Wall Growth Research Articles

Contribution of Collagen Fibers to the Transmural Stress Distribution in Arterial Wall

Background: Cardiovascular system is directly affected by mechanical loads such as blood pressure. Blood pressure induces tension in the arterial wall tissue which is sensed by the smooth muscle cells and the appropriate action such as deposition or degradation of the extracellular matrix is taken. Coupled with the blood pressure, elasticity of the arterial wall govern the load that is sensed by smooth muscle cells. Also the mechanical behavior of the arterial wall is mostly dependent on its fibrous content and hence the orientation of these fibers is a key factor in arterial tissue mechanics. Objectives: The current study aims to illustrate how the fibers can change the transmural stress distribution which will activate smooth muscle cells to balance the fibrous content. Methods: We proposed four models with different fiber orientations across the arterial media and simulated these models in finite element environment. The respective circumferential stress profile from each model is extracted and compared. Results and Conclusions: Obtained stress profiles delineate some similar and some different behaviors, in the case of constant fiber orientation across the wall resulting stress profile is monotonic while with changing the orientation across the wall, the profile becomes different. Our results indicate that considering different fiber orientations across the wall is necessary for prediction of arterial wall remodeling, growth and aging. This role is such that a specific orientation of collagen fibers (model II) results in totally different circumferential stress profile as the respective profile is ascending despite the other three models. These results indicate that single layer models of the arterial wall cannot demonstrate some major characteristics such as circumferential stress profile.

Responses of retaining wall and surrounding ground to pre-excavation dewatering in an alternated multi-aquifer-aquitard system

Pre-excavation dewatering (PED) is an important construction stage in deep excavation. Field measurements show that retaining walls can develop obvious deflections during PED, which has been rarely considered in the past. The characteristics of PED-induced wall deflection, and the relationship of this deflection to surrounding ground deformation are still unclear. In this study, a PED test is simulated by a numerical model. The model is verified by field observations and used to investigate the responses of retaining wall and surrounding ground to PED. Results indicate that the maximum wall defection (δhm) and surface settlement (δvm) can all reach centimeter level under common conditions of PED. The ratio of δvm to δhm varies at the range of 0.45–0.67. Wall and soil deformations will be more obvious if the soils within the dewatering depth (Hd) have better permeability. The relative positions between Hd and strata (i.e., aquifer or aquitard) have great influence on the PED-induced deformations. If an aquifer appears below Hd, further increasing Hd can induce a rapid growth of wall and soil deformations. If thick aquitard appears below Hd, the deformation increments by further increasing Hd are not apparent. However, once Hd exceeds the center of the thick aquitard and reaches a thick confined aquifer, the wall deflections and soil deformation zones behind the wall will enlarge significantly. Meanwhile, a large bending moment in the retaining wall will arise around the bottom of the confined aquifer. The designers should consider this condition and allocate enough steel rebars there, preventing the appearance of wall cracks in the confined aquifer.

Characterization of Conserved and Novel Septal Factors in Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Septation in bacteria requires coordinated regulation of cell wall biosynthesis and hydrolysis enzymes so that new septal cross-wall can be appropriately constructed without compromising the integrity of the existing cell wall. Bacteria with different modes of growth and different types of cell wall require different regulators to mediate cell growth and division processes. Mycobacteria have both a cell wall structure and a mode of growth that are distinct from well-studied model organisms and use several different regulatory mechanisms. Here, using Mycobacterium smegmatis, we identify and characterize homologs of the conserved cell division regulators FtsL and FtsB, and show that they appear to function similarly to their homologs in Escherichia coli We identify a number of previously undescribed septally localized factors which could be involved in cell wall regulation. One of these, SepIVA, has a DivIVA domain, is required for mycobacterial septation, and is localized to the septum and the intracellular membrane domain. We propose that SepIVA is a regulator of cell wall precursor enzymes that contribute to construction of the septal cross-wall, similar to the putative elongation function of the other mycobacterial DivIVA homolog, Wag31.IMPORTANCE The enzymes that build bacterial cell walls are essential for cell survival but can cause cell lysis if misregulated; thus, their regulators are also essential. The number and nature of these regulators is likely to vary in bacteria that grow in different ways. The mycobacteria are a genus that have a cell wall whose composition and construction vary greatly from those of well-studied model organisms. In this work, we identify and characterize some of the proteins that regulate the mycobacterial cell wall. We find that some of these regulators appear to be functionally conserved with their structural homologs in evolutionarily distant species such as Escherichia coli, but other proteins have critical regulatory functions that may be unique to the actinomycetes.

