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Articles by Daniel Beller
Condensed Matter > Soft Condensed Matter
Topological defects in nematic liquid crystals have recently received renewed interest due to their important role in non-equilibrium active materials and developing biological systems.
Spontaneous spatial sorting by cell shape in growing colonies of rod-like bacteria
Abstract Mechanical interactions among cells in a growing microbial colony can significantly influence the colony's spatial genetic structure and, thus, evolutionary outcomes such as the fates of rare mutations. Here, we computationally investigate how this spatial genetic structure changes as a result of heritable phenotypic variations in cell shape.
Geometry-induced competitive release in a meta-population model of range expansions in disordered environments
Abstract Rare evolutionary events, such as the rise to prominence of deleterious mutations, can have drastic impacts on the evolution of growing populations. Heterogeneous environments may reduce the influence of selection on evolutionary outcomes through various mechanisms, including pinning of genetic lineages and of the population fronts. These effects play significant roles in enabling competitive release of otherwise trapped mutations.
Symmetry and stability of orientationally ordered collective motions of self-propelled, semiflexible filaments
Ordered, collective motions commonly arise spontaneously in systems of many interacting, active units, ranging from cellular tissues and bacterial colonies to self-propelled colloids and animal flocks. Active phases are especially rich when the active units are sufficiently anisotropic to produce liquid crystalline order and thus active nematic phenomena, with important biophysical examples provided by cytoskeletal filaments including microtubules and actin.
Symmetry depends on scale in cellular monolayers - Nature Physics
The liquid-crystal-like order of cells in epithelial tissues aids rearrangements, but there is disagreement over the dominant liquid crystal phase. Now, a unified approach reveals that two distinct symmetries dominate at different scales. As wounds heal, embryos develop or tumours invade healthy tissue, coordinated cell rearrangements enable epithelial tissues to change shape.
Overcoming bigotry, Be’er Sheva to hold first pride march
A year after the Be’er Sheva march was cancelled following threats by extremists, the LGBTQ community in the city wins its greatest victory to date. A year after it was cancelled by the municipality, the southern city of Be’er Sheva will hold its first ever pride parade this coming Thursday.
Morphogenesis of liquid crystal topological defects during the nematic-smectic A phase transition
When a drop of 8CB is placed on a water surface with a temperature in the isotropic range of 8CB, the LC drop spreads until achieving a uniform thickness. The drop is then cooled to the N phase in which the molecules are subjected to the antagonistic boundary conditions of hybrid alignment32. From top to bottom of the LC film, the director field must rotate by 90° from vertical to horizontal to satisfy these boundary conditions.
Residents of Bedouin village protest government’s forced relocation plan
An Israeli government plan to forcibly transfer thousands of Bedouin residents out of the Negev village of Al-Zarnug is being met with fierce criticism. Around 200 residents of the unrecognized Bedouin village of Al-Zarnug demonstrated in the southern city of Be’er Sheva on Sunday morning in protest at a government plan to forcibly transfer them and the rest of their community to the city of Rahat.
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