Tissue-specific regulation of epidermal contraction during C. elegans embryonic morphogenesis

Actin and myosin mediate the epidermal cell contractions that elongate the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo from an ovoid to a tubular-shaped worm. Contraction occurs mainly in the lateral epidermal cells, while the dorsoventral epidermis plays a more passive role. Two parallel pathways trigger actinomyosin contraction, one mediated by LET-502/Rho kinase and the other by PAK-1/p21 activated kinase. A number of genes mediating morphogenesis have been shown to be sufficient when expressed either laterally or dorsoventrally. Additional genes show either lateral or dorsoventral phenotypes. This led us to a model where contractile genes have discrete functions in one or the other cell type. We tested this by examining several genes for either lateral or dorsoventral sufficiency. LET-502 expression in the lateral cells was sufficient to drive elongation. MEL-11/Myosin phosphatase, which antagonizes contraction, and PAK-1 were expected to function dorsoventrally, but we could not detect tissue-specific sufficiency. Double mutants of lethal alleles predicted to decrease lateral contraction with those thought to increase dorsoventral force were previously shown to be viable. We hypothesized that these mutant combinations shifted the contractile force from the lateral to the dorsoventral cells and so the embryos would elongate with less lateral cell contraction. This was tested by examining ten single and double mutant strains. In most cases, elongation proceeded without a noticeable alteration in lateral contraction. We suggest that many embryonic elongation genes likely act in both lateral and dorsoventral cells, even though they may have their primary focus in one or the other cell type.

Moisture induced straining of the cellulosic microfibril

Moisture absorption in the cell wall structure of wood is well known to induce considerable swelling of the wood exerting high expansion forces. This swelling is mainly induced by the sorptive action of the hydroxyl groups of the carbohydrate wood polymers; cellulose and hemicelluloses. On the ultrastructural level, there are, however, still questions with regard to the detailed deformations induced by this moisture absorption. Here, FTIR spectroscopy and synchrotron-radiation-based X-ray diffraction were used on paper samples to study the deformation of the cellulose crystals as a consequence of moisture absorption and desorption. Both techniques revealed that the moisture absorption resulted in a transverse contraction of the cellulose crystals accompanied by a somewhat smaller elongation in the cellulose chain direction. The deformations were found to be a direct response to the increased moisture content and were also found to be reversible during moisture desorption. It is hypothesised that these deformations are a consequence of the swelling forces created by the combined longitudinal and lateral expansions of the non-crystalline cellulose molecules and the glucomannan hemicellulose aligned along the cellulose crystals. These forces will impose a lateral contraction of the cellulose crystals, as well as a longitudinal extension of it. Graphic abstract

Room Temperature Ferroelastic Creep Behavior of Porous (La0.6Sr0.4)0.95Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ

The time-dependent deformation of porous (La0.6Sr0.4)0.95Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ (LSCF) under constant uniaxial compressive stress at room temperature has been studied. Both axial and lateral stress–strain deformation curves clearly show the non-linear ferroelastic behavior of LSCF perovskite during compression. The ferroelastic characteristics of deformation curves such as coercive stress and apparent loading moduli decrease when the porosity of the samples increases. Ferroelastic creep deformations at applied stresses of 25 and 50 MPa demonstrate that stress and porosity are influencing factors on creep deformation, which increases with increasing stress and porosity. A negative creep or axial expansion and lateral contraction were observed in the sample with 35% porosity under 50-MPa constant compression stress.

Neutron diffraction analysis of stress and strain partitioning in a two-phase microstructure with parallel-aligned phases

By time-of-flight (TOF) neutron diffraction experiments, the influence of segregation-induced microstructure bands of austenite (γ) and martensite (α′ ) phases on the partitioning of stress and strain between these phases was investigated. Initially, tensile specimens of a Co-added stainless steel were heat treated by quenching and partitioning (Q&P) processing. Tensile specimens were subsequently loaded at 350 °C parallel to the length of the bands within the apparent elastic limit of the phase mixture. Lattice parameters in both axial and transverse directions were simultaneously measured for both phases. The observation of a lattice expansion for the γ phase in the transverse direction indicated a constraint on the free transverse straining of γ arising from the banded microstructure. The lateral contraction of α′ imposed an interphase tensile microstress in the transverse direction of the γ phase. The multiaxial stress state developed in the γ phase resulted in a large deviation from the level of plastic strain expected for uniaxial loading of single phase γ. Since segregation-induced banded microstructures commonly occur in many engineering alloys, the analysis of stress and strain partitioning with the present Q&P steel can be used to interpret the observations made for further engineering alloys with two-phase microstructures.

