Massive Water Loss Research Articles

Damage evolution characteristics and deterioration mechanism of mechanical properties of sandstone subjected to drying-wetting cycles

The dams formed by rock pillars around underground reservoirs are frequently subjected to drying-wetting cycles, so that rock pillars may be deformed, broken and develop a large number of fractures. This further causes a massive loss of water and heavily affects the stability of the dam formed by rock pillars. To explore the damage evolution characteristics and the deterioration mechanism of mechanical properties of sandstone under drying-wetting cycles, mechanical tests were carried out on sandstone samples subjected to different numbers of drying-wetting cycles. Acoustic emission technology was used to real-timely monitor the failure process of sandstone under loading. At the same time, damaged rock samples were observed under a scanning electron microscope. On this basis, the development characteristics of fractures in the sandstone were analyzed, damage evolution of sandstone in different stress loading stages was expounded. Research results show that the more the drying-wetting cycles are, the more obvious the compaction stage and the more significant the deterioration of the peak strength and elastic modulus, accompanied by the gradual decrease of the strain energy and cumulative acoustic emission count. According to scanning electron microscope observations, fractures inside the sandstone increase in quantity and begin to coalesce after 10 drying-wetting cycles, so that loose particles and fracture degree gradually rise, and accumulation of damage causes mechanical properties of sandstone to gradually deteriorate. The research results provide a solid theoretical basis for stability evaluation and protection of dams formed by rock pillars around underground reservoirs in goaf.

A Potent Inhibitor of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Blocks Disease and Morbidity Due to Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae.

Vibrio cholerae uses cholera toxin (CT) to cause cholera, a severe diarrheal disease in humans that can lead to death within hours of the onset of symptoms. The catalytic activity of CT in target epithelial cells increases cellular levels of 3′,5′-cyclic AMP (cAMP), leading to the activation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), an apical ion channel that transports chloride out of epithelial cells, resulting in an electrolyte imbalance in the intestinal lumen and massive water loss. Here we report that when administered perorally, benzopyrimido-pyrrolo-oxazinedione, (R)-BPO-27), a potent small molecule inhibitor of CFTR, blocked disease symptoms in a mouse model for acute diarrhea caused by toxigenic V. cholerae. We show that both (R)-BPO-27 and its racemic mixture, (R/S)-BPO-27, are able to protect mice from CT-dependent diarrheal disease and death. Furthermore, we show that, consistent with the ability of the compound to block the secretory diarrhea induced by CT, BPO-27 has a measurable effect on suppressing the gut replication and survival of V. cholerae, including a 2010 isolate from Haiti that is representative of the most predominant ‘variant strains’ that are causing epidemic and pandemic cholera worldwide. Our results suggest that BPO-27 should advance to human Phase I studies that could further address its safety and efficacy as therapeutic or preventative drug intervention for diarrheal syndromes, including cholera, that are mediated by CFTR channel activation.

Updates and Perspectives on Aquaporin-2 and Water Balance Disorders.

Ensuring the proper amount of water inside the body is essential for survival. One of the key factors in the maintenance of body water balance is water reabsorption in the collecting ducts of the kidney, a process that is regulated by aquaporin-2 (AQP2). AQP2 is a channel that is exclusively selective for water molecules and impermeable to ions or other small molecules. Impairments of AQP2 result in various water balance disorders, including nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI), which is a disease characterized by a massive loss of water through the kidney and consequent severe dehydration. Dysregulation of AQP2 is also a cause of water retention with hyponatremia in heart failure, hepatic cirrhosis, and syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). Antidiuretic hormone vasopressin is an upstream regulator of AQP2. Its binding to the vasopressin V2 receptor promotes AQP2 targeting to the apical membrane and thus enables water reabsorption. Tolvaptan, a vasopressin V2 receptor antagonist, is effective and widely used for water retention with hyponatremia. However, there are no studies showing improvement in hard outcomes or long-term prognosis. A possible reason is that vasopressin receptors have many downstream effects other than AQP2 function. It is expected that the development of drugs that directly target AQP2 may result in increased treatment specificity and effectiveness for water balance disorders. This review summarizes recent progress in studies of AQP2 and drug development challenges for water balance disorders.

