Key Structural Components Research Articles

The Method of Machining Process Parameter Generation Based on MBD

The steering engine room is one of the key structural components of the carrier rocket. It has many types of parts features and a large number of process parameters. Moreover, it needs a long processing cycle. The processing parameters are generally set manually by the technicians based on experience, and the design information obtained from the parts cannot directly provide a reference for the generation of subsequent process parameters. In order to correlate the non-geometric information extracted from the MBD (Model Based Definition) model with the process parameters generation process and make the MBD model run through the entire process parameter generation process, a method of process parameter generation based on MBD is proposed in this paper. The feature information of MBD model can be identified with feature recognition algorithm. The non-geometric information of MBD model can be extracted by information extraction algorithm. In addition, processing parameters can be generated automatically by using BP neural network according to the acquired information. This method can shorten the generation time of the entire process parameters, reduce the production cycle and increase the production efficiency.

Construction of Challenging Proline-Proline Junctions via Diselenide-Selenoester Ligation Chemistry.

Polyproline sequences are highly abundant in prokaryotic and eukaryotic proteins, where they serve as key components of secondary structure. To date, construction of the proline-proline motif has not been possible owing to steric congestion at the ligation junction, together with an n → π* electronic interaction that reduces the reactivity of acylated proline residues at the C-terminus of peptides. Here, we harness the enhanced reactivity of prolyl selenoesters and a trans-γ-selenoproline moiety to access the elusive proline-proline junction for the first time through a diselenide-selenoester ligation-deselenization manifold. The efficient nature of this chemistry is highlighted in the high-yielding one-pot assembly of two proline-rich polypeptide targets, submaxillary gland androgen regulated protein 3B and lumbricin-1. This method provides access to the most challenging of ligation junctions, thus enabling the construction of previously intractable peptide and protein targets of increasing structural complexity.

Physical basis for long-distance communication along meiotic chromosomes

Viable gamete formation requires segregation of homologous chromosomes connected, in most species, by cross-overs. DNA double-strand break (DSB) formation and the resulting cross-overs are regulated at multiple levels to prevent overabundance along chromosomes. Meiotic cells coordinate these events between distant sites, but the physical basis of long-distance chromosomal communication has been unknown. We show that DSB hotspots up to ∼200 kb (∼35 cM) apart form clusters via hotspot-binding proteins Rec25 and Rec27 in fission yeast. Clustering coincides with hotspot competition and interference over similar distances. Without Tel1 (an ATM tumor-suppressor homolog), DSB and crossover interference become negative, reflecting coordinated action along a chromosome. These results indicate that DSB hotspots within a limited chromosomal region and bound by their protein determinants form a clustered structure that, via Tel1, allows only one DSB per region. Such a "roulette" process within clusters explains the observed pattern of crossover interference in fission yeast. Key structural and regulatory components of clusters are phylogenetically conserved, suggesting conservation of this vital regulation. Based on these observations, we propose a model and discuss variations in which clustering and competition between DSB sites leads to DSB interference and in turn produces crossover interference.

Halogen Migration in Hybrid Perovskites: The Organic Cation Matters.

In hybrid perovskite materials, the organic cations are one of the key structural components used to tune the electronic and optical properties of this promising class of materials. Here, we studied the strong impact of organic cations, methylammonium (MA) and formamidinium (FA), on halogen vacancy and interstitial migration, as well as surface degradation in cubic-phase MAPbBr3 and FAPbBr3 crystals using density functional theory calculations. We found Br vacancies and interstitials have much lower formation energies and higher density in MAPbBr3 in comparison to FAPbBr3 crystals. Moreover, the transition energy barrier for Br migration through vacancies within the bulk phase is lower in MAPbBr3 than in FAPbBr3. We also found that FAPbBr3 has a much higher rotation barrier of the organic cation than MAPbBr3, which points to a much stronger H-bonding with Br in the former case. Our results show that incorporating organic cations with the appropriate structure, shape, and strong H-bonding capabilities in hybrid perovskite crystals is very beneficial for suppressing ion migration and thus further improving the performance of hybrid perovskite-based devices.

Bile acids target proteolipid nano-assemblies of EGFR and phosphatidic acid in the plasma membrane for stimulation of MAPK signaling.

