Simple cell-cell interactions can give rise to complex cellular patterns. For example, neurons of the same type can interact to create a complex patchwork of non-overlapping dendrite arbors, a pattern known as dendrite tiling. Dendrite tiling often involves mutual repulsion between neighboring neurons. While dendrite tiling is found across nervous systems, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans ha...

We study numerically how the neuronal dendrite tree structure can affect the diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) signal in brain tissue. For a large set of randomly generated dendrite trees, synthetic dMRI signals are computed and fitted to a cylinder model to estimate the effective longitudinal diffusivity D(L) in the direction of neurites. When the dendrite branches are short compared...

Dendrite arbor structure is a critical determinant of nervous system function that must be actively maintained throughout life, but the signaling pathways that regulate dendrite maintenance are essentially unknown. We report that the Abelson (Abl) and Abl-related gene (Arg) nonreceptor tyrosine kinases are required for maintenance of cortical dendrites in the mouse brain. arg-/- cortical dendri...

The RhoA (Rho) GTPase is a master regulator of dendrite morphogenesis. Rho activation in developing neurons slows dendrite branch dynamics, yielding smaller, less branched dendrite arbors. Constitutive activation of Rho in mature neurons causes dendritic spine loss and dendritic regression, indicating that Rho can affect dendritic structure and function even after dendrites have developed. Howe...

One of the characteristics of the neurons that distinguishes them from other cells is their complex and polarized structure consisting of dendrites, cell body, and axon. The complexity and diversity of dendrites are particularly well recognized, and accumulating evidences suggest that the alterations in the dendrite structure are associated with many neurodegenerative diseases. Given the import...

Metallic zinc is a promising negative electrode for high energy rechargeable batteries due to its abundance, low-cost and non-toxic nature. However, the formation of dendritic zinc and low Columbic efficiency in aqueous alkaline solutions during charge/discharge processes remain a great challenge. Here we demonstrate that the dendritic growth of zinc can be effectively suppressed in an ionic li...

Neurons receive excitatory or sensory inputs through their dendrites, which often branch extensively to form unique neuron-specific structures. How neurons regulate the formation of their particular arbor is only partially understood. In genetic screens using the multidendritic arbor of PVD somatosensory neurons in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we identified a mutation in the ER stress s...

Over the last few decades, there have been many mechanisms proposed to describe the formation of the non-dendritic microstructures during Semisolid Metal (SSM) processing; including dendrite fragmentation, spherical growth, cellular growth and recalescence. Dendrite fragmentation is the most popular mechanism of all these hypotheses. It is the purpose of the present article to examine the morph...

Deformation of the semisolid mush during solidification is a common phenomenon in metal casting and can lead to defects such as hot tears, macrosegregation, and porosity. The morphology of the solidifying mush, including the shape of the dendrites and the distribution of grain boundaries, plays a key role in determining its mechanical behavior. In the current study, a polycrystalline phase-fiel...