Microwave vacuum evaporation as a potential technology to concentrate sugar solutions: A study based on dielectric spectroscopy

Traditional vacuum evaporation in the sugar industry generally relies on steam and is characterized by low energy efficiency. Microwaves may be an alternative heat source to steam. In this study, three sugar solutions (glucose, maltose, and trehalose) were concentrated by lab-scale microwave vacuum evaporation (MVE). The dielectric spectroscopy in the frequency range of 0.1-6.5 GHz and the temperature range of 5-90 °C was determined and analyzed. Results showed that the dielectric loss factor increased with concentration and decreased with temperature at 2.45 GHz. The maltose solution had a lower microwave absorption and conversion capacity than glucose or trehalose solution. Meanwhile, the hydrogen bond interactions of trehalose solution were stronger, contributing to higher intermolecular interactions. These results may account for the distinct evaporation efficiencies of MVE on the three sugar solutions. Due to the rapid heating rate (up to 2.86 ± 0.08 °C/s) and massive water loss (closer to 2/3 total mass of the feed solution) over a short period of time (10 min at a microwave power density of 40 W/g and a vacuum pressure of 50 kPa), MVE may be a substitute for conventional methods. Furthermore, the dielectric spectroscopy can be an effective tool to help guide MVE to obtain sugars with high quality. • Dielectric spectroscopy of three sugar solutions was determined and analyzed. • Maltose solution had weaker microwave absorption and conversion ability. • Strong intermolecular interactions in trehalose solution impeded evaporation. • Rapid heating and massive water loss occurred during microwave vacuum evaporation. • Microwave vacuum evaporation may be a substitute for conventional evaporation.

The comparison of ultrasound-assisted thawing, air thawing and water immersion thawing on the quality of slow/fast freezing bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) fillets

Effects of ultrasound-assisted thawing (UAT), air thawing (AT) and water immersion thawing (WIT) on the quality of slow freezing (SF)/fast freezing (FF) bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) fillets were investigated. The thawing time of AT, WIT and UAT were 138, 30 and 12 min, respectively, indicating that UAT improved the thawing efficiency. UAT maintained the color and pH, and inhibited the lipid oxidation of SF/FF samples. For SF samples, thawing methods did not affect water retention and muscle structure. However, massive water loss and muscle destruction were observed in FF-WIT and FF-UAT samples. The AT did not produce any structural muscle damage; instead, it maintained the water retention in FF samples and prevented the FF fish fillets from massive water loss. No significant difference in the primary protein structure was observed among all samples. UAT can be an alternative strategy to the traditional thawing of SF fish fillets.

Employing virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulations for identifying hits against the active cholera toxin

Cholera is a major global threat, affecting millions each year. The ADP ribosyltransferase activity of the active cholera toxin catalyses the massive loss of water and electrolytes during cholera infections. The active toxin heterodimer comprises the A1 subunit from Vibrio cholerae and ARF (ADP Ribosylation Factor) from the human host. Although the active toxin is a potential target for drug discovery against cholera, it has been scarcely targeted to date. The A1-ARF interface contains a potential druggable site for small molecule inhibitors. By combining a sequential docking and scoring strategy with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, this study identified hits against the protein-protein interface (PPI) of the active cholera toxin from an in-house library of 9,175 ADMET-screened alkaloids. The docking algorithms and scoring functions of Glide SP, Glide XP, and AutoDock were employed for initial library screening. Three alkaloids were initially selected by docking-based virtual screening. The stability of the hit-toxin complexes was validated by MD simulations. Two of the three hits, namely, A6225 (7-formyldehydrothalicsimidine) and A16503 (1,2,7,8-tetrahydroxy dibenz[cd,f]indol-4(5H)-one), formed stable complexes with the toxin. Analyses of the hydrogen bond occupancies revealed that the hits formed stable hydrogen bonds with the toxin PPI. The hits identified herein can serve as reference compounds for drug discovery against cholera in the future.

