Cells Of Different Sizes Research Articles

Distribution of 5-HT1F Receptors in Monkey Vestibular and Trigeminal Ganglion Cells.

Evidence of serotonergic involvement in vestibular pathway contributions to migraine and balance disorders is compelling. Serotonergic 5-HT1B and 5-HT1D receptors are expressed extensively in inner ear ganglia of monkeys and rats. The serotonergic 5-HT1F receptor is also a target of triptans. This study describes its distribution in vestibular and trigeminal ganglia of monkeys. Using primary polyclonal antibodies raised against oligopeptides specific for the human 5-HT1F receptor, neuronal somatic area and intensity of immunoreactive vestibular and trigeminal ganglia were quantified. Virtually all vestibular and considerable trigeminal ganglia showed positive 5-HT1F receptor immunoreactivity. Inferior and superior vestibular ganglia staining appeared confined to distinct cell regions, varying considerably among cells of different sizes: more intense in small, punctate in some medium and regionally polarized in some large cells. Analyses of average somatic vestibular neuronal immunoreactive intensity identified mainly medium sized cells with high standard deviation of intensity corresponding to punctately stained cells. Less variability occurred in somatic intensity staining and cellular distribution among 5-HT1F receptor immunopositive trigeminal ganglia. Most exhibited similar punctate staining patterns, higher mean somatic immunoreactive intensity and larger neuronal somatic size proportions per size distribution subpopulation compared to vestibular ganglia size distribution populations. Centrally directed vestibular ganglion neuronal processes, cochlear inner hair cells, vestibular hair cells and blood vessels in vestibular maculae and cristae were immunoreactive. The 5-HT1F receptor expression in vestibular ganglia shows complex variable staining intensity patterns associated with cell size of immunopositive neurons, not seen in immunopositive trigeminal ganglia and not previously evident with 5-HT1B and 5-HT1D receptor subtype immunoreactivity in vestibular ganglia. These data motivate exploration of 5-HT1 receptor oligomerization and ligand functional selectivity in differential serotonergic involvement in co-morbidity of migraine and balance disorders. Similar findings in cochlear inner hair cell afferents are applicable to migraine-related tinnitus or hypercusis (phonophobia).

Ultrastructure of the ovary and oogenesis in the flatworm Prosthiostomum siphunculus (Polycladida, Cotylea).

Based on light and electron microscopy observations, oogenesis in the cotylean polyclad Prosthiostomum siphunculus was investigated for the first time. The numerous ovarian follicles are dispersed essentially in the dorsal parenchyma. In the follicles, a ventral germinative zone with undifferentiated germs cells of different sizes and a dorsal growth zone with larger growing and abortive oocytes are present. The oogenesis could be subdivided into four stages: (1) Oogonia with a dark nucleus and a dark, ribosome-rich cytoplasm. (2) Early oocyte stage, represented by relatively small cells (10 μm in diameter), a cytoplasm showing some mitochondria and some endoplasmic reticula. (3) Previtellogenic stage, with a decrease of the nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio due to the remarkable increase in ooplasm volume. Immature eggshell globules are observed. (4) Vitellogenic stage, including early vitellogenic ovarian stage, in which a second type of globule (inclusion globule) is formed, and a late vitellogenic uterine stage, in which the inclusion globules are not present anymore. The mature eggshell globules form a peripheral layer under the cell membrane. Eggshell and inclusion globules were analyzed with electron energy loss spectroscopy, electron spectroscopic imaging, protease treatment, and with periodic acid thiocarbohydracide silver proteinate to detect polysaccharides. Chromatoid bodies are present in all four stages. For the first time in a flatworm, we provide evidence that accessory cells, forming a tunica around the ovarian follicles, are epithelial or epithelium-like and likely contribute nutrients for the growth of the oocytes.

A Size-Selective Intracellular Delivery Platform.

