Measurement of Radon-Induced Backgrounds in the NEXT Double Beta Decay Experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Novella, P.; et al.

The measurement of the internal 222Rn activity in the NEXT-White detector during the so-called Run-II period with 136Xe-depleted xenon is discussed in detail, together with its implications for double beta decay searches in NEXT. The activity is measured through the alpha production rate induced in the fiducial volume by 222Rn and its alpha-emitting progeny. The specific activity is measured to bemore » $$(37.5\\pm 2.3~\\mathrm{(stat.)}\\pm 5.9~\\mathrm{(syst.)})$$~mBq/m$^3$. Radon-induced electrons have also been characterized from the decay of the 214Bi daughter ions plating out on the cathode of the time projection chamber. From our studies, we conclude that radon-induced backgrounds are sufficiently low to enable a successful NEXT-100 physics program, as the projected rate contribution should not exceed 0.2~counts/yr in the neutrinoless double beta decay sample.« less

Salt-induced aggregation of lysozyme: Implications for crystal growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Lori J.

1994-01-01

Crystallization of proteins is a prerequisite for structural analysis by x-ray crystallography. While improvements in protein crystals have been obtained in microgravity onboard the U.S. Space Shuttle, attempts to improve the crystal growth process both on the ground and in space have been limited by our lack of understanding of the mechanisms involved. Almost all proteins are crystallized with the aid of a precipitating agent. Many of the common precipitating agents are inorganic salts. An understanding of the role of salts on the aggregation of protein monomers is the key to the elucidation of the mechanisms involved in protein crystallization. In order for crystallization to occur individual molecules must self-associate into aggregates. Detection and characterization of aggregates in supersaturated protein solutions is the first step in understanding salt-induced crystallization.

Japanese traditional miso soup attenuates salt-induced hypertension and its organ damage in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.

PubMed

Yoshinaga, Mariko; Toda, Natsuko; Tamura, Yuki; Terakado, Shouko; Ueno, Mai; Otsuka, Kie; Numabe, Atsushi; Kawabata, Yukari; Uehara, Yoshio

2012-09-01

We investigated the effects of long-term miso soup drinking on salt-induced hypertension in Dahl salt-sensitive (Dahl S) rats. Dahl S rats were divided into four groups that consumed 1) water, 2) a 0.9% NaCl solution, 3) a 1.3% sodium NaCl solution, or 4) miso soup containing 1.3% NaCl. They were followed for 8 wk. Systolic blood pressure and hypertensive organ damage were determined. Systolic blood pressure increased in an age- and dose-dependent manner in Dahl S rats drinking salt solutions. The systolic blood pressure increase was significantly less in the Dahl S rats that drank miso soup, although the ultimate cumulative salt loading was greater than that in the Dahl S rats given the 1.3% NaCl solution. This blood pressure decrease was associated with a morphologic attenuation of glomerular sclerosis in the kidney and collagen infiltration in the heart. Urinary protein excretions were less in the miso group than in the rats given the 1.3% NaCl solution. The fractional excretion of sodium was increased and that of potassium was decreased in Dahl S rats given the 1.3% NaCl solution, and these effects were reversed in rats given miso soup toward the values of the control. We found that long-term miso soup drinking attenuates the blood pressure increase in salt-induced hypertension with organ damage. This may be caused by a possible retardation of sodium absorption in the gastrointestinal tract or by the direct effects of nutrients in the miso soup from soybeans. The decrease was associated with decreases in cardiovascular and renal damage. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Attenuation of salt-induced hypertension by aqueous calyx extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa.

