Mechanical properties of muscle spindles in Xenopus laevis

1974 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. S. Smith ◽  
Z. J. Koles
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Muscle Spindles

scholarly journals Directly probing the mechanical properties of the spindle and its matrix

2010 ◽  
Vol 188 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse C. Gatlin ◽  
Alexandre Matov ◽  
Gaudenz Danuser ◽  
Timothy J. Mitchison ◽  
Edward D. Salmon
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Metaphase Plate ◽  
Constant Length ◽  
Spindle Matrix ◽  
Microtubule Motors ◽  
Egg Extracts ◽  
Length Regulation ◽  
Length Determination ◽  
Poleward Flux

Several recent models for spindle length regulation propose an elastic pole to pole spindle matrix that is sufficiently strong to bear or antagonize forces generated by microtubules and microtubule motors. We tested this hypothesis using microneedles to skewer metaphase spindles in Xenopus laevis egg extracts. Microneedle tips inserted into a spindle just outside the metaphase plate resulted in spindle movement along the interpolar axis at a velocity slightly slower than microtubule poleward flux, bringing the nearest pole toward the needle. Spindle velocity decreased near the pole, which often split apart slowly, eventually letting the spindle move completely off the needle. When two needles were inserted on either side of the metaphase plate and rapidly moved apart, there was minimal spindle deformation until they reached the poles. In contrast, needle separation in the equatorial direction rapidly increased spindle width as constant length spindle fibers pulled the poles together. These observations indicate that an isotropic spindle matrix does not make a significant mechanical contribution to metaphase spindle length determination.

Cross-bridge mechanisms underlying the history-dependent properties of muscle spindles and stretch reflexes

2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (8-9) ◽  
pp. 569-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Richard Nichols ◽  
Timothy C Cope
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Muscle Spindle ◽  
Muscle Spindles ◽  
Muscular Contraction ◽  
Cross Bridge ◽  
Nonlinear Mechanical ◽  
Reflex Compensation ◽  
Cross Bridges ◽  
Bridge Models ◽  
Kinetics Of

The effects of prior movement on the force responses of skeletal muscle are compared with the effects of movement history on the changes in firing rate of muscle spindle receptors. Prior release results in the linearization of the mechanical properties of skeletal muscles, which can be provisionally explained by cross-bridge models of muscular contraction. The history-dependence of responses of muscle spindle receptors in unanesthetized decerebrate preparations appears to result from the kinetics of cycling and noncycling cross-bridges. The results of this comparison indicate that the integration of mechanical properties of muscle and spindle receptor promotes stiffness regulation.Key words: predictive control, muscular stiffness, muscle receptors, reflex compensation, cross-bridge cycling, nonlinear mechanical properties, feline motor control.

Effect of load disturbances during centrally initiated movements

1978 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 542-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Bizzi ◽  
P. Dev ◽  
P. Morasso ◽  
A. Polit
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Visual Discrimination ◽  
Muscle Spindles ◽  
Head Movements ◽  
Afferent Loop ◽  
Reflex Action ◽  
Combined Action ◽  
Head Neck ◽  
Neck Musculature

1. We have investigated the relative contributions of mechanical and reflex mechanisms in generating the forces produced by the neck muscles when loads were unexpectedly applied during centrally programmed head movements in monkeys. These movements, subserved by muscles well endowed with muscle spindles, are part of the coordinated eye-head response to the appearance of a stimulus in the animal's visual field. Our preparation was a chronically vestibulectomized monkey trained to make a visual discrimination. 2. Two procedures were used to evaluate the torque generated by the neck musculature when an unexpected load disturbance was applied: first, by surgically interrupting the afferent loop subserving the reflex action (section of cervical dorsal roots) and second, by building a mathematical model of the head-neck system and carrying out a process of simulation. 3. Our results indicated that the compensatory torque of reflex origin stimulated by the application of an opposing force was less than 10--30% of that required for perfect compensation, and the larger fraction of the observed compensation was due to the mechanical properties (inertial, viscous, and elastic) of the neck musculature. The combined action of reflex and mechanical processes never completely compensated for the disturbance.

Phase Transformations in Ti-7w/oMo-3w/oMe Alloy

1974 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
pp. 514-515
Author(s):  
S. Fujishiro
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Tensile Strength ◽  
Mechanical Processing ◽  
Ray Method ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Water Quench ◽  
Alpha Beta

The mechanical properties of three titanium alloys (Ti-7Mo-3Al, Ti-7Mo- 3Cu and Ti-7Mo-3Ta) were evaluated as function of: 1) Solutionizing in the beta field and aging, 2) Thermal Mechanical Processing in the beta field and aging, 3) Solutionizing in the alpha + beta field and aging. The samples were isothermally aged in the temperature range 300° to 700*C for 4 to 24 hours, followed by a water quench. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray method were used to identify the phase formed. All three alloys solutionized at 1050°C (beta field) transformed to martensitic alpha (alpha prime) upon being water quenched. Despite this heavily strained alpha prime, which is characterized by microtwins the tensile strength of the as-quenched alloys is relatively low and the elongation is as high as 30%.

Effects of cooling rate on the mechanical properties of dual phase treated vanadium steels

1983 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 220-221
Author(s):  
L.J. Chen ◽  
H.C. Cheng ◽  
J.R. Gong ◽  
J.G. Yang
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Cooling Rate ◽  
Automobile Industry ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Weight Percent ◽  
Low Alloy Steels ◽  
Dual Phase ◽  
Resource Requirement ◽  
Alloy Steels ◽  
Potential Weight

For fuel savings as well as energy and resource requirement, high strength low alloy steels (HSLA) are of particular interest to automobile industry because of the potential weight reduction which can be achieved by using thinner section of these steels to carry the same load and thus to improve the fuel mileage. Dual phase treatment has been utilized to obtain superior strength and ductility combinations compared to the HSLA of identical composition. Recently, cooling rate following heat treatment was found to be important to the tensile properties of the dual phase steels. In this paper, we report the results of the investigation of cooling rate on the microstructures and mechanical properties of several vanadium HSLA steels.The steels with composition (in weight percent) listed below were supplied by China Steel Corporation: 1. low V steel (0.11C, 0.65Si, 1.63Mn, 0.015P, 0.008S, 0.084Aℓ, 0.004V), 2. 0.059V steel (0.13C, 0.62S1, 1.59Mn, 0.012P, 0.008S, 0.065Aℓ, 0.059V), 3. 0.10V steel (0.11C, 0.58Si, 1.58Mn, 0.017P, 0.008S, 0.068Aℓ, 0.10V).

Lattice Imaging of Grain Boundaries in Ceramics

1977 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 114-115
Author(s):  
D. R. Clarke ◽  
G. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Silicon Nitride ◽  
Grain Boundaries ◽  
High Temperature Strength ◽  
Current Interest ◽  
Lattice Imaging ◽  
Special Significance ◽  
Structural Applications ◽  
Refractory Ceramics

Grain boundaries have long held a special significance to ceramicists. In part, this has been because it has been impossible until now to actually observe the boundaries themselves. Just as important, however, is the fact that the grain boundaries and their environs have a determing influence on both the mechanisms by which powder compaction occurs during fabrication, and on the overall mechanical properties of the material. One area where the grain boundary plays a particularly important role is in the high temperature strength of hot-pressed ceramics. This is a subject of current interest as extensive efforts are being made to develop ceramics, such as silicon nitride alloys, for high temperature structural applications. In this presentation we describe how the techniques of lattice fringe imaging have made it possible to study the grain boundaries in a number of refractory ceramics, and illustrate some of the findings.

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