Article
Chemistry, Physical
Edan Lerner, Eran Bouchbinder
Summary: Continuum elasticity is a powerful tool for various physical systems, but the breakdown of continuum elasticity due to material disorder is not fully understood. Based on recent theoretical developments and numerical computations, we demonstrate that disordered elastic networks near a critical rigidity transition exhibit anomalous long-range linear elastic response. This non-affine anomalous elasticity has a different multipole expansion structure and slower spatial decay of perturbations compared to ordinary continuum elasticity. The potential universality, implications for cell-cell communication, and open questions are briefly discussed.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Justin Tauber, Jasper van der Gucht, Simone Dussi
Summary: This article discusses the fracture processes of soft network materials and highlights the lack of clear understanding of how the network structure controls these processes. It focuses on progress and open questions regarding fracture at the mesoscopic scale and describes concepts related to network elastic response.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Zilu Wang, Yuan Tian, Andrey V. Dobrynin
Summary: This research focuses on the swelling and deformation of polyelectrolyte gels. It is found that the swelling ratio of polyelectrolyte gels first increases and then decreases with increasing deformation ratio. The location of the maximum swelling ratio shifts towards larger deformations with increasing salt concentration and decreasing fraction of charged groups.
Article
Cell Biology
Jose Ruiz-Franco, Jasper van der Gucht
Summary: Cells apply forces to the extracellular matrix fibers through contraction to promote restructuring and mechanical signal transmission. This study uses a minimalist model to investigate how these forces propagate through the fibrous network, and characterizes the influence of network connectivity and fiber bending rigidity on force transmission.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Haiqian Yang, Estelle Berthier, Chenghai Li, Pierre Ronceray, Yu Long Han, Chase P. Broedersz, Shengqiang Cai, Ming Guo
Summary: Nonlinear stiffening is a widespread property of biopolymers in the extracellular matrices, and cells can locally stretch and stiffen the surrounding matrix through a spindle-like shape. By using optical tweezers, we studied the force-displacement response to localized monopole forces and proposed a scaling argument to characterize the stiffened region in the matrix.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Shinsuke Fujisawa, Fatih Yaman, Hussam G. Batshon, Masaaki Tanio, Naoto Ishii, Chaoran Huang, Thomas Ferreira de Lima, Yoshihisa Inada, Paul R. Prucnal, Norifumi Kamiya, Ting Wang
Summary: This paper discusses the application of neural networks in nonlinear impairment compensation in communication systems and proposes two approaches to accommodate high-speed communication systems.
JOURNAL OF LIGHTWAVE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Arash Yavari, Alain Goriely
Summary: This study investigates universal deformations of transversely isotropic, orthotropic, and monoclinic solids, demonstrating that compressible solids have homogeneous deformations, while incompressible solids are subject to constraints imposed by equilibrium equations and energy function arbitrariness. The work provides a systematic approach to analytically study fiber-reinforced elastic solids.
JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICS AND PHYSICS OF SOLIDS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhetao Jia, Matteo Secli, Alexander Avdoshkin, Walid Redjem, Elizabeth Dresselhaus, Joel Moore, Boubacar Kante
Summary: Complex networks are crucial in understanding phenomena like collective behavior of spins, neural networks, power grids, and disease spread. Recent studies have used topological phenomena in these networks to maintain system response in the presence of disorder. This article proposes and demonstrates topological structurally disordered systems with enhanced nonlinear phenomena in the topological channels. The construction of the graph and its dynamics significantly increase the rate of topologically protected photon pair generation. Disordered nonlinear topological graphs can enable advanced quantum interconnects, efficient nonlinear sources, and light-based information processing for artificial intelligence.
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Physical
Michael Lang
Summary: An approach to analyze the deformation behavior of polymer networks provides valuable structural information, enhancing our understanding of the elasticity of soft materials.
