Significant Decrease In Water Content Research Articles

Vitamin D Improves Klebsiella-Induced Severe Pneumonia in Rats by Regulating Intestinal Microbiota.

In the context of progressively uncontrolled drug resistance of bacteria, the difficulty of treating Klebsiella (KP)-induced pneumonia increases. Searching for drugs other than antibiotics has become an urgent task. Vitamin D (VD), meanwhile, is shown to be capable of treating pneumonia. Therefore, we aimed to explore the effects and mechanisms of VD on KP-infected rats. Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into the Control, VD, KP and KP+VD groups. A rat pneumonia model was induced using an intratracheal drop of 2.4×108 CFU/mL KP. VD treatment was performed by gavage using 5 μg/kg. Subsequently, the survival of the rats was recorded, and the lungs, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and feces of the rats were collected 4 days after KP infection. Next, the water content of lung tissues was measured by the wet-to-dry weight ratio. Histopathological changes of lung tissues were observed by Hematoxylin and Eosin staining and the levels of inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1β, MCP1) were detected using ELISA. The feces of rats in each group were also subjected to 16S rDNA gene analysis of intestinal microbiota. Compared with the KP group, the KP+VD group showed a significant increase in survival, a significant decrease in water content and bacterial counts in the lungs, a significant improvement in lung injury, and a significant decline in the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and MCP1. According to the 16S rDNA sequencing, VD altered the structure of the intestinal bacterial community in the KP-infected rats and made the species richness similar to that of healthy rats. Additionally, the abundance of Anaeroglobus was significantly increased in the KP+VD group. VD modulates intestinal microbiota to increase the resistance of rats to pneumonia caused by Klebsiella infection.

Water Content Comparison of Green Bean and Roasted Bean of Robusta Gumitir Coffee Based on Processing Method and Roast Level

This study aims to compare the water content of green beans and roasted coffee bean based on the processing method and roasting level. The research was conducted at the TEFA Coffee Stub-Agricultural Plant Processing Laboratory, Politeknik Negeri Jember in April-July 2022. The coffee samples were Robusta coffee originating from the Gumitir area, Jember. This research consists of two main stages, green bean processing (dry (natural), honey, semi-wet, and full wash process) and roasting process based on light, medium, and dark levels. The analysis result showed that there was a decrease in the water content of coffee beans in each processing method as the roasting level increased. Overall, the water content of roast beans from full wash processing has the highest level compared to roast beans from other processed methods. The water content of green beans was originally 12.65%, decreased to 3.91%, 3.90%, and 3.38% after roasting with light, medium, and dark levels. The darker the roast level, the more weight loss. A significant decrease in water content was obtained in green beans processed by the honey method. Initially, the green bean water content was 13.05%, decreasing to 2.36%, 2.14, and 1.34% at each roasting level. Meanwhile, the green beans produced from natural processing (dry process), semi-wet, and full wash resulted in a decrease in water content that was not significant as the roasting level increased. Based on the results of this study, it is necessary to carry out further research related to the relationship between processing methods and roasting level on the physicochemical characteristics of coffee beans by optimizing.

Arbutus unedo L. fruits stabilization during conservation in a sweet environment

Arbutus unedo L. is an important food on the nutritional side. Unfortunately, most of its production is lost by the lack of appropriate conservation techniques. This study was carried out to follow the evolution of physicochemical, microbiological and microscopic parameters of two stages of Arbutus unedo L. fruits maturation during a period of conservation between 01 February 2021 and 29 July 2021 in a sugar solution with the presence of a percentage of lemon juice 4%. The results revealed that the fruits soaked in a sugar solution with a concentration of 75% remained more stable during the 180 days of conservation than those soaked in an equal concentration solution, 50% of sugar. With a slight increase in pH and medium pH, accompanied by a significant decrease in water content and an increase in total aerobic mesophilic germs. Therefore, sugar improves the conservation of Arbutus unedo L. fruits in a high concentration.

