on the stress-strain behaviour is considered. However, until now, few models predict the stress-strain and soil-water characteristic responses of unsaturated soils in a fully three-dimensional Finite Element code. This paper presents the predictions of an unsaturated soil model in a Three-dimensional Framework, and develops a study on the effect of partial saturation on the stability of shallow foundation resting on unsaturated silty soil. Qualitative predictions of the constitutive model show that incorporating a special formulation for the effective stress into an elastoplastic coupled hydro-mechanical model opens a full range of possibilities in modelling unsaturated soil behaviour. (authors)

  13. Coupled rolling motion: a student project in non-holonomic mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Janova, Jitka; Musilova, Jana; Bartos, JirI

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents an original undergraduate student project in theoretical mechanics: a demonstration of theory and experiment agreement inspired by a recently theoretically treated mechanical problem of coupled rolling motion of two cylinders. The problem of a mechanical system subjected to non-holonomic constraints is theoretically and numerically solved. Subsequently, the solution is quantitatively verified by a simple and inexpensive experiment, originally proposed and constructed by the authors. The comparison of results of the theoretical study with experimental output shows that there are instruments to directly verify rather abstract mathematical theories even on the undergraduate level. Moreover, combining the theoretical description of the problem with an appropriate laboratory experiment and computational procedures gives students a more complex view of the physical problem as a whole. This paper can be used by physics teachers on the undergraduate university level as an inspiration for an interesting student project. Moreover, the theoretical part of this paper itself can be used by interested intermediate students themselves as a good exercise in theoretical mechanics.

  14. Mechanisms of appearance of amplitude and phase chimera states in ensembles of nonlocally coupled chaotic systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bogomolov, Sergey A.; Slepnev, Andrei V.; Strelkova, Galina I.; Schöll, Eckehard; Anishchenko, Vadim S.

    2017-02-01

    We explore the bifurcation transition from coherence to incoherence in ensembles of nonlocally coupled chaotic systems. It is firstly shown that two types of chimera states, namely, amplitude and phase, can be found in a network of coupled logistic maps, while only amplitude chimera states can be observed in a ring of continuous-time chaotic systems. We reveal a bifurcation mechanism by analyzing the evolution of space-time profiles and the coupling function with varying coupling coefficient and formulate the necessary and sufficient conditions for realizing the chimera states in the ensembles.

  15. Mechanical shielded hot cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Higgy, H.R.; Abdel-Rassoul, A.A.

    1983-01-01

    A plan to erect a mechanical shielded hot cell in the process hall of the Radiochemical Laboratory at Inchas is described. The hot cell is designed for safe handling of spent fuel bundles, from the Inchas reactor, and for dismantling and cutting the fuel rods in preparation for subsequent treatment. The biological shielding allows for the safe handling of a total radioactivity level up to 10,000 MeV-Ci. The hot cell consists of an α-tight stainless-steel box, connected to a γ-shielded SAS, through an air-lock containing a movable carriage. The α-box is tightly connected with six dry-storage cavities for adequate storage of the spent fuel bundles. Both the α-box, with the dry-storage cavities, and the SAS are surrounded by 200-mm thick biological lead shielding. The α-box is equipped with two master-slave manipulators, a lead-glass window, a monorail crane and Padirac and Minirag systems. The SAS is equipped with a lead-glass window, tong manipulator, a shielded pit and a mechanism for the entry of the spent fuel bundle. The hot cell is served by adequate ventilation and monitoring systems. (author)

  16. Cell-Nonautonomous Mechanisms Underlying Cellular and Organismal Aging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medkour, Younes; Svistkova, Veronika; Titorenko, Vladimir I

    2016-01-01

    Cell-autonomous mechanisms underlying cellular and organismal aging in evolutionarily distant eukaryotes have been established; these mechanisms regulate longevity-defining processes within a single eukaryotic cell. Recent findings have provided valuable insight into cell-nonautonomous mechanisms modulating cellular and organismal aging in eukaryotes across phyla; these mechanisms involve a transmission of various longevity factors between different cells, tissues, and organisms. Herein, we review such cell-nonautonomous mechanisms of aging in eukaryotes. We discuss the following: (1) how low molecular weight transmissible longevity factors modulate aging and define longevity of cells in yeast populations cultured in liquid media or on solid surfaces, (2) how communications between proteostasis stress networks operating in neurons and nonneuronal somatic tissues define longevity of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans by modulating the rates of aging in different tissues, and (3) how different bacterial species colonizing the gut lumen of C. elegans define nematode longevity by modulating the rate of organismal aging. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  17. Engineering three-dimensional cell mechanical microenvironment with hydrogels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Guoyou; Wang, Lin; Wang, Shuqi; Han, Yulong; Wu, Jinhui; Zhang, Qiancheng; Xu, Feng; Lu, Tian Jian

    2012-12-01

    Cell mechanical microenvironment (CMM) significantly affects cell behaviors such as spreading, migration, proliferation and differentiation. However, most studies on cell response to mechanical stimulation are based on two-dimensional (2D) planar substrates, which cannot mimic native three-dimensional (3D) CMM. Accumulating evidence has shown that there is a significant difference in cell behavior in 2D and 3D microenvironments. Among the materials used for engineering 3D CMM, hydrogels have gained increasing attention due to their tunable properties (e.g. chemical and mechanical properties). In this paper, we provide an overview of recent advances in engineering hydrogel-based 3D CMM. Effects of mechanical cues (e.g. hydrogel stiffness and externally induced stress/strain in hydrogels) on cell behaviors are described. A variety of approaches to load mechanical stimuli in 3D hydrogel-based constructs are also discussed.

  18. Engineering three-dimensional cell mechanical microenvironment with hydrogels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Guoyou; Wang Lin; Han Yulong; Zhang Qiancheng; Xu Feng; Lu Tianjian; Wang Shuqi; Wu Jinhui

    2012-01-01

    Cell mechanical microenvironment (CMM) significantly affects cell behaviors such as spreading, migration, proliferation and differentiation. However, most studies on cell response to mechanical stimulation are based on two-dimensional (2D) planar substrates, which cannot mimic native three-dimensional (3D) CMM. Accumulating evidence has shown that there is a significant difference in cell behavior in 2D and 3D microenvironments. Among the materials used for engineering 3D CMM, hydrogels have gained increasing attention due to their tunable properties (e.g. chemical and mechanical properties). In this paper, we provide an overview of recent advances in engineering hydrogel-based 3D CMM. Effects of mechanical cues (e.g. hydrogel stiffness and externally induced stress/strain in hydrogels) on cell behaviors are described. A variety of approaches to load mechanical stimuli in 3D hydrogel-based constructs are also discussed. (topical review)

  19. Mammalian cell transformation: Mechanisms of carcinogenesis and assays for carcinogens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barrett, J.C.; Tennant, R.W.

    1985-01-01

    This book contains nine sections, each consisting of several papers. The section titles are: Molecular Changes in Cell Transformation; Differentiation, Growth Control, and Cell Transformation; Mutagenesis and Cell Transformation; Tumor Promotion and Cell Transformation; Mechanisms of Transformation of Human Fibroblasts; Mechanisms of Transformation of Epithelial Cells; Mechanisms of C 3 H 10T12 Cell Transformation; Mechanisms of Radiation-Induced Cell Transformation; and Use of Cell Transformation Assays for Carcinogen Testing

  20. Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical experiment at Kamaishi mine. Technical note 15-99-02. Experimental results

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Sugita, Yutaka; Fujita, Tomoo [Tokai Works, Waste Management and Fuel Cycle Research Center, Waste Isolation Research Division, Barrier Performance Group, Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan); Amemiya, Kiyoshi [Hazama Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

    1999-07-01

    It is an important part of the near field performance assessment of nuclear waste disposal to evaluate coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (T-H-M) phenomena, e.g., thermal effects on groundwater flow through rock matrix and water seepage into the buffer material, the generation of swelling pressure of the buffer material, and thermal stresses potentially affecting porosity and fracture apertures of the rock. An in-situ T-H-M experiment named Engineered Barrier Experiment' has been conducted at the Kamaishi Mine, of which host rock is granodiorite, in order to establish conceptual models of the coupled T-H-M processes and to build confidence in mathematical and computer codes. In 1995, fourteen boreholes were excavated in order to install the various sensors. After the hydraulic tests, mechanical tests were carried out to obtain the rock properties. After that, a test pit, 1.7 m in diameter and 5.0 m in depth, was excavated. During the excavation, the change of pore pressure, displacement and temperature of rock mass were measured. In 1996, the buffer material and heater were set up in the test pit, and then coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical test was started. The duration of heating phase was 250 days and that of cooling phase was 180 days. The heater surface was controlled to be 100degC during heating phase. Measurement was carried out by a number of sensors installed in both buffer and rock mass during the test. The field experiment leads to a better understanding of the behavior of the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena in the near field. (author)

  1. Mechanics of adsorption-deformation coupling in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yida

    2018-05-01

    This work extends Coussy's macroscale theory for porous materials interacting with adsorptive fluid mixtures. The solid-fluid interface is treated as an independent phase that obeys its own mass, momentum and energy balance laws. As a result, a surface strain energy term appears in the free energy balance equation of the solid phase, which further introduces the so-called adsorption stress in the constitutive equations of the porous skeleton. This establishes a fundamental link between the adsorption characteristics of the solid-fluid interface and the mechanical response of the porous media. The thermodynamic framework is quite general in that it recovers the coupled conduction laws, Gibbs isotherm and the Shuttleworth's equation for surface stress, and imposes no constraints on the magnitude of deformation and the functional form of the adsorption isotherms. A rich variety of coupling between adsorption and deformation is recovered as a result of combining different poroelastic models (isotropic vs. anisotropic, linear vs. nonlinear) and adsorption models (unary vs. mixture adsorption, uncoupled vs. stretch-dependent adsorption). These predictions are discussed against the backdrop of recent experimental data on coal swelling subjected to CO2 and CO2sbnd CH4 injections, showing the capability and versatility of the theory in capturing adsorption-induced deformation of porous materials.

  2. Hybrid Systems: Cold Atoms Coupled to Micro Mechanical Oscillators =

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montoya Monge, Cris A.

    Micro mechanical oscillators can serve as probes in precision measurements, as transducers to mediate photon-phonon interactions, and when functionalized with magnetic material, as tools to manipulate spins in quantum systems. This dissertation includes two projects where the interactions between cold atoms and mechanical oscillators are studied. In one of the experiments, we have manipulated the Zeeman state of magnetically trapped Rubidium atoms with a magnetic micro cantilever. The results show a spatially localized effect produced by the cantilever that agrees with Landau-Zener theory. In the future, such a scalable system with highly localized interactions and the potential for single-spin sensitivity could be useful for applications in quantum information science or quantum simulation. In a second experiment, work is in progress to couple a sample of optically trapped Rubidium atoms to a levitated nanosphere via an optical lattice. This coupling enables the cooling of the center-of-mass motion of the nanosphere by laser cooling the atoms. In this system, the atoms are trapped in the optical lattice while the sphere is levitated in a separate vacuum chamber by a single-beam optical tweezer. Theoretical analysis of such a system has determined that cooling the center-of-mass motion of the sphere to its quantum ground state is possible, even when starting at room temperature, due to the excellent environmental decoupling achievable in this setup. Nanospheres cooled to the quantum regime can provide new tests of quantum behavior at mesoscopic scales and have novel applications in precision sensing.

  3. Mechanical features of a 700-MHz bridge-coupled drift-tube linac

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liska, D.; Smith, P.; Carlisle, L.; Larkin, T.; Lawrence, G.; Garnett, R.

    1992-01-01

    Modern linac designs for treating radioactive waste achieve high proton currents through funneling at low energy, typically around 20 MeV. The resulting switch to a high-frequency accelerating structure poses severe performance and fabrication difficulties below 100 MeV. Above 100 MeV, proven coupled-cavity linacs (CCLs) are available. However, at 20 MeV one must choose between a high-frequency drift-tube linac (DTL) or a coupled-cavity linac with very short cells. Potential radiation damage from the CW beam, excessive RF power losses, multipactoring, and fabricability all enter into this decision. At Los Alamos, we have developed designs for a bridge-coupled DTL (BCDTL) that, like a CCL, uses lattice focusing elements and bridge couplers, but that unlike a CCL, accelerates the beam in simple, short, large-aperture DTL modules with no internal quadrupole focusing. Thus, the BCDTL consumes less power than the CCL linac without beam performance and is simpler and cheaper to fabricate in the 20 to 100 MeV range. (Author) ref., tab., 3 figs

  4. On non-linear dynamics of coupled 1+1DOF versus 1+1/2DOF Electro-Mechanical System

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Darula, Radoslav; Sorokin, Sergey

    2014-01-01

    The electro-mechanical systems (EMS) are used from nano-/micro-scale (NEMS/MEMS) up to macro-scale applications. From mathematical view point, they are modelled with the second order differential equation (or a set of equations) for mechanical system, which is nonlinearly coupled with the second...... or the first order differential equation (or a set of equations) for electrical system, depending on properties of the electrical circuit. For the sake of brevity, we assume a 1DOF mechanical system, coupled to 1 or 1/2DOF electrical system (depending whether the capacitance is, or is not considered......). In the paper, authors perform a parametric study to identify operation regimes, where the capacitance term contributes to the non-linear behaviour of the coupled system. To accomplish this task, the classical method of multiple scales is used. The parametric study allows us to assess for which applications...

  5. Effect of Topology Structures on Synchronization Transition in Coupled Neuron Cells System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang Li-Si; Zhang Ji-Qian; Xu Gui-Xia; Liu Le-Zhu; Huang Shou-Fang

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, by the help of evolutionary algorithm and using Hindmarsh—Rose (HR) neuron model, we investigate the effect of topology structures on synchronization transition between different states in coupled neuron cells system. First, we build different coupling structure with N cells, and found the effect of synchronized transition contact not only closely with the topology of the system, but also with whether there exist the ring structures in the system. In particular, both the size and the number of rings have greater effects on such transition behavior. Secondly, we introduce synchronization error to qualitative analyze the effect of the topology structure. Furthermore, by fitting the simulation results, we find that with the increment of the neurons number, there always exist the optimization structures which have the minimum number of connecting edges in the coupling systems. Above results show that the topology structures have a very crucial role on synchronization transition in coupled neuron system. Biological system may gradually acquire such efficient topology structures through the long-term evolution, thus the systems' information process may be optimized by this scheme. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

  6. Media as the mechanism behind structural coupling and the evolution of the mind

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tække, Jesper

    Luhmann (2002, 275), in his introduction to the systems theory, explicitly writs, that language is the mechanism behind the structural coupling between psychic – and social systems. This paper, in its first part, provides an interpretative and selective presentation of Luhmann’s argumentation...

  7. Regulation of Pancreatic Beta Cell Stimulus-Secretion Coupling by microRNAs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonathan L. S. Esguerra

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Increased blood glucose after a meal is countered by the subsequent increased release of the hypoglycemic hormone insulin from the pancreatic beta cells. The cascade of molecular events encompassing the initial sensing and transport of glucose into the beta cell, culminating with the exocytosis of the insulin large dense core granules (LDCVs is termed “stimulus-secretion coupling.” Impairment in any of the relevant processes leads to insufficient insulin release, which contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D. The fate of the beta cell, when exposed to environmental triggers of the disease, is determined by the possibility to adapt to the new situation by regulation of gene expression. As established factors of post-transcriptional regulation, microRNAs (miRNAs are well-recognized mediators of beta cell plasticity and adaptation. Here, we put focus on the importance of comprehending the transcriptional regulation of miRNAs, and how miRNAs are implicated in stimulus-secretion coupling, specifically those influencing the late stages of insulin secretion. We suggest that efficient beta cell adaptation requires an optimal balance between transcriptional regulation of miRNAs themselves, and miRNA-dependent gene regulation. The increased knowledge of the beta cell transcriptional network inclusive of non-coding RNAs such as miRNAs is essential in identifying novel targets for the treatment of T2D.

  8. Computational implementation of the multi-mechanism deformation coupled fracture model for salt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koteras, J.R.; Munson, D.E.

    1996-01-01

    The Multi-Mechanism Deformation (M-D) model for creep in rock salt has been used in three-dimensional computations for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a potential waste, repository. These computational studies are relied upon to make key predictions about long-term behavior of the repository. Recently, the M-D model was extended to include creep-induced damage. The extended model, the Multi-Mechanism Deformation Coupled Fracture (MDCF) model, is considerably more complicated than the M-D model and required a different technology from that of the M-D model for a computational implementation

  9. Nuclear Phosphatidylinositol-Phosphate Type I Kinase α-Coupled Star-PAP Polyadenylation Regulates Cell Invasion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    A P, Sudheesh; Laishram, Rakesh S

    2018-03-01

    Star-PAP, a nuclear phosphatidylinositol (PI) signal-regulated poly(A) polymerase (PAP), couples with type I PI phosphate kinase α (PIPKIα) and controls gene expression. We show that Star-PAP and PIPKIα together regulate 3'-end processing and expression of pre-mRNAs encoding key anti-invasive factors ( KISS1R , CDH1 , NME1 , CDH13 , FEZ1 , and WIF1 ) in breast cancer. Consistently, the endogenous Star-PAP level is negatively correlated with the cellular invasiveness of breast cancer cells. While silencing Star-PAP or PIPKIα increases cellular invasiveness in low-invasiveness MCF7 cells, Star-PAP overexpression decreases invasiveness in highly invasive MDA-MB-231 cells in a cellular Star-PAP level-dependent manner. However, expression of the PIPKIα-noninteracting Star-PAP mutant or the phosphodeficient Star-PAP (S6A mutant) has no effect on cellular invasiveness. These results strongly indicate that PIPKIα interaction and Star-PAP S6 phosphorylation are required for Star-PAP-mediated regulation of cancer cell invasion and give specificity to target anti-invasive gene expression. Our study establishes Star-PAP-PIPKIα-mediated 3'-end processing as a key anti-invasive mechanism in breast cancer. Copyright © 2018 A.P. and Laishram.

  10. Numerical investigation of the coupled water and thermal management in PEM fuel cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cao, Tao-Feng; Lin, Hong; Chen, Li; He, Ya-Ling; Tao, Wen-Quan

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► A fully coupled, non-equilibrium, anisotropic PEM fuel cell computational model is developed. ► The coupled water and heat transport processes are numerically investigated. ► Anisotropic property of gas diffusion layer has an effect on local cell performance. ► The boundary temperature greatly affects the cell local temperature and indirectly influences the saturation profile. ► The cathode gas inlet humidity slightly affects the local temperature distribution. - Abstract: Water and thermal managements are the most important issue in the operation and optimization of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). A three-dimensional, two-phase, non-isothermal model of PEMFC is presented in this paper. The model is used to investigate the interaction between water and thermal transport processes, the effects of anisotropic characters of gas diffusion layer, different boundary temperature of flow plate and the effect of gas inlet humidity. By comparing the numerical results of different cases, it is found that maximum cell temperature is higher in the isotropic gas diffusion layer; in contrast, the liquid saturation is lower than other case. Moreover, the boundary temperature greatly affects the temperature distribution in PEMFC, and indirectly influences the water saturation distribution. This indicates that the coupled relationship between water and thermal managements cannot be ignored, and these two processes must be considered simultaneously in the optimization of PEMFC

  11. Molecular biological mechanism II. Molecular mechanisms of cell cycle regulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jung, T.

    2000-01-01

    The cell cycle in eukaryotes is regulated by central cell cycle controlling protein kinase complexes. These protein kinase complexes consist of a catalytic subunit from the cyclin-dependent protein kinase family (CDK), and a regulatory subunit from the cyclin family. Cyclins are characterised by their periodic cell cycle related synthesis and destruction. Each cell cycle phase is characterised by a specific set of CDKs and cyclins. The activity of CDK/cyclin complexes is mainly regulated on four levels. It is controlled by specific phosphorylation steps, the synthesis and destruction of cyclins, the binding of specific inhibitor proteins, and by active control of their intracellular localisation. At several critical points within the cell cycle, named checkpoints, the integrity of the cellular genome is monitored. If damage to the genome or an unfinished prior cell cycle phase is detected, the cell cycle progression is stopped. These cell cycle blocks are of great importance to secure survival of cells. Their primary importance is to prevent the manifestation and heritable passage of a mutated genome to daughter cells. Damage sensing, DNA repair, cell cycle control and apoptosis are closely linked cellular defence mechanisms to secure genome integrity. Disregulation in one of these defence mechanisms are potentially correlated with an increased cancer risk and therefore in at least some cases with an increased radiation sensitivity. (orig.) [de

  12. cGAMP Quantification in Virus-Infected Human Monocyte-Derived Cells by HPLC-Coupled Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paijo, Jennifer; Kaever, Volkhard; Kalinke, Ulrich

    2017-01-01

    Upon virus infection, cells of the innate immune system such as dendritic cells and macrophages can mount type I interferon (IFN-I) responses that restrict viral dissemination. To inform host cells of virus infection, detection of cytosolic DNA is one important mechanism. Inappropriate sensing of endogenous DNA and subsequent induction of IFN-I responses can also cause autoimmunity, highlighting the need to tightly regulate DNA sensing. The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) was recently identified to be the major sensor of cytosolic DNA that triggers IFN-I expression. Upon DNA binding, cGAS synthesizes the second messenger cyclic guanosine-adenosine monophosphate (cGAMP) that induces IFN-I expression by the activation of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING). Notably, cGAMP does not only act in infected cells, but can also be relocated to noninfected bystander cells to there trigger IFN-I expression. Thus, direct quantification of cGAMP in cells of the innate immune system is an important approach to study where, when, and how DNA is sensed and IFN-I responses are induced. Here, we describe a method that allows specific quantification of cGAMP from extracts of virus-infected human myeloid cells by HPLC-coupled tandem mass spectrometry.

  13. Research on evaluation of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena in the near-field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Imai, Hisashi; Fukutome, Kazuhito; Kayukawa, Koji; Sasaki, Hajime; Moro, Yoshiji

    2004-02-01

    After emplacement of the engineered barrier system (EBS), it is expected that the near-field environment will be impacted by phenomena such as heat dissipation by conduction and other heat transfer mechanisms, infiltration of groundwater from the surrounding rock in the engineered barrier system, stress imposed by the overburden pressure and generation of swelling pressure in the buffer due to water infiltration. In order to recognize and evaluate these coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) phenomena, it is necessary to make a confidence of the mathematical models and computer codes. Evaluating these coupled THM phenomena is important in order to clarify the initial transient behavior of the EBS within the near field. DECOVALEX project is an international co-operative project for the DEvelopment of COupled models and their VALidation against EXperiments in nuclear waste isolation and it is significance to participate this project and to apply the code for the validation. Therefore, we tried to apply the developed numerical code against the subjects of DECOVALEX. We carried out the simulation against the Task 1 (simulation of FEBEX in-situ full-scale experiment), Task 3 BMT1 (Bench Mark Test against the near field coupling phenomena) and Task 3 BMT2 (Bench Mark Test against the up-scaling of fractured rock mass). This report shows the simulation results against these tasks. Furthermore, technical investigations about the in-situ full-scale experiment (called Prototype Repository Project) in Aespoe HRL facility by SKB of Sweden were performed. In order to evaluate the coupled phenomena in the engineered barrier, we use the new swelling model based on the theoretical approach. In this paper, we introduce the modeling approach and applicability about the new model. (author)

  14. Micropatterned Azopolymer Surfaces Modulate Cell Mechanics and Cytoskeleton Structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rianna, Carmela; Ventre, Maurizio; Cavalli, Silvia; Radmacher, Manfred; Netti, Paolo A

    2015-09-30

    Physical and chemical characteristics of materials are important regulators of cell behavior. In particular, cell elasticity is a fundamental parameter that reflects the state of a cell. Surface topography finely modulates cell fate and function via adhesion mediated signaling and cytoskeleton generated forces. However, how topographies alter cell mechanics is still unclear. In this work we have analyzed the mechanical properties of peripheral and nuclear regions of NIH-3T3 cells on azopolymer substrates with different topographic patterns. Micrometer scale patterns in the form of parallel ridges or square lattices of surface elevations were encoded on light responsive azopolymer films by means of contactless optical methods. Cell mechanics was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Cells and consequently the cell cytoskeleton were oriented along the linear patterns affecting cytoskeletal structures, e.g., formation of actin stress fibers. Our data demonstrate that topographic substrate patterns are recognized by cells and mechanical information is transferred by the cytoskeleton. Furthermore, cytoskeleton generated forces deform the nucleus, changing its morphology that appears to be related to different mechanical properties in the nuclear region.

  15. The coupled bio-chemo-electro-mechanical behavior of glucose exposed arterial elastin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Yanhang; Li, Jiangyu; Boutis, Gregory S

    2017-01-01

    Elastin, the principle protein component of the elastic fiber, is a critical extracellular matrix (ECM) component of the arterial wall providing structural resilience and biological signaling essential in vascular morphogenesis and maintenance of mechanical homeostasis. Pathogenesis of many cardiovascular diseases have been associated with alterations of elastin. As a long-lived ECM protein that is deposited and organized before adulthood, elastic fibers can suffer from cumulative effects of biochemical exposure encountered during aging and/or disease, which greatly compromise their mechanical function. This review article covers findings from recent studies of the mechanical and structural contribution of elastin to vascular function, and the effects of biochemical degradation. Results from diverse experimental methods including tissue-level mechanical characterization, fiber-level nonlinear optical imaging, piezoelectric force microscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance are reviewed. The intriguing coupled bio-chemo-electro-mechanical behavior of elastin calls for a multi-scale and multi-physical understanding of ECM mechanics and mechanobiology in vascular remodeling. (topical review)

  16. The coupled bio-chemo-electro-mechanical behavior of glucose exposed arterial elastin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yanhang; Li, Jiangyu; Boutis, Gregory S.

    2017-04-01

    Elastin, the principle protein component of the elastic fiber, is a critical extracellular matrix (ECM) component of the arterial wall providing structural resilience and biological signaling essential in vascular morphogenesis and maintenance of mechanical homeostasis. Pathogenesis of many cardiovascular diseases have been associated with alterations of elastin. As a long-lived ECM protein that is deposited and organized before adulthood, elastic fibers can suffer from cumulative effects of biochemical exposure encountered during aging and/or disease, which greatly compromise their mechanical function. This review article covers findings from recent studies of the mechanical and structural contribution of elastin to vascular function, and the effects of biochemical degradation. Results from diverse experimental methods including tissue-level mechanical characterization, fiber-level nonlinear optical imaging, piezoelectric force microscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance are reviewed. The intriguing coupled bio-chemo-electro-mechanical behavior of elastin calls for a multi-scale and multi-physical understanding of ECM mechanics and mechanobiology in vascular remodeling.

  17. Expression of Heat Shock Proteins in Human Fibroblast Cells under Magnetic Resonant Coupling Wireless Power Transfer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kohei Mizuno

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Since 2007, resonant coupling wireless power transfer (WPT technology has been attracting attention and has been widely researched for practical use. Moreover, dosimetric evaluation has also been discussed to evaluate the potential health risks of the electromagnetic field from this WPT technology based on the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP guidelines. However, there has not been much experimental evaluation of the potential health risks of this WPT technology. In this study, to evaluate whether magnetic resonant coupling WPT induces cellular stress, we focused on heat shock proteins (Hsps and determined the expression level of Hsps 27, 70 and 90 in WI38VA13 subcloned 2RA human fibroblast cells using a western blotting method. The expression level of Hsps under conditions of magnetic resonant coupling WPT for 24 h was not significantly different compared with control cells, although the expression level of Hsps for cells exposed to heat stress conditions was significantly increased. These results suggested that exposure to magnetic resonant coupling WPT did not cause detectable cell stress.

  18. Maximizing opto‐mechanical interaction using topology optimization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gersborg, Allan Roulund; Sigmund, Ole

    2011-01-01

    is performed on a periodic cell and the periodic modeling of the optical and mechanical fields have been carried out using transverse electric Bloch waves and homogenization theory in a plane stress setting, respectively. Two coupling effects are included being the photoelastic effect and the geometric effect......This paper studies topology optimization of a coupled opto‐mechanical problem with the goal of finding the material layout which maximizes the optical modulation, i.e. the difference between the optical response for the mechanically deformed and undeformed configuration. The optimization...

  19. G protein-coupled receptors: the inside story.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jalink, Kees; Moolenaar, Wouter H

    2010-01-01

    Recent findings necessitate revision of the traditional view of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling and expand the diversity of mechanisms by which receptor signaling influences cell behavior in general. GPCRs elicit signals at the plasma membrane and are then rapidly removed from the cell surface by endocytosis. Internalization of GPCRs has long been thought to serve as a mechanism to terminate the production of second messengers such as cAMP. However, recent studies show that internalized GPCRs can continue to either stimulate or inhibit cAMP production in a sustained manner. They do so by remaining associated with their cognate G protein subunit and adenylyl cyclase at endosomal compartments. Once internalized, the GPCRs produce cellular responses distinct from those elicited at the cell surface.

  20. An assessment of mode-coupling and falling-friction mechanisms in railway curve squeal through a simplified approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Bo; Squicciarini, Giacomo; Thompson, David; Corradi, Roberto

    2018-06-01

    Curve squeal is one of the most annoying types of noise caused by the railway system. It usually occurs when a train or tram is running around tight curves. Although this phenomenon has been studied for many years, the generation mechanism is still the subject of controversy and not fully understood. A negative slope in the friction curve under full sliding has been considered to be the main cause of curve squeal for a long time but more recently mode coupling has been demonstrated to be another possible explanation. Mode coupling relies on the inclusion of both the lateral and vertical dynamics at the contact and an exchange of energy occurs between the normal and the axial directions. The purpose of this paper is to assess the role of the mode-coupling and falling-friction mechanisms in curve squeal through the use of a simple approach based on practical parameter values representative of an actual situation. A tramway wheel is adopted to study the effect of the adhesion coefficient, the lateral contact position, the contact angle and the damping ratio. Cases corresponding to both inner and outer wheels in the curve are considered and it is shown that there are situations in which both wheels can squeal due to mode coupling. Additionally, a negative slope is introduced in the friction curve while keeping active the vertical dynamics in order to analyse both mechanisms together. It is shown that, in the presence of mode coupling, the squealing frequency can differ from the natural frequency of either of the coupled wheel modes. Moreover, a phase difference between wheel vibration in the vertical and lateral directions is observed as a characteristic of mode coupling. For both these features a qualitative comparison is shown with field measurements which show the same behaviour.

  1. Mechanically driven interface propagation in biological tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ranft, Jonas; Joanny, Jean-François; Aliee, Maryam; Jülicher, Frank; Prost, Jacques

    2014-01-01

    Many biological tissues consist of more than one cell type. We study the dynamics of an interface between two different cell populations as it occurs during the growth of a tumor in a healthy host tissue. Recent work suggests that the rates of cell division and cell death are under mechanical control, characterized by a homeostatic pressure. The difference in the homeostatic pressures of two cell types drives the propagation of the interface, corresponding to the invasion of one cell type into the other. We derive a front propagation equation that takes into account the coupling between cell number balance and tissue mechanics. We show that in addition to pulled fronts, pushed-front solutions occur as a result of convection driven by mechanics. (paper)

  2. Coupling Mechanism and Decoupled Suspension Control Model of a Half Car

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hailong Zhang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A structure decoupling control strategy of half-car suspension is proposed to fully decouple the system into independent front and rear quarter-car suspensions in this paper. The coupling mechanism of half-car suspension is firstly revealed and formulated with coupled damping force (CDF in a linear function. Moreover, a novel dual dampers-based controllable quarter-car suspension structure is proposed to realize the independent control of pitch and vertical motions of the half car, in which a newly added controllable damper is suggested to be installed between the lower control arm and connection rod in conventional quarter-car suspension structure. The suggested damper constantly regulates the half-car pitch motion posture in a smooth and steady operation condition meantime achieving the expected completely structure decoupled control of the half-car suspension, by compensating the evolved CDF.

  3. Novel instrument for characterizing comprehensive physical properties under multi-mechanical loads and multi-physical field coupling conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Changyi; Zhao, Hongwei; Ma, Zhichao; Qiao, Yuansen; Hong, Kun; Ren, Zhuang; Zhang, Jianhai; Pei, Yongmao; Ren, Luquan

    2018-02-01

    Functional materials represented by ferromagnetics and ferroelectrics are widely used in advanced sensor and precision actuation due to their special characterization under coupling interactions of complex loads and external physical fields. However, the conventional devices for material characterization can only provide a limited type of loads and physical fields and cannot simulate the actual service conditions of materials. A multi-field coupling instrument for characterization has been designed and implemented to overcome this barrier and measure the comprehensive physical properties under complex service conditions. The testing forms include tension, compression, bending, torsion, and fatigue in mechanical loads, as well as different external physical fields, including electric, magnetic, and thermal fields. In order to offer a variety of information to reveal mechanical damage or deformation forms, a series of measurement methods at the microscale are integrated with the instrument including an indentation unit and in situ microimaging module. Finally, several coupling experiments which cover all the loading and measurement functions of the instrument have been implemented. The results illustrate the functions and characteristics of the instrument and then reveal the variety in mechanical and electromagnetic properties of the piezoelectric transducer ceramic, TbDyFe alloy, and carbon fiber reinforced polymer under coupling conditions.

  4. DECOVALEX III PROJECT. Thermal-Hydro-Mechanical Coupled Processes in Safety Assessments. Report of Task 4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andersson, Johan

    2005-02-01

    A part (Task 4) of the International DECOVALEX III project on coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (T-H-M) processes focuses on T-H-M modelling applications in safety and performance assessment of deep geological nuclear waste repositories. A previous phase, DECOVALEX II, saw a need to improve such modelling. In order to address this need Task 4 of DECOVALEX III has: Analysed two major T-H-M experiments (Task 1 and Task 2) and three different Bench Mark Tests (Task 3) set-up to explore the significance of T-H-M in some potentially important safety assessment applications. Compiled and evaluated the use of T-H-M modelling in safety assessments at the time of the year 2000. Organised a forum a forum of interchange between PA-analysts and THM modelers at each DECOVALEX III workshop. Based on this information the current report discusses the findings and strives for reaching recommendations as regards good practices in addressing coupled T-H-M issues in safety assessments. The full development of T-H-M modelling is still at an early stage and it is not evident whether current codes provide the information that is required. However, although the geosphere is a system of fully coupled processes, this does not directly imply that all existing coupled mechanisms must be represented numerically. Modelling is conducted for specific purposes and the required confidence level should be considered. It is necessary to match the confidence level with the modelling objective. Coupled THM modelling has to incorporate uncertainties. These uncertainties mainly concern uncertainties in the conceptual model and uncertainty in data. Assessing data uncertainty is important when judging the need to model coupled processes. Often data uncertainty is more significant than the coupled effects. The emphasis on the need for THM modelling differs among disciplines. For geological radioactive waste disposal in crystalline and other similar hard rock formations DECOVALEX III shows it is essential to

  5. DECOVALEX III PROJECT. Thermal-Hydro-Mechanical Coupled Processes in Safety Assessments. Report of Task 4

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andersson, Johan [JA Streamflow AB, Aelvsjoe (Sweden)

    2005-02-15

    A part (Task 4) of the International DECOVALEX III project on coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (T-H-M) processes focuses on T-H-M modelling applications in safety and performance assessment of deep geological nuclear waste repositories. A previous phase, DECOVALEX II, saw a need to improve such modelling. In order to address this need Task 4 of DECOVALEX III has: Analysed two major T-H-M experiments (Task 1 and Task 2) and three different Bench Mark Tests (Task 3) set-up to explore the significance of T-H-M in some potentially important safety assessment applications. Compiled and evaluated the use of T-H-M modelling in safety assessments at the time of the year 2000. Organised a forum a forum of interchange between PA-analysts and THM modelers at each DECOVALEX III workshop. Based on this information the current report discusses the findings and strives for reaching recommendations as regards good practices in addressing coupled T-H-M issues in safety assessments. The full development of T-H-M modelling is still at an early stage and it is not evident whether current codes provide the information that is required. However, although the geosphere is a system of fully coupled processes, this does not directly imply that all existing coupled mechanisms must be represented numerically. Modelling is conducted for specific purposes and the required confidence level should be considered. It is necessary to match the confidence level with the modelling objective. Coupled THM modelling has to incorporate uncertainties. These uncertainties mainly concern uncertainties in the conceptual model and uncertainty in data. Assessing data uncertainty is important when judging the need to model coupled processes. Often data uncertainty is more significant than the coupled effects. The emphasis on the need for THM modelling differs among disciplines. For geological radioactive waste disposal in crystalline and other similar hard rock formations DECOVALEX III shows it is essential to

  6. Drive mechanisms to the inner and outer hair cell stereocilia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maftoon, Nima; Motallebzadeh, Hamid; Guinan, John J.; Puria, Sunil

    2018-05-01

    It has been long believed that inner hair cell (IHC) stimulation can be gleaned from the classic ter-Kuile shear motion between the reticular lamina (RL) and tectorial membrane (TM). The present study explores this and other IHC stimulation mechanisms using a finite-element-model representation of an organ of Corti (OoC) cross section with fluid-structure interaction. A 3-D model of a cross section of the OoC including soft tissue and the fluid in the sub-tectorial space, tunnel of Corti and above the TM was formulated based on anatomical measurements from the gerbil apical turn. The outer hair cells (OHCs), Deiter's cells and their phalangeal processes are represented as Y-shaped building-block elements. Each of the IHC and OHC bundles is represented by a single sterocilium. Linearized Navier-Stokes equations coupled with linear-elastic equations discretized with tetrahedral elements are solved in the frequency domain. We evaluated the dynamic changes in the OoC motion including sub-tectorial gap dimensions for 0.1 to 10 kHz input frequencies. Calculations show the classic ter-Kuile motion but more importantly they show that the gap-height changes which produce oscillatory radial flow in the subtectorial space. Phase changes in the stereocilia across OHC rows and the IHC are also observed.

  7. Effects of non-linearity of material properties on the coupled mechanical-hydraulic-thermal behavior in rock mass

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kobayashi, Akira; Ohnishi, Yuzo

    1986-01-01

    The nonlinearity of material properties used in the coupled mechanical-hydraulic-thermal analysis is investigated from the past literatures. Some nonlinearity that is respectively effective for the system is introduced into our computer code for analysis such a coupling problem by using finite element method. And the effects of nonlinearity of each material property on the coupled behavior in rock mass are examined for simple model and Stripa project model with the computer code. (author)

  8. Coupling between chemical degradation and mechanical behaviour of leached concrete; Couplage degradation chimique - comportement en compression du beton

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nguyen, V H

    2005-10-15

    This work is in the context of the long term behavior of concrete employed in radioactive waste disposal. The objective is to study the coupled chemo-mechanical modelling of concrete. In the first part of this contribution, experimental investigations are described where the effects of the calcium leaching process of concrete on its mechanical properties are highlighted. An accelerated method has been chosen to perform this leaching process by using an ammonium nitrate solution. In the second part, we present a coupled phenomenological chemo-mechanical model that represents the degradation of concrete materials. On one hand, the chemical behavior is described by the simplified calcium leaching approach of cement paste and mortar. Then a homogenization approach using the asymptotic development is presented to take into account the influence of the presence of aggregates in concrete. And on the other hand, the mechanical part of the modelling is given. Here continuum damage mechanics is used to describe the mechanical degradation of concrete. The growth of inelastic strains observed during the mechanical tests is describes by means of a plastic like model. The model is established on the basis of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes framework. The coupled nonlinear problem at hand is addressed within the context of the finite element method. Finally, numerical simulations are compared with the experimental results for validation. (author)

  9. Numerical modelling of the long term mechanical behaviour of a storage cell for high level nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bian, H.B.; Jia, Y.; Duveau, G.; Shao, J.F.; Poutrel, A.

    2010-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. In France, a clay formation, called Callovo-Oxfordian clay, is considered as potential geological barrier for storage of radioactive wastes. An underground research laboratory is constructed in this clay layer in Bure (CMHM). The French Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra) plans to conduct a series of full scale experiments in the Bure Underground Research Laboratory in order to study the coupled Chemo- Thermo-Hydraulic-Mechanical processes due to the excavation, ventilation, subsequent backfilling/sealing, corrosion of metal components and heat release from the radioactive wasters. These phenomena will occur in the storage structures and the geologic barrier for a short/very long period of time. Especially for the High-Level Wastes, due to the important increase of temperature released by the waste packages, the behaviour of geological barrier is perhaps perturbed and the design of repository is also influenced in terms of admissible thermal loading. In this paper, a disposal cell for the radioactive High-Level Wastes (HLW) is studied in order to analyser the coupled phenomena evolving in the HLW storage. The carbon steel is adopted as the first choice material for the container of waste because of its relevant geochemical condition. In the underground radioactive wastes storage, due to the arrival of water from the geological formation, the metallic components will be corroded, by step, with a decrease of mechanical resistance and a generated supplementary volume. The space between the metallic container and the host rock will then be closed under the combination of metallic corrosion and the behaviour differs of Callovo-Oxfordian clay. As results, important stress will be created on the interface of Callovo-Oxfordian clay and wastes packages. In addition, local hydration of barrier modifies the water infiltration from the Callovo-Oxfordian clay and the stress distribution in the argillite. According to

  10. Phase locking and multiple oscillating attractors for the coupled mammalian clock and cell cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feillet, Céline; Krusche, Peter; Tamanini, Filippo; Janssens, Roel C; Downey, Mike J; Martin, Patrick; Teboul, Michèle; Saito, Shoko; Lévi, Francis A; Bretschneider, Till; van der Horst, Gijsbertus T J; Delaunay, Franck; Rand, David A

    2014-07-08

    Daily synchronous rhythms of cell division at the tissue or organism level are observed in many species and suggest that the circadian clock and cell cycle oscillators are coupled. For mammals, despite known mechanistic interactions, the effect of such coupling on clock and cell cycle progression, and hence its biological relevance, is not understood. In particular, we do not know how the temporal organization of cell division at the single-cell level produces this daily rhythm at the tissue level. Here we use multispectral imaging of single live cells, computational methods, and mathematical modeling to address this question in proliferating mouse fibroblasts. We show that in unsynchronized cells the cell cycle and circadian clock robustly phase lock each other in a 1:1 fashion so that in an expanding cell population the two oscillators oscillate in a synchronized way with a common frequency. Dexamethasone-induced synchronization reveals additional clock states. As well as the low-period phase-locked state there are distinct coexisting states with a significantly higher period clock. Cells transition to these states after dexamethasone synchronization. The temporal coordination of cell division by phase locking to the clock at a single-cell level has significant implications because disordered circadian function is increasingly being linked to the pathogenesis of many diseases, including cancer.

  11. Simulation of the Mechanical Response of the 11T Magnet by Means of COMSOL-MpCCI-ANSYS Coupling

    CERN Document Server

    Wilczek, Michal

    2017-01-01

    This report covers the work during my Summer Student internship at CERN as a part of the STEAM group (Simulation of Transient Effects in Accelerator Magnets) in the Technology Department, Machine Protection and Electrical Integrity group. I was responsible for the development of the ANSYS APDL model of the 11T superconducting magnet serving as a proof of concept for magneto-thermo-mechanical co-simulations of quench propagation in COMSOL and ANSYS software. The aforementioned co-simulation estimates the magnetic, thermal, and mechanical response of the magnet during the discharge process, while protected by a recently developed method, called Coupling-Loss Induced Quench (CLIQ). The already existing STEAM framework performs field/circuit coupling of a magneto-thermal field models previously developed by the STEAM. The next task of the group aimed at combining magneto-thermal field solution with the mechanical simulations. Such a coupling is of interest for the High-Luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Colli...

