Intracellular Water Content Research Articles

The phenomenon of skin contraction in CO2 LASER surgical incisions using superpulse and continuous emission mode - preliminary study.

The skin contraction phenomenon occurs due to the energy emitted by the surgical CO2 LASER affecting the collagen architecture and intracellular water content in tissues. The study aimed to assess how gender, age, breed, body-weight, CO2 LASER emission mode, and potency influence skin contraction following the incision. The study involved 80 dogs (N = 80) of both genders, multiple breeds, undergoing major surgery with CO2 LASER. Subjects were grouped based on LASER potency (12 or 15 Watts) and emission mode (Superpulse-SP or Continuous-CT): GSP12, GSP15, GCT12, and GCT15. A 10mm incision was performed using the surgical CO2 LASER beam, consistently employing a focal point of 0.4mm, positioned at a distance of 1mm from the skin surface, and always maintained perpendicular to it, and resulting lengths measured with a digital caliper. Results were considered significant for p-value < 0.05. GSP12 showed minimal contraction, while GCT15 exhibited the most significant. Male subjects in GCT12, GCT15, and GSP12 experienced less contraction than females. Purebred dogs had greater contraction than mixed breeds. GSP12 individuals showed age-related contraction decrease (p < 0.01), with skin contracting by 0.09mm per year. Weight and skin contraction trended towards significance (p = 0.06), with a 0.02mm increase per unit weight. For a constant power of 12 W, the analysis of the relationship between the emission mode of the LASER beam and the final skin contraction (GSP12 vs. GCT12) revealed statistically significant differences (p < 0.01). This study suggests that the use of the Continuous mode of LASER emission, regardless of the power used, is associated with a higher level of final skin contraction. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER AND DATE OF REGISTRATION FOR PROSPECTIVELY REGISTERED TRIALS: Project approval registration number by the Research and Teaching Ethics Committee (CEIE),Faculty of Veterinary Medicine-University of Lisbon (FMV_ULisboa), Lisboa-Portugal, N/Refª 015/2022.

Fluids and body composition during anesthesia in children and adolescents: A pilot study

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the intracellular and extracellular volume before and after anesthesia in order to ascertain their variations and determine the potential utility of this information in optimizing intraoperative fluid administration practices. A bioimpedance spectroscopy device (body composition monitor, BCM) was used to measure total body fluid volume, extracellular volume, and intracellular volume. BCM measurements were performed before and after general anesthesia in unselected healthy children and adolescents visiting the Pediatric Institute of Southern Switzerland for low-risk surgical procedures hydrated with an isotonic solution. In 100 children and adolescents aged 7.0 (4.8–11) years (median and interquartile range), the average total body water increased perioperatively with a delta value of 182 (0–383) mL/m2 from pre- to postoperatively, as well as the extracellular water content, which had a similar increase with a delta value of 169 (19–307) mL/m2. The changes in total body water and extracellular water content significantly correlated with the amount of fluids administered. The intracellular water content did not significantly change. Conclusion: Intraoperative administration of isotonic solutions results in a significant fluid accumulation in low-risk schoolchildren during general anesthesia. The results suggest that children without major health problems undergoing short procedures do not need any perioperative intravenous fluid therapy, because they are allowed to take clear fluids up to 1 h prior anesthesia. In future studies, the use of BCM measurements has the potential to be valuable in guiding intraoperative fluid therapy.What is Known:• Most children who undergo common surgical interventions or investigations requiring anesthesia are nowadays hydrated at a rate of 1700 mL/m2/day with an isotonic solution.• The use bioimpedance spectroscopy for the assessment of fluid status in healthy children has already been successfully validated.• The bioimpedance spectroscopy is already currently widely used in various nephrological settings to calculate fluid overload and determine patient’s optimal fluid status.What is New:• Routine intraoperative fluid administration results in a significant fluid accumulation during general anesthesia in low-risk surgical procedures.• This observation might be relevant for children and adolescents with conditions predisposing to fluid retention.• In future studies, the use of BCM measurements has the potential to be valuable in guiding intraoperative fluid therapy.

Serum afamin and its implications in adult growth hormone deficiency: a prospective GH-withdrawal study.