Protection of salidroside on endothelial cell barrier in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model rats

This study aims to observe the therapeutic effect of salidroside on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion(I/R) model rats, and to specifically explore the protection of salidroside on endothelial cell barrier after I/R and the mechanism. In the experiment, SD rats were randomized into sham group, model group, and high-, medium-, and low-dose(10, 5, and 2.5 mg·kg~(-1)) salidroside groups. The suture method was used to induce I/R in rats. The infarct area, neurobehavioral evaluation, and brain water content were used to evaluate the efficacy of salidroside. As for the experiment on the mechanism, high-dose and low-dose salidroside groups were designed. The pathological morphology was observed based on hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining, and ultrastructure of vascular endothelial cells based on transmission electron microscopy. The content of nitric oxide(NO) in serum, four indexes of blood coagulation, and the content of von Willebrand factor(vWF) in plasma were measured. Western blot(WB) and immunofluorescence(IF) were employed to determine the expression of tight junction proteins(ZO-1, occluding, and claudin-1) and matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP-9) in the cortex. The results showed that the model group had obvious neurological deficit, obvious infarct in the right brain tissue, and significant increase in water content in brain tissue compared with the sham group. Compared with the model group, high-dose and low-dose salidroside groups showed decrease in neurobehavioral score, and the high-, medium-, and low-dose salidroside groups demonstrated obviously small infarct area and significant decrease in water content in brain tissue. The results of HE staining and transmission electron microscopy showed that rats had necrosis of neurons, damage of original physiological structure of endothelial cells, and disintegration of the tight junction between endothelial cells after I/R compared with the sham group. Compared with the model group, the high-dose and low-dose salidroside groups showed alleviation of neuron injury and intact physiological structure of endothelial cells. The model group had significantly lower serum level of NO, significantly higher plasma levels of vWF and fibrinogen(FIB), and significantly shorter thrombin time(TT) and prothrombin time(PT) than the sham group. Compared with model group, the high-dose and low-dose salidroside groups increased the serum content of NO in serum, decreased the plasma levels of FIB and vWF, and significantly prolonged TT and PT. WB and IF results showed that the model group had significantly lower levels of ZO-1, occluding, and claudin-1 among endothelial cells and significantly higher level of MMP-9 than the sham group. Compared with the model group, high-dose and low-dose salidroside significantly increased the levels of ZO-1, occluding, and claudin-1 in the cortex. The above experimental results show that salidroside has clear therapeutic effect on I/R rats and protects the brain. To be specific, it alleviates the damage of endothelial cells by increasing NO synthesis in endothelial cells, inhibiting coagulation reaction and MMP-9 expression, up-regulating the expression of ZO-1, occludin, and claudin-1, thereby protecting the brain.

Biocoal Characterization as an Environmentally Friendly Alternative Energy Innovation Composite Variations of Gasified Char with Coconut Shell Charcoal

In accordance with the mandate of the Regulation of the Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources for the use of cleaner coal through coal gasification projects, in the future the coal gasification industry will produce char as a by-product. This study aims to characterize coal gasification char using a prototype underground coal gasification (UCG) and the addition of coconut shell charcoal biomass as a raw material for making biobriquettes. By using coal as raw material from the Muara Tiga Besar Mine of PT Bukit Asam, five kinds of coal samples from different layers were obtained, which from the characterization results, both coal and char, did not have too significant deviations so that the research variables could be ignored. The results of the characterization of char from coal gasification results compared to the initial sample of coal showed an increase in calorific value, a decrease in sulfur content and a significant decrease in water content, so it can be concluded that char from coal gasification has good potential as a raw material for biobriquettes. By using char and coconut shell charcoal with the ratio of variations in the composition of char and coconut shell compositions is 100%:0%; 75%:25%; 50%:50%; 25%:75% and 0%:100% carried out the briquetting process. The results of the biobriquette characterization met the criteria of the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) 01-6235-2000 and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources regulation No. 047 of 2006