The putative C-type lectin Schlaff ensures epidermal barrier compactness in Drosophila

The stability of extracellular matrices is in general ensured by cross-linking of its components. Previously, we had shown that the integrity of the layered Drosophila cuticle relies on the presence of a covalent cuticular dityrosine network. Production and composition of this structure remained unstudied. In this work, we present our analyses of the schlaff (slf) gene coding for a putative C-type lectin that is needed for the adhesion between the horizontal cuticle layers. The Slf protein mainly localizes between the two layers called epicuticle and procuticle that separate from each other when the function of Slf is reduced or eliminated paralleling the phenotype of a cuticle with reduced extracellular dityrosine. Localisation of the dityrosinylated protein Resilin to the epicuticle-procuticle interface suggests that the dityrosine network mediates the adhesion of the epicuticle to the procuticle. Ultimately, compromised Slf function is associated with massive water loss. In summary, we propose that Slf is implied in the stabilisation of a dityrosine layer especially between the epicuticle and the procuticle that in turn constitutes an outward barrier against uncontrolled water flow.

The Habitability of Proxima Centauri b: Environmental States and Observational Discriminants.

Proxima Centauri b provides an unprecedented opportunity to understand the evolution and nature of terrestrial planets orbiting M dwarfs. Although Proxima Cen b orbits within its star's habitable zone, multiple plausible evolutionary paths could have generated different environments that may or may not be habitable. Here, we use 1-D coupled climate-photochemical models to generate self-consistent atmospheres for several evolutionary scenarios, including high-O2, high-CO2, and more Earth-like atmospheres, with both oxic and anoxic compositions. We show that these modeled environments can be habitable or uninhabitable at Proxima Cen b's position in the habitable zone. We use radiative transfer models to generate synthetic spectra and thermal phase curves for these simulated environments, and use instrument models to explore our ability to discriminate between possible planetary states. These results are applicable not only to Proxima Cen b but to other terrestrial planets orbiting M dwarfs. Thermal phase curves may provide the first constraint on the existence of an atmosphere. We find that James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations longward of 10 μm could characterize atmospheric heat transport and molecular composition. Detection of ocean glint is unlikely with JWST but may be within the reach of larger-aperture telescopes. Direct imaging spectra may detect O4 absorption, which is diagnostic of massive water loss and O2 retention, rather than a photosynthetic biosphere. Similarly, strong CO2 and CO bands at wavelengths shortward of 2.5 μm would indicate a CO2-dominated atmosphere. If the planet is habitable and volatile-rich, direct imaging will be the best means of detecting habitability. Earth-like planets with microbial biospheres may be identified by the presence of CH4—which has a longer atmospheric lifetime under Proxima Centauri's incident UV—and either photosynthetically produced O2 or a hydrocarbon haze layer. Key Words: Planetary habitability and biosignatures—Planetary atmospheres—Exoplanets—Spectroscopic biosignatures—Planetary science—Proxima Centauri b. Astrobiology 18, 133–189.

Silver-pig skin nanocomposites and mesenchymal stem cells: suitable antibiofilm cellular dressings for wound healing

BackgroundTreatment of severe or chronic skin wounds is an important challenge facing medicine and a significant health care burden. Proper wound healing is often affected by bacterial infection; where biofilm formation is one of the main risks and particularly problematic because it confers protection to microorganisms against antibiotics. One avenue to prevent bacterial colonization of wounds is the use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs); which have proved to be effective against non-multidrug-resistant and multidrug-resistant bacteria. In addition, the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) is an excellent option to improve wound healing due to their capability for differentiation and release of relevant growth factors. Finally, radiosterilized pig skin (RPS) is a biomatrix successfully used as wound dressing to avoid massive water loss, which represents an excellent carrier to deliver MSC into wound beds. Together, AgNPs, RPS and MSC represent a potential dressing to control massive water loss, prevent bacterial infection and enhance skin regeneration; three essential processes for appropriate wound healing with minimum scaring.ResultsWe synthesized stable 10 nm-diameter spherical AgNPs that showed 21- and 16-fold increase in bacteria growth inhibition (in comparison to antibiotics) against clinical strains Staphylococcus aureus and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, respectively. RPS samples were impregnated with different AgNPs suspensions to develop RPS-AgNPs nanocomposites with different AgNPs concentrations. Nanocomposites showed inhibition zones, in Kirby–Bauer assay, against both clinical bacteria tested. Nanocomposites also displayed antibiofilm properties against S. aureus and S. maltophilia from RPS samples impregnated with 250 and 1000 ppm AgNPs suspensions, respectively. MSC were isolated from adipose tissue and seeded on nanocomposites; cells survived on nanocomposites impregnated with up to 250 ppm AgNPs suspensions, showing 35% reduction in cell viability, in comparison to cells on RPS. Cells on nanocomposites proliferated with culture days, although the number of MSC on nanocomposites at 24 h of culture was lower than that on RPS.ConclusionsAgNPs with better bactericide activity than antibiotics were synthesized. RPS-AgNPs nanocomposites impregnated with 125 and 250 ppm AgNPs suspensions decreased bacterial growth, decreased biofilm formation and were permissive for survival and proliferation of MSC; constituting promising multi-functional dressings for successful treatment of skin wounds.