  12. Coupling mechanisms between nucleosome assembly and the cellular response to DNA damage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lautrette, Aurelie

    2006-01-01

    Cells are continuously exposed to genotoxic stresses that induce a variety of DNA lesions. To protect their genome, cells have specific pathways that orchestrate the detection, signaling and repair of DNA damages. This work is dedicated to the characterization of such pathways that couple the DNA damage response to the assembly of chromatin, a complex that protects and regulates DNA accessibility. We have focused our study on two multifunctional proteins: Rad53, a central checkpoint kinase in the cellular response to DNA damage and Asf1, a histone chaperone involved in chromatin assembly. We have characterized in vitro the binding mode of Asf1 with Rad53 and Asfl with histones. This study is associated with the functional analysis of the role of these interactions in vivo in yeast cells. (author) [fr

  13. Quantifying the dynamics of coupled networks of switches and oscillators.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew R Francis

    Full Text Available Complex network dynamics have been analyzed with models of systems of coupled switches or systems of coupled oscillators. However, many complex systems are composed of components with diverse dynamics whose interactions drive the system's evolution. We, therefore, introduce a new modeling framework that describes the dynamics of networks composed of both oscillators and switches. Both oscillator synchronization and switch stability are preserved in these heterogeneous, coupled networks. Furthermore, this model recapitulates the qualitative dynamics for the yeast cell cycle consistent with the hypothesized dynamics resulting from decomposition of the regulatory network into dynamic motifs. Introducing feedback into the cell-cycle network induces qualitative dynamics analogous to limitless replicative potential that is a hallmark of cancer. As a result, the proposed model of switch and oscillator coupling provides the ability to incorporate mechanisms that underlie the synchronized stimulus response ubiquitous in biochemical systems.

  14. Genome-wide analysis reveals a cell cycle-dependent mechanism controlling centromere propagation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erhardt, Sylvia; Mellone, Barbara G; Betts, Craig M; Zhang, Weiguo; Karpen, Gary H; Straight, Aaron F

    2008-12-01

    Centromeres are the structural and functional foundation for kinetochore formation, spindle attachment, and chromosome segregation. In this study, we isolated factors required for centromere propagation using genome-wide RNA interference screening for defects in centromere protein A (CENP-A; centromere identifier [CID]) localization in Drosophila melanogaster. We identified the proteins CAL1 and CENP-C as essential factors for CID assembly at the centromere. CID, CAL1, and CENP-C coimmunoprecipitate and are mutually dependent for centromere localization and function. We also identified the mitotic cyclin A (CYCA) and the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) inhibitor RCA1/Emi1 as regulators of centromere propagation. We show that CYCA is centromere localized and that CYCA and RCA1/Emi1 couple centromere assembly to the cell cycle through regulation of the fizzy-related/CDH1 subunit of the APC. Our findings identify essential components of the epigenetic machinery that ensures proper specification and propagation of the centromere and suggest a mechanism for coordinating centromere inheritance with cell division.

  15. Atomic Force Microscopy in Characterizing Cell Mechanics for Biomedical Applications: A Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Mi; Dang, Dan; Liu, Lianqing; Xi, Ning; Wang, Yuechao

    2017-09-01

    Cell mechanics is a novel label-free biomarker for indicating cell states and pathological changes. The advent of atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides a powerful tool for quantifying the mechanical properties of single living cells in aqueous conditions. The wide use of AFM in characterizing cell mechanics in the past two decades has yielded remarkable novel insights in understanding the development and progression of certain diseases, such as cancer, showing the huge potential of cell mechanics for practical applications in the field of biomedicine. In this paper, we reviewed the utilization of AFM to characterize cell mechanics. First, the principle and method of AFM single-cell mechanical analysis was presented, along with the mechanical responses of cells to representative external stimuli measured by AFM. Next, the unique changes of cell mechanics in two types of physiological processes (stem cell differentiation, cancer metastasis) revealed by AFM were summarized. After that, the molecular mechanisms guiding cell mechanics were analyzed. Finally the challenges and future directions were discussed.

  16. Impact of two chemistry mechanisms fully coupled with mesoscale model on the atmospheric pollutants distribution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arteta, J.; Cautenet, S.; Taghavi, M.; Audiffren, N.

    Air quality models (AQM) consist of many modules (meteorology, emission, chemistry, deposition), and in some conditions such as: vicinity of clouds or aerosols plumes, complex local circulations (mountains, sea breezes), fully coupled models (online method) are necessary. In order to study the impact of lumped chemical mechanisms in AQM simulations, we examine the ability of both different chemical mechanisms: (i) simplified: Condensed Version of the MOdèle de Chimie Atmosphérique 2.2 (CV-MOCA2.2), and (ii) reference: Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Model (RACM), which are coupled online with the Regional Atmospheric Modeling Systems (RAMS) model, on the distribution of pollutants. During the ESCOMPTE experiment (Expérience sur Site pour COntraindre les Modèles de Pollution et de Transport d'Emissions) conducted over Southern France (including urban and industrial zones), Intensive observation periods (IOP) characterized by various meteorological and mixed chemical conditions are simulated. For both configurations of modeling, numerical results are compared with surface measurements (75 stations) for primary (NO x) and secondary (O 3) species. We point out the impact of the two different chemical mechanisms on the production of species involved in the oxidizing capacity such as ozone and radicals within urban and industrial areas. We highlight that both chemical mechanisms produce very similar results for the main pollutants (NO x and O 3) in three-dimensional (3D) distribution, despite large discrepancies in 0D modeling. For ozone concentration, we found sometimes small differences (5-10 ppb) between the mechanisms under study according to the cases (polluted or not). The relative difference between the two mechanisms over the whole domain is only -7% for ozone from CV-MOCA 2.2 versus RACM. When the order of magnitude is needed rather than an accurate estimate, a reduced mechanism is satisfactory. It has the advantage of running faster (four times less than CPU

  17. Role of atomic spin-mechanical coupling in the problem of a magnetic biocompass

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Yunshan; Yan, Peng

    2018-04-01

    It is a well established notion that animals can detect the Earth's magnetic field, while the biophysical origin of such magnetoreception is still elusive. Recently, a magnetic receptor Drosophila CG8198 (MagR) with a rodlike protein complex is reported [S. Qin et al., Nat. Mater. 15, 217 (2016), 10.1038/nmat4484] to act like a compass needle to guide the magnetic orientation of animals. This view, however, is challenged [M. Meister, Elife 5, e17210 (2016), 10.7554/eLife.17210] by arguing that thermal fluctuations beat the Zeeman coupling of the proteins's magnetic moment with the rather weak geomagnetic field (˜25 -65 μ T ). In this work, we show that the spin-mechanical interaction at the atomic scale gives rise to a high blocking temperature which allows a good alignment of the protein's magnetic moment with the Earth's magnetic field at room temperature. Our results provide a promising route to resolve the debate on the thermal behaviors of MagR, and may stimulate a broad interest in spin-mechanical couplings down to atomistic levels.

  18. The intercellular synchronization of Ca2+ oscillations evaluates Cx36-dependent coupling.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sabine Bavamian

    Full Text Available Connexin36 (Cx36 plays an important role in insulin secretion by controlling the intercellular synchronization of Ca(2+ transients induced during stimulation. The lack of drugs acting on Cx36 channels is a major limitation in further unraveling the molecular mechanism underlying this effect. To screen for such drugs, we have developed an assay allowing for a semi-automatic, fluorimetric quantification of Ca(2+ transients in large populations of MIN6 cells. Here, we show that (1 compared to control cells, MIN6 cells with reduced Cx36 expression or function showed decreased synchrony of glucose-induced Ca(2+ oscillations; (2 glibenclamide, a sulphonylurea which promotes Cx36 junctions and coupling, increased the number of synchronous MIN6 cells, whereas quinine, an antimalarial drug which inhibits Cx36-dependent coupling, decreased this proportion; (3 several drugs were identified that altered the intercellular Ca(2+ synchronization, cell coupling and distribution of Cx36; (4 some of them also affected insulin content. The data indicate that the intercellular synchronization of Ca(2+ oscillations provides a reliable and non-invasive measurement of Cx36-dependent coupling, which is useful to identify novel drugs affecting the function of β-cells, neurons, and neuron-related cells that express Cx36.

  19. Single-hit mechanism of tumour cell killing by radiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chapman, J D

    2003-02-01

    To review the relative importance of the single-hit mechanism of radiation killing for tumour response to 1.8-2.0 Gy day(-1) fractions and to low dose-rate brachytherapy. Tumour cell killing by ionizing radiation is well described by the linear-quadratic equation that contains two independent components distinguished by dose kinetics. Analyses of tumour cell survival curves that contain six or more dose points usually provide good estimates of the alpha- and beta-inactivation coefficients. Superior estimates of tumour cell intrinsic radiosensitivity are obtained when synchronized populations are employed. The characteristics of single-hit inactivation of tumour cells are reviewed and compared with the characteristics of beta-inactivation. Potential molecular targets associated with single-hit inactivation are discussed along with strategies for potentiating cell killing by this mechanism. The single-hit mechanism of tumour cell killing shows no dependence on dose-rate and, consequently, no evidence of sublethal damage repair. It is uniquely potentiated by high linear-energy-transfer radiation, exhibits a smaller oxygen enhancement ratio and exhibits a larger indirect effect by hydroxyl radicals than the beta-mechanism. alpha-inactivation coefficients vary slightly throughout interphase but mitotic cells exhibit extremely high alpha-coefficients in the range of those observed for lymphocytes and some repair-deficient cells. Evidence is accumulating to suggest that chromatin in compacted form could be a radiation-hypersensitive target associated with single-hit radiation killing. Analyses of tumour cell survival curves demonstrate that it is the single-hit mechanism (alpha) that determines the majority of cell killing after doses of 2Gy and that this mechanism is highly variable between tumour cell lines. The characteristics of single-hit inactivation are qualitatively and quantitatively distinct from those of beta-inactivation. Compacted chromatin in tumour cells

  20. Irreducible coupling between physical and biological phenomena: overview of on-line and off-line physical measurements during high cell density cultures of yarrowia lipolytica

    OpenAIRE

    Kraiem, Hazar; Manon, Yannick; Anne-Archard, Dominique; Fillaudeau, Luc

    2012-01-01

    During cell cultures in bioreactor, micro-organism physiology closely interacts with physico-chemical parameters (gas and feed flow rates, mixing, temperature, pH, pressure). The specificity of microbial bioreactions in relation with irreducible couplings between heat and mass transfers and fluid mechanics, led into complex (three phases medium) and dynamic (auto-biocatalytic reaction) systems. Our scientific approach aims to investigate, understand and control dynamic interactions between ph...

  1. Tuning Cell and Tissue Development by Combining Multiple Mechanical Signals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinha, Ravi; Verdonschot, Nico; Koopman, Bart; Rouwkema, Jeroen

    2017-10-01

    Mechanical signals offer a promising way to control cell and tissue development. It has been established that cells constantly probe their mechanical microenvironment and employ force feedback mechanisms to modify themselves and when possible, their environment, to reach a homeostatic state. Thus, a correct mechanical microenvironment (external forces and mechanical properties and shapes of cellular surroundings) is necessary for the proper functioning of cells. In vitro or in the case of nonbiological implants in vivo, where cells are in an artificial environment, addition of the adequate mechanical signals can, therefore, enable the cells to function normally as in vivo. Hence, a wide variety of approaches have been developed to apply mechanical stimuli (such as substrate stretch, flow-induced shear stress, substrate stiffness, topography, and modulation of attachment area) to cells in vitro. These approaches have not just revealed the effects of the mechanical signals on cells but also provided ways for probing cellular molecules and structures that can provide a mechanistic understanding of the effects. However, they remain lower in complexity compared with the in vivo conditions, where the cellular mechanical microenvironment is the result of a combination of multiple mechanical signals. Therefore, combinations of mechanical stimuli have also been applied to cells in vitro. These studies have had varying focus-developing novel platforms to apply complex combinations of mechanical stimuli, observing the co-operation/competition between stimuli, combining benefits of multiple stimuli toward an application, or uncovering the underlying mechanisms of their action. In general, they provided new insights that could not have been predicted from previous knowledge. We present here a review of several such studies and the insights gained from them, thereby making a case for such studies to be continued and further developed.

  2. Lagooning microbial fuel cells: A first approach by coupling electricity-producing microorganisms and algae

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lobato, Justo; González del Campo, Araceli; Fernández, Francisco J.; Cañizares, Pablo; Rodrigo, Manuel A.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • An algae cathode of a MFC has been used without artificial mediators or catalysts. • To perform a lagooning wastewater treatment coupled with energy-producing MFC. • The producing electricity operates under day/night irradiation cycles, is shown. - Abstract: The paper focused on the start-up and performance characterisation of a new type of microbial fuel cell (MFC), in which an algae culture was seeded in the cathodic chamber to produce the oxygen required to complete the electrochemical reactions of the MFC, thus circumventing the need for a mechanical aerator. The system did not use mediators or high cost catalysts and it can be started-up easily using a straightforward three-stage procedure. The start-up consists of the separate production of the electricity-producing microorganisms and the algae cultures (stage I), replacement of the mechanical aeration system by the algae culture (stage II) and a change in the light dosage from a continuous input to a dynamic day/night profile. The MFC was operated under a regime of 12 h light and 12 h dark and was also operated in batch and continuous substrate-feeding modes. The same cell voltage was achieved when the cathode compartment was operated with air supplied by aerators, which means that this configuration can perform as well as the traditional one. The results also show the influence of both the organic load and light irradiation on electricity production and demonstrate that this type MFC is a robust and promising technology that can be considered as a first approach to perform a lagooning wastewater treatment with microbial fuel cells

  3. Tunable Coupling to a Mechanical Oscillator Circuit Using a Coherent Feedback Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph Kerckhoff

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available We demonstrate a fully cryogenic microwave feedback network composed of modular superconducting devices connected by transmission lines and designed to control a mechanical oscillator that is coupled to one of the devices. The network features an electromechanical device and a tunable controller that coherently receives, processes, and feeds back continuous microwave signals that modify the dynamics and readout of the mechanical state. While previous electromechanical systems represent some compromise between efficient control and efficient readout of the mechanical state, as set by the electromagnetic decay rate, the tunable controller produces a closed-loop network that can be dynamically and continuously tuned between both extremes much faster than the mechanical response time. We demonstrate that the microwave decay rate may be modulated by at least a factor of 10 at a rate greater than 10^{4} times the mechanical response rate. The system is easy to build and suggests that some useful functions may arise most naturally at the network level of modular, quantum electromagnetic devices.

  4. A Combined Chemical and Magneto-Mechanical Induction of Cancer Cell Death by the Use of Functionalized Magnetic Iron Nanowires

    KAUST Repository

    Martinez Banderas, Aldo

    2016-04-01

    Cancer prevails as one of the most devastating diseases being at the top of death causes for adults despite continuous development and innovation in cancer therapy. Nanotechnology may be used to achieve therapeutic dosing, establish sustained-release drug profiles, and increase the half-life of drugs. In this context, magnetic nanowires (NWs) have shown a good biocompatibility and cellular internalization with a low cytotoxic effect. In this thesis, I induced cancer cell death by combining the chemotherapeutic effect of iron NWs functionalized with Doxorubicin (DOX) with mechanical disturbance under a low frequency alternating magnetic field. Two different agents, APTES and BSA, were separately used for coating NWs permitting further functionalization with DOX. Internalization was qualitatively and quantitatively assessed for both formulations by confocal reflection microscopy and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. From confocal reflection analysis, BSA formulations demonstrate to have a higher internalization degree and a broader distribution within the cells in comparison to APTES formulations. Both groups of functionalized NWs generated a comparable cytotoxic effect in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in a DOX concentration-dependent manner, (~60% at the highest concentration tested) that was significantly different from the effect produced by the free DOX (~95% at the same concentration) and non-functionalized NWs formulations (~10% at the same NWs concentration). A synergistic cytotoxic effect is obtained when a low frequency magnetic field (1 mT, 10 Hz) is applied to cells treated with the two formulations that is again comparable (~70% at the highest concentration). Furthermore, the cytotoxic effect of both groups of coated NWs without the drug increased notoriously when the field is applied (~25% at the highest concentration tested). Here, a novel bimodal method for cancer cell destruction was developed by the conjugation of the magneto-mechanical

  5. Nanodiamonds coupled with 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin, a plant bioactive metabolite, interfere with the mitotic process in B16F10 cells altering the actin organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gismondi, Angelo; Nanni, Valentina; Reina, Giacomo; Orlanducci, Silvia; Terranova, Maria Letizia; Canini, Antonella

    2016-01-01

    For the first time, we coupled reduced detonation nanodiamonds (NDs) with a plant secondary metabolite, citropten (5,7-dimethoxycoumarin), and demonstrated how this complex was able to reduce B16F10 tumor cell growth more effectively than treatment with the pure molecule. These results encouraged us to find out the specific mechanism underlying this phenomenon. Internalization kinetics and quantification of citropten in cells after treatment with its pure or ND-conjugated form were measured, and it was revealed that the coupling between NDs and citropten was essential for the biological properties of the complex. We showed that the adduct was not able to induce apoptosis, senescence, or differentiation, but it determined cell cycle arrest, morphological changes, and alteration of mRNA levels of the cytoskeletal-related genes. The identification of metaphasic nuclei and irregular disposition of β-actin in the cell cytoplasm supported the hypothesis that citropten conjugated with NDs showed antimitotic properties in B16F10 cells. This work can be considered a pioneering piece of research that could promote and support the biomedical use of plant drug-functionalized NDs in cancer therapy.

  6. Real-time observations of mechanical stimulus-induced enhancements of mechanical properties in osteoblast cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Xu; Liu Xiaoli; Sun Jialun; He Shuojie; Lee, Imshik; Pak, Hyuk Kyu

    2008-01-01

    Osteoblast, playing a key role in the pathophysiology of osteoporosis, is one of the mechanical stress sensitive cells. The effects of mechanical load-induced changes of mechanical properties in osteoblast cells were studied at real-time. Osteoblasts obtained from young Wister rats were exposed to mechanical loads in different frequencies and resting intervals generated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) probe tip and simultaneously measured the changes of the mechanical properties by AFM. The enhancement of the mechanical properties was observed and quantified by the increment of the apparent Young's modulus, E * . The observed mechanical property depended on the frequency of applied tapping loads. For the resting interval is 50 s, the mechanical load-induced enhancement of E * -values disappears. It seems that the enhanced mechanical property was recover able under no additional mechanical stimulus

  7. Modeling of excavation induced coupled hydraulic-mechanical processes in claystone

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Massmann, Jobst

    2009-07-01

    Concepts for the numerical modeling of excavation induced processes in claystone are investigated. The study has been motivated by the international discussion on the adequacy of claystone as a potential host rock for a final repository of radioactive waste. The processes, which could impact the safety of such a repository, are manifold and strongly interacting. Thus, a multiphysics approach is needed, regarding solid mechanics and fluid mechanics within a geological context. A coupled modeling concept is therefore indispensable. Based on observations and measurements at an argillaceous test site (the underground laboratory Tournemire, operated by the Institute of Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety, France) the modeling concept is developed. Two main processes constitute the basis of the applied model: deformation (linear elasticity considering damage) and fluid flow (unsaturated one-phase flow). Several coupling phenomena are considered: Terzaghi 's effective stress concept, mass conservation of the liquid in a deformable porous media, drying induced shrinkage, and a permeability which depends on deformation and damage. In addition, transversely isotropic material behavior is considered. The numerical simulations are done with the finite element code RockFlow, which is extended to include: an orthotropic non-linear shrinkage model, a continuum damage model, and an orthotropic permeability model. For these new methods the theory and a literature review are presented, followed by applications, which illustrate the capability to model excavation induced processes in principle. In a comprehensive case study, the modeling concept is used to simulate the response of the Tournemire argillite to excavation. The results are compared with observations and measurements of three different excavations (century old tunnel, two galleries excavated in 1996 and 2003). In summary, it can be concluded that the developed model concept provides a prediction of the excavation induced

  8. Modeling of excavation induced coupled hydraulic-mechanical processes in claystone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Massmann, Jobst

    2009-01-01

    Concepts for the numerical modeling of excavation induced processes in claystone are investigated. The study has been motivated by the international discussion on the adequacy of claystone as a potential host rock for a final repository of radioactive waste. The processes, which could impact the safety of such a repository, are manifold and strongly interacting. Thus, a multiphysics approach is needed, regarding solid mechanics and fluid mechanics within a geological context. A coupled modeling concept is therefore indispensable. Based on observations and measurements at an argillaceous test site (the underground laboratory Tournemire, operated by the Institute of Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety, France) the modeling concept is developed. Two main processes constitute the basis of the applied model: deformation (linear elasticity considering damage) and fluid flow (unsaturated one-phase flow). Several coupling phenomena are considered: Terzaghi 's effective stress concept, mass conservation of the liquid in a deformable porous media, drying induced shrinkage, and a permeability which depends on deformation and damage. In addition, transversely isotropic material behavior is considered. The numerical simulations are done with the finite element code RockFlow, which is extended to include: an orthotropic non-linear shrinkage model, a continuum damage model, and an orthotropic permeability model. For these new methods the theory and a literature review are presented, followed by applications, which illustrate the capability to model excavation induced processes in principle. In a comprehensive case study, the modeling concept is used to simulate the response of the Tournemire argillite to excavation. The results are compared with observations and measurements of three different excavations (century old tunnel, two galleries excavated in 1996 and 2003). In summary, it can be concluded that the developed model concept provides a prediction of the excavation induced

  9. Modeling of excavation induced coupled hydraulic-mechanical processes in claystone

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Massmann, Jobst

    2009-07-01

    Concepts for the numerical modeling of excavation induced processes in claystone are investigated. The study has been motivated by the international discussion on the adequacy of claystone as a potential host rock for a final repository of radioactive waste. The processes, which could impact the safety of such a repository, are manifold and strongly interacting. Thus, a multiphysics approach is needed, regarding solid mechanics and fluid mechanics within a geological context. A coupled modeling concept is therefore indispensable. Based on observations and measurements at an argillaceous test site (the underground laboratory Tournemire, operated by the Institute of Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety, France) the modeling concept is developed. Two main processes constitute the basis of the applied model: deformation (linear elasticity considering damage) and fluid flow (unsaturated one-phase flow). Several coupling phenomena are considered: Terzaghi 's effective stress concept, mass conservation of the liquid in a deformable porous media, drying induced shrinkage, and a permeability which depends on deformation and damage. In addition, transversely isotropic material behavior is considered. The numerical simulations are done with the finite element code RockFlow, which is extended to include: an orthotropic non-linear shrinkage model, a continuum damage model, and an orthotropic permeability model. For these new methods the theory and a literature review are presented, followed by applications, which illustrate the capability to model excavation induced processes in principle. In a comprehensive case study, the modeling concept is used to simulate the response of the Tournemire argillite to excavation. The results are compared with observations and measurements of three different excavations (century old tunnel, two galleries excavated in 1996 and 2003). In summary, it can be concluded that the developed model concept provides a prediction of the excavation

  10. Seawater operating bio-photovoltaic cells coupling semiconductor photoanodes and enzymatic biocathodes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Lingling; Alvarez-Martos, Isabel; Vakurov, Alexander

    2017-01-01

    and inexpensive way. Here, we report clean and sustainable conversion of solar energy into electricity by photo-and bio-electrocatalytic recycling of the H2O/O-2 redox couple in a hybrid bio-photovoltaic (BPV) membraneless cell comprising a sunlight-illuminated water-oxidizing semiconductor anode (either Zn......-doped hematite or TiO2) and an oxygen-reducing enzymatic biocathode, in such environmental media as seawater. Upon simulated solar light illumination (AM 1.5G, 100 mW cm(-2)), the maximum power density (P-max) generated by the cell was 236 and 21.4 mu W cm(-2) in 1 M Tris-HCl and seawater, both at pH 8...... thermodynamically feasible coupling of cost-effective photoactive materials such as TiO2 or hematite semiconductors and enzymatic counterparts in seawater media opens a prospective clean and sustainable way of transformation of the most abundant, clean and renewable source of energy - solar light - and the Earth...

  11. Adherens junction distribution mechanisms during cell-cell contact elongation in Drosophila.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabrielle Goldenberg

    Full Text Available During Drosophila gastrulation, amnioserosa (AS cells flatten and spread as an epithelial sheet. We used AS morphogenesis as a model to investigate how adherens junctions (AJs distribute along elongating cell-cell contacts in vivo. As the contacts elongated, total AJ protein levels increased along their length. However, genetically blocking this AJ addition indicated that it was not essential for maintaining AJ continuity. Implicating other remodeling mechanisms, AJ photobleaching revealed non-directional lateral mobility of AJs along the elongating contacts, as well as local AJ removal from the membranes. Actin stabilization with jasplakinolide reduced AJ redistribution, and live imaging of myosin II along elongating contacts revealed fragmented, expanding and contracting actomyosin networks, suggesting a mechanism for lateral AJ mobility. Actin stabilization also increased total AJ levels, suggesting an inhibition of AJ removal. Implicating AJ removal by endocytosis, clathrin endocytic machinery accumulated at AJs. However, dynamin disruption had no apparent effect on AJs, suggesting the involvement of redundant or dynamin-independent mechanisms. Overall, we propose that new synthesis, lateral diffusion, and endocytosis play overlapping roles to populate elongating cell-cell contacts with evenly distributed AJs in this in vivo system.

  12. Target duality in N= 8 superconformal mechanics and the coupling of dual pairs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gonzales, Marcelo [Carrera de Física Universidad Autónoma Tomás Frías, Av. Del Maestro s/n, Casilla 36, Potosí (Bolivia, Plurinational State of); Khodaee, Sadi; Toppan, Francesco [TEO, CBPF Rua Dr. Xavier Sigaud 150 (Urca), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), cep 22290-180 (Brazil); Lechtenfeld, Olaf [Institut für Theoretische Physik and Riemann Center for Geometry and Physics, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Appelstraße 2, 30167 Hannover (Germany); Centre for Quantum Engineering and Space-Time Research, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Welfengarten 1, 30167 Hannover (Germany)

    2013-07-15

    We couple dual pairs of N= 8 superconformal mechanics with conical targets of dimension d and 8−d. The superconformal coupling generates an oscillator-type potential on each of the two target factors, with a frequency depending on the respective dual coordinates. In the case of the inhomogeneous (3,8,5) model, which entails a monopole background, it is necessary to add an extra supermultiplet of constants for half of the supersymmetry. The N= 4 analog, joining an inhomogeneous (1,4,3) with a (3,4,1) multiplet, is also analyzed in detail.

  13. Reheating mechanism of the curvaton with nonminimal derivative coupling to gravity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qiu, Taotao [Central China Normal University, Institute of Astrophysics, Wuhan (China); Central China Normal University, Key Laboratory of Quark and Lepton Physics (MOE) and College of Physical Science and Technology, Wuhan (China); Feng, Kaixi [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Beijing (China)

    2017-10-15

    In this paper, we continue our study of the curvaton model with nonminimal derivative coupling (NDC) to Einstein gravity proposed in our previous work (Feng in Phys Lett B 729:99, 2014; Feng and Qiu in Phys Rev D 90(12):123508, 2014), focusing on the reheating mechanism. We found that according to whether the curvaton has or has not dominated the background after the end of inflation, it will have two different behaviors of evolution, which should be the general property of the curvaton with nonminimal couplings. This will cause two different parts of reheating, which goes on via the parametric resonance process. The reheating temperature is estimated for both cases in which reheating completes before and after curvaton domination, and the constraints are quite loose compared to that of overproduction of gravitinos. Finally we investigated the evolution of curvature perturbation during reheating. We have shown both analytically and numerically that the curvature perturbation will not blow up during the resonance process. (orig.)

  14. Reheating mechanism of the curvaton with nonminimal derivative coupling to gravity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qiu, Taotao; Feng, Kaixi

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, we continue our study of the curvaton model with nonminimal derivative coupling (NDC) to Einstein gravity proposed in our previous work (Feng in Phys Lett B 729:99, 2014; Feng and Qiu in Phys Rev D 90(12):123508, 2014), focusing on the reheating mechanism. We found that according to whether the curvaton has or has not dominated the background after the end of inflation, it will have two different behaviors of evolution, which should be the general property of the curvaton with nonminimal couplings. This will cause two different parts of reheating, which goes on via the parametric resonance process. The reheating temperature is estimated for both cases in which reheating completes before and after curvaton domination, and the constraints are quite loose compared to that of overproduction of gravitinos. Finally we investigated the evolution of curvature perturbation during reheating. We have shown both analytically and numerically that the curvature perturbation will not blow up during the resonance process. (orig.)

  15. Identifying the Oscillatory Mechanism of the Glucose Oxidase-Catalase Coupled Enzyme System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muzika, František; Jurašek, Radovan; Schreiberová, Lenka; Radojković, Vuk; Schreiber, Igor

    2017-10-12

    We provide experimental evidence of periodic and aperiodic oscillations in an enzymatic system of glucose oxidase-catalase in a continuous-flow stirred reactor coupled by a membrane with a continuous-flow reservoir supplied with hydrogen peroxide. To describe such dynamics, we formulate a detailed mechanism based on partial results in the literature. Finally, we introduce a novel method for estimation of unknown kinetic parameters. The method is based on matching experimental data at an oscillatory instability with stoichiometric constraints of the mechanism formulated by applying the stability theory of reaction networks. This approach has been used to estimate rate coefficients in the catalase part of the mechanism. Remarkably, model simulations show good agreement with the observed oscillatory dynamics, including apparently chaotic intermittent behavior. Our method can be applied to any reaction system with an experimentally observable dynamical instability.

  16. The Effect of the Rotor Static Eccentricity on the Electro-Mechanical Coupled Characteristics of the Motorized Spindle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wu Zaixin

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available High-speed motorized spindle is a multi-variable, non-linear and strong coupling system. The rotor static eccentricity is inevitable because of machining or assembling error. The rotor static eccentricities have an important effect on the electromechanical coupled characteristics of the motorized spindle. In this paper, the electromechanical coupled mathematical model of the motorized spindle was set up. The mathematical model includes mechanical and electrical equation. The mechanical and electrical equation is built up by the variational principle. Furthermore, the inductance parameters without the rotor static eccentricity and the inductance parameters with rotor static eccentricity have been calculated by the winding function method and the high speed motorized spindle was simulated. The result show that the rotor static eccentricity can delay the starting process of the motorized spindle, and at steady state, the rotor circuit currents are still large because of the rotor static eccentricity.

  17. Mechanically Gated Ion Channels in Mammalian Hair Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xufeng Qiu

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Hair cells in the inner ear convert mechanical stimuli provided by sound waves and head movements into electrical signal. Several mechanically evoked ionic currents with different properties have been recorded in hair cells. The search for the proteins that form the underlying ion channels is still in progress. The mechanoelectrical transduction (MET channel near the tips of stereociliary in hair cells, which is responsible for sensory transduction, has been studied most extensively. Several components of the sensory mechanotransduction machinery in stereocilia have been identified, including the multi-transmembrane proteins tetraspan membrane protein in hair cell stereocilia (TMHS/LHFPL5, transmembrane inner ear (TMIE and transmembrane channel-like proteins 1 and 2 (TMC1/2. However, there remains considerable uncertainty regarding the molecules that form the channel pore. In addition to the sensory MET channel, hair cells express the mechanically gated ion channel PIEZO2, which is localized near the base of stereocilia and not essential for sensory transduction. The function of PIEZO2 in hair cells is not entirely clear but it might have a role in damage sensing and repair processes. Additional stretch-activated channels of unknown molecular identity and function have been found to localize at the basolateral membrane of hair cells. Here, we review current knowledge regarding the different mechanically gated ion channels in hair cells and discuss open questions concerning their molecular composition and function.

  18. Interference coupling mechanisms in Silicon Strip Detectors - CMS tracker "wings" A learned lesson for SLHC

    CERN Document Server

    Arteche, F; Rivetta, C

    2009-01-01

    The identification of coupling mechanisms between noise sources and sensitive areas of the front-end electronics (FEE) in the previous CMS tracker sub-system is critical to optimize the design and integration of integrated circuits, sensors and power distribution circuitry for the proposed SLHC Silicon Strip Tracker systems. This paper presents a validated model of the noise sensitivity observed in the Silicon Strip Detector-FEE of the CMS tracker that allows quantifying both the impact of the noise coupling mechanisms and the system immunity against electromagnetic interferences. This model has been validated based on simulations using finite element models and immunity tests conducted on prototypes of the Silicon Tracker End-Caps (TEC) and Outer Barrel (TOB) systems. The results of these studies show important recommendations and criteria to be applied in the design of future detectors to increase the immunity against electromagnetic noise.

  19. Molecular mechanisms of cell-cell spread of intracellular bacterial pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ireton, Keith

    2013-07-17

    Several bacterial pathogens, including Listeria monocytogenes, Shigella flexneri and Rickettsia spp., have evolved mechanisms to actively spread within human tissues. Spreading is initiated by the pathogen-induced recruitment of host filamentous (F)-actin. F-actin forms a tail behind the microbe, propelling it through the cytoplasm. The motile pathogen then encounters the host plasma membrane, forming a bacterium-containing protrusion that is engulfed by an adjacent cell. Over the past two decades, much progress has been made in elucidating mechanisms of F-actin tail formation. Listeria and Shigella produce tails of branched actin filaments by subverting the host Arp2/3 complex. By contrast, Rickettsia forms tails with linear actin filaments through a bacterial mimic of eukaryotic formins. Compared with F-actin tail formation, mechanisms controlling bacterial protrusions are less well understood. However, recent findings have highlighted the importance of pathogen manipulation of host cell-cell junctions in spread. Listeria produces a soluble protein that enhances bacterial protrusions by perturbing tight junctions. Shigella protrusions are engulfed through a clathrin-mediated pathway at 'tricellular junctions'--specialized membrane regions at the intersection of three epithelial cells. This review summarizes key past findings in pathogen spread, and focuses on recent developments in actin-based motility and the formation and internalization of bacterial protrusions.

  20. Multiscale methods coupling atomistic and continuum mechanics: analysis of a simple case

    OpenAIRE

    Blanc , Xavier; Le Bris , Claude; Legoll , Frédéric

    2007-01-01

    International audience; The description and computation of fine scale localized phenomena arising in a material (during nanoindentation, for instance) is a challenging problem that has given birth to many multiscale methods. In this work, we propose an analysis of a simple one-dimensional method that couples two scales, the atomistic one and the continuum mechanics one. The method includes an adaptive criterion in order to split the computational domain into two subdomains, that are described...

  1. Mechanisms of radiation-induced neoplastic cell transformation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, T.C.H.; Tobias, C.A.

    1984-04-01

    Studies with cultured mammalian cells demonstrated clearly that radiation can transform cells directly and can enhance the cell transformation by oncogenic DNA viruses. In general, high-LET heavy-ion radiation can be more effective than X and gamma rays in inducing neoplastic cell transformation. Various experimental results indicate that radiation-induced DNA damage, most likely double-strand breaks, is important for both the initiation of cell transformation and for the enhancement of viral transformation. Some of the transformation and enhancement lesions can be repaired properly in the cell, and the amount of irrepairable lesions produced by a given dose depends on the quality of radiation. An inhibition of repair processes with chemical agents can increase the transformation frequency of cells exposed to radiation and/or oncogenic viruses, suggesting that repair mechanisms may play an important role in the radiation transformation. The progression of radiation-transformed cells appears to be a long and complicated process that can be modulated by some nonmutagenic chemical agents, e.g., DMSO. Normal cells can inhibit the expression of transforming properties of tumorigenic cells through an as yet unknown mechanism. The progression and expression of transformation may involve some epigenetic changes in the irradiated cells. 38 references, 15 figures, 1 table.

  2. Mechanisms of radiation-induced neoplastic cell transformation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, T.C.H.; Tobias, C.A.

    1984-04-01

    Studies with cultured mammalian cells demonstrated clearly that radiation can transform cells directly and can enhance the cell transformation by oncogenic DNA viruses. In general, high-LET heavy-ion radiation can be more effective than X and gamma rays in inducing neoplastic cell transformation. Various experimental results indicate that radiation-induced DNA damage, most likely double-strand breaks, is important for both the initiation of cell transformation and for the enhancement of viral transformation. Some of the transformation and enhancement lesions can be repaired properly in the cell, and the amount of irrepairable lesions produced by a given dose depends on the quality of radiation. An inhibition of repair processes with chemical agents can increase the transformation frequency of cells exposed to radiation and/or oncogenic viruses, suggesting that repair mechanisms may play an important role in the radiation transformation. The progression of radiation-transformed cells appears to be a long and complicated process that can be modulated by some nonmutagenic chemical agents, e.g., DMSO. Normal cells can inhibit the expression of transforming properties of tumorigenic cells through an as yet unknown mechanism. The progression and expression of transformation may involve some epigenetic changes in the irradiated cells. 38 references, 15 figures, 1 table

  3. Mechanisms of Virus-Induced Neural Cell Death

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Tyler, Kenneth

    2002-01-01

    Virtually all known neurotropic viruses are capable of killing infected cells by inducing a specific pattern of cell death known as apoptosis, yet the mechanism by which this occurs and its relevance...

  4. Biophysical mechanisms complementing "classical" cell biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Funk, Richard H W

    2018-01-01

    This overview addresses phenomena in cell- and molecular biology which are puzzling by their fast and highly coordinated way of organization. Generally, it appears that informative processes probably involved are more on the biophysical than on the classical biochemical side. The coordination problem is explained within the first part of the review by the topic of endogenous electrical phenomena. These are found e.g. in fast tissue organization and reorganization processes like development, wound healing and regeneration. Here, coupling into classical biochemical signaling and reactions can be shown by modern microscopy, electronics and bioinformatics. Further, one can follow the triggered reactions seamlessly via molecular biology till into genetics. Direct observation of intracellular electric processes is very difficult because of e.g. shielding through the cell membrane and damping by other structures. Therefore, we have to rely on photonic and photon - phonon coupling phenomena like molecular vibrations, which are addressed within the second part. Molecules normally possess different charge moieties and thus small electromagnetic (EMF) patterns arise during molecular vibration. These patterns can now be measured best within the optical part of the spectrum - much less in the lower terahertz till kHz and lower Hz part (third part of this review). Finally, EMFs facilitate quantum informative processes in coherent domains of molecular, charge and electron spin motion. This helps to coordinate such manifold and intertwined processes going on within cells, tissues and organs (part 4). Because the phenomena described in part 3 and 4 of the review still await really hard proofs we need concerted efforts and a combination of biophysics, molecular biology and informatics to unravel the described mysteries in "physics of life".

  5. Single-cell telomere-length quantification couples telomere length to meristem activity and stem cell development in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González-García, Mary-Paz; Pavelescu, Irina; Canela, Andrés; Sevillano, Xavier; Leehy, Katherine A; Nelson, Andrew D L; Ibañes, Marta; Shippen, Dorothy E; Blasco, Maria A; Caño-Delgado, Ana I

    2015-05-12

    Telomeres are specialized nucleoprotein caps that protect chromosome ends assuring cell division. Single-cell telomere quantification in animals established a critical role for telomerase in stem cells, yet, in plants, telomere-length quantification has been reported only at the organ level. Here, a quantitative analysis of telomere length of single cells in Arabidopsis root apex uncovered a heterogeneous telomere-length distribution of different cell lineages showing the longest telomeres at the stem cells. The defects in meristem and stem cell renewal observed in tert mutants demonstrate that telomere lengthening by TERT sets a replicative limit in the root meristem. Conversely, the long telomeres of the columella cells and the premature stem cell differentiation plt1,2 mutants suggest that differentiation can prevent telomere erosion. Overall, our results indicate that telomere dynamics are coupled to meristem activity and continuous growth, disclosing a critical association between telomere length, stem cell function, and the extended lifespan of plants. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptors as markers of adult stem cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Barker, N.; Clevers, H.

    2010-01-01

    Molecular markers are used to characterize and track adult stem cells. Colon cancer research has led to the identification of 2 related receptors, leucine-rich repeat-containing, G-protein-coupled receptors (Lgr)5 and Lgr6, that are expressed by small populations of cells in a variety of adult

  7. Mechanisms underlying KCNQ1channel cell volume sensitivity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hammami, Sofia

    Cells are constantly exposed to changes in cell volume during cell metabolism, nutrient uptake, cell proliferation, cell migration and salt and water transport. In order to cope with these perturbations, potassium channels in line with chloride channels have been shown to be likely contributors...... to the process of cell volume adjustments. A great diversity of potassium channels being members of either the 6TM, 4 TM or 2 TM K+ channel gene family have been shown to be strictly regulated by small, fast changes in cell volume. However, the precise mechanism underlying the K+ channel sensitivity to cell...... volume alterations is not yet fully understood. The KCNQ1 channel belonging to the voltage gated KCNQ family is considered a precise sensor of volume changes. The goal of this thesis was to elucidate the mechanism that induces cell volume sensitivity. Until now, a number of investigators have implicitly...

  8. Distinct mechanisms act in concert to mediate cell cycle arrest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toettcher, Jared E; Loewer, Alexander; Ostheimer, Gerard J; Yaffe, Michael B; Tidor, Bruce; Lahav, Galit

    2009-01-20

    In response to DNA damage, cells arrest at specific stages in the cell cycle. This arrest must fulfill at least 3 requirements: it must be activated promptly; it must be sustained as long as damage is present to prevent loss of genomic information; and after the arrest, cells must re-enter into the appropriate cell cycle phase to ensure proper ploidy. Multiple molecular mechanisms capable of arresting the cell cycle have been identified in mammalian cells; however, it is unknown whether each mechanism meets all 3 requirements or whether they act together to confer specific functions to the arrest. To address this question, we integrated mathematical models describing the cell cycle and the DNA damage signaling networks and tested the contributions of each mechanism to cell cycle arrest and re-entry. Predictions from this model were then tested with quantitative experiments to identify the combined action of arrest mechanisms in irradiated cells. We find that different arrest mechanisms serve indispensable roles in the proper cellular response to DNA damage over time: p53-independent cyclin inactivation confers immediate arrest, whereas p53-dependent cyclin downregulation allows this arrest to be sustained. Additionally, p21-mediated inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase activity is indispensable for preventing improper cell cycle re-entry and endoreduplication. This work shows that in a complex signaling network, seemingly redundant mechanisms, acting in a concerted fashion, can achieve a specific cellular outcome.

  9. Mechanical behavior and coupling between mechanical and oxidation in alloy 718: effect of solide solution elements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Max, Bertrand

    2014-01-01

    Alloy 718 is the superalloy the most widely used in industry due to its excellent mechanical properties, as well as oxidation and corrosion resistance in wide range of temperatures and solicitation modes. Nevertheless, it is a well-known fact that this alloy is sensitive to stress corrosion cracking and oxidation assisted cracking under loading in the range of temperatures met in service. Mechanisms explaining this phenomenon are not well understood: nevertheless, it is well established that a relation exists between a change in fracture mode and the apparition of plastic instabilities phenomenon. During this study, the instability phenomenon, Portevin-Le Chatelier effect, in alloy 718 was studied by tensile tests in wide ranges of temperatures and strain rates. Different domains of plastic instabilities have been evidenced. Their characteristics suggest the existence of interactions between dislocations and different types of solute elements: interstitials for lower temperatures and substitutionals for higher testing temperatures. Mechanical spectroscopy tests have been performed on alloy 718 and various alloys which composition is comparable to that of alloy 718. These tests prove the mobility of molybdenum atoms in the alloy in the studied temperature range. Specific tests have been performed to study interaction phenomenon between plasticity and oxidation. These results highlight the strong effect of plastic strain rate on both mechanical behavior and intergranular cracking in alloy 718. The subsequent discussion leads to propose hypothesis on coupling effects between deformation mechanisms and oxidation assisted embrittlement in the observed cracking processes. (author)

  10. Shavenbaby couples patterning to epidermal cell shape control.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hélène Chanut-Delalande

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available It is well established that developmental programs act during embryogenesis to determine animal morphogenesis. How these developmental cues produce specific cell shape during morphogenesis, however, has remained elusive. We addressed this question by studying the morphological differentiation of the Drosophila epidermis, governed by a well-known circuit of regulators leading to a stereotyped pattern of smooth cells and cells forming actin-rich extensions (trichomes. It was shown that the transcription factor Shavenbaby plays a pivotal role in the formation of trichomes and underlies all examined cases of the evolutionary diversification of their pattern. To gain insight into the mechanisms of morphological differentiation, we sought to identify shavenbaby's downstream targets. We show here that Shavenbaby controls epidermal cell shape, through the transcriptional activation of different classes of cellular effectors, directly contributing to the organization of actin filaments, regulation of the extracellular matrix, and modification of the cuticle. Individual inactivation of shavenbaby's targets produces distinct trichome defects and only their simultaneous inactivation prevent trichome formation. Our data show that shavenbaby governs an evolutionarily conserved developmental module consisting of a set of genes collectively responsible for trichome formation, shedding new light on molecular mechanisms acting during morphogenesis and the way they can influence evolution of animal forms.