Identifying and separating a subpopulation of cells from a heterogeneous mixture are essential elements of biological research. Current approaches require detailed knowledge of unique cell surface properties of the target cell population. A method is described that exploits size differences of cells to facilitate selective intracellular delivery using a high throughput microfluidic device. Cells traversing a constriction within this device undergo a transient disruption of the cell membrane that allows for cytoplasmic delivery of cargo. Unique constriction widths allow for optimization of delivery to cells of different sizes. For example, a 4 μm wide constriction is effective for delivery of cargo to primary human T-cells that have an average diameter of 6.7 μm. In contrast, a 6 or 7 μm wide constriction is best for large pancreatic cancer cell lines BxPc3 (10.8 μm) and PANC-1 (12.3 μm). These small differences in cell diameter are sufficient to allow for selective delivery of cargo to pancreatic cancer cells within a heterogeneous mixture containing T-cells. The application of this approach is demonstrated by selectively delivering dextran-conjugated fluorophores to circulating tumor cells in patient blood allowing for their subsequent isolation and genomic characterization.

A transcriptional blueprint for a spiral-cleaving embryo.

BackgroundThe spiral cleavage mode of early development is utilized in over one-third of all animal phyla and generates embryonic cells of different size, position, and fate through a conserved set of stereotypic and invariant asymmetric cell divisions. Despite the widespread use of spiral cleavage, regulatory and molecular features for any spiral-cleaving embryo are largely uncharted. To address this gap we use RNA-sequencing on the spiralian model Platynereis dumerilii to capture and quantify the first complete genome-wide transcriptional landscape of early spiral cleavage.ResultsRNA-sequencing datasets from seven stages in early Platynereis development, from the zygote to the protrochophore, are described here including the de novo assembly and annotation of ~17,200 Platynereis genes. Depth and quality of the RNA-sequencing datasets allow the identification of the temporal onset and level of transcription for each annotated gene, even if the expression is restricted to a single cell. Over 4000 transcripts are maternally contributed and cleared by the end of the early spiral cleavage phase. Small early waves of zygotic expression are followed by major waves of thousands of genes, demarcating the maternal to zygotic transition shortly after the completion of spiral cleavages in this annelid species.ConclusionsOur comprehensive stage-specific transcriptional analysis of early embryonic stages in Platynereis elucidates the regulatory genome during early spiral embryogenesis and defines the maternal to zygotic transition in Platynereis embryos. This transcriptome assembly provides the first systems-level view of the transcriptional and regulatory landscape for a spiral-cleaving embryo.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-2860-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A-PIE: An algorithm for preserving privacy, quality of information, and energy consumption in Participatory Sensing Systems

We present A-PIE, a hybrid privacy-preserving mechanism for Participatory Sensing Systems that provides a high level of privacy protection as well as a high quality of information while minimizing the energy consumption. A-PIE takes into consideration the variability of the variable of interest to identify clusters, and divides the target area in cells of different sizes. A-PIE applies anonymization or double-encryption to balance privacy protection, quality of information and energy consumption based on the cell’s size. Extensive experimentation, using a real air monitoring system, shows the superior performance of the proposed mechanism when compared with most important privacy-preserving mechanisms.

An IB-LBM study of continuous cell sorting in deterministic lateral displacement arrays

The deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) is an important method used to sort particles and cells of different sizes. In this paper, the flexible cell sorting with the DLD method is studied by using a numerical model based on the immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method (IB-LBM). In this model, the fluid motion is solved by the LBM, and the cell membrane–fluid interaction is modeled with the LBM. The proposed model is validated by simulating the rigid particle sorted with the DLD method, and the results are found in good agreement with those measured in experiments. We first study the effect of flexibility on a single cell and multiple cells continuously going through a DLD device. It is found that the cell flexibility can significantly affect the cell path, which means the flexibility could have significant effects on the continuous cell sorting by the DLD method. The sorting characteristics of white blood cells and red blood cells are further studied by varying the spatial distribution of cylinder arrays and the initial cell–cell distance. The numerical results indicate that a well concentrated cell sorting can be obtained under a proper arrangement of cylinder arrays and a large enough initial cell–cell distance.

Multistability and dynamic transitions of intracellular Min protein patterns.

Cells owe their internal organization to self‐organized protein patterns, which originate and adapt to growth and external stimuli via a process that is as complex as it is little understood. Here, we study the emergence, stability, and state transitions of multistable Min protein oscillation patterns in live Escherichia coli bacteria during growth up to defined large dimensions. De novo formation of patterns from homogenous starting conditions is observed and studied both experimentally and in simulations. A new theoretical approach is developed for probing pattern stability under perturbations. Quantitative experiments and simulations show that, once established, Min oscillations tolerate a large degree of intracellular heterogeneity, allowing distinctly different patterns to persist in different cells with the same geometry. Min patterns maintain their axes for hours in experiments, despite imperfections, expansion, and changes in cell shape during continuous cell growth. Transitions between multistable Min patterns are found to be rare events induced by strong intracellular perturbations. The instances of multistability studied here are the combined outcome of boundary growth and strongly nonlinear kinetics, which are characteristic of the reaction–diffusion patterns that pervade biology at many scales.

