Tianxiang Su^∗, Prashant K. Purohit^∗,†

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.8, No.3, pp. 215-232, 2011, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2011.008.215

Abstract Filaments under distributed loads are common in biological systems. In this paper, we study the thermo-mechanical properties of an extensible thermally fluctuating elastic filament under distributed forces. The ground state of the filament is solved first, followed by an investigation of the thermal fluctuations around the ground state. We first consider a special case where the tangential component of the distributed force t is uniform along the filament. For the force-extension relation in this case, we show that the filament is equivalent to one under end-to-end applied force F=tL0/2 where L0 is the length of the filament. To study the… More >

K. Y. Volokh^*

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.8, No.3, pp. 195-214, 2011, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2011.008.195

Abstract All models are wrong, but some are useful. This famous saying mirrors the situation in cell mechanics as well. It looks like no particular model of the cell deformability can be unconditionally preferred over others and different models reveal different aspects of the mechanical behavior of living cells. The purpose of the present work is to discuss the so-called tensegrity models of the cell cytoskeleton. It seems that the role of the cytoskeleton in the overall mechanical response of the cell was not appreciated until Donald Ingber put a strong emphasis on it. It was fortunate that Ingber linked the… More >

Yoshitaka Shimada^∗,†, Taiji Adachi^∗,†,‡, Yasuhiro Inoue^∗,†, Masaki Hojo^∗

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.6, No.3, pp. 161-174, 2009, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2009.006.161

Abstract The actin filament, which is the most abundant component of the cytoskeleton, plays important roles in fundamental cellular activities such as shape determination, cell motility, and mechanosensing. In each activity, the actin filament dynamically changes its structure by polymerization, depolymerization, and severing. These phenomena occur on the scales ranging from the dynamics of actin molecules to filament structural changes with its deformation due to the various forces, for example, by the membrane and solvent. To better understand the actin filament dynamics, it is important to focus on these scales and develop its mathematical model. Thus, the objectives of this study… More >

Hong Qian^*

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.5, No.2, pp. 107-118, 2008, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2008.005.107

Abstract At the molecular and cellular level, mechanics and chemistry are two aspects of the same macromolecular system. We present a bottom-up approach to such systems based on Kramers' diffusion theory of chemical reactions, the theory of polymer dynamics, and the recently developed models for molecular motors. Using muscle as an example, we develop a viscoelastic theory of muscle in terms of an simple equation for single motor protein movement. Both A.V. Hill's contractile component and A.F. Huxley's equation of sliding-filament motion are shown to be special cases of the general viscoelastic theory of the active material. Some disparity between the… More >

G.R. Baker¹

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.96, No.2, pp. 91-101, 2013, DOI:10.3970/cmes.2013.096.091

Abstract A vortex patch is a bounded region of uniform vorticity in twodimensional, incompressible, inviscid fluid flow. The streamfunction satisfies the Poisson equation with the vorticity acting as a source term. The standard formulation is to write the streamfunction as a convolution of the vorticity with the twodimensional free-space Greens function. A simple application of Greens theorem converts the area integral to a boundary integral. Numerical methods must then account for the singular nature of the boundary integral, and high accuracy is difficult when filamentation takes place, that is, when long, very thin filaments of vorticity erupt from the main boundary.… More >

Eugenio Brusa¹, Matteo Nobile²

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.48, No.2, pp. 155-190, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmes.2009.048.155

Abstract Lightness of high pressure vessels is currently assured by composite materials. Construction of over-wrapped composite pressure vessels with inner metallic liner is for instance compatible with standards requirements of the hydrogen technology of energy storage. Therefore a typical layout manufactured by some industries consists of a cylindrical vessel with covering of carbon-epoxy laminates and metallic impermeable liner. To allow the filament winding of the composite fibres are used hoop and helical layers, respectively. A single nozzle is usually built. It requires that the vessel material is reinforced. This need imposes to have a variable thickness in the composite layer. In… More >