PubMed

Mojiminiyi, F B O; Audu, Z; Etuk, E U; Ajagbonna, O P

2012-12-18

The aqueous calyx extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) has a folk reputation as an antihypertensive agent. On account of its antioxidant properties and probably high K+ concentration, we hypothesized that HS may attenuate the development of salt-induced hypertension. Sprague-Dawley rats (n=8 each) were treated for 12 weeks as follows: control (normal diet + water), salt-loaded (8% salt diet + water), HS (normal diet + 6 mg/ml HS), salt+HS (8% salt diet + 6 mg/ml HS) and furosemide (normal diet+ 0.25mg/Kg furosemide). Their blood pressure and heart rates were measured and responses to noradrenalin and acetylcholine (0.01 mg/kg respectively) were estimated. The cationic concentration of 6 mg/ml HS was determined. The Na+ and K+ concentrations of 6 mg/ml HS were 3.6 and 840 mmol/l respectively. The mean arterial pressure (MAP±SEM; mmHg) of salt loaded rats (184.6±29.8) was significantly higher than control (113.2±3.0; P<0.05), HS (90.0±7.4; P<0.001) salt+HS (119.4±8.9; P<0.05) and furosemide (94.9±11.5; P<0.01). The MAP of salt+HS and control rats did not differ significantly and the effect of HS was comparable to furosemide. The pressor response to noradrenalin or vasodilator response to acetylcholine remained similar in all groups. These results suggest that HS attenuated the development of salt-induced hypertension and this attenuation may be associated with its high K+ content or high potassium: sodium ratio and not with altered pressor/depressor response to noradrenalin or acetylcholine. Also the effects of HS and furosemide on blood pressure are comparable.

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) in a Novel Molten Salt Aerosol System.

PubMed

Williams, Ammon N; Phongikaroon, Supathorn

2017-04-01

In the pyrochemical separation of used nuclear fuel (UNF), fission product, rare earth, and actinide chlorides accumulate in the molten salt electrolyte over time. Measuring this salt composition in near real-time is advantageous for operational efficiency, material accountability, and nuclear safeguards. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been proposed and demonstrated as a potential analytical approach for molten LiCl-KCl salts. However, all the studies conducted to date have used a static surface approach which can lead to issues with splashing, low repeatability, and poor sample homogeneity. In this initial study, a novel molten salt aerosol approach has been developed and explored to measure the composition of the salt via LIBS. The functionality of the system has been demonstrated as well as a basic optimization of the laser energy and nebulizer gas pressure used. Initial results have shown that this molten salt aerosol-LIBS system has a great potential as an analytical technique for measuring the molten salt electrolyte used in this UNF reprocessing technology.

Hepatoprotective effect of Matrine salvianolic acid B salt on Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Hepatic Fibrosis

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of Matrine salvianolic acid B salt on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats. Salvianolic acid B and Matrine has long been used to treat liver fibrosis. Matrine salvianolic acid B salt is a new compound containing Salvianolic acid B and Matrine. Hepatic fibrosis induced by CCl4 was studied in animal models using Wistar rats. Organ coefficient, serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), hexadecenoic acid (HA), laminin (LN), hydroxyproline (Hyp), and glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) in liver tissues were measured, respectively. Histopathological changes in the livers were studied by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining and Masson Trichrome (MT) examination. The expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was observed by immunohistochemical analysis. A significant reduction in serum levels of AST, ALT, HA, LN and Hyp was observed in the Matrine salvianolic acid B salt treated groups, suggesting that the salt had hepatoprotective effects. The depletion of GSH and SOD, as well as MDA accumulation in liver tissues was suppressed by Matrine salvianolic acid B salt too. The expression of TGF-β1 and α-SMA measured by immunohistology was significantly reduced by Matrine salvianolic acid B salt in a dose-dependent manner. Matrine salvianolic acid B salt treatment attenuated the necro-inflammation and fibrogenesis induced by CCl4 injection, and thus it is promising as a therapeutic anti-fibrotic agent against hepatic fibrosis. PMID:22559721

Hepatoprotective effect of Matrine salvianolic acid B salt on Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Hepatic Fibrosis.