Adult growth hormone deficiency (AGHD) is associated with a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS), which contributes to the unfavorable cardiovascular risk profile in these patients. Insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a widely used biomarker, however it does not always reflect the cardiometabolic risk and has a poor relationship with clinical efficacy endpoints. Consequently, there is an unmet need for biomarkers to monitor responses to GH-replacement. Afamin is a hormone-like glycoprotein, expressed in the liver. Higher afamin levels are strongly associated with MS and insulin resistance (IR). Although both MS and IR are very common in AGHD, afamin has not been investigated in these patients. To investigate afamin as a potential biomarker in patients with AGHD. Participants included 20 AGHD patients (11 GH-substituted and 9 GH-unsubstituted) and 37 healthy controls. Subjects underwent routine laboratory examinations, anthropometric measurements, body composition analysis using multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (InBody720) and measurement of serum afamin concentrations. In GH-substituted subjects, GH-substitution was withdrawn for 2 months. Measurements were carried out right before GH-withdrawal, at the end of the 2-month withdrawal period, and 1 month after reinstituting GH-replacement therapy (GHRT). GH-unsubstituted patients demonstrated higher afamin levels compared to controls (p=0.03). Afamin positively correlated with skeletal muscle mass, bone mineral content, total body water, extracellular- and intracellular water content, insulin (all, p<0.01), HOMA-IR (p=0.01) and C-peptide (p=0.03) levels in AGHD but not in healthy controls. In GH-substituted patients 2-month of GH-withdrawal caused significant changes in body composition, including decreased fat-free mass, skeletal muscle mass, total body water, and intracellular water content (all, p<0.01); but these changes almost fully recovered 1 month after reinstituting GHRT. Unexpectedly, afamin levels decreased after GH-withdrawal (p=0.03) and increased with reinstitution (p<0.01). Changes of afamin levels during GH-withdrawal positively correlated with changes of HOMA-IR (r=0.80; p<0.01) and changes of insulin (r=0.71; p=0.02). Higher afamin levels in unsubstituted AGHD patients might indicate severe metabolic dysregulation. Significant changes accompanying GH-withdrawal and reinstitution, along with strong correlations with measures of IR, suggest that afamin could be a promising biomarker to monitor GHRT-associated changes of insulin sensitivity.

CONTEÚDO DE ÁGUA INTRACELULAR E EXTRACELULAR COM DIETAS DE CARREGAMENTO DE CARBOIDRATOS

ABSTRACT Introduction: In prolonged physical activities, water replacement and muscle glycogen content are limiting factors in marathon runners. Carbohydrate-loading (CHO) in the days prior to endurance competition is a commonly employed method to optimise muscle glycogen stores and optimise exercise performance. Since each gram of muscle glycogen binds ∼2.7-4 grams of water, water retention may occur during carbohydrate-loading diets. Objective: To evaluate differences between CHO loading strategies (Bergström and Sherman) on intracellular (ICW) and extracellular (ECW) water content. Methods: Twenty-three runners were randomly allocated to two interventions (Bergström and Sherman) in a crossover design. Participants underwent a baseline evaluation before 3 days of glycogen depletion followed by 3 days of carbohydrate loading with a washout of 30 days consisting of normal diet and training. Multifrequency bioimpedance (BIS) was used to assess ICW and ECW at Baseline, Post-depletion and Post-CHO to determine any differences between Bergström and Sherman protocols. Blood samples were also obtained to assess potassium levels. Associations between ICW and ECW and muscle glycogen were determined. Results: There were no differences in ICW or ECW content between the two interventions at any moment. There was an effect of time for ICW, with an increase from Post-depletion to Post-CHO without any difference between interventions. Plasma potassium decreased from Baseline to Post-depletion in both conditions. There was no difference in muscle glycogen content between interventions or moments. Conclusion: There were no differences in ICW and ECW content between the Bergström and Sherman interventions at any moment. Level of Evidence I; Tests of Previously Developed Diagnostic Criteria.

