Mitotic Outcomes in Fibrous Environments

During mitosis, cells round up and generate outward forces to create space and orient the mitotic spindles. Here, using suspended ECM-mimicking nanofiber networks, we recapitulate in vivo adhesion organization and confinement to interrogate mitotic outcomes for various interphase cell shapes. Elongated cells attached to single fibers through two focal adhesion clusters (FACs) at their extremities result in perfect spherical mitotic cell bodies that undergo large 3D displacement while being held by retraction fibers. Increasing the number of parallel fibers increases cellular extremity FACs and retraction fiber-driven stability, leading to reduced 3D cell-body movement, metaphase plate rotations, and significantly faster division times. Interestingly, interphase kite shapes on a crosshatch pattern of four fibers undergo mitosis resembling single-fiber outcomes due to rounded bodies being primarily held in position by retraction fibers from two perpendicular suspended fibers. We develop a cortex-astral microtubule analytical friction and force model to capture retraction-fiber-driven stability of the metaphase plate rotations. We report that reduced orientational stability results in increased monopolar mitotic defects. In the case of cells attached to two parallel fibers, rounded mitotic cells can get confined between the suspended fibers, allowing estimation of the mitotic forces through measurement of the outward deflection of the fibers. Interestingly, confinement causes rotated mitotic spindles similar to those reported in dense tissues. Overall, we establish dynamics of mitosis in fibrous environments governed by fiber arrangement and architecture-driven differences in interphase cell shapes, adhesion geometries, and varying levels of mechanical confinement.

Contact interactions in complex fibrous metamaterials

In this work, an extension of the strain energy for fibrous metamaterials composed of two families of parallel fibers lying on parallel planes and joined by connective elements is proposed. The suggested extension concerns the possibility that the constituent fibers come into contact and eventually scroll one with respect to the other with consequent dissipation due to friction. The fibers interact with each other in at least three different ways: indirectly, through microstructural connections that could allow a relative sliding between the two families of fibers; directly, as the fibers of a family can touch each other and can scroll introducing dissipation. From a mathematical point of view, these effects are modeled first by introducing two placement fields for the two fiber families and adding a coupling term to the strain energy and secondly by adding two other terms that take into account the interdistance between the parallel fibers and the Rayleigh dissipation potential (to account for friction).

The Relationship between Birth Timing, Circuit Wiring, and Physiological Response Properties of Cerebellar Granule Cells

Cerebellar granule cells (GrCs) are usually regarded as a uniform cell type that collectively expands the coding space of the cerebellum by integrating diverse combinations of mossy fiber inputs. Accordingly, stable molecularly or physiologically defined GrC subtypes within a single cerebellar region have not been reported. The only known cellular properties that distinguishes otherwise homogeneous GrCs is the correspondence between GrC birthtime and the depth of the molecular layer to which their axons (parallel fibers) project. To determine the role birth timing plays in GrC wiring and function, we developed genetic strategies to access early- and late-born GrCs. We initiated retrograde monosynaptic rabies virus tracing from control, early-born, and late-born GrCs, revealing the different patterns of mossy fiber input to GrCs in vermis lobule 6 and simplex, as well as to early- and late-born GrCs of vermis lobule 6: sensory and motor nuclei provide more input to early-born GrCs, while basal pontine and cerebellar nuclei provide more input to late-born GrCs. In vivo multi-depth 2-photon Ca2+ imaging of parallel fibers of early- and late-born GrCs revealed representations of diverse task variables and stimuli by both populations, with differences in the proportions of parallel fibers encoding movement, reward anticipation, and reward consumption. Our results suggest neither organized parallel processing nor completely random organization of mossy fiber→GrC circuitry, but instead a moderate influence of birth timing on GrC wiring and encoding. Our imaging data also suggest that GrCs can represent general aversiveness, in addition to recently described reward representations.Significance StatementCerebellar granule cells (GrCs) comprise the majority of all neurons in the mammalian brain and are usually regarded as a uniform cell type. However, the birth timing of an individual GrC dictates where its axon projects. Using viral-genetic techniques, we find that early- and late-born GrCs receive different proportions of inputs from the same set of input regions. Using in vivo multi-depth 2-photon Ca2+ imaging of axons of early- and late-born GrCs, we found that both populations represent diverse task variables and stimuli, with differences in the proportions of axons in encoding of a subset of movement and reward parameters. These results indicate that birth timing contributes to the input selection and physiological response properties of GrCs.