The effects of mistletoe (Viscum album L.) on the physiological properties of some drupe trees in Turkey

In the present study, the effects of mistletoe (Viscum album L.) on the physiological properties of drupe trees were investigated. In order to achieve this goal, sulfhydryl, chlorophyll a and b, total chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, total amino acid, proline, carotenoid, glucose, and fructose levels, as well as leaf proportional water contents were determined in both mistletoe and its hosts under laboratory conditions. According to the results, mistletoe caused a significant decrease in water content and reduced total ascorbic acid content in apricot, almond, and plum. Additionally, mistletoe did not affect the total amino acid, glucose, and fructose concentrations of the hosts. Carotenoid and total chlorophyll contents, on the other hand, were statistically similar in the control and hosts in almond and apricot. It was also observed that mistletoe had virtually no effect on the amount of chlorophyll a in all hosts; however, it affected chlorophyll b content. As a semiparasite, mistletoe caused branches to drift backwards from the tip of their shoots by using the water and other nutritional elements of the host tree, as well as clogging their xylems with its haustorium. In addition, mistletoe acts as a stress factor, increasing host proline and sulfhydryl levels and, thereby, causing the branches to drift backwards.

Dry or wet? What is the best choice to determine gonadosomatic and hepatosomatic indexes in females of Macrobrachium amazonicum ?

The gonadosomatic (GSI) and hepatosomatic (HSI) indexes are widely used for the evaluation of reproductive biology in crustaceans. However, the use of either wet or dry weight for estimating these indexes is not standardized in the literature. Here, we compare the GSI and HSI indexes based on wet and dry samples of females of Macrobrachium amazonicum from populations with different phenotypes (large and small‐size prawns) as a model. In our analysis, for GSI, the application of wet weight tended to overestimate the values recorded in the initial (I‐II) and intermediate (III) stages of ovarian development, and underestimate the results in the final (IV‐V) stages when compared to the use of dry weight. This could be attributed to the reduction in cytoplasmic organelles and water content of the cytosol due to the increase in yolk and lipids in the oocytes throughout ovarian development. For HSI, no significant differences were detected between wet and dry samples. However, the dry HSI computed at all stages of development was overestimated when compared to the use of wet samples, and only the hepatopancreas of females at the final stage (V) showed a significant decrease in water content. Thus, our results indicate that M. amazonicum females maintain constant hepatopancreatic reserves throughout ovarian development. In this way, the use of dry weight is more adequate to estimate GSI and HSI in this species.

Swartzia langsdorffii Raddi: morphophysiological traits of a recalcitrant seed dispersed during the dry season

AbstractSwartzia langsdorffii seeds have recalcitrant characteristics. Nonetheless, dispersal begins in the month with the lowest precipitation in the studied region, which could lead to seed death by desiccation. Therefore, the objectives of this study were: (1) to characterize the physiological behaviour of S. langsdorffii seeds related to their desiccation sensitivity/tolerance; and (2) to assess the morphophysiological characteristics that enable the seeds to remain viable after dispersal. Fruits and seeds were subjected to biometric evaluation and the anatomical and ultrastructural features of the seeds were determined. Field assessments were performed to determine the capacity of the seeds to maintain viability and to verify the relation between seed viability, diaspore water content and environmental variables. Seeds of this species were found to be recalcitrant and showed pores distributed throughout the seed coat, and contained a large number of stomata in the hypocotyl–radicle axis epidermis. Moreover, phenolic compounds were found throughout the radicle region. Seeds remained viable in the soil for up to 7 months after dispersal without a significant decrease in water content, despite the low precipitation and soil water content. Radicle protrusion began 5 months after dispersal and coincided with partial fruit decomposition at the beginning of the rainy season. Thus, the possible microclimate created by the pericarp, with the moisture content of the aril and the soil, the presence of the structures in the axis, such as the pores and stomata, the chemical composition and the morphology of S. langsdorffii seeds could favour maintenance of their viability until the beginning of the rainy season.