Biologically Structured Water-A Review (Part 2): Redox Biology, Plant Resilience, SW Drinking Water Types, BSW Water and Aging, BSW Water and Immunity

A review was conducted between redox biology and BSW water to link their interactions with cell bioenergetics. The exchange of electrons and protons from energized BSW water significantly contributes to recycling energy biomolecules during aerobic respiration. Plant resilience to biotic and abiotic stressors is also significantly improved by maintaining adequate levels of BSW water. The physicochemical properties of SW water are readily measured and are associated with improved human health. Natural healing water and SW water products have similar physicochemical properties. Medical literature shows a direct association between dehydration and age-related diseases. Drinking SW water enhances rehydration rates and increases intracellular water content. Research has also suggested that drinking SW water has a positive effect on certain neurological diseases and cancer types. Finally, drinking SW water improves the immunity system in humans.

Key factors for the survival of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum IDCC 3501 in manufacturing and storage.

Functional microbiome development has steadily increased; with this, the viability of microbial strains must be maintained not only after the manufacturing process but also at the time of consumption. Survival is threatened by various unavoidable factors during freeze-drying and shelf storage. Here, the aim was to optimize the manufacturing process of the functional strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum IDCC 3501 after freeze-drying and storage. Explosive growth was achieved using a medium composition with two nitrogen sources and a mineral, and growth was drastically improved by neutralizing the medium pH during the culture of L. plantarum IDCC 3501. Culture optimization involved a smaller cell size, leading to less intracellular free water. Moreover, when maltodextrin (MD) powder was directly added to the harvested cells, some intracellular free water was extracted from the bacterial cells, resulting in a dramatic increase in the viability of L. plantarum IDCC 3501 after freeze-drying and subsequent storage. Furthermore, MD enhanced survival in a dose-dependent manner. Bacterial survival was correlated with lysozyme tolerance; therefore, the positive result might have been caused by the osmotic dehydration of intracellular free water, which would potentially damage the bacterial cells via ice crystallization and/or a phase transition during freeze-drying. These critical factors of L. plantarum IDCC 3501 processing provide perspectives on survival issues for manufacturing microbiome strains. KEY POINTS: • Culture conditions for probiotic bacteria were optimized for high growth yield. • Osmotic dehydration improved bacterial survival after manufacturing and shelf storage. • Reduction in intracellular free water content is crucial for intact survival.

CONTEÚDO DE ÁGUA INTRACELULAR E EXTRACELULAR COM DIETAS DE CARREGAMENTO DE CARBOIDRATOS

Introduction: In prolonged physical activities, water replacement and muscle glycogen content are limiting factors in marathon runners. Carbohydrate-loading (CHO) in the days prior to endurance competition is a commonly employed method to optimise muscle glycogen stores and optimise exercise performance. Since each gram of muscle glycogen binds ~2.7-4 grams of water, water retention may occur during carbohydrateloading diets. Objective: To evaluate differences between CHO loading strategies (Bergström and Sherman) on intracellular (ICW) and extracellular (ECW) water content. Methods: Twenty-three runners were randomly allocated to two interventions (Bergström and Sherman) in a crossover design. Participants underwent a baseline evaluation before 3 days of glycogen depletion followed by 3 days of carbohydrate loading with a washout of 30 days consisting of normal diet and training. Multifrequency bioimpedance (BIS) was used to assess ICW and ECW at Baseline, Post-depletion and Post-CHO to determine any differences between Bergström and Sherman protocols. Blood samples were also obtained to assess potassium levels. Associations between ICW and ECW and muscle glycogen were determined. Results: There were no differences in ICW or ECW content between the two interventions at any moment. There was an effect of time for ICW, with an increase from Post-depletion to Post-CHO without any difference between interventions. Plasma potassium decreased from Baseline to Postdepletion in both conditions. There was no difference in muscle glycogen content between interventions or moments. Conclusion: There were no differences in ICW and ECW content between the Bergström and Sherman interventions at any moment. Level of Evidence I; Tests of Previously Developed Diagnostic Criteria.

Rapid and precise tracking of water influx and efflux across cell membranes induced by a pulsed electric field.