Article
Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
Samuel Heroy, Dane Taylor, Feng Shi, M. Gregory Forest, Peter J. Mucha
Summary: In composite materials composed of a soft polymer matrix and rigid, high aspect-ratio particles, the mechanical strength of the composite undergoes a transition when the density of incorporated particles exceeds a critical value. This phenomenon, known as rheological percolation, has been extensively studied in polymer-rod and polymer-platelet composites. However, the complete theoretical explanation and predictive description of mechanical percolation have remained elusive. In this study, the authors develop an algorithm to detect the rigidity percolation threshold in rod-polymer composites and explore its dependence on rod aspect ratio.
MULTISCALE MODELING & SIMULATION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Yan Zhang, Xiaofeng Wang, Kecheng Li, Yang Zhang, Xueke Yu, Haonan Wang, Xiaoying Wu, Zhijun Shi, Lin Liu, Wei Zheng, Zhixiang Cui, Yiyang Xu, Qian Li
Summary: This study prepared a nanofibrous scaffold with controllable porosity and crimpness by sacrificing fiber components and releasing residual stress. The crimpness of the fiber is positively related to the porosity, and increasing porosity greatly enhances fiber crimpness. The scaffold showed reduced modulus and increased elongation at break, similar to natural blood vessels, and also promoted endothelial cell adhesion and diffusion, indicating potential for practical application.
JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
T. J. Ulrich, Zhou Lei, Marcel C. Remillieux, Esteban Rougier, Harvey E. Goodman, Katelyn A. Huffman, Peter Connolly
Summary: This letter presents evidence for a mechanism underlying the nonclassical nonlinear dynamics observed in cemented granular materials. Numerical simulations show the formation of force chains within the grain-pore network when subjected to dynamic loading. The interface properties between grains and the localized increase of stress at grain-grain contacts lead to reversible decrease in macroscopic elastic properties and peculiar effects on elastic wave propagation.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Xiaotian Jiang, Danshi Wang, Xue Chen, Min Zhang
Summary: In this paper, a physics-informed neural network (PINN)-based method is proposed for optical fiber parameter estimation by solving the inverse problem of the nonlinear Schrodinger equation (NLSE). The method considers both the prior knowledge of physical law and the characteristics of observation data. Through learning limited observation data, the proposed method can infer the unknown parameters of NLSE and optimize the fiber parameters.
JOURNAL OF LIGHTWAVE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Rongrong Xie, Shengfeng Deng, Weibing Deng, Mauricio P. Pato
Summary: It has been discovered that statistical theories of spectra can be used as a tool to analyze spectra far from Hamiltonian systems. By conducting a comprehensive spectral analysis that measures local- and long-range statistics, it has been found that these spectra exhibit different characteristics. By combining three extensions of random matrix theory, it has been demonstrated that a fluctuation scaling mechanism exists in these spectra, and applications of this combined ensemble have been shown to reflect the characteristics of various spectra.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Deng Pan, Teng Ji, Matteo Baggioli, Li Li, Yuliang Jin
Summary: This study investigates the effects of nonlinear elasticity on the mechanical and thermodynamic properties of amorphous materials responding to shear using holographic duality and gravitational theories. The predicted correlations between the nonlinear elastic exponent, yielding strain/stress, and entropy change due to shear are qualitatively supported by simulations. This research opens up new possibilities for understanding the complex mechanical responses of amorphous solids and studying the rheology of solid states and black holes in a unified framework.