Elucidation of Cross-Talk and Specificity of Early Response Mechanisms to Salt and PEG-Simulated Drought Stresses in Brassica napus Using Comparative Proteomic Analysis.

To understand the cross-talk and specificity of the early responses of plants to salt and drought, we performed physiological and proteome analyses of Brassica napus seedlings pretreated with 245 mM NaCl or 25% polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 under identical osmotic pressure (-1.0 MPa). Significant decreases in water content and photosynthetic rate and excessive accumulation of compatible osmolytes and oxidative damage were observed in response to both stresses. Unexpectedly, the drought response was more severe than the salt response. We further identified 45 common differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), 143 salt-specific DEPs and 160 drought-specific DEPs by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) analysis. The proteome quantitative data were then confirmed by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The differences in the proteomic profiles between drought-treated and salt-treated seedlings exceeded the similarities in the early stress responses. Signal perception and transduction, transport and membrane trafficking, and photosynthesis-related proteins were enriched as part of the molecular cross-talk and specificity mechanism in the early responses to the two abiotic stresses. The Ca2+ signaling, G protein-related signaling, 14-3-3 signaling pathway and phosphorylation cascades were the common signal transduction pathways shared by both salt and drought stress responses; however, the proteins with executive functions varied. These results indicate functional specialization of family proteins in response to different stresses, i.e., CDPK21, TPR, and CTR1 specific to phosphorylation cascades under early salt stress, whereas STN7 and BSL were specific to phosphorylation cascades under early drought stress. Only the calcium-binding EF-hand family protein and ZKT were clearly identified as signaling proteins that acted as cross-talk nodes for salt and drought signaling pathways. Our study provides new clues and insights for developing strategies to improve the tolerance of crops to complex, multiple environmental stresses.

Effect of Hydration on Healthy Intervertebral Disk Mechanical Stiffness.

The intervertebral disk has an excellent swelling capacity to absorb water, which is thought to be largely due to the high proteoglycan composition. Injury, aging, degeneration, and diurnal loading are all noted by a significant decrease in water content and tissue hydration. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of hydration, through osmotic loading, on tissue swelling and compressive stiffness of healthy intervertebral disks. The wet weight of nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF) explants following swelling was 50% or greater, demonstrating significant ability to absorb water under all osmotic loading conditions (0.015 M-3.0 M phosphate buffered saline (PBS)). Estimated NP residual strains, calculated from the swelling ratio, were approximately 1.5 × greater than AF residual strains. Compressive stiffness increased with hyperosmotic loading, which is thought to be due to material compaction from osmotic-loading and the nonlinear mechanical behavior. Importantly, this study demonstrated that residual strains and material properties are greatly dependent on osmotic loading. The findings of this study support the notion that swelling properties from osmotic loading will be important for accurately describing the effect of degeneration and injury on disk mechanics. Furthermore, the tissue swelling will be an important consideration for developing biological repair strategies aimed at restoring mechanical behavior toward a healthy disk.

Study on Consolidation Test for Fresh Soft Dredger Fill

The consolidation test was performed to samples of fresh soft dredger fill with heights of 2cm, 3cm and 4cm with full-automatic pneumatic consolidometer. The results show that: the soil sample deforms greatly during the consolidation with significant decrease in water content and small consolidation coefficient. The sample height has negligible effect on the deformation rate, compression modulus, compressibility coefficient, etc., while it is closely related to the consolidation coefficient with an inverse relationship.

