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Plant cell wall-derived biomass serves as a renewable source of energy and materials with increasing importance. The cell walls are biomacromolecular assemblies defined by a fine arrangement of different classes of polysaccharides, proteoglycans, and aromatic polymers and are one of the most complex structures in Nature. One of the most challenging tasks of cell biology and biomass biotechnology research is to image the structure and organization of this complex matrix, as well as to visualize the compartmentalized, multiplayer biosynthetic machineries that build the elaborate cell wall architecture. Better knowledge of the plant cells, cell walls, and whole tissue is essential for bioengineering efforts and for designing efficient strategies of industrial deconstruction of the cell wall-derived biomass and its saccharification. Cell wall-directed molecular probes and analysis by light microscopy, which is capable of imaging with a high level of specificity, little sample processing, and often in real time, are important tools to understand cell wall assemblies. This review provides a comprehensive overview about the possibilities for fluorescence label-based imaging techniques and a variety of probing methods, discussing both well-established and emerging tools. Examples of applications of these tools are provided. We also list and discuss the advantages and limitations of the methods. Specifically, we elaborate on what are the most important considerations when applying a particular technique for plants, the potential for future development, and how the plant cell wall field might be inspired by advances in the biomedical and general cell biology fields.

The only immunoglobulin heavy-chain classes known so far in teleosts have been μ and δ. We identify here a previously unknown class, immunoglobulin ζ, expressed in zebrafish and other teleosts. In the zebrafish heavy-chain locus, variable (V) gene segments lie upstream of two tandem diversity, joining and constant (DJC) clusters, resembling the mouse T cell receptor α ( Tcra ) and δ ( Tcrd ) locus. V genes rearrange to (DJC) ζ or to (DJC) μ without evidence of switch rearrangement. The zebrafish immunoglobulin ζ gene ( ighz ) and mouse Tcrd , which are proximal to the V gene array, are expressed earlier in development. In adults, ighz was expressed only in kidney and thymus, which are primary lymphoid organs in teleosts. This additional class adds complexity to the immunoglobulin repertoire and raises questions concerning the evolution of immunoglobulins and the regulation of the differential expression of ighz and ighm .

Chiral asymmetry is important in a wide variety of disciplines and occurs across length scales. While several natural chiral biomolecules exist only with single handedness, they can produce complex hierarchical structures with opposite chiralities. Understanding how the handedness is transferred from molecular to the macroscopic scales is far from trivial. An intriguing example is the transfer of the handedness of helicoidal organizations of cellulose microfibrils in plant cell walls. These cellulose helicoids produce structural colors if their dimension is comparable to the wavelength of visible light. All previously reported examples of a helicoidal structure in plants are left-handed except, remarkably, in the Pollia condensata fruit; both left- and right-handed helicoidal cell walls are found in neighboring cells of the same tissue. By simultaneously studying optical and mechanical responses of cells with different handednesses, we propose that the chirality of helicoids results from differences in cell wall composition. In detail, here we showed statistical substantiation of three different observations: 1) light reflected from right-handed cells is red shifted compared to light reflected from left-handed cells, 2) right-handed cells occur more rarely than left-handed ones, and 3) right-handed cells are located mainly in regions corresponding to interlocular divisions. Finally, 4) right-handed cells have an average lower elastic modulus compared to left-handed cells of the same color. Our findings, combined with mechanical simulation, suggest that the different chiralities of helicoids in the cell wall may result from different chemical composition, which strengthens previous hypotheses that hemicellulose might mediate the rotations of cellulose microfibrils.

The zebrafish, with its transparent free-living embryo, is a useful organism for investigating early stages in lymphopoiesis. Previously, we showed that T cells differentiate in the thymus by day 4, but no sites for B cell differentiation were seen until 3 weeks. We report here that on day 4, we detect rearrangements of genes encoding B cell receptors in DNA extracted from whole fish. Also by day 4, rag1 transcripts are seen in the pancreas, an organ not previously associated with lymphopoiesis; by day 10, Igµ transcripts are detected here. Thus, in zebrafish, the pancreas assumes the role of both the liver in fetal mice and the spleen in neonatal mice.

This research study was designed to examine the effect of spiritual well-being and spirituality on state and trait anxiety. Two hundred and thirty-eight adults in the USA were surveyed using the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory, Duke University Religion Index, Spiritual Well-Being Scale, and Participant Questionnaire. Results indicate that spiritual well-being can predict 39.1 % of an adult's state anxiety and 37.9 % of trait anxiety. Furthermore, frequency of religious attendance, frequency of private religious activity, and intrinsic religiosity can predict 6.2 % of an adult's state anxiety and 8.6 % of trait anxiety. Recommendations for researchers and implications for clinicians are discussed.

