Excessive Water Loss Research Articles

Effect of body lipid content is linked to nutritional adaptation in the acclimation responses of mesic-adapted Paederus to seasonal variations in desiccation stress

Desiccation stress causes mesic-adapted arthropods to lose their body water content. However, mesic-adapted Paederus beetles can survive over prolonged periods under dry field conditions, suggesting that these beetles adopt an array of water conservation mechanisms. We investigated the water balance mechanisms of field-collected Paederus adults over a 14-month sampling period. We also assessed their nutritional adaptations by performing a stable isotope analysis to examine their diet. The water loss rate (WLR) of the beetles was significantly associated with the rice crop cycle and saturation deficit. The cuticular permeability (CP) of adult beetles was maintained at < 30 µg cm−2h−1 mmHg−1; however, CP increased significantly with the WLR. This result indicates that CP might play a minor role in reducing excessive water loss in beetles. The beetles’ body water content and percentage total body water content increased when the WLR was high. Trehalose, glucose, and glycogen did not appear to play a central role in enhancing the water reserves in the insects. The body lipid content ranged from 0.22 ± 0.06 to 0.87 ± 0.07 mg and was negatively associated with the WLR. This association indicates that the increase in internal metabolic water was mediated by lipid catabolism. Stable isotope analysis results revealed that the Paederus beetles shifted their diet to carbohydrate-rich plants when the saturation deficit increased and the associated WLR reached its peak; otherwise, they consumed a high amount of staple carbohydrate-poor herbivore prey. The accumulation of energy reserves in the form of lipids through seasonal dietary shifts may exert major effects on the survival and population success of mesic-adapted Paederus beetles.

Stomata: the holey grail of plant evolution

Stomata: the holey grail of plant evolution

EFFECT OF EGG STORAGE CONDITIONS ON THE HATCHABILITY AND CHICK QUALITY OF DUCKS

EFFECT OF EGG STORAGE CONDITIONS ON THE HATCHABILITY AND CHICK QUALITY OF DUCKS This study was conducted at the French Group Company at Al-Sadat City in Menoufia Governorate to investigate the effect of different pre-incubation egg storage period on the egg weight loss, hatchability, hatch window, duckling quality, duckling immunity, and its body weight. 384 fertile eggs were collected from 200 females of Pekin ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) at the age of (26 weeks of production), which mated by artificial insemention with 30 male of Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) to produce Molar ducks. Eggs were divided into four equal treatments (each of 96 eggs) and subjected to different storage periods (0, 4, 8 and 12 days) to determine the effects of different storage periods on egg weight loss, hatchability, hatch window, duckling quality, duckling immunity, and its body weight were measured for the different treatments. The results revealed that there were insignificantly differences (p ≤ 0.05) in egg weight loss by the different pre-incubation egg storage period. Storage eggs for 0 days had the highest hatchability percentage (92.2 %) compared to other experimental groups. Data demonstrated that storage eggs for 12 days achieved the largest hatch window (17:30 hours) when compared with 0, 4 and 8 days of storage. The relationship between storage period and duckling quality revealed that storage eggs for 0 days achieved the highest quality compared to the other groups. Immunity also, was affected by storage period (0 days was the hightest immunity) compared with the other groups. The effect of storage period on duckling body weight at age of one day was also studied. Data indicated that thrid group (storage periods 8 days) achieved significantly (P ≤ 0.01) highest body weight (76 g). It could be concluded that storage of fertile duck eggs should not exceed 8 days to avoid excessive loss of egg water that impair the albumen contents which needed by the developing embryo for growth during incubation. The storage also, affected the transfer of maternal immunity to the embroyes and the hatched duklings.

Tear Osmolarity in the Diagnosis of Systemic Dehydration and Dry Eye Disease.