Structural Evolution of Gossypium hirsutum Fibers Grown under Greenhouse and Hydroponic Conditions

Cotton is the leading fiber source in the textile industry and one of the world’s most important crops. Despite its economic interest, cotton culture exerts an enormous pressure on natural resources (land and water) and has a negative impact on the environment (abuse of pesticides). Thus, alternative cotton growing methods are urged to be implemented. Recently, we have demonstrated that Gossypium hirsutum (“Upland” cotton) can be grown in a greenhouse (controlled conditions) and hydroponically. Here we report on the elucidation of the structural changes of the Gossypium hirsutum fibers during maturation grown [10, 14, 17, 20, 36 and 51 days post anthesis (dpa)] under a greenhouse and hydroponically, by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance (FT-IR ATR) and thermal gravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry (TGA/DSC). The transition from primary to secondary cell wall growth occurs between 17 and 20 dpa—similarly to the soil-based cultures. However, this new cotton culture offers an advantageous pesticide and soil-free all year-round closed system with efficient water use yielding standardized mature fibers with improved properties (maturity, strength, length, whiteness).

Differential growth of pavement cells of Arabidopsis thaliana leaf epidermis as revealed by microbead labeling.

In numerous vascular plants, pavement cells of the leaf epidermis are shaped like a jigsaw-puzzle piece. Knowledge about the subcellular pattern of growth that accompanies morphogenesis of such a complex shape is crucial for studies of the role of the cytoskeleton, cell wall and phytohormones in plant cell development. Because the detailed growth pattern of the anticlinal and periclinal cell walls remains unknown, our aim was to measure pavement cell growth at a subcellular resolution. Using fluorescent microbeads applied to the surface of the adaxial leaf epidermis of Arabidopsis thaliana as landmarks for growth computation, we directly assessed the growth rates for the outer periclinal and anticlinal cell walls at a subcellular scale. We observed complementary tendencies in the growth pattern of the outer periclinal and anticlinal cell walls. Central portions of periclinal walls were characterized by relatively slow growth, while growth of the other wall portions was heterogeneous. Local growth of the periclinal walls accompanying lobe development after initiation was relatively fast and anisotropic, with maximal extension usually in the direction along the lobe axis. This growth pattern of the periclinal walls was complemented by the extension of the anticlinal walls, which was faster on the lobe sides than at the tips. Growth of the anticlinal and outer periclinal walls of leaf pavement cells is heterogeneous. The growth of the lobes resembles cell elongation via diffuse growth rather than tip growth.

Recent Arborescent Dendrophryid Foraminifera Found On Upper Pleistocene Cold-water Corals from the Inner Sea of the Maldives

Abstract Recent specimens of Spiculidendron were found on Late Pleistocene (21,400–22,500 BP) cold-water corals from the sea floor at 457 m depth of the inter-atoll Kardiva Channel of the eastern row of the Maldives archipelago. Spiculidendron and other dendrophryid foraminifera (Rhizammina-like forms) exclusively colonized specimens of the genus Enallopsammia, which was characterized by a phosphatic-stain surface. The Spiculidendron wall was composed of sponge spicules, elongated diatom frustules, tests of juvenile benthic and planktic foraminifera, and calcareous nannoplankton, among other materials. Sponge spicules and elongated diatom frustules were arranged longitudinally, with foraminiferal tests and other bioclasts packed in between, indicating that the agglutination process of Spiculidendron is selective with respect to the manner of growth. In the most distal parts of the branches, only sponge spicules and elongated diatom frustules were present, working as guides for the test construction, prior to the agglutination of juvenile foraminiferal tests and other bioclasts. Moreover, in the sediment associated with the coral fragments, 94 species of benthic foraminifera were identified, an assemblage distinct from the taxa incorporated into the agglutinated Spiculidendron tests. The process of wall growth is complex and ordered. This foraminifer, as well as the Rhizammina-like specimens, tolerates dysoxic conditions (0.896 ml/l) and low temperature (12°C). This observation represents a new record of Spiculidendron from the Indian Ocean and from deeper (aphotic) environments than previously reported from the shallow waters of the Caribbean. A cryptobiontic habitat is interpreted for Spiculidendron.