Quantitative measurements of water content within a single cell are notoriously difficult. In this work, we introduce a single-shot optical method for tracking the intracellular water content, by mass and volume, of a single cell at video rate. We utilize quantitative phase imaging and a priori knowledge of a spherical cellular geometry, leveraging a two-component mixture model to compute the intracellular water content. We apply this technique to study CHO-K1 cells responding to a pulsed electric field, which induces membrane permeabilization and rapid water influx or efflux depending upon the osmotic environment. The effects of mercury and gadolinium on water uptake in Jurkat cells following electropermeabilization are also examined.

Factors Associated with Perioperative Edema in Patients with Stage I Gastric Cancer Using a Body Composition Analyzer.

Assessment of nutritional status and nutritional interventions is important in gastric cancer patients. We investigated the factors associated with perioperative edema in patients with stage I gastric cancer using a body composition analyzer. The study included 106 patients with stage I gastric cancer who underwent distal gastrectomy. The body composition of each patient was evaluated by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) using an InBody 720 body composition analyzer. Patients with an extracellular water to total body water ratio of ≥ 0.4 before and 1 week after gastrectomy were considered to have edema, the cause of which was determined retrospectively. Patients with preoperative edema were significantly older, had a significantly higher lymph node metastasis rate and disease stage, and had a significantly poorer Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score, and Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) compared with patients without preoperative edema. The group with postoperative edema had significantly higher proportions of elderly and female patients as well as a higher rate of Billroth-II reconstruction compared with the group without postoperative edema. The group with postoperative edema also had significantly lower intracellular water content, total body water content, protein content, skeletal muscle mass, and PNI. Preoperative edema occurs in elderly patients with poor nutritional status, and postoperative edema occurs in elderly patients with a shorter operative time. Perioperative edema status assessed by BIA is thought to be related to perioperative nutritional status.

INTRACELLULAR WATER CONTENT IN LEAN MASS IS ASSOCIATED WITH MUSCLE FUNCTION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG OLDER ADULTS

Abstract High intracellular water (ICW) content in lean mass (LM) has been associated with better functional capacity and lower frailty risk in older adults and suggested to be a useful muscle quality indicator. However, limited research exists on the relationship of ICW to muscle function and physical activity among older adults. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between ICW/LM ratio and muscle function and physical activity among older adults. In a cross-sectional correlational study of older adults aged 70 years or older, a tetrapolar bioimpedance spectroscopy device (Impedimed SFB7, Australia) was used to assess both ICW and LM, and the ICW/LM ratio (mL/kg) was calculated. The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and Timed Up and Go (TUG) tests were used to measure muscle function. The Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometer (Actigraph, Inc., FL, USA) was used to measure light and moderate-vigorous physical activity and steps per day. Multiple regression analyses were used. For 96 recruited participants (mean age 82.5 ± 7.4 years; 79 [82.3%] were female), mean ICW/LM ratio was 245.1 ± 28.1 mL/kg. The ICW/LM ratio was positively associated with SPPB score, gait speed, moderate-vigorous physical activity, and steps per day, after adjusting for age, sex, and LM. The ICW/LM ratio was negatively associated with TUG score, after adjusting for age, sex, and LM. The findings suggest that intracellular water content in lean mass may affect muscle function and physical activity among older adults. Further studies are needed to verify these findings and determine any potential cause-and-effect relationships.