Context-Aware Handover Policies in HetNets

Next generation cellular systems are expected to entail a wide variety of wireless coverage zones, with cells of different sizes and capacities that can overlap in space and share the transmission resources. In this scenario, which is referred to as Heterogeneous Networks (HetNets), a fundamental challenge is the management of the handover process between macro, femto and pico cells. To limit the number of handovers and the signaling between the cells, it will hence be crucial to manage the user’s mobility considering the context parameters, such as cells size, traffic loads, and user velocity. In this paper, we propose a theoretical model to characterize the performance of a mobile user in a HetNet scenario as a function of the user’s mobility, the power profile of the neighboring cells, the handover parameters, and the traffic load of the different cells. We propose a Markov-based framework to model the handover process for the mobile user, and derive an optimal context-dependent handover criterion. The mathematical model is validated by means of simulations, comparing the performance of our strategy with conventional handover optimization techniques in different scenarios. Finally, we show the impact of the handover regulation on the users performance and how it is possible to improve the users capacity exploiting context information.

Zircon Survival, Rebirth and Recycling during Crustal Melting, Magma Crystallization, and Mixing Based on Numerical Modelling

Improved geochronological methods and in situ isotopic (O, Hf) and trace element studies of zircon require a new physical model that explains its behaviour during crustal melting. We present results of numerical modeling of zircon dissolution in melts of variable composition, water content, temperature, and thermal history. The model is implemented in spherical coordinates with two moving boundaries (for the crystal and the surrounding melt cell outer edge) using simplified mineral phase relationships, and accounting for melt proportion histories as a function of melting and crystallization of major minerals. We explore in detail the dissolution of variably sized zircons and zircon growth inside rock cells of different size, held at different temperatures and undersaturations, and provide an equation for zircon survivability. Similar modeling is performed for other accessory minerals: apatite and monazite. We observe the critical role of rock cell size surrounding zircons in their survivability. Diffusive fill away from a dissolving 100 μm zircon into a large >3 mm cell takes 10 2 –10 4 years at 750–950°C, but zircon cores may survive infinitely in smaller than 1 mm cells. Heating followed by cooling for a similar amount of time leads to dissolution followed by nucleation and growth, but new zircon growth remains smaller than the original within the cell. The final zircon size is also investigated as a function of microzircons crystallizing on a front of major minerals, leading to shrinking cell sizes and bulldozing of Zr onto the growing zircon surface. We explore in detail the survivability and regrowth of zircon inside and outside dikes and sills of different sizes and temperatures, and in different rock compositions, on timescales of their conductive cooling and heating, respectively. For zircon-rich rocks, only the largest >200 m igneous bodies are capable of complete dissolution–reprecipitation of typically sized zircons at significant distances from the intrusion. Smaller intrusions result in partial dissolution and rim overgrowth. Zircons captured near the contact of conductively cooling sills undergo more overgrowth than dissolution. In contrast, heat wave propagation from the sill will completely dissolve and reprecipitate zircons in Zr-poorer rocks many diameters of the sill away and often 10 3 –10 4 years after the sill intrusion. A single thermal spike and melting episode is capable of generating the observed complexity of isotopically diverse and geochronologically zoned zircons. A MATLAB program is presented for users to apply in their specific situations.

Single Cell Mass Measurement Using Drag Force Inside Lab-on-Chip Microfluidics System.