Xyloglucan in the primary cell wall: assessment by FESEM, selective enzyme digestions and nanogold affinity tags.

Xyloglucan has been hypothesized to bind extensively to cellulose microfibril surfaces and to tether microfibrils into a load-bearing network, thereby playing a central role in wall mechanics and growth, but this view is challenged by newer results. Here we combined high-resolution imaging by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) with nanogold affinity tags and selective endoglucanase treatments to assess the spatial location and conformation of xyloglucan in onion cell walls. FESEM imaging of xyloglucanase-digested cell walls revealed an altered microfibril organization but did not yield clear evidence of xyloglucan conformations. Backscattered electron detection provided excellent detection of nanogold affinity tags in the context of wall fibrillar organization. Labelling with xyloglucan-specific CBM76 conjugated with nanogold showed that xyloglucans were associated with fibril surfaces in both extended and coiled conformations, but tethered configurations were not observed. Labelling with nanogold-conjugated CBM3, which binds the hydrophobic surface of crystalline cellulose, was infrequent until the wall was predigested with xyloglucanase, whereupon microfibril labelling was extensive. When tamarind xyloglucan was allowed to bind to xyloglucan-depleted onion walls, CBM76 labelling gave positive evidence for xyloglucans in both extended and coiled conformations, yet xyloglucan chains were not directly visible by FESEM. These results indicate that an appreciable, but still small, surface of cellulose microfibrils in the onion wall is tightly bound with extended xyloglucan chains and that some of the xyloglucan has a coiled conformation.

Arabidopsis DEFECTIVE KERNEL1 regulates cell wall composition and axial growth in the inflorescence stem.

Axial growth in plant stems requires a fine balance between elongation and stem mechanical reinforcement to ensure mechanical stability. Strength is provided by the plant cell wall, the deposition of which must be coordinated with cell expansion and elongation to ensure that integrity is maintained during growth. Coordination of these processes is critical and yet poorly understood. The plant‐specific calpain, DEFECTIVE KERNEL1 (DEK1), plays a key role in growth coordination in leaves, yet its role in regulating stem growth has not been addressed. Using plants overexpressing the active CALPAIN domain of DEK1 (CALPAIN OE) and a DEK1 knockdown line (amiRNA‐DEK1), we undertook morphological, biochemical, biophysical, and microscopic analyses of mature inflorescence stems. We identify a novel role for DEK1 in the maintenance of cell wall integrity and coordination of growth during inflorescence stem development. CALPAIN OE plants are significantly reduced in stature and have short, thickened stems, while amiRNA‐DEK1 lines have weakened stems that are unable to stand upright. Microscopic analyses of the stems identify changes in cell size, shape and number, and differences in both primary and secondary cell wall thickness and composition. Taken together, our results suggest that DEK1 influences primary wall growth by indirectly regulating cellulose and pectin deposition. In addition, we observe changes in secondary cell walls that may compensate for altered primary cell wall composition. We propose that DEK1 activity is required for the coordination of stem strengthening with elongation during axial growth.

Molecular architecture of the PBP2\u2013MreC core bacterial cell wall synthesis complex

Bacterial cell wall biosynthesis is an essential process that requires the coordinated activity of peptidoglycan biosynthesis enzymes within multi-protein complexes involved in cell division (the “divisome”) and lateral wall growth (the “elongasome”). MreC is a structural protein that serves as a platform during wall elongation, scaffolding other essential peptidoglycan biosynthesis macromolecules, such as penicillin-binding proteins. Despite the importance of these multi-partite complexes, details of their architecture have remained elusive due to the transitory nature of their interactions. Here, we present the crystal structures of the soluble PBP2:MreC core elongasome complex from Helicobacter pylori, and of uncomplexed PBP2. PBP2 recognizes the two-winged MreC molecule upon opening of its N-terminal region, revealing a hydrophobic zipper that serves as binding platform. The PBP2:MreC interface is essential both for protein recognition in vitro and maintenance of bacterial shape and growth. This work allows visualization as to how peptidoglycan machinery proteins are scaffolded, revealing interaction regions that could be targeted by tailored inhibitors.