Evolution of extensional faults between two rift systems: insights from sandbox experiments

<p>The interference between two offset propagating rift systems creates fractures, with a sigmoid shape in map view and previously referred to as accommodation zones (Mc Clay et al, 2002). This peculiar kinematics may be observed in the Southeastern Brazilian margin in the Santos Basin, developed between the tips of two propagating, offset rifts. In this region, northward propagating rift was aborted during the southward propagation of another rift further to the east leading eventually to the opening of this segment of the South Atlantic. Could this structural setting explain the geometry and the position of the fracture zones in this basin?</p><p>To answer this question, we explore a range of geometrical and kinematic parameters with sandbox experiments to observe the deformation between these two propagating rift systems. The basement of the rift zones were modelled with rubber strips glued to rigid metal plates, following the setup of McClay et al, 2002. However, this setup suffers from the lateral contraction of the rubber due to its elastic extension (the Poisson’s effect). This introduces a spurious kinematics, and in particular an unrealistic opening at the contact between the two rift parts. A new device, whereby thin metallic strips are glued to the sides of the rubber sheet reduces very substantially the Poisson effect and therefore improves the simulation of the overall extension. </p><p>Two main parameters are varied: the offset between the two rifts (D) and the relative velocity of extension of each rift. Narrowly spaced cross –sections of two experiments are interpreted to build 3D patterns.</p><p>The main results from the sandbox experiments are:</p><p>- Major and minor faults with the rifting zone localized by the rubber base present dips approximately equal to 75°.</p><p>- To obtain sigmoid fault array in map view best resembling the structural interpretation of Lebreton (2012), the rifts must be offsets (D>0) and the extension must be synchronous.</p><p>- The 3D fault patterns reveal that fault planes are not continuous in the accommodation zone, between the two rifts.  If these major faults are not connected in the central zone as shown by the physical models, then the fluid flow will be certainly influenced. This central relay zone could also be considered as a diffuse strain zone.</p><p>Numerical models will be helpful to introduce further material heterogeneities in this key area. The experimental results provide the data to validate the numerical modeling and to guide in the selection of the boundary conditions.</p>

Experimental and analytical investigations of volume change behaviour of saturated expansive soils in oedometer test

The chemical and mechanical behaviours of saturated bentonite were experimentally and analytically investigated. A series of oedometer tests on saturated bentonite was conducted. By replacing the cell fluid during the oedometer test, one-dimensional osmotic consolidation and swelling behaviour were observed. The experimental results were simulated numerically using a constitutive model by considering the influence of electrochemical phenomena of clay mineral crystals on the macrostructural behaviour. It was concluded that the typical mechanical swellability of water-saturated bentonite in oedometer test is affected by a positive dilatancy behaviour due to the lower shear strength. After the osmotic consolidation test, a lateral contraction of the specimen in the oedometer was observed; this affected the compressibility during the subsequent mechanical consolidation. It was also concluded that the concentration of Na+ in the pore fluid affects the specific mechanical properties of bentonite.

Effects of <i>Y</i>-type spillway lateral contraction ratios on debris-flowpatterns and scour features downriver of a check dam

Debris flows often cause devastating damage to property and can injure or kill residents in mountainous areas. The construction of check dams in debris-flow valleys is considered a useful strategy for mitigating the damages downstream. In this paper, a new type of spillway structure with lateral contraction was proposed to distribute debris flows after the check dam storage filled up. Four different lateral contraction ratios of the spillway were considered in experiments that investigated debris-flow patterns, scour characteristics, and energy dissipation rates when debris flows passed through the spillway. The results indicated that lateral contraction considerably influenced the extension of debris-flow nappes. The drop length of the nappe at η = 0.7 (η means lateral contraction ratio) was approximately 1.4 times larger than at η = 0.4. The collision, friction, and mixing forces between the debris-flow nappes and debris flows in downstream plunge pools dissipated much of the debris-flow kinetic energy, ranging from 42.03 to 78.08 % at different contraction ratios. Additionally, based on a dimensionless analysis, an empirical model was proposed to predict the maximum scour depth downriver of a check dam. It indicated that the results calculated by the model exhibited good agreement with the experimental results.