Review
Physics, Applied
Suraj Shankar, Anton Souslov, Mark J. Bowick, M. Cristina Marchetti, Vincenzo Vitelli
Summary: This review focuses on topological defects and topologically protected edge modes in active matter, highlighting their distinctive properties in non-equilibrium systems. The review also emphasizes the significance of topological excitations in non-equilibrium settings.
NATURE REVIEWS PHYSICS
(2022)
Review
Physics, Applied
Oskar Hallatschek, Sujit S. Datta, Knut Drescher, Joern Dunkel, Jens Elgeti, Bartek Waclaw, Ned S. Wingreen
Summary: The fascinating patterns of collective motion created by autonomously driven particles have fueled active-matter research for over two decades. In this Perspective, researchers argue that the unique features emerging in systems with proliferation represent a distinct form of activity, and propose proliferation as another direction of active-matter physics. They believe that by extending the conceptual framework developed for conventional active matter to proliferating active matter, researchers can have a profound impact on quantitative biology and reveal fascinating emergent physics.
NATURE REVIEWS PHYSICS
(2023)
Review
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Igor S. Aranson
Summary: Bacteria, as one of the oldest and most abundant species on Earth, play a significant role in various ecological cycles and can cause infectious diseases. Bacterial suspensions, as examples of active matter, exhibit complex collective behavior. This study provides a critical assessment of the progress in bacterial active matter from a physics perspective, covering experimental results and theoretical approaches.
REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Educational
Andres S. Bustamante, Kreshnik Nasi Begolli, Daniela Alvarez-Vargas, Drew H. Bailey, Lindsey Engle Richland
Summary: Fraction Ball is a novel approach to engage children in fraction and decimal number learning through modifying the lines on a basketball court. The study showed that playing Fraction Ball games in physical education classes significantly improved students' understanding of rational numbers. This intervention represents a low-cost and scalable method to promote math learning in an engaging and fun way.
JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
News Item
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Patrick Pietzonka
Summary: The macroscopic properties of active matter can be attributed to the non-equilibrium character and handedness of interactions between individual particles.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
William Savoie, Harry Tuazon, Ishant Tiwari, M. Saad Bhamla, Daniel I. I. Goldman
Summary: This study examines the emergent properties of amorphous entangled systems and identifies the method of changing particle shape as the most effective way to improve tensile strength. The research also demonstrates the control of individual worm activity through dissolved oxygen, leading to complex emergent properties of the entangled collective.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jack Binysh, Thomas R. Wilks, Anton Souslov
Summary: Researchers have developed continuum theory and microscopic simulations to describe a 3D soft solid with an active surface boundary, which controls shape change and wave propagation. Unlike thin shells and vesicles, they discovered that the 3D elasticity of the bulk material plays a crucial role in snap-through transitions between different shapes, which can be universally classified using Landau theory. Additionally, the active surface modifies elastic wave propagation by allowing zero or negative group velocities.
Article
Mechanics
John F. Brady
Summary: A new continuous perspective for phoretic motion applicable to particles of any shape in 'microstructured' fluids has been developed, explaining how the local osmotic pressure of solute adjacent to the phoretic particle generates a thrust force. The study covers passive Brownian bath particles in suspension and active particles with characteristic speed and run length variations, showing that phoretic motion arises from a gradient in swim pressure of active matter.
JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Molin Jiang, Ping Zhang, Xiangyun Yang, Aihong Yu, Jie Zhang, Xiaoyu Xu, Zhanjiang Li
Summary: This study investigates the specific characteristics of the structural brain network in patients with panic disorder (PD) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and graph theory analysis. The results show that PD patients have higher network efficiency, lower shortest path length, and lower clustering coefficient at the global level compared to healthy controls. At the nodal level, PD patients exhibit higher nodal efficiency and lower average shortest path length in regions such as the prefrontal cortex, sensorimotor cortex, limbic system, insula, and cerebellum. These findings suggest that alterations in the fear network's information processing may contribute to the pathophysiology of PD.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Marcel Rey, Giovanni Volpe, Giorgio Volpe
Summary: Light can alter the motion of objects and is an ideal tool to drive microscopic particles and make them active. Research in the field of soft active matter has focused on utilizing light intensity, but recent advances have also explored other properties of light such as wavelength, polarization, and momentum. Fully exploiting all properties of light will enhance control over active matter and the flow of light itself, leading to advancements in soft active matter systems and their technological applications.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexander Ziepke, Ivan Maryshev, Igor S. Aranson, Erwin Frey
Summary: This study demonstrates the crucial role of communication through chemical signals in the formation of complex structures among interacting agents at multiple scales. These findings provide insights into the self-organization in biological systems and offer potential applications in chemically driven colloids or microrobots.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Austin R. Dulaney, Stewart A. Mallory, John F. Brady
Summary: This study demonstrates that the mechanically defined isothermal compressibility behaves as a thermodynamic response function for suspensions of active Brownian particles. The equivalence between mechanical compressibility and static structure factor, as indicated by the active form of the thermodynamic compressibility equation, holds true even when activity is large. The importance of phase interface in defining an active chemical potential is highlighted, with previous definitions accurate above the critical point but breaking down in the coexistence region.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sam Cameron, Tannie Liverpool
