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IMAGE: Mechanics is key to whisker tactile sensation. When a whisker is deflected, its deformation profile within the follicle determines the activity of different groups of mechanoreceptors. view more
Credit: Northwestern University/Nadina Zweifel
We know your cat s whiskers are handsome but you can t even see the cool part.
The base of the whisker, which is responsible for sending touch signals to the brain, is hidden inside the follicle, a deep pocket that embeds the whisker within the skin. Because this section of the whisker is obscured, understanding precisely how whiskers communicate touch to the brain has been a longstanding mystery.
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The coronavirus structure is an all-too-familiar image, with its densely packed surface receptors resembling a thorny crown. These spike-like proteins latch onto healthy cells and trigger the invasion of viral RNA. While the virus geometry and infection strategy is generally understood, little is known about its physical integrity.
A new study by researchers in MIT s Department of Mechanical Engineering suggests that coronaviruses may be vulnerable to ultrasound vibrations, within the frequencies used in medical diagnostic imaging.
Through computer simulations, the team has modeled the virus mechanical response to vibrations across a range of ultrasound frequencies. They found that vibrations between 25 and 100 megahertz triggered the virus shell and spikes to collapse and start to rupture within a fraction of a millisecond. This effect was seen in simulations of the virus in air and in water.
Researchers have developed a method, described in APL Bioengineering, that uses machine learning to determine whether a single cell is cancerous by detecting its pH. Their approach can discriminate cells originating from normal tissues from cells originating from cancerous tissues, as well as among different types of cancer, while keeping the cells alive. The method relies on treating the cells with bromothymol blue, a pH-sensitive dye that changes color depending on acidity.
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VIDEO: These videos show a white blood cell creating a protrusion to reach out to a foreign body. view more
Credit: Julien Husson, LadHyX, CNRS, École Polytechnique, Institut Polytec
Like a well-trained soldier, a white blood cell uses specialized abilities to identify and ultimately destroy dangerous intruders, including creating a protrusion to effectively reach out, lock-on, probe, and possibly attack its prey. Researchers reporting March 16 in
Biophysical Journal show in detail that these cells take seconds to morph into these highly rigid and viscous defensive units.
Senior author Julien Husson (@ julienhusson), a biophysicist at École Polytechnique near Paris, and collaborators showed previously that certain white blood cells, called T cells, can push and pull perceived threats via specialized connections. To exert such forces, a cell must reorganize its internal structure, making itself more rigid. In the current study, Husson s team devised a m