Phenomenology of health

Health, as a phenomenon of a planetary scale, reflects the life of mankind, the world of animals and plants. Human health issues from the mid-20th century began to come out of the exclusive medical control. The increase in the average life expectancy of the population of developed countries, the globalization of economic, political, cultural life, the emergence of pandemics of viral infections - all these factors have shown that in maintaining the health of the population, the actual medical contribution is no more than 10%. The rest of the influence is exerted by economic, environmental, social and hereditary factors. The burden of disease of the population causes significant damage to the economies of even the most developed countries.&#x0D; Human health is a comprehensive, integrative assessment of the quality of his being for each specific time and age period. Thus, we consider health as a derivative of the ontogenetic scale. A feature of this scale is the unification on the time axis (x) of both calendar and biological ages. The axis (y) reflects the magnitudes of the influence of known determinants of health that accompany a person at each stage of his ontogenetic movement.&#x0D; One of the most important conditions for the functioning of the human body and animals is the constancy of the internal environment, defined as homeostasis. It is thanks to homeostasis that every cell of the body is in a relatively constant environment, which is an extracellular fluid. Earlier we drew attention to the fact that all the parameters of extracellular fluid can be divided into indicators of water-salt homeostasis (osmolality, concentrations of ions Na, K, Ca, pH). The task of water-salt homeostasis is to ensure water balance, both intracellular water content and the total amount in the body.&#x0D; The second group of homeostasis indicators is represented by metabolites (glucose, lipids, amino acids, proteins, urea, creatinine, bilirubin, etc.). On the one hand, metabolic indicators are quite stable, which made it possible to attribute them to homeostasis, but on the other hand, their most important feature is that they are very closely related to the functional state of the body (organs, tissues, cells), since the main task of metabolism is to adequately provide the organs and tissues of functioning systems with the necessary amount of energy and plastic substrates. Accordingly, with changing functions, the levels of the main metabolites should also change. At the same time, the main criterion for the adequacy of the metabolic support of functioning systems is not their homeostating concentration, but compliance with the changing needs of organs and tissues. That is, in the body it is necessary to ensure a sufficiently strong relationship between function and metabolism.&#x0D; In the literature, the subjective assessment of whether social factors affecting health can be avoided through structural changes in policy and practice appears to be the dominant way to determine the social determinant of health. In addition, the term "social" remains ambiguous and difficult to define within the clear boundaries of health care.&#x0D; There are already concerns about the requirements and approaches to their screening, as well as their benefits and unintended harm. A long list of CLE can prevent doctors from prioritizing screening for social determinants and referring patients to support services. Politicians may also be less inclined to continue working with such a long and growing list. In most government agencies, there are inherent barriers to adopting a social determinant approach in policymaking.&#x0D; A long list can add additional restrictions on adoption. A clear understanding of the "social determinants of health" is critical for all key stakeholders, including the public.

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering cell imaging and segmentation with unsupervised data analysis.

Coherent Raman imaging has been extensively applied to live-cell imaging in the last 2 decades, allowing to probe the intracellular lipid, protein, nucleic acid, and water content with a high-acquisition rate and sensitivity. In this context, multiplex coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (MCARS) microspectroscopy using sub-nanosecond laser pulses is now recognized as a mature and straightforward technology for label-free bioimaging, offering the high spectral resolution of conventional Raman spectroscopy with reduced acquisition time. Here, we introduce the combination of the MCARS imaging technique with unsupervised data analysis based on multivariate curve resolution (MCR). The MCR process is implemented under the classical signal non-negativity constraint and, even more originally, under a new spatial constraint based on cell segmentation. We thus introduce a new methodology for hyperspectral cell imaging and segmentation, based on a simple, unsupervised workflow without any spectrum-to-spectrum phase retrieval computation. We first assess the robustness of our approach by considering cells of different types, namely, from the human HEK293 and murine C2C12 lines. To evaluate its applicability over a broader range, we then study HEK293 cells in different physiological states and experimental situations. Specifically, we compare an interphasic cell with a mitotic (prophase) one. We also present a comparison between a fixed cell and a living cell, in order to visualize the potential changes induced by the fixation protocol in cellular architecture. Next, with the aim of assessing more precisely the sensitivity of our approach, we study HEK293 living cells overexpressing tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB), a cancer-related membrane receptor, depending on the presence of its ligand, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Finally, the segmentation capability of the approach is evaluated in the case of a single cell and also by considering cell clusters of various sizes.

Melatonin confers fenugreek tolerance to salinity stress by stimulating the biosynthesis processes of enzymatic, non-enzymatic antioxidants, and diosgenin content.