Article
Thermodynamics
Lian Ye, Jianliang Zhang, Guangwei Wang, Chen Wang, Xiaoming Mao, Xiaojun Ning, Nan Zhang, Haipeng Teng, Jinhua Li, Chuan Wang
Summary: Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) technology can upgrade combustible waste to high-quality fuel called hydrochar. The study thoroughly analyzed the physical, chemical, and metallurgical properties of hydrochar and found that it has improved properties compared to waste feedstocks. The HTC process can also effectively remove harmful elements from feedstocks, reducing their negative effects in blast furnaces.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiao Shao, Cheng Zhu, Prashant Kumar, Yanan Wang, Jun Lu, Minjeong Cha, Lin Yao, Yuan Cao, Xiaoming Mao, Hendrik Heinz, Nicholas A. Kotov
Summary: Reconfiguration of chiral ceramic nanostructures after ion intercalation can lead to strong chiroptical effects. In this study, V2O3 nanoparticles with built-in chiral distortions were modified by intercalation of Zn2+ ions, resulting in particle expansion, untwist deformations, and chirality reduction. Layer-by-layer assembled nanocomposite films showed voltage-driven modulation of optical activity and demonstrated potential for photonic devices in the IR and NIR range. The high optical activity, synthetic simplicity, and environmental robustness of these chiral nanocomposites provide a versatile platform for various applications.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xiaoming Mao, Jinliang Zhou, Limin Kong, Li Zhu, Desheng Yang, Zhiyu Zhang
Summary: The short peptide encoded by the lncRNA MIR7-3HG can protect pancreatic fi-cells from glucocorticoid-induced dysfunction by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway. This study expands the diversity and breadth of lncRNAs in human disorders.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yaxin Cui, Shoumeng Wang, Xiaoming Mao, Xupeng Gao, Haonan Ge, Shufan Qu, Xueyang Qiao, Xin Jiang, Jianhua Wang, Guangling Li
Summary: There is a lack of detailed understanding of the hydrolytic behavior of broflanilide in the aqueous environment and its degradation pattern in agricultural soils, which significantly hinders the further understanding and application of this insecticidal active ingredient. The experimental results show that broflanilide has a long hydrolysis half-life in water and different degradation rates in different types of agricultural soils. It is indicated that broflanilide is a readily degradable pesticide in both water environment and agricultural soil, and it is significantly affected by temperature and pH.
BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
H. A. Vinutha, Fabiola Doraly Diaz Ruiz, Xiaoming Mao, Bulbul Chakraborty, Emanuela Del Gado
Summary: We investigated the spatial correlations of microscopic stresses in soft particulate gels through 2D and 3D numerical simulations. By using a newly developed theoretical framework, we predicted the analytical form of stress-stress correlations in amorphous assemblies of athermal grains that acquire rigidity under an external load. These correlations exhibit a pinch-point singularity in Fourier space, resulting in long-range correlations and strong anisotropy in real space. Our analysis of model particulate gels showed that stress-stress correlations have similar characteristics to granular solids and can be used to identify force chains. We demonstrated that these correlations can distinguish between floppy and rigid gel networks and reflect changes in shear moduli and network topology during solidification.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Lulu Jiao, Shibo Kuang, Yuntao Li, Xiaoming Mao, Hui Xu, Aibing Yu
Summary: The non-uniform distribution of ore-to-coke ratio in blast furnaces affects the thermal and fluid states inside the furnace and overall performance. Numerical simulation reveals that non-uniform burden distribution leads to uneven temperature, gas distribution, and chemical reactions, which influence the furnace's performance.
METALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS B-PROCESS METALLURGY AND MATERIALS PROCESSING SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Mathematics, Applied
Youyuan Deng, Herbert Levine, Xiaoming Mao, Leonard M. Sander
Summary: Epithelial cells can collectively move towards stiffer parts of a substrate, even when individual cells do not show this behavior. A 1D mechanical model is used to examine these effects, considering cell-substrate adhesions and contact inhibition of locomotion (CIL). The model reveals that durotaxis is only observed if cell rearrangement through proliferation is allowed, and it also explains the formation of the super-cell pattern.