Single cell mass (SCM) is an intrinsic property of single cell, it arouses a great interest among scientists as cell mass depends on the synthesis of proteins, DNA replication, cell wall stiffness, cell cytoplasm density, cell growth, ribosome, and other analogous of organisms. To date, several great strides have been taken to the advancements of SCM measurement techniques. Nevertheless, more works are required to enable the technology to push frontier in deep analysis of SCM measurement, hence to elucidate intracellular properties. In this paper, we present a lab-on-chip microfluidics system for SCM measurement, related with the force required to drag a single cell and Newton's law of motion inside microfluidics channel. Drag force on the cell was generated by a pressure driven syringe micropump and the motion of the cell was measured using optical observation under an inverted microscope. This approach of measuring SCM was calibrated using known mass (77.3 pg) of a polystyrene particle of 5.2 μm diameter. Furthermore, we used Saccharomyces cerevisiae baker's yeast cells of different sizes ([Formula: see text] diameter) for SCM measurement. Mass of 4.4 μm diameter of single yeast cell was measured as 2.12 pg which is in the range of previously reported single yeast cell mass (2-3 pg). In addition, we also studied the relation between SCM and single cell size. Results showed that single yeast cell mass increases exponentially with the increasing of single cell size.

Stratification of yeast cells during chronological aging by size points to the role of trehalose in cell vitality.

Cells of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae undergo a process akin to differentiation during prolonged culture without medium replenishment. Various methods have been used to separate and determine the potential role and fate of the different cell species. We have stratified chronologically-aged yeast cultures into cells of different sizes, using centrifugal elutriation, and characterized these subpopulations physiologically. We distinguish two extreme cell types, very small (XS) and very large (L) cells. L cells display higher viability based on two separate criteria. They respire much more actively, but produce lower levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). L cells are capable of dividing, albeit slowly, giving rise to XS cells which do not divide. L cells are more resistant to osmotic stress and they have higher trehalose content, a storage carbohydrate often connected to stress resistance. Depletion of trehalose by deletion of TPS2 does not affect the vital characteristics of L cells, but it improves some of these characteristics in XS cells. Therefore, we propose that the response of L and XS cells to the trehalose produced in the former differs in a way that lowers the vitality of the latter. We compare our XS- and L-fraction cell characteristics with those of cells isolated from stationary cultures by others based on density. This comparison suggests that the cells have some similarities but also differences that may prove useful in addressing whether it is the segregation or the response to trehalose that may play the predominant role in cell division from stationary culture.

Anti-tumor effect of matrine combined with cisplatin on rat models of cervical cancer.

To observe the anti-tumor effect of matrine combined with cisplatin on U14 rat models of cervical cancer. A total of 80 female Kunming rats were used to establish U14 rat models of cervical cancer and then divided into groups I, II, III, IV, with 20 rats in each. For Group I, the control group, injection of normal saline was given around the tumors. For Group II, injection of 2mg/kg cisplatin was given around the tumors. For Group III, injection of 75mg/kg matrine was given around the tumors while the combined injection of matrine and cisplatin was given for Group IV with the same doses as Groups II and III. The animals were sacrificed 10d after the injection and tumors were taken out for the comparisons of tumor weights after injection and calculation of anti-tumor rates, while thymus and spleen were taken for thymus index and spleen index. Blood in eyeball was collected for determination of changes in serum creatinine and urea nitrogen levels. Sections of tumor issue were prepared and morphological changes in tumor tissue cells were observed by using immunohistochemistry technique. After injection, the thymus index and spleen index in Groups III and IV were significantly higher than those in Groups I and II (P<0.05) while the two indexes in Group II were significantly lower than Group I (P<0.05). The tumor weights in Groups II and IV were significantly smaller than those in Groups I and III (P<0.05) with significantly higher anti-tumor rates than Groups I and III (P<0.05). The serum creatinine and urea nitrogen levels in Groups III and IV were significantly lower than Group II (P<0.05) and the two indicators in Group III were significantly lower than those in Group IV (P<0.05). The observation under the histological microscope showed densely arranged tumor cells in Group I, growing as a crumby structure and diffuse appearance, with hyperchromatic and large nuclei, and abundant cytoplasm. In the case of Group II, it showed less tumor cells, with extensive degenerative necrosis, sparse arrangement and karyopyknosis as well as karyoclasis. For Group III, necrosis of tumor cells in different sizes and heterogeneous color in nuclei were observed. For Group IV, the number of tumor cells was significantly smaller than Groups I and III and the tumor cells presented an appearance of crumby structure as cancer nests, with more proliferation of connective tissue. The treatment of matrine combined with cisplatin can significantly improve the anti-tumor effect on U14 rats with cervical cancer, which can be a new option for the treatment for cervical cancer.