Salinity-induced stress is widely considered a main plant-growth-limiting factor. The positive effects of melatonin in modulating abiotic stresses have led this hormone to be referred to as a growth regulator in plants. This study aims to show how melatonin protects fenugreek against the negative effects of salt stress. Different amounts of melatonin (30, 60, and 90 ppm), salinity stress (150 mM and 300 mM), and the use of both salinity and melatonin were used as treatments. The results showed that applying different melatonin levels to salinity-treated fenugreek plants effectively prevented the degradation of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoid contents compared with salinity treatment without melatonin application. Besides, melatonin increases the biosynthesis of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, thereby adjusting the content of reactive oxygen species, free radicals, electrolyte leakage, and malondialdehyde content. It was observed that applying melatonin increased the activity of potassium-carrying channels leading to the maintenance of ionic homeostasis and increased intracellular water content under salinity stress. The results revealed that melatonin activates the defense signaling pathways in fenugreek through the nitric oxide, auxin, and abscisic acid-dependent pathways. Melatonin, in a similar vein, increased the expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis pathway of diosgenin, a highly important steroidal sapogenin in medical and food industries, and hence the diosgenin content. When 150 mM salinity stress and 60 ppm melatonin were coupled, the diosgenin concentration rose by more than 5.5 times compared to the control condition. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate the potential of melatonin to enhance the plant tolerance to salinity stress by stimulating biochemical and physiological changes.

The importance of muscle mass in predicting intradialytic hypotension in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis.

BackgroundPatients undergoing hemodialysis are susceptible to sarcopenia. As intracellular reservoirs of water, skeletal muscles are important contributors to intradialytic hypotension. This study was designed to determine the role of skeletal muscle mass in intradialytic hypotension. MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, the body composition of 177 patients was measured immediately after hemodialysis using bioelectrical impedance analysis. The parameters measured were skeletal muscle mass, intracellular and extracellular water contents, total body water, and cell-membrane functionality (in phase angle at 50 kHz). Data from laboratory tests, chest radiography, measurements of handgrip strength and mid-arm circumference, and questionnaires were collected. The main outcome was intradialytic hypotension, defined as more than two episodes of hypotension (systolic blood pressure of <90 mmHg) with intervention over the 3 months following enrollment. Logistic regression models including each parameter related to sarcopenia were compared with a clinical model.ResultsPatients with a low ratio of skeletal muscle mass to dry body weight (SMM/WT) had a higher rate of intradialytic hypotension (40.7%). Most low-SMM/WT patients were female, obese, diabetic, and had a lower handgrip strength compared with the other patients. In the high-SMM/WT group, the risk of intradialytic hypotension was lower, with an odds ratio of 0.08 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.02–0.28) and adjusted odds ratio of 0.06 (95% CI, 0.01–0.29).ConclusionMeasurement and maintenance of skeletal muscle can help prevent intradialytic hypotension in frail patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Increase in the Intracellular Bulk Water Content in the Early Phase of Cell Death of Keratinocytes, Corneoptosis, as Revealed by 65 GHz Near-Field CMOS Dielectric Sensor.

While bulk water and hydration water coexist in cells to support the expression of biological macromolecules, how the dynamics of water molecules, which have long been only a minor role in molecular biology research, relate to changes in cellular states such as cell death has hardly been explored so far due to the lack of evaluation techniques. In this study, we developed a high-precision measurement system that can discriminate bulk water content changes of ±0.02% (0.2 mg/cm3) with single-cell-level spatial resolution based on a near-field CMOS dielectric sensor operating at 65 GHz. We applied this system to evaluate the temporal changes in the bulk water content during the cell death process of keratinocytes, called corneoptosis, using isolated SG1 (first layer of stratum granulosum) cells in vitro. A significant irreversible increase in the bulk water content was observed approximately 1 h before membrane disruption during corneoptosis, which starts with cytoplasmic high Ca2+ signal. These findings suggest that the calcium flux may have a role in triggering the increase in the bulk water content in SG1 cells. Thus, our near-field CMOS dielectric sensor provides a valuable tool to dissect the involvement of water molecules in the various events that occur in the cell.

The Disordered Dehydrin and Its Role in Plant Protection: A Biochemical Perspective.