Effects of Foliar Nutrition on Onion Seed Storage under Controlled Atmosphere

Storage of fresh fruits and vegetables prolongs their usefulness. The principal goal of storage is to preserve the commodity in its most useable form for the consumer. The extension of storage life and the improvement of quality of fresh fruits and vegetables can be supplied by harvesting at proper maturity, control of post-harvest diseases, chemical treatments, refrigeration, controlled and modified atmospheres. Two successive winter seasons of 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 were conducted under sandy soil conditions to study the effect of spraying with 12 commercial compounds on onion seeds and storage under controlled atmosphere. The germination percentages were 85.50, 86.85, 83.75 and 82.15 for CA1, CA2, CA3 and CA4, respectively. Water content of onion seeds was significantly increased with decreasing storage temperature in all controlled atmospheres. Water content values were 4.48, 4.40, 4.55 and 4.54 for CA1, CA2, CA3 and CA4, respectively. There were significant decreases in water content with increasing exposure periods. The lowest water content was recordednfor the exposure periods of 120 and 240 days. Catalase and peroxidase activities were decreased with the decreasing of storage temperature, whereas malondialdehyde content was increased. The exposure for 120 days recorded the highest catalase activity. The highest value of peroxidase (11.72) was recorded for CA2. Peroxidase activity increased as exposure period increased until 120 days and then decreased. Cold storage temperature (5°C) showed the highest malondialdehyde content followed by room temperature. The CA2 showed the lowest malondialdehyde content compared with other controlled atmospheres. The exposure period of 120 days had the lowest malondialdehyde content.

Visible and near-infrared spectral changes in the thumb of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome

Background Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients show a persistent fatigue condition with muscle pain and impairment of concentration, memory, and sleep. Presently, the physiological basis of CFS remains unclear. In this study, spectroscopic differences in the thumb were compared between 103 CFS patients and 122 healthy controls to examine possible changes of levels of oxygenated or deoxygenated hemoglobin. Methods Visible and near-infrared (Vis–NIR) spectroscopy was used to examine possible changes in the region of 600–1100 nm. Results Vis–NIR spectra showed sharp peaks at 694, 970 and 1060 nm and broad peaks in the regions of 740–760 and 830–850 nm. As these peaks are possibly related to oxyhemoglobin, cytochrome c oxidase and water, levels of these factors were compared between the two groups. Statistical analysis of the absorbance of Vis–NIR spectra showed a significant decrease in water content, a significant increase in oxyhemoglobin content, and a significant increase in the oxidation of heme a + a 3 and copper in cytochrome c oxidase in CFS patients. Conclusions These changes imply accelerated blood flow and energy metabolism in the thumbs of CFS patients.

High Vapor Pressure Perfluorocarbons Cause Vesicle Fusion and Changes in Membrane Packing

Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) hold great promise for biomedical applications. However, relatively little is known about the impact of these chemicals on membranes. We used unilamellar vesicles to explore the effects of PFCs on membrane packing and vesicle stability. Four clinically relevant PFCs with varying vapor pressures (PP1, 294 mbar; PP2, 141 mbar; PP4, 9.6 mbar; and PP9, 2.9 mbar) were examined. Microscopy imaging and spectroscopic measurements suggest that PFCs, especially those with high vapor pressures, lead to vesicle fusion within hours. Upon exposure to PP1 and PP2 for 72 h, vesicles retained a spherical shape, but the size changed from ∼200 nm to ∼20–40 μm. In addition, membrane packing underwent marked changes during this timeframe. A significant decrease in water content in the lipid polar headgroup regions occurred during the first 1–2-h exposure to PFCs, followed by a steady increase in water content over time. Possible mechanisms were proposed to explain these dramatic structural changes. The finding that chemically inert PFCs exhibited fusogenic activity and marked changes in membrane surface packing is novel, and should be considered when using PFCs for biomedical applications.