  11. Gold nanoparticle-mediated (GNOME) laser perforation: a new method for a high-throughput analysis of gap junction intercellular coupling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Begandt, Daniela; Bader, Almke; Antonopoulos, Georgios C; Schomaker, Markus; Kalies, Stefan; Meyer, Heiko; Ripken, Tammo; Ngezahayo, Anaclet

    2015-10-01

    The present report evaluates the advantages of using the gold nanoparticle-mediated laser perforation (GNOME LP) technique as a computer-controlled cell optoperforation to introduce Lucifer yellow (LY) into cells in order to analyze the gap junction coupling in cell monolayers. To permeabilize GM-7373 endothelial cells grown in a 24 multiwell plate with GNOME LP, a laser beam of 88 μm in diameter was applied in the presence of gold nanoparticles and LY. After 10 min to allow dye uptake and diffusion through gap junctions, we observed a LY-positive cell band of 179 ± 8 μm width. The presence of the gap junction channel blocker carbenoxolone during the optoperforation reduced the LY-positive band to 95 ± 6 μm. Additionally, a forskolin-related enhancement of gap junction coupling, recently found using the scrape loading technique, was also observed using GNOME LP. Further, an automatic cell imaging and a subsequent semi-automatic quantification of the images using a java-based ImageJ-plugin were performed in a high-throughput sequence. Moreover, the GNOME LP was used on cells such as RBE4 rat brain endothelial cells, which cannot be mechanically scraped as well as on three-dimensionally cultivated cells, opening the possibility to implement the GNOME LP technique for analysis of gap junction coupling in tissues. We conclude that the GNOME LP technique allows a high-throughput automated analysis of gap junction coupling in cells. Moreover this non-invasive technique could be used on monolayers that do not support mechanical scraping as well as on cells in tissue allowing an in vivo/ex vivo analysis of gap junction coupling.

  12. An experimental evaluation of the fully coupled hysteretic electro-mechanical behaviour of piezoelectric actuators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Butcher, Mark [Department of Engineering, CERN, 1211 Geneva (Switzerland); Davino, Daniele, E-mail: davino@unisannio.it [Department of Engineering, University of Sannio, Benevento (Italy); Giustiniani, Alessandro; Masi, Alessandro [Department of Engineering, CERN, 1211 Geneva (Switzerland)

    2016-04-01

    Piezoelectrics are the most commonly used of the multifunctional smart materials in industrial applications, because of their relatively low cost and ease of use in electric and electronic oriented applications. Nevertheless, while datasheets usually give just small signal quasi-static parameters, their full potential can only be exploited only if a full characterization is available because the maximum stroke or the higher piezo coupling coefficients are available at different electro-mechanical biases, where often small signal analysis is not valid. In this paper a method to get the quasi-static fully coupled characterization is presented. The method is tested on a commercial piezo actuator but can be extended to similar devices.

  13. Final Report: Improving the understanding of the coupled thermal-mechanical-hydrologic behavior of consolidating granular salt

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stormont, John [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Lampe, Brandon [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Mills, Melissa [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Paneru, Laxmi [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Lynn, Timothy [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Piya, Aayush [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2017-09-09

    The goal of this project is to improve the understanding of key aspects of the coupled thermal-mechanical-hydrologic response of granular (or crushed) salt used as a seal material for shafts, drifts, and boreholes in mined repositories in salt. The project is organized into three tasks to accomplish this goal: laboratory measurements of granular salt consolidation (Task 1), microstructural observations on consolidated samples (Task 2), and constitutive model development and evaluation (Task 3). Task 1 involves laboratory measurements of salt consolidation along with thermal properties and permeability measurements conducted under a range of temperatures and stresses expected for potential mined repositories in salt. Testing focused on the role of moisture, temperature and stress state on the hydrologic (permeability) and thermal properties of consolidating granular salt at high fractional densities. Task 2 consists of microstructural observations made on samples after they have been consolidated to interpret deformation mechanisms and evaluate the ability of the constitutive model to predict operative mechanisms under different conditions. Task 3 concerns the development of the coupled thermal-mechanical-hydrologic constitutive model for granular salt consolidation. The measurements and observations in Tasks 1 and 2 were used to develop a thermal-mechanical constitutive model. Accomplishments and status from each of these efforts is reported in subsequent sections of this report

  14. The mechanism of coupling between oxido-reduction and proton translocation in respiratory chain enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papa, Sergio; Capitanio, Giuseppe; Papa, Francesco

    2018-02-01

    The respiratory chain of mitochondria and bacteria is made up of a set of membrane-associated enzyme complexes which catalyse sequential, stepwise transfer of reducing equivalents from substrates to oxygen and convert redox energy into a transmembrane protonmotive force (PMF) by proton translocation from a negative (N) to a positive (P) aqueous phase separated by the coupling membrane. There are three basic mechanisms by which a membrane-associated redox enzyme can generate a PMF. These are membrane anisotropic arrangement of the primary redox catalysis with: (i) vectorial electron transfer by redox metal centres from the P to the N side of the membrane; (ii) hydrogen transfer by movement of quinones across the membrane, from a reduction site at the N side to an oxidation site at the P side; (iii) a different type of mechanism based on co-operative allosteric linkage between electron transfer at the metal redox centres and transmembrane electrogenic proton translocation by apoproteins. The results of advanced experimental and theoretical analyses and in particular X-ray crystallography show that these three mechanisms contribute differently to the protonmotive activity of cytochrome c oxidase, ubiquinone-cytochrome c oxidoreductase and NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase of the respiratory chain. This review considers the main features, recent experimental advances and still unresolved problems in the molecular/atomic mechanism of coupling between the transfer of reducing equivalents and proton translocation in these three protonmotive redox complexes. © 2017 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

  15. Multiplex bio-assay with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: Towards a massively multivariate single-cell technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanner, Scott D.; Ornatsky, Olga; Bandura, Dmitry R.; Baranov, Vladimir I.

    2007-01-01

    Recent progress in the development of massively multiplexed bioanalytical assays using element tags with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry detection is reviewed. Feasibility results using commercially available secondary immunolabeling reagents for leukemic cell lines are presented. Multiplex analysis of higher order is shown with first generation tag reagents based on functionalized carriers that bind lanthanide ions. DNA quantification using metallointercalation allows for cell enumeration or mitotic state differentiation. In situ hybridization permits the determination of cellular RNA. The results provide a feasibility basis for the development of a multivariate assay tool for individual cell analysis based on inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in a cytometer configuration

  16. Multiplex bio-assay with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: Towards a massively multivariate single-cell technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tanner, Scott D. [Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Room 407, 164 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G9 (Canada)], E-mail: sd.tanner@utoronto.ca; Ornatsky, Olga; Bandura, Dmitry R.; Baranov, Vladimir I. [Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Room 407, 164 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G9 (Canada)

    2007-03-15

    Recent progress in the development of massively multiplexed bioanalytical assays using element tags with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry detection is reviewed. Feasibility results using commercially available secondary immunolabeling reagents for leukemic cell lines are presented. Multiplex analysis of higher order is shown with first generation tag reagents based on functionalized carriers that bind lanthanide ions. DNA quantification using metallointercalation allows for cell enumeration or mitotic state differentiation. In situ hybridization permits the determination of cellular RNA. The results provide a feasibility basis for the development of a multivariate assay tool for individual cell analysis based on inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in a cytometer configuration.

  17. Self-trapping mechanisms in the dynamics of three coupled Bose-Einstein condensates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Franzosi, Roberto; Penna, Vittorio

    2002-01-01

    We formulate the dynamics of three coupled Bose-Einstein condensates within a semiclassical scenario based on the standard boson coherent states. We compare such a picture with that of K. Nemoto et al. [Phys. Rev. A 63, 013604 (2001)] and show how our approach entails a simple formulation of the dimeric regime therein studied. This allows us to recognize the parameters that govern the bifurcation mechanism causing self-trapping, and paves the way to the construction of analytic solutions

  18. Analysis and modeling of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena in 3D fractured media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canamon Valera, I.

    2006-11-01

    This doctoral research was conducted as part of a joint France-Spain co-tutelage PhD thesis in the framework of a bilateral agreement between two universities, the Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse (INPT) and the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (UPM). It concerns a problem of common interest at the national and international levels, namely, the disposal of radioactive waste in deep geological repositories. The present work is devoted, more precisely, to near-field hydrogeological aspects involving mass and heat transport phenomena. The first part of the work is devoted to a specific data interpretation problem (pressures, relative humidities, temperatures) in a multi-barrier experimental system at the scale of a few meters - the 'Mock-Up Test' of the FEBEX project, conducted in Spain. Over 500 time series are characterized in terms of spatial, temporal, and/or frequency/scale-based statistical analysis techniques. The time evolution and coupling of physical phenomena during the experiment are analyzed, and conclusions are drawn concerning the behavior and reliability of the sensors. The second part of the thesis develops in more detail the 3-Dimensional (3D) modeling of coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical phenomena in a fractured porous rock, this time at the scale of a hundred meters, based on the data of the 'In-Situ Test' of the FEBEX project conducted at the Grimsel Test Site in the Swiss Alps. As a first step, a reconstruction of the 3D fracture network is obtained by Monte Carlo simulation, taking into account through optimization the geomorphological data collected around the FEBEX gallery. The heterogeneous distribution of traces observed on the cylindrical wall of the tunnel is fairly well reproduced in the simulated network. In a second step, we develop a method to estimate the equivalent permeability of a many-fractured block by extending the superposition method of Ababou et al. [1994] to the case where the permeability of the rock matrix is not

  19. Growth mechanics of bacterial cell wall and morphology of bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Hongyuan; Sun, Sean

    2010-03-01

    The peptidoglycan cell wall of bacteria is responsible for maintaining the cell shape and integrity. During the bacterial life cycle, the growth of the cell wall is affected by mechanical stress and osmotic pressure internal to the cell. We develop a theory to describe cell shape changes under the influence of mechanical forces. We find that the theory predicts a steady state size and shape for bacterial cells ranging from cocci to spirillum. Moreover, the theory suggest a mechanism by which bacterial cytoskeletal proteins such as MreB and crescentin can maintain the shape of the cell. The theory can also explain the several recent experiments on growing bacteria in micro-environments.

  20. Cell Interactomics and Carcinogenetic Mechanisms

    CERN Document Server

    Baianu, IC; Report to the Institute of Genomics

    2004-01-01

    Single cell interactomics in simpler organisms, as well as somatic cell interactomics in multicellular organisms, involve biomolecular interactions in complex signalling pathways that were recently represented in modular terms by quantum automata with ‘reversible behavior’ representing normal cell cycling and division. Other implications of such quantum automata, modular modeling of signaling pathways and cell differentiation during development are in the fields of neural plasticity and brain development leading to quantum-weave dynamic patterns and specific molecular processes underlying extensive memory, learning, anticipation mechanisms and the emergence of human consciousness during the early brain development in children. Cell interactomics is here represented for the first time as a mixture of ‘classical’ states that determine molecular dynamics subject to Boltzmann statistics and ‘steady-state’, metabolic (multi-stable) manifolds, together with ‘configuration’ spaces of metastable quant...

  1. Mechanisms of Betulinic acid‐induced cell death

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Potze, L.

    2015-01-01

    The scope of this thesis was to investigate the mechanisms by which BetA induces cell death in cancer cells in more detail. At the start of the studies described in this thesis several questions urgently needed an answer. Although BetA induces cell death via apoptosis, when blocking this form of

  2. Modeling of the Reaction Mechanism of Enzymatic Radical C–C Coupling by Benzylsuccinate Synthase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maciej Szaleniec

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Molecular modeling techniques and density functional theory calculations were performed to study the mechanism of enzymatic radical C–C coupling catalyzed by benzylsuccinate synthase (BSS. BSS has been identified as a glycyl radical enzyme that catalyzes the enantiospecific fumarate addition to toluene initiating its anaerobic metabolism in the denitrifying bacterium Thauera aromatica, and this reaction represents the general mechanism of toluene degradation in all known anaerobic degraders. In this work docking calculations, classical molecular dynamics (MD simulations, and DFT+D2 cluster modeling was employed to address the following questions: (i What mechanistic details of the BSS reaction yield the most probable molecular model? (ii What is the molecular basis of enantiospecificity of BSS? (iii Is the proposed mechanism consistent with experimental observations, such as an inversion of the stereochemistry of the benzylic protons, syn addition of toluene to fumarate, exclusive production of (R-benzylsuccinate as a product and a kinetic isotope effect (KIE ranging between 2 and 4? The quantum mechanics (QM modeling confirms that the previously proposed hypothetical mechanism is the most probable among several variants considered, although C–H activation and not C–C coupling turns out to be the rate limiting step. The enantiospecificity of the enzyme seems to be enforced by a thermodynamic preference for binding of fumarate in the pro(R orientation and reverse preference of benzyl radical attack on fumarate in pro(S pathway which results with prohibitively high energy barrier of the radical quenching. Finally, the proposed mechanism agrees with most of the experimental observations, although the calculated intrinsic KIE from the model (6.5 is still higher than the experimentally observed values (4.0 which suggests that both C–H activation and radical quenching may jointly be involved in the kinetic control of the reaction.

  3. Vibroacoustic Modeling of Mechanically Coupled Structures: Artificial Spring Technique Applied to Light and Heavy Mediums

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Cheng

    1996-01-01

    Full Text Available This article deals with the modeling of vibrating structures immersed in both light and heavy fluids, and possible applications to noise control problems and industrial vessels containing fluids. A theoretical approach, using artificial spring systems to characterize the mechanical coupling between substructures, is extended to include fluid loading. A structure consisting of a plate-ended cylindrical shell and its enclosed acoustic cavity is analyzed. After a brief description of the proposed technique, a number of numerical results are presented. The analysis addresses the following specific issues: the coupling between the plate and the shell; the coupling between the structure and the enclosure; the possibilities and difficulties regarding internal soundproofing through modifications of the joint connections; and the effects of fluid loading on the vibration of the structure.

  4. Flexible parallel implicit modelling of coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical processes in fractured rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cacace, Mauro; Jacquey, Antoine B.

    2017-09-01

    Theory and numerical implementation describing groundwater flow and the transport of heat and solute mass in fully saturated fractured rocks with elasto-plastic mechanical feedbacks are developed. In our formulation, fractures are considered as being of lower dimension than the hosting deformable porous rock and we consider their hydraulic and mechanical apertures as scaling parameters to ensure continuous exchange of fluid mass and energy within the fracture-solid matrix system. The coupled system of equations is implemented in a new simulator code that makes use of a Galerkin finite-element technique. The code builds on a flexible, object-oriented numerical framework (MOOSE, Multiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment) which provides an extensive scalable parallel and implicit coupling to solve for the multiphysics problem. The governing equations of groundwater flow, heat and mass transport, and rock deformation are solved in a weak sense (either by classical Newton-Raphson or by free Jacobian inexact Newton-Krylow schemes) on an underlying unstructured mesh. Nonlinear feedbacks among the active processes are enforced by considering evolving fluid and rock properties depending on the thermo-hydro-mechanical state of the system and the local structure, i.e. degree of connectivity, of the fracture system. A suite of applications is presented to illustrate the flexibility and capability of the new simulator to address problems of increasing complexity and occurring at different spatial (from centimetres to tens of kilometres) and temporal scales (from minutes to hundreds of years).

  5. Flexible parallel implicit modelling of coupled thermal–hydraulic–mechanical processes in fractured rocks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Cacace

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Theory and numerical implementation describing groundwater flow and the transport of heat and solute mass in fully saturated fractured rocks with elasto-plastic mechanical feedbacks are developed. In our formulation, fractures are considered as being of lower dimension than the hosting deformable porous rock and we consider their hydraulic and mechanical apertures as scaling parameters to ensure continuous exchange of fluid mass and energy within the fracture–solid matrix system. The coupled system of equations is implemented in a new simulator code that makes use of a Galerkin finite-element technique. The code builds on a flexible, object-oriented numerical framework (MOOSE, Multiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment which provides an extensive scalable parallel and implicit coupling to solve for the multiphysics problem. The governing equations of groundwater flow, heat and mass transport, and rock deformation are solved in a weak sense (either by classical Newton–Raphson or by free Jacobian inexact Newton–Krylow schemes on an underlying unstructured mesh. Nonlinear feedbacks among the active processes are enforced by considering evolving fluid and rock properties depending on the thermo-hydro-mechanical state of the system and the local structure, i.e. degree of connectivity, of the fracture system. A suite of applications is presented to illustrate the flexibility and capability of the new simulator to address problems of increasing complexity and occurring at different spatial (from centimetres to tens of kilometres and temporal scales (from minutes to hundreds of years.

  6. Cell Membrane Transport Mechanisms: Ion Channels and Electrical Properties of Cell Membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulbacka, Julita; Choromańska, Anna; Rossowska, Joanna; Weżgowiec, Joanna; Saczko, Jolanta; Rols, Marie-Pierre

    2017-01-01

    Cellular life strongly depends on the membrane ability to precisely control exchange of solutes between the internal and external (environmental) compartments. This barrier regulates which types of solutes can enter and leave the cell. Transmembrane transport involves complex mechanisms responsible for passive and active carriage of ions and small- and medium-size molecules. Transport mechanisms existing in the biological membranes highly determine proper cellular functions and contribute to drug transport. The present chapter deals with features and electrical properties of the cell membrane and addresses the questions how the cell membrane accomplishes transport functions and how transmembrane transport can be affected. Since dysfunctions of plasma membrane transporters very often are the cause of human diseases, we also report how specific transport mechanisms can be modulated or inhibited in order to enhance the therapeutic effect.

  7. Simple display system of mechanical properties of cells and their dispersion.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuji Shimizu

    Full Text Available The mechanical properties of cells are unique indicators of their states and functions. Though, it is difficult to recognize the degrees of mechanical properties, due to small size of the cell and broad distribution of the mechanical properties. Here, we developed a simple virtual reality system for presenting the mechanical properties of cells and their dispersion using a haptic device and a PC. This system simulates atomic force microscopy (AFM nanoindentation experiments for floating cells in virtual environments. An operator can virtually position the AFM spherical probe over a round cell with the haptic handle on the PC monitor and feel the force interaction. The Young's modulus of mesenchymal stem cells and HEK293 cells in the floating state was measured by AFM. The distribution of the Young's modulus of these cells was broad, and the distribution complied with a log-normal pattern. To represent the mechanical properties together with the cell variance, we used log-normal distribution-dependent random number determined by the mode and variance values of the Young's modulus of these cells. The represented Young's modulus was determined for each touching event of the probe surface and the cell object, and the haptic device-generating force was calculated using a Hertz model corresponding to the indentation depth and the fixed Young's modulus value. Using this system, we can feel the mechanical properties and their dispersion in each cell type in real time. This system will help us not only recognize the degrees of mechanical properties of diverse cells but also share them with others.

  8. Development of Side Coupled Cavities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Conto, J.M. de; Carretta, J.M.; Gomez-Martinez, Y.; Micoud, R.

    2008-01-01

    Side coupled Cavities are good candidates for proton accelerations in the 90-180 MeV range, as it has been first proposed for the CERN LINAC4 project. A side coupled Linac is made of a lump chain of resonant cavities, alternatively accelerating and coupling. A side coupled cavity has been designed in a CERN-LPSC collaboration to achieve LINAC4 requirements. After RF studies, a complete thermal study has been done, showing that 10-15% is the absolute maximum duty-cycle achievable by such a cavity. Error studies have been developed. They have shown that a tuning ring is mandatory and that a K equals 3% coupling factor is a good choice. A prototype has been built and each cell has been measured and tuned. A simple and accurate method has been used to get both the resonant frequency and the coupling factor, with a movable tuner and a linear fit. A similar method has been used to get the second order coupling factor. A large dispersion is observed on K. This is mainly due to the shape of the coupling apertures, which are very sensitive to mechanical errors. A future and realistic design must be very careful to guarantee a constant aperture (the important parameter is more the dispersion of k than its exact value). Finally, we analyse how to tune the cavity. This has to checked carefully and probably improved or corrected. Results are expected for mid-2008

  9. Novel vaccines targeting dendritic cells by coupling allergoids to nonoxidized mannan enhance allergen uptake and induce functional regulatory T cells through programmed death ligand 1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sirvent, Sofía; Soria, Irene; Cirauqui, Cristina; Cases, Bárbara; Manzano, Ana I; Diez-Rivero, Carmen M; Reche, Pedro A; López-Relaño, Juan; Martínez-Naves, Eduardo; Cañada, F Javier; Jiménez-Barbero, Jesús; Subiza, Javier; Casanovas, Miguel; Fernández-Caldas, Enrique; Subiza, José Luis; Palomares, Oscar

    2016-08-01

    Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is the only curative treatment for allergy. AIT faces pitfalls related to efficacy, security, duration, and patient compliance. Novel vaccines overcoming such inconveniences are in demand. We sought to study the immunologic mechanisms of action for novel vaccines targeting dendritic cells (DCs) generated by coupling glutaraldehyde-polymerized grass pollen allergoids to nonoxidized mannan (PM) compared with glutaraldehyde-polymerized allergoids (P) or native grass pollen extracts (N). Skin prick tests and basophil activation tests with N, P, or PM were performed in patients with grass pollen allergy. IgE-blocking experiments, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, cocultures, suppression assays, real-time quantitative PCR, ELISAs, and ELISpot assays were performed to assess allergen capture by human DCs and T-cell responses. BALB/c mice were immunized with PM, N, or P. Antibody levels, cytokine production by splenocytes, and splenic forkhead box P3 (FOXP3)(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells were quantified. Experiments with oxidized PM were also performed. PM displays in vivo hypoallergenicity, induces potent blocking antibodies, and is captured by human DCs much more efficiently than N or P by mechanisms depending on mannose receptor- and dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule 3-grabbing nonintegrin-mediated internalization. PM endorses human DCs to generate functional FOXP3(+) Treg cells through programmed death ligand 1. Immunization of mice with PM induces a shift to nonallergic responses and increases the frequency of splenic FOXP3(+) Treg cells. Mild oxidation impairs these effects in human subjects and mice, demonstrating the essential role of preserving the carbohydrate structure of mannan. Allergoids conjugated to nonoxidized mannan represent suitable vaccines for AIT. Our findings might also be of the utmost relevance to development of therapeutic interventions in other immune tolerance-related diseases. Copyright

  10. Genome-wide analysis reveals a cell cycle–dependent mechanism controlling centromere propagation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erhardt, Sylvia; Mellone, Barbara G.; Betts, Craig M.; Zhang, Weiguo; Karpen, Gary H.; Straight, Aaron F.

    2008-01-01

    Centromeres are the structural and functional foundation for kinetochore formation, spindle attachment, and chromosome segregation. In this study, we isolated factors required for centromere propagation using genome-wide RNA interference screening for defects in centromere protein A (CENP-A; centromere identifier [CID]) localization in Drosophila melanogaster. We identified the proteins CAL1 and CENP-C as essential factors for CID assembly at the centromere. CID, CAL1, and CENP-C coimmunoprecipitate and are mutually dependent for centromere localization and function. We also identified the mitotic cyclin A (CYCA) and the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) inhibitor RCA1/Emi1 as regulators of centromere propagation. We show that CYCA is centromere localized and that CYCA and RCA1/Emi1 couple centromere assembly to the cell cycle through regulation of the fizzy-related/CDH1 subunit of the APC. Our findings identify essential components of the epigenetic machinery that ensures proper specification and propagation of the centromere and suggest a mechanism for coordinating centromere inheritance with cell division. PMID:19047461

  11. Mechanical perturbation control of cardiac alternans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazim, Azzam; Belhamadia, Youssef; Dubljevic, Stevan

    2018-05-01

    Cardiac alternans is a disturbance in heart rhythm that is linked to the onset of lethal cardiac arrhythmias. Mechanical perturbation control has been recently used to suppress alternans in cardiac tissue of relevant size. In this control strategy, cardiac tissue mechanics are perturbed via active tension generated by the heart's electrical activity, which alters the tissue's electric wave profile through mechanoelectric coupling. We analyze the effects of mechanical perturbation on the dynamics of a map model that couples the membrane voltage and active tension systems at the cellular level. Therefore, a two-dimensional iterative map of the heart beat-to-beat dynamics is introduced, and a stability analysis of the system of coupled maps is performed in the presence of a mechanical perturbation algorithm. To this end, a bidirectional coupling between the membrane voltage and active tension systems in a single cardiac cell is provided, and a discrete form of the proposed control algorithm, that can be incorporated in the coupled maps, is derived. In addition, a realistic electromechanical model of cardiac tissue is employed to explore the feasibility of suppressing alternans at cellular and tissue levels. Electrical activity is represented in two detailed ionic models, the Luo-Rudy 1 and the Fox models, while two active contractile tension models, namely a smooth variant of the Nash-Panfilov model and the Niederer-Hunter-Smith model, are used to represent mechanical activity in the heart. The Mooney-Rivlin passive elasticity model is employed to describe passive mechanical behavior of the myocardium.

  12. Coupling Bacterial Activity Measurements with Cell Sorting by Flow Cytometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Servais; Courties; Lebaron; Troussellier

    1999-08-01

    > Abstract A new procedure to investigate the relationship between bacterial cell size and activity at the cellular level has been developed; it is based on the coupling of radioactive labeling of bacterial cells and cell sorting by flow cytometry after SYTO 13 staining. Before sorting, bacterial cells were incubated in the presence of tritiated leucine using a procedure similar to that used for measuring bacterial production by leucine incorporation and then stained with SYTO 13. Subpopulations of bacterial cells were sorted according to their average right-angle light scatter (RALS) and fluorescence. Average RALS was shown to be significantly related to the average biovolume. Experiments were performed on samples collected at different times in a Mediterranean seawater mesocosm enriched with nitrogen and phosphorus. At four sampling times, bacteria were sorted in two subpopulations (cells smaller and larger than 0.25 µm(3)). The results indicate that, at each sampling time, the growth rate of larger cells was higher than that of smaller cells. In order to confirm this tendency, cell sorting was performed on six subpopulations differing in average biovolume during the mesocosm follow-up. A clear increase of the bacterial growth rates was observed with increasing cell size for the conditions met in this enriched mesocosm.http://link.springer-ny.com/link/service/journals/00248/bibs/38n2p180.html

  13. Cell wall trapping of autocrine peptides for human G-protein-coupled receptors on the yeast cell surface.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun Ishii

    Full Text Available G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs regulate a wide variety of physiological processes and are important pharmaceutical targets for drug discovery. Here, we describe a unique concept based on yeast cell-surface display technology to selectively track eligible peptides with agonistic activity for human GPCRs (Cell Wall Trapping of Autocrine Peptides (CWTrAP strategy. In our strategy, individual recombinant yeast cells are able to report autocrine-positive activity for human GPCRs by expressing a candidate peptide fused to an anchoring motif. Following expression and activation, yeast cells trap autocrine peptides onto their cell walls. Because captured peptides are incapable of diffusion, they have no impact on surrounding yeast cells that express the target human GPCR and non-signaling peptides. Therefore, individual yeast cells can assemble the autonomous signaling complex and allow single-cell screening of a yeast population. Our strategy may be applied to identify eligible peptides with agonistic activity for target human GPCRs.

  14. Insights into the mechanism and catalysis of oxime coupling chemistry at physiological pH.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shujiang; Gurav, Deepanjali; Oommen, Oommen P; Varghese, Oommen P

    2015-04-07

    The dynamic covalent-coupling reaction involving α-effect nucleophiles has revolutionized bioconjugation approaches, due to its ease and high efficiency. Key to its success is the discovery of aniline as a nucleophilic catalyst, which made this reaction feasible under physiological conditions. Aniline however, is not so effective for keto substrates. Here, we investigate the mechanism of aniline activation in the oxime reaction with aldehyde and keto substrates. We also present carboxylates as activating agents that can promote the oxime reaction with both aldehyde and keto substrates at physiological pH. This rate enhancement circumvents the influence of α-effect by forming H-bonds with the rate-limiting intermediate, which drives the reaction to completion. The combination of aniline and carboxylates had a synergistic effect, resulting in a ∼14-31-fold increase in reaction rate at pD 7.4 with keto substrates. The biocompatibility and efficiency of carboxylate as an activating agent is demonstrated by performing cell-surface oxime labeling at physiological pH using acetate, which showed promising results that were comparable with aniline. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Mechanisms of G Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor-Mediated Spinal Nociception

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Deliu, Elena; Brailoiu, G. Cristina; Arterburn, Jeffrey B.

    2012-01-01

    . Cytosolic calcium concentration elevates faster and with higher amplitude following G-1 intracellular microinjections compared to extracellular exposure, suggesting subcellular GPER functionality. Thus, GPER activation results in spinal nociception, and the downstream mechanisms involve cytosolic calcium......Human and animal studies suggest that estrogens are involved in the processing of nociceptive sensory information and analgesic responses in the central nervous system. Rapid pronociceptive estrogenic effects have been reported, some of which likely involve G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER......) activation. Membrane depolarization and increases in cytosolic calcium and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels are markers of neuronal activation, underlying pain sensitization in the spinal cord. Using behavioral, electrophysiological, and fluorescent imaging studies, we evaluated GPER involvement...

  16. An efficient hydro-mechanical model for coupled multi-porosity and discrete fracture porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Xia; Huang, Zhaoqin; Yao, Jun; Li, Yang; Fan, Dongyan; Zhang, Kai

    2018-02-01

    In this paper, a numerical model is developed for coupled analysis of deforming fractured porous media with multiscale fractures. In this model, the macro-fractures are modeled explicitly by the embedded discrete fracture model, and the supporting effects of fluid and fillings in these fractures are represented explicitly in the geomechanics model. On the other hand, matrix and micro-fractures are modeled by a multi-porosity model, which aims to accurately describe the transient matrix-fracture fluid exchange process. A stabilized extended finite element method scheme is developed based on the polynomial pressure projection technique to address the displacement oscillation along macro-fracture boundaries. After that, the mixed space discretization and modified fixed stress sequential implicit methods based on non-matching grids are applied to solve the coupling model. Finally, we demonstrate the accuracy and application of the proposed method to capture the coupled hydro-mechanical impacts of multiscale fractures on fractured porous media.

  17. Chemo-mechanical control of neural stem cell differentiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geishecker, Emily R.

    Cellular processes such as adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation are controlled in part by cell interactions with the microenvironment. Cells can sense and respond to a variety of stimuli, including soluble and insoluble factors (such as proteins and small molecules) and externally applied mechanical stresses. Mechanical properties of the environment, such as substrate stiffness, have also been suggested to play an important role in cell processes. The roles of both biochemical and mechanical signaling in fate modification of stem cells have been explored independently. However, very few studies have been performed to study well-controlled chemo-mechanotransduction. The objective of this work is to design, synthesize, and characterize a chemo-mechanical substrate to encourage neuronal differentiation of C17.2 neural stem cells. In Chapter 2, Polyacrylamide (PA) gels of varying stiffnesses are functionalized with differing amounts of whole collagen to investigate the role of protein concentration in combination with substrate stiffness. As expected, neurons on the softest substrate were more in number and neuronal morphology than those on stiffer substrates. Neurons appeared locally aligned with an expansive network of neurites. Additional experiments would allow for statistical analysis to determine if and how collagen density impacts C17.2 differentiation in combination with substrate stiffness. Due to difficulties associated with whole protein approaches, a similar platform was developed using mixed adhesive peptides, derived from fibronectin and laminin, and is presented in Chapter 3. The matrix elasticity and peptide concentration can be individually modulated to systematically probe the effects of chemo-mechanical signaling on differentiation of C17.2 cells. Polyacrylamide gel stiffness was confirmed using rheological techniques and found to support values published by Yeung et al. [1]. Cellular growth and differentiation were assessed by cell counts

  18. Periodic driving control of Raman-induced spin-orbit coupling in Bose-Einstein condensates: The heating mechanisms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomez Llorente, J. M.; Plata, J.

    2016-06-01

    We focus on a technique recently implemented for controlling the magnitude of synthetic spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in ultracold atoms in the Raman-coupling scenario. This technique uses a periodic modulation of the Raman-coupling amplitude to tune the SOC. Specifically, it has been shown that the effect of a high-frequency sinusoidal modulation of the Raman-laser intensity can be incorporated into the undriven Hamiltonian via effective parameters, whose adiabatic variation can therefore be used to tune the SOC. Here, we characterize the heating mechanisms that can be relevant to this method. We identify the main mechanism responsible for the heating observed in the experiments as basically rooted in driving-induced transfer of population to excited states. Characteristics of that process determined by the harmonic trapping, the decay of the excited states, and the technique used for preparing the system are discussed. Additional heating, rooted in departures from adiabaticity in the variation of the effective parameters, is also described. Our analytical study provides some clues that may be useful in the design of strategies for curbing the effects of heating on the efficiency of the control methods.

  19. Summary report of research on evaluation of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior in the engineered barrier

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Amemiya, Kiyoshi; Yamashita, Ryo

    2002-02-01

    After emplacement of the engineered barrier system (EBS), it is expected that the near-field environment will be impacted by phenomena such as heat dissipation by conduction and other heat transfer mechanisms, infiltration of groundwater from the surrounding rock in to the engineered barrier system, stress imposed by the overburden pressure and generation of swelling pressure in the buffer due to water infiltration. In order to recognize and evaluate these coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) phenomena, it is necessary to make a confidence of the mathematical models and computer codes. Evaluating these coupled THM phenomena is important in order to clarify the initial transient behavior of the EBS within the near field. DECOVALEX project is an international co-operative project for the DEvelopment of COupled models and their VALidation against EXperiments in nuclear waste isolation and it is significance to participate this project and to apply the code for the validation. Therefore, we tried to apply the developed numerical code against the subjects of DECOVALEX. In the above numerical code, swelling phenomenon is modeled as the function of water potential. However it dose no evaluate the experiment results enough. Then, we try to apply the new model. (author)

  20. A Review of Low Frequency Electromagnetic Wave Phenomena Related to Tropospheric-Ionospheric Coupling Mechanisms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simoes, Fernando; Pfaff, Robert; Berthelier, Jean-Jacques; Klenzing, Jeffrey

    2012-01-01

    Investigation of coupling mechanisms between the troposphere and the ionosphere requires a multidisciplinary approach involving several branches of atmospheric sciences, from meteorology, atmospheric chemistry, and fulminology to aeronomy, plasma physics, and space weather. In this work, we review low frequency electromagnetic wave propagation in the Earth-ionosphere cavity from a troposphere-ionosphere coupling perspective. We discuss electromagnetic wave generation, propagation, and resonance phenomena, considering atmospheric, ionospheric and magnetospheric sources, from lightning and transient luminous events at low altitude to Alfven waves and particle precipitation related to solar and magnetospheric processes. We review in situ ionospheric processes as well as surface and space weather phenomena that drive troposphere-ionosphere dynamics. Effects of aerosols, water vapor distribution, thermodynamic parameters, and cloud charge separation and electrification processes on atmospheric electricity and electromagnetic waves are reviewed. We also briefly revisit ionospheric irregularities such as spread-F and explosive spread-F, sporadic-E, traveling ionospheric disturbances, Trimpi effect, and hiss and plasma turbulence. Regarding the role of the lower boundary of the cavity, we review transient surface phenomena, including seismic activity, earthquakes, volcanic processes and dust electrification. The role of surface and atmospheric gravity waves in ionospheric dynamics is also briefly addressed. We summarize analytical and numerical tools and techniques to model low frequency electromagnetic wave propagation and solving inverse problems and summarize in a final section a few challenging subjects that are important for a better understanding of tropospheric-ionospheric coupling mechanisms.

  1. Mechanical feedback coordinates cell wall expansion and assembly in yeast mating morphogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    2018-01-01

    The shaping of individual cells requires a tight coordination of cell mechanics and growth. However, it is unclear how information about the mechanical state of the wall is relayed to the molecular processes building it, thereby enabling the coordination of cell wall expansion and assembly during morphogenesis. Combining theoretical and experimental approaches, we show that a mechanical feedback coordinating cell wall assembly and expansion is essential to sustain mating projection growth in budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Our theoretical results indicate that the mechanical feedback provided by the Cell Wall Integrity pathway, with cell wall stress sensors Wsc1 and Mid2 increasingly activating membrane-localized cell wall synthases Fks1/2 upon faster cell wall expansion, stabilizes mating projection growth without affecting cell shape. Experimental perturbation of the osmotic pressure and cell wall mechanics, as well as compromising the mechanical feedback through genetic deletion of the stress sensors, leads to cellular phenotypes that support the theoretical predictions. Our results indicate that while the existence of mechanical feedback is essential to stabilize mating projection growth, the shape and size of the cell are insensitive to the feedback. PMID:29346368

  2. Multi-scale modelling of the physicochemical-mechanical coupling of fuel behaviour at high temperature in pressurized water reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Julien, Jerome

    2008-01-01

    Within the frame of the problematic of pellet-sheath interaction in a nuclear fuel rod, a good description of the fuel thermo-mechanical behaviour is required. This research thesis reports the coupling of physics-chemistry (simulation of gas transfers between different cavities) and mechanics (assessment of fuel viscoplastic strains). A new micromechanical model is developed which uses a multi-scale approach to describe the evolution of the double population of cavities (cavities with two different scales) while taking internal pressures as well as the fuel macroscopic viscoplastic behaviour into account. The author finally describes how to couple this micromechanical mode to physics-chemistry models [fr

  3. Modelling of thermo-hydro-mechanical couplings and damage of viscoplastic rocks in the context of radioactive waste storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kharkhour, H.

    2002-12-01

    Trying to develop a model taking into account the complex rheology of a geologic media characterized by visco-plasticity, damage and thermo-hydro-mechanical couplings is unusual in geotechnics. This is not the case for radioactive waste storage that presents specificities from several viewpoints. Indeed, the scales of time and space concerned by this type of storage are disproportionate to those of civil engineering works or mines. Another specificity of the radioactive waste storage lies in the coupled processes involved. No effect likely to compromise the long-term security of the storage could be ignored. For example this is the case of damage, a phenomenon which does not necessarily lead to a major change of the mechanical behavior of the works but can influence the permeability of the medium in relation with a migration of radionuclides. It can be conceived that this phenomenon finds all its importance in the context of the thermo-hydro-mechanical couplings of a waste storage with high activity. However, the interaction between the damage and the THM coupled processes was the object of very few research subject up to now. This. is even more true for viscoplastic media considered as ductile, and therefore, less prone to cracking than brittle media. It is exactly in this 'original' but difficult context that took place the research presented in this report. This study was dedicated to the analysis of the phenomena and the thermal, hydraulic and mechanical couplings occurring in the near and far field of a high activity radioactive waste storage. Two examples of geological media were considered in this report: the clayey rock of Callovo-Oxfordian, called ' Argilites de l'Est ', target rock of the ANDRA project to carry out a subterranean laboratory for the study of long life radioactive waste storage; and the salt rock of the. subterranean laboratory in the old salt mine of Asse in Germany. (author)

  4. Mechanisms for Cell-to-Cell Transmission of HIV-1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bracq, Lucie; Xie, Maorong; Benichou, Serge; Bouchet, Jérôme

    2018-01-01

    While HIV-1 infection of target cells with cell-free viral particles has been largely documented, intercellular transmission through direct cell-to-cell contact may be a predominant mode of propagation in host. To spread, HIV-1 infects cells of the immune system and takes advantage of their specific particularities and functions. Subversion of intercellular communication allows to improve HIV-1 replication through a multiplicity of intercellular structures and membrane protrusions, like tunneling nanotubes, filopodia, or lamellipodia-like structures involved in the formation of the virological synapse. Other features of immune cells, like the immunological synapse or the phagocytosis of infected cells are hijacked by HIV-1 and used as gateways to infect target cells. Finally, HIV-1 reuses its fusogenic capacity to provoke fusion between infected donor cells and target cells, and to form infected syncytia with high capacity of viral production and improved capacities of motility or survival. All these modes of cell-to-cell transfer are now considered as viral mechanisms to escape immune system and antiretroviral therapies, and could be involved in the establishment of persistent virus reservoirs in different host tissues. PMID:29515578

  5. iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis reveals the mechanisms of silicon-mediated cadmium tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa) cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Jie; Sheng, Huachun; Li, Xiuli; Wang, Lijun

    2016-07-01

    Silicon (Si) can alleviate cadmium (Cd) stress in rice (Oryza sativa) plants, however, the understanding of the molecular mechanisms at the single-cell level remains limited. To address these questions, we investigated suspension cells of rice cultured in the dark environment in the absence and presence of Si with either short- (12 h) or long-term (5 d) Cd treatments using a combination of isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ), fluorescent staining, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). We identified 100 proteins differentially regulated by Si under the short- or long-term Cd stress. 70% of these proteins were down-regulated, suggesting that Si may improve protein use efficiency by maintaining cells in the normal physiological status. Furthermore, we showed two different mechanisms for Si-mediated Cd tolerance. Under the short-term Cd stress, the Si-modified cell walls inhibited the uptake of Cd ions into cells and consequently reduced the expressions of glycosidase, cell surface non-specific lipid-transfer proteins (nsLTPs), and several stress-related proteins. Under the long-term Cd stress, the amount of Cd in the cytoplasm in Si-accumulating (+Si) cells was decreased by compartmentation of Cd into vacuoles, thus leading to a lower expression of glutathione S-transferases (GST). These results provide protein-level insights into the Si-mediated Cd detoxification in rice single cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  6. A coupled mechanical/hydrologic model for WIPP shaft seals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ehgartner, B.

    1991-06-01

    Effective sealing of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) shafts will be required to isolate defense-generated transuranic wastes from the accessible environment. Shafts penetrate water-bearing hard rock formations before entering a massive creeping-salt formation (Salado) where the WIPP is located. Short and long-term seals are planned for the shafts. Short-term seals, a composite of concrete and bentonite, will primarily be located in the hard rock formations separating the water-bearing zones from the Salado Formation. These seals will limit water flow to the underlying long-term seals in the Salado. The long-term seals will consist of lengthly segments of initially unsaturated crushed salt. Creep closure of the shaft will consolidate unsaturated crushed salt, thereby reducing its permeability. However, water passing through the upper short-term seals and brine inherent to the salt host rock itself will eventually saturate the crushed salt and consolidation could be inhibited. Before saturating, portions of the crushed salt in the shafts are expected to consolidate to a permeability equivalent to the salt host rock, thereby effectively isolating the waste from the overlying water-bearing formations. A phenomenological model is developed for the coupled mechanical/hydrologic behavior of sealed WIPP shafts. The model couples creep closure of the shaft, crushed salt consolidation, and the associated reduction in permeability with Darcy's law for saturated fluid flow to predict the overall permeability of the shaft seal system with time. 17 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab

  7. Mechanical behavior of cells within a cell-based model of wheat leaf growth

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ulyana Zubairova

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Understanding the principles and mechanisms of cell growth coordination in plant tissue remains an outstanding challenge for modern developmental biology. Cell-based modeling is a widely used technique for studying the geometric and topological features of plant tissue morphology during growth. We developed a quasi-one-dimensional model of unidirectional growth of a tissue layer in a linear leaf blade that takes cell autonomous growth mode into account. The model allows for fitting of the visible cell length using the experimental cell length distribution along the longitudinal axis of a wheat leaf epidermis. Additionally, it describes changes in turgor and osmotic pressures for each cell in the growing tissue. Our numerical experiments show that the pressures in the cell change over the cell cycle, and in symplastically growing tissue, they vary from cell to cell and strongly depend on the leaf growing zone to which the cells belong. Therefore, we believe that the mechanical signals generated by pressures are important to consider in simulations of tissue growth as possible targets for molecular genetic regulators of individual cell growth.

  8. Regulatory mechanisms of apoptosis in regularly dividing cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ribal S Darwish

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Ribal S DarwishDepartment of Anesthesiology, Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USAAbstract: The balance between cell survival and death is essential for normal development and homeostasis of organisms. Apoptosis is a distinct type of cell death with ultrastructural features that are consistent with an active, inherently controlled process. Abnormalities and ­dysregulation of apoptosis contribute to the pathophysiology of multiple disease processes. Apoptosis is strictly regulated by several positive and negative feedback mechanisms that regulate cell death and determine the final outcome after cell exposure to apoptotic stimuli. Mitochondria and caspases are central components of the regulatory mechanisms of ­apoptosis. Recently, noncaspase pathways of apoptosis have been explored through the studies of ­apoptosis-inducing factor and endonuclease G. Multiple difficulties in the apoptosis research relate to apoptosis detection and imaging. This article reviews current understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of apoptosis.Keywords: caspases, apoptosis-inducing factor, apoptosis inhibitory proteins, cytochrome c, mitochondria 

  9. SIERRA Mechanics, an emerging massively parallel HPC capability, for use in coupled THMC analyses of HLW repositories in clay/shale

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bean, J.E.; Sanchez, M.; Arguello, J.G.

