Finding the weakest link: mechanical sensitivity in a fish cranial linkage system

Finding the weakest link: exploring integrin-mediated mechanical molecular pathways.

From the extracellular matrix to the cytoskeleton, a network of molecular links connects cells to their environment. Molecules in this network transmit and detect mechanical forces, which subsequently determine cell behavior and fate. Here, we reconstruct the mechanical pathway followed by these forces. From matrix proteins to actin through integrins and adaptor proteins, we review how forces a...

Finding cancer's weakest link

The biological programs of vertebrates exhibit a remarkable degree of functional degeneracy, adaptive compensation and robustness, to preserve homeostasis and generate reproducible phenotypic outputs irrespective of variations in signal strength, noise and quality. Cancers are difficult to treat not only because they are so mechanistically diverse but also because they adapt or evolve in respon...

Online Catalogs: Finding the Weakest Link

Who's The Weakest Link?

In this paper we consider the following problem: Given a network G, determine if there is an edge in G through which at least c shortest paths pass. This problem arises naturally in various practical situations where there is a massive network (telephone, internet), and routing of data is done via shortest paths and one wants to identify most congested edges in the network. This problem can be ...

The weakest link

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a protein scaffold that is assembled by cells into a precise configuration and constantly remodeled. It not only provides structural support for cells and tissues, but also provides positional cues for cell adhesion and migration and serves as a reservoir for growth factors. Consequently, organ development and homeostasis critically depend on cell–ECM interacti...