PHYSICA D-NONLINEAR PHENOMENA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Haning Xiu, Ian Frankel, Harry Liu, Kai Qian, Siddhartha Sarkar, Brianna MacNider, Zi Chen, Nicholas Boechler, Xiaoming Mao
Summary: In this study, a two-dimensional topological Maxwell lattice is investigated through geometric numerical simulations and experiments, revealing spatial nonlinear wave-like phenomena and an equivalence between the deformation fields of two-dimensional topological Maxwell lattices and nonlinear dynamical phenomena in one-dimensional active systems. This research opens up new possibilities for topological mechanical metamaterials and expands their application potential in areas such as adaptive and smart materials and mechanical logic, enabling the creation of intricate, tailored spatial deformation and stress fields using concepts from nonlinear dynamics.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jason Christopher Jolly, Binjie Jin, Lishuai Jin, YoungJoo Lee, Tao Xie, Stefano Gonella, Kai Sun, Xiaoming Mao, Shu Yang
Summary: This study introduces a transformable mechanical metamaterial in the form of a generalized kagome lattice made from a shape memory polymer. It can explore topologically distinct phases of the non-trivial phase space reversibly via a kinematic strategy. The material has stable topologically-protected, polarized mechanical edge stiffness and can effectively shield the topological response from its own kinematic stress history.
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Carla Nathaly Villacis Nunez, Andrea Poli, Ethan Stanifer, Xiaoming Mao, Ellen M. Arruda
Summary: A unique type of domain-wall solitons called fractional topological solitons has been discovered to exhibit topological robustness in minimal surface ribbons. In this study, 3D printed helicoid ribbons and finite-element analysis (FEA) were used for experimental and computational research on these fractional topological solitons. The results show that these solitons can propagate at a constant speed despite the strong dissipation in the viscoelastic material of the ribbon, and this speed can be controlled by an axial load. The nonlinear viscoelastic FEA accurately captures the fine features of these solitons. These findings not only confirm the existence of predicted fractional solitons but also provide a new approach to realize and control topological fractional excitations in systems with complex material properties.
EXTREME MECHANICS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
Caleb Widstrand, Chen Hu, Xiaoming Mao, Joseph Labuz, Stefano Gonella
Summary: Advances in topological mechanics have revealed the unique mechanical properties of Maxwell lattices, such as the ability to focus stress and protect against damage. This study provides an experimental exploration of using Maxwell lattices with non-ideal hinges for structural design. The experiments show that the lattice can withstand stress concentration and potential failure, demonstrating the effectiveness of the design approach.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOLIDS AND STRUCTURES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cheng Zhong, Hanny Zurina Hamzah, Jin Yin, Desheng Wu, Jianhong Cao, Xiaoming Mao, Hong Li
Summary: Environmental regulations in China have had mixed effects on technological innovation and industrial eco-efficiency. While they have generally promoted innovation, their impact on eco-efficiency varies across different pollution groups.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Paras Jain, Sophia Corbo, Kulsoom Mohammad, Sarthak Sahoo, Santhalakshmi Ranganathan, Jason T. George, Herbert Levine, Joseph Taube, Michael Toneff, Mohit Kumar Jolly
Summary: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and its reverse mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) play crucial roles in embryonic development, wound healing, and cancer metastasis. While short-term EMT induction can lead to reversible phenotypic changes, long-term EMT induction is often associated with irreversibility. In this study, we demonstrate that the phenotypic changes observed in MCF10A cells during long-term EMT induction by TGF-beta can in fact have longer timescales of reversibility. We also propose a mathematical model that explains how the epigenetic memory gained during long-term EMT induction can slow down the recovery to the epithelial state after TGF-beta withdrawal.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Shang Zhang, Ethan Stanifer, Vishwas V. Vasisht, Leyou Zhang, Emanuela Del Gado, Xiaoming Mao
Summary: Prestress in amorphous solids plays a significant role in their mechanical properties by encoding formation memory and affecting mechanical response. Using stress as the fundamental variable, a set of mathematical tools are developed to investigate the mechanical response of prestressed systems, which is particularly suitable for nonconservative systems. The study reveals that amorphous materials can exhibit drastically different mechanical responses at the same density due to nonconservative interactions evolving over time or different preparation protocols, which are not visible from the configurations of the network in the case of nonconservative interactions.
