Calcite-accumulating large sulfur bacteria of the genus Achromatium in Sippewissett Salt Marsh

Large sulfur bacteria of the genus Achromatium are exceptional among Bacteria and Archaea as they can accumulate high amounts of internal calcite. Although known for more than 100 years, they remain uncultured, and only freshwater populations have been studied so far. Here we investigate a marine population of calcite-accumulating bacteria that is primarily found at the sediment surface of tide pools in a salt marsh, where high sulfide concentrations meet oversaturated oxygen concentrations during the day. Dynamic sulfur cycling by phototrophic sulfide-oxidizing and heterotrophic sulfate-reducing bacteria co-occurring in these sediments creates a highly sulfidic environment that we propose induces behavioral differences in the Achromatium population compared with reported migration patterns in a low-sulfide environment. Fluctuating intracellular calcium/sulfur ratios at different depths and times of day indicate a biochemical reaction of the salt marsh Achromatium to diurnal changes in sedimentary redox conditions. We correlate this calcite dynamic with new evidence regarding its formation/mobilization and suggest general implications as well as a possible biological function of calcite accumulation in large bacteria in the sediment environment that is governed by gradients. Finally, we propose a new taxonomic classification of the salt marsh Achromatium based on their adaptation to a significantly different habitat than their freshwater relatives, as indicated by their differential behavior as well as phylogenetic distance on 16S ribosomal RNA gene level. In future studies, whole-genome characterization and additional ecophysiological factors could further support the distinctive position of salt marsh Achromatium

Otoacoustic Emissions from Residual Oscillations of the Cochlear Basilar Membrane in a Human Ear Model

Sounds originating from within the inner ear, known as otoacoustic emissions (OAEs), are widely exploited in clinical practice but the mechanisms underlying their generation are not entirely clear. Here we present simulation results and theoretical considerations based on a hydrodynamic model of the human inner ear. Simulations show that, if the cochlear amplifier (CA) gain is a smooth function of position within the active cochlea, filtering performed by a middle ear with an irregular, i.e., nonsmooth, forward transfer function suffices to produce irregular and long-lasting residual oscillations of cochlear basilar membrane (BM) at selected frequencies. Feeding back to the middle ear through hydrodynamic coupling afforded by the cochlear fluid, these oscillations are detected as transient evoked OAEs in the ear canal. If, in addition, the CA gain profile is affected by irregularities, residual BM oscillations are even more irregular and tend to evolve towards self-sustaining oscillations at the loci of gain irregularities. Correspondingly, the spectrum of transient evoked OAEs exhibits sharp peaks. If both the CA gain and the middle-ear forward transfer function are smooth, residual BM oscillations have regular waveforms and extinguish rapidly. In this case no emissions are produced. Finally, and paradoxically albeit consistent with observations, simulating localized damage to the CA results in self-sustaining BM oscillations at the characteristic frequencies (CFs) of the sites adjacent to the damage region, accompanied by generation of spontaneous OAEs. Under these conditions, stimulus-frequency OAEs, with typical modulation patterns, are also observed for inputs near hearing threshold. This approach can be exploited to provide novel diagnostic tools and a better understanding of key phenomena relevant for hearing science