Titanium plate fixation of flail chest

Abstract Introduction We present short and long term outcomes of titanium rib plating in two pediatric patients with traumatic flail chest. Cases Patient 1 is a 12 year old male ATV driver with left thorax handlebar impalement with a flail segment of ribs 4–8. He was unable to wean from the ventilator by hospital day (HD) 4 and had titanium plating of ribs 4–7. He was extubated on postoperative day (POD) 1 and discharged home on POD 5. He returned to contact sports at 6 months. Patient 2 is a 13 year old male dirt bike rider with fractures of left ribs 8–12, including a 9–10 flail segment. He was unable to wean from the ventilator by HD 3 and had titanium plating of ribs 8–10. He was extubated on POD 2 and discharged on POD 11. After 4 months of therapy, he returned to full activity. Conclusions In these two patients, flail chest resulted in failure to wean from the ventilator. Plating of the flail segment allowed ventilator weaning, improved pain control, and return to normal activity with minimal symptoms. Long-term outcomes show excellent cosmetic and functional results with symmetric chest wall growth (Table 1) Level of evidence IV.

Tracking ferroelectric domain growth using laser scattering tomography

The movement and growth of macroscopic ferroelectric domains in a crystal under an electric field (poling voltage) have been studied using laser scattering tomography, a technique heretofore used mainly for studying microscopic defects in crystals. This technique involves scanning successive planes in a crystal with a laser beam and collecting the scattered light in a computer. The data collected can then be visualized as two- or three-dimensional static images or as a video to study structural changes as a function of time. An important feature of this method is that these images can be viewed along any axis in the crystal. Using this technique, we were able to generate images of domain wall nucleation and growth as a function of electric field strength and time. It also allowed for the observation of domain wall movement along any crystallographic direction including down the poling axis which is covered with opaque metallic electrodes. Details of the technique and its use during the poling of a strontium barium niobate crystal are discussed.

Plant cell walls

Plants are able to generate large leaf surfaces that act as two-dimensional solar panels with a minimum investment in building material, thanks to a hydrostatic skeleton. This requires high intracellular pressures (up to 1 MPa), which depend on the presence of strong cell walls. The walls of growing cells (also called primary walls), are remarkably able to reconcile extreme tensile strength (up to 100 MPa) with the extensibility necessary for growth. All walled organisms are confronted with this dilemma - the need to balance strength and extensibility - and bacteria, fungi and plants have evolved independent solutions to cope. In this Primer, we discuss how plant cells have solved this problem, allowing them to support often very large increases in volume and to develop a broad variety of shapes (Figure 1A,B,D). This shape variation reflects the targeted deposition of wall material combined with local variations in cell-wall extensibility, processes that remain incompletely understood. Once the cell has reached its final size, it can lay down secondary wall layers, the composition and architecture of which are optimized to exert specific functions in different cell types (Figure 1E-G). Such functions include: providing mechanical support, for instance, for fibre cells in tree trunks or grass internodes; impermeabilising and strengthening vascular tissue to resist the negative pressure of the transpiration stream; increasing the surface area of the plasma membrane to facilitate solute exchange between cells (Figure 1C); or allowing important elastic deformation, for instance, to support the opening and closing of stomates. Specialized secondary walls, such as those constituting seed mucilage, are stored in a dehydrated form in seedcoat epidermis cells and show rapid swelling upon hydration of the seed. Other walls, in particular in reserve tissues, can accommodate large amounts of storage polysaccharides, which can be easily mobilized as a carbon source. Here we will discuss some general principles underlying wall architecture and wall growth that have emerged from recent studies, as well as future questions for investigation (Box 1).