LmCYP4G102: An oenocyte-specific cytochrome P450 gene required for cuticular waterproofing in the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria.

Cytochrome P450 superfamily proteins play important roles in detoxification of xenobiotics and during physiological and developmental processes. To contribute to our understanding of this large gene family in insects, we have investigated the function of the cytochrome P450 gene LmCYP4G102 in the migratory locust Locusta migratoria. Suppression of LmCYP4G102 expression by RNA interference (RNAi) does not interfere with moulting but causes rapid loss of body weight - probably due to massive loss of water, and death soon after moulting. Accordingly, maintaining these animals at 90% relative humidity prevented lethality. Consistently, RNAi against LmCYP4G102 provoked a decrease in the content of cuticular alkanes, which as an important fraction of cuticular hydrocarbons have been shown to confer desiccation resistance. In addition, the cuticle of LmCYP4G102-knockdown locusts was fragile and easier deformable than in control animals. Presumably, this phenotype is due to decreased amounts of cuticular water that is reported to modulate cuticle mechanics. Interestingly, LmCYP4G102 was not expressed in the epidermis that produces the cuticle but in the sub-epdiermal hepatocyte-like oenocytes. Together, our results suggest that the oenocyte-specific LmCYP4G102 plays a critical role in the synthesis of cuticular hydrocarbons, which are important for cuticle waterproofing and mechanical stability in L. migratoria

Identification of inhibitors against the potential ligandable sites in the active cholera toxin

The active cholera toxin responsible for the massive loss of water and ions in cholera patients via its ADP ribosylation activity is a heterodimer of the A1 subunit of the bacterial holotoxin and the human cytosolic ARF6 (ADP Ribosylation Factor 6). The active toxin is a potential target for the design of inhibitors against cholera. In this study we identified the potential ligandable sites of the active cholera toxin which can serve as binding sites for drug-like molecules. By employing an energy-based approach to identify ligand binding sites, and comparison with the results of computational solvent mapping, we identified two potential ligandable sites in the active toxin which can be targeted during structure-based drug design against cholera. Based on the probe affinities of the identified ligandable regions, docking-based virtual screening was employed to identify probable inhibitors against these sites. Several indole-based alkaloids and phosphates showed strong interactions to the important residues of the ligandable region at the A1 active site. On the other hand, 26 top scoring hits were identified against the ligandable region at the A1 ARF6 interface which showed strong hydrogen bonding interactions, including guanidines, phosphates, Leucopterin and Aristolochic acid VIa. This study has important implications in the application of hybrid structure-based and ligand-based methods against the identified ligandable sites using the identified inhibitors as reference ligands, for drug design against the active cholera toxin.

Infrared and Raman spectroscopic features of plant cuticles: a review.

The cuticle is one of the most important plant barriers. It is an external and continuous lipid membrane that covers the surface of epidermal cells and whose main function is to prevent the massive loss of water. The spectroscopic characterization of the plant cuticle and its components (cutin, cutan, waxes, polysaccharides and phenolics) by infrared and Raman spectroscopies has provided significant advances in the knowledge of the functional groups present in the cuticular matrix and on their structural role, interaction and macromolecular arrangement. Additionally, these spectroscopies have been used in the study of cuticle interaction with exogenous molecules, degradation, distribution of components within the cuticle matrix, changes during growth and development and characterization of fossil plants.

