Gaussian density fluctuations, mode coupling theory, and all that

We consider a toy model for glassy dynamics of colloidal suspensions: a single Brownian particle diffusing among immobile obstacles. If Gaussian factorization of static density fluctuations is assumed, this model can be solved without factorization approximation for any dynamic correlation function. The solution differs from that obtained from the ideal mode coupling theory (MCT). The latter is equivalent to including only some, positive definite terms in an expression for the memory function. An approximate re-summation of the complete expression suggests that, under the assumption of Gaussian factorization of static fluctuations, mobile particle's motion is always diffusive. In contrast, MCT predicts that the mobile particle becomes localized at a high enough obstacle density. We discuss the implications of these results for models for glassy dynamics.Comment: to be published in Europhys. Let

A multimodal cell census and atlas of the mammalian primary motor cortex

ABSTRACT We report the generation of a multimodal cell census and atlas of the mammalian primary motor cortex (MOp or M1) as the initial product of the BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN). This was achieved by coordinated large-scale analyses of single-cell transcriptomes, chromatin accessibility, DNA methylomes, spatially resolved single-cell transcriptomes, morphological and electrophysiological properties, and cellular resolution input-output mapping, integrated through cross-modal computational analysis. Together, our results advance the collective knowledge and understanding of brain cell type organization: First, our study reveals a unified molecular genetic landscape of cortical cell types that congruently integrates their transcriptome, open chromatin and DNA methylation maps. Second, cross-species analysis achieves a unified taxonomy of transcriptomic types and their hierarchical organization that are conserved from mouse to marmoset and human. Third, cross-modal analysis provides compelling evidence for the epigenomic, transcriptomic, and gene regulatory basis of neuronal phenotypes such as their physiological and anatomical properties, demonstrating the biological validity and genomic underpinning of neuron types and subtypes. Fourth, in situ single-cell transcriptomics provides a spatially-resolved cell type atlas of the motor cortex. Fifth, integrated transcriptomic, epigenomic and anatomical analyses reveal the correspondence between neural circuits and transcriptomic cell types. We further present an extensive genetic toolset for targeting and fate mapping glutamatergic projection neuron types toward linking their developmental trajectory to their circuit function. Together, our results establish a unified and mechanistic framework of neuronal cell type organization that integrates multi-layered molecular genetic and spatial information with multi-faceted phenotypic properties

Tribological Classification of Contact Lenses: From Coefficient of Friction to Sliding Work

The coefficient of friction (CoF) has been reported to correlate with clinical comfort of soft contact lenses (SCL). However, a classification in terms of a CoF is not always applicable to soft materials, such as hydrogels, due to the frequently observed nonlinearity between the lateral and the normal forces. An alternative methodology is presented to quantify the tribological characteristics of soft materials under boundary lubrication in terms of average work. Average work was derived from knowledge of the area of contact, the interfacial shear stress, and sliding distance. To illustrate the work concept, three commercially available SCL (n = 10) and rabbit corneas (n = 10) were characterized with regard to lateral force against a biomimetic mucin-coated glass disk in a tear-like fluid, by means of microtribometry. The contact area between the glass disk and the SCL was measured in situ and fitted to an elastic-foundation model of the material. On the cornea, the contact area was observed via the expulsion of a fluorescent marker from the contact region. All SCL materials had significantly (p < 0.05) different values for average work. Furthermore, the interfacial shear stress on the cornea was found to be at least an order of magnitude lower than on any of the SCL. Average work represents a single figure of merit for the lubricious properties of soft materials, such as SCL, that do not show a linear relationship between lateral and normal forces.ISSN:1023-8883ISSN:1573-271