Systemic dehydration due to inadequate water intake or excessive water loss, is common in the elderly and results in a high morbidity and significant mortality. Diagnosis is often overlooked and there is a need for a simple, bedside diagnostic test in at-risk populations. Body hydration is highly regulated with plasma osmolality (pOsm) being tightly controlled over a wide range of physiological conditions. By contrast, normal tear osmolarity (tOsm) is more variable since the tear film is exposed to evaporation from the open eye. While plasma hyperosmolality is a diagnostic feature of systemic dehydration, tear hyperosmolality, with other clinical features, is diagnostic of dry eye. Studies in young adults subjected to exercise and water-deprivation, have shown that tOsm may provide an index of pOsm, with the inference that it may provide a simple measure to diagnose systemic dehydration. However, since the prevalence of both dry eye and systemic dehydration increases with age, the finding of a raised tOsm in the elderly could imply the presence of either condition. This diagnostic difficulty can be overcome by measuring tear osmolality after a period of evaporative suppression (e.g., a 45 min period of lid closure) which drives tOsm osmolality down to a basal level, close to that of the pOsm. The arguments supporting the use of this basal tear osmolarity (BTO) in the diagnosis of systemic dehydration are reviewed here. Further studies are needed to confirm that the BTO can act as a surrogate for pOsm in both normally hydrated subjects and in patients with systemic dehydration and to determine the minimum period of lid closure required for a simple, “point-of-care” test.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae tolerance to hyper-osmolarity in aerobic glucose-limited chemostat culture

Different mechanisms contribute to regulate cellular functions in order to cope with threats from physiological stress conditions. As a fundamental response to balance excess water loss and restore turgor, Saccharomyces cerevisiae subjected to increased osmolarity accelerate intracellular glycerol biosynthesis and accumulation as a compatible solute. This study assessed cellular response to sorbitol-induced osmolarity in aerobic glucose-limited chemostat culture at various levels of the glycerol flux. Cell number declined slightly without any substantial increase in dry weight and total protein contents following exposure to 1M sorbitol that lasted for 90 min. On the other hand, total glycerol levels increased over time in different yeast cultivations corresponding with enhanced glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1 (GPD1) transcript levels, which led to a steady and intensified protein product. These results support literature evidence of accumulated intracellular glycerol regulation at different levels and further increase curiosity to understand yeast tolerance in various applications including bakery, brewery and wine making or leavening of bread underdifferent osmotic conditions.

Embryonic cuticle from artemia cyst shell displays amyloid-like characteristics and nontoxicity after oral consumption

Artemia cysts are the essential food product for industrial larviculture of fishes. The cyst shell protects the artemia embryo from mechanical damage, ultraviolet light, excessive water loss, thermal variation and anoxia condition. However, the underlying mechanism of such environmental protection is largely unclear. The embryonic cuticle of cyst shell mainly constitutes chitin and proteins. Absence of cyst shell proteins compromises embryo survival. In literature, there are few examples of functional amyloids where proteins adapt amyloid-like structures and act as protective covering. We hypothesized that the proteins from the embryonic cuticle of artemia cyst shell may have amyloid-like properties. Using FTIR and CD analysis, we found that proteins in embryonic cuticle have high β-sheet secondary structures. Embryonic cuticles displayed high Congo red binding affinity and stained samples showed apple-green birefringence under polarized light, confirming the presence of amyloid-like structures. Amyloid structures have a tendency to propagate and cause amyloidosis. However, feeding of amyloid rich embryonic cuticles to zebrafish did not show any signs of discomfort or morbidity and amyloid deposition. Taken together, the study reveals that amyloid-like structures are present in embryonic cuticle of artemia cyst and their consumption does not induce amyloidosis in zebrafish.

Probing the Unique Role of Ultralong-Chain Omega-Acylceramide Cer[EOS] in a Stratum Corneum Lipid Model Matrix using 2H NMR

The stratum corneum (SC) as the outermost layer of the human skin prevents the body from excessive water loss as well as xenobiotics. At the moment, the LPP(long periodicity phase) is estimated as essential for the barrier function of the human skin, but the exact molecular structure is still unknown. Therefore, we studied a LPP model of the intercellular lipids of the SC consisting of Cer[EOS], Cer[NS], a free fatty acid-mixture (FFA-mix, C16-C24 saturated) and cholesterol at a molar mixing ratio of 0.3:0.7:1:0.45.