Bile acids are critical biological detergents in the gastrointestinal tract and also act as messengers to regulate a multitude of intracellular signaling events, including mitogenic signaling, lipid metabolism and endo/exocytosis. In particular, bile acids stimulate many receptors and ion channels on the cell surface, the mechanisms of which are still poorly understood. Membrane-associating proteins depend on the local spatial distribution of lipids in the plasma membrane (PM) for their function. Here, we report that the highly amphipathic secondary bile acid deoxycholic acid (DCA), a major constituent in the human bile, at doses <1μM enhances the nanoclustering and the PM localization of phosphatidic acid (PA) but disrupts the local segregation of phosphatidylserine in the basolateral PM of the human colorectal adenocarcinoma Caco-2 cells. PA is a key structural component of the signaling nano-domains of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on the cell surface. We show that DCA promotes the co-localization between PA and EGFR, the PA-driven EGFR dimerization/oligomerization and EGFR signaling. Depletion of PA abolishes the stimulatory effects of DCA on the EGFR oligomerization and signaling. This effect occurs in the cultured Caco-2 cells and the ex vivo human intestinal enteroids. We propose a novel mechanism, where the amphiphilic DCA monomers alter the nano-assemblies of anionic phospholipids and in turn change the dynamic structural integrity of the lipid-driven oligomerization of cell surface receptors and their signal transduction.

Molecular strategy for blocking isopeptide bond formation in nascent pilin proteins.

Bacteria anchor to their host cells through their adhesive pili, which must resist the large mechanical stresses induced by the host as it attempts to dislodge the pathogens. The pili of gram-positive bacteria are constructed as a single polypeptide made of hundreds of pilin repeats, which contain intramolecular isopeptide bonds strategically located in the structure to prevent their unfolding under force, protecting the pilus from degradation by extant proteases and oxygen radicals. Here, we demonstrate the design of a short peptide that blocks the formation of the isopeptide bond present in the pilin Spy0128 from the human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes, resulting in mechanically labile pilin domains. We use a combination of protein engineering and atomic-force microscopy force spectroscopy to demonstrate that the peptide blocks the formation of the native isopeptide bond and compromises the mechanics of the domain. While an intact Spy0128 is inextensible at any force, peptide-modified Spy0128 pilins readily unfold at very low forces, marking the abrogation of the intramolecular isopeptide bond as well as the absence of a stable pilin fold. We propose that isopeptide-blocking peptides could be further developed as a type of highly specific antiadhesive antibiotics to treat gram-positive pathogens.

Habitat diversity and structure regulate British bird richness: Implications of non-linear relationships for conservation

Spatial environmental heterogeneity (EH) is an important factor determining species richness among many taxa across spatial scales. Increased EH may support higher diversity mainly by providing a higher number of ecological niches. However, the shapes of the EH-diversity relationships and their influence on diversity measures at landscape scales are poorly understood. We used random forests regression models to assess the relationships between different components of EH and bird species richness across Great Britain. Bird data were obtained using BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey methods across 335 UK Countryside Survey (CS) 1-km squares in 2000. Data on components of EH, including; vegetation, habitat diversity, and habitat structure were collected in associated field surveys. Using the results of our EH component-bird richness models, we applied the case of the likely decline of the ash tree, a species of conservation concern and a key component of British landscape complexity, to create predictive scenarios of future bird richness. We found that EH components had a strong positive effect on bird richness and identified six key components that explained over 70% of variance in bird richness. Bird richness responses were strongly dependent on the specific EH components and were generally non-linear, especially for habitat structural variables, such as lines of trees and hedges. Our predictive scenarios showed a decrease in bird species richness only for simulated ash tree decreases within the habitat structural variables of over 90%, and only for areas where this tree species was a particularly abundant component of the landscape. Our findings, showing that bird richness responses differ for EH components, and that non-linear responses are common, could help the ‘design’ of landscapes that enhance bird diversity. In particular, our study indicates that, in some cases, increasing the occurrence of key structural components of habitat (such as ensuring a minimum of 700 m of managed hedges or a minimum of 70 individual trees per km square), could have disproportionally positive impacts on bird richness.

