We present our results on the manipulation of individual viruses using an advanced interface for atomic force microscopes (AFMs). We show that the viruses can be dissected, rotated, and translated with great facility. We interpret the behavior of tobacco mosaic virus with a mechanical model that makes explicit the competition between sample-substrate lateral friction and the flexural rigidity o...

The lack of clear guidance regarding the value of elastic flexural rigidity (EI) that should be used in the analysis of steel-concrete composite columns is a significant unresolved issue that hinders the design of frame systems that include these members. The common approach of utilizing the rigidity of either the steel or the concrete only tends to be overly conservative. Other approaches that...

The marginal band is a bundle of microtubules residing at the periphery of nucleated erythrocytes of nonmammalian vertebrates and some invertebrates. Marginal bands from erythrocytes of the newt (Notopthalmus viridescens) were isolated from the cells as intact structures by treatment with detergent and either mild protease or high salt. Isolated bands were subjected to mechanical testing by str...

We show that the interaction between flexural phonons, when corrected by the exchange of electron-hole excitations, may drive the graphene sheet into a quantum critical point characterized by the vanishing of the bending rigidity of the membrane. Ripples arise then due to spontaneous symmetry breaking, following a mechanism similar to that responsible for the condensation of the Higgs field in ...

The dynamic, three-dimensional shape of flapping insect wings may influence many aspects of flight performance. Insect wing deformations during flight are largely passive, and are controlled primarily by the architecture and material properties of the wing. Although many details of wing structure are well understood, the distribution of flexural stiffness in insect wings and its effects on wing...

An automated sensor has been developed for use in paper manufacturing and for demonstration on a full scale paper machine during commercial operation. This laser ultrasonic sensor provides non-contact and on-line measurement of the elastic properties of paper and paperboard. It was tested on a pilot web handler at web speeds up to 12.7 m/s. Measurements of flexural rigidity and out-of-plane she...