Mechanism of action of tin on the semi-conductive properties of PbO layer in lead acid battery

Although antimony in alloys for lead-acid batteries has better mechanical and electrochemical performance, it reduces the excessive potential for hydrogen evolution, resulting in excessive water loss and self-discharge of the battery. This paper aims to examine the action of tin in PbSn using different techniques. In this work, the addition of tin in PbCa was intended to suppress the premature capacity loss (PCL) caused by the substitution of antimony in the PbSb alloy by calcium that has good mechanical properties and a high hydrogen evolution potential (200 mV higher than that of antimony). This substitution induces the formation of a passive film composed mainly of α-PbO. The mechanism of action of tin on the anodic film obtained at 700 mV vs. Hg/Hg2SO4/K2SO4 saturated electrode with Pb – (0–5) wt.% Sn in 0.5 mol/L sulfuric acid solution at 25 °C was studied using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), AC voltammetry, Mott–Schottky plots and X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the film obtained. It was found that tin stops the growth of the anodic film due to the co-precipitation of certain conductive oxides which reduce the thickness of the passive film and increase its conductivity. A mechanism of action of tin on the electrochemical behavior of the anodic film was suggested based on the results.

Microfluidic electrospray photo-crosslinkable κ-Carrageenan microparticles for wound healing

• The novel natural κ-Carrageenan is synthesized by substitution reactions. • Microfluidic electrospray technology is employed to prepare microparticles. • The microparticles are used to load and sustainedly release bioactive drugs. • Drugs loaded microparticles are used to promoted regeneration in chronic wounds. When organs, especially external organs are injured, pathogens and excessive water loss can threaten the wound healing process and cause local irreversible tissue damage. Here, novel natural κ-Carrageenan microparticles (MPs) able to deliver bioactive proteins and small molecules to the wound surface for promoted regeneration were developed using microfluidic electrospray. The side chains of κ-Carrageenan were modified with methacrylate pendant groups to make the monomer photonic cross-linkable. By changing the concentration of methacrylated-κ-Carrageenan, different porosities of MPs with controllable drug loading were achieved. The size of the MPs can also be tailored by adjusting the voltage of the applied electric field. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and antimicrobial peptides Eumenitin were co-loaded into the microparticles (VEGF-Eumenitin-MPs) and released sustainedly in phosphate-buffered saline. The VEGF-Eumenitin-MPs had high biocompatibility and intensive antibacterial activities for bacteria. Furthermore, the antibacterial and angiogenetic properties of the VEGF-Eumenitin-MPs were demonstrated in a infectious wound model and the chronic wound healing process was significantly enhanced in vivo . Therefore, the developed porous MPs with sustained drug release properties have the potential to serve as a platform to deliver bioactive proteins and small molecules to the wound surface for promoted regeneration.

Hydrates of adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate sodium and their transformation

The difference of crystal water behaviors for cAMPNa hydrates was attributed mainly to the steric effects in lattices. Excessive loss of crystal water would destroy the host structure, and result in the disability of reversible transformation.

Light-Mediated Signaling and Metabolic Changes Coordinate Stomatal Opening and Closure.

Stomata are valves on the leaf surface controlling carbon dioxide (CO2) influx for photosynthesis and water loss by transpiration. Thus, plants have to evolve elaborate mechanisms controlling stomatal aperture to allow efficient photosynthesis while avoid excessive water loss. Light is not only the energy source for photosynthesis but also an important signal regulating stomatal movement during dark-to-light transition. Our knowledge concerning blue and red light signaling and light-induced metabolite changes that contribute to stomatal opening are accumulating. This review summarizes recent advances on the signaling components that lie between the perception of blue/red light and activation of the PM H+-ATPases, and on the negative regulation of stomatal opening by red light-activated phyB signaling and ultraviolet (UV-B and UV-A) irradiation. Besides, light-regulated guard cell (GC)-specific metabolic levels, mesophyll-derived sucrose, and CO2 concentration within GCs also play dual roles in stomatal opening. Thus, light-induced stomatal opening is tightly accompanied by brake mechanisms, allowing plants to coordinate carbon gain and water loss. Knowledge on the mechanisms regulating the trade-off between stomatal opening and closure may have potential applications toward generating superior crops with improved water use efficiency (CO2 gain vs. water loss).