Formation Mechanisms of Needles in Porous Silicon Based Needle-like Surfaces

Formation mechanisms of needle-like surfaces generated by anodization of Si in the transition region (region between pore formation and electropolishing) is studied. Formation of needles is monitored via SEM surface images taken after different anodization times and their formation mechanisms is modeled based on current burst (CB) model and Lehmann macro-pore formation model. Anodization is a well-known technique for porous silicon (PS) formation or electropolishing of silicon wafer. Although the technique is known for several decades, it has attracted renewed interest since 1990 resulting from discovery of luminescence properties of PS. Anodization has emerged in micromachining applications because of its low cost, easy implementation, and compatibility with standard microelectronic processes [1]. Usage of anodization technique to create rebondable (needle-like) Si surfaces with adequate bond strength for low temperature chip/wafer bonding applications has currently attracted attentions [2]. Needle-like Si surfaces with different needle sizes and distributions are obtained by anodization of lowly doped p-type Si in aqueous HF solutions in the transition region. For 12-17 Ωcm p-type Si, anodized in a 7.2 wt.% aqueous HF solution, morphology of generated surfaces (Fig. 1) were clearly related to positions of current peaks (critical current density (J-PS) and electropolishing current density (J-El)) on the I-V curve (Fig. 2). Formation of needles was studied through SEM surface images taken after different anodization times (Fig. 3). Initiation of needles is started by inhomogeneous dissolution of Si, roughening and pitting of the surface (Fig. 3a), and is followed by nucleation of pores (Fig. 3b). As morphology of PS varies in depth from surface to bulk, it results in two-layers PS, a meso PS above a macro PS [3]. Ununiform dissolution of meso-pores results in formation of small irregular islets (remaining bulk Si) at certain times during the anodization (Fig. 3c). With increasing time, small islets are completely etched away and given access to overlapping and widening macro-pores underneath. Remaining bulk Si between widened and overlapped macro-pores results in large islets (Fig. 3d). Further etching of the surface reshapes islets to pyramid-like structures by slightly narrowing their side walls and increasing their heights (Figs. 3e and f). As the time, increased, side walls are narrowed more and their heights are increased further (Fig. 3g). Further etching of the side walls results in formation of semi-cylindrical needles in which their tips are attached together and made cluster of needles (Fig. 3.h). At this stage, with increasing time, only heights of needles are increased and no significant reduction in diameter of needles are occurred (Fig. 3i). Nucleation of pores and formation of islet can be explained through the CB model [4]. At current densities above J-PS, CBs begin to correlate in time and space. This results in assembling of CBs and formation of either a meso-pore or a macro-pore depending on density of CB events in a particular area (Fig. 4). In a condition where the oxidation reaction is low, CBs result in macro-pores covered with meso-porous (transition layer). However, for the condition where oxidation reaction is dominant (e.g., in aqueous electrolytes), oxidation takes over CBs and smoothes the area. This results in macro-pores with no meso-pores coverage (complete dissolution of the transition layer). In the transition region, Si surface is not completely covered by oxide; hence, both inhomogeneous and homogenous dissolutions may occur on different parts of the surface [3]. This may result in inhomogeneous dissolution of the transition layer and formation of small islets above macro-pores. With increasing time, the transition layer dissolve entirely and give accesses to underneath macro-pores which have already overlapped and widened (Fig. 5). The remaining bulk Si between overlapped macro-pores results in large islets. Assuming large islets with diameters of ~ 4.5 ± 1.4 µm (obtained from Fig. 3i) as remaining and surrounding walls of widened macro-pores in which their wall thickness is greater than the space charge region length (1 – 1.2 µm for 12-17 Ωcm p-type Si), the Lehmann model [5] can be simply used to describe growth and narrowing of side walls of islets and formation of needles.

Crosstalk between the tricarboxylic acid cycle and peptidoglycan synthesis in Caulobacter crescentus through the homeostatic control of α-ketoglutarate.

To achieve robust replication, bacteria must integrate cellular metabolism and cell wall growth. While these two processes have been well characterized, the nature and extent of cross-regulation between them is not well understood. Here, using classical genetics, CRISPRi, metabolomics, transcriptomics and chemical complementation approaches, we show that a loss of the master regulator Hfq in Caulobacter crescentus alters central metabolism and results in cell shape defects in a nutrient-dependent manner. We demonstrate that the cell morphology phenotype in the hfq deletion mutant is attributable to a disruption of α-ketoglutarate (KG) homeostasis. In addition to serving as a key intermediate of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, KG is a by-product of an enzymatic reaction required for the synthesis of peptidoglycan, a major component of the bacterial cell wall. Accumulation of KG in the hfq deletion mutant interferes with peptidoglycan synthesis, resulting in cell morphology defects and increased susceptibility to peptidoglycan-targeting antibiotics. This work thus reveals a direct crosstalk between the TCA cycle and cell wall morphogenesis. This crosstalk highlights the importance of metabolic homeostasis in not only ensuring adequate availability of biosynthetic precursors, but also in preventing interference with cellular processes in which these intermediates arise as by-products.