Knowledge of the distribution and residency of pelagic marine megafauna, particularly deep-diving species, is scarce due to their high mobility over difficult-to-access oceanic areas and long periods underwater. However, the threatened status of many of these species, such as the sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus , increases the need to obtain quantitative data to support conservation measures. In the warm temperate waters of Macaronesia (Eastern North Atlantic), sperm whales occur year-round in a set of island systems (the Azores, Madeira, and the Canaries), mainly in social groups of females and juveniles with the occasional visits of mature males. Although it is known that they perform inter-archipelago movements, information on site fidelity and residency times is still scarce. Here, based on photographic-identification data, site fidelity and residency times of sperm whales were estimated for subareas of the Azores and the Madeira archipelagos, with a preliminary assessment for a subarea of the Canaries. The Azores and Madeira subareas presented similar proportions of individuals with recaptures (~25%), mainly inter-annual, while in the subarea of the Canaries, only <10% of the individuals were recaptured. Standardized Site Fidelity Indexes showed very low values (<0.01) for both the Azores and Madeira subareas. Lagged identification rates based on models including emigration and reimmigration estimated that an average of 44.8 individuals (SE=4.9) spent 12.9 days (SE=1.5) in the Azores before leaving for 99.1 days (SE=12.5), while 8.4 individuals (SE=16.1) spent 0.8 day (SE=6.6) in Madeira before leaving for 8.6 days (SE=6.9), with a very low mortality rate. This study i) indicates a degree of residency of about ¼ of the identified individuals for the Azores and Madeira subareas and ii) supports that these oceanic archipelagos constitute an important habitat for a Vulnerable species in the Atlantic. Moreover, it also highlights the importance of combining data from opportunistic and dedicated surveys and joint national and international efforts toward the conservation of marine megafauna.

The True’s beaked whale ( Mesoplodon mirus , True 1913) is a poorly known member of the Ziphiidae family. Its distribution in the northern hemisphere is thought to be restricted to the temperate or warm temperate waters of the North Atlantic, while a few stranding records from the southern hemisphere suggest a wider and antitropical distribution, extending to waters from the Atlantic coast of Brazil to South Africa, Mozambique, Australia and the Tasman Sea coast of New Zealand. This paper (i) reports the first molecular confirmation of the occurrence of the True’s beaked whale at the southern limit of its distribution recorded in the northeast Atlantic: the Azores and Canary Islands (macaronesian ecoregion); (ii) describes a new colouration for this species using evidence from a whale with molecular species confirmation; and (iii) contributes to the sparse worldwide database of live sightings, including the first underwater video recording of this species and close images of a calf. Species identification was confirmed in two cases using mitochondrial DNA control region and cytochrome b gene markers: a subadult male True’s beaked whale that stranded in El Hierro, Canary Islands, in November 2012, and a subadult male found floating dead near Faial, the Azores, in July 2004. The whale that stranded in the Canary Islands had a clearly delimited white area on its head, extending posteriorly from the tip of the beak to cover the blowhole dorsally and the gular grooves ventrally. This colouration contrasts with previous descriptions for the species and it may be rare, but it exemplifies the variability of the colouration of True’s beaked whales in the North Atlantic, further confirmed here by live sightings data. The recording of several observations of this species in deep but relatively coastal waters off the Azores and the Canary Islands suggests that these archipelagos may be unique locations to study the behaviour of the enigmatic True’s beaked whale.

In contemporary German literature, rural landscapes often provide the backdrop for idealized imaginations of home (Heimat) and idyll. This portrayal, sometimes referred to as the “New Rurality” (Neue Ländlichkeit), emerges as a response to the social anxieties of late modernity, which at first glance, may seem to offer a retreat to local settings amidst a globalized and crisis-ridden world. However, these idealizations are quickly proven untrue as the deeper complexities and tensions within the concept of Heimat are further examined. Grounded in a theoretical framework based on theories by Beate Mitzscherlich, Hartmut Rosa, and Ina-Maria Greverus, this dissertation aims to explore how the critical analysis of the “New Rurality” in literature prompts a reevaluation of Heimat as a dynamic and socially constructed phenomenon. Through an examination of contemporary German village novels, the idyllic portrayal of Heimat and country life is subjected to scrutiny, revealing deep-seated issues related to gender, nature, and racism. These critical reflections challenge traditional and exclusive notions of home, paving the way for more inclusive and open concepts of belonging. The renegotiation of Heimat in contemporary village novels leads to the dismantling of old, rigid concepts and the emergence of new perspectives. Through the analysis of works by Juli Zeh, Dörthe Hansen, Judith Hermann, and Noah Sow, this thesis demonstrates how literature provides insights into the evolving nature of home in modern society. Overall, this research underscores the importance of critically engaging with representations of Heimat in literature. By doing so, it offers valuable insights into the construction of Heimat in contemporary German society and highlights the need for more inclusive and nuanced understandings of Heimat.

Immunologist and educator who discovered fundamentals of antibody binding.

Written by leading experts from Australia and North America, this book covers the impact of new mining technology on human work performance and safety. Ergonomics experts Tim John Horberry, Robin Burgess-Limerick, and Lisa J. Steiner draw on their personal experience to provide recent research, case studies, and examples, making the book useful, accurate, informative, and easy to read. The authors combine their in-the-trenches experience and academic expertise to present a treatment that balances breadth with depth. The book supplies a much-needed overview of the human element in the journey to optimal equipment design of mining equipment.