Ni2+ toxicity in rice: Effect on membrane functionality and plant water content

The heavy metal nickel is an essential mineral trace nutrient found at low concentrations in most natural soils. However, it may reach toxic levels in certain areas and affect a number of biochemical and physiological processes in plants. Wilting and leaf necrosis have been described as typical visible symptoms of Ni(2+) toxicity. The plasma membrane (PM) of root cells constitutes the first barrier for the entry of heavy metals but also a target of their toxic action. This work studies the relationship between disturbances of membrane functionality and the development of the typical symptoms of Ni(2+) toxicity. Rice plants (Oryza sativa L. cv. Bahia) grown in nutrient medium containing 0.5mM Ni(2+) showed a significant decrease in water content as a consequence of the stress. Addition of Ni(2+) to the solution bathing the roots induced a concentration-dependent PM depolarization but the activity of the PM-H(+)-ATPase was not inhibited by the presence of Ni(2+) and the initial resting potential recovered in less than 1h. In the short term (hours), membrane permeability of root cells was not significantly affected by Ni(2+) treatments. However, in the long term (days) a drastic loss of K(+) was measured in roots and shoots, which should be responsible for the changes in the water content measured, since stomatal conductance and the transpiration rate remained unaffected by Ni(2+) treatment. The effects induced by Ni(2+) were not permanent and could be reverted, at least in part, by transferring the plants to a medium without Ni(2+).

Effects of Zn and Cd accumulation on structural and physiological characteristics of barley plants

The objectives of this study were to identify the structural changes caused by Zn and Cd accumulation in shoots and roots of barley (Hordeum vulgare) plants; and to correlate metal accumulation with anatomical, physiological and morphological changes. Potted plants were exposed to metal treatments of Zn and Cd for 19 and 16 d respectively. Leaves, stems and roots were harvested to identify structural changes and analyze metal accumulation. Barley effectively accumulated Zn (up to 11283 mg kg-1) and Cd (up to 584 mg kg-1) in the shoots. Microscopic structural changes, such as a decrease in intercellular spaces, breakdown of vascular bundles, and shrinkage of palisade and epidermal cells, occurred in leaves, stems and roots of plants treated with high concentrations of Zn. Zinc accumulation also resulted in a significant decrease in water content, fresh weight, dry weight and plant height. Cadmium only caused structural changes in roots at the higher concentrations. Barley plants were able to accumulate significant amounts of Zn and Cd without exhibiting symptoms of phytotoxicity when the metal concentrations were relatively low.

Protein nanocrystallography: growth mechanism and atomic structure of crystals induced by nanotemplates

Protein nanocrystallography, a new technology for crystal growth based on protein nanotemplates, has recently been shown to produce diffracting, stable and radiation-resistant lysozyme crystals. This article, by computing these lysozyme crystals' atomic structures, obtained by the diffraction patterns of microfocused synchrotron radiation, provides a possible mechanism for this increased stability, namely a significant decrease in water content accompanied by a minor but significant alpha-helix increase. These data are shown to be compatible with the circular dichroism and two-dimensional Fourier transform spectra of high-resolution H NMR of proteins dissolved from the same nanotemplate-based crystal versus those from a classical crystal. Finally, evidence for protein direct transfer from the nanotemplate to the drop and the participation of the template proteins in crystal nucleation and growth is provided by high-resolution NMR spectrometry and mass spectrometry. Furthermore, the lysozyme nanotemplate appears stable up to 523 K, as confirmed by a thermal denaturation study using spectropolarimetry. The overall data suggest that heat-proof lysozyme presence in the crystal provides a possible explanation of the crystal's resistance to synchrotron radiation.

Effect of Salinity on the physiological responses of selected lines/variety of wheat

