-
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2022Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have led to great advances in many scientific disciplines, such as chemical physics, materials science, and biophysics [...].
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have led to great advances in many scientific disciplines, such as chemical physics, materials science, and biophysics [...].
Topics: Biophysics; Molecular Dynamics Simulation
PubMed: 35408504
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27072105 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2022Ultrasound imaging is a wide research field, covering areas from wave propagation physics, sensors and front-end electronics to image reconstruction algorithms and...
Ultrasound imaging is a wide research field, covering areas from wave propagation physics, sensors and front-end electronics to image reconstruction algorithms and software [...].
Topics: Ultrasonography; Algorithms; Software; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Electronics
PubMed: 36298262
DOI: 10.3390/s22207911 -
Zeitschrift Fur Medizinische Physik Feb 2022
Topics: Physics
PubMed: 35094915
DOI: 10.1016/j.zemedi.2022.01.002 -
Biological Cybernetics Dec 2021Natural phenomena can be quantitatively described by means of mathematics, which is actually the only way of doing so. Physics is a convincing example of the...
Natural phenomena can be quantitatively described by means of mathematics, which is actually the only way of doing so. Physics is a convincing example of the mathematization of nature. This paper gives an answer to the question of how mathematization of nature is done and illustrates the answer. Here nature is to be taken in a wide sense, being a substantial object of study in, among others, large domains of biology, such as epidemiology and neurobiology, chemistry, and physics, the most outspoken example. It is argued that mathematization of natural phenomena needs appropriate core concepts that are intimately connected with the phenomena one wants to describe and explain mathematically. Second, there is a scale on and not beyond which a specific description holds. Different scales allow for different conceptual and mathematical descriptions. This is the scaling hypothesis, which has meanwhile been confirmed on many occasions. Furthermore, a mathematical description can, as in physics, but need not be universally valid, as in biology. Finally, the history of science shows that only an intensive gauging of theory, i.e., mathematical description, by experiment leads to progress. That is, appropriate core concepts and appropriate scales are a necessary condition for mathematizing nature, and so is its verification by experiment.
Topics: Mathematics; Neurobiology; Physics
PubMed: 34837542
DOI: 10.1007/s00422-021-00914-5 -
Journal of Neurophysiology Mar 2021Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a technique used to measure the magnetic fields generated from neuronal activity in the brain. MEG has a high temporal resolution on the... (Review)
Review
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a technique used to measure the magnetic fields generated from neuronal activity in the brain. MEG has a high temporal resolution on the order of milliseconds and provides a more direct measure of brain activity when compared with hemodynamic-based neuroimaging methods such as magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography. The current review focuses on basic features of MEG such as the instrumentation and the physics that are integral to the signals that can be measured, and the principles of source localization techniques, particularly the physics of beamforming and the techniques that are used to localize the signal of interest. In addition, we review several metrics that can be used to assess functional coupling in MEG and describe the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. Lastly, we discuss the current and future applications of MEG.
Topics: Action Potentials; Animals; Biophysical Phenomena; Brain; Humans; Magnetoencephalography; Neurosciences; Physics
PubMed: 33567968
DOI: 10.1152/jn.00530.2020 -
Cell Systems Jun 20212019 marked the 75th anniversary of the publication of Erwin Schrödinger's What Is Life?, a short book described by Roger Penrose in his preface to a reprint of this... (Review)
Review
2019 marked the 75th anniversary of the publication of Erwin Schrödinger's What Is Life?, a short book described by Roger Penrose in his preface to a reprint of this classic as "among the most influential scientific writings of the 20th century." In this article, I review the long argument made by Schrödinger as he mused on how the laws of physics could help us understand "the events in space and time which take place within the spatial boundary of a living organism." Though Schrödinger's book is often hailed for its influence on some of the titans who founded molecular biology, this article takes a different tack. Instead of exploring the way the book touched biologists such as James Watson and Francis Crick, as well as its critical reception by others such as Linus Pauling and Max Perutz, I argue that Schrödinger's classic is a timeless manifesto, rather than a dated historical curiosity. What Is Life? is full of timely outlooks and approaches to understanding the mysterious living world that includes and surrounds us and can instead be viewed as a call to arms to tackle the great unanswered challenges in the study of living matter that remain for 21st century science.