Phytoplankton and protozooplankton on the southern Patagonian shelf (Argentina, 47°–55°S) in late summer: Potentially toxic species and community assemblage structure linked to environmental features

On the southern Patagonian shelf (Argentina, 47°–55°S) phyto- and protozooplankton are key structural and functional components of a complex trophic web that sustains commercially important species. During late summer 2004, spatial structure, assemblage species and their association with environmental characteristics of water masses were studied for the 2–200 μm phyto- and protozooplankton communities. Ultraplankton 2–5 μm was the most abundant size-fraction (90%), followed by the lower nanoplankton 5–10 μm (7.5%), the larger nanoplankton 10–20 μm (1.5%), and microplankton 20–200 μm (1%). Several of the 319 morpho-species found are potentially toxic taxa (the dinoflagellates Alexandrium tamarense, Protoceratium reticulatum, Dinophysis acuminata, Prorocentrum cordatum, Karenia and amphidomataceans and the diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia), and this is important since the area sustains significant fisheries. A ultraphytoeukaryotic coccal cell (probably chlorophyte/prasinophyte) (3 μm), P. cordatum, and a microplankton naked ciliate were the morpho-species with the highest abundance and occurrence. Abundance and biodiversity patterns indicated that the plankton community structure was heterogeneous vertically, cross-shelf, and along-shelf, suggesting shifts in community structure over the region. Five areas with dissimilar plankton assemblages were defined, each corresponding to different environments. Depth, bathymetry, latitude and temperature were the most explanatory variables for the assemblage distribution patterns observed. This south Patagonian region possesses important fisheries and, considering expected environmental changes, our results help to understand the spatial structure of plankton communities over a broad size spectrum.

(Corrosion Division Morris Cohen Graduate Student Award) Local Hydrogen Detection Techniques for Atmospheric Uptake in Ultra-High Strength Steels

Hydrogen embrittlement (HE) is a concern specifically in ultra-high strength steels (UHSS) prevalent in key structural and vehicle components. In full immersion environments, hydrogen production and uptake in high strength materials has been well documented, such as in the case of cathodic protection. However, for atmospheric exposures, there is a large lack of information regarding hydrogen production and uptake. Under atmospheric conditions, acidic pits can form in UHSS due to the breakdown of the passive film, metal dissolution, hydrolysis, and acidification which are prone to local H production and uptake. An understanding of the effects of marine aerosols, industrial pollutants, and other environmental factors, such as UV and relative humidity, on hydrogen production and uptake in UHSS is necessary to develop new alloys with improved corrosion resistance as well as to anticipate and manage the effects of environment severity on embrittlement susceptibility of currently employed UHSS. However, at present, the majority of available techniques for the measurement of hydrogen dissolved in metals and effective hydrogen diffusivity (DH,eff) lack spatial resolution at the micrometer scale. This is not only of significance for atmospheric exposures, with localized H uptake occurring at pits and/or within droplets, but is also of great importance since the hydrogen-metal interactions and processes occurring at the micrometer to nanometer length scales govern hydrogen embrittlement (HE). This presentation discusses and demonstrates select novel local hydrogen probes; the Scanning Kelvin Probe (SKP) and the Scanning Electrochemical Microscope (SECM). The detection of the spatial distribution of diffusible H concentrations was demonstrated on pre-exposed metallic surfaces with the SKP and SECM. SKP and SECM scans of H uptake in samples from controlled atmospheric pre-exposures are also presented. The application of these techniques is shown to provide local and spatial information on H concentrations produced through atmospheric corrosion. An understanding of the H severity at this local scale can provide significant information on severity of atmospheric exposure environments in terms of H production, uptake, and transport. Furthermore these techniques are adaptable to even higher resolution measurements with the application of the SKP atomic force microscope (SKPFM) or SECM-AFM. Acknowledgement: Research was sponsored by the US Air Force Academy under agreement number FA7000-13-2-0020 and ONR under PROJ0007990. The authors would like to acknowledge the Army Research Laboratories, as well as Monash University, in particular Dr. Sebastian Thomas and Prof. Nick Birbilis. The research was partially supported by a 2014 Australia Endeavour Award Research Fellowship with support from Dr. Kishore Venkatesan and Dr. Ivan Cole at CSIRO.

Suppression of PDHX by microRNA-27b deregulates cell metabolism and promotes growth in breast cancer