PubMed

Gao, Hong-Ying; Li, Guo-Yu; Lou, Meng-Meng; Li, Xiao-Yu; Wei, Xiu-Yan; Wang, Jin-Hui

2012-05-04

The aim of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of Matrine salvianolic acid B salt on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats. Salvianolic acid B and Matrine has long been used to treat liver fibrosis. Matrine salvianolic acid B salt is a new compound containing Salvianolic acid B and Matrine. Hepatic fibrosis induced by CCl4 was studied in animal models using Wistar rats. Organ coefficient, serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), hexadecenoic acid (HA), laminin (LN), hydroxyproline (Hyp), and glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) in liver tissues were measured, respectively. Histopathological changes in the livers were studied by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining and Masson Trichrome (MT) examination. The expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was observed by immunohistochemical analysis. A significant reduction in serum levels of AST, ALT, HA, LN and Hyp was observed in the Matrine salvianolic acid B salt treated groups, suggesting that the salt had hepatoprotective effects. The depletion of GSH and SOD, as well as MDA accumulation in liver tissues was suppressed by Matrine salvianolic acid B salt too. The expression of TGF-β1 and α-SMA measured by immunohistology was significantly reduced by Matrine salvianolic acid B salt in a dose-dependent manner. Matrine salvianolic acid B salt treatment attenuated the necro-inflammation and fibrogenesis induced by CCl4 injection, and thus it is promising as a therapeutic anti-fibrotic agent against hepatic fibrosis.

Microwave-induced Bismuth Salts-mediated Synthesis of Molecules of Medicinal Interests.

PubMed

Bandyopadhyay, Debasish; Chavez, Ashlee; Banik, Bimal K

2017-01-01

Bismuth salts-mediated reactions have become a powerful tool for the synthesis of diverse medicinally-significant compounds because of their low-toxicity (non-toxic) and Lewis acidic capacity. In fact, LD50 of bismuth nitrate is lower than table salt. On the other hand, microwave-induced chemical synthesis is considered as a major greener route in modern chemistry. A total of 139 publications (including a few authentic web links) have been reviewed mainly to discuss bismuth salts-induced electrophilic aromatic substitution, protection-deprotection chemistry of carbonyl compounds, enamination, oxidation, carbohydrate chemistry, hydrolysis, addition-elimination route, Paal-Knorr reaction, Clauson-kaas synthesis, Michael addition, aza-Michael addition, Hantzsch reaction, Biginelli reaction, Ferrier rearrangement, Pechmann condensation, Diels-Alder and aza-Diels- Alder reactions, as well as effects of microwave irradiation in a wide range of chemical transformations. Bismuth salts-mediated reactions are developed for the synthesis of diverse organic molecules of medicinal significance. Reactions conducted with bismuth salts are environmentally benign, economical, rapid and high yielding. Microwave irradiation has accelerated these reactions significantly. It is believed that bismuth salts released corresponding acids in the media during the reaction. However, a coordination of bismuth salt to the electronegative atom is also observed in the NMR study. Bismuth has much less control (less attractive forces) over anions (for example, halides, nitrate, sulfate and triflates) compared to alkali metals. Therefore, it forms weak bond with electronegative atoms more readily and facilitates the reactions significantly. Many products obtained via bismuth salts-mediated reactions are medicinally active or intermediate for the synthesis of biologically active molecules including antifungal, anti-parasitic, anticancer and antibacterial agents, as well as agents to prevent

DNA-incorporated 125I induces more than one double-strand break per decay in mammalian cells.

PubMed

Elmroth, Kecke; Stenerlöw, Bo

2005-04-01

The Auger-electron emitter 125I releases cascades of 20 electrons per decay that deposit a great amount of local energy, and for DNA-incorporated 125I, approximately one DNA double-strand break (DSB) is produced close to the decay site. To investigate the potential of 125I to induce additional DSBs within adjacent chromatin structures in mammalian cells, we applied DNA fragment-size analysis based on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of hamster V79-379A cells exposed to DNA-incorporated 125IdU. After accumulation of decays at -70 degrees C in the presence of 10% DMSO, there was a non-random distribution of DNA fragments with an excess of fragments <0.5 Mbp and the measured yield was 1.6 DSBs/decay. However, since these experiments were performed under high scavenging conditions (DMSO) that reduce indirect effects, the yield in cells exposed to 125IdU under physiological conditions would most likely be even higher. In contrast, using a conventional low-resolution assay without measurement of smaller DNA fragments, the yield was close to one DSB/decay. We conclude that a large fraction of the DSBs induced by DNA-incorporated 125I are nonrandomly distributed and that significantly more than one DSB/decay is induced in an intact cell. Thus, in addition to DSBs produced close to the decay site, DSBs may also be induced within neighboring chromatin fibers, releasing smaller DNA fragments that are not detected by conventional DSB assays.