    2012-01-01

    examines the pressure developed due to swelling under constant volume as the suction is decreased for 80 MPa to 0.01 MPa and then increased to 4 MPa. Specific details of the material response are described in the reference; in this section we simply provide a comparison to the CODE B RIGHT solution for some relevant quantities. The comparisons shown in Figures 1 a) and b) indicate that both the macro and microstructure features of the DSM implemented in Sierra/Adagio are in agreement with CODE B RIGHT. Efforts, beyond this preliminary, verification, will focus on comparisons of our SIERRA mechanics implementation as applied to a couple of more complex examples including those from a 'cell experiment', as described in Villar et al. (2008), as well as a heated 'mock-up experiment', as described in Sanchez et al. (2008), that both mimic an engineered barrier environment. (authors)

  10. From cells to tissue: A continuum model of epithelial mechanics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishihara, Shuji; Marcq, Philippe; Sugimura, Kaoru

    2017-08-01

    A two-dimensional continuum model of epithelial tissue mechanics was formulated using cellular-level mechanical ingredients and cell morphogenetic processes, including cellular shape changes and cellular rearrangements. This model incorporates stress and deformation tensors, which can be compared with experimental data. Focusing on the interplay between cell shape changes and cell rearrangements, we elucidated dynamical behavior underlying passive relaxation, active contraction-elongation, and tissue shear flow, including a mechanism for contraction-elongation, whereby tissue flows perpendicularly to the axis of cell elongation. This study provides an integrated scheme for the understanding of the orchestration of morphogenetic processes in individual cells to achieve epithelial tissue morphogenesis.

  11. Coupled Thermo-Mechanical and Photo-Chemical Degradation Mechanisms that determine the Reliability and Operational Lifetimes for CPV Technologies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dauskardt, Reinhold H. [Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

    2017-04-30

    This project sought to identify and characterize the coupled intrinsic photo-chemo-mechanical degradation mechanisms that determine the reliability and operational lifetimes for CPV technologies. Over a three year period, we have completed a highly successful program which has developed quantitative metrologies and detailed physics-based degradation models, providing new insight into the fundamental reliability physics necessary for improving materials, creating accelerated testing protocols, and producing more accurate lifetime predictions. The tasks for the program were separated into two focus areas shown in the figure below. Focus Area 1, led by Reinhold Dauskardt and Warren Cai with a primary collaboration with David Miller of NREL, studied the degradation mechanisms present in encapsulant materials. Focus Area 2, led by Reinhold Dauskardt and Ryan Brock with a primary collaboration with James Ermer and Peter Hebert of Spectrolab, studied stress development and degradation within internal CPV device interfaces. Each focus area was productive, leading to several publications, including findings on the degradation of silicone encapsulant under terrestrial UV, a model for photodegradation of silicone encapsulant adhesion, quantification and process tuning of antireflective layers on CPV, and discovery of a thermal cycling degradation mechanism present in metal gridline structures.

  12. NK sensitivity of neuroblastoma cells determined by a highly sensitive coupled luminescent method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogbomo, Henry; Hahn, Anke; Geiler, Janina; Michaelis, Martin; Doerr, Hans Wilhelm; Cinatl, Jindrich

    2006-01-01

    The measurement of natural killer (NK) cells toxicity against tumor or virus-infected cells especially in cases with small blood samples requires highly sensitive methods. Here, a coupled luminescent method (CLM) based on glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase release from injured target cells was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of interleukin-2 activated NK cells against neuroblastoma cell lines. In contrast to most other methods, CLM does not require the pretreatment of target cells with labeling substances which could be toxic or radioactive. The effective killing of tumor cells was achieved by low effector/target ratios ranging from 0.5:1 to 4:1. CLM provides highly sensitive, safe, and fast procedure for measurement of NK cell activity with small blood samples such as those obtained from pediatric patients

  13. Numerical modelling of ductile damage mechanics coupled with an unconventional plasticity model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Fincato

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Ductility in metals includes the material’s capability to tolerate plastic deformations before partial or total degradation of its mechanical properties. Modelling this parameter is important in structure and component design because it can be used to estimate material failure under a generic multi-axial stress state. Previous work has attempted to provide accurate descriptions of the mechanical property degradation resulting from the formation, growth, and coalescence of microvoids in the medium. Experimentally, ductile damage is inherently linked with the accumulation of plastic strain; therefore, coupling damage and elastoplasticity is necessary for describing this phenomenon accurately. In this paper, we combine the approach proposed by Lemaitre with the features of an unconventional plasticity model, the extended subloading surface model, to predict material fatigue even for loading conditions below the yield stress

  14. Glial Tissue Mechanics and Mechanosensing by Glial Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katarzyna Pogoda

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Understanding the mechanical behavior of human brain is critical to interpret the role of physical stimuli in both normal and pathological processes that occur in CNS tissue, such as development, inflammation, neurodegeneration, aging, and most common brain tumors. Despite clear evidence that mechanical cues influence both normal and transformed brain tissue activity as well as normal and transformed brain cell behavior, little is known about the links between mechanical signals and their biochemical and medical consequences. A multi-level approach from whole organ rheology to single cell mechanics is needed to understand the physical aspects of human brain function and its pathologies. This review summarizes the latest achievements in the field.

  15. Bithionol inhibits ovarian cancer cell growth In Vitro - studies on mechanism(s) of action

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ayyagari, Vijayalakshmi N; Brard, Laurent

    2014-01-01

    Drug resistance is a cause of ovarian cancer recurrence and low overall survival rates. There is a need for more effective treatment approaches because the development of new drug is expensive and time consuming. Alternatively, the concept of ‘drug repurposing’ is promising. We focused on Bithionol (BT), a clinically approved anti-parasitic drug as an anti-ovarian cancer drug. BT has previously been shown to inhibit solid tumor growth in several preclinical cancer models. A better understanding of the anti-tumor effects and mechanism(s) of action of BT in ovarian cancer cells is essential for further exploring its therapeutic potential against ovarian cancer. The cytotoxic effects of BT against a panel of ovarian cancer cell lines were determined by Presto Blue cell viability assay. Markers of apoptosis such as caspases 3/7, cPARP induction, nuclear condensation and mitochondrial transmembrane depolarization were assessed using microscopic, FACS and immunoblotting methods. Mechanism(s) of action of BT such as cell cycle arrest, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, autotaxin (ATX) inhibition and effects on MAPK and NF-kB signalling were determined by FACS analysis, immunoblotting and colorimetric methods. BT caused dose dependent cytotoxicity against all ovarian cancer cell lines tested with IC 50 values ranging from 19 μM – 60 μM. Cisplatin-resistant variants of A2780 and IGROV-1 have shown almost similar IC 50 values compared to their sensitive counterparts. Apoptotic cell death was shown by expression of caspases 3/7, cPARP, loss of mitochondrial potential, nuclear condensation, and up-regulation of p38 and reduced expression of pAkt, pNF-κB, pIκBα, XIAP, bcl-2 and bcl-xl. BT treatment resulted in cell cycle arrest at G1/M phase and increased ROS generation. Treatment with ascorbic acid resulted in partial restoration of cell viability. In addition, dose and time dependent inhibition of ATX was observed. BT exhibits cytotoxic effects on various

  16. Mass-charge-heat coupled transfers in a single cell of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell; Transferts couples masse-charge-chaleur dans une cellule de pile a combustible a membrane polymere

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramousse, J

    2005-11-15

    Understanding and modelling of coupled mass, charges and heat transfers phenomena are fundamental to analyze the electrical behaviour of the system. The aim of the present model is to describe electrical performances of a PEFMC according to the fluidic and thermal operating conditions. The water content of the membrane and the water distribution in the single cell are estimated according to the coupled simulations of mass transport in the thickness of the single cell and in the feeding channels of the bipolar plates. A microscopic model of a Gas Diffusion Electrode is built up to describe charges transfer phenomena occurring at the electrodes. Completed by a study of heat transfer in the Membrane Electrode Assembly, conditions and preferential sites of water vapor condensation can be highlighted. A set of measurements of the effective thermal conductivity of carbon felts used in fuel cells as porous backing layers have also been performed. Although the value of this parameter is essential for the study of heat transfer, it is still under investigation because of the strong thermal anisotropy of the medium. (author)

  17. Magnetic exchange in {Gd(III)-radical} complexes: method assessment, mechanism of coupling and magneto-structural correlations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Tulika; Rajeshkumar, Thayalan; Rajaraman, Gopalan

    2014-07-28

    Density functional studies have been performed on ten different {Gd(III)-radical} complexes exhibiting both ferro and antiferromagnetic exchange interaction with an aim to assess a suitable exchange-correlation functional within DFT formalism. This study has also been extended to probe the mechanism of magnetic coupling and to develop suitable magneto-structural correlations for this pair. Our method assessments reveal the following order of increasing accuracy for the evaluation of J values compared to experimental coupling constants: B(40HF)LYP X3LYP < B3LYP < B2PLYP. Grimme's double-hybrid functional is found to be superior compared to other functionals tested and this is followed very closely by the conventional hybrid B3LYP functional. At the basis set front, our calculations reveal that the incorporation of relativistic effect is important in these calculations and the relativistically corrected effective core potential (ECP) basis set is found to yield better Js compared to other methods. The supposedly empty 5d/6s/6p orbitals of Gd(III) are found to play an important role in the mechanism of magnetic coupling and different contributions to the exchange terms are probed using Molecular Orbital (MO) and Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis. Magneto-structural correlations for Gd-O distances, Gd-O-N angles and Gd-O-N-C dihedral angles are developed where the bond angles as well as dihedral angle parameters are found to dictate the sign and strength of the magnetic coupling in this series.

  18. A coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-damage model for concrete subjected to moderate temperatures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bary, B.; Carpentier, O. [CEA Saclay, DEN/DPC/SCCME/LECBA, F-91191 Gif Sur Yvette, (France); Ranc, G. [CEA VALRHO, DEN/DTEC/L2EC/LCEC, F-30207 Bagnols Sur Ceze, (France); Durand, S. [CEA Saclay, DEN/DM2S/SEMT/LM2S, F-91191 Gif Sur Yvette, (France)

    2008-07-01

    This study focuses on the concrete behavior subjected to moderate temperatures, with a particular emphasis on the transient thermo-hydric stage. A simplified coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical model is developed with the assumption that the gaseous phase is composed uniquely of vapor. Estimations of the mechanical parameters, Biot coefficient and permeability as a function of damage and saturation degree are provided by applying effective-medium approximation schemes. The isotherm adsorption curves are supposed to depend upon both temperature and crack-induced porosity. The effects of damage and parameters linked to transfer (in particular the adsorption curves) on the concrete structure response in the transient phase of heating are then investigated and evaluated. To this aim, the model is applied to the simulation of concrete cylinders with height and diameter of 0.80 m subjected to heating rates of 0.1 and 10 degrees C/min up to 160 degrees C. The numerical results are analyzed, commented and compared with experimental ones in terms of water mass loss, temperatures and gas pressures evolutions. A numerical study indicates that some parameters have a greater influence on the results than others, and that certain coupling terms in the mass conservation equation of water may be neglected. (authors)

  19. Development of finite element code for the analysis of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviors of saturated-unsaturated medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohnishi, Y.; Shibata, H.; Kobayashi, A.

    1985-01-01

    A model is presented which describes fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of porous geologic medium. The mathematical formulation for the model utilizes the Biot theory for the consolidation and the energy balance equation. The medium is in the condition of saturated-unsaturated flow, then the free surfaces are taken into consideration in the model. The model, incorporated in a finite element numerical procedure, was implemented in a two-dimensional computer code. The code was developed under the assumptions that the medium is poro-elastic and in plane strain condition; water in the ground does not change its phase; heat is transferred by conductive and convective flow. Analytical solutions pertaining to consolidation theory for soils and rocks, thermoelasticity for solids and hydrothermal convection theory provided verification of stress and fluid flow couplings, respectively in the coupled model. Several types of problems are analyzed. The one is a study of some of the effects of completely coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior on the response of a saturated-unsaturated porous rock containing a buried heat source. Excavation of an underground opening which has radioactive wastes at elevated temperatures is modeled and analyzed. The results shows that the coupling phenomena can be estimated at some degree by the numerical procedure. The computer code has a powerful ability to analyze of the repository the complex nature of the repository

  20. Stability and degradation mechanisms in organic solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ecker, Bernhard

    2012-04-26

    This thesis deals with stability improvements and the investigation of degradation mechanisms in organic solar cells. Organic solar cells have been in the focus of extensive academic research for over almost two decades and are currently entering the market in small scale applications. For successful large scale applications, next to the improvement of the power conversion efficiency, the stability of organic solar cells has to be increased. This thesis is dedicated to the investigation of novel materials and architectures to study stability-related issues and degradation mechanisms in order to contribute to the basic understanding of the working principles of organic solar cells. Here, impedance spectroscopy, a frequency domain technique, is used to gain information about stability and degradation mechanisms in organic solar cells. In combination with systematic variations in the preparation of solar cells, impedance spectroscopy gives the possibility to differentiate between interface and bulk dominated effects. Additionally, impedance spectroscopy gives access to the dielectric properties of the device, such as capacitance. This offers among other things the opportunity to probe the charge carrier concentration and the density of states. Another powerful way of evaluation is the combination of experimentally obtained impedance spectra with equivalent circuit modelling. The thesis presents results on novel materials and solar cell architectures for efficient hole and electron extraction. This indicates the importance of knowledge over interlayers and interfaces for improving both the efficiency and stability of organic solar cells.

  1. Slower speed and stronger coupling: adaptive mechanisms of chaos synchronization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiao Fan

    2002-06-01

    We show that two initially weakly coupled chaotic systems can achieve synchronization by adaptively reducing their speed and/or enhancing the coupling strength. Explicit adaptive algorithms for speed reduction and coupling enhancement are provided. We apply these algorithms to the synchronization of two coupled Lorenz systems. It is found that after a long-time adaptive process, the two coupled chaotic systems can achieve synchronization with almost the minimum required coupling-speed ratio.

  2. Physical-biological coupling induced aggregation mechanism for the formation of high biomass red tides in low nutrient waters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Zhigang; Yin, Kedong

    2014-01-01

    Port Shelter is a semi-enclosed bay in northeast Hong Kong where high biomass red tides are observed to occur frequently in narrow bands along the local bathymetric isobars. Previous study showed that nutrients in the Bay are not high enough to support high biomass red tides. The hypothesis is that physical aggregation and vertical migration of dinoflagellates appear to be the driving mechanism to promote the formation of red tides in this area. To test this hypothesis, we used a high-resolution estuarine circulation model to simulate the near-shore water dynamics based on in situ measured temperature/salinity profiles, winds and tidal constitutes taken from a well-validated regional tidal model. The model results demonstrated that water convergence occurs in a narrow band along the west shore of Port Shelter under a combined effect of stratified tidal current and easterly or northeasterly wind. Using particles as dinoflagellate cells and giving diel vertical migration, the model results showed that the particles aggregate along the convergent zone. By tracking particles in the model predicted current field, we estimated that the physical-biological coupled processes induced aggregation of the particles could cause 20-45 times enhanced cell density in the convergent zone. This indicated that a high cell density red tide under these processes could be initialized without very high nutrients concentrations. This may explain why Port Shelter, a nutrient-poor Bay, is the hot spot for high biomass red tides in Hong Kong in the past 25 years. Our study explains why red tide occurrences are episodic events and shows the importance of taking the physical-biological aggregation mechanism into consideration in the projection of red tides for coastal management. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Fluid transportation mechanisms by a coupled system of elastic membranes and magnetic fluids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ido, Y.; Tanaka, K.; Sugiura, Y.

    2002-01-01

    The basic properties of the fluid transportation mechanism that is produced by the coupled waves propagating along a thin elastic membrane covering a magnetic fluid layer in a shallow and long rectangular vessel are investigated. It is shown that the progressive magnetic field induced by the rectangular pulses generates sinusoidal vibration of the displacement of elastic membrane and makes the system work more efficiently than the magnetic field induced by the pulse-width-modulation method

  4. Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical Modeling of Water Leak-Off Process during Hydraulic Fracturing in Shale Gas Reservoirs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fei Wang

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The water leak-off during hydraulic fracturing in shale gas reservoirs is a complicated transport behavior involving thermal (T, hydrodynamic (H, mechanical (M and chemical (C processes. Although many leak-off models have been published, none of the models fully coupled the transient fluid flow modeling with heat transfer, chemical-potential equilibrium and natural-fracture dilation phenomena. In this paper, a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC model based on non-equilibrium thermodynamics, hydrodynamics, thermo-poroelastic rock mechanics, and non-isothermal chemical-potential equations is presented to simulate the water leak-off process in shale gas reservoirs. The THMC model takes into account a triple-porosity medium, which includes hydraulic fractures, natural fractures and shale matrix. The leak-off simulation with the THMC model involves all the important processes in this triple-porosity medium, including: (1 water transport driven by hydraulic, capillary, chemical and thermal osmotic convections; (2 gas transport induced by both hydraulic pressure driven convection and adsorption; (3 heat transport driven by thermal convection and conduction; and (4 natural-fracture dilation considered as a thermo-poroelastic rock deformation. The fluid and heat transport, coupled with rock deformation, are described by a set of partial differential equations resulting from the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy. The semi-implicit finite-difference algorithm is proposed to solve these equations. The evolution of pressure, temperature, saturation and salinity profiles of hydraulic fractures, natural fractures and matrix is calculated, revealing the multi-field coupled water leak-off process in shale gas reservoirs. The influences of hydraulic pressure, natural-fracture dilation, chemical osmosis and thermal osmosis on water leak-off are investigated. Results from this study are expected to provide a better understanding of the

  5. Periostin inhibits mechanical stretch-induced apoptosis in osteoblast-like MG-63 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Kai-Wen; Yao, Chung-Chen; Jeng, Jiiang-Huei; Shieh, Hao-Ying; Chen, Yi-Jane

    2018-04-01

    Appropriate mechanical stress plays an important role in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts, whereas high-level mechanical stress may be harmful and compromise cell survival. Periostin, a matricellular protein, is essential in maintaining functional integrity of bone and collagen-rich connective tissue in response to mechanical stress. This study investigated whether or not high-level mechanical stretch induces cell apoptosis and the regulatory role of periostin in mechanical stretch-induced apoptosis in osteoblastic cells. Osteoblast-like MG-63 cells were seeded onto Bio-Flex I culture plates and subjected to cyclic mechanical stretching (15% elongation, 0.1 Hz) in a Flexercell tension plus system-5000. The same process was applied to cells pre-treated with exogenous human recombinant periostin before mechanical stretching. We used a chromatin condensation and membrane permeability dead cell apoptosis kit to evaluate the stretch-induced cell responses. Expression of caspase-3 and cPARP was examined by immunofluorescent stain and flow cytometry. The expression of periostin in MG-63 cells is involved in the TGF-β signaling pathway. High-level cyclic mechanical stretch induced apoptotic responses in MG-63 osteoblastic cells. The percentages of apoptotic cells and cells expressing cPARP protein increased in the groups of cells subjected to mechanical stretch, but these responses were absent in the presence of exogenous periostin. Our study revealed that high-level mechanical stretch induces apoptotic cell death, and that periostin plays a protective role against mechanical stretch-induced apoptosis in osteoblastic cells. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. Cell-substrate interaction with cell-membrane-stress dependent adhesion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, H; Yang, B

    2012-01-10

    Cell-substrate interaction is examined in a two-dimensional mechanics model. The cell and substrate are treated as a shell and an elastic solid, respectively. Their interaction through adhesion is treated using nonlinear springs. Compared to previous cell mechanics models, the present model introduces a cohesive force law that is dependent not only on cell-substrate distance but also on internal cell-membrane stress. It is postulated that a living cell would establish focal adhesion sites with density dependent on the cell-membrane stress. The formulated mechanics problem is numerically solved using coupled finite elements and boundary elements for the cell and the substrate, respectively. The nodes in the adhesion zone from either side are linked by the cohesive springs. The specific cases of a cell adhering to a homogeneous substrate and a heterogeneous bimaterial substrate are examined. The analyses show that the substrate stiffness affects the adhesion behavior significantly and regulates the direction of cell adhesion, in good agreement with the experimental results in the literature. By introducing a reactive parameter (i.e., cell-membrane stress) linking biological responses of a living cell to a mechanical environment, the present model offers a unified mechanistic vehicle for characterization and prediction of living cell responses to various kinds of mechanical stimuli including local extracellular matrix and neighboring cells. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Regenerating medicine related to the stem-cells and its mechanisms of action from adults cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hernandez Ramirez, Porfirio

    2009-01-01

    Regenerating medicine is a branch of Medicine very developed in past years. Advances in this field have been closely linked with the new knowledge achieved on stem-cells and its ability to become in cells of different tissues. This type of medicine is based on the behaviors adopted by organism to substitute those damaged cells by the healthy ones by different processes in specific tissues. Therapeutic measures used may include the stem-cell transplantation, the use of soluble molecules, genic therapy and tissues engineering. Nowadays, the more used method is the adult stem-cells. However, is not well known the mechanisms by which the transplanted cells could to improve or to promote the tissue regeneration. To explain these mechanisms some hypotheses has been proposed including the cellular trans-differentiation, cells fusion, and the effects secondaries to cells release by cells of different soluble molecules with specific actions; in addition to the autocrine and paracrine effects that may have these soluble factors, it is suggested too the existence of a telecrine action. It is probable that more than one of these mechanisms be executed

  8. Enhancement of mechanical strength of TiO2/high-density polyethylene composites for bone repair with silane-coupling treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hashimoto, Masami; Takadama, Hiroaki; Mizuno, Mineo; Kokubo, Tadashi

    2006-01-01

    Mechanical properties of composites made up of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and silanated TiO 2 particles for use as a bone-repairing material were investigated in comparison with those of the composites of HDPE with unsilanized TiO 2 particles. The interfacial morphology and interaction between silanated TiO 2 and HDPE were analyzed by means of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The absorption in spectral bands related to the carboxyl bond in the silane-coupling agent, the vinyl group in the HDPE, and the formation of the ether bond was studied in order to assess the influence of the silane-coupling agent. The SEM micrograph showed that the 'bridging effect' between HDPE and TiO 2 was brought about by the silane-coupling agent. The use of the silane-coupling agent and the increase of the hot-pressing pressure for shaping the composites facilitated the penetration of polymer into cavities between individual TiO 2 particles, which increased the density of the composite. Therefore, mechanical properties such as bending yield strength and Young's modulus increased from 49 MPa and 7.5 GPa to 65 MPa and 10 GPa, respectively, after the silane-coupling treatment and increase in the hot-pressing pressure

  9. submitter An experimental evaluation of the fully coupled hysteretic electro-mechanical behaviour of piezoelectric actuators

    CERN Document Server

    Butcher, Mark; Giustiniani, Alessandro; Masi, Alessandro

    2016-01-01

    Piezoelectrics are the most commonly used of the multifunctional smart materials in industrial applications, because of their relatively low cost and ease of use in electric and electronic oriented applications. Nevertheless, while datasheets usually give just small signal quasi-static parameters, their full potential can only be exploited only if a full characterization is available because the maximum stroke or the higher piezo coupling coefficients are available at different electro-mechanical biases, where often small signal analysis is not valid. In this paper a method to get the quasi-static fully coupled characterization is presented. The method is tested on a commercial piezo actuator but can be extended to similar devices.

  10. Quantifying the mechanical micro-environment during three-dimensional cell expansion on microbeads by means of individual cell-based modelling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smeets, Bart; Odenthal, Tim; Tijskens, Engelbert; Ramon, Herman; Van Oosterwyck, Hans

    2013-10-01

    Controlled in vitro three-dimensional cell expansion requires culture conditions that optimise the biophysical micro-environment of the cells during proliferation. In this study, we propose an individual cell-based modelling platform for simulating the mechanics of cell expansion on microcarriers. The lattice-free, particle-based method considers cells as individual interacting particles that deform and move over time. The model quantifies how the mechanical micro-environment of individual cells changes during the time of confluency. A sensitivity analysis is performed, which shows that changes in the cell-specific properties of cell-cell adhesion and cell stiffness cause the strongest change in the mechanical micro-environment of the cells. Furthermore, the influence of the mechanical properties of cells and microbead is characterised. The mechanical micro-environment is strongly influenced by the adhesive properties and the size of the microbead. Simulations show that even in the absence of strong biological heterogeneity, a large heterogeneity in mechanical stresses can be expected purely due to geometric properties of the culture system.

  11. Recent Advances on the Role of G Protein-Coupled Receptors in Hypoxia-Mediated Signaling

    OpenAIRE

    Lappano, Rosamaria; Rigiracciolo, Damiano; De Marco, Paola; Avino, Silvia; Cappello, Anna Rita; Rosano, Camillo; Maggiolini, Marcello; De Francesco, Ernestina Marianna

    2016-01-01

    G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are cell surface proteins mainly involved in signal transmission; however, they play a role also in several pathophysiological conditions. Chemically heterogeneous molecules like peptides, hormones, lipids, and neurotransmitters activate second messengers and induce several biological responses by binding to these seven transmembrane receptors, which are coupled to heterotrimeric G proteins. Recently, additional molecular mechanisms have been involved in GP...

  12. Mechanisms of cross-suppression of TNP-specific plaque forming cell responses by TMA-specific first-order T suppressor factor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jendrisak, G.S.; Bellone, C.J.

    1986-03-05

    The addition of hybridoma-derived phenyltrimethylammonium (TMA)-specific first-order T suppressor factor (TsF/sub 1/) into cultures containing Brucella abortus coupled with the TMA and trinitrophenol haptens (TMA-BA-TNP) results in the cross-suppression of TNP-specific plaque forming cell (PFC) responses. The suppression mediated by TMA-TsF/sub 1/ is dependent on the presence of T cells and specific antigen (TMA). Subculturing of whole spleen cells with TMA-TsF/sub 1/ and specific soluble antigen (TMA-BSA) is able to induce suppressor T cells which cross-suppress the TNP-specific PFC of spleen cell cultures stimulated with TMA-BA-TNP in an antigen (TMA)-dependent manner at the effector phase of the response. The effector acting T suppressor cells (Tse) are nylon wool nonadherent and appears to require whole spleen cells in responding cultures for suppression, suggesting that the target of the Tse is not the TNP-specific B cell. The authors are presently characterizing the mechanisms of cross-suppression by TMA-TsF/sub 1/ and Tse utilizing the described primary in vitro antibody assay.

  13. Hydro-mechanical coupled simulation of hydraulic fracturing using the eXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Youn, Dong Joon

    This thesis presents the development and validation of an advanced hydro-mechanical coupled finite element program analyzing hydraulic fracture propagation within unconventional hydrocarbon formations under various conditions. The realistic modeling of hydraulic fracturing is necessarily required to improve the understanding and efficiency of the stimulation technique. Such modeling remains highly challenging, however, due to factors including the complexity of fracture propagation mechanisms, the coupled behavior of fracture displacement and fluid pressure, the interactions between pre-existing natural and initiated hydraulic fractures and the formation heterogeneity of the target reservoir. In this research, an eXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM) scheme is developed allowing for representation of single or multiple fracture propagations without any need for re-meshing. Also, the coupled flows through the fracture are considered in the program to account for their influence on stresses and deformations along the hydraulic fracture. In this research, a sequential coupling scheme is applied to estimate fracture aperture and fluid pressure with the XFEM. Later, the coupled XFEM program is used to estimate wellbore bottomhole pressure during fracture propagation, and the pressure variations are analyzed to determine the geometry and performance of the hydraulic fracturing as pressure leak-off test. Finally, material heterogeneity is included into the XFEM program to check the effect of random formation property distributions to the hydraulic fracture geometry. Random field theory is used to create the random realization of the material heterogeneity with the consideration of mean, standard deviation, and property correlation length. These analyses lead to probabilistic information on the response of unconventional reservoirs and offer a more scientific approach regarding risk management for the unconventional reservoir stimulation. The new stochastic approach

  14. Measuring the Mechanical Properties of Plant Cell Walls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hannes Vogler

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The size, shape and stability of a plant depend on the flexibility and integrity of its cell walls, which, at the same time, need to allow cell expansion for growth, while maintaining mechanical stability. Biomechanical studies largely vanished from the focus of plant science with the rapid progress of genetics and molecular biology since the mid-twentieth century. However, the development of more sensitive measurement tools renewed the interest in plant biomechanics in recent years, not only to understand the fundamental concepts of growth and morphogenesis, but also with regard to economically important areas in agriculture, forestry and the paper industry. Recent advances have clearly demonstrated that mechanical forces play a crucial role in cell and organ morphogenesis, which ultimately define plant morphology. In this article, we will briefly review the available methods to determine the mechanical properties of cell walls, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM and microindentation assays, and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. But we will focus on a novel methodological approach, called cellular force microscopy (CFM, and its automated successor, real-time CFM (RT-CFM.

  15. Physiological Mechanisms Mediating the Coupling between Heart Period and Arterial Pressure in Response to Postural Changes in Humans

    OpenAIRE

    Silvani, Alessandro; Calandra-Buonaura, Giovanna; Johnson, Blair D.; van Helmond, Noud; Barletta, Giorgio; Cecere, Anna G.; Joyner, Michael J.; Cortelli, Pietro

    2017-01-01

    The upright posture strengthens the coupling between heart period (HP) and systolic arterial pressure (SAP) consistently with a greater contribution of the arterial baroreflex to cardiac control, while paradoxically decreasing cardiac baroreflex sensitivity (cBRS). To investigate the physiological mechanisms that mediate the coupling between HP and SAP in response to different postures, we analyzed the cross-correlation functions between low-frequency HP and SAP fluctuations and estimated cBR...

  16. Identification of G-Protein-Coupled-Receptors (GPCRs) in Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells as Novel Therapeutic Targets

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-10-01

    muscle cells (PASMCs), G-protein- coupled receptors (GPCRs), cyclic AMP , hypoxia. 3. ACCOMPLISHMENTS What were the major goals of the project? The 3 Aims...potentially important for the regulation of cells and tissues in health and disease. The results have impact on cell biology, biochemistry , physiology

  17. Invasion from a cell aggregate—the roles of active cell motion and mechanical equilibrium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szabó, A; Varga, K; Czirók, A; Garay, T; Hegedűs, B

    2012-01-01

    Cell invasion from an aggregate into a surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) is an important process during development disease, e.g., vascular network assembly or tumor progression. To describe the behavior emerging from autonomous cell motility, cell–cell adhesion and contact guidance by ECM filaments, we propose a suitably modified cellular Potts model. We consider an active cell motility process in which internal polarity is governed by a positive feedback from cell displacements, a mechanism that can result in highly persistent motion when constrained by an oriented ECM structure. The model allows us to explore the interplay between haptotaxis, matrix degradation and active cell movement. We show that for certain conditions the cells are able to both invade the ECM and follow the ECM tracks. Furthermore, we argue that enforcing mechanical equilibrium within a bulk cell mass is of key importance in multicellular simulations

  18. Modelling Cochlear Mechanics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guangjian Ni

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The cochlea plays a crucial role in mammal hearing. The basic function of the cochlea is to map sounds of different frequencies onto corresponding characteristic positions on the basilar membrane (BM. Sounds enter the fluid-filled cochlea and cause deflection of the BM due to pressure differences between the cochlear fluid chambers. These deflections travel along the cochlea, increasing in amplitude, until a frequency-dependent characteristic position and then decay away rapidly. The hair cells can detect these deflections and encode them as neural signals. Modelling the mechanics of the cochlea is of help in interpreting experimental observations and also can provide predictions of the results of experiments that cannot currently be performed due to technical limitations. This paper focuses on reviewing the numerical modelling of the mechanical and electrical processes in the cochlea, which include fluid coupling, micromechanics, the cochlear amplifier, nonlinearity, and electrical coupling.

  19. Molecular Mechanism of Selectivity among G Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2 Inhibitors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thal, David M.; Yeow, Raymond Y.; Schoenau, Christian; Huber, Jochen; Tesmer, John J.G. (Sanofi); (Michigan)

    2012-07-11

    G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are key regulators of cell physiology and control processes ranging from glucose homeostasis to contractility of the heart. A major mechanism for the desensitization of activated GPCRs is their phosphorylation by GPCR kinases (GRKs). Overexpression of GRK2 is strongly linked to heart failure, and GRK2 has long been considered a pharmaceutical target for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Several lead compounds developed by Takeda Pharmaceuticals show high selectivity for GRK2 and therapeutic potential for the treatment of heart failure. To understand how these drugs achieve their selectivity, we determined crystal structures of the bovine GRK2-G{beta}{gamma} complex in the presence of two of these inhibitors. Comparison with the apoGRK2-G{beta}{gamma} structure demonstrates that the compounds bind in the kinase active site in a manner similar to that of the AGC kinase inhibitor balanol. Both balanol and the Takeda compounds induce a slight closure of the kinase domain, the degree of which correlates with the potencies of the inhibitors. Based on our crystal structures and homology modeling, we identified five amino acids surrounding the inhibitor binding site that we hypothesized could contribute to inhibitor selectivity. However, our results indicate that these residues are not major determinants of selectivity among GRK subfamilies. Rather, selectivity is achieved by the stabilization of a unique inactive conformation of the GRK2 kinase domain.

  20. Mechanical behavior of regular open-cell porous biomaterials made of diamond lattice unit cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmadi, S M; Campoli, G; Amin Yavari, S; Sajadi, B; Wauthle, R; Schrooten, J; Weinans, H; Zadpoor, A A

    2014-06-01

    Cellular structures with highly controlled micro-architectures are promising materials for orthopedic applications that require bone-substituting biomaterials or implants. The availability of additive manufacturing techniques has enabled manufacturing of biomaterials made of one or multiple types of unit cells. The diamond lattice unit cell is one of the relatively new types of unit cells that are used in manufacturing of regular porous biomaterials. As opposed to many other types of unit cells, there is currently no analytical solution that could be used for prediction of the mechanical properties of cellular structures made of the diamond lattice unit cells. In this paper, we present new analytical solutions and closed-form relationships for predicting the elastic modulus, Poisson׳s ratio, critical buckling load, and yield (plateau) stress of cellular structures made of the diamond lattice unit cell. The mechanical properties predicted using the analytical solutions are compared with those obtained using finite element models. A number of solid and porous titanium (Ti6Al4V) specimens were manufactured using selective laser melting. A series of experiments were then performed to determine the mechanical properties of the matrix material and cellular structures. The experimentally measured mechanical properties were compared with those obtained using analytical solutions and finite element (FE) models. It has been shown that, for small apparent density values, the mechanical properties obtained using analytical and numerical solutions are in agreement with each other and with experimental observations. The properties estimated using an analytical solution based on the Euler-Bernoulli theory markedly deviated from experimental results for large apparent density values. The mechanical properties estimated using FE models and another analytical solution based on the Timoshenko beam theory better matched the experimental observations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

  1. Tunable optical nonreciprocity and a phonon-photon router in an optomechanical system with coupled mechanical and optical modes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Guolong; Xiao, Xiao; Li, Yong; Wang, Xiaoguang

    2018-02-01

    We propose a multimode optomechanical system to realize tunable optical nonreciprocity that has the prospect of making an optical diode for information technology. The proposed model consists of two subsystems, each of which contains two optical cavities, injected with a classical field and a quantum signal via a 50:50 beam splitter, and a mechanical oscillator, coupled to both cavities via optomechanical coupling. Meanwhile two cavities and an oscillator in a subsystem are respectively coupled to their corresponding cavities and an oscillator in the other subsystem. Our scheme yields nonreciprocal effects at different frequencies with opposite directions, but each effective linear optomechanical coupling can be controlled by an independent classical one-frequency pump. With this setup one is able to apply quantum states with large fluctuations, which extends the scope of applicable quantum states, and exploit the independence of paths. Moreover, the optimal frequencies for nonreciprocal effects can be controlled by adjusting the relevant parameters. We also exhibit the path switching of two directions, from a mechanical input to two optical output channels, via tuning the signal frequency. In experiment, the considered scheme can be tuned to reach small damping rates of the oscillators relative to those of the cavities, which is more practical and requires less power than in previous schemes.

  2. Finite Element Analysis of Mechanical Characteristics of Dropped Eggs Based on Fluid-Solid Coupling Theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Song Haiyan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available It is important to study the properties and mechanics of egg drop impacts in order to reduce egg loss during processing and logistics and to provide a basis for the protective packaging of egg products. In this paper, we present the results of our study of the effects of the structural parameters on the mechanical properties of an egg using a finite element model of the egg. Based on Fluid-Solid coupling theory, a finite element model of an egg was constructed using ADINA, a finite element calculation and analysis software package. To simplify the model, the internal fluid of the egg was considered to be a homogeneous substance. The egg drop impact was simulated by the coupling solution, and the feasibility of the model was verified by comparison with the experimental results of a drop test. In summary, the modeling scheme was shown to be feasible and the simulation results provide a theoretical basis for the optimum design of egg packaging and egg processing equipment.

  3. Another brick in the cell wall: biosynthesis dependent growth model.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adelin Barbacci

    Full Text Available Expansive growth of plant cell is conditioned by the cell wall ability to extend irreversibly. This process is possible if (i a tensile stress is developed in the cell wall due to the coupling effect between turgor pressure and the modulation of its mechanical properties through enzymatic and physicochemical reactions and if (ii new cell wall elements can be synthesized and assembled to the existing wall. In other words, expansive growth is the result of coupling effects between mechanical, thermal and chemical energy. To have a better understanding of this process, models must describe the interplay between physical or mechanical variable with biological events. In this paper we propose a general unified and theoretical framework to model growth in function of energy forms and their coupling. This framework is based on irreversible thermodynamics. It is then applied to model growth of the internodal cell of Chara corallina modulated by changes in pressure and temperature. The results describe accurately cell growth in term of length increment but also in term of cell pectate biosynthesis and incorporation to the expanding wall. Moreover, the classical growth model based on Lockhart's equation such as the one proposed by Ortega, appears as a particular and restrictive case of the more general growth equation developed in this paper.

  4. Regional-scale geomechanical impact assessment of underground coal gasification by coupled 3D thermo-mechanical modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otto, Christopher; Kempka, Thomas; Kapusta, Krzysztof; Stańczyk, Krzysztof

    2016-04-01

    Underground coal gasification (UCG) has the potential to increase the world-wide coal reserves by utilization of coal deposits not mineable by conventional methods. The UCG process involves combusting coal in situ to produce a high-calorific synthesis gas, which can be applied for electricity generation or chemical feedstock production. Apart from its high economic potentials, UCG may induce site-specific environmental impacts such as fault reactivation, induced seismicity and ground subsidence, potentially inducing groundwater pollution. Changes overburden hydraulic conductivity resulting from thermo-mechanical effects may introduce migration pathways for UCG contaminants. Due to the financial efforts associated with UCG field trials, numerical modeling has been an important methodology to study coupled processes considering UCG performance. Almost all previous UCG studies applied 1D or 2D models for that purpose, that do not allow to predict the performance of a commercial-scale UCG operation. Considering our previous findings, demonstrating that far-field models can be run at a higher computational efficiency by using temperature-independent thermo-mechanical parameters, representative coupled simulations based on complex 3D regional-scale models were employed in the present study. For that purpose, a coupled thermo-mechanical 3D model has been developed to investigate the environmental impacts of UCG based on a regional-scale of the Polish Wieczorek mine located in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. The model size is 10 km × 10 km × 5 km with ten dipping lithological layers, a double fault and 25 UCG reactors. Six different numerical simulation scenarios were investigated, considering the transpressive stress regime present in that part of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. Our simulation results demonstrate that the minimum distance between the UCG reactors is about the six-fold of the coal seam thickness to avoid hydraulic communication between the single UCG

  5. MAC/GMC Code Enhanced for Coupled Electromagnetothermoelastic Analysis of Smart Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bednarcyk, Brett A.; Arnold, Steven M.; Aboudi, Jacob

    2002-01-01

    Intelligent materials are those that exhibit coupling between their electromagnetic response and their thermomechanical response. This coupling allows smart materials to react mechanically (e.g., an induced displacement) to applied electrical or magnetic fields (for instance). These materials find many important applications in sensors, actuators, and transducers. Recently interest has arisen in the development of smart composites that are formed via the combination of two or more phases, one or more of which is a smart material. To design with and utilize smart composites, designers need theories that predict the coupled smart behavior of these materials from the electromagnetothermoelastic properties of the individual phases. The micromechanics model known as the generalized method of cells (GMC) has recently been extended to provide this important capability. This coupled electromagnetothermoelastic theory has recently been incorporated within NASA Glenn Research Center's Micromechanics Analysis Code with Generalized Method of Cells (MAC/GMC). This software package is user friendly and has many additional features that render it useful as a design and analysis tool for composite materials in general, and with its new capabilities, for smart composites as well.

  6. Panel report on coupled thermo-mechanical-hydro-chemical processes associated with a nuclear waste repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsang, C.F.; Mangold, D.C.

    1984-07-01

    Four basic physical processes, thermal, hydrological, mechanical and chemical, are likely to occur in 11 different types of coupling during the service life of an underground nuclear waste repository. A great number of coupled processes with various degrees of importance for geological repositories were identified and arranged into these 11 types. A qualitative description of these processes and a tentative evaluation of their significance and the degree of uncertainty in prediction is given. Suggestions for methods of investigation generally include, besides theoretical work, laboratory and large scale field testing. Great efforts of a multidisciplinary nature are needed to elucidate details of several coupled processes under different temperature conditions in different geological formations. It was suggested that by limiting the maximum temperature to 100 0 C in the backfill and in the host rock during the whole service life of the repository the uncertainties in prediction of long-term repository behavior might be considerably reduced

  7. Panel report on coupled thermo-mechanical-hydro-chemical processes associated with a nuclear waste repository

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsang, C.F.; Mangold, D.C. (eds.)

    1984-07-01

    Four basic physical processes, thermal, hydrological, mechanical and chemical, are likely to occur in 11 different types of coupling during the service life of an underground nuclear waste repository. A great number of coupled processes with various degrees of importance for geological repositories were identified and arranged into these 11 types. A qualitative description of these processes and a tentative evaluation of their significance and the degree of uncertainty in prediction is given. Suggestions for methods of investigation generally include, besides theoretical work, laboratory and large scale field testing. Great efforts of a multidisciplinary nature are needed to elucidate details of several coupled processes under different temperature conditions in different geological formations. It was suggested that by limiting the maximum temperature to 100{sup 0}C in the backfill and in the host rock during the whole service life of the repository the uncertainties in prediction of long-term repository behavior might be considerably reduced.

  8. The Effects of Coupling Agents on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Eucalyptus Flour/HDPE Composite

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Metanawin Siripan

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this research was to study the effects of the coupling agents, FusabondTM E-528 (polyethylene-grafted maleic anhydride; PE-g-MA, MA and Amino Silane (Si, on the thermal properties, and mechanical properties of Eucalyptus flour-HDPE composite. Variation of the Eucalyptus flour contents in the HDPE resulted in properties of the composite. With increasing in the contents of Eucalyptus flour in polymer matrix, the mechanical properties of the HDPE composite decreased in EU-MA series samples while they were gradually decreased in EU-Si series samples. SEM micrographs showed the fracture surface of the HDPE/Eucalyptus composite at different ratios of Eucalyptus flour. SEM micrograpgh exhibited the dispersion of EU flour in polymer matrix. The samples of both coupling agents showed an increase in interfacial adhesion, observed for the considerable decreased of gaps between the matrix and the dispersed phase. However, the EU-MA sample appeared to be more uniformly than the EU-Si sample.