BackgroundThe disruption of normal gene regulation due to microRNA dysfunction is a common event in cancer pathogenesis. MicroRNA-27b is an example of an oncogenic miRNA, and it is frequently upregulated in breast cancer. MicroRNAs have been found to deregulate tumor metabolism, which typically manifests as heightened cellular glucose uptake in consort with increased flux through glycolysis, followed by the preferential conversion of glycolytic pyruvate into lactate (a phenomenon known as the Warburg Effect). Pyruvate Dehydrogenase, an enzyme complex linking glycolysis with downstream oxidative metabolism, represents a key location where regulation of metabolism occurs; PDHX is a key structural component of this complex and is essential for its function.MethodsWe sought to characterize the role of miR-27b in breast cancer by identifying novel transcripts under its control. We began by utilizing luciferase, RNA, and protein assays to establish PDHX as a novel target of miR-27b. We then tested whether miR-27b could alter metabolism using several metabolite assay kits and performed a seahorse analysis. We also examined how the altered metabolism might affect cell proliferation. Lastly, we confirmed the relevance of our findings in human breast tumor samples.ResultsOur data indicate that Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Protein X is a credible target of miR-27b in breast cancer. Mechanistically, by suppressing PDHX, miR-27b altered levels of pyruvate, lactate and citrate, as well as reducing mitochondrial oxidation and promoting extracellular acidification. These changes corresponded with an increased capacity for cell proliferation. In human breast tumor samples, PDHX expression was deficient, and low levels of PDHX were associated with reduced patient survival.ConclusionsMicroRNA-27b targets PDHX, resulting in an altered metabolic configuration that is better suited to fuel biosynthetic processes and cell proliferation, thereby promoting breast cancer progression.

Fatigue Behavior of Prestressed Concrete Beam for Straddle-Type Monorail Tracks

Monorail transportation systems are widely built in medium and small cities, as well as hilly cities, because of their excellent performance. A prestressed concrete track beam is a key load-carrying structural component and guideway subjected to repeated traffic load. The fatigue behavior of the prestressed concrete beam is critical for the safety of the transportation system. This paper presents the results of an experimental study on the fatigue behavior of a prestressed concrete beam in terms of stiffness degradation and strain change. The displacement and rotation of the beam of concrete and reinforcement were examined, respectively. A three-dimensional finite element model was established to help understand the development of the mechanical behavior. No crack was observed throughout the test. Both concrete and bars behaved in their linear-elastic stage throughout the test, and the bond between them performed well.

Cerebrovascular Injury After Serial Exposure to Chronic Stress and Abstinence from Methamphetamine Self-Administration

Cerebrovascular damage caused by either exposure to stress or the widely abused drug, methamphetamine (Meth) is known but stress and drug abuse frequently occur in tandem that may impact their individual cerebrovascular effects. This study examined their co-morbid cerebrovascular effects during abstinence from self-administered Meth after the exposure to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS). Exposure to CUS prior to unrestricted Meth self-administration had no effect on Meth intake in rats; however, the pro-inflammatory mediator cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and the breakdown of cell-matrix adhesion protein β-dystroglycan in isolated cerebral cortical capillaries were increased after 3 days of abstinence and persisted for 7 days. These changes preceded decreases in occludin, a key structural protein component of the blood-brain barrier. The decrease in occludin was blocked by the COX-2 specific inhibitor nimesulide treatment during abstinence from Meth. The changes in COX-2, β-dystroglycan, and occludin were only evident following the serial exposure to stress and Meth but not after either one alone. These results suggest that stress and voluntary Meth intake can synergize and disrupt cerebrovasculature in a time-dependent manner during abstinence from chronic stress and Meth. Furthermore, COX-2 inhibition may be a viable pharmacological intervention to block vascular changes after Meth exposure.

Recent Advances and Developments of in vitro Evaluation of Heterocyclic Moieties on Cancer Cell Lines

Besides worthy development in cancer therapy, cancer is still one of the leading causes of death, worldwide. The future burden of cancer will probably be even larger because people are adopting poor lifestyles with poor diet, frequently smoking and less physical activity. The effective anticancer drugs having efficacy and selectivity with low toxicity is still a challenge for the scientific fraternity. The advances in the cancer study have its origin on the availability of different types of experimental model systems that review the various forms of this disease. Cell lines emerge as a feasible alternative for anticancer activities, being at the same time easy to manipulate and molecularly characterize. Heterocycles are key structural components of many of the anti-cancer drugs available on the market today. Indeed, of the novel molecular anti-cancer agents approved by the FDA between 2010 and 2017, almost two-thirds contained heterocyclic rings within their structures. This review summarizes and provides updated literature on heterocyclic compounds using various cancer cell lines reported during the period of 2014-2017 together with the structure-activity relationships.