Change-of-Support Models on Irregular Grids for Geostatistical Simulation

In many domains, numerical models are initialized with inputs defined on irregular grids. In petroleum reservoir engineering, they consist of a great variety of grid cells of different size and shape to enable fine-scale modeling in the vicinity of the wells and coarse modeling in less important regions. Geostatistical simulation algorithms, which are used to populate the cells of unstructured grids, often have to address the problem of transition from the small-scale statistical data stemming from laboratory cores analysis and seismic processing to the multiple larger scale geological supports. The reasonable generalization of the above-mentioned problem is integrating the point-support data to simulations on irregular supports. Classical geostatistical simulation methods for generating realizations of a stationary Gaussian random function cannot be applied to unstructured grids directly, because of the uneven supports. This article provides a critical review of existing geostatistical simulation methodologies for unstructured grids, including fine-scale simulations with upscaling and direct sequential simulation algorithms, and presents two different generalizations of the discrete Gaussian model for this purpose, thereby discussing the theoretical assumptions and the accuracy when implementing these models.

Numerical study of effective thermal conductivities of plain woven composites by unit cells of different sizes

An FEM (Finite Element Method) numerical approach of predicting the effective thermal conductivities of plain woven composites is presented in this paper. Three reducing-size unit cells are formulated by using different symmetries exhibited in the composite, including translational, reflectional and rotational symmetries. Corresponding thermal boundary conditions are derived and validated by the numerical results of the same problem of different unit cells. Thermal conductivities of the matrix with porosity and the woven yarns are calculated first, and then used as input data to numerically predict the effective thermal conductivities of plain woven composite. The influences of porosity and fiber volume fraction on effective thermal conductivities of studied composites are clarified.

Abstract 5538A: Cell size-specific intracellular delivery

Abstract Among the many methods of intracellular delivery, cell size-selective delivery is particularly applicable to cancer research and therapeutics where tumor cells tend to be larger than blood cells and selective manipulation of a single cell-type while minimally affecting the other cells in a heterogeneous mixture is important. In this study, cell size-selective delivery is achieved using a novel microfluidic device with 75 parallel channels through which cells are pushed under nitrogen pressure. The cells undergo deformation as they transit through the channels, which results in temporary disruption of the cell membrane to facilitate delivery of material into the cytoplasm. For each cell size, there is a specific channel width for which optimal cell viability and fluorophore delivery is achieved, with smaller cells requiring narrower channels. When two cells of different sizes are mixed in solution, the channel width for optimal cell viability and fluorophore delivery for each cell type remains the same, and larger cells can achieve fluorophore delivery at a significantly higher percentage than smaller cells at the former's optimal channel width. One possible application for this technology is tagging circulating tumor cells, and we have been able to selectively deliver fluorophores into tumor cells when spiked into whole human blood with 91% specificity. We were also able to isolate pancreatic tumors cells from a patient's blood sample that matched the genotype of the patient's primary pancreatic tumor. Intracellular delivery of materials has become increasingly important as we delve deeper into understanding cellular processes and developing targeted therapies, and with this device, selective delivery can be achieved in a vector-free environment and without dependence on cell-surface receptors. Citation Format: May Tun Saung, Armon Sharei, Viktor Adalsteinsson, Andrew Liss, Nahyun Cho, Tushar Kamath, Camilo Ruiz, Jesse Kirkpatrick, Robert Langer, Christopher Love, Klavs Jensen. Cell size-specific intracellular delivery. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 5538A. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-5538A

On the use of radio environment maps for interference management in heterogeneous networks

This article addresses the use of REMs to support interference management optimization in heterogeneous networks composed of cells of different sizes and including both cellular and non-cellular (e.g. WiFi) technologies. After presenting a general architecture for including REM databases in different network entities, the article analyzes the achievable benefits in relation to specific interference management techniques, including a discussion on practical considerations such as information exchange requirements, REM ownership, and security aspects. Finally, several research directions derived from the proposed framework are identified.