  9. Bioprinting Using Mechanically Robust Core-Shell Cell-Laden Hydrogel Strands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mistry, Pritesh; Aied, Ahmed; Alexander, Morgan; Shakesheff, Kevin; Bennett, Andrew; Yang, Jing

    2017-06-01

    The strand material in extrusion-based bioprinting determines the microenvironments of the embedded cells and the initial mechanical properties of the constructs. One unmet challenge is the combination of optimal biological and mechanical properties in bioprinted constructs. Here, a novel bioprinting method that utilizes core-shell cell-laden strands with a mechanically robust shell and an extracellular matrix-like core has been developed. Cells encapsulated in the strands demonstrate high cell viability and tissue-like functions during cultivation. This process of bioprinting using core-shell strands with optimal biochemical and biomechanical properties represents a new strategy for fabricating functional human tissues and organs. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Coupled hydro-thermo-mechanical modeling of hydraulic fracturing in quasi-brittle rocks using BPM-DEM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ingrid Tomac

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an improved understanding of coupled hydro-thermo-mechanical (HTM hydraulic fracturing of quasi-brittle rock using the bonded particle model (BPM within the discrete element method (DEM. BPM has been recently extended by the authors to account for coupled convective–conductive heat flow and transport, and to enable full hydro-thermal fluid–solid coupled modeling. The application of the work is on enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs, and hydraulic fracturing of hot dry rock (HDR is studied in terms of the impact of temperature difference between rock and a flowing fracturing fluid. Micro-mechanical investigation of temperature and fracturing fluid effects on hydraulic fracturing damage in rocks is presented. It was found that fracture is shorter with pronounced secondary microcracking along the main fracture for the case when the convective–conductive thermal heat exchange is considered. First, the convection heat exchange during low-viscosity fluid infiltration in permeable rock around the wellbore causes significant rock cooling, where a finger-like fluid infiltration was observed. Second, fluid infiltration inhibits pressure rise during pumping and delays fracture initiation and propagation. Additionally, thermal damage occurs in the whole area around the wellbore due to rock cooling and cold fluid infiltration. The size of a damaged area around the wellbore increases with decreasing fluid dynamic viscosity. Fluid and rock compressibility ratio was found to have significant effect on the fracture propagation velocity.

  11. Mechanisms of dealing with DNA damage in terminally differentiated cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fortini, P. [Department of Environment and Primary Prevention, Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome (Italy); Dogliotti, E., E-mail: eugenia.dogliotti@iss.it [Department of Environment and Primary Prevention, Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome (Italy)

    2010-03-01

    To protect genomic integrity living cells that are continuously exposed to DNA-damaging insults are equipped with an efficient defence mechanism termed the DNA damage response. Its function is to eliminate DNA damage through DNA repair and to remove damaged cells by apoptosis. The DNA damage response has been investigated mainly in proliferating cells, in which the cell cycle machinery is integrated with the DNA damage signalling. The current knowledge of the mechanisms of DNA repair, DNA damage signalling and cell death of post-mitotic cells that have undergone irreversible cell cycle withdrawal will be reviewed. Evidence will be provided that the protection of the genome integrity in terminally differentiated cells is achieved by different strategies than in proliferating cells.

  12. Mechanisms of dealing with DNA damage in terminally differentiated cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fortini, P.; Dogliotti, E.

    2010-01-01

    To protect genomic integrity living cells that are continuously exposed to DNA-damaging insults are equipped with an efficient defence mechanism termed the DNA damage response. Its function is to eliminate DNA damage through DNA repair and to remove damaged cells by apoptosis. The DNA damage response has been investigated mainly in proliferating cells, in which the cell cycle machinery is integrated with the DNA damage signalling. The current knowledge of the mechanisms of DNA repair, DNA damage signalling and cell death of post-mitotic cells that have undergone irreversible cell cycle withdrawal will be reviewed. Evidence will be provided that the protection of the genome integrity in terminally differentiated cells is achieved by different strategies than in proliferating cells.

  13. Design and Vibration Sensitivity Analysis of a MEMS Tuning Fork Gyroscope with an Anchored Diamond Coupling Mechanism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanwei Guan

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a new micromachined tuning fork gyroscope (TFG with an anchored diamond coupling mechanism is proposed while the mode ordering and the vibration sensitivity are also investigated. The sense-mode of the proposed TFG was optimized through use of an anchored diamond coupling spring, which enables the in-phase mode frequency to be 108.3% higher than the anti-phase one. The frequencies of the in- and anti-phase modes in the sense direction are 9799.6 Hz and 4705.3 Hz, respectively. The analytical solutions illustrate that the stiffness difference ratio of the in- and anti-phase modes is inversely proportional to the output induced by the vibration from the sense direction. Additionally, FEM simulations demonstrate that the stiffness difference ratio of the anchored diamond coupling TFG is 16.08 times larger than the direct coupling one while the vibration output is reduced by 94.1%. Consequently, the proposed new anchored diamond coupling TFG can structurally increase the stiffness difference ratio to improve the mode ordering and considerably reduce the vibration sensitivity without sacrificing the scale factor.

  14. Development of annular coupled structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kageyama, T.; Morozumi, Y.; Yoshino, K.; Yamazaki, Y.

    1992-01-01

    A π/2-mode standing-wave linac of an Annular Coupled Structure (ACS) has been developed for the 1-GeV proton linac of the Japanese Hadron Project (JHP). This ACS has four coupling slots between accelerating and coupling cells in order to overcome difficulties in putting the ACS to practical use. Two prototypes of a four-slot ACS (f = 1296 MHz, β = v/c = 0.8) have been constructed and tested: one with a staggered slot-orientation from cell to cell; and the other with a uniform one. The staggered configuration gives a larger coupling constant and a larger shunt impedance than the uniform one with the same size of coupling slot. Both models have been conditioned up to the design input RF power. The four-slot ACS gives a distortion-free accelerating field around the beam axis, while a Side-Coupled Structure cavity gives an accelerating field mixed with a TE111-like mode. (Author) 7 figs., 2 tabs., 9 refs

  15. Probing cell internalisation mechanics with polymer capsules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xi; Cui, Jiwei; Ping, Yuan; Suma, Tomoya; Cavalieri, Francesca; Besford, Quinn A; Chen, George; Braunger, Julia A; Caruso, Frank

    2016-10-06

    We report polymer capsule-based probes for quantifying the pressure exerted by cells during capsule internalisation (P in ). Poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA) capsules with tuneable mechanical properties were fabricated through layer-by-layer assembly. The P in was quantified by correlating the cell-induced deformation with the ex situ osmotically induced deformation of the polymer capsules. Ultimately, we found that human monocyte-derived macrophage THP-1 cells exerted up to approximately 360 kPa on the capsules during internalisation.

  16. Contraction and elongation: Mechanics underlying cell boundary deformations in epithelial tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hara, Yusuke

    2017-06-01

    The cell-cell boundaries of epithelial cells form cellular frameworks at the apical side of tissues. Deformations in these boundaries, for example, boundary contraction and elongation, and the associated forces form the mechanical basis of epithelial tissue morphogenesis. In this review, using data from recent Drosophila studies on cell boundary contraction and elongation, I provide an overview of the mechanism underlying the bi-directional deformations in the epithelial cell boundary, that are sustained by biased accumulations of junctional and apico-medial non-muscle myosin II. Moreover, how the junctional tensions exist on cell boundaries in different boundary dynamics and morphologies are discussed. Finally, some future perspectives on how recent knowledge about single cell boundary-level mechanics will contribute to our understanding of epithelial tissue morphogenesis are discussed. © 2017 Japanese Society of Developmental Biologists.

  17. Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of a MK2 Inhibitor by Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling for Study in Werner Syndrome Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark C. Bagley

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Microwave-assisted Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions have been employed towards the synthesis of three different MAPKAPK2 (MK2 inhibitors to study accelerated aging in Werner syndrome (WS cells, including the cross-coupling of a 2-chloroquinoline with a 3-pyridinylboronic acid, the coupling of an aryl bromide with an indolylboronic acid and the reaction of a 3-amino-4-bromopyrazole with 4-carbamoylphenylboronic acid. In all of these processes, the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction was fast and relatively efficient using a palladium catalyst under microwave irradiation. The process was incorporated into a rapid 3-step microwave-assisted method for the synthesis of a MK2 inhibitor involving 3-aminopyrazole formation, pyrazole C-4 bromination using N-bromosuccinimide (NBS, and Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of the pyrazolyl bromide with 4-carbamoylphenylboronic acid to give the target 4-arylpyrazole in 35% overall yield, suitable for study in WS cells.

  18. Mechanical properties of plant cell walls probed by relaxation spectra

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Steen Laugesen; Ray, Peter Martin; Karlsson, Anders Ola

    2011-01-01

    Relax, that deduces relaxation spectra from appropriate rheological measurements is presented and made accessible through a Web interface. BayesRelax models the cell wall as a continuum of relaxing elements, and the ability of the method to resolve small differences in cell wall mechanical properties is demonstrated......Transformants and mutants with altered cell wall composition are expected to display a biomechanical phenotype due to the structural role of the cell wall. It is often quite difficult, however, to distinguish the mechanical behavior of a mutant's or transformant's cell walls from that of the wild...... type. This may be due to the plant’s ability to compensate for the wall modification or because the biophysical method that is often employed, determination of simple elastic modulus and breakstrength, lacks the resolving power necessary for detecting subtle mechanical phenotypes. Here, we apply...

  19. Co-culture microorganisms with different initial proportions reveal the mechanism of chalcopyrite bioleaching coupling with microbial community succession.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Liyuan; Wang, Xingjie; Feng, Xue; Liang, Yili; Xiao, Yunhua; Hao, Xiaodong; Yin, Huaqun; Liu, Hongwei; Liu, Xueduan

    2017-01-01

    The effect of co-culture microorganisms with different initial proportions on chalcopyrite bioleaching was investigated. Communities were rebuilt by six typical strains isolated from the same habitat. The results indicated, by community with more sulfur oxidizers at both 30 and 40°C, the final copper extraction rate was 19.8% and 6.5% higher, respectively, than that with more ferrous oxidizers. The variations of pH, redox potential, ferrous and copper ions in leachate also provided evidences that community with more sulfur oxidizers was more efficient. Community succession of free and attached cells revealed that initial proportions played decisive roles on community dynamics at 30°C, while communities shared similar structures, not relevant to initial proportions at 40°C. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed different microbial functions on mineral surface. A mechanism model for chalcopyrite bioleaching was established coupling with community succession. This will provide theoretical basis for reconstructing an efficient community in industrial application. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Genetic and Epigenetic Mechanisms That Maintain Hematopoietic Stem Cell Function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kosan, Christian; Godmann, Maren

    2016-01-01

    All hematopoiesis cells develop from multipotent progenitor cells. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) have the ability to develop into all blood lineages but also maintain their stemness. Different molecular mechanisms have been identified that are crucial for regulating quiescence and self-renewal to maintain the stem cell pool and for inducing proliferation and lineage differentiation. The stem cell niche provides the microenvironment to keep HSC in a quiescent state. Furthermore, several transcription factors and epigenetic modifiers are involved in this process. These create modifications that regulate the cell fate in a more or less reversible and dynamic way and contribute to HSC homeostasis. In addition, HSC respond in a unique way to DNA damage. These mechanisms also contribute to the regulation of HSC function and are essential to ensure viability after DNA damage. How HSC maintain their quiescent stage during the entire life is still matter of ongoing research. Here we will focus on the molecular mechanisms that regulate HSC function. PMID:26798358

  1. Genetic and Epigenetic Mechanisms That Maintain Hematopoietic Stem Cell Function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Kosan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available All hematopoiesis cells develop from multipotent progenitor cells. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC have the ability to develop into all blood lineages but also maintain their stemness. Different molecular mechanisms have been identified that are crucial for regulating quiescence and self-renewal to maintain the stem cell pool and for inducing proliferation and lineage differentiation. The stem cell niche provides the microenvironment to keep HSC in a quiescent state. Furthermore, several transcription factors and epigenetic modifiers are involved in this process. These create modifications that regulate the cell fate in a more or less reversible and dynamic way and contribute to HSC homeostasis. In addition, HSC respond in a unique way to DNA damage. These mechanisms also contribute to the regulation of HSC function and are essential to ensure viability after DNA damage. How HSC maintain their quiescent stage during the entire life is still matter of ongoing research. Here we will focus on the molecular mechanisms that regulate HSC function.

  2. Transverse mechanical properties of cell walls of single living plant cells probed by laser-generated acoustic waves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gadalla, Atef; Dehoux, Thomas; Audoin, Bertrand

    2014-05-01

    Probing the mechanical properties of plant cell wall is crucial to understand tissue dynamics. However, the exact symmetry of the mechanical properties of this anisotropic fiber-reinforced composite remains uncertain. For this reason, biologically relevant measurements of the stiffness coefficients on individual living cells are a challenge. For this purpose, we have developed the single-cell optoacoustic nanoprobe (SCOPE) technique, which uses laser-generated acoustic waves to probe the stiffness, thickness and viscosity of live single-cell subcompartments. This all-optical technique offers a sub-micrometer lateral resolution, nanometer in-depth resolution, and allows the non-contact measurement of the mechanical properties of live turgid tissues without any assumption of mechanical symmetry. SCOPE experiments reveal that single-cell wall transverse stiffness in the direction perpendicular to the epidermis layer of onion cells is close to that of cellulose. This observation demonstrates that cellulose microfibrils are the main load-bearing structure in this direction, and suggests strong bonding of microfibrils by hemicelluloses. Altogether our measurement of the viscosity at high frequencies suggests that the rheology of the wall is dominated by glass-like dynamics. From a comparison with literature, we attribute this behavior to the influence of the pectin matrix. SCOPE's ability to unravel cell rheology and cell anisotropy defines a new class of experiments to enlighten cell nano-mechanics.

  3. Fast Mechanically Driven Daughter Cell Separation Is Widespread in Actinobacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoxue Zhou

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Dividing cells of the coccoid Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus undergo extremely rapid (millisecond daughter cell separation (DCS driven by mechanical crack propagation, a strategy that is very distinct from the gradual, enzymatically driven cell wall remodeling process that has been well described in several rod-shaped model bacteria. To determine if other bacteria, especially those in the same phylum (Firmicutes or with similar coccoid shapes as S. aureus, might use a similar mechanically driven strategy for DCS, we used high-resolution video microscopy to examine cytokinesis in a phylogenetically wide range of species with various cell shapes and sizes. We found that fast mechanically driven DCS is rather rare in the Firmicutes (low G+C Gram positives, observed only in Staphylococcus and its closest coccoid relatives in the Macrococcus genus, and we did not observe this division strategy among the Gram-negative Proteobacteria. In contrast, several members of the high-G+C Gram-positive phylum Actinobacteria (Micrococcus luteus, Brachybacterium faecium, Corynebacterium glutamicum, and Mycobacterium smegmatis with diverse shapes ranging from coccoid to rod all undergo fast mechanical DCS during cell division. Most intriguingly, similar fast mechanical DCS was also observed during the sporulation of the actinobacterium Streptomyces venezuelae.

  4. A literature review of coupled thermal-hydrologic-mechanical-chemical processes pertinent to the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manteufel, R.D.; Ahola, M.P.; Turner, D.R.; Chowdhury, A.H.

    1993-07-01

    A literature review has been conducted to determine the state of knowledge available in the modeling of coupled thermal (T), hydrologic (H), mechanical (M), and chemical (C) processes relevant to the design and/or performance of the proposed high-level waste (HLW) repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The review focuses on identifying coupling mechanisms between individual processes and assessing their importance (i.e., if the coupling is either important, potentially important, or negligible). The significance of considering THMC-coupled processes lies in whether or not the processes impact the design and/or performance objectives of the repository. A review, such as reported here, is useful in identifying which coupled effects will be important, hence which coupled effects will need to be investigated by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in order to assess the assumptions, data, analyses, and conclusions in the design and performance assessment of a geologic reposit''. Although this work stems from regulatory interest in the design of the geologic repository, it should be emphasized that the repository design implicitly considers all of the repository performance objectives, including those associated with the time after permanent closure. The scope of this review is considered beyond previous assessments in that it attempts with the current state-of-knowledge) to determine which couplings are important, and identify which computer codes are currently available to model coupled processes

  5. A literature review of coupled thermal-hydrologic-mechanical-chemical processes pertinent to the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Manteufel, R.D.; Ahola, M.P.; Turner, D.R.; Chowdhury, A.H. [Southwest Research Inst., San Antonio, TX (United States). Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses

    1993-07-01

    A literature review has been conducted to determine the state of knowledge available in the modeling of coupled thermal (T), hydrologic (H), mechanical (M), and chemical (C) processes relevant to the design and/or performance of the proposed high-level waste (HLW) repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The review focuses on identifying coupling mechanisms between individual processes and assessing their importance (i.e., if the coupling is either important, potentially important, or negligible). The significance of considering THMC-coupled processes lies in whether or not the processes impact the design and/or performance objectives of the repository. A review, such as reported here, is useful in identifying which coupled effects will be important, hence which coupled effects will need to be investigated by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in order to assess the assumptions, data, analyses, and conclusions in the design and performance assessment of a geologic reposit``. Although this work stems from regulatory interest in the design of the geologic repository, it should be emphasized that the repository design implicitly considers all of the repository performance objectives, including those associated with the time after permanent closure. The scope of this review is considered beyond previous assessments in that it attempts with the current state-of-knowledge) to determine which couplings are important, and identify which computer codes are currently available to model coupled processes.

  6. Nanoscale Mechanical Stimulation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H Nikukar

    2014-05-01

    We observed significant responses after 1 and 2-week stimulations in cell number, cell shapes and phenotypical markers. Microarray was performed for all groups. Cell count showed normal cell growth with stimulation. However, cell surface area, cell perimeter, and arboration after 1-week stimulation showed significant increases. Immunofluorescent studies have showed significant increase in osteocalcin production after stimulation. Conclusions: Nanoscale mechanical vibration showed significant changes in human mesenchymal stem cell behaviours. Cell morphology changed to become more polygonal and increased expression of the osteoblast markers were noted. These findings with gene regulation changes suggesting nanoscale mechanostimulation has stimulated osteoblastogenesis.  Keywords:  Mesenchymal, Nanoscale, Stem Cells.

  7. The Autonomic Nervous System Regulates the Heart Rate through cAMP-PKA Dependent and Independent Coupled-Clock Pacemaker Cell Mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behar, Joachim; Ganesan, Ambhighainath; Zhang, Jin; Yaniv, Yael

    2016-01-01

    Sinoatrial nodal cells (SANCs) generate spontaneous action potentials (APs) that control the cardiac rate. The brain modulates SANC automaticity, via the autonomic nervous system, by stimulating membrane receptors that activate (adrenergic) or inactivate (cholinergic) adenylyl cyclase (AC). However, these opposing afferents are not simply additive. We showed that activation of adrenergic signaling increases AC-cAMP/PKA signaling, which mediates the increase in the SANC AP firing rate (i.e., positive chronotropic modulation). However, there is a limited understanding of the underlying internal pacemaker mechanisms involved in the crosstalk between cholinergic receptors and the decrease in the SANC AP firing rate (i.e., negative chronotropic modulation). We hypothesize that changes in AC-cAMP/PKA activity are crucial for mediating either decrease or increase in the AP firing rate and that the change in rate is due to both internal and membrane mechanisms. In cultured adult rabbit pacemaker cells infected with an adenovirus expressing the FRET sensor AKAR3, PKA activity and AP firing rate were tightly linked in response to either adrenergic receptor stimulation (by isoproterenol, ISO) or cholinergic stimulation (by carbachol, CCh). To identify the main molecular targets that mediate between PKA signaling and pacemaker function, we developed a mechanistic computational model. The model includes a description of autonomic-nervous receptors, post- translation signaling cascades, membrane molecules, and internal pacemaker mechanisms. Yielding results similar to those of the experiments, the model simulations faithfully reproduce the changes in AP firing rate in response to CCh or ISO or a combination of both (i.e., accentuated antagonism). Eliminating AC-cAMP-PKA signaling abolished the core effect of autonomic receptor stimulation on the AP firing rate. Specifically, disabling the phospholamban modulation of the SERCA activity resulted in a significantly reduced effect

  8. Mechanisms of drug resistance in cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iqbal, M.P.

    2003-01-01

    Development of drug resist chemotherapy. For the past several years, investigators have been striving hard to unravel mechanisms of drug resistance in cancer cells. Using different experimental models of cancer, some of the major mechanisms of drug resistance identified in mammalian cells include: (a) Altered transport of the drug (decreased influx of the drug; increased efflux of the drug (role of P-glycoprotein; role of polyglutamation; role of multiple drug resistance associated protein)), (b) Increase in total amount of target enzyme/protein (gene amplification), (c) alteration in the target enzyme/protein (low affinity enzyme), (d) Elevation of cellular glutathione, (e) Inhibition of drug-induced apoptosis (mutation in p53 tumor suppressor gene; increased expression of bcl-xl gene). (author)

  9. Complex Interaction Mechanisms between Dislocations and Point Defects Studied in Pure Aluminium by a Two-Wave Acoustic Coupling Technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bremnes, O.; Progin, O.; Gremaud, G.; Benoit, W.

    1997-04-01

    Ultrasonic experiments using a two-wave coupling technique were performed on 99.999% pure Al in order to study the interaction mechanisms occurring between dislocations and point defects. The coupling technique consists in measuring the attenuation of ultrasonic waves during low-frequency stress cycles (t). One obtains closed curves () called signatures whose shape and evolution are characteristic of the interaction mechanism controlling the low-frequency dislocation motion. The signatures observed were attributed to the interaction of the dislocations with extrinsic point defects. A new interpretation of the evolution of the signatures measured below 200 K with respect to temperature and stress frequency had to be established: they are linked to depinning of immobile point defects, whereas a thermally activated depinning mechanism does not fit the observations. The signatures measured between 200 and 370 K were interpreted as dragging and depinning of extrinsic point defects which are increasingly mobile with temperature.

  10. Molecular mechanisms of cell death: recommendations of the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death 2018

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Galluzzi, Lorenzo; Vitale, Ilio; Aaronson, Stuart A.; Abrams, John M.; Adam, Dieter; Agostinis, Patrizia; Alnemri, Emad S.; Altucci, Lucia; Amelio, Ivano; Andrews, David W.; Annicchiarico-Petruzzelli, Margherita; Antonov, Alexey V.; Arama, Eli; Baehrecke, Eric H.; Barlev, Nickolai A.; Bazan, Nicolas G.; Bernassola, Francesca; Bertrand, Mathieu J. M.; Bianchi, Katiuscia; Blagosklonny, Mikhail V.; Blomgren, Klas; Borner, Christoph; Boya, Patricia; Brenner, Catherine; Campanella, Michelangelo; Candi, Eleonora; Carmona-Gutierrez, Didac; Cecconi, Francesco; Chan, Francis K.-M.; Chandel, Navdeep S.; Cheng, Emily H.; Chipuk, Jerry E.; Cidlowski, John A.; Ciechanover, Aaron; Cohen, Gerald M.; Conrad, Marcus; Cubillos-Ruiz, Juan R.; Czabotar, Peter E.; D'Angiolella, Vincenzo; Dawson, Ted M.; Dawson, Valina L.; de Laurenzi, Vincenzo; de Maria, Ruggero; Debatin, Klaus-Michael; DeBerardinis, Ralph J.; Deshmukh, Mohanish; Di Daniele, Nicola; Di Virgilio, Francesco; Dixit, Vishva M.; Dixon, Scott J.; Duckett, Colin S.; Dynlacht, Brian D.; El-Deiry, Wafik S.; Elrod, John W.; Fimia, Gian Maria; Fulda, Simone; García-Sáez, Ana J.; Garg, Abhishek D.; Garrido, Carmen; Gavathiotis, Evripidis; Golstein, Pierre; Gottlieb, Eyal; Green, Douglas R.; Greene, Lloyd A.; Gronemeyer, Hinrich; Gross, Atan; Hajnoczky, Gyorgy; Hardwick, J. Marie; Harris, Isaac S.; Hengartner, Michael O.; Hetz, Claudio; Ichijo, Hidenori; Jäättelä, Marja; Joseph, Bertrand; Jost, Philipp J.; Juin, Philippe P.; Kaiser, William J.; Karin, Michael; Kaufmann, Thomas; Kepp, Oliver; Kimchi, Adi; Kitsis, Richard N.; Klionsky, Daniel J.; Knight, Richard A.; Kumar, Sharad; Lee, Sam W.; Lemasters, John J.; Levine, Beth; Linkermann, Andreas; Lipton, Stuart A.; Lockshin, Richard A.; López-Otín, Carlos; Lowe, Scott W.; Luedde, Tom; Lugli, Enrico; MacFarlane, Marion; Madeo, Frank; Malewicz, Michal; Malorni, Walter; Manic, Gwenola; Marine, Jean-Christophe; Martin, Seamus J.; Martinou, Jean-Claude; Medema, Jan Paul; Mehlen, Patrick; Meier, Pascal; Melino, Sonia; Miao, Edward A.; Molkentin, Jeffery D.; Moll, Ute M.; Muñoz-Pinedo, Cristina; Nagata, Shigekazu; Nuñez, Gabriel; Oberst, Andrew; Oren, Moshe; Overholtzer, Michael; Pagano, Michele; Panaretakis, Theocharis; Pasparakis, Manolis; Penninger, Josef M.; Pereira, David M.; Pervaiz, Shazib; Peter, Marcus E.; Piacentini, Mauro; Pinton, Paolo; Prehn, Jochen H. M.; Puthalakath, Hamsa; Rabinovich, Gabriel A.; Rehm, Markus; Rizzuto, Rosario; Rodrigues, Cecilia M. P.; Rubinsztein, David C.; Rudel, Thomas; Ryan, Kevin M.; Sayan, Emre; Scorrano, Luca; Shao, Feng; Shi, Yufang; Silke, John; Simon, Hans-Uwe; Sistigu, Antonella; Stockwell, Brent R.; Strasser, Andreas; Szabadkai, Gyorgy; Tait, Stephen W. G.; Tang, Daolin; Tavernarakis, Nektarios; Thorburn, Andrew; Tsujimoto, Yoshihide; Turk, Boris; Vanden Berghe, Tom; Vandenabeele, Peter; Vander Heiden, Matthew G.; Villunger, Andreas; Virgin, Herbert W.; Vousden, Karen H.; Vucic, Domagoj; Wagner, Erwin F.; Walczak, Henning; Wallach, David; Wang, Ying; Wells, James A.; Wood, Will; Yuan, Junying; Zakeri, Zahra; Zhivotovsky, Boris; Zitvogel, Laurence; Melino, Gerry; Kroemer, Guido

    2018-01-01

    Over the past decade, the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death (NCCD) has formulated guidelines for the definition and interpretation of cell death from morphological, biochemical, and functional perspectives. Since the field continues to expand and novel mechanisms that orchestrate multiple cell

  11. Self-renewal molecular mechanisms of colorectal cancer stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Tianhui; Xu, Jinghong; Zhu, Yongliang

    2017-01-01

    Colorectal cancer stem cells (CCSCs) represent a small fraction of the colorectal cancer cell population that possess self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation potential and drive tumorigenicity. Self-renewal is essential for the malignant biological behaviors of colorectal cancer stem cells. While the self-renewal molecular mechanisms of colorectal cancer stem cells are not yet fully understood, the aberrant activation of signaling pathways, such as Wnt, Notch, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and Hedgehog-Gli (HH-GLI), specific roles mediated by cell surface markers and micro-environmental factors are involved in the regulation of self-renewal. The elucidation of the molecular mechanisms behind self-renewal may lead to the development of novel targeted interventions for the treatment of colorectal cancer.

  12. An immunosurveillance mechanism controls cancer cell ploidy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senovilla, Laura; Vitale, Ilio; Martins, Isabelle; Tailler, Maximilien; Pailleret, Claire; Michaud, Mickaël; Galluzzi, Lorenzo; Adjemian, Sandy; Kepp, Oliver; Niso-Santano, Mireia; Shen, Shensi; Mariño, Guillermo; Criollo, Alfredo; Boilève, Alice; Job, Bastien; Ladoire, Sylvain; Ghiringhelli, François; Sistigu, Antonella; Yamazaki, Takahiro; Rello-Varona, Santiago; Locher, Clara; Poirier-Colame, Vichnou; Talbot, Monique; Valent, Alexander; Berardinelli, Francesco; Antoccia, Antonio; Ciccosanti, Fabiola; Fimia, Gian Maria; Piacentini, Mauro; Fueyo, Antonio; Messina, Nicole L; Li, Ming; Chan, Christopher J; Sigl, Verena; Pourcher, Guillaume; Ruckenstuhl, Christoph; Carmona-Gutierrez, Didac; Lazar, Vladimir; Penninger, Josef M; Madeo, Frank; López-Otín, Carlos; Smyth, Mark J; Zitvogel, Laurence; Castedo, Maria; Kroemer, Guido

    2012-09-28

    Cancer cells accommodate multiple genetic and epigenetic alterations that initially activate intrinsic (cell-autonomous) and extrinsic (immune-mediated) oncosuppressive mechanisms. Only once these barriers to oncogenesis have been overcome can malignant growth proceed unrestrained. Tetraploidization can contribute to oncogenesis because hyperploid cells are genomically unstable. We report that hyperploid cancer cells become immunogenic because of a constitutive endoplasmic reticulum stress response resulting in the aberrant cell surface exposure of calreticulin. Hyperploid, calreticulin-exposing cancer cells readily proliferated in immunodeficient mice and conserved their increased DNA content. In contrast, hyperploid cells injected into immunocompetent mice generated tumors only after a delay, and such tumors exhibited reduced DNA content, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and calreticulin exposure. Our results unveil an immunosurveillance system that imposes immunoselection against hyperploidy in carcinogen- and oncogene-induced cancers.

  13. Electrochemical Dissolution of Iridium and Iridium Oxide Particles in Acidic Media: Transmission Electron Microscopy, Electrochemical Flow Cell Coupled to Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jovanovič, Primož; Hodnik, Nejc; Ruiz-Zepeda, Francisco; Arčon, Iztok; Jozinović, Barbara; Zorko, Milena; Bele, Marjan; Šala, Martin; Šelih, Vid Simon; Hočevar, Samo; Gaberšček, Miran

    2017-09-13

    Iridium-based particles, regarded as the most promising proton exchange membrane electrolyzer electrocatalysts, were investigated by transmission electron microscopy and by coupling of an electrochemical flow cell (EFC) with online inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Additionally, studies using a thin-film rotating disc electrode, identical location transmission and scanning electron microscopy, as well as X-ray absorption spectroscopy have been performed. Extremely sensitive online time-and potential-resolved electrochemical dissolution profiles revealed that Ir particles dissolve well below oxygen evolution reaction (OER) potentials, presumably induced by Ir surface oxidation and reduction processes, also referred to as transient dissolution. Overall, thermally prepared rutile-type IrO 2 particles are substantially more stable and less active in comparison to as-prepared metallic and electrochemically pretreated (E-Ir) analogues. Interestingly, under OER-relevant conditions, E-Ir particles exhibit superior stability and activity owing to the altered corrosion mechanism, where the formation of unstable Ir(>IV) species is hindered. Due to the enhanced and lasting OER performance, electrochemically pre-oxidized E-Ir particles may be considered as the electrocatalyst of choice for an improved low-temperature electrochemical hydrogen production device, namely a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer.

  14. Fuel starvation. Irreversible degradation mechanisms in PEM fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rangel, Carmen M.; Silva, R.A.; Travassos, M.A.; Paiva, T.I.; Fernandes, V.R. [LNEG, National Laboratory for Energy and Geology, Lisboa (Portugal). UPCH Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Unit

    2010-07-01

    PEM fuel cell operates under very aggressive conditions in both anode and cathode. Failure modes and mechanism in PEM fuel cells include those related to thermal, chemical or mechanical issues that may constrain stability, power and lifetime. In this work, the case of fuel starvation is examined. The anode potential may rise to levels compatible with the oxidization of water. If water is not available, oxidation of the carbon support will accelerate catalyst sintering. Diagnostics methods used for in-situ and ex-situ analysis of PEM fuel cells are selected in order to better categorize irreversible changes of the cell. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) is found instrumental in the identification of fuel cell flooding conditions and membrane dehydration associated to mass transport limitations / reactant starvation and protonic conductivity decrease, respectively. Furthermore, it indicates that water electrolysis might happen at the anode. Cross sections of the membrane catalyst and gas diffusion layers examined by scanning electron microscopy indicate electrode thickness reduction as a result of reactions taking place during hydrogen starvation. Catalyst particles are found to migrate outwards and located on carbon backings. Membrane degradation in fuel cell environment is analyzed in terms of the mechanism for fluoride release which is considered an early predictor of membrane degradation. (orig.)

  15. Chorein Sensitivity of Actin Polymerization, Cell Shape and Mechanical Stiffness of Vascular Endothelial Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ioana Alesutan

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aims: Endothelial cell stiffness plays a key role in endothelium-dependent control of vascular tone and arterial blood pressure. Actin polymerization and distribution of microfilaments is essential for mechanical cell stiffness. Chorein, a protein encoded by the VPS13A gene, defective in chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc, is involved in neuronal cell survival as well as cortical actin polymerization of erythrocytes and blood platelets. Chorein is expressed in a wide variety of further cells, yet nothing is known about the impact of chorein on cells other than neurons, erythrocytes and platelets. The present study explored whether chorein is expressed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs and addressed the putative role of chorein in the regulation of cytoskeletal architecture, stiffness and survival of those cells. Methods: In HUVECs with or without silencing of the VPS13A gene, VPS13A mRNA expression was determined utilizing quantitative RT-PCR, cytoskeletal organization visualized by confocal microscopy, G/F actin ratio and phosphorylation status of focal adhesion kinase quantified by western blotting, cell death determined by flow cytometry, mechanical properties studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM and cell morphology analysed by scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM. Results: VPS13A mRNA expression was detectable in HUVECs. Silencing of the VPS13A gene attenuated the filamentous actin network, decreased the ratio of soluble G-actin over filamentous F-actin, reduced cell stiffness and changed cell morphology as compared to HUVECs silenced with negative control siRNA. These effects were paralleled by a significant decrease in FAK phosphorylation following VPS13A silencing. Moreover, silencing of the VPS13A gene increased caspase 3 activity and induced necrosis in HUVECs. Conclusions: Chorein is a novel regulator of cytoskeletal architecture, cell shape, mechanical stiffness and survival of vascular endothelial cells.

  16. Coupled Large Scale Hydro-mechanical Modelling for cap-rock Failure Risk Assessment of CO2 Storage in Deep Saline Aquifers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rohmer, J.; Seyedi, D.M.

    2010-01-01

    This work presents a numerical strategy of large scale hydro-mechanical simulations to assess the risk of damage in cap-rock formations during a CO 2 injection process. The proposed methodology is based on the development of a sequential coupling between a multiphase fluid flow (TOUGH2) and a hydro-mechanical calculation code (Code-Aster) that enables us to perform coupled hydro-mechanical simulation at a regional scale. The likelihood of different cap-rock damage mechanisms can then be evaluated based on the results of the coupled simulations. A scenario based approach is proposed to take into account the effect of the uncertainty of model parameters on damage likelihood. The developed methodology is applied for the cap-rock failure analysis of deep aquifer of the Dogger formation in the context of the Paris basin multilayered geological system as a demonstration example. The simulation is carried out at a regional scale (100 km) considering an industrial mass injection rate of CO 2 of 10 Mt/y. The assessment of the stress state after 10 years of injection is conducted through the developed sequential coupling. Two failure mechanisms have been taken into account, namely the tensile fracturing and the shear slip reactivation of pre-existing fractures. To deal with the large uncertainties due to sparse data on the layer formations, a scenario based strategy is undertaken. It consists in defining a first reference modelling scenario considering the mean values of the hydro-mechanical properties for each layer. A sensitivity analysis is then carried out and shows the importance of both the initial stress state and the reservoir hydraulic properties on the cap-rock failure tendency. On this basis, a second scenario denoted 'critical' is defined so that the most influential model parameters are taken in their worst configuration. None of these failure criteria is activated for the considered conditions. At a phenomenological level, this study points out three key

  17. Numerical research on the neutronic/thermal-hydraulic/mechanical coupling characteristics of the optimized helium cooled solid breeder blanket for CFETR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cui, Shijie; Zhang, Dalin; Cheng, Jie; Tian, Wenxi; Su, G.H.

    2017-01-01

    As one of the candidate tritium breeding blankets for Chinese Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR), a conceptual structure of the helium cooled solid breeder blanket has recently been proposed. The neutronic, thermal-hydraulic and mechanical characteristics of the blanket directly affect its tritium breeding and safety performance. Therefore, neutronic/thermal-hydraulic/mechanical coupling analyses are of vital importance for a reliable blanket design. In this work, first, three-dimensional neutronics analysis and optimization of the typical outboard equatorial blanket module (No. 12) were performed for the comprehensive optimal scheme. Then, thermal and fluid dynamic analyses of the scheme under both normal and critical conditions were performed and coupled with the previous neutronic calculation results. With thermal-hydraulic boundaries, thermo-mechanical analyses of the structure materials under normal, critical and blanket over-pressurization conditions were carried out. In addition, several parametric sensitivity studies were also conducted to investigate the influences of the main parameters on the blanket temperature distributions. In this paper, the coupled analyses verify the reasonability of the optimized conceptual design preliminarily and can provide an important reference for the further analysis and optimization design of the CFETR helium cooled solid breeder blanket.

  18. Numerical research on the neutronic/thermal-hydraulic/mechanical coupling characteristics of the optimized helium cooled solid breeder blanket for CFETR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cui, Shijie; Zhang, Dalin, E-mail: dlzhang@mail.xjtu.edu.cn; Cheng, Jie; Tian, Wenxi; Su, G.H.

    2017-01-15

    As one of the candidate tritium breeding blankets for Chinese Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR), a conceptual structure of the helium cooled solid breeder blanket has recently been proposed. The neutronic, thermal-hydraulic and mechanical characteristics of the blanket directly affect its tritium breeding and safety performance. Therefore, neutronic/thermal-hydraulic/mechanical coupling analyses are of vital importance for a reliable blanket design. In this work, first, three-dimensional neutronics analysis and optimization of the typical outboard equatorial blanket module (No. 12) were performed for the comprehensive optimal scheme. Then, thermal and fluid dynamic analyses of the scheme under both normal and critical conditions were performed and coupled with the previous neutronic calculation results. With thermal-hydraulic boundaries, thermo-mechanical analyses of the structure materials under normal, critical and blanket over-pressurization conditions were carried out. In addition, several parametric sensitivity studies were also conducted to investigate the influences of the main parameters on the blanket temperature distributions. In this paper, the coupled analyses verify the reasonability of the optimized conceptual design preliminarily and can provide an important reference for the further analysis and optimization design of the CFETR helium cooled solid breeder blanket.

  19. Long-term stability of the near-field about high-level radioactive waste repository in thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling action condition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Yuemiao; Wang Ju; Ke Dan; Cai Meifeng

    2008-01-01

    It is a long-term process for the high-level radioactive waste repository, from opening, construction to end of its service. The long-term stability of the near-field is the key issue for the design of HLW repository because the opening and heat generated from the HLW. Through a nationwide investigation, Beishan area, a Gobi desert in Gansu province, is considered as a suitable candidate and GMZ bentonite deposit which located in Xinghe County, Inner Mongolia has been proposed for the supplier of buffer/backfill material for HLW geological repository in China. According to the R and D guide of high-level radioactive waste disposal in China, the 3D model of HLW repository with high-level radioactive waste, canister and buffer/backfill material is established using FLAC3D. To take into account in situ stress, geothermal gradient, groundwater, thermal relief of HLW and swelling pressure of buffer/backfill material, the evolution of temperature, stress and displacement of HLW repository under thermo-mechanical coupling, hydro-mechanical coupling and thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling conditions was analyzed respectively. The long-term stability of HLW repository in Beishan area was studied. (authors)

  20. Thermal and Mechanical Performance of the First MICE Coupling Coil and the Fermilab Solenoid Test Facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rabehl, Roger [Fermilab; Carcagno, Ruben [Fermilab; Caspi, Shlomo [LBNL, Berkeley; DeMello, Allan [LBNL, Berkeley; Kokoska, Lidija [Fermilab; Orris, D. [Fermilab; Pan, Heng [LBNL, Berkeley; Sylvester, Cosmore [Fermilab; Tartaglia, Michael

    2014-11-06

    The first coupling coil for the Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE) has been tested in a conduction-cooled environment at the Solenoid Test Facility at Fermilab. An overview of the thermal and mechanical performance of the magnet and the test stand during cool-down and power testing of the magnet is presented.

  1. Nanomaterials modulate stem cell differentiation: biological interaction and underlying mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Min; Li, Song; Le, Weidong

    2017-10-25

    Stem cells are unspecialized cells that have the potential for self-renewal and differentiation into more specialized cell types. The chemical and physical properties of surrounding microenvironment contribute to the growth and differentiation of stem cells and consequently play crucial roles in the regulation of stem cells' fate. Nanomaterials hold great promise in biological and biomedical fields owing to their unique properties, such as controllable particle size, facile synthesis, large surface-to-volume ratio, tunable surface chemistry, and biocompatibility. Over the recent years, accumulating evidence has shown that nanomaterials can facilitate stem cell proliferation and differentiation, and great effort is undertaken to explore their possible modulating manners and mechanisms on stem cell differentiation. In present review, we summarize recent progress in the regulating potential of various nanomaterials on stem cell differentiation and discuss the possible cell uptake, biological interaction and underlying mechanisms.

  2. Mechanical Stress Downregulates MHC Class I Expression on Human Cancer Cell Membrane

    KAUST Repository

    La Rocca, Rosanna

    2014-12-26

    In our body, cells are continuously exposed to physical forces that can regulate different cell functions such as cell proliferation, differentiation and death. In this work, we employed two different strategies to mechanically stress cancer cells. The cancer and healthy cell populations were treated either with mechanical stress delivered by a micropump (fabricated by deep X-ray nanolithography) or by ultrasound wave stimuli. A specific down-regulation of Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class I molecules expression on cancer cell membrane compared to different kinds of healthy cells (fibroblasts, macrophages, dendritic and lymphocyte cells) was observed, stimulating the cells with forces in the range of nano-newton, and pressures between 1 and 10 bar (1 bar = 100.000 Pascal), depending on the devices used. Moreover, Raman spectroscopy analysis, after mechanical treatment, in the range between 700–1800 cm−1, indicated a relative concentration variation of MHC class I. PCA analysis was also performed to distinguish control and stressed cells within different cell lines. These mechanical induced phenotypic changes increase the tumor immunogenicity, as revealed by the related increased susceptibility to Natural Killer (NK) cells cytotoxic recognition.

  3. Mechanical stress downregulates MHC class I expression on human cancer cell membrane.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosanna La Rocca

    Full Text Available In our body, cells are continuously exposed to physical forces that can regulate different cell functions such as cell proliferation, differentiation and death. In this work, we employed two different strategies to mechanically stress cancer cells. The cancer and healthy cell populations were treated either with mechanical stress delivered by a micropump (fabricated by deep X-ray nanolithography or by ultrasound wave stimuli. A specific down-regulation of Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC class I molecules expression on cancer cell membrane compared to different kinds of healthy cells (fibroblasts, macrophages, dendritic and lymphocyte cells was observed, stimulating the cells with forces in the range of nano-newton, and pressures between 1 and 10 bar (1 bar = 100.000 Pascal, depending on the devices used. Moreover, Raman spectroscopy analysis, after mechanical treatment, in the range between 700-1800 cm(-1, indicated a relative concentration variation of MHC class I. PCA analysis was also performed to distinguish control and stressed cells within different cell lines. These mechanical induced phenotypic changes increase the tumor immunogenicity, as revealed by the related increased susceptibility to Natural Killer (NK cells cytotoxic recognition.