Molecular Strategies of the Caenorhabditis elegans Dauer Larva to Survive Extreme Desiccation

Massive water loss is a serious challenge for terrestrial animals, which usually has fatal consequences. However, some organisms have developed means to survive this stress by entering an ametabolic state called anhydrobiosis. The molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are poorly understood. We recently showed that Caenorhabditis elegans dauer larva, an arrested stage specialized for survival in adverse conditions, is resistant to severe desiccation. However, this requires a preconditioning step at a mild desiccative environment to prepare the organism for harsher desiccation conditions. A systems approach was used to identify factors that are activated during this preconditioning. Using microarray analysis, proteomics, and bioinformatics, genes, proteins, and biochemical pathways that are upregulated during this process were identified. These pathways were validated via reverse genetics by testing the desiccation tolerances of mutants. These data show that the desiccation response is activated by hygrosensation (sensing the desiccative environment) via head neurons. This leads to elimination of reactive oxygen species and xenobiotics, expression of heat shock and intrinsically disordered proteins, polyamine utilization, and induction of fatty acid desaturation pathway. Remarkably, this response is specific and involves a small number of functional pathways, which represent the generic toolkit for anhydrobiosis in plants and animals.

Dynamic regulation and dysregulation of the water channel aquaporin-2: a common cause of and promising therapeutic target for water balance disorders

The human body is two-thirds water. The ability of ensuring the proper amount of water inside the body is essential for the survival of mammals. The key event for maintenance of body water balance is water reabsorption in the kidney collecting ducts, which is regulated by aquaporin-2 (AQP2). AQP2 is a channel that is exclusively selective for water molecules and never allows permeation of ions or other small molecules. Under normal conditions, AQP2 is restricted within the cytoplasm of the collecting duct cells. However, when the body is dehydrated and needs to retain water, AQP2 relocates to the apical membrane, allowing water reabsorption from the urinary tubule into the cell. Its impairments result in various water balance disorders including diabetes insipidus, which is a disease characterized by a massive loss of water through the kidney, leading to severe dehydration in the body. Dysregulation of AQP2 is also a common cause of water retention and hyponatremia that exacerbate the prognosis of congestive heart failure and hepatic cirrhosis. Many studies have uncovered the regulation mechanisms of AQP2 at the single-molecule level, the whole-body level, and the clinical level. In clinical practice, urinary AQP2 is a useful marker for body water balance (hydration status). Moreover, AQP2 is now attracting considerable attention as a potential therapeutic target for water balance disorders which commonly occur in many diseases.

Physiological mechanism for the reduction in soil water in poplar (Populus deltoides) plantations in Dongting Lake wetlands

The use of large-scale tree plantations has provoked increasing concern regarding the negative effects on local environments in different ecosystems. However, the physiological mechanism underlying the reduction in soil water by tree plantations in wetlands is not clear. The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of poplar (Populus deltoides) plantations on soil water content and to elucidate the underlying physiological mechanisms. To this end, we conducted a 1-year fixed-plot investigation of soil water content (SWC), plant photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (Tr), and water-use efficiency (WUE) of individual leaves of 11- and 5-year-old poplars and of reed (Triarrherca sacchariflora, a native herbaceous plant) in the Dongting Lake wetlands, China. SWC was highest in reed, intermediate in 11-year-old poplar, and lowest in 5-year-old poplar, suggesting that poplar plantations produce a lower soil water content in wetlands. From May to July, Pn was significantly higher in reed than in the two poplar stands, but did not differ between the different-aged poplars. As a whole, Gs and Tr were higher, but WUE was lower, in the poplar stands than in reed during the growing season, indicating that Gs and Tr are the key physiological mechanisms associated with the lower soil water in poplar stands. Relationships among Pn, Gs, and Tr showed positive correlations (P < 0.01) for each type of vegetation. These data suggest that poplar plantations may cause the transformation of wetlands into dry land due to a lower WUE leading to a massive water loss from soil. This, in turn, would have an influence on community composition and ecosystem function after establishment of the plantations.