Salt-Induced Physical Weathering of Stone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schiro, M.; Ruiz-Agudo, E.; Rodriguez-Navarro, C.

2010-12-01

Salt weathering is recognized as an important mechanism that contributes to the modeling and shaping of the earth’s surface, in a range of environments spanning from the Sahara desert to Antarctica. It also contributes to the degradation and loss of cultural heritage, particularly carved stone and historic buildings. Soluble salts have recently been suggested to contribute to the shaping of rock outcrops on Mars and are being identified in other planetary bodies such as the moons of Jupiter (Europa and IO)1. Soluble salts such as sulfates, nitrates, chlorides and carbonates of alkali and alkali earth metals can crystallize within the porous system of rocks and building stones, exerting sufficient pressure against the pore walls to fracture the substrate. This physical damage results in increased porosity, thus providing a higher surface area for salt-enhanced chemical weathering. To better understand how salt-induced physical weathering occurs, we have studied the crystallization of the particularly damaging salt, sodium sulfate2, in a model system (a sintered porous glass of controlled porosity and pore size). For this elusive task of studying sub-surface crystallization in pores, we combined a variety of instruments to identify which phases crystallized during evaporation and calculated the supersaturation and associated crystallization pressure that caused damage. The heat of crystallization was measured using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), providing the timing of crystallization events and phase transitions3, while the evaporation rate was recorded using thermal gravimetry (TG). These methods enabled calculation of the sodium sulfate concentration in solution at every point during evaporation. Two-dimensional X-ray diffraction (2D-XRD) performs synchrotron-like experiments in a normal lab by using a Molybdenum X-ray source (more than 5 times more penetrative than conventional Copper source). Using this method, we determined that the first phase to

Heat-induced formation of myosin oligomer-soluble filament complex in high-salt solution.

PubMed

Shimada, Masato; Takai, Eisuke; Ejima, Daisuke; Arakawa, Tsutomu; Shiraki, Kentaro

2015-02-01

Heat-induced aggregation of myosin into an elastic gel plays an important role in the water-holding capacity and texture of meat products. Here, we investigated thermal aggregation of porcine myosin in high-salt solution over a wide temperature range by dynamic light scattering experiments. The myosin samples were readily dissolved in 1.0 M NaCl at 25 °C followed by dilution into various salt concentrations. The diluted solutions consistently contained both myosin monomers and soluble filaments. The filament size decreased with increasing salt concentration and temperature. High temperatures above Tm led to at least partial dissociation of soluble filaments and thermal unfolding, resulting in the formation of soluble oligomers and binding to the persistently present soluble filaments. Such a complex formation between the oligomers and filaments has never been observed. Our results provide new insight into the heat-induced myosin gelation in high-salt solution. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mineralocorticoid-induced sodium appetite and renal salt retention: Evidence for common signaling and effector mechanisms

