OpTiDDM (Optical Tweezers integrating Differential Dynamic Microscopy) maps the spatiotemporal propagation of nonlinear stresses in polymer blends and composites

How local stresses propagate through polymeric fluids, and, more generally, how macromolecular dynamics give rise to viscoelasticity are open questions vital to wide-ranging scientific and industrial fields. Here, to unambiguously connect polymer dynamics to force response, and map stress propagation in macromolecular materials, we present a powerful approach-Optical Tweezers integrating Differential Dynamic Microscopy (OpTiDMM)-that simultaneously imposes local strains, measures resistive forces, and analyzes the motion of the surrounding polymers. Our measurements with blends of ring and linear polymers (DNA) and their composites with stiff polymers (microtubules) uncover a surprising resonant response, in which affine alignment, superdiffusivity, and elastic memory are maximized when the strain rate is comparable to the entanglement rate. Microtubules suppress this resonance, while substantially increasing elastic force and memory, due to varying degrees to which the polymers buildup, stretch and flow along the strain path, and configurationally dissipate stress. More broadly, the rich multi-scale coupling of mechanics and dynamics afforded by OpTiDDM, empowers its interdisciplinary use to elucidate non-trivial phenomena that sculpt stress propagation dynamics-critical to commercial applications and cell mechanics alike.Comment: 32 pages, 10 figure

The effect of curvature and topology on membrane hydrodynamics

We study the mobility of extended objects (rods) on a spherical liquid-liquid interface to show how this quantity is modified in a striking manner by both the curvature and the topology of the interface. We present theoretical calculations and experimental measurements of the interfacial fluid velocity field around a moving rod bound to the crowded interface of a water-in-oil droplet. By using different droplet sizes, membrane viscosities, and rod lengths, we show that the viscosity mismatch between the interior and exterior fluids leads to a suppression of the fluid flow on small droplets that cannot be captured by the flat interface predictions.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Studying the dynamics of colloidal particles with digital holographic microscopy and electromagnetic scattering solutions

Digital holographic microscopy (DHM) can measure the 3D positions as well as the scattering properties of colloidal particles in a single 2D image. We describe DHM and our analysis of recorded holograms with exact scattering solutions, which permit the measurement of 3D particle positions with ∼10 nm precision and millisecond time resolution, and discuss studies of the Brownian dynamics of clusters of spheres with DHM

Force Feedback Controls Motor Activity and Mechanical Properties of Self-Assembling Branched Actin Networks

Branched actin networks–created by the Arp2/3 complex, capping protein, and a nucleation promoting factor– generate and transmit forces required for many cellular processes, but their response to force is poorly understood. To address this, we assembled branched actin networks in vitro from purified components and used simultaneous fluorescence and atomic force microscopy to quantify their molecular composition and material properties under various forces. Remarkably, mechanical loading of these self-assembling materials increases their density, power, and efficiency. Microscopically, increased density reflects increased filament number and altered geometry, but no change in average length. Macroscopically, increased density enhances network stiffness and resistance to mechanical failure beyond those of isotropic actin networks. These effects endow branched actin networks with memory of their mechanical history that shapes their material properties and motor activity. This work reveals intrinsic force feedback mechanisms by which mechanical resistance makes self-assembling actin networks stiffer, stronger, and more powerful

Towards a five-minute comprehensive cardiac MR examination using highly accelerated parallel imaging with a 32-element coil array: Feasibility and initial comparative evaluation

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility and perform initial comparative evaluations of a 5-minute comprehensive whole-heart magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol with four image acquisition types: perfusion (PERF), function (CINE), coronary artery imaging (CAI), and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study protocol was Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant and Institutional Review Board-approved. A 5-minute comprehensive whole-heart MRI examination protocol (Accelerated) using 6-8-fold-accelerated volumetric parallel imaging was incorporated into and compared with a standard 2D clinical routine protocol (Standard). Following informed consent, 20 patients were imaged with both protocols. Datasets were reviewed for image quality using a 5-point Likert scale (0 = non-diagnostic, 4 = excellent) in blinded fashion by two readers. RESULTS: Good image quality with full whole-heart coverage was achieved using the accelerated protocol, particularly for CAI, although significant degradations in quality, as compared with traditional lengthy examinations, were observed for the other image types. Mean total scan time was significantly lower for the Accelerated as compared to Standard protocols (28.99 +/- 4.59 min vs. 1.82 +/- 0.05 min, P < 0.05). Overall image quality for the Standard vs. Accelerated protocol was 3.67 +/- 0.29 vs. 1.5 +/- 0.51 (P < 0.005) for PERF, 3.48 +/- 0.64 vs. 2.6 +/- 0.68 (P < 0.005) for CINE, 2.35 +/- 1.01 vs. 2.48 +/- 0.68 (P = 0.75) for CAI, and 3.67 +/- 0.42 vs. 2.67 +/- 0.84 (P < 0.005) for LGE. Diagnostic image quality for Standard vs. Accelerated protocols was 20/20 (100%) vs. 10/20 (50%) for PERF, 20/20 (100%) vs. 18/20 (90%) for CINE, 18/20 (90%) vs. 18/20 (90%) for CAI, and 20/20 (100%) vs. 18/20 (90%) for LGE. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the technical feasibility and promising image quality of 5-minute comprehensive whole-heart cardiac examinations, with simplified scan prescription and high spatial and temporal resolution enabled by highly parallel imaging technology. The study also highlights technical hurdles that remain to be addressed. Although image quality remained diagnostic for most scan types, the reduced image quality of PERF, CINE, and LGE scans in the Accelerated protocol remain a concern