Nitrate Uptake Affects Cell Wall Synthesis and Modeling.

Nowadays, the relationship(s) about N assimilation and cell wall remodeling in plants remains generally unclear. Enzymes involved in cell wall synthesis/modification, and nitrogen transporters play a critical role in plant growth, differentiation, and response to external stimuli. In this review, a co-expression analysis of nitrate and ammonium transporters of Arabidopsis thaliana was performed in order to explore the functional connection of these proteins with cell-wall related enzymes. This approach highlighted a strict relationship between inorganic nitrogen transporters and cell wall formation, identifying a number of co-expressed remodeling enzymes. The enzymes involved in pectin and xyloglucan synthesis resulted particularly co-regulated together with nitrate carriers, suggesting a connection between nitrate assimilation and cell wall growth regulation. Major Facilitator Carriers, and one chloride channel, are similarly co-expressed with pectin lyase, pectinacetylesterase, and cellulose synthase. Contrarily, ammonium transporters show little or no connection with those genes involved in cell wall synthesis. Different aspects related to plant development, embryogenesis, and abiotic stress response will be discussed, given the importance in plant growth of cell wall synthesis and nitrate uptake. Intriguingly, the improvement of abiotic stress tolerance in crops concerns both these processes indicating the importance in sensing the environmental constraints and mediating a response. These evaluations could help to identify candidate genes for breeding purposes.

Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolases (XTHs) are inactivated by binding to glass and cellulosic surfaces, and released in active form by a heat-stable polymer from cauliflower florets

Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase (XET) activity, which cuts and re-joins hemicellulose chains in the plant cell wall, contributing to wall assembly and growth regulation, is the major activity of XTH proteins. During purification, XTHs often lose XET activity which, however, is restored by treatment with certain cold-water-extractable, heat-stable polymers (CHPs), e.g. from cauliflower florets. It was not known whether the XTH-activating factor (XAF) present in CHPs works by promoting (e.g. allosterically) XET activity or by re-solubilising sequestered XTH proteins. We now show that XTHs in dilute solution bind to diverse surfaces (e.g. glass and cellulose), and that CHPs can re-solubilise the bound enzyme, re-activating it. Cell walls prepared from cauliflower florets, mung bean shoots and Arabidopsis cell-suspension cultures each contained endogenous, tightly bound, inactive XTHs, which were likewise rapidly solubilised (within 0.5h) and thus activated by cauliflower XAF. We present a convenient quantitative assay for XAF acting on the native sequestered XTHs of Arabidopsis cell walls; using this assay, we show that CHPs from all plants tested possess XAF activity. The XAF activity of diverse CHPs does not correlate with their conductivity, showing that this activity is not a simple ionic effect. The XAF action of cauliflower CHPs was augmented by NaCl, although NaCl alone was much less effective than a CHP solution of similar conductivity, confirming that the cauliflower polymers did not simply exert a salt effect. We suggest that XAF is an endogenous regulator of XET action, modulating cell-wall loosening and/or assembly in vivo.

Mycelium Composites: A Review of Engineering Characteristics and Growth Kinetics

Mycelium composites comprise of networks of filamentous hyphae, utilising biological growth rather than expensive energy intensive manufacturing processes to convert low-cost organic wastes into economically viable and environmentally friendly materials. Although generally characterised as polymer grade foams and used primarily for limited packaging and construction applications, the mechanical performance of these materials varies significantly and is governed by hyphal architecture, cell wall composition, composite constituents and growth kinetics which are in turn influenced by inherent and exogenous factors. A range of potential applications have been proposed including acoustic dampers, super absorbents, paper, textiles, structural and electronic parts. Limited research, inconclusive data and the proposed applications and feasibility suggest that further investigation is warranted.