Dehydrins are intrinsically disordered proteins composed of several well conserved sequence motifs known as the Y-, S-, F-, and K-segments, the latter of which is a defining feature of all dehydrins. These segments are interspersed by regions of low sequence conservation and are organized modularly, which results in seven different architectures: Kn, SKn, YnSKn, YnKn, KnS, FnK and FnSKn. Dehydrins are expressed ubiquitously throughout the plant kingdom during periods of low intracellular water content, and are capable of improving desiccation tolerance in plants. In vitro evidence of dehydrins shows that they are involved in the protection of membranes, proteins and DNA from abiotic stresses. However, the molecular mechanisms by which these actions are achieved are as of yet somewhat unclear. With regards to macromolecule cryoprotection, there is evidence to suggest that a molecular shield-like protective effect is primarily influenced by the hydrodynamic radius of the dehydrin and to a lesser extent by the charge and hydrophobicity. The interaction between dehydrins and membranes is thought to be a surface-level, charge-based interaction that may help to lower the transition temperature, allowing membranes to maintain fluidity at low temperatures and preventing membrane fusion. In addition, dehydrins are able to protect DNA from damage, showing that these abiotic stress protection proteins have multiple roles.

Impact of drying and cooling rate on the survival of the desiccation-sensitive wheat pollen

Key messageFast-drying and cooling induce fast intracellular water loss and reduced ice-crystal formation, which may promote the formation of intracellular glasses that might improve the likelihood of wheat pollen survival.Long-term storage of pollen is important for the fertilization of spatially or temporally isolated female parents, especially in hybrid breeding. Wheat pollen is dehydration-sensitive and rapidly loses viability after shedding. To preserve wheat pollen, we hypothesized that fast-drying and cooling rates would increase the rate of intracellular water content (WC) removal, decrease intracellular ice-crystal formation, and increase viability after exposure to ultra-low temperatures. Therefore, we compared slow air-drying with fast-drying (dry air flow) and found significant correlations between pollen WC and viability (r = 0.92, P < 0.001); significant differences in WCs after specific drying times; and comparable viabilities after drying to specific WCs. Fast-drying to WCs at which ice melting events were not detected (ΔH = 0 J mg−1 DW, < 0.28 mg H2O mg−1 DW) reduced pollen viability to 1.2 ± 1.0%, but when drying to 0.39 mg H2O mg−1 DW, some viable pollen was detected (39.4 ± 17.9%). Fast cooling (150 °C min−1) of fast-dried pollen to 0.91 ± 0.11 mg H2O mg−1 DW induced less and a delay of ice-crystal formation during cryomicroscopic-video-recordings compared to slow cooling (1 °C min−1), but viability was low (4.5–6.1%) and comparable between cooling rates. Our data support that the combination of fast-drying and cooling rates may enable the survival of wheat pollen likely due to (1) a reduction of the time pollen would be exposed to drying-related deleterious biochemical changes and (2) an inhibition of intracellular ice-crystal formation, but additional research is needed to obtain higher pollen survival after cooling.

A multiscale approach to estimate the cellular diffusivity during food drying

Theoretical models for food drying commonly utilise an effective diffusivity solved through curve fitting based on experimental data. This creates models with limited predictive capabilities. Multiscale modeling is one approach which can help transition to a more physics-based model minimizing the empirical information required while improving a model's predictive capabilities. However, to enable an accurate scaling operation, multiscale models require diffusivity at a fine scale (microscale). Measuring these properties is experimentally costly and time consuming as they are often temperature and/or moisture dependent. This research conducts an inverse analysis on a multiscale homogenization food drying model to deduce the temporal diffusivity of intracellular water. A representation of the real cellular water breakdown was considered and appropriate assumptions to represent its cellular heterogeneity, in relation to time, were investigated. The work uncovered that a linear decrease in intracellular water content could be assumed and thus a function for its diffusivity was developed. The proposed function is in terms of sample temperature and intracellular water content opening the possibilities to be applied to various food materials.