Alleviation of spike stall in axial compressors utilizing grooved casing treatment

This article deals with application of grooved type casing treatment for suppression of spike stall in an isolated axial compressor rotor blade row. The continuous grooved casing treatment covering the whole compressor circumference is of 1.8mm in depth and located between 90% and 108% chord of the blade tip as measured from leading edge. The method of investigation is based on time-accurate three-dimensional full annulus numerical simulations for cases with and without casing treatment. Discretization of the Navier–Stokes equations has been carried out based on an upwind second-order scheme and k-ω-SST (Shear Stress Transport) turbulence modeling has been used for estimation of eddy viscosity. Time-dependent flow structure results for the smooth casing reveal that there are two criteria for spike stall inception known as leading edge spillage and trailing edge backflow, which occur at specific mass flow rates in near-stall conditions. In this case, two dominant stall cells of different sizes could be observed. The larger one is caused by the spike stall covering roughly two blade passages in the circumferential direction and about 25% span in the radial direction. Spike stall disturbances are accompanied by lower frequencies and higher amplitudes of the pressure signals. Casing treatment causes flow blockages to reduce due to alleviation of backflow regions, which in turn reduces the total pressure loss and increases the axial velocity in the blade tip gap region, as well as tip leakage flow fluctuation at higher frequencies and lower amplitudes. Eventually, it can be concluded that the casing treatment of the stepped tip gap type could increase the stall margin of the compressor. This fact is basically due to retarding the movement of the interface region between incoming and tip leakage flows towards the rotor leading edge plane and suppressing the reversed flow around the blade trailing edge.

On the relationship between endoreduplication and collet hair initiation and tip growth, as determined using six Arabidopsis thaliana root-hair mutants.

A positive correlation between nuclear DNA content and cell size, as postulated by the karyoplasmic theory, has been confirmed in many plant tissues. However, there is also evidence suggesting that there are exceptions. While in previous reports the cell size:ploidy relationship was studied in intact tissues containing cells of different sizes, here simultaneously developing single cells of collet hairs were used to study endoreduplication in Arabidopsis thaliana mutants that produce hairs of variable size and morphology. Endoreduplication in the root and collet zones of six different root-hair mutants was analysed before and after collet hair development using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Additionally, the changes in nuclear size (ploidy), shape, and movement in developing collet hairs of a hybrid between Arabidopsis transgenic line NLS-GFP-GUS and the rhd3 (root hair defective3) mutant were followed using time-lapse confocal microscopy. In this hybrid endoreduplication in the collet hairs was disturbed. However, based on the analyses of all mutants, no correlation was found between hair length and the ploidy of the cells in the collet and root regions. The results indicate that the karyoplasmic ratio is maintained at the beginning of collet-hair development, but tip growth proceeds in a DNA-amount-independent manner. The final size of a collet hair appears to be dependent more on genetic modifiers governing general cell physiology than on its DNA content.

Thermal boundary resistance at Si/Ge interfaces by molecular dynamics simulation

In this study, we investigated the temperature dependence and size effect of the thermal boundary resistance at Si/Ge interfaces by non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using the direct method with the Stillinger-Weber potential. The simulations were performed at four temperatures for two simulation cells of different sizes. The resulting thermal boundary resistance decreased with increasing temperature. The thermal boundary resistance was smaller for the large cell than for the small cell. Furthermore, the MD-predicted values were lower than the diffusion mismatch model (DMM)-predicted values. The phonon density of states (DOS) was calculated for all the cases to examine the underlying nature of the temperature dependence and size effect of thermal boundary resistance. We found that the phonon DOS was modified in the interface regions. The phonon DOS better matched between Si and Ge in the interface region than in the bulk region. Furthermore, in interface Si, the population of low-frequency phonons was found to increase with increasing temperature and cell size. We suggest that the increasing population of low-frequency phonons increased the phonon transmission coefficient at the interface, leading to the temperature dependence and size effect on thermal boundary resistance.

Characterization of cement float buoyancy in the stalked barnacle Dosima fascicularis (Crustacea, Cirripedia).

Dosima fascicularis is the only barnacle which can drift autonomously at the water surface with a foam-like cement float. The cement secreted by the animal contains numerous gas-filled cells of different size. When several individuals share one float, their size and not their number is crucial for the production of both volume and mass of the float. The gas content within the cells of the foam gives positive static buoyancy to the whole float. The volume of the float, the gas volume and the positive static buoyancy are positively correlated. The density of the cement float without gas is greater than that of seawater. This study shows that the secreted cement consists of more than 90% water and the gas volume is on average 18.5%. Our experiments demonstrate that the intact foam-like cement float is sealed to the surrounding water.