We present a microfluidic ratchet that exploits the deformation of individual cells through microscale funnel constrictions. The threshold pressure required to transport single cells through such constrictions is greater against the direction of taper than along the direction of taper. This physical asymmetry combined with an oscillatory excitation can enable selective and irreversible transpor...

The transient oscillatory model of odor identity encoding seeks to explain how odorants with spatially overlapped patterns of input into primary olfactory networks can be discriminated. This model provides several testable predictions about the distributed nature of network oscillations and how they control spike timing. To test these predictions, 16 channel electrode arrays were placed within ...

Isostables and isostable reduction, analogous to isochrons and phase reduction for oscillatory systems, are useful in the study of nonlinear equations which asymptotically approach a stationary solution. In this work, we present a general method for isostable reduction of partial differential equations, with the potential power to reduce the dimensionality of a nonlinear system from infinity to...

Rhythmic oscillations in the membrane potential of heart cells are important in normal cardiac pacemaker activity as well as cardiac arrhythmias. Two fundamentally different mechanisms of oscillatory activity can be distinguished at the cellular and subcellular level. The first mechanism, referred to as a surface membrane oscillator, can be represented by a control loop in which membrane potent...

The time-keeping properties bestowed by oscillatory behavior on functional rhythms represent an evolutionarily conserved trait in living systems. Mitochondrial networks function as timekeepers maximizing energetic output while tuning reactive oxygen species (ROS) within physiological levels compatible with signaling. In this work, we explore the potential for timekeeping functions dependent on ...

In areas 17 and 18 of the cat visual cortex the firing probability of neurons, in response to the presentation of optimally aligned light bars within their receptive field, oscillates with a peak frequency near 40 Hz. The neuronal firing pattern is tightly correlated with the phase and amplitude of an oscillatory local field potential recorded through the same electrode. The amplitude of the lo...