  4. Mechanical regulation of stem-cell differentiation by the stretch-activated Piezo channel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Li; Si, Guangwei; Huang, Jiuhong; Samuel, Aravinthan D T; Perrimon, Norbert

    2018-03-01

    Somatic stem cells constantly adjust their self-renewal and lineage commitment by integrating various environmental cues to maintain tissue homeostasis. Although numerous chemical and biological signals have been identified that regulate stem-cell behaviour, whether stem cells can directly sense mechanical signals in vivo remains unclear. Here we show that mechanical stress regulates stem-cell differentiation in the adult Drosophila midgut through the stretch-activated ion channel Piezo. We find that Piezo is specifically expressed in previously unidentified enteroendocrine precursor cells, which have reduced proliferation ability and are destined to become enteroendocrine cells. Loss of Piezo activity reduces the generation of enteroendocrine cells in the adult midgut. In addition, ectopic expression of Piezo in all stem cells triggers both cell proliferation and enteroendocrine cell differentiation. Both the Piezo mutant and overexpression phenotypes can be rescued by manipulation of cytosolic Ca 2+ levels, and increases in cytosolic Ca 2+ resemble the Piezo overexpression phenotype, suggesting that Piezo functions through Ca 2+ signalling. Further studies suggest that Ca 2+ signalling promotes stem-cell proliferation and differentiation through separate pathways. Finally, Piezo is required for both mechanical activation of stem cells in a gut expansion assay and the increase of cytosolic Ca 2+ in response to direct mechanical stimulus in a gut compression assay. Thus, our study demonstrates the existence of a specific group of stem cells in the fly midgut that can directly sense mechanical signals through Piezo.

  5. A novel whole-cell mechanism for long-term memory enhancement.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iris Reuveni

    Full Text Available Olfactory-discrimination learning was shown to induce a profound long-lasting enhancement in the strength of excitatory and inhibitory synapses of pyramidal neurons in the piriform cortex. Notably, such enhancement was mostly pronounced in a sub-group of neurons, entailing about a quarter of the cell population. Here we first show that the prominent enhancement in the subset of cells is due to a process in which all excitatory synapses doubled their strength and that this increase was mediated by a single process in which the AMPA channel conductance was doubled. Moreover, using a neuronal-network model, we show how such a multiplicative whole-cell synaptic strengthening in a sub-group of cells that form a memory pattern, sub-serves a profound selective enhancement of this memory. Network modeling further predicts that synaptic inhibition should be modified by complex learning in a manner that much resembles synaptic excitation. Indeed, in a subset of neurons all GABAA-receptors mediated inhibitory synapses also doubled their strength after learning. Like synaptic excitation, Synaptic inhibition is also enhanced by two-fold increase of the single channel conductance. These findings suggest that crucial learning induces a multiplicative increase in strength of all excitatory and inhibitory synapses in a subset of cells, and that such an increase can serve as a long-term whole-cell mechanism to profoundly enhance an existing Hebbian-type memory. This mechanism does not act as synaptic plasticity mechanism that underlies memory formation but rather enhances the response of already existing memory. This mechanism is cell-specific rather than synapse-specific; it modifies the channel conductance rather than the number of channels and thus has the potential to be readily induced and un-induced by whole-cell transduction mechanisms.

  6. Failure mechanism and coupled static-dynamic loading theory in deep hard rock mining: A review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xibing Li

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Rock failure phenomena, such as rockburst, slabbing (or spalling and zonal disintegration, related to deep underground excavation of hard rocks are frequently reported and pose a great threat to deep mining. Currently, the explanation for these failure phenomena using existing dynamic or static rock mechanics theory is not straightforward. In this study, new theory and testing method for deep underground rock mass under coupled static-dynamic loading are introduced. Two types of coupled loading modes, i.e. “critical static stress + slight disturbance” and “elastic static stress + impact disturbance”, are proposed, and associated test devices are developed. Rockburst phenomena of hard rocks under coupled static-dynamic loading are successfully reproduced in the laboratory, and the rockburst mechanism and related criteria are demonstrated. The results of true triaxial unloading compression tests on granite and red sandstone indicate that the unloading can induce slabbing when the confining pressure exceeds a certain threshold, and the slabbing failure strength is lower than the shear failure strength according to the conventional Mohr-Column criterion. Numerical results indicate that the rock unloading failure response under different in situ stresses and unloading rates can be characterized by an equivalent strain energy density. In addition, we present a new microseismic source location method without premeasuring the sound wave velocity in rock mass, which can efficiently and accurately locate the rock failure in hard rock mines. Also, a new idea for deep hard rock mining using a non-explosive continuous mining method is briefly introduced.

  7. Nanodiamonds coupled with 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin, a plant bioactive metabolite, interfere with the mitotic process in B16F10 cells altering the actin organization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gismondi A

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Angelo Gismondi,1 Valentina Nanni,1 Giacomo Reina,2 Silvia Orlanducci,2 Maria Letizia Terranova,2 Antonella Canini1 1Department of Biology, 2Department of Chemical Science and Technology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy Abstract: For the first time, we coupled reduced detonation nanodiamonds (NDs with a plant secondary metabolite, citropten (5,7-dimethoxycoumarin, and demonstrated how this complex was able to reduce B16F10 tumor cell growth more effectively than treatment with the pure molecule. These results encouraged us to find out the specific mechanism underlying this phenomenon. Internalization kinetics and quantification of citropten in cells after treatment with its pure or ND-conjugated form were measured, and it was revealed that the coupling between NDs and citropten was essential for the biological properties of the complex. We showed that the adduct was not able to induce apoptosis, senescence, or differentiation, but it determined cell cycle arrest, morphological changes, and alteration of mRNA levels of the cytoskeletal-related genes. The identification of metaphasic nuclei and irregular disposition of β-actin in the cell cytoplasm supported the hypothesis that citropten conjugated with NDs showed antimitotic properties in B16F10 cells. This work can be considered a pioneering piece of research that could promote and support the biomedical use of plant drug-functionalized NDs in cancer therapy. Keywords: citropten, cytoskeletal structure, plant secondary metabolite, melanoma, internalization kinetics

  8. Simulating the mammalian blastocyst--molecular and mechanical interactions pattern the embryo.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pawel Krupinski

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Mammalian embryogenesis is a dynamic process involving gene expression and mechanical forces between proliferating cells. The exact nature of these interactions, which determine the lineage patterning of the trophectoderm and endoderm tissues occurring in a highly regulated manner at precise periods during the embryonic development, is an area of debate. We have developed a computational modeling framework for studying this process, by which the combined effects of mechanical and genetic interactions are analyzed within the context of proliferating cells. At a purely mechanical level, we demonstrate that the perpendicular alignment of the animal-vegetal (a-v and embryonic-abembryonic (eb-ab axes is a result of minimizing the total elastic conformational energy of the entire collection of cells, which are constrained by the zona pellucida. The coupling of gene expression with the mechanics of cell movement is important for formation of both the trophectoderm and the endoderm. In studying the formation of the trophectoderm, we contrast and compare quantitatively two hypotheses: (1 The position determines gene expression, and (2 the gene expression determines the position. Our model, which couples gene expression with mechanics, suggests that differential adhesion between different cell types is a critical determinant in the robust endoderm formation. In addition to differential adhesion, two different testable hypotheses emerge when considering endoderm formation: (1 A directional force acts on certain cells and moves them into forming the endoderm layer, which separates the blastocoel and the cells of the inner cell mass (ICM. In this case the blastocoel simply acts as a static boundary. (2 The blastocoel dynamically applies pressure upon the cells in contact with it, such that cell segregation in the presence of differential adhesion leads to the endoderm formation. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to combine cell-based spatial

  9. Mechanical stimulation of bone cells using fluid flow

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huesa, C.; Bakker, A.D.

    2012-01-01

    This chapter describes several methods suitable for mechanically stimulating monolayers of bone cells by fluid shear stress (FSS) in vitro. Fluid flow is generated by pumping culture medium through two parallel plates, one of which contains a monolayer of cells. Methods for measuring nitric oxide

  10. Numerical simulation of the heat extraction in EGS with thermal-hydraulic-mechanical coupling method based on discrete fractures model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Zhi-xue; Zhang, Xu; Xu, Yi; Yao, Jun; Wang, Hao-xuan; Lv, Shuhuan; Sun, Zhi-lei; Huang, Yong; Cai, Ming-yu; Huang, Xiaoxue

    2017-01-01

    The Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) creates an artificial geothermal reservoir by hydraulic fracturing which allows heat transmission through the fractures by the circulating fluids as they extract heat from Hot Dry Rock (HDR). The technique involves complex thermal–hydraulic–mechanical (THM) coupling process. A numerical approach is presented in this paper to simulate and analyze the heat extraction process in EGS. The reservoir is regarded as fractured porous media consisting of rock matrix blocks and discrete fracture networks. Based on thermal non-equilibrium theory, the mathematical model of THM coupling process in fractured rock mass is used. The proposed model is validated by comparing it with several analytical solutions. An EGS case from Cooper Basin, Australia is simulated with 2D stochastically generated fracture model to study the characteristics of fluid flow, heat transfer and mechanical response in geothermal reservoir. The main parameters controlling the outlet temperature of EGS are also studied by sensitivity analysis. The results shows the significance of taking into account the THM coupling effects when investigating the efficiency and performance of EGS. - Highlights: • EGS reservoir comprising discrete fracture networks and matrix rock is modeled. • A THM coupling model is proposed for simulating the heat extraction in EGS. • The numerical model is validated by comparing with several analytical solutions. • A case study is presented for understanding the main characteristics of EGS. • The THM coupling effects are shown to be significant factors to EGS's running performance.

  11. The mechanism of abrupt transition between theta and hyper-excitable spiking activity in medial entorhinal cortex layer II stellate cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tilman Kispersky

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Recent studies have shown that stellate cells (SCs of the medial entorhinal cortex become hyper-excitable in animal models of temporal lobe epilepsy. These studies have also demonstrated the existence of recurrent connections among SCs, reduced levels of recurrent inhibition in epileptic networks as compared to control ones, and comparable levels of recurrent excitation among SCs in both network types. In this work, we investigate the biophysical and dynamic mechanism of generation of the fast time scale corresponding to hyper-excitable firing and the transition between theta and fast firing frequency activity in SCs. We show that recurrently connected minimal networks of SCs exhibit abrupt, threshold-like transition between theta and hyper-excitable firing frequencies as the result of small changes in the maximal synaptic (AMPAergic conductance. The threshold required for this transition is modulated by synaptic inhibition. Similar abrupt transition between firing frequency regimes can be observed in single, self-coupled SCs, which represent a network of recurrently coupled neurons synchronized in phase, but not in synaptically isolated SCs as the result of changes in the levels of the tonic drive. Using dynamical systems tools (phase-space analysis, we explain the dynamic mechanism underlying the genesis of the fast time scale and the abrupt transition between firing frequency regimes, their dependence on the intrinsic SC's currents and synaptic excitation. This abrupt transition is mechanistically different from others observed in similar networks with different cell types. Most notably, there is no bistability involved. 'In vitro' experiments using single SCs self-coupled with dynamic clamp show the abrupt transition between firing frequency regimes, and demonstrate that our theoretical predictions are not an artifact of the model. In addition, these experiments show that high-frequency firing is burst-like with a duration modulated by an M-current.

  12. A mechanically-induced colon cancer cell population shows increased metastatic potential

    KAUST Repository

    Tang, Xin; Kuhlenschmidt, Theresa B; Li, Qian; Ali, Shahjahan; Lezmi, Stephane; Chen, Hong; Pires-Alves, Melissa; Laegreid, William W; Saif, Taher A; Kuhlenschmidt, Mark S

    2014-01-01

    Background: Metastasis accounts for the majority of deaths from cancer. Although tumor microenvironment has been shown to have a significant impact on the initiation and/or promotion of metastasis, the mechanism remains elusive. We previously reported that HCT-8 colon cancer cells underwent a phenotypic transition from an adhesive epithelial type (E-cell) to a rounded dissociated type (R-cell) via soft substrate culture, which resembled the initiation of metastasis. The objective of current study was to investigate the molecular and metabolic mechanisms of the E-R transition.Methods: Global gene expressions of HCT-8 E and R cells were measured by RNA Sequencing (RNA-seq); and the results were further confirmed by real-time PCR. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), anoikis resistance, enzyme activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase 3 family, member A1 (ALDH3A1), and in vitro invasion assay were tested on both E and R cells. The deformability of HCT-8 E and R cells was measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). To study the in vivo invasiveness of two cell types, athymic nude mice were intra-splenically injected with HCT-8 E or R cells and sacrificed after 9 weeks. Incidences of tumor development and metastasis were histologically evaluated and analyzed with Fisher's exact test.Results: Besides HCT-8, E-R transition on soft substrates was also seen in three other cancer cell lines (HCT116, SW480 colon and DU145 prostate cancer). The expression of some genes, such as ALDH3A1, TNS4, CLDN2, and AKR1B10, which are known to play important roles in cancer cell migration, invasion, proliferation and apoptosis, were increased in HCT-8 R cells. R cells also showed higher ALDH3A1 enzyme activity, higher ROS, higher anoikis resistance, and higher softness than E cells. More importantly, in vitro assay and in vivo animal models revealed that HCT-8 R cells were more invasive than E cells.Conclusions: Our comprehensive comparison of HCT-8 E and R cells revealed differences of molecular

  13. A mechanically-induced colon cancer cell population shows increased metastatic potential

    KAUST Repository

    Tang, Xin

    2014-05-29

    Background: Metastasis accounts for the majority of deaths from cancer. Although tumor microenvironment has been shown to have a significant impact on the initiation and/or promotion of metastasis, the mechanism remains elusive. We previously reported that HCT-8 colon cancer cells underwent a phenotypic transition from an adhesive epithelial type (E-cell) to a rounded dissociated type (R-cell) via soft substrate culture, which resembled the initiation of metastasis. The objective of current study was to investigate the molecular and metabolic mechanisms of the E-R transition.Methods: Global gene expressions of HCT-8 E and R cells were measured by RNA Sequencing (RNA-seq); and the results were further confirmed by real-time PCR. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), anoikis resistance, enzyme activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase 3 family, member A1 (ALDH3A1), and in vitro invasion assay were tested on both E and R cells. The deformability of HCT-8 E and R cells was measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). To study the in vivo invasiveness of two cell types, athymic nude mice were intra-splenically injected with HCT-8 E or R cells and sacrificed after 9 weeks. Incidences of tumor development and metastasis were histologically evaluated and analyzed with Fisher\\'s exact test.Results: Besides HCT-8, E-R transition on soft substrates was also seen in three other cancer cell lines (HCT116, SW480 colon and DU145 prostate cancer). The expression of some genes, such as ALDH3A1, TNS4, CLDN2, and AKR1B10, which are known to play important roles in cancer cell migration, invasion, proliferation and apoptosis, were increased in HCT-8 R cells. R cells also showed higher ALDH3A1 enzyme activity, higher ROS, higher anoikis resistance, and higher softness than E cells. More importantly, in vitro assay and in vivo animal models revealed that HCT-8 R cells were more invasive than E cells.Conclusions: Our comprehensive comparison of HCT-8 E and R cells revealed differences of molecular

  14. Mechanisms of redox metabolism and cancer cell survival during extracellular matrix detachment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawk, Mark A; Schafer, Zachary T

    2018-01-16

    Non-transformed cells that become detached from the extracellular matrix (ECM) undergo dysregulation of redox homeostasis and cell death. In contrast, cancer cells often acquire the ability to mitigate programmed cell death pathways and recalibrate the redox balance to survive after ECM detachment, facilitating metastatic dissemination. Accordingly, recent studies of the mechanisms by which cancer cells overcome ECM detachment-induced metabolic alterations have focused on mechanisms in redox homeostasis. The insights into these mechanisms may inform the development of therapeutics that manipulate redox homeostasis to eliminate ECM-detached cancer cells. Here, we review how ECM-detached cancer cells balance redox metabolism for survival. Published under license by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  15. Mechanical Stress Downregulates MHC Class I Expression on Human Cancer Cell Membrane

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    La Rocca, Rosanna; Tallerico, Rossana; Hassan, Almosawy Talib

    2014-01-01

    In our body, cells are continuously exposed to physical forces that can regulate different cell functions such as cell proliferation, differentiation and death. In this work, we employed two different strategies to mechanically stress cancer cells. The cancer and healthy cell populations were...... treated either with mechanical stress delivered by a micropump (fabricated by deep X-ray nanolithography) or by ultrasound wave stimuli. A specific down-regulation of Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class I molecules expression on cancer cell membrane compared to different kinds of healthy cells...... between 700–1800 cm-1, indicated a relative concentration variation of MHC class I. PCA analysis was also performed to distinguish control and stressed cells within different cell lines. These mechanical induced phenotypic changes increase the tumor immunogenicity, as revealed by the related increased...

  16. Actin dynamics, architecture, and mechanics in cell motility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blanchoin, Laurent; Boujemaa-Paterski, Rajaa; Sykes, Cécile; Plastino, Julie

    2014-01-01

    Tight coupling between biochemical and mechanical properties of the actin cytoskeleton drives a large range of cellular processes including polarity establishment, morphogenesis, and motility. This is possible because actin filaments are semi-flexible polymers that, in conjunction with the molecular motor myosin, can act as biological active springs or "dashpots" (in laymen's terms, shock absorbers or fluidizers) able to exert or resist against force in a cellular environment. To modulate their mechanical properties, actin filaments can organize into a variety of architectures generating a diversity of cellular organizations including branched or crosslinked networks in the lamellipodium, parallel bundles in filopodia, and antiparallel structures in contractile fibers. In this review we describe the feedback loop between biochemical and mechanical properties of actin organization at the molecular level in vitro, then we integrate this knowledge into our current understanding of cellular actin organization and its physiological roles.

  17. Effect of fluid–solid coupling on shale mechanics and seepage laws

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fuquan Song

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the cores of outcropped black shale of Lower Silurian Longmaxi Fm in the Yibin area, Sichuan Basin, were taken as samples to investigate the effects of extraneous water on shale mechanics and seepage laws during the production of shale gas reservoirs. Firstly, the development of fractures in water saturated cores was observed by using a VHX-5000 optical superdepth microscope. Secondly, water, formation water and slick water, as well as the damage form and compression strength of water saturated/unsaturated cores were investigated by means of a uniaxial compression testing machine and a strain testing & analysis system. Finally, the effects of fluid–solid coupling on shale gas flowing performance in different water saturations were analyzed by using a DYQ-1 multi-function displacement device. Analysis on core components shows that the Longmaxi shale is a highly crushable reservoir with a high content of fragile minerals, so fracturing stimulation is suitable for it. Shale compression strength test reveals that the effects of deionized water, formation water and slick water on shale are different, so the compression strength of shale before being saturated is quite different from that after being saturated. Due to the existence of water, the compression strength of shale drops, so the shale can be fractured easily, more fractures are generated and thus its seepage capacity is improved. Experiments on shale gas seepage under different water saturations show that under the condition of fluid–solid coupling, the higher the water saturation is, the better the propagation and seepage capacity of micro-fractures in shale under the effect of pressure. To sum up, the existence of water is beneficial to fracturing stimulation of shale gas reservoirs and helps to achieve the goal of production improvement. Keywords: Shale gas, Core, Fluid–solid coupling, Water, Compression strength, Permeability, Seepage characteristic, Sichuan Basin

  18. Slot-coupled CW standing wave accelerating cavity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Shaoheng; Rimmer, Robert; Wang, Haipeng

    2017-05-16

    A slot-coupled CW standing wave multi-cell accelerating cavity. To achieve high efficiency graded beta acceleration, each cell in the multi-cell cavity may include different cell lengths. Alternatively, to achieve high efficiency with acceleration for particles with beta equal to 1, each cell in the multi-cell cavity may include the same cell design. Coupling between the cells is achieved with a plurality of axially aligned kidney-shaped slots on the wall between cells. The slot-coupling method makes the design very compact. The shape of the cell, including the slots and the cone, are optimized to maximize the power efficiency and minimize the peak power density on the surface. The slots are non-resonant, thereby enabling shorter slots and less power loss.

  19. Phase imaging of mechanical properties of live cells (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wax, Adam

    2017-02-01

    The mechanisms by which cells respond to mechanical stimuli are essential for cell function yet not well understood. Many rheological tools have been developed to characterize cellular viscoelastic properties but these typically require direct mechanical contact, limiting their throughput. We have developed a new approach for characterizing the organization of subcellular structures using a label free, noncontact, single-shot phase imaging method that correlates to measured cellular mechanical stiffness. The new analysis approach measures refractive index variance and relates it to disorder strength. These measurements are compared to cellular stiffness, measured using the same imaging tool to visualize nanoscale responses to flow shear stimulus. The utility of the technique is shown by comparing shear stiffness and phase disorder strength across five cellular populations with varying mechanical properties. An inverse relationship between disorder strength and shear stiffness is shown, suggesting that cell mechanical properties can be assessed in a format amenable to high throughput studies using this novel, non-contact technique. Further studies will be presented which include examination of mechanical stiffness in early carcinogenic events and investigation of the role of specific cellular structural proteins in mechanotransduction.

  20. MEMS-based platforms for mechanical manipulation and characterization of cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Peng; Wang, Wenhui; Ru, Changhai; Sun, Yu; Liu, Xinyu

    2017-12-01

    Mechanical manipulation and characterization of single cells are important experimental techniques in biological and medical research. Because of the microscale sizes and highly fragile structures of cells, conventional cell manipulation and characterization techniques are not accurate and/or efficient enough or even cannot meet the more and more demanding needs in different types of cell-based studies. To this end, novel microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based technologies have been developed to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and consistency of various cell manipulation and characterization tasks, and enable new types of cell research. This article summarizes existing MEMS-based platforms developed for cell mechanical manipulation and characterization, highlights their specific design considerations making them suitable for their designated tasks, and discuss their advantages and limitations. In closing, an outlook into future trends is also provided.

  1. Optimization studies of bio-hydrogen production in a coupled microbial electrolysis-dye sensitized solar cell system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ajayi, Folusho Francis; Kim, Kyoung-Yeol; Chae, Kyu-Jung; Choi, Mi-Jin; Chang, In Seop; Kim, In S

    2010-03-01

    Bio-hydrogen production in light-assisted microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) with a dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) was optimized by connecting multiple MECs to a single dye (N719) sensitized solar cell (V(OC) approx. 0.7 V). Hydrogen production occurred simultaneously in all the connected MECs when the solar cell was irradiated with light. The amount of hydrogen produced in each MEC depends on the activity of the microbial catalyst on their anode. Substrate (acetate) to hydrogen conversion efficiencies ranging from 42% to 65% were obtained from the reactors during the experiment. A moderate light intensity of 430 W m(-2) was sufficient for hydrogen production in the coupled MEC-DSSC. A higher light intensity of 915 W m(-2), as well as an increase in substrate concentration, did not show any improvement in the current density due to limitation caused by the rate of microbial oxidation on the anode. A significant reduction in the surface area of the connected DSSC only showed a slight effect on current density in the coupled MEC-DSSC system when irradiated with light.

  2. Grating-coupled surface plasmon enhanced short-circuit current in organic thin-film photovoltaic cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baba, Akira; Aoki, Nobutaka; Shinbo, Kazunari; Kato, Keizo; Kaneko, Futao

    2011-06-01

    In this study, we demonstrate the fabrication of grating-coupled surface plasmon resonance (SPR) enhanced organic thin-film photovoltaic cells and their improved photocurrent properties. The cell consists of a grating substrate/silver/P3HT:PCBM/PEDOT:PSS structure. Blu-ray disk recordable substrates are used as the diffraction grating substrates on which silver films are deposited by vacuum evaporation. P3HT:PCBM films are spin-coated on silver/grating substrates. Low conductivity PEDOT:PSS/PDADMAC layer-by-layer ultrathin films deposited on P3HT:PCBM films act as the hole transport layer, whereas high conductivity PEDOT:PSS films deposited by spin-coating act as the anode. SPR excitations are observed in the fabricated cells upon irradiation with white light. Up to a 2-fold increase in the short-circuit photocurrent is observed when the surface plasmon (SP) is excited on the silver gratings as compared to that without SP excitation. The finite-difference time-domain simulation indicates that the electric field in the P3HT:PCBM layer can be increased using the grating-coupled SP technique. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  3. The plant cell wall integrity maintenance mechanism--a case study of a cell wall plasma membrane signaling network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamann, Thorsten

    2015-04-01

    Some of the most important functions of plant cell walls are protection against biotic/abiotic stress and structural support during growth and development. A prerequisite for plant cell walls to perform these functions is the ability to perceive different types of stimuli in both qualitative and quantitative manners and initiate appropriate responses. The responses in turn involve adaptive changes in cellular and cell wall metabolism leading to modifications in the structures originally required for perception. While our knowledge about the underlying plant mechanisms is limited, results from Saccharomyces cerevisiae suggest the cell wall integrity maintenance mechanism represents an excellent example to illustrate how the molecular mechanisms responsible for stimulus perception, signal transduction and integration can function. Here I will review the available knowledge about the yeast cell wall integrity maintenance system for illustration purposes, summarize the limited knowledge available about the corresponding plant mechanism and discuss the relevance of the plant cell wall integrity maintenance mechanism in biotic stress responses. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Fully quantum-mechanical dynamic analysis of single-photon transport in a single-mode waveguide coupled to a traveling-wave resonator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hach, Edwin E. III; Elshaari, Ali W.; Preble, Stefan F.

    2010-01-01

    We analyze the dynamics of single-photon transport in a single-mode waveguide coupled to a micro-optical resonator by using a fully quantum-mechanical model. We examine the propagation of a single-photon Gaussian packet through the system under various coupling conditions. We review the theory of single-photon transport phenomena as applied to the system and we develop a discussion on the numerical technique we used to solve for dynamical behavior of the quantized field. To demonstrate our method and to establish robust single-photon results, we study the process of adiabatically lowering or raising the energy of a single photon trapped in an optical resonator under active tuning of the resonator. We show that our fully quantum-mechanical approach reproduces the semiclassical result in the appropriate limit and that the adiabatic invariant has the same form in each case. Finally, we explore the trapping of a single photon in a system of dynamically tuned, coupled optical cavities.

  5. Mechanical Properties of Human Cells Change during Neoplastic Processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guthold, Martin; Guo, Xinyi; Bonin, Keith; Scarpinato, Karin

    2014-03-01

    Using an AFM with a spherical probe of 5.3 μm, we determined mechanical properties of individual human mammary epithelial cells that have progressed through four stages of neoplastic transformation: normal, immortal, tumorigenic, and metastatic. Measurements on cells in all four stages were taken over both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Moreover, the measurements were made for cells outside of a colony (isolated), on the periphery of a colony, and inside a colony. By fitting the AFM force vs. indentation curves to a Hertz model, we determined the Young's modulus, E. We found a distinct contrast in the influence a cell's colony environment has on its stiffness depending on whether the cells are normal or cancer cells. We also found that cells become softer as they advance to the tumorigenic stage and then stiffen somewhat in the final step to metastatic cells. For cells averaged over all locations the stiffness values of the nuclear region for normal, immortal, tumorigenic, and metastatic cells were (mean +/- sem) 880 +/- 50, 940+/-50, 400 +/- 20, and 600 +/-20 Pa respectively. Cytoplasmic regions followed a similar trend. These results point to a complex picture of the mechanical changes that occur as cells undergo neoplastic transformation. This work is supported by NSF Materials and Surface Engineering grant CMMI-1152781.

  6. Stem cell plasticity enables hair regeneration following Lgr5+ cell loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoeck, Joerg D; Biehs, Brian; Kurtova, Antonina V; Kljavin, Noelyn M; de Sousa E Melo, Felipe; Alicke, Bruno; Koeppen, Hartmut; Modrusan, Zora; Piskol, Robert; de Sauvage, Frederic J

    2017-06-01

    Under injury conditions, dedicated stem cell populations govern tissue regeneration. However, the molecular mechanisms that induce stem cell regeneration and enable plasticity are poorly understood. Here, we investigate stem cell recovery in the context of the hair follicle to understand how two molecularly distinct stem cell populations are integrated. Utilizing diphtheria-toxin-mediated cell ablation of Lgr5 + (leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 5) stem cells, we show that killing of Lgr5 + cells in mice abrogates hair regeneration but this is reversible. During recovery, CD34 + (CD34 antigen) stem cells activate inflammatory response programs and start dividing. Pharmacological attenuation of inflammation inhibits CD34 + cell proliferation. Subsequently, the Wnt pathway controls the recovery of Lgr5 + cells and inhibition of Wnt signalling prevents Lgr5 + cell and hair germ recovery. Thus, our study uncovers a compensatory relationship between two stem cell populations and the underlying molecular mechanisms that enable hair follicle regeneration.

  7. Modeling mechanical interactions between cancerous mammary acini

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jeffrey; Liphardt, Jan; Rycroft, Chris

    2015-03-01

    The rules and mechanical forces governing cell motility and interactions with the extracellular matrix of a tissue are often critical for understanding the mechanisms by which breast cancer is able to spread through the breast tissue and eventually metastasize. Ex vivo experimentation has demonstrated the the formation of long collagen fibers through collagen gels between the cancerous mammary acini responsible for milk production, providing a fiber scaffolding along which cancer cells can disorganize. We present a minimal mechanical model that serves as a potential explanation for the formation of these collagen fibers and the resultant motion. Our working hypothesis is that cancerous cells induce this fiber formation by pulling on the gel and taking advantage of the specific mechanical properties of collagen. To model this system, we employ a new Eulerian, fixed grid simulation method to model the collagen as a nonlinear viscoelastic material subject to various forces coupled with a multi-agent model to describe individual cancer cells. We find that these phenomena can be explained two simple ideas: cells pull collagen radially inwards and move towards the tension gradient of the collagen gel, while being exposed to standard adhesive and collision forces.

  8. Heterogeneity and weak coupling may explain the synchronization characteristics of cells in the arterial wall

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jacobsen, Jens Christian Brings; Aalkjær, Christian; Matchkov, Vladimir

    2008-01-01

    development of force known as vasomotion. We present experimental data showing a considerable heterogeneity in cellular calcium dynamics in the vascular wall. In stimulated vessels, some SMCs remain quiescent, whereas others display waves of variable frequency. At the onset of vasomotion, all SMCs...... are enrolled into synchronized oscillation.Simulations of coupled SMCs show that the experimentally observed cellular recruitment, the presence of quiescent cells and the variation in oscillation frequency may arise if the cell population is phenotypically heterogeneous. In this case, quiescent cells can...

  9. Grating coupled SPR microarray analysis of proteins and cells in blood from mice with breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendoza, A; Torrisi, D M; Sell, S; Cady, N C; Lawrence, D A

    2016-01-21

    Biomarker discovery for early disease diagnosis is highly important. Of late, much effort has been made to analyze complex biological fluids in an effort to develop new markers specific for different cancer types. Recent advancements in label-free technologies such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based biosensors have shown promise as a diagnostic tool since there is no need for labeling or separation of cells. Furthermore, SPR can provide rapid, real-time detection of antigens from biological samples since SPR is highly sensitive to changes in surface-associated molecular and cellular interactions. Herein, we report a lab-on-a-chip microarray biosensor that utilizes grating-coupled surface plasmon resonance (GCSPR) and grating-coupled surface plasmon coupled fluorescence (GCSPCF) imaging to detect circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from a mouse model (FVB-MMTV-PyVT). GCSPR and GCSPCF analysis was accomplished by spotting antibodies to surface cell markers, cytokines and stress proteins on a nanofabricated GCSPR microchip and screening blood samples from FVB control mice or FVB-MMTV-PyVT mice with developing mammary carcinomas. A transgenic MMTV-PyVT mouse derived cancer cell line was also analyzed. The analyses indicated that CD24, CD44, CD326, CD133 and CD49b were expressed in both cell lines and in blood from MMTV-PyVT mice. Furthermore, cytokines such as IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α, along with heat shock proteins HSP60, HSP27, HSc70(HSP73), HSP90 total, HSP70/HSc70, HSP90, HSP70, HSP90 alpha, phosphotyrosine and HSF-1 were overexpressed in MMTV-PyVT mice.

  10. Population and Public Health Implications of Child Health and Reproductive Outcomes Among Carrier Couples of Sickle Cell Disorders in Madhya Pradesh, Central India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ranbir S. Balgir, PhD;

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: Sickle cell disease is a major genetic and public health challenge in India. Adequate studies on clinico-hematological aspects of disorders are available, however there are few studies on the public health and reproductive outcomes among sickle cell carrier couples. Methods: A total of 383 couples including their offspring with at least one case of sickle cell disorder referred to a testing center from a tertiary hospital from March 2010 to February 2013 were consecutively studied as matched case controls. Results: Out of 383 couples, 200 were found normal and 183 had different sickle cell disorders. Carrier couples of sickle cell disease had significantly higher fertility (mean number of conceptions, i.e. 3.153 versus 1.480 and higher below 10 year mortality (11% versus 2.7% and lower surviving offspring (877.4 versus 970.6 than of controls. Neonatal and infant mortality was doubled (34.3 versus 14.7 and three-fold higher (44.1 versus 14.7, respectively in carriers of disease per 1000 live-births compared to controls. Couples of AS/SS genotype showed high neonatal, infant, below 10 year mortality (214.3 each and low surviving offspring (785.7 per 1000 live-births. Conclusions and Global Health Implications: Sickle cell carrier couples are increasing in both trait and disease offspring (surviving: 56.7% against 43.3% normals. This increased production of carrier and disease offspring leads to increased morbidity, neonatal/infant and childhood mortality, and adversely affects the survival fitness.

  11. Mechanical control of mitotic progression in single animal cells

    OpenAIRE

    Cattin, Cedric J.; Düggelin, Marcel; Martinez-Martin, David; Gerber, Christoph; Müller, Daniel J.; Stewart, Martin P.

    2015-01-01

    Despite the importance of mitotic cell rounding in tissue development and cell proliferation, there remains a paucity of approaches to investigate the mechanical robustness of cell rounding. Here we introduce ion beam-sculpted microcantilevers that enable precise force-feedback-controlled confinement of single cells while characterizing their progression through mitosis. We identify three force regimes according to the cell response: small forces (∼5 nN) that accelerate mitotic progression, i...

  12. Reagentless mechanical cell lysis by nanoscale barbs in microchannels for sample preparation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Carlo, Dino; Jeong, Ki-Hun; Lee, Luke P

    2003-11-01

    A highly effective, reagentless, mechanical cell lysis device integrated in microfluidic channels is reported. Sample preparation, specifically cell lysis, is a critical element in 'lab-on-chip' applications. However, traditional methods of cell lysis require purification steps or complicated fabrication steps that a simple mechanical method of lysis may avoid. A simple and effective mechanical cell lysis system is designed, microfabricated, and characterized to quantify the efficiency of cell lysis and biomolecule accessibility. The device functionality is based on a microfluidic filter region with nanostructured barbs created using a modified deep reactive ion etching process. Mechanical lysis is characterized by using a membrane impermeable dye. Three main mechanisms of micro-mechanical lysis are described. Quantitative measurements of accessible protein as compared to a chemically lysed sample are acquired with optical absorption measurements at 280 and 414 nm. At a flow rate of 300 microL min(-1) within the filter region total protein and hemoglobin accessibilities of 4.8% and 7.5% are observed respectively as compared to 1.9% and 3.2% for a filter without nanostructured barbs.

  13. Vectorial signalling mechanism required for cell-cell communication during sporulation in Bacillus subtilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diez, Veronica; Schujman, Gustavo E; Gueiros-Filho, Frederico J; de Mendoza, Diego

    2012-01-01

    Spore formation in Bacillus subtilis takes place in a sporangium consisting of two chambers, the forespore and the mother cell, which are linked by pathways of cell-cell communication. One pathway, which couples the proteolytic activation of the mother cell transcription factor σ(E) to the action of a forespore synthesized signal molecule, SpoIIR, has remained enigmatic. Signalling by SpoIIR requires the protein to be exported to the intermembrane space between forespore and mother cell, where it will interact with and activate the integral membrane protease SpoIIGA. Here we show that SpoIIR signal activity as well as the cleavage of its N-terminal extension is strictly dependent on the prespore fatty acid biosynthetic machinery. We also report that a conserved threonine residue (T27) in SpoIIR is required for processing, suggesting that signalling of SpoIIR is dependent on fatty acid synthesis probably because of acylation of T27. In addition, SpoIIR localization in the forespore septal membrane depends on the presence of SpoIIGA. The orchestration of σ(E) activation in the intercellular space by an acylated signal protein provides a new paradigm to ensure local transmission of a weak signal across the bilayer to control cell-cell communication during development. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  14. Unraveling a three-step spatiotemporal mechanism of triggering of receptor-induced Nipah virus fusion and cell entry.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qian Liu

    Full Text Available Membrane fusion is essential for entry of the biomedically-important paramyxoviruses into their host cells (viral-cell fusion, and for syncytia formation (cell-cell fusion, often induced by paramyxoviral infections [e.g. those of the deadly Nipah virus (NiV]. For most paramyxoviruses, membrane fusion requires two viral glycoproteins. Upon receptor binding, the attachment glycoprotein (HN/H/G triggers the fusion glycoprotein (F to undergo conformational changes that merge viral and/or cell membranes. However, a significant knowledge gap remains on how HN/H/G couples cell receptor binding to F-triggering. Via interdisciplinary approaches we report the first comprehensive mechanism of NiV membrane fusion triggering, involving three spatiotemporally sequential cell receptor-induced conformational steps in NiV-G: two in the head and one in the stalk. Interestingly, a headless NiV-G mutant was able to trigger NiV-F, and the two head conformational steps were required for the exposure of the stalk domain. Moreover, the headless NiV-G prematurely triggered NiV-F on virions, indicating that the NiV-G head prevents premature triggering of NiV-F on virions by concealing a F-triggering stalk domain until the correct time and place: receptor-binding. Based on these and recent paramyxovirus findings, we present a comprehensive and fundamentally conserved mechanistic model of paramyxovirus membrane fusion triggering and cell entry.

  15. Effects of c-axis Josephson coupling on dissipation, flux dynamics and the mechanism of high-Tc superconductivity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gray, K.E.; Hettinger, J.D.

    1995-01-01

    Measurements of the c-axis transport in highly anisotropic HTS materials strongly indicate that Josephson coupling is involved. This conclusion affects various properties of the HTS cuprates, including the irreversibility behavior for transport in the ab planes, the direct c-axis transport and potentially the mechanism of Cooper pairing

  16. Mediators and Mechanisms of Herpes Simplex Virus Entry into Ocular Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farooq, Asim V.; Valyi-Nagy, Tibor; Shukla, Deepak

    2010-01-01

    The entry of herpes simplex virus (HSV) into cells was once thought to be a general process. It is now understood that the virus is able to use multiple mechanisms for entry and spread, including the use of receptors and co-receptors that have been determined to be cell-type specific. This is certainly true for ocular cell types, which is important as the virus may use different mechanisms to gain access to multiple anatomic structures in close proximity, leading to various ocular diseases. There are some patterns that may be utilized by the virus in the eye and elsewhere, including surfing along filopodia in moving from cell to cell. There are common themes as well as intriguing differences in the entry mechanisms of HSV into ocular cells. We discuss these issues in the context of conjunctivitis, keratitis, acute retinal necrosis and other ocular diseases. PMID:20465436

  17. Mediators and mechanisms of herpes simplex virus entry into ocular cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farooq, Asim V; Valyi-Nagy, Tibor; Shukla, Deepak

    2010-06-01

    The entry of herpes simplex virus into cells was once thought to be a general process. It is now understood that the virus is able to use multiple mechanisms for entry and spread, including the use of receptors and co-receptors that have been determined to be cell-type specific. This is certainly true for ocular cell types, which is important as the virus may use different mechanisms to gain access to multiple anatomic structures in close proximity, leading to various ocular diseases. There are some patterns that may be utilized by the virus in the eye and elsewhere, including surfing along filopodia in moving from cell to cell. There are common themes as well as intriguing differences in the entry mechanisms of herpes simplex virus into ocular cells. We discuss these issues in the context of conjunctivitis, keratitis, acute retinal necrosis, and other ocular diseases.

  18. Local calcium signalling is mediated by mechanosensitive ion channels in mesenchymal stem cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chubinskiy-Nadezhdin, Vladislav I.; Vasileva, Valeria Y.; Pugovkina, Natalia A.; Vassilieva, Irina O.; Morachevskaya, Elena A.; Nikolsky, Nikolay N.; Negulyaev, Yuri A.

    2017-01-01

    Mechanical forces are implicated in key physiological processes in stem cells, including proliferation, differentiation and lineage switching. To date, there is an evident lack of understanding of how external mechanical cues are coupled with calcium signalling in stem cells. Mechanical reactions are of particular interest in adult mesenchymal stem cells because of their promising potential for use in tissue remodelling and clinical therapy. Here, single channel patch-clamp technique was employed to search for cation channels involved in mechanosensitivity in mesenchymal endometrial-derived stem cells (hMESCs). Functional expression of native mechanosensitive stretch-activated channels (SACs) and calcium-sensitive potassium channels of different conductances in hMESCs was shown. Single current analysis of stretch-induced channel activity revealed functional coupling of SACs and BK channels in plasma membrane. The combination of cell-attached and inside-out experiments have indicated that highly localized Ca 2+ entry via SACs triggers BK channel activity. At the same time, SK channels are not coupled with SACs despite of high calcium sensitivity as compared to BK. Our data demonstrate novel mechanism controlling BK channel activity in native cells. We conclude that SACs and BK channels are clusterized in functional mechanosensitive domains in the plasma membrane of hMESCs. Co-clustering of ion channels may significantly contribute to mechano-dependent calcium signalling in stem cells. - Highlights: • Stretch-induced channel activity in human mesenchymal stem cells was analyzed. • Functional expression of SACs and Ca 2+ -sensitive BK and SK channels was shown. • Local Ca 2+ influx via stretch-activated channels triggers BK channel activity. • SK channels are not coupled with SACs despite higher sensitivity to [Ca 2+ ] i . • Functional clustering of SACs and BK channels in stem cell membrane is proposed.

  19. Oral myeloid cells uptake allergoids coupled to mannan driving Th1/Treg responses upon sublingual delivery in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soria, I; López-Relaño, J; Viñuela, M; Tudela, J-I; Angelina, A; Benito-Villalvilla, C; Díez-Rivero, C M; Cases, B; Manzano, A I; Fernández-Caldas, E; Casanovas, M; Palomares, O; Subiza, J L

    2018-04-01

    Polymerized allergoids coupled to nonoxidized mannan (PM-allergoids) may represent novel vaccines targeting dendritic cells (DCs). PM-allergoids are better captured by DCs than native allergens and favor Th1/Treg cell responses upon subcutaneous injection. Herein we have studied in mice the in vivo immunogenicity of PM-allergoids administered sublingually in comparison with native allergens. Three immunization protocols (4-8 weeks long) were used in Balb/c mice. Serum antibody levels were tested by ELISA. Cell responses (proliferation, cytokines, and Tregs) were assayed by flow cytometry in spleen and lymph nodes (LNs). Allergen uptake was measured by flow cytometry in myeloid sublingual cells. A quick antibody response and higher IgG2a/IgE ratio were observed with PM-allergoids. Moreover, stronger specific proliferative responses were seen in both submandibular LNs and spleen cells assayed in vitro. This was accompanied by a higher IFNγ/IL-4 ratio with a quick IL-10 production by submandibular LN cells. An increase in CD4 + CD25 high FOXP3 + Treg cells was detected in LNs and spleen of mice treated with PM-allergoids. These allergoids were better captured than native allergens by antigen-presenting (CD45 + MHC-II + ) cells obtained from the sublingual mucosa, including DCs (CD11b + ) and macrophages (CD64 + ). Importantly, all the differential effects induced by PM-allergoids were abolished when using oxidized instead of nonoxidized PM-allergoids. Our results demonstrate for the first time that PM-allergoids administered through the sublingual route promote the generation of Th1 and FOXP3 + Treg cells in a greater extent than native allergens by mechanisms that might well involve their better uptake by oral antigen-presenting cells. © 2018 The Authors. Allergy Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Electro-mechanical coupling of rotating 3D beams

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stoykov S.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A rotating thin-walled beam with piezoelectric element is analysed. The beam is considered to vibrate in space, hence the longitudinal, transverse and torsional deformations are taken into account. The bending deformations of the beam are modelled by assuming Timoshenko's theory. Torsion is included by considering that the cross section rotates as a rigid body but can deform in longitudinal direction due to warping. The warping function is computed preliminary by the finite element method. The equation of motion is derived by the principle of virtual work and discretized in space by the Ritz method. Electro-mechanical coupling is included in the model by considering the internal electrical energy and the electric charge output. The piezo-electric constitutive relations are used in reduced form. The beam is assumed to rotate about a fixed axis with constant speed. The equation of motion is derived in rotating coordinate system, but the influence of the rotation of the coordinate system is taken into account through the inertia forces. Results in time domain are presented for different speeds of rotation and frequencies of vibration. The influence of the speed of rotation and of the frequency of vibration on the electrical output is presented and analysed.