PubMed Central

Fu, Yiling; Vallon, Volker

2014-01-01

An increase in renal sodium chloride (salt) retention and an increase in sodium appetite is the body's response to salt restriction or depletion in order to restore salt balance. Renal salt retention and increased sodium appetite can also be maladaptive and sustain the pathophysiology in conditions like salt-sensitive hypertension and chronic heart failure. Here we review the central role of the mineralocorticoid aldosterone in both the increase in renal salt reabsorption and sodium appetite. We discuss the working hypothesis that aldosterone activates similar signaling and effector mechanisms in the kidney and brain, including the mineralocorticoid receptor, the serum-and-glucocorticoid-induced kinase SGK1, the ubiquitin ligase NEDD4-2, and the epithelial sodium channel ENaC. The latter also mediates the gustatory salt sensing in the tongue, which is required for the manifestation of increased salt intake. Effects of aldosterone on both brain and kidney synergize with the effects of angiotensin II. Thus, mineralocorticoids appear to induce similar molecular pathways in the kidney, brain, and possibly tongue, which could provide opportunities for more effective therapeutic interventions. Inhibition of renal salt reabsorption is compensated by stimulation of salt appetite and vice versa; targeting both mechanisms should be more effective. Inhibiting the arousal to consume salty food may improve a patient's compliance to reducing salt intake. While a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms is needed and will provide new options, current pharmacological interventions that target both salt retention and sodium appetite include mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists and potentially inhibitors of angiotensin II and ENaC. PMID:25376899

TRAF3IP2 Mediates Aldosterone/Salt-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy and Fibrosis

PubMed Central

Sakamuri, Siva S.V.P; Valente, Anthony J.; Siddesha, Jalahalli M.; Delafontaine, Patrice; Siebenlist, Ulrich; Gardner, Jason D.; Chandrasekar, Bysani

2016-01-01

Aberrant activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) contributes to adverse cardiac remodeling and eventual failure. Here we investigated whether TRAF3-interacting Protein 2 (TRAF3IP2), a redox-sensitive cytoplasmic adaptor molecule and an upstream regulator of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and activator protein-1 (AP-1), mediates aldosterone-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. Wild type (WT) and TRAF3IP2-null mice were infused with aldosterone (0.2mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks along with 1%NaCl in drinking water. Aldosterone/salt, but not salt alone, upregulated TRAF3IP2 expression in WT mouse hearts. Aldosterone elevated blood pressure to a similar extent in both WT and TRAF3IP2-null groups. Importantly, TRAF3IP2 gene deletion attenuated aldosterone/salt-induced (i) p65 and c-Jun activation, (ii) extracellular matrix (collagen Iα1 and collagen 3α1), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP2), lysyl oxidase (LOX), inflammatory cytokine (IL-6 and IL-18), chemokine (CXCL1 and CXCL2), and adhesion molecule (ICAM1) gene expression in hearts, (iii) IL-6, IL-18, and MMP2 protein levels, (iv) systemic IL-6 and IL-18 levels, and (iv) cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. These results indicate that TRAF3IP2 is a critical signaling intermediate in aldosterone/salt-induced myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis, and thus a potential therapeutic target in hypertensive heart disease. PMID:27040306

A novel salt-inducible gene SbSI-1 from Salicornia brachiata confers salt and desiccation tolerance in E. coli.

PubMed

Yadav, Narendra Singh; Rashmi, Deo; Singh, Dinkar; Agarwal, Pradeep K; Jha, Bhavanath

2012-02-01

Salicornia brachiata is one of the extreme salt tolerant plants and grows luxuriantly in coastal areas. Previously we have reported isolation and characterization of ESTs from S. brachiata with large number of unknown gene sequences. Reverse Northern analysis showed upregulation and downregulation of few unknown genes in response to salinity. Some of these unknown genes were made full length and their functional analysis is being tested. In this study, we have selected a novel unknown salt inducible gene SbSI-1 (Salicornia brachiata salt inducible-1) for the functional validation. The SbSI-1 (Gen-Bank accession number JF 965339) was made full length and characterized in detail for its functional validation under desiccation and salinity. The SbSI-1 gene is 917 bp long, and contained 437 bp 3' UTR, and 480 bp ORF region encoding 159 amino acids protein with estimated molecular mass of 18.39 kDa and pI 8.58. The real time PCR analysis revealed high transcript expression in salt, desiccation, cold and heat stresses. However, the maximum expression was obtained by desiccation. The ORF region of SbSI-1 was cloned in pET28a vector and transformed in BL21 (DE3) E. coli cells. The SbSI-1 recombinant E. coli cells showed tolerance to desiccation and salinity stress compared to only vector in the presence of stress.

TRAF3IP2 mediates aldosterone/salt-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis.