The effect of different concentrations of salinity (NaCl up to 250 mM) was studied on the germination, dry matter production and some relevant metabolic parameters of two lines (Sakha 69 and Sakha 164) and one variety (Stork) of wheat (Triticum aestivumL.). During the germination and seedling stages the experimental lines tolerated lower and moderate doses of salinity, while the variety was significantly retarded at the lower and moderate levels and completely inhibited at higher doses of salinity. The water content remained more or less unchanged in the two lines under saline conditions, whereas in Stork increasing salinity resulted in a significant decrease in water content. A stimulation of the net photosynthetic rate in both lines, Sakha 69 and Sakha 164, was observed at moderate salinity, but the highest levels proved to be inhibitory. In the Stork variety all salinization levels inhibited photosynthetic activity. The respiration rate in the two tested lines was influenced from salinity levels of 150 mM upwards and increased progressively with the salinity level. In Stork plants increasing salinity levels increased the respiration rate. The soluble sugar and soluble protein contents of the lines increased with increasing salinity. The opposite pattern was revealed in the case of Stork. The amino acid content, including proline, increased significantly with an increase in salinity in all tested plants. the potassium/sodium ratio decreased significantly with a rise in salinization.

Modulation of aquaporin-4 water transport in a model of TBI.

Our Laboratory has pursued the hypothesis that traumatic brain edema is predominantly cellular and recent supportive evidence has been obtained indicating a non-extracellular route for sodium and water entering brain. The aim of this study was to investigate if astrocytic endfeet are involved in this passage, using a potent activator of Protein Kinase C (phorbol ester) to modify and closing the Aquaporin 4 (AQP4), a water channel specific for astrocytic endfoot. Anaesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to an intracerebroventricular bolus of phorbol ester (50 pmol/4 microl) or vehicle, in the right hemisphere and after 30 minutes they were exposed to the well-established conical contusion model (3 mm depth at 6 m/sec) on the same side. After trauma, they were subjected to 5 hours of drug continuous infusion, then sacrificed. Water content measurements for both right (injured) and left (uninjured) hemispheres were calculated using the wet weight/dry weight technique. Results of these experiments showed a significant decrease in water content in injured phorbol treated animals, underlying that AQP4 regulation plays an important role in brain edema following stroke, and supporting the concept of cellular formation for edema via astrocytic foot processes.

Delayed harvest of miscanthus—influences on biomass quantity and quality and environmental impacts of energy production

One important aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of delayed harvest of miscanthus on biomass yield and quality. Miscanthus field trials were therefore carried out at three locations in south Germany. The plants were harvested at different dates, and the yields and chemical composition of the biomass were measured. Another aim is to investigate the effects of delayed harvest of miscanthus on the net primary energy balance, total emissions of greenhouse gases, and total emissions of acidifying gases in the case of a large-scale heat generation from this biomass. Thus, life cycle assessment (LCA) for a theoretical large-scale heat generation from this specially grown and harvested miscanthus was carried out. Since no standard data set was available, two different model approaches (A and B) were applied within LCA to describe the energy consumption of biomass drying. Results of the field trials show an energy yield of 187–528 GJ ha −1 harvest from miscanthus in December. With delayed harvest, bioenergy yields decreased by 14–15% between December and February and by a further 13% between February and March. This was accompanied by a significant decrease in water content and in the concentrations of ash, nitrogen, chloride and sulphur in the biomass. The decline in energy yield, however, cannot be traded off by a reduced total primary energy consumption due to a reduced need for drying. The amount of total CO 2 equivalent emissions of theoretical heat generation from miscanthus varies between 10.3 and 36.1 kg CO 2 equivalents GJ −1 depending on the harvest time, production site and drying process model used. A clear effect of delayed harvest on total CO 2 equivalent emissions per GJ was not found. The amount of total SO 2 equivalent emissions varied between 44 and 213 g GJ −1. Here, results of both drying models show a clear decrease of SO 2 equivalents with delayed harvest. In addition, energy generation from miscanthus emits less CO 2 and SO 2 equivalents than conventional heat generation from light heating oil. It can be concluded that an early harvest of miscanthus maximises energy yield and finite primary energy savings per hectare. It may also maximise CO 2 equivalent savings per energy yield when energy consumption of the drying processes can be kept low. To gain certainty on this point, more robust data bases for the LCA are needed. On the other hand, late harvest reduced total SO 2 equivalent emissions of an energetic use of miscanthus and it also recommended for economic reasons.