  1. Analysis of Noise Mechanisms in Cell-Size Control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Modi, Saurabh; Vargas-Garcia, Cesar Augusto; Ghusinga, Khem Raj; Singh, Abhyudai

    2017-06-06

    At the single-cell level, noise arises from multiple sources, such as inherent stochasticity of biomolecular processes, random partitioning of resources at division, and fluctuations in cellular growth rates. How these diverse noise mechanisms combine to drive variations in cell size within an isoclonal population is not well understood. Here, we investigate the contributions of different noise sources in well-known paradigms of cell-size control, such as adder (division occurs after adding a fixed size from birth), sizer (division occurs after reaching a size threshold), and timer (division occurs after a fixed time from birth). Analysis reveals that variation in cell size is most sensitive to errors in partitioning of volume among daughter cells, and not surprisingly, this process is well regulated among microbes. Moreover, depending on the dominant noise mechanism, different size-control strategies (or a combination of them) provide efficient buffering of size variations. We further explore mixer models of size control, where a timer phase precedes/follows an adder, as has been proposed in Caulobacter crescentus. Although mixing a timer and an adder can sometimes attenuate size variations, it invariably leads to higher-order moments growing unboundedly over time. This results in a power-law distribution for the cell size, with an exponent that depends inversely on the noise in the timer phase. Consistent with theory, we find evidence of power-law statistics in the tail of C. crescentus cell-size distribution, although there is a discrepancy between the observed power-law exponent and that predicted from the noise parameters. The discrepancy, however, is removed after data reveal that the size added by individual newborns in the adder phase itself exhibits power-law statistics. Taken together, this study provides key insights into the role of noise mechanisms in size homeostasis, and suggests an inextricable link between timer-based models of size control and

  2. Coupling IR Thermography and BIA to analyse body reaction after one acupuncture session

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Piquemal, M

    2013-01-01

    Coupling both thermography and bio-Impedance, some biophysical acupuncture mechanisms are statically studied on a small population of 18 subjects. Results show that a possible way of understanding acupuncture, in an electrical way, should be to consider ionic flux redistribution between vascular and extra cell compartments. This is a two steps mechanism. The first one is starting with needles insertion and the second one is lasting with more intensity after removing them from skin.

  3. Coupling IR Thermography and BIA to analyse body reaction after one acupuncture session

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piquemal, M.

    2013-04-01

    Coupling both thermography and bio-Impedance, some biophysical acupuncture mechanisms are statically studied on a small population of 18 subjects. Results show that a possible way of understanding acupuncture, in an electrical way, should be to consider ionic flux redistribution between vascular and extra cell compartments. This is a two steps mechanism. The first one is starting with needles insertion and the second one is lasting with more intensity after removing them from skin.

  4. Intrinsic and extrinsic mechanical properties related to the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jin-Ho; Park, Hun-Kuk; Kim, Kyung Sook

    2016-05-06

    Diverse intrinsic and extrinsic mechanical factors have a strong influence on the regulation of stem cell fate. In this work, we examined recent literature on the effects of mechanical environments on stem cells, especially on differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). We provide a brief review of intrinsic mechanical properties of single MSC and examined the correlation between the intrinsic mechanical property of MSC and the differentiation ability. The effects of extrinsic mechanical factors relevant to the differentiation of MSCs were considered separately. The effect of nanostructure and elasticity of the matrix on the differentiation of MSCs were summarized. Finally, we consider how the extrinsic mechanical properties transfer to MSCs and then how the effects on the intrinsic mechanical properties affect stem cell differentiation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. A Direct Mechanism of Ultrafast Intramolecular Singlet Fission in Pentacene Dimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-08-24

    Queisser limit of solar power conversion efficiency. In conventional materials, the mechanism of SF is an intermolecular process (xSF), which is mediated by...property for materials used in third-generation solar cells and photodetectors, among other optoelectronic devices.1−3 Unfortunately, techno- logical...mixing. Previous work investigating the mechanism of xSF unfavorably compared the direct coupling mechanism against superexchange mediated by high

  6. Thermo-hydro-mechanical simulation of a 3D fractured porous rock: preliminary study of coupled matrix-fracture hydraulics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canamon, I.; Javier Elorza, F.; Ababou, R.

    2007-01-01

    We present a problem involving the modeling of coupled flow and elastic strain in a 3D fractured porous rock, which requires prior homogenization (up-scaling) of the fractured medium into an equivalent Darcian anisotropic continuum. The governing equations form a system of PDE's (Partial Differential Equations) and, depending on the case being considered, this system may involve two different types of 'couplings' (in a real system, both couplings (1) and (2) generally take place): 1) Hydraulic coupling in a single (no exchange) or in a dual matrix-fracture continuum (exchange); 2) Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical interactions between fluid flow, pressure, elastic stress, strain, and temperature. We present here a preliminary model and simulation results with FEMLAB R , for the hydraulic problem with anisotropic heterogeneous coefficients. The model is based on data collected at an instrumented granitic site (FEBEX project) for studying a hypothetical nuclear waste repository at the Grimsel Test Site in the Swiss Alps. (authors)

  7. Thermo-hydro-mechanical simulation of a 3D fractured porous rock: preliminary study of coupled matrix-fracture hydraulics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Canamon, I.; Javier Elorza, F. [Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Dept. de Matematica Aplicada y Metodos Informaticas, ETSI Minas (UPM) (Spain); Ababou, R. [Institut de Mecanique des Fluides de Toulouse (IMFT), 31 (France)

    2007-07-01

    We present a problem involving the modeling of coupled flow and elastic strain in a 3D fractured porous rock, which requires prior homogenization (up-scaling) of the fractured medium into an equivalent Darcian anisotropic continuum. The governing equations form a system of PDE's (Partial Differential Equations) and, depending on the case being considered, this system may involve two different types of 'couplings' (in a real system, both couplings (1) and (2) generally take place): 1) Hydraulic coupling in a single (no exchange) or in a dual matrix-fracture continuum (exchange); 2) Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical interactions between fluid flow, pressure, elastic stress, strain, and temperature. We present here a preliminary model and simulation results with FEMLAB{sup R}, for the hydraulic problem with anisotropic heterogeneous coefficients. The model is based on data collected at an instrumented granitic site (FEBEX project) for studying a hypothetical nuclear waste repository at the Grimsel Test Site in the Swiss Alps. (authors)

  8. Glial Tissue Mechanics and Mechanosensing by Glial Cells

    OpenAIRE

    Katarzyna Pogoda; Katarzyna Pogoda; Paul A. Janmey

    2018-01-01

    Understanding the mechanical behavior of human brain is critical to interpret the role of physical stimuli in both normal and pathological processes that occur in CNS tissue, such as development, inflammation, neurodegeneration, aging, and most common brain tumors. Despite clear evidence that mechanical cues influence both normal and transformed brain tissue activity as well as normal and transformed brain cell behavior, little is known about the links between mechanical signals and their bio...

  9. Effects of curcumin and ursolic acid on the mitochondrial coupling efficiency and hydrogen peroxide emission of intact skeletal myoblasts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tueller, Daniel J; Harley, Jackson S; Hancock, Chad R

    2017-10-21

    Curcumin may improve blood glucose management, but the mechanism is not fully established. We demonstrated that curcumin (40 μM) reduced the mitochondrial coupling efficiency (percentage of oxygen consumption coupled to ATP synthesis) of intact skeletal muscle cells. A 30-minute pretreatment with curcumin reduced mitochondrial coupling efficiency by 17.0 ± 0.4% relative to vehicle (p Curcumin pretreatment also decreased the rate of hydrogen peroxide emission by 43 ± 13% compared to vehicle (p curcumin revealed a 40 ± 4% increase in the rate of oxygen consumption upon curcumin administration (p curcumin-pretreated cells after permeabilization of cell membranes (p > 0.7). The interaction between curcumin and ursolic acid, another natural compound that may improve blood glucose management, was also examined. Pretreatment with ursolic acid (0.12 μM) increased the mitochondrial coupling efficiency of intact cells by 4.1 ± 1.1% relative to vehicle (p curcumin when the two compounds were used in combination. The observed changes to mitochondrial coupling efficiency and hydrogen peroxide emission were consistent with the established effects of curcumin on blood glucose control. Our findings also show that changes to mitochondrial coupling efficiency after curcumin pretreatment may go undetected unless cells are assessed in the intact condition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Мodification of Mechanical Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. V. Bezushko

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Ocular surface diseases related with limbal epithelial stem cells dysfunction were united in term “limbal stem cell  deficiency” (LSCD. For experimental study of the regenerative processes and evaluation of the success of new LSCD treatingmethods LSCD model is required. Various LSCD models were proposed in the experiment to study: mechanical, thermal, chemical,medicamental. The main lack of these models were the relative high cost and complexity of execution. The mechanical model allows forthe guaranteed removal of tissues containing LESCs, and therefore seems to be the most acceptable. We offered a modification of themechanical LSCD model in rabbits. Purpose to create a standardized modification of the mechanical limbal stem cell deficiency modelin the experiment. Material and methods. The experimental study was performed in 10 mature Chinchilla rabbits (20 eyes with anaverage weight 2.5–3.5 kg. With the local anesthesia, after a 40-second application of the filter paper impregnated with 20% ethanol,the corneal epithelium was removed. With microsurgical diamond blade we metered limb portion of 4 mm width, 0.2 mm deep, andit was removed along the 360° rim. Results. On the 30th day we discovered corneal opacity and neovascularization with conjunctivalpannus extending to the optical zone of the cornea. Histological examination revealed tissue edema, inflammatory infiltration, andnewly formed vessels. In some places, thinning of epithelium to one row of flattened cells was observed. The Bowman membrane wasdeformed and practically not detected. Histological examination and impression cytology confirmed the presence of goblet cells in thecorneal epithelium. Conclusions. Our modification of the mechanical limbal stem cell deficiency model is devoid of the main lacks ofprevious models, such as the high cost and complexity of execution, provides intraoperative limbal tissue resection depth control andexcludes the possibility of the

  11. Asymmetric cell division requires specific mechanisms for adjusting global transcription.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mena, Adriana; Medina, Daniel A; García-Martínez, José; Begley, Victoria; Singh, Abhyudai; Chávez, Sebastián; Muñoz-Centeno, Mari C; Pérez-Ortín, José E

    2017-12-01

    Most cells divide symmetrically into two approximately identical cells. There are many examples, however, of asymmetric cell division that can generate sibling cell size differences. Whereas physical asymmetric division mechanisms and cell fate consequences have been investigated, the specific problem caused by asymmetric division at the transcription level has not yet been addressed. In symmetrically dividing cells the nascent transcription rate increases in parallel to cell volume to compensate it by keeping the actual mRNA synthesis rate constant. This cannot apply to the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, where this mechanism would provoke a never-ending increasing mRNA synthesis rate in smaller daughter cells. We show here that, contrarily to other eukaryotes with symmetric division, budding yeast keeps the nascent transcription rates of its RNA polymerases constant and increases mRNA stability. This control on RNA pol II-dependent transcription rate is obtained by controlling the cellular concentration of this enzyme. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  12. The Multiple Faces of Prostaglandin E2 G-Protein Coupled Receptor Signaling during the Dendritic Cell Life Cycle

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Keijzer, Sandra; Meddens, Marjolein B.M.; Torensma, Ruurd; Cambi, A.

    2013-01-01

    Many processes regulating immune responses are initiated by G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and report biochemical changes in the microenvironment. Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells and crucial for the regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. The lipid

  13. Gravity-Based Precise Cell Manipulation System Enhanced by In-Phase Mechanism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Koji Mizoue

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a gravity-based system capable of generating high-resolution pressure for precise cell manipulation or evaluation in a microfluidic channel. While the pressure resolution of conventional pumps for microfluidic applications is usually about hundreds of pascals as the resolution of their feedback sensors, precise cell manipulation at the pascal level cannot be done. The proposed system successfully achieves a resolution of 100 millipascals using water head pressure with an in-phase noise cancelation mechanism. The in-phase mechanism aims to suppress the noises from ambient vibrations to the system. The proposed pressure system is tested with a microfluidic platform for pressure validation. The experimental results show that the in-phase mechanism effectively reduces the pressure turbulence, and the pressure-driven cell movement matches the theoretical simulations. Preliminary experiments on deformability evaluation with red blood cells under incremental pressures of one pascal are successfully performed. Different deformation patterns are observed from cell to cell under precise pressure control.

  14. A 3D coupled hydro-mechanical granular model for the prediction of hot tearing formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sistaninia, M; Drezet, J-M; Rappaz, M; Phillion, A B

    2012-01-01

    A new 3D coupled hydro-mechanical granular model that simulates hot tearing formation in metallic alloys is presented. The hydro-mechanical model consists of four separate 3D modules. (I) The Solidification Module (SM) is used for generating the initial solid-liquid geometry. Based on a Voronoi tessellation of randomly distributed nucleation centers, this module computes solidification within each polyhedron using a finite element based solute diffusion calculation for each element within the tessellation. (II) The Fluid Flow Module (FFM) calculates the solidification shrinkage and deformation-induced pressure drop within the intergranular liquid. (III) The Semi-solid Deformation Module (SDM) is used to simulate deformation of the granular structure via a combined finite element / discrete element method. In this module, deformation of the solid grains is modeled using an elasto-viscoplastic constitutive law. (IV) The Failure Module (FM) is used to simulate crack initiation and propagation with the fracture criterion estimated from the overpressure required to overcome the capillary forces at the liquid-gas interface. The FFM, SDM, and FM are coupled processes since solid deformation, intergranular flow, and crack initiation are deeply linked together. The granular model predictions have been validated against bulk data measured experimentally and calculated with averaging techniques.

  15. Architecture and inherent robustness of a bacterial cell-cycle control system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Xiling; Collier, Justine; Dill, David; Shapiro, Lucy; Horowitz, Mark; McAdams, Harley H

    2008-08-12

    A closed-loop control system drives progression of the coupled stalked and swarmer cell cycles of the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus in a near-mechanical step-like fashion. The cell-cycle control has a cyclical genetic circuit composed of four regulatory proteins with tight coupling to processive chromosome replication and cell division subsystems. We report a hybrid simulation of the coupled cell-cycle control system, including asymmetric cell division and responses to external starvation signals, that replicates mRNA and protein concentration patterns and is consistent with observed mutant phenotypes. An asynchronous sequential digital circuit model equivalent to the validated simulation model was created. Formal model-checking analysis of the digital circuit showed that the cell-cycle control is robust to intrinsic stochastic variations in reaction rates and nutrient supply, and that it reliably stops and restarts to accommodate nutrient starvation. Model checking also showed that mechanisms involving methylation-state changes in regulatory promoter regions during DNA replication increase the robustness of the cell-cycle control. The hybrid cell-cycle simulation implementation is inherently extensible and provides a promising approach for development of whole-cell behavioral models that can replicate the observed functionality of the cell and its responses to changing environmental conditions.

  16. Treatment Resistance Mechanisms of Malignant Glioma Tumor Stem Cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmalz, Philip G.R.; Shen, Michael J.; Park, John K.

    2011-01-01

    Malignant gliomas are highly lethal because of their resistance to conventional treatments. Recent evidence suggests that a minor subpopulation of cells with stem cell properties reside within these tumors. These tumor stem cells are more resistant to radiation and chemotherapies than their counterpart differentiated tumor cells and may underlie the persistence and recurrence of tumors following treatment. The various mechanisms by which tumor stem cells avoid or repair the damaging effects of cancer therapies are discussed

  17. Protective mechanism against cancer found in progeria patient cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    NCI scientists have studied cells of patients with an extremely rare genetic disease that is characterized by drastic premature aging and discovered a new protective cellular mechanism against cancer. They found that cells from patients with Hutchinson Gi

  18. [Coupled Analysis of Fluid-Structure Interaction of a Micro-Mechanical Valve for Glaucoma Drainage Devices].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siewert, S; Sämann, M; Schmidt, W; Stiehm, M; Falke, K; Grabow, N; Guthoff, R; Schmitz, K-P

    2015-12-01

    Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. In therapeutically refractory cases, alloplastic glaucoma drainage devices (GDD) are being increasingly used to decrease intraocular pressure. Current devices are mainly limited by fibrotic encapsulation and postoperative hypotension. Preliminary studies have described the development of a glaucoma microstent to control aqueous humour drainage from the anterior chamber into the suprachoroidal space. One focus of these studies was on the design of a micro-mechanical valve placed in the anterior chamber to inhibit postoperative hypotension. The present report describes the coupled analysis of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) as basis for future improvements in the design micro-mechanical valves. FSI analysis was carried out with ANSYS 14.5 software. Solid and fluid geometry were combined in a model, and the corresponding material properties of silicone (Silastic Rx-50) and water at room temperature were assigned. The meshing of the solid and fluid domains was carried out in accordance with the results of a convergence study with tetrahedron elements. Structural and fluid mechanical boundary conditions completed the model. The FSI analysis takes into account geometric non-linearity and adaptive remeshing to consider changing geometry. A valve opening pressure of 3.26 mmHg was derived from the FSI analysis and correlates well with the results of preliminary experimental fluid mechanical studies. Flow resistance was calculated from non-linear pressure-flow characteristics as 8.5 × 10(-3) mmHg/µl  · min(-1) and 2.7 × 10(-3) mmHg/µl  · min(-1), respectively before and after valve opening pressure is exceeded. FSI analysis indicated leakage flow before valve opening, which is due to the simplified model geometry. The presented bidirectional coupled FSI analysis is a powerful tool for the development of new designs of micro-mechanical valves for GDD and may help to minimise the time and cost

  19. Mechanisms of ion-bombardment-induced DNA transfer into bacterial E. coli cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, L.D., E-mail: yuld@thep-center.org [Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics, Commission on Higher Education, 328 Si Ayutthaya Road, Bangkok 10400 (Thailand); Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Sangwijit, K. [Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Prakrajang, K. [Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Faculty of Science, Maejo University, Chiang Mai 50290 (Thailand); Phanchaisri, B. [Institute of Science and Technology Research, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Thongkumkoon, P. [Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics, Commission on Higher Education, 328 Si Ayutthaya Road, Bangkok 10400 (Thailand); Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Thopan, P. [Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Singkarat, S. [Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics, Commission on Higher Education, 328 Si Ayutthaya Road, Bangkok 10400 (Thailand); Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Anuntalabhochai, S. [Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand)

    2014-05-01

    Highlights: • Ion bombardment could induce DNA transfer into E. coli cells. • The DNA transfer induction depended on ion energy and fluence. • The mechanism was associated with the bacterial cell envelope structure. • A mechanism phase diagram was proposed to summarize the mechanism. - Abstract: As a useful ion beam biotechnology, ion-bombardment-induced DNA transfer into bacterial Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells has been successfully operated using argon ions. In the process ion bombardment of the bacterial cells modifies the cell envelope materials to favor the exogenous DNA molecules to pass through the envelope to enter the cell. The occurrence of the DNA transfer induction was found ion energy and fluence dependent in a complex manner. At ion energy of a few keV and a few tens of keV to moderate fluences the DNA transfer could be induced by ion bombardment of the bacterial cells, while at the same ion energy but to high fluences DNA transfer could not be induced. On the other hand, when the ion energy was medium, about 10–20 keV, the DNA transfer could not be induced by ion bombardment of the cells. The complexity of the experimental results indicated a complex mechanism which should be related to the complex structure of the bacterial E. coli cell envelope. A phase diagram was proposed to interpret different mechanisms involved as functions of the ion energy and fluence.

  20. Mechanisms of ion-bombardment-induced DNA transfer into bacterial E. coli cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, L.D.; Sangwijit, K.; Prakrajang, K.; Phanchaisri, B.; Thongkumkoon, P.; Thopan, P.; Singkarat, S.; Anuntalabhochai, S.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Ion bombardment could induce DNA transfer into E. coli cells. • The DNA transfer induction depended on ion energy and fluence. • The mechanism was associated with the bacterial cell envelope structure. • A mechanism phase diagram was proposed to summarize the mechanism. - Abstract: As a useful ion beam biotechnology, ion-bombardment-induced DNA transfer into bacterial Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells has been successfully operated using argon ions. In the process ion bombardment of the bacterial cells modifies the cell envelope materials to favor the exogenous DNA molecules to pass through the envelope to enter the cell. The occurrence of the DNA transfer induction was found ion energy and fluence dependent in a complex manner. At ion energy of a few keV and a few tens of keV to moderate fluences the DNA transfer could be induced by ion bombardment of the bacterial cells, while at the same ion energy but to high fluences DNA transfer could not be induced. On the other hand, when the ion energy was medium, about 10–20 keV, the DNA transfer could not be induced by ion bombardment of the cells. The complexity of the experimental results indicated a complex mechanism which should be related to the complex structure of the bacterial E. coli cell envelope. A phase diagram was proposed to interpret different mechanisms involved as functions of the ion energy and fluence

  1. In Cell Footprinting Coupled with Mass Spectrometry for the Structural Analysis of Proteins in Live Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Espino, Jessica A; Mali, Vishaal S; Jones, Lisa M

    2015-08-04

    Protein footprinting coupled with mass spectrometry has become a widely used tool for the study of protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions and protein conformational change. These methods provide residue-level analysis on protein interaction sites and have been successful in studying proteins in vitro. The extension of these methods for in cell footprinting would open an avenue to study proteins that are not amenable for in vitro studies and would probe proteins in their native environment. Here we describe the application of an oxidative-based footprinting approach inside cells in which hydroxyl radicals are used to oxidatively modify proteins. Mass spectrometry is used to detect modification sites and to calculate modification levels. The method is probing biologically relevant proteins in live cells, and proteins in various cellular compartments can be oxdiatively modified. Several different amino acid residues are modified making the method a general labeling strategy for the study of a variety of proteins. Further, comparison of the extent of oxidative modification with solvent accessible surface area reveals the method successfully probes solvent accessibility. This marks the first time protein footprinting has been performed in live cells.

  2. Strong-coupling approximations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abbott, R.B.

    1984-03-01

    Standard path-integral techniques such as instanton calculations give good answers for weak-coupling problems, but become unreliable for strong-coupling. Here we consider a method of replacing the original potential by a suitably chosen harmonic oscillator potential. Physically this is motivated by the fact that potential barriers below the level of the ground-state energy of a quantum-mechanical system have little effect. Numerically, results are good, both for quantum-mechanical problems and for massive phi 4 field theory in 1 + 1 dimensions. 9 references, 6 figures

  3. Self-renewal molecular mechanisms of colorectal cancer stem cells

    OpenAIRE

    Pan, Tianhui; Xu, Jinghong; Zhu, Yongliang

    2016-01-01

    Colorectal cancer stem cells (CCSCs) represent a small fraction of the colorectal cancer cell population that possess self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation potential and drive tumorigenicity. Self-renewal is essential for the malignant biological behaviors of colorectal cancer stem cells. While the self-renewal molecular mechanisms of colorectal cancer stem cells are not yet fully understood, the aberrant activation of signaling pathways, such as Wnt, Notch, transforming growth facto...

  4. Distributed coupling high efficiency linear accelerator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tantawi, Sami G.; Neilson, Jeffrey

    2016-07-19

    A microwave circuit for a linear accelerator includes multiple monolithic metallic cell plates stacked upon each other so that the beam axis passes vertically through a central acceleration cavity of each plate. Each plate has a directional coupler with coupling arms. A first coupling slot couples the directional coupler to an adjacent directional coupler of an adjacent cell plate, and a second coupling slot couples the directional coupler to the central acceleration cavity. Each directional coupler also has an iris protrusion spaced from corners joining the arms, a convex rounded corner at a first corner joining the arms, and a corner protrusion at a second corner joining the arms.

  5. Impact of mechanical stretch on the cell behaviors of bone and surrounding tissues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hye-Sun Yu

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Mechanical loading is recognized to play an important role in regulating the behaviors of cells in bone and surrounding tissues in vivo. Many in vitro studies have been conducted to determine the effects of mechanical loading on individual cell types of the tissues. In this review, we focus specifically on the use of the Flexercell system as a tool for studying cellular responses to mechanical stretch. We assess the literature describing the impact of mechanical stretch on different cell types from bone, muscle, tendon, ligament, and cartilage, describing individual cell phenotype responses. In addition, we review evidence regarding the mechanotransduction pathways that are activated to potentiate these phenotype responses in different cell populations.

  6. Impact of mechanical stretch on the cell behaviors of bone and surrounding tissues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Hye-Sun; Kim, Jung-Ju; Kim, Hae-Won; Lewis, Mark P; Wall, Ivan

    2016-01-01

    Mechanical loading is recognized to play an important role in regulating the behaviors of cells in bone and surrounding tissues in vivo. Many in vitro studies have been conducted to determine the effects of mechanical loading on individual cell types of the tissues. In this review, we focus specifically on the use of the Flexercell system as a tool for studying cellular responses to mechanical stretch. We assess the literature describing the impact of mechanical stretch on different cell types from bone, muscle, tendon, ligament, and cartilage, describing individual cell phenotype responses. In addition, we review evidence regarding the mechanotransduction pathways that are activated to potentiate these phenotype responses in different cell populations. PMID:26977284

  7. An analytical study of non-linear behaviour of coupled 2+2x0.5 DOF electro-magneto-mechanical system by a method of multiple scales

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Darula, Radoslav; Sorokin, Sergey

    2013-01-01

    An electro-magneto-mechanical system combines three physical domains - a mechanical structure, a magnetic field and an electric circuit. The interaction between these domains is analysed for a structure with two degrees of freedom (translational and rotational) and two electrical circuits. Each...... electrical circuit is described by a differential equation of the 1st order, which is considered to contribute to the coupled system by 0.5 DOF. The electrical and mechanical systems are coupled via a magnetic circuit, which is inherently non-linear, due to a non-linear nature of the electro-magnetic force...

  8. Evaluation of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena in the near field for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Fujita, Tomoo; Sugita, Yutaka; Taniguchi, Wataru

    2000-01-01

    Geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) in Japan is based on a multibarrier system composed of engineered and natural barriers. The engineered barriers are composed of vitrified waste confined within a canister, overpack and buffer material. Highly compacted bentonite clay is considered one of the most promising candidate buffer material mainly because of its low hydraulic conductivity and high adsorption capacity of radionuclides. In a repository of HLW, complex thermal, hydraulic and mechanical (T-H-M) phenomena will take place, involving the interactive processes between radioactive decay heat from the vitrified waste, infiltration of ground water and stress generation due to the earth pressure, the thermal loading and the swelling pressure of the buffer material. In order to evaluate the performance of the buffer material, the coupled T-H-M behaviors within the compacted bentonite have to be modelled. Before establishing a fully coupled T-H-M model, the mechanism of each single phenomenon or partially coupled phenomena should be identified. Furthermore, in order to evaluate the coupled T-H-M phenomena, the analysis model was developed physically and numerically and the adequacy and the applicability was tested though the engineered scale laboratory test and in-situ test. In this report, the investigative results for the development of coupled T-H-M model were described. This report consists of eight chapters. In Chapter 1, the necessity of coupled T-H-M model in the geological disposal project of the high-level radioactive waste was described . In Chapter 2, the laboratory test results of the rock sample and the buffer material for the coupled T-H-M analysis were shown. The rock samples were obtained from the in-situ experimental site at Kamaishi mine. As the buffer material, bentonite clay (Kunigel V1 and Kunigel OT-9607) and bentonite-sand mixture were used. In Chapter 3, in-situ tests to obtain the rock property were shown. As in-situ tests

  9. Evaluation of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena in the near field for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Fujita, Tomoo; Sugita, Yutaka; Taniguchi, Wataru [Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Inst., Tokai Works, Waste Management and Fuel Cycle Research Center, Waste Isolation Research Division, Barrier Performance Group, Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan)

    2000-01-01

    Geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) in Japan is based on a multibarrier system composed of engineered and natural barriers. The engineered barriers are composed of vitrified waste confined within a canister, overpack and buffer material. Highly compacted bentonite clay is considered one of the most promising candidate buffer material mainly because of its low hydraulic conductivity and high adsorption capacity of radionuclides. In a repository of HLW, complex thermal, hydraulic and mechanical (T-H-M) phenomena will take place, involving the interactive processes between radioactive decay heat from the vitrified waste, infiltration of ground water and stress generation due to the earth pressure, the thermal loading and the swelling pressure of the buffer material. In order to evaluate the performance of the buffer material, the coupled T-H-M behaviors within the compacted bentonite have to be modelled. Before establishing a fully coupled T-H-M model, the mechanism of each single phenomenon or partially coupled phenomena should be identified. Furthermore, in order to evaluate the coupled T-H-M phenomena, the analysis model was developed physically and numerically and the adequacy and the applicability was tested though the engineered scale laboratory test and in-situ test. In this report, the investigative results for the development of coupled T-H-M model were described. This report consists of eight chapters. In Chapter 1, the necessity of coupled T-H-M model in the geological disposal project of the high-level radioactive waste was described . In Chapter 2, the laboratory test results of the rock sample and the buffer material for the coupled T-H-M analysis were shown. The rock samples were obtained from the in-situ experimental site at Kamaishi mine. As the buffer material, bentonite clay (Kunigel V1 and Kunigel OT-9607) and bentonite-sand mixture were used. In Chapter 3, in-situ tests to obtain the rock property were shown. As in-situ tests

  10. Molecular mechanisms of cell death: recommendations of the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death 2018

    OpenAIRE

    Galluzzi, L; Vitale, I; Aaronson, Sa; Abrams, Jm; Adam, D; Agostinis, P; Alnemri, Es; Altucci, L; Amelio, I; Andrews, Dw; Annicchiarico-Petruzzelli, M; Antonov, Av; Arama, E; Baehrecke, Eh; Barlev, Na

    2018-01-01

    Over the past decade, the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death (NCCD) has formulated guidelines for the definition and interpretation of cell death from morphological, biochemical, and functional perspectives. Since the field continues to expand and novel mechanisms that orchestrate multiple cell death pathways are unveiled, we propose an updated classification of cell death subroutines focusing on mechanistic and essential (as opposed to correlative and dispensable) aspects of the process. A...

  11. The cancer cell adhesion resistome: mechanisms, targeting and translational approaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickreuter, Ellen; Cordes, Nils

    2017-06-27

    Cell adhesion-mediated resistance limits the success of cancer therapies and is a great obstacle to overcome in the clinic. Since the 1990s, where it became clear that adhesion of tumor cells to the extracellular matrix is an important mediator of therapy resistance, a lot of work has been conducted to understand the fundamental underlying mechanisms and two paradigms were deduced: cell adhesion-mediated radioresistance (CAM-RR) and cell adhesion-mediated drug resistance (CAM-DR). Preclinical work has evidently demonstrated that targeting of integrins, adapter proteins and associated kinases comprising the cell adhesion resistome is a promising strategy to sensitize cancer cells to both radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Moreover, the cell adhesion resistome fundamentally contributes to adaptation mechanisms induced by radiochemotherapy as well as molecular drugs to secure a balanced homeostasis of cancer cells for survival and growth. Intriguingly, this phenomenon provides a basis for synthetic lethal targeted therapies simultaneously administered to standard radiochemotherapy. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about the cell adhesion resistome and highlight targeting strategies to override CAM-RR and CAM-DR.

  12. Resonant coupling applied to superconducting accelerator structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Potter, James M.; Krawczyk, Frank L.

    2013-01-01

    The concept of resonant coupling and the benefits that accrue from its application is well known in the world of room temperature coupled cavity linacs. Design studies show that it can be applied successfully between sections of conventional elliptical superconducting coupled cavity accelerator structures and internally to structures with spoked cavity resonators. The coupling mechanisms can be designed without creating problems with high field regions or multipactoring. The application of resonant coupling to superconducting accelerators eliminates the need for complex cryogenic mechanical tuners and reduces the time needed to bring a superconducting accelerator into operation.

  13. Effects of mechanical stimulation on the reprogramming of somatic cells into human-induced pluripotent stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Young Mi; Kang, Yun Gyeong; Park, So Hee; Han, Myung-Kwan; Kim, Jae Ho; Shin, Ji Won; Shin, Jung-Woog

    2017-06-08

    Mechanical stimuli play important roles in the proliferation and differentiation of adult stem cells. However, few studies on their effects on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been published. Human dermal fibroblasts were seeded onto flexible membrane-bottom plates, and infected with retrovirus expressing the four reprogramming factors OCT4, SOX2, KLF, and c-MYC (OSKM). The cells were subjected to equiaxial stretching (3% or 8% for 2, 4, or 7 days) and seeded on feeder cells (STO). The reprogramming into iPSCs was evaluated by the expression of pluripotent markers, in vitro differentiation into three germ layers, and teratoma formation. Equiaxial stretching enhanced reprogramming efficiency without affecting the viral transduction rate. iPSCs induced by transduction of four reprogramming factors and application of equiaxial stretching had characteristics typical of iPSCs in terms of pluripotency and differentiation potentials. This is the first study to show that mechanical stimuli can increase reprogramming efficiency. However, it did not enhance the infection rate, indicating that mechanical stimuli, defined as stretching in this study, have positive effects on reprogramming rather than on infection. Additional studies should evaluate the mechanism underlying the modulation of reprogramming of somatic cells into iPSCs.

  14. Biology and Mechanics of Blood Flows Part I: Biology

    CERN Document Server

    Thiriet, Marc

    2008-01-01

    Biology and Mechanics of Blood Flows presents the basic knowledge and state-of-the-art techniques necessary to carry out investigations of the cardiovascular system using modeling and simulation. Part I of this two-volume sequence, Biology, addresses the nanoscopic and microscopic scales. The nanoscale corresponds to the scale of biochemical reaction cascades involved in cell adaptation to mechanical stresses among other stimuli. The microscale is the scale of stress-induced tissue remodeling associated with acute or chronic loadings. The cardiovascular system, like any physiological system, has a complicated three-dimensional structure and composition. Its time dependent behavior is regulated, and this complex system has many components. In this authoritative work, the author provides a survey of relevant cell components and processes, with detailed coverage of the electrical and mechanical behaviors of vascular cells, tissues, and organs. Because the behaviors of vascular cells and tissues are tightly coupl...

  15. A novel approach for in vitro studies applying electrical fields to cell cultures by transformer-like coupling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hess, R; Neubert, H; Seifert, A; Bierbaum, S; Hart, D A; Scharnweber, D

    2012-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop a new apparatus for in vitro studies applying low frequency electrical fields to cells without interfering side effects like biochemical reactions or magnetic fields which occur in currently available systems. We developed a non-invasive method by means of the principle of transformer-like coupling where the magnetic field is concentrated in a toroid and, therefore, does not affect the cell culture. Next to an extensive characterization of the electrical field parameters, initial cell culture studies have focused on examining the response of bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to pulsed electrical fields. While no significant differences in the proliferation of human MSCs could be detected, significant increases in ALP activity as well as in gene expression of other osteogenic markers were observed. The results indicate that transformer-like coupled electrical fields can be used to influence osteogenic differentiation of human MSCs in vitro and can pose a useful tool in understanding the influence of electrical fields on the cellular and molecular level.

  16. Fast Mechanically Driven Daughter Cell Separation Is Widespread in Actinobacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Xiaoxue; Halladin, David K; Theriot, Julie A

    2016-08-30

    Dividing cells of the coccoid Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus undergo extremely rapid (millisecond) daughter cell separation (DCS) driven by mechanical crack propagation, a strategy that is very distinct from the gradual, enzymatically driven cell wall remodeling process that has been well described in several rod-shaped model bacteria. To determine if other bacteria, especially those in the same phylum (Firmicutes) or with similar coccoid shapes as S. aureus, might use a similar mechanically driven strategy for DCS, we used high-resolution video microscopy to examine cytokinesis in a phylogenetically wide range of species with various cell shapes and sizes. We found that fast mechanically driven DCS is rather rare in the Firmicutes (low G+C Gram positives), observed only in Staphylococcus and its closest coccoid relatives in the Macrococcus genus, and we did not observe this division strategy among the Gram-negative Proteobacteria In contrast, several members of the high-G+C Gram-positive phylum Actinobacteria (Micrococcus luteus, Brachybacterium faecium, Corynebacterium glutamicum, and Mycobacterium smegmatis) with diverse shapes ranging from coccoid to rod all undergo fast mechanical DCS during cell division. Most intriguingly, similar fast mechanical DCS was also observed during the sporulation of the actinobacterium Streptomyces venezuelae Much of our knowledge on bacterial cytokinesis comes from studying rod-shaped model organisms such as Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis Less is known about variations in this process among different bacterial species. While cell division in many bacteria has been characterized to some extent genetically or biochemically, few species have been examined using video microscopy to uncover the kinetics of cytokinesis and daughter cell separation (DCS). In this work, we found that fast (millisecond) DCS is exhibited by species in two independent clades of Gram-positive bacteria and is particularly prevalent

  17. Cell and Tissue Organization in the Circulatory and Ventilatory Systems Volume 1 Signaling in Cell Organization, Fate, and Activity, Part A Cell Structure and Environment

    CERN Document Server

    Thiriet, Marc

    2011-01-01

    The volumes in this authoritative series present a multidisciplinary approach to modeling and simulation of flows in the cardiovascular and ventilatory systems, especially multiscale modeling and coupled simulations. The cardiovascular and respiratory systems are tightly coupled, as their primary function is to supply oxygen to and remove carbon dioxide from the body's cells. Because physiological conduits have deformable and reactive walls, macroscopic flow behavior and prediction must be coupled to nano- and microscopic events in a corrector scheme of regulated mechanisms. Therefore, investigation of flows of blood and air in physiological conduits requires an understanding of the biology, chemistry, and physics of these systems together with the mathematical tools to describe their functioning.  The present volume is devoted to cellular events that allow adaptation to environmental conditions, particularly mechanotransduction. It begins with cell organization and a survey of cell types in the vasculatur...

  18. Quick torque coupling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luft, Peter A [El Cerrito, CA

    2009-05-12

    A coupling for mechanically connecting modular tubular struts of a positioning apparatus or space frame, comprising a pair of toothed rings (10, 12) attached to separate strut members (16), the teeth (18, 20) of the primary rings (10, 12) mechanically interlocking in both an axial and circumferential manner, and a third part comprising a sliding, toothed collar (14) the teeth (22) of which interlock the teeth (18, 20) of the primary rings (10, 12), preventing them from disengaging, and completely locking the assembly together. A secondary mechanism provides a nesting force for the collar, and/or retains it. The coupling is self-contained and requires no external tools for installation, and can be assembled with gloved hands in demanding environments. No gauging or measured torque is required for assembly. The assembly can easily be visually inspected to determine a "go" or "no-go" status. The coupling is compact and relatively light-weight. Because of it's triply interlocking teeth, the connection is rigid. The connection does not primarily rely on clamps, springs or friction based fasteners, and is therefore reliable in fail-safe applications.

  19. Addiction to Coupling of the Warburg Effect with Glutamine Catabolism in Cancer Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bradley Smith

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Metabolic reprogramming is critical to oncogenesis, but the emergence and function of this profound reorganization remain poorly understood. Here we find that cooperating oncogenic mutations drive large-scale metabolic reprogramming, which is both intrinsic to cancer cells and obligatory for the transition to malignancy. This involves synergistic regulation of several genes encoding metabolic enzymes, including the lactate dehydrogenases LDHA and LDHB and mitochondrial glutamic pyruvate transaminase 2 (GPT2. Notably, GPT2 engages activated glycolysis to drive the utilization of glutamine as a carbon source for TCA cycle anaplerosis in colon cancer cells. Our data indicate that the Warburg effect supports oncogenesis via GPT2-mediated coupling of pyruvate production to glutamine catabolism. Although critical to the cancer phenotype, GPT2 activity is dispensable in cells that are not fully transformed, thus pinpointing a metabolic vulnerability specifically associated with cancer cell progression to malignancy.

  20. Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis for the conceptual repository of high-level radioactive waste in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, Y.M.; Wang, J.; Ke, D.; Cai, M.F.

    2010-01-01

    In order to safely dispose of the high-level radioactive waste (HLW), RD guide of HLW disposal was published in February 2006 in China. The spent fuel from nuclear power plants will be reprocessed first, followed by verification and final disposal. A conceptual repository 3D configuration comprises a single vertical borehole in a continuous and homogeneous hard rock, containing a canister surrounded by an over-pack and a bentonite layer, and the backfilled upper portion of the gallery using FLAC3D. To take into account in situ stress, geothermal gradient and groundwater of Beishan area, thermal relief of HLW and swelling pressure of buffer/backfill material made by GMZ01 bentonite, the TM, HM and THM evolution of the whole configuration is simulated over a period of 100 years. The results demonstrate that temperature is hardly affected by the couplings. In contrast, the influence of the couplings on the mechanical stresses is considerable. The repository has long-term stability in fully THM coupling action condition. (authors)

  1. Dynamic Modeling and Control of Electromechanical Coupling for Mechanical Elastic Energy Storage System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Yu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The structural scheme of mechanical elastic energy storage (MEES system served by permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM and bidirectional converters is designed. The aim of the research is to model and control the complex electromechanical system. The mechanical device of the complex system is considered as a node in generalized coordinate system, the terse nonlinear dynamic model of electromechanical coupling for the electromechanical system is constructed through Lagrange-Maxwell energy method, and the detailed deduction of the mathematical model is presented in the paper. The theory of direct feedback linearization (DFL is applied to decouple the nonlinear dynamic model and convert the developed model from nonlinear to linear. The optimal control theory is utilized to accomplish speed tracking control for the linearized system. The simulation results in three different cases show that the proposed nonlinear dynamic model of MEES system is correct; the designed algorithm has a better control performance in contrast with the conventional PI control.

  2. Deflecting modes of the side-coupled cavity structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Inagaki, Shigemi.

    1990-11-01

    The deflecting modes of the 805 MHz side-coupled cavity structure with the relativistic factor 0.566 are studied. Our main concern is the dispersion properties among different configurations of side-coupling cells and their interpretations. It is shown that the ninety degree side-coupling cell configuration, so to speak, the Mickey Mouse configuration has a merit in reducing the HEM{sub 1} passband. Another concern is the magnitude of the transverse coupling impedance around the synchronization condition. It is shown that the existence of the coupling cell introduces the nonuniformity of the deflecting mode and gives different impedance relative to the beam axis and that the coupling impedance at {pi}/10 exceeds 50 M{Omega}/m if the quality value of the mode is around 12000.

  3. Deflecting modes of the side-coupled cavity structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inagaki, Shigemi.

    1990-11-01

    The deflecting modes of the 805 MHz side-coupled cavity structure with the relativistic factor 0.566 are studied. Our main concern is the dispersion properties among different configurations of side-coupling cells and their interpretations. It is shown that the ninety degree side-coupling cell configuration, so to speak, the Mickey Mouse configuration has a merit in reducing the HEM 1 passband. Another concern is the magnitude of the transverse coupling impedance around the synchronization condition. It is shown that the existence of the coupling cell introduces the nonuniformity of the deflecting mode and gives different impedance relative to the beam axis and that the coupling impedance at π/10 exceeds 50 MΩ/m if the quality value of the mode is around 12000

  4. Electromagneto-mechanical coupling analysis of a test module in J-TEXT Tokamak during plasma disruption

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dong, Haijie; Yuan, Zhensheng; Yuan, Hongwei; Pei, Cuixiang [State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, Shanxi Engineering Research Center for NDT and Structural Integrity Evaluation Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049 (China); Chen, Zhenmao, E-mail: chenzm@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, Shanxi Engineering Research Center for NDT and Structural Integrity Evaluation Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049 (China); Yang, Jinhong; Wang, Weihua [Institute of Applied Physics of AOA, Hefei 230031 (China)

    2016-11-01

    In this paper, the dynamic response during plasma disruption of a test blanket module in vacuum vessel (VV) of the Joint TEXT (J-TEXT), which is an experimental Tokamak device with iron core, was simulated by applying a program developed by authors on the ANSYS platform using its parametric design language (APDL). The moving coordinate method as well as the load transfer and sequential coupling strategy were adopted to cope with the electromagneto-mechanical coupling effect. To establish the numerical model, the influence of the iron core on the eddy current and electromagnetic (EM) force during disruption was numerically investigated at first and the influence was found not significant. Together with the geometrical features of the J-TEXT Tokamak structure, 180° sector models without magnetic core were finally established for the EM field and the structural response simulations. To obtain the source plasma current, the plasma current evolution during disruption was simulated by using the Tokamak Simulation Code (TSC). With the numerical models and the source plasma current, the dynamic response of both the VV structure and the test module were calculated. The numerical results show that the maximum stress of the test module is in safe range, and the magnetic damping effect can weaken vibration of the test module. In addition, simulation without considering the coupling effect was carried out, which shows that the influence of coupling effect is not significant for the peak stress of the J-TEXT disruption problem.