The structure of normal modes in parallel ideal optical fibers with strong coupling

In this paper, we studied an effect of strong evanescent coupling on the structure of normal modes in a system of parallel ideal multimode optical fibers. Using the formalism of the degenerate perturbation theory and a scalar waveguide equation for this system, analytical expressions of higher-order supermodes and their propagation constants have been determined. We have shown that the structure of modes in the case of strong evanescent coupling coincides with the structure of normal modes for weakly coupled parallel fibers. We have demonstrated that in the presence of strong coupling, expressions for corrections to the scalar propagation constant are modified, deducing them analytically.

Force-exerting perpendicular lateral protrusions in fibroblastic cell contraction

Aligned extracellular matrix fibers enable fibroblasts to undergo myofibroblastic activation and achieve elongated shapes. Activated fibroblasts are able to contract, perpetuating the alignment of these fibers. This poorly understood feedback process is critical in chronic fibrosis conditions, including cancer. Here, using fiber networks that serve as force sensors, we identify “3D perpendicular lateral protrusions” (3D-PLPs) that evolve from lateral cell extensions named twines. Twines originate from stratification of cyclic-actin waves traversing the cell and swing freely in 3D to engage neighboring fibers. Once engaged, a lamellum forms and extends multiple secondary twines, which fill in to form a sheet-like PLP, in a force-entailing process that transitions focal adhesions to activated (i.e., pathological) 3D-adhesions. The specific morphology of PLPs enables cells to increase contractility and force on parallel fibers. Controlling geometry of extracellular networks confirms that anisotropic fibrous environments support 3D-PLP formation and function, suggesting an explanation for cancer-associated desmoplastic expansion.

Oral Implants: The Paradigm Shift in Restorative Dentistry

The discovery of the phenomenon “osseointegration,” or functional ankylosis, has led to the development of oral implants with high clinical performance. Consequently, the placement of titanium implants has changed the paradigms of restorative dentistry. Implants are used to prevent placing reconstructions anchored on natural teeth when these are vital and intact. Furthermore, implants are suitable to improve subjective chewing function and to replace missing and strategically important abutments. The osseointegration process is characterized by a predictable sequence of healing events that encompass the formation of woven bone, parallel fibers, and lamellar bone and result in fully functional bone that will remodel throughout life. While the osseointegration facilitates the use of implants as prosthetic abutments, it has to be kept in mind that the peri-implant soft tissue may be subject to biological complications. This, in turn, may result in an infectious process that will jeopardize the osseointegration. Consequently, the monitoring of the peri-implant tissues is an important aspect, and early intervention in situations with peri-implant mucositis is mandatory for the prevention of peri-implantitis. Hence, it is evident that oral implants need lifelong maintenance care if their longevity is to be assured.

Fiber filter built with polypropylene fibers applied to water clarification

Flexible fiber filters are recently developed modular filtration units which have been applied to wastewater and water treatments, satisfactorily removing solids even when operated at high application rates. In this paper, polypropylene fibers, in lieu of the commonly used polyamide fibers, were tested for constructing filtration modules containing parallel fibers. The studied fibers were analyzed by means of scanning electronic microscopy and through solubility assays in hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide, aiming to evaluate the risks of using them as filtering media. Three polypropylene filters with different lengths (25, 60, and 100 cm) were constructed and fed with the same raw synthetic water. In-line coagulation was applied by addition of aluminum sulfate (22.5 mg·L−1) and filtration rates from 20 to 80 m·h−1 were evaluated. Filtrates with less than 0.5 NTU could be produced by both 60 and 100 cm filters, operating at 80 m·h−1. High filtration rates, as well as significant backwashing water and air flows, could be applied to flexible fiber filters made of polypropylene, which shows their promising applications.