δ-Aminolevulinate synthase is required for apical transcellular barrier formation in the skin of the Drosophila larva

Animals construct a layered skin to prevent dehydration and pathogen entrance. The barrier function of the skin relies on the extensive cross-linking of specialised components. In insects, for instance, epidermal cells produce an apical extracellular cuticle that consists of a network of proteins, chitin and lipids. We have identified mutations in the Drosophila gene coding for the δ-aminolevulinate synthase (Alas) that cause massive water loss. The cuticle of alas mutant larvae detaches from the epidermis and its basal region is frayed suggesting that an Alas dependent pathway is needed to organise the contact between the cuticle and the epidermis and anchor the cuticle to the apical surface of epidermal cells. Concomitantly, reduction of Alas function results in weakening of the extracellular dityrosines network in the cuticle, whereas glutamyl–lysine isopeptide bonds are not affected. The lateral septate junctions of epidermal cells that serve as a paracellular plug are intact, as well. Taken together, we hypothesise that Alas activity, which initiates heme biosynthesis in the mitochondrion, is needed for the formation of a dityrosine-based barrier that confers resistance to the internal hydrostatic pressure protecting both the cuticle from transcellular infiltration of body fluid and the animal from dehydration. We conclude that at least two modules – an apical protein–chitin lattice and the lateral septate junctions, act in parallel to ensure Drosophila skin impermeability.

Phylogeny of gas exchange systems

Several systems of gas transport have developed during evolution, all of which are able to sufficiently supply oxygen to the tissues and eliminate the CO2 produced by the metabolism, in spite of great distances between the environment and the individual cells of the tissues. Almost all these systems utilize a combination of convection and diffusion steps. Convection achieves an efficient transport of gas over large distances, but requires energy and cannot occur across tissue barriers. Diffusion, on the other hand, achieves gas transport across barriers, but requires optimization of diffusion paths and diffusion areas. When two convectional gas flows are linked via a diffusional barrier (gas/fluid in the case of the avian lung, fluid/fluid in the case of gills), the directions in which the respective convectional movements pass each other are important determinants of gas exchange efficiency (concurrent, countercurrent and cross-current systems). The tracheal respiration found in insects has the advantage of circumventing the convective gas transport step in the blood, thereby avoiding the high energy expenditure of circulatory systems. This is made possible by a system of tracheae, ending in tracheoles, that reaches from the body surface to every cell within the body. The last step of gas transfer in these animals occurs by diffusion from the tracheoles ("air capillaries") to the mitochondria of cells. The disadvantage is that the tracheal system occupies a substantial fraction of body volume and that, due to limited mechanical stability of tracheal walls, this system would not be able to operate under conditions of high hydrostatic pressures, i. e. in large animals. Respiration in an "open" system, i. e. direct exposure of the diffusional barrier to the environmental air, eliminates the problem of bringing the oxygen to the barrier by convection, as is necessary in the avian and mammalian lung, in the insects' tracheal system and in the gills. An open system is found in the respiration via the skin, which is of significance in some amphibians, but is limited by the thickness of the skin that constitutes a substantial diffusion path for O2 and CO2. The thick skin, on the other hand, provides mechanical protection as well as flexibility for the animals' body and helps avoid massive water loss via the body surface. The gills of fishes, in contrast, exhibit rather short diffusion distances, are located in a mechanically protected space, and the problem of water loss does not exist. The flows of blood and water occur in opposite direction (countercurrent flow) and this situation makes an arterial PO2 approaching the environmental PO2 possible. A major disadvantage is constituted by the environmental medium since water contains little O2 compared to air and, to compensate this, much energy is expended to maintain a high flow rate of water through the gills. In the mammalian lung ("pool system"), the presence of a dead space and the rhythmic ventilation that replaces only a small fraction of the gas volume of the lung per breath, are responsible for an arterial PO2 (2/3 of the atmospheric PO2) that cannot reach the expiratory PO2. However, an advantage of this feature is the constantly high alveolar and arterial PCO2, which provides a highly effective H(+) buffer system in the entire body. The apparent disadvantage of the mammalian lung is avoided by the avian lung, which uses an extended system of airways to establish continuous equilibration of a part of the capillary blood with fresh air (cross current system), during inspiration as well as during expiration. In this system, arterial PO2 can significantly exceed expiratory PO2. A disadvantage here is the enormous amount of space taken up by the avian lung, in animals of 1 kg body weight three times as much as taken up by the mammalian lung. All respiratory exchange systems considered here exhibit high degrees of optimization - yet follow highly diverse construction principles. There is no such thing as an ideal gas exchange system. The system that has evolved in each species depends to an impressive extent on environmental conditions, on body build and size, on the animal's patterns of movement and on its energy consumption.