  5. Mechanisms of glyceryl trinitrate provoked mast cell degranulation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Sara Hougaard; Ramachandran, Roshni; Amrutkar, Dipak Vasantrao

    2015-01-01

    inflammation and dural mast cell degranulation is supported by the effectiveness of prednisolone on glyceryl trinitrate-induced delayed headache. METHODS: Using a newly developed rat model mimicking the human glyceryl trinitrate headache model, we have investigated the occurrence of dural mast cell...... glyceryl trinitrate-induced mast cell degranulation whereas the calcitonin gene-related peptide-receptor antagonist olcegepant and the substance P receptor antagonist L-733,060 did not affect mast cell degranulation. However, topical application of two different nitric oxide donors did not cause mast cell...... degranulation ex vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Direct application of an exogenous nitric oxide donor on dural mast cells does not cause mast cell degranulation ex vivo. In vivo application of the nitric oxide donor glyceryl trinitrate leads to a prominent level of degranulation via a yet unknown mechanism. This effect can...

  6. AlGaAs top solar cell for mechanical attachment in a multi-junction tandem concentrator solar cell stack

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dinetta, L. C.; Hannon, M. H.; Cummings, J. R.; Mcneeley, J. B.; Barnett, Allen M.

    1990-01-01

    Free-standing, transparent, tunable bandgap AlxGa1-xAs top solar cells have been fabricated for mechanical attachment in a four terminal tandem stack solar cell. Evaluation of the device results has demonstrated 1.80 eV top solar cells with efficiencies of 18 percent (100 X, and AM0) which would yield stack efficiencies of 31 percent (100 X, AM0) with a silicon bottom cell. When fully developed, the AlxGa1-xAs/Si mechanically-stacked two-junction solar cell concentrator system can provide efficiencies of 36 percent (AM0, 100 X). AlxGa1-xAs top solar cells with bandgaps from 1.66 eV to 2.08 eV have been fabricated. Liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) growth techniques have been used and LPE has been found to yield superior AlxGa1-xAs material when compared to molecular beam epitaxy and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. It is projected that stack assembly technology will be readily applicable to any mechanically stacked multijunction (MSMJ) system. Development of a wide bandgap top solar cell is the only feasible method for obtaining stack efficiencies greater than 40 percent at AM0. System efficiencies of greater than 40 percent can be realized when the AlGaAs top solar cell is used in a three solar cell mechanical stack.

  7. Efficient solvers for coupled models in respiratory mechanics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verdugo, Francesc; Roth, Christian J; Yoshihara, Lena; Wall, Wolfgang A

    2017-02-01

    We present efficient preconditioners for one of the most physiologically relevant pulmonary models currently available. Our underlying motivation is to enable the efficient simulation of such a lung model on high-performance computing platforms in order to assess mechanical ventilation strategies and contributing to design more protective patient-specific ventilation treatments. The system of linear equations to be solved using the proposed preconditioners is essentially the monolithic system arising in fluid-structure interaction (FSI) extended by additional algebraic constraints. The introduction of these constraints leads to a saddle point problem that cannot be solved with usual FSI preconditioners available in the literature. The key ingredient in this work is to use the idea of the semi-implicit method for pressure-linked equations (SIMPLE) for getting rid of the saddle point structure, resulting in a standard FSI problem that can be treated with available techniques. The numerical examples show that the resulting preconditioners approach the optimal performance of multigrid methods, even though the lung model is a complex multiphysics problem. Moreover, the preconditioners are robust enough to deal with physiologically relevant simulations involving complex real-world patient-specific lung geometries. The same approach is applicable to other challenging biomedical applications where coupling between flow and tissue deformations is modeled with additional algebraic constraints. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  8. Electromagnetic Pulse Coupling Analysis of Electronic Equipment

    OpenAIRE

    Hong Lei; Qingying LI

    2017-01-01

    High-intensity nuclear explosion caused by high-altitude nuclear electromagnetic pulse through the antenna, metal cables, holes and other channels, coupled with very high energy into the electronic device, and cause serious threats. In this paper, the mechanism, waveform, coupling path and damage effect of nuclear electromagnetic pulse is analyzed, and the coupling mechanism of nuclear electromagnetic pulse is studied.

  9. A versatile coupled cell-free transcription-translation system based on tobacco BY-2 cell lysates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buntru, Matthias; Vogel, Simon; Stoff, Katrin; Spiegel, Holger; Schillberg, Stefan

    2015-05-01

    Cell-free protein synthesis is a powerful method for the high-throughput production of recombinant proteins, especially proteins that are difficult to express in living cells. Here we describe a coupled cell-free transcription-translation system based on tobacco BY-2 cell lysates (BYLs). Using a combination of fractional factorial designs and response surface models, we developed a cap-independent system that produces more than 250 μg/mL of functional enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (eYFP) and about 270 μg/mL of firefly luciferase using plasmid templates, and up to 180 μg/mL eYFP using linear templates (PCR products) in 18 h batch reactions. The BYL contains actively-translocating microsomal vesicles derived from the endoplasmic reticulum, promoting the formation of disulfide bonds, glycosylation and the cotranslational integration of membrane proteins. This was demonstrated by expressing a functional full-size antibody (∼ 150 μg/mL), the model enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx) (∼ 7.3 U/mL), and a transmembrane growth factor (∼ 25 μg/mL). Subsequent in vitro treatment of GOx with peptide-N-glycosidase F confirmed the presence of N-glycans. Our results show that the BYL can be used as a high-throughput expression and screening platform that is particularly suitable for complex and cytotoxic proteins. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Interaction of ATP with acid-denatured cytochrome c via coupled folding-binding mechanism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahluwalia, Unnati; Deep, Shashank

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Interaction between ATP and cyt c takes place via coupled binding–folding mechanism. ► Binding of ATP to cyt c is endothermic. ► GTP and CTP induce similar level of helicity in acid-denatured cyt c as with ATP. ► Compactness induced by ATP is far greater than ADP or AMP. - Abstract: The non-native conformations of the cytochrome c (cyt c) are believed to play key roles in a number of physiological processes. Nucleotides are supposed to act as allosteric effectors in these processes by regulating structural transitions among different conformations of cyt c. To understand the interaction between acid denatured cytochrome c and nucleotides, spectroscopic and calorimetric techniques were utilized to observe the structural features of the induced conformation and the energetics of interaction of acid denatured cyt c with different nucleotides. Structure induction in the acid denatured cyt c was observed on the addition of the ∼1 mM nucleotide tri-phosphates (ATP/GTP/CTP) at 25 °C, however, not in the presence of 1 mM nucleotide mono and diphosphates. ATP-bound cyt c at pH 2.0 is likely to have a conformation that has intact α-helical domain. However, Met80-Fe(III) axial bond is still ruptured. Observed thermodynamics reflect interaction between nucleotide and cyt c via coupled binding–folding mechanism. DSC data suggest the preferential binding of the ATP to the folded conformation with respect to the acid denatured cyt c. ITC data indicate that the exothermic folding of cyt c was accompanied by endothermic binding of ATP to cyt c.

  11. The hyperbolic effect of density and strength of inter beta-cell coupling on islet bursting: a theoretical investigation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Xujing

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Insulin, the principal regulating hormone of blood glucose, is released through the bursting of the pancreatic islets. Increasing evidence indicates the importance of islet morphostructure in its function, and the need of a quantitative investigation. Recently we have studied this problem from the perspective of islet bursting of insulin, utilizing a new 3D hexagonal closest packing (HCP model of islet structure that we have developed. Quantitative non-linear dependence of islet function on its structure was found. In this study, we further investigate two key structural measures: the number of neighboring cells that each β-cell is coupled to, nc, and the coupling strength, gc. Results β-cell clusters of different sizes with number of β-cells nβ ranging from 1–343, nc from 0–12, and gc from 0–1000 pS, were simulated. Three functional measures of islet bursting characteristics – fraction of bursting β-cells fb, synchronization index λ, and bursting period Tb, were quantified. The results revealed a hyperbolic dependence on the combined effect of nc and gc. From this we propose to define a dimensionless cluster coupling index or CCI, as a composite measure for islet morphostructural integrity. We show that the robustness of islet oscillatory bursting depends on CCI, with all three functional measures fb, λ and Tb increasing monotonically with CCI when it is small, and plateau around CCI = 1. Conclusion CCI is a good islet function predictor. It has the potential of linking islet structure and function, and providing insight to identify therapeutic targets for the preservation and restoration of islet β-cell mass and function.

  12. Collective cell migration without proliferation: density determines cell velocity and wave velocity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tlili, Sham; Gauquelin, Estelle; Li, Brigitte; Cardoso, Olivier; Ladoux, Benoît; Delanoë-Ayari, Hélène; Graner, François

    2018-05-01

    Collective cell migration contributes to embryogenesis, wound healing and tumour metastasis. Cell monolayer migration experiments help in understanding what determines the movement of cells far from the leading edge. Inhibiting cell proliferation limits cell density increase and prevents jamming; we observe long-duration migration and quantify space-time characteristics of the velocity profile over large length scales and time scales. Velocity waves propagate backwards and their frequency depends only on cell density at the moving front. Both cell average velocity and wave velocity increase linearly with the cell effective radius regardless of the distance to the front. Inhibiting lamellipodia decreases cell velocity while waves either disappear or have a lower frequency. Our model combines conservation laws, monolayer mechanical properties and a phenomenological coupling between strain and polarity: advancing cells pull on their followers, which then become polarized. With reasonable values of parameters, this model agrees with several of our experimental observations. Together, our experiments and model disantangle the respective contributions of active velocity and of proliferation in monolayer migration, explain how cells maintain their polarity far from the moving front, and highlight the importance of strain-polarity coupling and density in long-range information propagation.

  13. Analysis and modeling of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena in 3D fractured media; Analyse et modelisation des phenomenes couples thermo-hydromecaniques en milieux fractures 3D

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Canamon Valera, I

    2006-11-15

    This doctoral research was conducted as part of a joint France-Spain co-tutelage PhD thesis in the framework of a bilateral agreement between two universities, the Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse (INPT) and the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (UPM). It concerns a problem of common interest at the national and international levels, namely, the disposal of radioactive waste in deep geological repositories. The present work is devoted, more precisely, to near-field hydrogeological aspects involving mass and heat transport phenomena. The first part of the work is devoted to a specific data interpretation problem (pressures, relative humidities, temperatures) in a multi-barrier experimental system at the scale of a few meters - the 'Mock-Up Test' of the FEBEX project, conducted in Spain. Over 500 time series are characterized in terms of spatial, temporal, and/or frequency/scale-based statistical analysis techniques. The time evolution and coupling of physical phenomena during the experiment are analyzed, and conclusions are drawn concerning the behavior and reliability of the sensors. The second part of the thesis develops in more detail the 3-Dimensional (3D) modeling of coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical phenomena in a fractured porous rock, this time at the scale of a hundred meters, based on the data of the 'In-Situ Test' of the FEBEX project conducted at the Grimsel Test Site in the Swiss Alps. As a first step, a reconstruction of the 3D fracture network is obtained by Monte Carlo simulation, taking into account through optimization the geomorphological data collected around the FEBEX gallery. The heterogeneous distribution of traces observed on the cylindrical wall of the tunnel is fairly well reproduced in the simulated network. In a second step, we develop a method to estimate the equivalent permeability of a many-fractured block by extending the superposition method of Ababou et al. [1994] to the case where the permeability of

  14. FE Analysis of Rock with Hydraulic-Mechanical Coupling Based on Continuum Damage Evolution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yongliang Wang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A numerical finite element (FE analysis technology is presented for efficient and reliable solutions of rock with hydraulic-mechanical (HM coupling, researching the seepage characteristics and simulating the damage evolution of rock. To be in accord with the actual situation, the rock is naturally viewed as heterogeneous material, in which Young’s modulus, permeability, and strength property obey the typical Weibull distribution function. The classic Biot constitutive relation for rock as porous medium is introduced to establish a set of equations coupling with elastic solid deformation and seepage flow. The rock is subsequently developed into a novel conceptual and practical model considering the damage evolution of Young’s modulus and permeability, in which comprehensive utilization of several other auxiliary technologies, for example, the Drucker-Prager strength criterion, the statistical strength theory, and the continuum damage evolution, yields the damage variable calculating technology. To this end, an effective and reliable numerical FE analysis strategy is established. Numerical examples are given to show that the proposed method can establish heterogeneous rock model and be suitable for different load conditions and furthermore to demonstrate the effectiveness and reliability in the seepage and damage characteristics analysis for rock.

  15. Computational modeling predicts the ionic mechanism of late-onset responses in Unipolar Brush Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sathyaa eSubramaniyam

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Unipolar Brush Cells (UBCs have been suggested to have a strong impact on cerebellar granular layer functioning, yet the corresponding cellular mechanisms remain poorly understood. UBCs have recently been reported to generate, in addition to early-onset glutamatergic synaptic responses, a late-onset response (LOR composed of a slow depolarizing ramp followed by a spike burst (Locatelli et al., 2013. The LOR activates as a consequence of synaptic activity and involves an intracellular cascade modulating H- and TRP-current gating. In order to assess the LOR mechanisms, we have developed a UBC multi-compartmental model (including soma, dendrite, initial segment and axon incorporating biologically realistic representations of ionic currents and a generic coupling mechanism regulating TRP and H channel gating. The model finely reproduced UBC responses to current injection, including a low-threshold spike sustained by CaLVA currents, a persistent discharge sustained by CaHVA currents, and a rebound burst following hyperpolarization sustained by H- and CaLVA-currents. Moreover, the model predicted that H- and TRP-current regulation was necessary and sufficient to generate the LOR and its dependence on the intensity and duration of mossy fiber activity. Therefore, the model showed that, using a basic set of ionic channels, UBCs generate a rich repertoire of delayed bursts, which could take part to the formation of tunable delay-lines in the local microcircuit.

  16. Computational modeling predicts the ionic mechanism of late-onset responses in unipolar brush cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Subramaniyam, Sathyaa; Solinas, Sergio; Perin, Paola; Locatelli, Francesca; Masetto, Sergio; D'Angelo, Egidio

    2014-01-01

    Unipolar Brush Cells (UBCs) have been suggested to play a critical role in cerebellar functioning, yet the corresponding cellular mechanisms remain poorly understood. UBCs have recently been reported to generate, in addition to early-onset glutamate receptor-dependent synaptic responses, a late-onset response (LOR) composed of a slow depolarizing ramp followed by a spike burst (Locatelli et al., 2013). The LOR activates as a consequence of synaptic activity and involves an intracellular cascade modulating H- and TRP-current gating. In order to assess the LOR mechanisms, we have developed a UBC multi-compartmental model (including soma, dendrite, initial segment, and axon) incorporating biologically realistic representations of ionic currents and a cytoplasmic coupling mechanism regulating TRP and H channel gating. The model finely reproduced UBC responses to current injection, including a burst triggered by a low-threshold spike (LTS) sustained by CaLVA currents, a persistent discharge sustained by CaHVA currents, and a rebound burst following hyperpolarization sustained by H- and CaLVA-currents. Moreover, the model predicted that H- and TRP-current regulation was necessary and sufficient to generate the LOR and its dependence on the intensity and duration of mossy fiber activity. Therefore, the model showed that, using a basic set of ionic channels, UBCs generate a rich repertoire of bursts, which could effectively implement tunable delay-lines in the local microcircuit.

  17. X-rays effects on cytoskeleton mechanics of healthy and tumor cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panzetta, Valeria; De Menna, Marta; Musella, Ida; Pugliese, Mariagabriella; Quarto, Maria; Netti, Paolo A; Fusco, Sabato

    2017-01-01

    Alterations in the cytoskeleton structure are frequently found in several diseases and particularly in cancer cells. It is also through the alterations of the cytoskeleton structure that cancer cells acquire most of their common features such as uncontrolled cell proliferation, cell death evasion, and the gaining of migratory and invasive characteristics. Although radiation therapies currently represent one of the most effective treatments for patients, the effects of X-irradiation on the cytoskeleton architecture are still poorly understood. In this case we investigated the effects, over time of two different doses of X-ray irradiation, on cell cytoskeletons of BALB/c3T3 and Sv40-transformed BALB/c 3T3 cells (SVT2). Biophysical parameters - focal adhesion size, actin bundles organization, and cell mechanical properties - were measured before and after irradiations (1 and 2 Gy) at 24 and 72 h, comparing the cytoskeleton properties of normal and transformed cells. The differences, before and after X-irradiation, were revealed in terms of cell morphology and deformability. Finally, such parameters were correlated to the alterations of cytoskeleton dynamics by evaluating cell adhesion at the level of focal adhesion and cytoskeleton mechanics. X-irradiation modifies the structure and the activity of cell cytoskeleton in a dose-dependent manner. For transformed cells, radiation sensitively increased cell adhesion, as indicated by paxillin-rich focal adhesion, flat morphology, a well-organized actin cytoskeleton, and intracellular mechanics. On the other hand, for normal fibroblasts IR had negligible effects on cytoskeletal and adhesive protein organization. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Role of HHM coupling mechanisms on the evolution of rock masses around nuclear waste disposals in the context of gas generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoxha, D.; Do, D.-P.; Wendling, J.; Poutrel, A.

    2010-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. This paper aims at modelling of long term evolution of hydro-mechanical state of rock masses around sealing nuclear waste disposals. In the principles of nuclear waste disposals the geological barrier must play a long term confining role in respect with nuclide transport. In terms of hydro-mechanical properties this calls for managing the damage around the underground workings of the waste disposals. In particular the seal buffers and barrier rock will support the generation of hydrogen of different origins, mainly from the corrosion of steals used in various elements of a nuclear waste disposal. This generation would generate gas pressures sufficiently high to partially dry seal or barrier rock leading to a redistribution of stress around underground openings, to a reactivation of the rock damage and finally could put in question the concept of geological barrier itself. The object of this paper is to shed light in the mechanisms of HHM coupling in rocks around a repository by comparative numerical analyses. Basically, we chose two configurations to proceed with analyses: one in plan strain conditions and the other an axial symmetric configuration. The goal of the first configuration is the assessment of gas pressure evolution in the openings of a repository. The principal input of the problem is the kinetics of gas generation (H 2 generation) given by a step-wise function of time describing the gas generation of one single nuclear waste coli. Then known the repository architecture one could easily calculate the mass of gas generated on one access gallery. Since extreme scenario is studied, we suppose that the gas generated by the set of alveoli is fully located in the access gallery and only a radial gas flux is possible.The hydro mechanical properties of rocks up to the surface were taken into account. For the callovo-Oxfordian clay that constitutes barrier rock in immediate neighbouring of the gallery a model

  19. Degradation mechanisms and accelerated testing in PEM fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borup, Rodney L [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Mukundan, Rangachary [Los Alamos National Laboratory

    2010-01-01

    The durability of PEM fuel cells is a major barrier to the commercialization of these systems for stationary and transportation power applications. Although there has been recent progress in improving durability, further improvements are needed to meet the commercialization targets. Past improvements have largely been made possible because of the fundamental understanding of the underlying degradation mechanisms. By investigating component and cell degradation modes; defining the fundamental degradation mechanisms of components and component interactions new materials can be designed to improve durability. Various factors have been shown to affect the useful life of PEM fuel cells. Other issues arise from component optimization. Operational conditions (such as impurities in either the fuel and oxidant stream), cell environment, temperature (including subfreezing exposure), pressure, current, voltage, etc.; or transient versus continuous operation, including start-up and shutdown procedures, represent other factors that can affect cell performance and durability. The need for Accelerated Stress Tests (ASTs) can be quickly understood given the target lives for fuel cell systems: 5000 hours ({approx} 7 months) for automotive, and 40,000 hrs ({approx} 4.6 years) for stationary systems. Thus testing methods that enable more rapid screening of individual components to determine their durability characteristics, such as off-line environmental testing, are needed for evaluating new component durability in a reasonable turn-around time. This allows proposed improvements in a component to be evaluated rapidly and independently, subsequently allowing rapid advancement in PEM fuel cell durability. These tests are also crucial to developers in order to make sure that they do not sacrifice durability while making improvements in costs (e.g. lower platinum group metal [PGM] loading) and performance (e.g. thinner membrane or a GDL with better water management properties). To

  20. Nonlocal electron-phonon coupling in the pentacene crystal: Beyond the Γ-point approximation

    KAUST Repository

    Yi, Yuanping

    2012-01-01

    There is currently increasing interest in understanding the impact of the nonlocal (Peierls-type) electron-phonon mechanism on charge transport in organic molecular semiconductors. Most estimates of the non-local coupling constants reported in the literature are based on the Γ-point phonon modes. Here, the influence of phonon modes spanning the entire Brillouin zone (phonon dispersion) on the nonlocal electron-phonon couplings is investigated for the pentacene crystal. The phonon modes are obtained by using a supercell approach. The results underline that the overall nonlocal couplings are substantially underestimated by calculations taking sole account of the phonons at the Γ point of the unit cell. The variance of the transfer integrals based on Γ-point normal-mode calculations at room temperature is underestimated in some cases by 40% for herringbone-type dimers and by over 80% for cofacial dimers. Our calculations show that the overall coupling is somewhat larger for holes than for electrons. The results also suggest that the interactions of charge carriers (both electrons and holes) with acoustic and optical phonons are comparable. Therefore, an adequate description of the charge-transport properties in pentacene and similar systems requires that these two electron-phonon coupling mechanisms be treated on the same footing. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.

  1. Degradation mechanisms of sulfonated poly-aromatic membranes in fuel cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perrot, C.

    2006-11-01

    Fuel cell development requires an improvement in the electrode-membrane assembly durability which depends on both the polymer used and the fuel cell operating conditions. The origin of the degradation can be either electrochemical, chemical and/or mechanical. This study deals with the understanding of alternative membranes ageing mechanisms, i.e. non fluorinated membranes, such as sPEEK and sPI. For this kind of membranes, the first process is chemical. Understanding these mechanisms is the first essential step to develop more stable structures. An original approach is developed to overcome the analytical difficulties encountered with polymers. It consists in studying the degradation mechanism on model structures. Ageing are carried out in water, with H 2 O 2 in some cases (identified as a cause of membrane chemical ageing in the fuel cell system), and at different temperatures. The approach consists in separating the different products formed by chromatography. Then they are identified (NMR, IR, MS) and quantified. This method allows us to establish the ageing mechanism. We show that the ageing of a sPEEK structure mainly results from an attack by end chains which spreads to the whole. This mechanism is confirmed on ex-situ and in-situ aged membranes. These two kinds of ageing lead to an important decrease in polymerisation degree (determined by SEC). Formation of the same degradation products is observed. In fuel cells, a heterogeneous degradation is noticed. It takes place mainly on the cathode side. sPI are known for their high sensitivity to hydrolysis. Nevertheless, we highlight a limited degradation at 80 Celsius degrees due to the recombination of hydrolyzed species at this temperature. (author)

  2. Investigation research on the evaluation of a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical phenomena. 3. Result Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishihara, Yoshinao; Ito, Takaya; Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Amemiya, Kiyoshi; Shiozaki, Isao

    2004-02-01

    In order to realize a coupling analysis in the near field of the geological disposal system, the coupling analysis code 'COUPLYS (Coupling analysis system)' on the Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) phenomena by THAMES, Dtransu and phreeqc, which are existing analysis code, is developed in this study. And some case analyses on THMC phenomena are carried out by this code. (1) Some supporting modules, which include the transfer of dissolution concentration and total concentration (dissolution + precipitation concentration), were prepared as a functional expansion. And in order to add on the function of treat de-gases and gases diffusion, accumulation and dilution phenomena, the mass transport analysis code was modified. (2) We have modified reactive transport module to treat ionic exchange, surface reaction and kinetic reaction in the each barrier. (3) We have prepared hydraulic conductivity module of buffer material depending on change of dry density due to chemical equilibrium (dissolution and precipitation of minerals), degradation of buffer material such as Ca-type bentonite and change of concentration of NaCl solutions. After THAMES, Dtransu, phreeqc and the hydraulic conductivity module were installed in COUPLYS (Coupling Analysis), verification study was carried out to check basic function. And we have modified COUPLYS to control coupling process. (4) In order to confirm the applicability of the developed THMC analysis code (existing analysis code and COUPLYS), we have carried out case analyses on 1-dimensional and 3-dimensional model which are including vitrified waste, over-pack, buffer material and rock in the HLW near-field. (author)

  3. Non-canonical programmed cell death mechanisms triggered by natural compounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diederich, Marc; Cerella, Claudia

    2016-10-01

    Natural compounds are the fundament of pharmacological treatments and more than 50% of all anticancer drugs are of natural origins or at least derived from scaffolds present in Nature. Over the last 25 years, molecular mechanisms triggered by natural anticancer compounds were investigated. Emerging research showed that molecules of natural origins are useful for both preventive and therapeutic purposes by targeting essential hallmarks and enabling characteristics described by Hanahan and Weinberg. Moreover, natural compounds were able to change the differentiation status of selected cell types. One of the earliest response of cells treated by pharmacologically active compounds is the change of its morphology leading to ultra-structural perturbations: changes in membrane composition, cytoskeleton integrity, alterations of the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and of the nucleus lead to formation of morphological alterations that are a characteristic of both compound and cancer type preceding cell death. Apoptosis and autophagy were traditionally considered as the most prominent cell death or cell death-related mechanisms. By now multiple other cell death modalities were described and most likely involved in response to chemotherapeutic treatment. It can be hypothesized that especially necrosis-related phenotypes triggered by various treatments or evolving from apoptotic or autophagic mechanisms, provide a more efficient therapeutic outcome depending on cancer type and genetic phenotype of the patient. In fact, the recent discovery of multiple regulated forms of necrosis and the initial elucidation of the corresponding cell signaling pathways appear nowadays as important tools to clarify the immunogenic potential of non-canonical forms of cell death induction. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Mechanisms of pancreatic beta-cell growth and regeneration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Jens Høiriis

    1989-01-01

    Information about the mechanism of beta-cell growth and regeneration may be obtained by studies of insulinoma cells. In the present study the growth and function of the rat insulinoma cell lines RINm5F and 5AH were evaluated by addition of serum, hormones, and growth factors. It was found...... of insulin mRNA content showed that the insulinoma cells only contained about 2% of that of normal rat beta-cells. These results are discussed in relation to the role of growth factors, oncogenes, and differentiation in the growth and regeneration of beta-cells....... that transferrin is the only obligatory factor whereas growth hormone, epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, and TRH had modulating effects. A heat-labile heparin binding serum factor which stimulated thymidine incorporation but not cell proliferation was demonstrated in human serum. Measurements...

  5. Genetic and Epigenetic Mechanisms That Maintain Hematopoietic Stem Cell Function

    OpenAIRE

    Kosan, Christian; Godmann, Maren

    2015-01-01

    All hematopoiesis cells develop from multipotent progenitor cells. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) have the ability to develop into all blood lineages but also maintain their stemness. Different molecular mechanisms have been identified that are crucial for regulating quiescence and self-renewal to maintain the stem cell pool and for inducing proliferation and lineage differentiation. The stem cell niche provides the microenvironment to keep HSC in a quiescent state. Furthermore, several trans...

  6. Applications and Mechanisms of Ionic Liquids in Whole-Cell Biotransformation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Lin-Lin; Li, Hong-Ji; Chen, Qi-He

    2014-01-01

    Ionic liquids (ILs), entirely composed of cations and anions, are liquid solvents at room temperature. They are interesting due to their low vapor pressure, high polarity and thermostability, and also for the possibility to fine-tune their physicochemical properties through modification of the chemical structures of their cations or anions. In recent years, ILs have been widely used in biotechnological fields involving whole-cell biotransformations of biodiesel or biomass, and organic compound synthesis with cells. Research studies in these fields have increased from the past decades and compared to the typical solvents, ILs are the most promising alternative solvents for cell biotransformations. However, there are increasing limitations and new challenges in whole-cell biotransformations with ILs. There is little understanding of the mechanisms of ILs’ interactions with cells, and much remains to be clarified. Further investigations are required to overcome the drawbacks of their applications and to broaden their application spectrum. This work mainly reviews the applications of ILs in whole-cell biotransformations, and the possible mechanisms of ILs in microbial cell biotransformation are proposed and discussed. PMID:25007820

  7. Applications and mechanisms of ionic liquids in whole-cell biotransformation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Lin-Lin; Li, Hong-Ji; Chen, Qi-He

    2014-07-09

    Ionic liquids (ILs), entirely composed of cations and anions, are liquid solvents at room temperature. They are interesting due to their low vapor pressure, high polarity and thermostability, and also for the possibility to fine-tune their physicochemical properties through modification of the chemical structures of their cations or anions. In recent years, ILs have been widely used in biotechnological fields involving whole-cell biotransformations of biodiesel or biomass, and organic compound synthesis with cells. Research studies in these fields have increased from the past decades and compared to the typical solvents, ILs are the most promising alternative solvents for cell biotransformations. However, there are increasing limitations and new challenges in whole-cell biotransformations with ILs. There is little understanding of the mechanisms of ILs' interactions with cells, and much remains to be clarified. Further investigations are required to overcome the drawbacks of their applications and to broaden their application spectrum. This work mainly reviews the applications of ILs in whole-cell biotransformations, and the possible mechanisms of ILs in microbial cell biotransformation are proposed and discussed.

  8. In silico investigation of the short QT syndrome, using human ventricle models incorporating electromechanical coupling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ismail eAdeniran

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Genetic forms of the Short QT Syndrome (SQTS arise due to cardiac ion channel mutations leading to accelerated ventricular repolarisation, arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Results from experimental and simulation studies suggest that changes to refractoriness and tissue vulnerability produce a substrate favourable to re-entry. Potential electromechanical consequences of the SQTS are less well understood. The aim of this study was to utilize electromechanically coupled human ventricle models to explore electromechanical consequences of the SQTS. Methods and results: The Rice et al. mechanical model was coupled to the ten Tusscher et al. ventricular cell model. Previously validated K+ channel formulations for SQT variants 1 and 3 were incorporated. Functional effects of the SQTS mutations on transients, sarcomere length shortening and contractile force at the single cell level were evaluated with and without the consideration of stretch activated channel current (Isac. Without Isac, the SQTS mutations produced dramatic reductions in the amplitude of transients, sarcomere length shortening and contractile force. When Isac was incorporated, there was a considerable attenuation of the effects of SQTS-associated action potential shortening on Ca2+ transients, sarcomere shortening and contractile force. Single cell models were then incorporated into 3D human ventricular tissue models. The timing of maximum deformation was delayed in the SQTS setting compared to control. Conclusion: The incorporation of Isac appears to be an important consideration in modelling functional effects of SQT 1 and 3 mutations on cardiac electro-mechanical coupling. Whilst there is little evidence of profoundly impaired cardiac contractile function in SQTS patients, our 3D simulations correlate qualitatively with reported evidence for dissociation between ventricular repolarization and the end of mechanical systole.

  9. Delayed coupling to feedback inhibition during a critical period for the integration of adult-born granule cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Temprana, Silvio G; Mongiat, Lucas A; Yang, Sung M; Trinchero, Mariela F; Alvarez, Diego D; Kropff, Emilio; Giacomini, Damiana; Beltramone, Natalia; Lanuza, Guillermo M; Schinder, Alejandro F

    2015-01-07

    Developing granule cells (GCs) of the adult dentate gyrus undergo a critical period of enhanced activity and synaptic plasticity before becoming mature. The impact of developing GCs on the activity of preexisting dentate circuits remains unknown. Here we combine optogenetics, acute slice electrophysiology, and in vivo chemogenetics to activate GCs at different stages of maturation to study the recruitment of local target networks. We show that immature (4-week-old) GCs can efficiently drive distal CA3 targets but poorly activate proximal interneurons responsible for feedback inhibition (FBI). As new GCs transition toward maturity, they reliably recruit GABAergic feedback loops that restrict spiking of neighbor GCs, a mechanism that would promote sparse coding. Such inhibitory loop impinges only weakly in new cohorts of young GCs. A computational model reveals that the delayed coupling of new GCs to FBI could be crucial to achieve a fine-grain representation of novel inputs in the dentate gyrus. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Opto-acoustic microscopy reveals adhesion mechanics of single cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abi Ghanem, Maroun; Dehoux, Thomas; Liu, Liwang; Le Saux, Guillaume; Plawinski, Laurent; Durrieu, Marie-Christine; Audoin, Bertrand

    2018-01-01

    Laser-generated GHz-ultrasonic-based technologies have shown the ability to image single cell adhesion and stiffness simultaneously. Using this new modality, we here demonstrate quantitative indicators to investigate contact mechanics and adhesion processes of the cell. We cultured human cells on a rigid substrate, and we used an inverted pulsed opto-acoustic microscope to generate acoustic pulses containing frequencies up to 100 GHz in the substrate. We map the reflection of the acoustic pulses at the cell-substrate interface to obtain images of the acoustic impedance of the cell, Zc, as well as of the stiffness of the interface, K, with 1 μm lateral resolution. Our results show that the standard deviation ΔZc reveals differences between different cell types arising from the multiplicity of local conformations within the nucleus. From the distribution of K-values within the nuclear region, we extract a mean interfacial stiffness, Km, that quantifies the average contact force in areas of the cell displaying weak bonding. By analogy with classical contact mechanics, we also define the ratio of the real to nominal contact areas, Sr/St. We show that Km can be interpreted as a quantitative indicator of passive contact at metal-cell interfaces, while Sr/St is sensitive to active adhesive processes in the nuclear region. The ability to separate the contributions of passive and active adhesion processes should allow gaining insight into cell-substrate interactions, with important applications in tissue engineering.

  11. Multiscale mechanisms of cell migration during development: theory and experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLennan, Rebecca; Dyson, Louise; Prather, Katherine W; Morrison, Jason A; Baker, Ruth E; Maini, Philip K; Kulesa, Paul M

    2012-08-01

    Long-distance cell migration is an important feature of embryonic development, adult morphogenesis and cancer, yet the mechanisms that drive subpopulations of cells to distinct targets are poorly understood. Here, we use the embryonic neural crest (NC) in tandem with theoretical studies to evaluate model mechanisms of long-distance cell migration. We find that a simple chemotaxis model is insufficient to explain our experimental data. Instead, model simulations predict that NC cell migration requires leading cells to respond to long-range guidance signals and trailing cells to short-range cues in order to maintain a directed, multicellular stream. Experiments confirm differences in leading versus trailing NC cell subpopulations, manifested in unique cell orientation and gene expression patterns that respond to non-linear tissue growth of the migratory domain. Ablation experiments that delete the trailing NC cell subpopulation reveal that leading NC cells distribute all along the migratory pathway and develop a leading/trailing cellular orientation and gene expression profile that is predicted by model simulations. Transplantation experiments and model predictions that move trailing NC cells to the migratory front, or vice versa, reveal that cells adopt a gene expression profile and cell behaviors corresponding to the new position within the migratory stream. These results offer a mechanistic model in which leading cells create and respond to a cell-induced chemotactic gradient and transmit guidance information to trailing cells that use short-range signals to move in a directional manner.

  12. Variational boundary conditions based on the Nitsche method for fitted and unfitted isogeometric discretizations of the mechanically coupled Cahn-Hilliard equation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Ying; Schillinger, Dominik; Xu, Bai-Xiang

    2017-07-01

    The primal variational formulation of the fourth-order Cahn-Hilliard equation requires C1-continuous finite element discretizations, e.g., in the context of isogeometric analysis. In this paper, we explore the variational imposition of essential boundary conditions that arise from the thermodynamic derivation of the Cahn-Hilliard equation in primal variables. Our formulation is based on the symmetric variant of Nitsche's method, does not introduce additional degrees of freedom and is shown to be variationally consistent. In contrast to strong enforcement, the new boundary condition formulation can be naturally applied to any mapped isogeometric parametrization of any polynomial degree. In addition, it preserves full accuracy, including higher-order rates of convergence, which we illustrate for boundary-fitted discretizations of several benchmark tests in one, two and three dimensions. Unfitted Cartesian B-spline meshes constitute an effective alternative to boundary-fitted isogeometric parametrizations for constructing C1-continuous discretizations, in particular for complex geometries. We combine our variational boundary condition formulation with unfitted Cartesian B-spline meshes and the finite cell method to simulate chemical phase segregation in a composite electrode. This example, involving coupling of chemical fields with mechanical stresses on complex domains and coupling of different materials across complex interfaces, demonstrates the flexibility of variational boundary conditions in the context of higher-order unfitted isogeometric discretizations.

  13. Synchronous behavior of two coupled electronic neurons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pinto, R. D.; Varona, P.; Volkovskii, A. R.; Szuecs, A.; Abarbanel, Henry D. I.; Rabinovich, M. I.

    2000-01-01

    We report on experimental studies of synchronization phenomena in a pair of analog electronic neurons (ENs). The ENs were designed to reproduce the observed membrane voltage oscillations of isolated biological neurons from the stomatogastric ganglion of the California spiny lobster Panulirus interruptus. The ENs are simple analog circuits which integrate four-dimensional differential equations representing fast and slow subcellular mechanisms that produce the characteristic regular/chaotic spiking-bursting behavior of these cells. In this paper we study their dynamical behavior as we couple them in the same configurations as we have done for their counterpart biological neurons. The interconnections we use for these neural oscillators are both direct electrical connections and excitatory and inhibitory chemical connections: each realized by analog circuitry and suggested by biological examples. We provide here quantitative evidence that the ENs and the biological neurons behave similarly when coupled in the same manner. They each display well defined bifurcations in their mutual synchronization and regularization. We report briefly on an experiment on coupled biological neurons and four-dimensional ENs, which provides further ground for testing the validity of our numerical and electronic models of individual neural behavior. Our experiments as a whole present interesting new examples of regularization and synchronization in coupled nonlinear oscillators. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society

  14. DAF-2 and ERK Couple Nutrient Availability to Meiotic Progression during Caenorhabditis elegans Oogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez, Andrew L.; Chen, Jessica; Joo, Hyoe-Jin; Drake, Melanie; Shidate, Miri; Kseib, Cedric; Arur, Swathi

    2013-01-01

    Coupling the production of mature gametes and fertilized zygotes to favorable nutritional conditions improves reproductive success. In invertebrates, the proliferation of female germ line stem cells is regulated by nutritional status. But, in mammals the number of female germ line stem cells is set early in development, with oocytes progressing through meiosis later in life. Mechanisms that couple later steps of oogenesis to environmental conditions remain largely undefined. We show that in the presence of food, the DAF-2 insulin-like receptor signals through the RAS-ERK pathway to drive meiotic prophase I progression and oogenesis; in the absence of food, the resultant inactivation of insulin-like signaling leads to downregulation of RAS-ERK pathway, and oogenesis is stalled. Thus, the insulin-like signaling pathway couples nutrient sensing to meiotic I progression and oocyte production in C. elegans, ensuring that oocytes are only produced under conditions favorable for the survival of the resulting zygotes. PMID:24120884

  15. Keeping stem cells under control: new insights into the mechanisms that limit niche-stem cell signaling within the reproductive system

    OpenAIRE

    Inaba, Mayu; Yamashita, Yukiko M.; Buszczak, Michael

    2016-01-01

    Adult stem cells reside in specialized microenvironments called niches that maintain stem cells in an undifferentiated and self-renewing state. Despite extensive studies on the signaling pathways that operate within stem cells and their niches, the mechanisms that restrict niche signal exclusively to stem cells remained elusive: such a mechanism is crucially important to ensure that stem cells undergo self-renewal while their progeny, often located just one cell diameter away from the niche, ...

  16. Mechanisms underlying 3-bromopyruvate-induced cell death in colon cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Yiming; Liu, Zhe; Zou, Xue; Lan, Yadong; Sun, Xiaojin; Wang, Xiu; Zhao, Surong; Jiang, Chenchen; Liu, Hao

    2015-08-01

    3-Bromopyruvate (3BP) is an energy-depleting drug that inhibits Hexokinase II activity by alkylation during glycolysis, thereby suppressing the production of ATP and inducing cell death. As such, 3BP can potentially serve as an anti-tumorigenic agent. Our previous research showed that 3BP can induce apoptosis via AKT /protein Kinase B signaling in breast cancer cells. Here we found that 3BP can also induce colon cancer cell death by necroptosis and apoptosis at the same time and concentration in the SW480 and HT29 cell lines; in the latter, autophagy was also found to be a mechanism of cell death. In HT29 cells, combined treatment with 3BP and the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) exacerbated cell death, while viability in 3BP-treated cells was enhanced by concomitant treatment with the caspase inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp fluoromethylketone (z-VAD-fmk) and the necroptosis inhibitor necrostatin (Nec)-1. Moreover, 3BP inhibited tumor growth in a SW480 xenograft mouse model. These results indicate that 3BP can suppress tumor growth and induce cell death by multiple mechanisms at the same time and concentration in different types of colon cancer cell by depleting cellular energy stores.

  17. Electron thermal effect on linear and nonlinear coupled Shukla-Varma and convective cell modes in dust-contaminated magnetoplasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masood, W.; Mirza, Arshad M.

    2010-11-01

    Linear and nonlinear properties of coupled Shukla-Varma (SV) and convective cell modes in the presence of electron thermal effects are studied in a nonuniform magnetoplasma composed of electrons, ions, and extremely massive and negatively charged immobile dust grains. In the linear case, the modified dispersion relation is given and, in the nonlinear case, stationary solutions of the nonlinear equations that govern the dynamics of coupled SV and convective cell modes are obtained. It is found that electrostatic dipolar and vortex street type solutions can appear in such a plasma. The relevance of the present investigation with regard to the Earth's mesosphere as well as in ionospheric plasmas is also pointed out.

  18. Electron thermal effect on linear and nonlinear coupled Shukla-Varma and convective cell modes in dust-contaminated magnetoplasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masood, W.; Mirza, Arshad M.

    2010-01-01

    Linear and nonlinear properties of coupled Shukla-Varma (SV) and convective cell modes in the presence of electron thermal effects are studied in a nonuniform magnetoplasma composed of electrons, ions, and extremely massive and negatively charged immobile dust grains. In the linear case, the modified dispersion relation is given and, in the nonlinear case, stationary solutions of the nonlinear equations that govern the dynamics of coupled SV and convective cell modes are obtained. It is found that electrostatic dipolar and vortex street type solutions can appear in such a plasma. The relevance of the present investigation with regard to the Earth's mesosphere as well as in ionospheric plasmas is also pointed out.

  19. Effect of Silane Coupling Agent on the Creep Behavior and Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fibers/Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber Composites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Woong-Ki; Park, Gil-Young; Kim, Byoung-Shuk; Seo, Min-Kang

    2018-09-01

    In this study, we investigated the effect of the silane coupling agent on the relationship between the surface free energy of carbon fibers (CFs) and the mechanical strength of CFs/acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) composites. Moreover, the creep behavior of the CF/NBR composites at surface energetic point of view were studied. The specific component of the surface free energy of the carbon fibers was found to increase upon grafting of the silane coupling agent, resulting in an increase in the tensile strength of the CF/NBR composites. On the other hand, the compressive creep strength was found to follow a slightly different trend. These results indicate the possible formation of a complex interpenetrating polymer network depending on the molecular size of the organic functional groups of the silane coupling agent.

  20. Mechanics of couple-stress fluid coatings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waxman, A. M.

    1982-01-01

    The formal development of a theory of viscoelastic surface fluids with bending resistance - their kinematics, dynamics, and rheology are discussed. It is relevant to the mechanics of fluid drops and jets coated by a thin layer of immiscible fluid with rather general rheology. This approach unifies the hydrodynamics of two-dimensional fluids with the mechanics of an elastic shell in the spirit of a Cosserat continuum. There are three distinct facets to the formulation of surface continuum mechanics. Outlined are the important ideas and results associated with each: the kinematics of evolving surface geometries, the conservation laws governing the mechanics of surface continua, and the rheological equations of state governing the surface stress and moment tensors.