Related papers: Programming filamentous network mechanics by compr…

Compression is a standard procedure for making convolutional neural networks (CNNs) adhere to some specific computing resource constraints. However, searching for a compressed architecture typically involves a series of time-consuming…

Networks of stiff fibers govern the elasticity of biological structures such as the extracellular matrix of collagen. These networks are known to stiffen nonlinearly under shear or extensional strain. Recently, it has been shown that such…

The brain is a highly reconfigurable machine capable of task-specific adaptations. The brain continually rewires itself for a more optimal configuration to solve problems. We propose a novel strategic synthesis algorithm for feedforward…

Many organisms have an elastic skeleton that consists of a closed shell of epithelial cells that is filled with fluid, and can actively regulate both elastic forces in the shell and hydrostatic pressure inside it. In this work we introduce…

To any inhibition-dominated threshold-linear network (TLN) we can associate a directed graph that captures the pattern of strong and weak inhibition between neurons. Robust motifs are graphs for which the structure of fixed points in the…

We study spontaneous deformations of a ribbon made of nematic polymer networks and activated under the action of a mechanical load. We show that when such ribbons are activated appropriately, the deformations produced can pull back and…

We apply a recently developed model of cytoskeletal force generation to study a cell intrinsic contractility, as well as its response to external loading. The model is based on a non-equilibrium thermodynamic treatment of the…

The transfer of mechanical signals through cells is a complex phenomenon. To uncover a new mechanotransduction pathway, we study the frequency-dependent transport of mechanical stimuli by single microtubules and small networks in a…

Adhering cells actively probe the mechanical properties of their environment and use the resulting information to position and orient themselves. We show that a large body of experimental observations can be consistently explained from one…

Materials like paper, consisting of a network of natural fibres, exposed to variations in moisture, undergo changes in geometrical and mechanical properties. This behaviour is particularly important for understanding the hygro-mechanical…

Motivated by recent experiments showing that stiff biopolymer gels exhibit highly unusual negative normal elastic stresses, we develop a computational model for stiff polymer networks subject to large strains. In all cases, we find that…

Pattern formation and the mechanics of a mixture of actin filaments and myosin motors that is confined by a rigid membrane is investigated. By using a coarse-grained molecular dynamics model, we demonstrate that the competition between the…

The consolidation of suspended particulate matter under external forces such as pressure or gravity is of widespread interest. In this work, we derive a constitutive relation to describe the deformation of a {\it two-dimensional} strongly…

Collagen is the most abundant extracellular-matrix protein in mammals and the main structural and load-bearing element of connective tissues. Collagen networks show remarkable strain-stiffening properties which tune the mechanical functions…

Bolted joints are critical in engineering for maintaining structural integrity and reliability. Accurate prediction of parameters influencing their function and behavior is essential for optimal performance. Traditional methods often fail…

Paper materials are natural composite materials and well-known to be hydrophilic unless chemical and mechanical processing treatments are undertaken. The relative humidity impacts the fiber elasticity, the fiber-fiber bonds and the failure…

A growing body of research indicates that structural plasticity mechanisms are crucial for learning and memory consolidation. Starting from a simple phenomenological model, we exploit a mean-field approach to develop a theoretical framework…

Humans possess a remarkable ability to react to unpredictable perturbations through immediate mechanical responses, which harness the visco-elastic properties of muscles to maintain balance. Inspired by this behaviour, we propose a novel…

Fibrinogen, the monomeric unit of fibrin, the main constituent of blood clot, has a very complex structure. The fibrinogen builds the fibrin fiber and network through the half-staggered packing via knob-hole interaction and the $\alpha$C…

Disordered fiber networks exhibit a floppy to rigid mechanical phase transition as a function of connectivity. Sub-isostatically connected networks can undergo this transition via straining. Critical exponents governing this transition have…