PubMed

Sakamuri, Siva S V P; Valente, Anthony J; Siddesha, Jalahalli M; Delafontaine, Patrice; Siebenlist, Ulrich; Gardner, Jason D; Bysani, Chandrasekar

2016-07-05

Aberrant activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) contributes to adverse cardiac remodeling and eventual failure. Here we investigated whether TRAF3 Interacting Protein 2 (TRAF3IP2), a redox-sensitive cytoplasmic adaptor molecule and an upstream regulator of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and activator protein-1 (AP-1), mediates aldosterone-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. Wild type (WT) and TRAF3IP2-null mice were infused with aldosterone (0.2 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks along with 1%NaCl in drinking water. Aldosterone/salt, but not salt alone, upregulated TRAF3IP2 expression in WT mouse hearts. Further, aldosterone elevated blood pressure to a similar extent in both WT and TRAF3IP2-null groups. However, TRAF3IP2 gene deletion attenuated aldosterone/salt-induced (i) p65 and c-Jun activation, (ii) extracellular matrix (collagen Iα1 and collagen IIIα1), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP2), lysyl oxidase (LOX), inflammatory cytokine (IL-6 and IL-18), chemokine (CXCL1 and CXCL2), and adhesion molecule (ICAM1) mRNA expression in hearts, (iii) IL-6, IL-18, and MMP2 protein levels, (iv) systemic IL-6 and IL-18 levels, and (iv) cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. These results indicate that TRAF3IP2 is a critical signaling intermediate in aldosterone/salt-induced myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis, and thus a potential therapeutic target in hypertensive heart disease. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inactivation of Ca2+-induced ciliary reversal by high-salt extraction in the cilia of Paramecium.

PubMed

Kutomi, Osamu; Seki, Makoto; Nakamura, Shogo; Kamachi, Hiroyuki; Noguchi, Munenori

2013-10-01

Intracellular Ca(2+) induces ciliary reversal and backward swimming in Paramecium. However, it is not known how the Ca(2+) signal controls the motor machinery to induce ciliary reversal. We found that demembranated cilia on the ciliated cortical sheets from Paramecium caudatum lost the ability to undergo ciliary reversal after brief extraction with a solution containing 0.5 M KCl. KNO(3), which is similar to KCl with respect to chaotropic effect; it had the same effect as that of KCl on ciliary response. Cyclic AMP antagonizes Ca(2+)-induced ciliary reversal. Limited trypsin digestion prevents endogenous A-kinase and cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of an outer arm dynein light chain and induces ciliary reversal. However, the trypsin digestion prior to the high-salt extraction did not affect the inhibition of Ca(2+)-induced ciliary reversal caused by the high-salt extraction. Furthermore, during the course of the high-salt extraction, some axonemal proteins were extracted from ciliary axonemes, suggesting that they may be responsible for Ca(2+)-induced ciliary reversal.

Temperature-induced lipocalin (TIL) is translocated under salt stress and protects chloroplasts from ion toxicity.

PubMed

Abo-Ogiala, Atef; Carsjens, Caroline; Diekmann, Heike; Fayyaz, Payam; Herrfurth, Cornelia; Feussner, Ivo; Polle, Andrea

2014-02-15

Temperature-induced lipocalins (TIL) have been invoked in the defense from heat, cold and oxidative stress. Here we document a function of TIL for basal protection from salinity stress. Heterologous expression of TIL from the salt resistant poplar Populus euphratica did not rescue growth but prevented chlorophyll b destruction in salt-exposed Arabidopsis thaliana. The protein was localized to the plasma membrane but was re-translocated to the symplast under salt stress. The A. thaliana knock out and knock down lines Attil1-1 and Attil1-2 showed stronger stress symptoms and stronger chlorophyll b degradation than the wildtype (WT) under excess salinity. They accumulated more chloride and sodium in chloroplasts than the WT. Chloroplast chloride accumulation was found even in the absence of salt stress. Since lipocalins are known to bind regulatory fatty acids of channel proteins as well as iron, we suggest that the salt-induced trafficking of TIL may be required for protection of chloroplasts by affecting ion homeostasis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Optical cryoimaging of rat kidney and the effective role of chromosome 13 in salt-induced hypertension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salehpour, F.; Yang, C.; Kurth, T.; Cowley, A. W.; Ranji, M.

