CONTENTS -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- The n = 0 Discovery Thomas A. Witten -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Gloss -- 3. Polymer Impact -- 3.1. Antecedents -- 3.2. Early impact -- 3.3. Further implications -- 4. Field Theory Implications: A Paradoxical Limit -- 5. Assessment -- 6. Conclusion -- References -- Dynamics of Entangled Polymers: The Three Key Ideas Michael Rubinstein -- 1. Entanglements in Polymer Melts -- 2. Tube Model -- 3. Reptation Model -- 4. Constraint Release -- 5. Arm Retraction -- 6. Main Developments in the Wake of de Gennes Ideas -- 6.1. Doi-Edwards stress relaxation model -- 6.2. Doi tube length uctuation model -- 6.3. Self-consistent constraint release -- 6.4. Polymers with no ends or with too many ends -- 7. Open Questions and Future Directions -- 7.1. The nature of entanglement and con ning tube -- 7.2. Constraint release revisited -- 7.3. Asymptopia -- Acknowledgments -- References -- P. G. de Gennes, J. Phys. France 36, 1199-1203 (1975) Reptation of Stars -- 1. Introduction. -- 2. Queriching of reptation. -- 3. Mechanical relaxation. -- 4. Comparison with polymer melts. -- 5. Conclusions. -- Acknowledgments. -- APPENDIX A -- References -- Polyelectrolytes: The de Gennes Legacy Philip Pincus and Omar A. Saleh -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Electrostatic Persistence Length -- 3. Stretching Single Polymers -- 4. Conclusion -- References -- P. G. de Gennes, P. Pincus, R. M. Velasco and F. Brochard, J. de Phys. 37, 1461-1473 (1976) Remarks on polyelectrolyte conformation -- 1. Introduction. -- 2. The single chain problem. -- 3. The lattice regime. -- 4. Semi dilute solutions. -- 5. Concluding remarks. -- Acknowledgments. -- APPENDIX A -- APPENDIX B -- References -- Polymers in Confined Geometries Karine Guevorkian and Francoise Brochard-Wyart -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Birth of Blobs -- 3. Panorama of Polymers and Pores.

3.1. Classes of polymers -- 3.1.1. Flexible polymers -- 3.1.2. Globular polymers -- 3.1.3. Semi-.exible polymers -- 3.1.4. Exotic polymers: stars and branched polymers -- 3.2. Pores and nano-holes -- 3.2.1. d = 1 Cylindrical pores -- 3.2.2. d = 2 Slits or free surfaces -- 3.2.3. d = 0 Holes -- 4. Flexible Polymers in Confined Geometry -- 4.1. Statics and dynamics of confined chains -- 4.2. Forced penetration by a solvent flow -- 4.2.1. Daoudi affine deformation at the pore entrance17 -- 4.2.2. De Gennes suction model -- 5. Role of Topology -- 5.1. Star polymers -- 5.2. Branched polymers -- 6. Semi-flexible Polymers in Rigid and Soft Tubes -- 6.1. Semi-flexible polymers in rigid tubes -- 6.1.1. Forced penetration under flow -- 6.2. Semi-flexible polymers in soft tubes: snakes vs globules -- 7. Holes: Passage of Polymers -- 8. Confinement of Soft Object from Globular Polymers to Cells and Tissues -- 8.1. Globular polymers and micro-droplets -- 8.2. Micropipette aspiration of vesicles -- 8.3. Cells in confined geometries -- 8.4. Aspiration of balls of cells -- 9. Concluding Remarks -- References -- F. Brochard and P. G. de Gennes, J. Chem. Phys. 67, 52-56 (1977) Dynamics of confined polymers chains -- I. Introduction -- II. KIRKWOOD CALCULATION OF THE CHAIN MOBILITY -- III INTERNAL STRUCTURE AND MODES -- IV. ASPIRATION OF A CHAIN IN A CONICAL PORE -- Adhesion and Friction Hugh Brown -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Chain Interpenetration and Welding -- 3. Adhesion Between Weakly Miscible Polymers -- 4. Viscoelastic Fracture -- 5. Brush Interpenetration and Chain Pullout from Crosslinked Elastomers -- 6. Friction of a Melt Against a Grafted Surface -- 7. Conclusion -- References -- An Approach to Cell Adhesion Inspired from Polymer Physics Pierre Nassoy -- 1. Introduction -- 2. On the Speci city of Cell Adhesion.

2.1. Nature of cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions -- 2.2. A variety of cell adhesion molecules for specialized biological functions -- 3. Attempts to Measure the Mechanical Strength of Cell Adhesion: Advances, Discrepancies and Missing Scales -- 3.1. Classical assays to quantify cell adhesivity from separation force measurements -- 3.2. Rupture forces of individual speci c bonds -- 3.3. About the unbridged gap between molecular and cellular scales -- 4. Refreshing Old Soft Matter Concepts in Cell Biology -- 4.1. Adhesion energy versus separation force -- 4.2. The role of connectors -- 5. The PGG Cellular Version of the JKR Test to Probe Cell Adhesion -- 6. Perspectives -- References -- Fran coise Brochard-Wyart and Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, C. R. Physique 4, 281-287 (2003) Unbinding of adhesive vesicles -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Unstressed contact 0 -- 2.1. Remarks on the free energy -- 3. Unbinding statics -- 4. Dynamics of unbinding: the case of nonspecific adhesion -- 4.1. The rate equation -- 4.2. The case of weak forces -- 5. Dynamics of unbinding with specific stickers -- 6. Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Spreading Made a Splash Lyd eric Bocquet -- 1. Spreading Dynamics and Moving Contact Lines -- 1.1. A few words on the statics -- 1.2. Starting to get moved -- 1.2.1. Spreading dynamics -- 1.2.2. Forced wetting -- 2. Echoes from the Contact Line -- 2.1. Slippage effects -- 2.2. When spreading makes a splash -- 3. Some Final Words -- References.