PHYSICAL REVIEW RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Pedram Esfahani, Herbert Levine, Mrinmoy Mukherjee, Bo Sun
Summary: Directed cell migration is crucial in various physiological and pathophysiological processes. This study investigates the migration of breast cancer cells in the presence of both contact guidance and a chemoattractant gradient. The results reveal that the microstructure of the extracellular matrix plays a complex role in cell chemotaxis. Coherent extracellular matrix fibers significantly enhance chemotaxis efficiency when contact guidance is parallel to the chemical gradient, while cells exploit ECM disorder to locate paths for chemotaxis when contact guidance is perpendicular to the chemical gradient.
PHYSICAL REVIEW RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yiping Yin, Zhe Wang, Hua Zou
Summary: This study presents a novel method for preparing dimpled polymer-silica nanocomposite particles using interfacial swelling-based seeded polymerization. The optimized conditions allow for a relatively high percentage of dimpled particles to be achieved.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Brenden D. Hoehn, Elizabeth A. Kellstedt, Marc A. Hillmyer
Summary: Porous materials with nanometer-scale pores have important applications as nanoporous membranes. In this study, ABA triblock copolymers were used as precursors to produce nanoporous polymeric membranes (NPMs) in thin film form by degrading the end blocks. Polycyclooctene (PCOE) NPMs with tunable pore sizes were successfully prepared using solvent casting technique. Oxygen plasma etching was employed to improve the surface porosity and hydrophilicity of the membranes. This study provides a straightforward method to produce tough NPMs with high porosity and hydrophilic surface properties.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Vladislav S. Petrovskii, Stepan I. Zholudev, Igor I. Potemkin
Summary: This article investigates the behavior of linear and ring polypeptide chains in aqueous solution and explores the properties of the complexes formed by these chains with oppositely charged surfactants. The results demonstrate that the complexes of linear supercharged unfolded polypeptides and the corresponding surfactants exhibit impressive adhesive properties.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Merve Cevik, Serkan Dikici
Summary: Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death globally, and vascular grafts are a promising treatment option. This study focuses on tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) using decellularized parsley stems as a potential biomaterial. The decellularized parsley stems showed suitable properties for TEVGs, providing a suitable environment for human endothelial cells to form a pseudo endothelium. This study showcases the potential of using parsley stems for TEVGs.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gustavo A. Vasquez-Montoya, Tadej Emersic, Noe Atzin, Antonio Tavera-Vazquez, Ali Mozaffari, Rui Zhang, Orlando Guzman, Alexey Snezhko, Paul F. Nealey, Juan J. de Pablo
Summary: The optical properties of liquid crystals are typically controlled by electric fields. In this study, we investigate the effects of microfluidic flows and acoustic fields on the molecular orientation and optical response of nematic liquid crystals. We identify several previously unknown structures and explain them through calculations and simulations. These findings hold promise for the development of new systems combining sound, flow, and confinement.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xinjun Wu, Xin Guan, Shushu Chen, Jiangpeng Jia, Chongyi Chen, Jiawei Zhang, Chuanzhuang Zhao
Summary: This research presents a novel shape memory hydrogel with a remodelable permanent shape and programmable cold-induced shape recovery behavior. The hydrogel is prepared using specific treatment methods to achieve shape fixation by heating and shape recovery by cooling. Additionally, deformable devices can be obtained by assembling hydrogel blocks with different concentrations.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Rebecca Hengsbach, Gerhard Fink, Ulrich Simon
Summary: This study examines the properties of DNA functionalized pNipmam microgels and pure pNipmam microgels at different concentrations of sodium chloride and in PBS solutions using temperature dependent H-1-NMR measurements. The results show that DNA modification affects the volume phase transition temperature and the addition of salt and PBS further enhances this effect.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ningyi Li, Junhong Li, Lijingting Qing, Shicheng Ma, Yao Li, Baohui Li
Summary: This paper investigates the self-assembly behavior of colloids with competing interactions under spherical confinement and finds that different ordered structures can be formed under different sized spherical confinements. Moreover, more perforated structures are formed in smaller spheres.