Rotavirus infection impairs intestinal brush-border membrane Na(+)-solute cotransport activities in young rabbits.

The mechanism of rotavirus diarrhea was investigated by infecting young, specific pathogen-free, New Zealand rabbits with a lapine rotavirus, strain La/RR510. With 4-wk-old animals, virus shedding into the intestinal lumen peaked at 72 h postinfection (hpi), and a mild, watery diarrhea appeared at 124 hpi. No intestinal lesions were seen up to 144 hpi, indicating that diarrhea does not follow mucosal damage but can precede it, as if cell dysfunction were the cause, not the consequence, of the histological lesions. Kinetic analyses with brush-border membrane vesicles isolated from infected rabbits revealed strong inhibition of both Na(+)-D-glucose (SGLT1) and Na(+)-L-leucine symport activities. For both symporters, only maximum velocity decreased with time. The density of phlorizin-binding sites and SGLT1 protein antigen in the membrane remained unaffected, indicating that the virus effect on this symporter is direct. Because SGLT1 supports water reabsorption under physiological conditions, the mechanism of rotavirus diarrhea may involve a generalized inhibition of Na(+)-solute symport systems, hence, of water reabsorption. Massive water loss through the intestine may eventually overwhelm the capacity of the organ for water reabsorption, thereby helping the diarrhea to get established.

Differences in Water Relations Parameters for the Chlorenchyma and the Parenchyma of Opuntia ficus-indica Under Wet Versus Dry Conditions

Water relations of the photosynthetic tissue (chlorenchyma) and of the water-storage parenchyma were studied for well watered and droughted Opuntia ficus-indica, a crassulacean acid metabolism plant cultivated worldwide for its fruits and cladodes. For well watered plants, die1 changes in osmotic pressure were evident in the chlorenchyma. Droughting the plants for 4 months resulted in a massive loss of water from the cladodes, particularly from the water-storage parenchyma, which could lose up to 82% of the water present at full turgor without irreversible tissue damage. Pressure-volume curves indicated a decrease in the osmotic pressure at full turgor of about 0.1 MPa for the water-storage parenchyma cells during drought; such a decrease of osmotically active solutes was consistent with the appearance of large numbers of starch grains. The bulk modulus of elasticity was 0.36 MPa for the water-storage parenchyma cells and 2.5-fold higher for the chlorenchyma cells, which were smaller with thicker cell walls than the former cells. Mucilage, a polysaccharide occurring extracellularly, constituted about 14% of the cladode dry weight; it could hold more than 30% of the total water content of the water-storage parenchyma. Polymerisation of sugars, large elastic cells in the water-storage parenchyma and mucilage with its high water-holding capacity helped maintain a positive turgor in the photosynthetic tissue, even after 4 months of drought.

Water loss on Venus: The role of carbon monoxide

The abundance of water on Venus is four to five orders of magnitude lower than on the Earth. This difference may reflect initial differences in the bulk volatile contents of the two planets, or may be the result of processes for massive water loss on Venus. A series of thermodynamic calculations are performed on the heterogeneous system C-O-H-N-S, varying C/H upward from its terrestrial value of 0.033 in order to evaluate the extent to which either of these two possibilities may account for the low water content on Venus. Relative abundances of 84 molecular gaseous species are computed as functions of temperature, total pressure, oxygen fugacity, and bulk C/H. As bulk C/H increases, the complement of atmospheric H 2O decreases, but C/H would have to be raised to an improbably high value to account for the low water abundance on Venus by initial deficiency alone. Increasing C/H also results in a rapid increase in CO/H 2O, however, and enhances water loss by the reaction CO + H 2O = CO 2 + H 2 or by reaction of carbon monoxide with the free oxygen liberated by photodissociation of water. Other water loss mechanisms have relied on crustal FeO as an oxygen sink. Such mechanisms, however, should have operated on both Venus and the Earth and may be insufficient to account for the major differences in present H 2O abundance between the two planets. Calculations performed in this study suggest that if the outgassed C/H on Venus was higher than on Earth by even less than a factor of 5, it would have been sufficient to make carbon monoxide competitive with FeO as a sink for oxygen. Together with the lower initial water abundance that follows from a higher C/H, water loss involving CO may have been a major factor in determining the present low abundance of water on Venus.