Topics: Humans; Male; Physics
PubMed: 34139159
DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2021.05.013 -
Trends in Cell Biology Nov 2022Optical tweezers (OT) provide a noninvasive approach for delivering minute physical forces to targeted objects. Controlling such forces in living cells or in vitro... (Review)
Review
Optical tweezers (OT) provide a noninvasive approach for delivering minute physical forces to targeted objects. Controlling such forces in living cells or in vitro preparations allows for the measurement and manipulation of numerous processes relevant to the form and function of cells. As such, OT have made important contributions to our understanding of the structures of proteins and nucleic acids, the interactions that occur between microscopic structures within cells, the choreography of complex processes such as mitosis, and the ways in which cells interact with each other. In this review, we highlight recent contributions made to the field of cell biology using OT and provide basic descriptions of the physics, the methods, and the equipment that made these studies possible.
Topics: Humans; Nucleic Acids; Optical Tweezers; Physics; Proteins
PubMed: 35672197
DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2022.05.001 -
EMBO Reports Oct 2020
Topics: Biology; Physical Phenomena; Physics; Thermodynamics
PubMed: 32924265
DOI: 10.15252/embr.202051395 -
Physical Biology Jul 2023Mitochondria serve a wide range of functions within cells, most notably via their production of ATP. Although their morphology is commonly described as bean-like,... (Review)
Review
Mitochondria serve a wide range of functions within cells, most notably via their production of ATP. Although their morphology is commonly described as bean-like, mitochondria often form interconnected networks within cells that exhibit dynamic restructuring through a variety of physical changes. Further, though relationships between form and function in biology are well established, the extant toolkit for understanding mitochondrial morphology is limited. Here, we emphasize new and established methods for quantitatively describing mitochondrial networks, ranging from unweighted graph-theoretic representations to multi-scale approaches from applied topology, in particular persistent homology. We also show fundamental relationships between mitochondrial networks, mathematics, and physics, using ideas of graph planarity and statistical mechanics to better understand the full possible morphological space of mitochondrial network structures. Lastly, we provide suggestions for how examination of mitochondrial network form through the language of mathematics can inform biological understanding, and vice versa.
Topics: Mathematics; Lens, Crystalline; Mitochondria; Physics
PubMed: 37290456
DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/acdcdb -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2022Magnetic composites and self-healing materials have been drawing much attention in their respective fields of application. Magnetic fillers enable changes in the... (Review)
Review
Magnetic composites and self-healing materials have been drawing much attention in their respective fields of application. Magnetic fillers enable changes in the material properties of objects, in the shapes and structures of objects, and ultimately in the motion and actuation of objects in response to the application of an external field. Self-healing materials possess the ability to repair incurred damage and consequently recover the functional properties during healing. The combination of these two unique features results in important advances in both fields. First, the self-healing ability enables the recovery of the magnetic properties of magnetic composites and structures to extend their service lifetimes in applications such as robotics and biomedicine. Second, magnetic (nano)particles offer many opportunities to improve the healing performance of the resulting self-healing magnetic composites. Magnetic fillers are used for the remote activation of thermal healing through inductive heating and for the closure of large damage by applying an alternating or constant external magnetic field, respectively. Furthermore, hard magnetic particles can be used to permanently magnetize self-healing composites to autonomously re-join severed parts. This paper reviews the synthesis, processing and manufacturing of magnetic self-healing composites for applications in health, robotic actuation, flexible electronics, and many more.
Topics: Magnetic Fields; Magnetics; Robotics
PubMed: 35744920
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27123796