The MyoRobot technology discloses a premature biomechanical decay of skeletal muscle fiber bundles derived from R349P desminopathy mice.

Mutations in the Des gene coding for the muscle-specific intermediate filament protein desmin lead to myopathies and cardiomyopathies. We previously generated a R349P desmin knock-in mouse strain as a patient-mimicking model for the corresponding most frequent human desmin mutation R350P. Since nothing is known about the age-dependent changes in the biomechanics of affected muscles, we investigated the passive and active biomechanics of small fiber bundles from young (17-23 wks), adult (25-45 wks) and aged (>60 wks) heterozygous and homozygous R349P desmin knock-in mice in comparison to wild-type littermates. We used a novel automated biomechatronics platform, the MyoRobot, to perform coherent quantitative recordings of passive (resting length-tension curves, visco-elasticity) and active (caffeine-induced force transients, pCa-force, 'slack-tests') parameters to determine age-dependent effects of the R349P desmin mutation in slow-twitch soleus and fast-twitch extensor digitorum longus small fiber bundles. We demonstrate that active force properties are not affected by this mutation while passive steady-state elasticity is vastly altered in R349P desmin fiber bundles compatible with a pre-aged phenotype exhibiting stiffer muscle preparations. Visco-elasticity on the other hand, was not altered. Our study represents the first systematic age-related characterization of small muscle fiber bundle preparation biomechanics in conjunction with inherited desminopathy.

Can we obtain the coefficient of restitution from the sound of a bouncing ball?

The coefficient of restitution may be determined from the sound signal emitted by a sphere bouncing repeatedly off the ground. Although there is a large number of publications exploiting this method, so far, there is no quantitative discussion of the error related to this type of measurement. Analyzing the main error sources, we find that even tiny deviations of the shape from the perfect sphere may lead to substantial errors that dominate the overall error of the measurement. Therefore, we come to the conclusion that the well-established method to measure the coefficient of restitution through the emitted sound is applicable only for the case of nearly perfect spheres. For larger falling height, air drag may lead to considerable error, too.

Fluidization of a horizontally driven granular monolayer.

We consider the transition of a horizontally vibrated monodisperse granular monolayer between its condensed state and its three-dimensional gaseous state as a function of the vibration parameters, amplitude, and frequency as well as particle number density. The transition is characterized by an abrupt change of the dynamical state which leaves its fingerprints in several measurable quantities including dissipation rate, sound emission, and a gap size which characterizes the sloshing motion of the material. The transition and its pronounced hysteresis is explained through the energy due to the collective motion of the particles relative to the container.

Complex velocity dependence of the coefficient of restitution of a bouncing ball.

We investigate the coefficient of normal restitution as a function of the impact velocity, ε(v), for inelastic spheres. We observe oscillating behavior of ε(v) which is superimposed to the known decay of the coefficient of restitution as a function of impact velocity. This remarkable effect was so far unnoticed because under normal circumstances it is screened by statistical scatter. We detected its clear signature by recording large amounts of data using an automated experiment. The new effect may be understood as an interplay between translational and vibrational degrees of freedom of the colliders. Both characteristics of the oscillation, the wavelength and the amplitude, agree quantitatively with a theoretical description of the experiment.

Energy dissipation in driven granular matter in the absence of gravity.

We experimentally investigate the energy dissipation rate in sinusoidally driven boxes which are partly filled by granular material under conditions of weightlessness. We identify two different modes of granular dynamics, depending on the amplitude of driving, A. For intense forcing, A>A(0), the material is found in the collect-and-collide regime where the center of mass of the granulate moves synchronously with the driven container, while for weak forcing, A

Circular ratchets as transducers of vertical vibrations into rotations.

Granular ratchets are well-known devices that when driven vertically produce a counterintuitive horizontal transport of particles. Here we report the experimental observation of a complementary effect: the striking ability of circular ratchets to convert their vertical vibration into their own rotation. The average revolution speed shows a maximum value for an optimal tooth height. With no special effort the rotation speed could be maintained steady during several hours. Unexpected random arrests and reversals of the velocity were also observed abundantly.

Coefficient of restitution as a fluctuating quantity.

The coefficient of restitution of a spherical particle in contact with a flat plate is investigated as a function of the impact velocity. As an experimental observation we notice nontrivial (non-Gaussian) fluctuations of the measured values. For a fixed impact velocity, the probability density of the coefficient of restitution, p(ɛ), is formed by two exponential functions (one increasing, one decreasing) of different slope. This behavior may be explained by a certain roughness of the particle which leads to energy transfer between the linear and rotational degrees of freedom.