Summary: This theory suggests that active agents can cooperate even in the presence of disorder. This finding is important for the design of robots and the study of cell migration mechanisms.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Fan Zhang, Yu Ren, Xu Yang, Wenjie Chen, Laili Wang
Summary: An active voltage clamping circuit topology is proposed in this letter to address the unequal voltage sharing problem in series-connected SiC-MOSFETs, ensuring reliable switching and effective suppression of clamping circuit loss. The proposed topology has been experimentally verified in a half-bridge inverter with four SiC-MOSFETs connected in series.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
S. J. Kole, Gareth P. Alexander, Sriram Ramaswamy, Ananyo Maitra
Summary: The study demonstrates that the chirality plays an important role in the dynamics of layered liquid crystals in active systems, which can be used to engineer a columnar array with an antiferromagnetic vorticity alignment.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2021)
Review
Physics, Condensed Matter
Gerhard Gompper, Roland G. Winkler, Thomas Speck, Alexandre Solon, Cesare Nardini, Fernando Peruani, Hartmut Loewen, Ramin Golestanian, U. Benjamin Kaupp, Luis Alvarez, Thomas Kiorboe, Eric Lauga, Wilson C. K. Poon, Antonio DeSimone, Santiago Muinos-Landin, Alexander Fischer, Nicola A. Soeker, Frank Cichos, Raymond Kapral, Pierre Gaspard, Marisol Ripoll, Francesc Sagues, Amin Doostmohammadi, Julia M. Yeomans, Igor S. Aranson, Clemens Bechinger, Holger Stark, Charlotte K. Hemelrijk, Francois J. Nedelec, Trinish Sarkar, Thibault Aryaksama, Mathilde Lacroix, Guillaume Duclos, Victor Yashunsky, Pascal Silberzan, Marino Arroyo, Sohan Kale
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-CONDENSED MATTER
(2020)
Article
Physics, Mathematical
Sreejith Santhosh, Mehrana R. Nejad, Amin Doostmohammadi, Julia M. Yeomans, Sumesh P. Thampi
JOURNAL OF STATISTICAL PHYSICS
(2020)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Taras Turiv, Runa Koizumi, Kristian Thijssen, Mikhail M. Genkin, Hao Yu, Chenhui Peng, Qi-Huo Wei, Julia M. Yeomans, Igor S. Aranson, Amin Doostmohammadi, Oleg D. Lavrentovich
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
O. J. Meacock, A. Doostmohammadi, K. R. Foster, J. M. Yeomans, W. M. Durham
Summary: The study demonstrates that slow movement of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is vital for its collective migration across surfaces, as it avoids being trapped by topological defects resulting from faster cell movements. In contrast, faster mutant cells are overtaken and outcompeted by slower wild-type cells at high cell densities, leading to faster collective behavior and migration. The physics of liquid crystals helps explain how bacteria can outcompete each other in the race for new territory by generating topological defects that trap fast-moving cells.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Kristian Thijssen, Mehrana R. Nejad, Julia M. Yeomans
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lakshmi Balasubramaniam, Amin Doostmohammadi, Thuan Beng Saw, Gautham Hari Narayana Sankara Narayana, Romain Mueller, Tien Dang, Minnah Thomas, Shafali Gupta, Surabhi Sonam, Alpha S. Yap, Yusuke Toyama, Rene-Marc Mege, Julia M. Yeomans, Benoit Ladoux
Summary: It has been revealed that weakening intercellular contacts is a fundamental process essential for the switch from extensile to contractile tissue behavior. This switch leads to the accumulation of tension at the cell-substrate interface through an increase in actin stress fibers and traction forces. Mechanotransductive changes in vinculin and YAP activation accompany this transition.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Liam J. Ruske, Julia M. Yeomans
Summary: This study numerically investigates the morphology and disclination line dynamics of active nematic droplets in three dimensions, revealing a wide range of complex behaviors. The interaction between active anchoring, active flows, and the dynamics of the motile disclination lines are found to explain the diversity of behavior observed. The findings suggest that some biological systems may share the same underlying mechanisms as active nematic droplets, providing insights into processes such as morphogenesis and collective cancer invasion.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emmanuel L. C. V. I. M. Plan, Julia M. Yeomans, Amin Doostmohammadi
Summary: This study explores the spontaneous flow generation by activity pulses using an active gel model, and demonstrates that the cross-talk between activity-induced deformations and the viscoelastic surroundings can lead to a reversal of active flows. The study emphasizes the importance of relaxation time scales of polymers and active particles in witnessing such spontaneous flow reversals in complex microenvironments, suggesting new experiments to investigate the role of controlled pulses of activity in living systems.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mehrana R. Nejad, Amin Doostmohammadi, Julia M. Yeomans
Summary: Increasing friction enhances memory effects, resulting in persistent trails of topological defects in the director field, forming arch-like patterns. In high friction conditions, creating new defects becomes difficult, while existing defects organize into parallel arches.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Javor K. Novev, Amin Doostmohammadi, Andreas Zottl, Julia M. Yeomans
CURRENT RESEARCH IN FOOD SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Rian Hughes, Julia M. Yeomans
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Takuma Kawai, Daiki Matsunaga, Fanlong Meng, Julia M. Yeomans, Ramin Golestanian
Article
Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
Daniele Agostinelli, Roberto Cerbino, Juan C. Del Alamo, Antonio DeSimone, Stephanie Hohn, Cristian Micheletti, Giovanni Noselli, Eran Sharon, Julia Yeomans
MATHEMATICS IN ENGINEERING
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kristian Thijssen, Luuk Metselaar, Julia M. Yeomans, Amin Doostmohammadi
Correction
Physics, Multidisciplinary
O. J. Meacock, A. Doostmohammadi, K. R. Foster, J. M. Yeomans, W. M. Durham
