Effective protocols are introduced for parthenogenesis activation in oocytes. Hydrostatic pressure can act as a mechanical stimulator that rearranges egg contents, leading to new structural or molecular combination. Alternatively, mechanical stimulation could stimulate a mechanically-gated process, such as opening or closing of stretch activated ion channels. This study, investigated the use of...

To clarify the role of the endolymphatic sac (ES) in the regulation of endolymphatic pressure, the effects of isoproterenol, a beta-adrenergic receptor agonist, and acetazolamide, a potent carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, both of which decrease ES direct current potential on cochlear hydrostatic pressure, were examined in guinea pigs. When isoproterenol was applied intravenously, hydrostatic press...

We present fiber Bragg grating pressure sensors in air-hole microstructured fibers for high-temperature operation above 800 degrees C. An ultrafast laser was used to inscribe Type II grating in two-hole optical fibers. The fiber Bragg grating resonance wavelength shift and peak splits were studied as a function of external hydrostatic pressure from 15 psi to 2000 psi. The grating pressure senso...

The same tendency that causes soap bubbles to achieve a minimum surface area for the volume enclosed seems to account for many of the features of growth and division of bacteria, including both bacilli and cocci. It is only necessary to assume that growth takes place in zones and that only in these zones does the tension caused by hydrostatic pressure create the strain that forces the cell to i...

The objective of this study was to identify ERK 1/2 involvement in the changes in compressive and tensile mechanical properties associated with hydrostatic pressure treatment of self-assembled cartilage constructs. In study 1, ERK 1/2 phosphorylation was detected by immunoblot, following application of hydrostatic pressure (1 h of static 10 MPa) applied at days 10-14 of self-assembly culture. I...

In the generic phase diagram of heavy fermion systems, tuning an external parameter such as hydrostatic or chemical pressure modifies the superconducting transition temperature. The superconducting phase forms a dome in the temperature-tuning parameter phase diagram, which is associated with a maximum of the superconducting pairing interaction. Proximity to antiferromagnetism suggests a relatio...

We report an ab initio study of the effect of hydrostatic pressure and uniaxial strain on electronic properties of KNa2Bi, a cubic bialkali bismuthide. It is found that this zero-gap semimetal with an inverted band structure at the Brillouin zone center can be driven into various topological phases under proper external pressure. We show that upon hydrostatic compression KNa2Bi turns into a tri...

The adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is almost invariably accompanied by permeability pulmonary oedema, usually appearing in the first few hours [1, 2]. The extent and therefore the seriousness of this oedema is proportional to the filtration of fluid and proteins through the pulmonary vascular endothelium. The extreme sensitivity of this filtration to variations of capillary pressure...

The experimental realization and an algorithm for analysing the pressure dependence of the molecular order parameter of specific structural moieties in (bio)macromolecular fibres are described. By employing a diamond anvil cell (DAC) the polarization-dependent IR-transmission and in parallel, using an integrated microscope, the macroscopic orientation of the fibres is determined. This enables o...

Four strains of euryhaline bacteria belonging to the genus Halomonas were tested for their response to a range of temperatures (2, 13, and 30 degrees C), hydrostatic pressures (0.1, 7.5, 15, 25, 35, 45, and 55 MPa), and salinities (4, 11, and 17% total salts). The isolates were psychrotolerant, halophilic to moderately halophilic, and piezotolerant, growing fastest at 30 degrees C, 0.1 MPa, and...