The complementary role of root and leaf PIP1 and PIP2 aquaporins drives the anisohydric behavior in Helinathus annuus L.

This study aimed at determining the role of aquaporins (AQPs) in the anisohydric behavior of sunflower. Deactivation of AQPs by mercury revealed that they could play vital role in the stomatal regulation and this role was not time-dependent under the control conditions. Sunflower seedlings were exposed to drought or to osmotic or ionic factor of NaCl and KCl. Under control and optimal conditions, sunflower leaves behaved in an anisohydric manner (maintaining high stomatal conductance (gs) at 13:00 compared to 9:00). At 13:00: 1) the upregulation of PIP1;1 could improve the mesophyll conductance to CO2, leading to enhancement of the photosynthetic rate (A) and consequently increasing the gs and 2) PIP2s were downregulated in the leaves, perhaps to decrease the hydraulic conductance and control excess water loss via transpiration but at the same time these genes were upregulated in the roots to improve root to leaf hydraulic conductance and maintain the positive water balance of the whole plant. Under drought, the decrease in gs and A at 13:00 could imply a shift towards near-isohydric behavior. The downregulation of PIP1s and further downregulation of PIP2s could indicate their involvement in this shift by decreasing CO2 permeability and avoiding the possible loss of water from the plant roots to soil, respectively. The anisohydric behavior of leaves treated with KCl, but not NaCl, (25 or 150 mM) could be due to the positive impact of K+ on stomata and the regulation of PIP1s and PIP2s. The anisohydric behavior could be achieved by a synchronized regulation of leaf and root AQPs.

Very Long Chain Lipids Favor the Formation of a Homogeneous Phase in Stratum Corneum Model Membranes.

The stratum corneum (SC), the outermost layer of mammal epidermis, acts as a barrier dictating the rate of absorption of exogenous molecules through the skin, as well as to prevent excessive water loss from the body. The SC consists of protein-rich corneocytes embedded into a complex lipid mixture. The lipid fraction is mainly constituted of an equimolar mixture of ceramides (Cer), free fatty acids (FFA), and cholesterol (Chol), forming a solid phase in the intracellular space; this lipid phase is supposed to play a fundamental role in the SC barrier function. An unusual characteristic of this biological membrane is that its lipids generally bear very long acyl chains, with the 24-carbon long ones being the most abundant. In this work, we used Raman microspectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy to study the influence of the acyl chain length on the lipid mixing properties in SC model membranes. Our results revealed that the combination of ceramides and FFA bearing a very long chain is required for the formation of homogeneous lipid mixtures, while lipids with shorter chains (16-carbon and 20-carbon atom long) lead to domains with micrometer dimensions. It is proposed that the biological machinery necessary for acyl chain elongation occurring at the mammalian skin level is required to inhibit lipid phase separation, a critical feature in the proper barrier functioning.

The efficacy and safety of local therapy of atopic dermatitis in infants and school-age children

Atopic dermatitis is a multifactorial genetic inflammatory skin disease associated with disturbances of skin barrier function affected by predisposition to IgE-mediated hypersensitivity, which is characterized by itching, chronic recurrent course of the disease, age-related features of localization and lesion morphology, and requires the long-term and permanent treatment.Treatment is based on the continuous use of emollients, topical calcineurin inhibitors, topical glucocorticoids, and hygienic skin care.The mechanisms of the atopic dermatitis development are primarily based on a genetic predisposition to allergies, failure of the normal development of congenital and acquired factors of the immune system, as well as the influence of environmental factors and various trigger factors, such as allergenic (food, indoor, epidermal, fungal allergens, etc.). and non-allergenic (tobacco smoke, pollutants, psycho-emotional stress, concomitant chronic and acute diseases, mainly ARVI, etc.).It has been established that atopic dermatitis is characterized by the epidermal barrier dysfunction leading to excessive tran-sepidermal water loss, increased permeability of the epidermis, the penetration of allergens and microbial agents via the skin and eventually to sensitization to allergens and the development of specific allergic skin inflammation and atopic march with the sequential development of other atopic diseases.Modern therapeutic strategies are actively aimed at repairing the epidermal barrier, preventing sensitization and atopic march development. This article describes the features of the epidermal barrier dysfunction in atopic dermatitis, lists the methods of its restoration and ways to prevent subsequent exacerbations using local therapy and emollients, and presents 3 clinical cases.