Hydration status, BMI and troponin as factors of an impaired exercise tolerance in women over 40 with arterial hypertension

Abstract Purpose The aim was to identify factors influencing maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and early identification of hypertensive women at risk of heart failure (HF). Methods The 185 consecutive females with controlled hypertension were divided according VO2max quartiles. The patients underwent echocardiography, non-invasive body mass analysis, spiroergometry and hemodynamic parameters. Regression analyses determined predictors of the lowest VO2max (quartile 1: VO2max &amp;lt;17 ml/kg/min). Results Females with the worst oxygen consumption had significantly higher level of high sensitive cardiac Troponin T (hs-cTnT) [p=0.001], higher values of the left atrial (LA) volume, late diastolic mitral annulus velocity (A'), ratio of peak velocity of early diastolic transmitral flow to peak velocity of early diastolic mitral annular motion (E/E') [p=0.0003, p=0.02, p=0.04; respectively] and lower E' [p=0.001] compared to controls. Women with the worst exercise capacity had higher body mass index (BMI) and fat content (kg and %) [p&amp;lt;0.0001], higher fat free mass (FFM) (kg) [p&amp;lt;0.0001], higher total body water content (TBW) [p=0.0002] as well as extracellular body water content (ECW) [p&amp;lt;0.0001] and intracellular body water content (ICW) [p=0.005], ECW/TBW x 100% [p&amp;lt;0.0001] and metabolic age [p&amp;lt;0.0001] compared to counterparts. In a multiple logistic regression model independently associated with VO2max were: ECW/TBW x 100% (OR 4.45, 95% CI: 1.77–11.21; p=0.002) Figure 1, BMI (OR 7.11, 95% CI: 2.01–25.11; p=0.002) Figure 2 and hs-cTnT level (OR 2.69, 95% CI: 1.23–5.91; p=0.013). Conclusions High-sensitivity cardiac troponin may serve as early biomarker of heart failure in hypertensive women. Hydration status should be considered in overall hypertensive women care. There is an importance of body mass compartments analysis in early identification of hypertensive females at risk of heart failure. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): The Project is financed by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange under the Foreign Promotion Programme. Figure 1Figure 2

Body Composition Results of Caucasian Young Normal Body Mass Women in the Follicular Proliferative Phase, Measured for the Different Positions of Limbs

The bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) became a standardized technique for assessing body composition, but many factors affect the reproducibility of measurement, including body and limbs position. In spite of the fact that it is recommended for patient to be in a supine position, with arms abducted at least 30° and legs abducted at approximately 45°, a lot of authors conduct their measurements with arms and legs of patients separated to not touch the body but not strictly following the recommendations. Taking this into account, the aim of the study was to analyze the body composition results of Caucasian young normal body mass women in the follicular proliferative phase, measured for the different positions of limbs in order to compare the results obtained in the recommended position (with arms abducted at least 30° and legs abducted at approximately 45°) and in the commonly used position (not following strictly the recommendations). The study was conducted in a homogenous group of 100 adult females under the age of 30 years using BIA 101/ASE with the Bodygram Pro software and its equations by Akern Srl, Firenze, Italy, based on the measurement recommendations. The measurements were conducted (1) in a recommended position of arms abducted at least 30° and legs abducted at approximately 45° and (2) with arms spread and legs separated to not touch the body to compare the body composition assessment (fat mass, fat-free mass, body cell mass, muscle mass, water content, extracellular water content, and intracellular water content). It was stated that the results obtained for various positions of limbs were positively correlated (p < 0.0001; R > 0.5). At the same time, the statistically significant differences dependent on the position were observed for the calculated results of body cell mass (lower results for the recommended position for the results observed in kg and % of body mass; p = 0.0165 and p = 0.0075, respectively) and muscle mass (lower results for the recommended position for the results observed in kg and % of body mass; p = 0.0025 and p = 0.0011, respectively), as well as extracellular and intracellular water (higher % of total body water for the extracellular water and lower for intracellular water; p = 0.0049 and p = 0.0115, respectively), resulting from the measured resistance and reactance values. For all listed comparisons of significantly differing variables, weighted κ statistics indicated moderate agreement (values of 0.41–0.60), and the Bland–Altman plot analysis indicated no agreement (Bland–Altman index of >5%). While compared with the reference values, the major differences were observed for extracellular/intracellular water content, as, while applying a method with arms and legs separated to not touch the body (not recommended position), the extracellular water content was underestimated for 31% and intracellular water content was overestimated for 28% of participants. It may be concluded that the recommended body position of arms abducted at least 30° and legs abducted at approximately 45° should be chosen to ensure the reliability of the BIA measurements, as, while the recommendations of a body position are not followed, the results obtained may be misleading and may not reflect the actual body composition.