Dynamic cities: Location-based accessibility modelling as a function of time

The concept of accessibility – the potential of opportunities for interaction – binds together the key physical components of urban structure: people, transport and social activity locations. Most often these components are dynamic in nature and hence the accessibility landscape changes in space and time based on people's mobilities and the temporality of the transport network and activity locations (e.g. services). Person-based accessibility approaches have been successful in incorporating time and space in the analyses and models. Still, the more broadly applied location-based accessibility modelling approaches have, on the other hand, often been static/atemporal in their nature. Here, we present a conceptual framework of dynamic location-based accessibility modelling that captures the dynamic temporality of all three accessibility components. Furthermore, we empirically test the proposed framework using novel data sources and tools. We demonstrate the impact of temporal aspects in accessibility modelling with two examples: by investigating food accessibility and its spatial equity. Our case study demonstrates how the conventional static location-based accessibility models tend to overestimate the access of people to potential opportunities. The proposed framework is universally applicable beyond the urban context, from local to global scale and on different temporal scales and multimodal transport systems. It also bridges the gap between location-based accessibility and person-based accessibility research.

Population and evolutionary dynamics in spatially structured seasonally varying environments.

ABSTRACTIncreasingly imperative objectives in ecology are to understand and forecast population dynamic and evolutionary responses to seasonal environmental variation and change. Such population and evolutionary dynamics result from immediate and lagged responses of all key life‐history traits, and resulting demographic rates that affect population growth rate, to seasonal environmental conditions and population density. However, existing population dynamic and eco‐evolutionary theory and models have not yet fully encompassed within‐individual and among‐individual variation, covariation, structure and heterogeneity, and ongoing evolution, in a critical life‐history trait that allows individuals to respond to seasonal environmental conditions: seasonal migration. Meanwhile, empirical studies aided by new animal‐tracking technologies are increasingly demonstrating substantial within‐population variation in the occurrence and form of migration versus year‐round residence, generating diverse forms of ‘partial migration’ spanning diverse species, habitats and spatial scales. Such partially migratory systems form a continuum between the extreme scenarios of full migration and full year‐round residence, and are commonplace in nature.Here, we first review basic scenarios of partial migration and associated models designed to identify conditions that facilitate the maintenance of migratory polymorphism. We highlight that such models have been fundamental to the development of partial migration theory, but are spatially and demographically simplistic compared to the rich bodies of population dynamic theory and models that consider spatially structured populations with dispersal but no migration, or consider populations experiencing strong seasonality and full obligate migration. Second, to provide an overarching conceptual framework for spatio‐temporal population dynamics, we define a ‘partially migratory meta‐population’ system as a spatially structured set of locations that can be occupied by different sets of resident and migrant individuals in different seasons, and where locations that can support reproduction can also be linked by dispersal. We outline key forms of within‐individual and among‐individual variation and structure in migration that could arise within such systems and interact with variation in individual survival, reproduction and dispersal to create complex population dynamics and evolutionary responses across locations, seasons, years and generations. Third, we review approaches by which population dynamic and eco‐evolutionary models could be developed to test hypotheses regarding the dynamics and persistence of partially migratory meta‐populations given diverse forms of seasonal environmental variation and change, and to forecast system‐specific dynamics. To demonstrate one such approach, we use an evolutionary individual‐based model to illustrate that multiple forms of partial migration can readily co‐exist in a simple spatially structured landscape. Finally, we summarise recent empirical studies that demonstrate key components of demographic structure in partial migration, and demonstrate diverse associations with reproduction and survival. We thereby identify key theoretical and empirical knowledge gaps that remain, and consider multiple complementary approaches by which these gaps can be filled in order to elucidate population dynamic and eco‐evolutionary responses to spatio‐temporal seasonal environmental variation and change.

Separation of enantiomers of selected chiral sulfoxides with cellulose tris(4-chloro-3-methylphenylcarbamate)-based chiral columns in high-performance liquid chromatography with very high separation factor

The present study reports successful separations of enantiomers of selected chiral sulfoxides with very high separation factor in high-performance liquid chromatography by using chiral columns prepared with the chiral selector cellulose tris(4-chloro-3-methylphenylcarbamate). High separation factors were observed in polar organic, as well as in hydrocarbon-alcohol-type mobile phases. The key structural components of the solute for obtaining high chiral recognition are discussed as well as thermodynamic quantities of analyte adsorption on the chiral stationary phase were determined. Experiment aimed at the enantioselective extraction of racemates from solution are also described.