The effect of irrigation and drainage management on crop yield in the Egyptian Delta: Case of El-Baradi area

Loss of excess water through free subsurface drainage networks is a major cause of inefficiency in Egypt's irrigation system, where the drainage water flows continuously and quickly with nutrients from the soil profile. This research aims at evaluating the impact of controlled drainage and irrigation scheduling on applied irrigation water, soil salinity and crop yield. Actual field data have been collected for growing seasons 2015 and 2016 in El-Baradi area in the Nile Delta. DRIANMOD-S model was used to simulate irrigation and drainage management practices for wheat and maize crops over 9 years. The simulation showed that, controlled drainage system increases the average relative yield of maize crop 6% compared to conventional drainage system, with 14% reduction in irrigation water.Using evenly irrigation gifts with decreasing 14% of the applied irrigation water increased the relative yield of wheat crop by 2.0 and 9.4% in conventional and controlled drainage systems, respectively. While the average relative yield for maize crop increased by 8.6% for conventional drainage system and decreased by 10.2% in controlled drainage system, the loss in yield for both systems was attributed mainly to salinity stress.

Stomatal density and mechanics are critical for high productivity: insights from amphibious ferns.

Angiosperm dominance in terrestrial landscapes is partially attributable to high photosynthetic capacities. Angiosperms benefit from diverse anatomical and physiological adaptations, making it difficult to determine which factors may have been prerequisites for the evolution of enhanced photosynthetic rates in this group. We employed a novel approach to this problem: comparisons between angiosperms and Marsileaceae, a family of semi-aquatic ferns that are among the only land plants to match angiosperm photosynthetic rates. We found that Marsileaceae have very high stomatal densities and, like angiosperms but unlike all other ferns previously studied, exhibit wrong-way stomatal responses to excision. These results suggest that stomatal density and a little-studied angiosperm trait, the capacity for lateral displacement of guard cells into neighboring epidermal cells, are crucial for facilitating high rates of gas exchange. Our analysis also associates these adaptations in Marsileaceae with an increased risk of excessive water loss during drought. Our findings indicate that evolution in stomatal physiology was a prerequisite for high photosynthetic capacities in vascular plants and a key driver of the abrupt Cretaceous rise of the angiosperms.

Essential Functions of Glycans in Human Epithelia Dissected by a CRISPR-Cas9-Engineered Human Organotypic Skin Model.

SummaryThe glycome undergoes characteristic changes during histogenesis and organogenesis, but our understanding of the importance of select glycan structures for tissue formation and homeostasis is incomplete. Here, we present a human organotypic platform that allows genetic dissection of cellular glycosylation capacities and systematic interrogation of the roles of distinct glycan types in tissue formation. We used CRISPR-Cas9 gene targeting to generate a library of 3D organotypic skin tissues that selectively differ in their capacity to produce glycan structures on the main types of N- and O-linked glycoproteins and glycolipids. This tissue library revealed distinct changes in skin formation associated with a loss of features for all tested glycoconjugates. The organotypic skin model provides phenotypic cues for the distinct functions of glycoconjugates and serves as a unique resource for further genetic dissection and identification of the specific structural features involved. The strategy is also applicable to other organotypic tissue models.