Cigarette smoke impaired maturation of ovarian follicles and normal growth of uterus inner wall of female wild-type and hypertensive rats

Cigarette smoke (CS) is well known to be very harmful to human body functions such as fertility, reproduction, and development. CS is considered to more affect patients with hypertension (HT). To estimate the effect of CS associated with female rat’s fertility, we examined the histopathological characteristics of the uterus and ovary which were obtained from the female rats exposed to smoke of the standard cigarette (3R4F) for 4 weeks (10h a week) according to the OECD guidelines. The female wild-type Wistar Kyoto (WK) rats (WTR) and spontaneously hypertensive WK rats (SHR) were used to compare the effect of CS on healthy and hypertensive rats. After CS exposure, we manufactured tissue slides from uterine and ovarian samples and evaluated the maturation of follicles of ovary and cell proliferation in the uterus by H&E staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC). In IHC analysis on ovarian tissues, the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and the number of follicles were decreased by CS exposure. On the contrary, PCNA expression and cell proliferation in the uterine inner layers were increased by CS exposure. The protein expression of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress marker, and BAX, a pro-apoptotic protein, was decreased by CS exposure. This phenomenon was more exacerbated in SHR rats than in WTR rats. Taken together, acute exposure to CS induced the decreased maturation of ovarian follicles and abnormal over-growth of uterine inner wall, leading to a harmful effect on female rat’s normal function. In addition, this harmful effect of CS may be displayed more seriously in rats with HT.

Planktotrons: A novel indoor mesocosm facility for aquatic biodiversity and food web research

AbstractWe established a new indoor mesocosm facility, 12 fully controlled “Planktotrons”, designed to conduct marine and freshwater experiments for biodiversity and food web approaches using natural or artificial, benthic or planktonic communities. The Planktotrons are a unique and custom‐tailored facility allowing long‐term experiments. Wall growth can be inhibited by a rotating gate paddle with silicone lips. Additionally, temperature and light intensity are individually controllable for each Planktotron and the large volume (600 L) enables high‐frequency or volume‐intense measurements. In a pilot freshwater experiment various trophic levels of a pelagic food web were maintained for up to 90 d. First, an artificially assembled phytoplankton community of 11 species was inoculated in all Planktotrons. After 22 d, two ciliates were added to all, and three Daphnia species were added to six Planktotrons. After 72 d, dissolved organic matter (DOM, an alkaline soil extract) was added as an external disturbance to six of the 12 Planktotrons, involving three Planktotrons stocked with Daphnia and three without, respectively. We demonstrate the suitability of the Planktotrons for food web and biodiversity research. Variation among replicated Planktotrons (n = 3 minimum) did not differ from other laboratory systems and field experiments. We investigated population dynamics and interactions among the different trophic levels, and found them affected by the sequence of ciliate and Daphnia addition and the disturbance caused by addition of DOM.

Geochemistry of pyrite and chalcopyrite from an active black smoker in 49.6°E Southwest Indian Ridge

Active hydrothermal chimneys, as the product of submarine hydrothermal activity, can be used to determine the fluid evolution and formation process of potential volcanic-hosted massive sulfide deposits. A hard-won specimen from an active hydrothermal chimney was collected in the 49.6°E ultraslow-spreading Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) field through a television-guided grab. A geochemical study of prominent sulfide (e.g., pyrite and chalcopyrite) included in this sample was performed using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. The early sulfides produced at low temperature are of disseminated fine-grained anhedral morphology, whereas the late ones with massive, coarse euhedral features precipitated in a high-temperature setting. The systematic variations in the contents of minor and trace elements are apparently related to the crystallization sequence, as well as to texture. Micro-disseminated anhedral sulfides rich in Pb, As, Ni, Ba, Mn, Mo, U, and V were formed during the initial chimney wall growth, whereas those rich in Sn, Se, and Co with massive, coarse euhedral morphology were formed within the late metallogenic stage. The hydrothermal fluid composition has experienced a great change during the chimney growth. Such a conclusion is consistent with that indicated by using principal component analysis, which is a powerful statistical analysis method widely used to project multidimensional datasets (e.g., element contents in different mineral phases) into a few directions. This distribution pattern points to crystallographic controls on minor and trace element uptake during chimney growth, occurring with concomitant variations in the fluid composition evolutionary history. In this pyrite-chalcopyrite-bearing active hydrothermal chimney at the SWIR, the metal concentration and precipitation of sulfides largely occurred at the seafloor as a result of mixing between the upwelling hot hydrothermal fluid and cold seawater. Over the course of mixing, significant variations in metal solubility were caused by changes in temperature, pH, and redox conditions in the parental fluid phase.