Time‐since‐fire and climate interact to affect the structural recovery of an Australian semi‐arid plant community

AbstractHow does time‐since‐fire influence the structural recovery of semi‐arid, eucalypt‐dominated Murray‐Mallee shrublands after fire, and is recovery affected by spatial variation in climate? We assessed the structure and dynamics of a hummock grass, Triodia scariosa N.T. Burb, and mallee eucalypts – two key structural components of mallee shrublands – using a &gt;100 year time‐since‐fire chronosequence. The relative influence of climatic variables, both individually and combined with time‐since‐fire, was modelled to account for spatial variation in the recovery of vegetation structural components. Time‐since‐fire was the primary determinant of the structural recovery of T. scariosa and eucalypts. However, climate, notably mean annual rainfall and rainfall variability, also influenced the recovery of the eucalypt overstorey, T. scariosa cover and mean hummock height. We observed that (i) the mean number of live eucalypt stems per individual decreased while mean individual basal area increased, (ii) cover of T. scariosa peaked at ~30 years post‐fire and gradually decreased thereafter, and (iii) the ‘hummock’ form of T. scariosa occurred throughout the chronosequence, whereas the ‘ring’ form tended not to occur until ~30 years post‐fire. Time‐since‐fire was the key determinant of the structural recovery of eucalypt‐dominated mallee shrublands, but there is geographical variation in recovery related to rainfall and its variability. Fire regimes are likely to have different effects across the geographic range of mallee shrublands.

Cholesterol Regulation of Pulmonary Endothelial Calcium Homeostasis.

Cholesterol is a key structural component and regulator of lipid raft signaling platforms critical for cell function. Such regulation may involve changes in the biophysical properties of lipid microdomains or direct protein-sterol interactions that alter the function of ion channels, receptors, enzymes, and membrane structural proteins. Recent studies have implicated abnormal membrane cholesterol levels in mediating endothelial dysfunction that is characteristic of pulmonary hypertensive disorders, including that resulting from long-term exposure to hypoxia. Endothelial dysfunction in this setting is characterized by impaired pulmonary endothelial calcium entry and an associated imbalance that favors production vasoconstrictor and mitogenic factors that contribute to pulmonary hypertension. Here we review current knowledge of cholesterol regulation of pulmonary endothelial Ca2+ homeostasis, focusing on the role of membrane cholesterol in mediating agonist-induced Ca2+ entry and its components in the normal and hypertensive pulmonary circulation.

A modern approach to discrete structures

In this paper, we present a new paradigm for a freshman course in discrete structures. Historically, a freshman course in discrete structures is taught by presenting a variety of topics in a modular fashion. Topics typically include logic, sets, functions, induction, recursion, algorithms, graphs, probability, counting, proofs, and Boolean algebra, to name a few. Students are expected to follow, digest, and retain such knowledge, often for several years before applying it in junior- and/or senior-level courses. In the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the State University of New York at Buffalo, the success of a traditional course in discrete structures has been marginal, at best. The alternative approach that we present provides a focused educational experience covering key components of discrete structures. Specifically, we present a unifying thread of modern computer architectures and their algorithms, where critical components of discrete structures are presented in context. In addition, we provide freshman students with an opportunity to take ownership of the educational process. To date, results of this new paradigm have been extremely promising.

Shifts in algal dominance in freshwater experimental ponds across differing levels of macrophytes and nutrients

AbstractExcess nutrient loading into ponds and shallow lakes can lead to undesirable algal growth and a shift to a turbid state. Previous work has suggested that such an ecosystem transition may be mediated by the biotic constituents of the habitat and food web; however, earlier experiments have been conducted at coarse temporal resolution and have typically used a single initial density of macrophytes, a key structural component of ponds and shallow lakes. To address these gaps, we tested the hypotheses that experimental ponds with lower macrophyte densities and more rapid increases in nutrient loading would shift to phytoplankton dominance, whereas higher macrophyte densities and slower, lower concentration nutrient inputs would maintain a clear state. Ponds containing plankton and juvenile fish were assigned to treatments with none, low, or high macrophyte densities, and weekly, high or biweekly (i.e., fortnightly), low nutrient inputs. Using additive mixed‐effects models, we demonstrated that temporal trajectories of phytoplankton biomass were explained by macrophyte density in interaction with biomass of important zooplankton grazers (Bosminidae, Sididae, and Daphniidae), as well as with pH and time. Phytoplankton biomass followed a convex unimodal trajectory in ponds with no or low macrophytes (muted in the latter), and minimal increases in high macrophyte treatments. Declines in phytoplankton attributable to top‐down control likely freed resources for periphyton and metaphyton, which subsequently became abundant in ponds without and with macrophytes, respectively. Our results demonstrate that high densities of macrophytes, combined with herbivory and competition for light between phytoplankton and metaphyton, enhance resilience of the clear water state to the undesirable effects associated with eutrophication.