Predicting peatland groundwater table and soil moisture dynamics affected by drainage level

Excessive drainage of peatlands can cause subsidence and irreversible drying; therefore, it is necessary to predict groundwater levels in peatlands to ensure adequate water for crops and control excessive water loss simultaneously. This study aimed to predict the peatland groundwater level and soil moisture affected by drainage. This research was conducted in a peatland located in Rasau Jaya Umum, Kubu Raya Regency, West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia from February to December 2016. Three treatments of drainage setting were established with maize cropping: without drainage (P0) and drainage channel with water level maintained at depths of 30 cm (P1) and 60 cm (P2) from the soil surface. The results indicated that a polynomial regression model is a good approach to predicting groundwater table level and soil moisture in peatlands, with R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; values ranging 0.71-0.96 and 0.65-0.93, respectively. For agricultural purposes, maintaining the water level at 30 cm from the soil surface in the drainage channel appears to be the ideal level as adequate soil moisture is provided for annual cash crops and drying is prevented simultaneously.

SIMAROUBA GLAUCA DC: AN EFFECTIVE BIOPESTICIDE AGAINST LEAF DEFOLIATORS OF AILANTHUS AND TEAK PLANTS

ABSTRACT Simarouba glauca DC seeds were collected and oil was extracted by using n-Hexane solvent in soxhlet apparatus. Phytochemical screening of n-Hexane extract of S. glauca seed oil showed the presence of cardiac glycosides, saponin and steroids. Physicochemical analysis showed that density of oil was 0.441 g/cc, free fatty acid value was 1.6 mg KOH/g, iodine value was 27.74 g/100g oil, peroxide value was 1.14 meq/kg oil, acid value was 3.21, saponification value was 208 mg KOH/g and unsaponifiable matter was 3%. Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry analysis revealed that the presence of oleic acid, steric acid, palmitic acid, and linoleic acid as major fatty acids with the area percentage of 44.6%, 24.03%, 15.44% and 0.232% respectively. Further laboratory experiment was setup to evaluate S. glauca seed oil against Ailanthus and Teak defoliators viz., Eligma narcissus Cramer (Lepidoptera: Nolidae) and Hyblaea puera Cramer (Lepidoptera: Hyblaeidae). Spraying of S. glauca seed oil had resulted in 100% larval mortality in both E. narcissus and H. puera. The larval mortality was due to the insecticidal property of oil through hydrolytic dissociation and excess loss of water. Simarouba glauca seed oil acts as a contact poison and it could be used as a biopesticide to control the E. narcissus and H. puera in the early developmental stages.

MON-LB65 Lithium: The Culprit of Multiple Endocrinopathies

Background: Lithium, commonly used to treat various psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder, can cause acute toxicity that presents with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Lithium can also cause life-threatening endocrine abnormalities, including hypercalcemia, hypernatremia, and both hypo- and hyperthyroidism. Clinical Case: A 61-year old female with hypothyroidism, bipolar disorder, hyperparathyroidism with two-gland parathyroidectomy on lithium for over 30 years presented with altered mental status.Initial labs revealed elevated creatinine 1.92 mg/dL (0.8-2.00mg/dL) compared to baseline 0.82 mg/dL, sodium 154 mg/dL (135-147 mg/dL), Corrected calcium 11.7 mg/dL (8.5-10.5 mg/dL), PTH 96 pg/mL (15-65 pg/mL), and high lithium levels 1.45 mmol/L (0.60-1.20 mmol/L). Further studies showed hypotonic polyuria with no increase in urine osmolality after desmopressin, consistent with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Lithium was held and she was treated with aggressive intravenous hydration with dextrose 5% water.Hypercalcemia is thought to result from increased secretion of PTH due to an increased set point at which calcium suppresses PTH release; this often resolves once lithium is stopped. Lithium can also unmask previously unrecognized mild hyperparathyroidism, and/or raise serum PTH concentrations independent of calcium levels.1 The drug interferes with the kidneys’ ability to concentrate urine in the collecting tubules by desensitizing response to antidiuretic hormone, causing diabetes insipidus. The resulting volume depletion from excessive urinary water loss in turn lead to acute kidney injury and hypernatremia.2 Hypothyroidism results from lithium-inhibited synthesis and release of thyroid hormones and decreases iodine trapping. Conclusion: Although these are infrequent complications of lithium use, they remain pertinent clinical findings to consider due to their morbidity. In this case, our patient may have avoided multiple chronic electrolyte abnormalities leading to altered mental status if lithium toxicity had been recognized earlier.