2015-03-01

The objective of this work is to assess oxidative stress levels in salt-sensitive hypertension animal model using 3D optical cryoimager to image mitochondrial redox ratio. We studied Dahl salt-induced (SS) rats, and compared the results with a consomic SS rat strain (SSBN13). The SSBN13 strain was developed by the introgression of chromosome from the Brown Norway (BN) rat into the salt-sensitive (SS) genetic background and exhibits significant protection from salt induced hypertension1 . These two groups were fed on a high salt diet of 8.0% NaCl for one week. Mitochondrial redox ratio (NADH/FAD=NADH RR), was used as a quantitative marker of the oxidative stress in kidney tissue. Maximum intensity projected images and their corresponding histograms in each group were acquired from each kidney group. The result showed a 49% decrease in mitochondrial redox ratio of SS compared to SSBN13 translated to an increase in the level of oxidative stress of the tissue. Therefore, the results quantify oxidative stress levels and its effect on mitochondrial redox in salt sensitive hypertension.

Decay of Plutonium isotopes via spontaneous and heavy-ion induced fission paths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Kanishka; Sawhney, Gudveen; Sharma, Manoj K.; Gupta, Raj K.

2018-04-01

Based on the collective clusterization approach, we have extended our earlier study on α-decay, exotic cluster-decay, and heavy particle radioactivity, to the phenomenon of spontaneous fission (SF) in the ground-state (g.s.) decays of even mass 234-246Pu parents. The calculations for the SF half-lives of these Pu-isotopes have been made within the framework of preformed cluster model (PCM), both for spherical as well as β2-deformed choices of shapes, and a comparison is made with the relevant available experimental data, which prefer spherical shapes. The importance of the orientation degree of freedom (hot compact or cold elongated configurations) is also explored. Next, in order to look for the exclusive role of heavy-ion induced fission, the dynamics of 6He + 238U reaction forming 244Pu* is studied over the center of mass energy range of E c . m . = 15.0- 28.8MeV, using the dynamical cluster-decay model (DCM), an extension of the PCM with temperature T- and angular momentum ℓ-effects included. The β2-deformed fragments of 244Pu* in the mass range A2 = 106- 113 (plus their complementary heavy fragments), corresponding to asymmetric fission peaks, are found contributing towards the fission cross-section. Finally, the potential energy surfaces and barrier modification effects are presented for the relative comparison of spontaneous and the heavy-ion induced fission processes. Both are found to behave similar with respect to the probable emission of fragments and hence point out to the shell closure property of the decay fragments.

Prevention of salt induced hypertension and fibrosis by angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors in Dahl S rats

PubMed Central

Liang, B; Leenen, F H H

2007-01-01

Background and purpose: In Dahl S rats, high salt increases activity of the tissue renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in the CNS, heart and kidneys. Here, we assessed the effects of chronic angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition on salt-induced hypertension and cardiovascular and renal hypertrophy and fibrosis, relative to the extent of ACE blockade. Experimental approach: From 4.5 weeks of age, Dahl S rats received either the lipophilic ACE inhibitor trandolapril (1 or 5 mg kg-1 day-1) or the hydrophilic ACE inhibitor lisinopril (10 or 50 mg kg-1 day-1) and a high salt diet was started 0.5 week later. Treatments ended at 9 weeks of age. Key results: High salt diet markedly increased blood pressure (BP), decreased plasma angiotensin II and increased ACE binding densities in brain, heart, aorta and kidneys. Trandolapril and lisinopril prevented 50% of the increase in BP in light and dark period of the day. After the last doses, trandolapril decreased ACE densities by ∼80% in brain nuclei and heart and lisinopril by ∼60% in the brain and by ∼70% in the heart. The two ACE inhibitors prevented right ventricular hypertrophy and attenuated left ventricular hypertrophy but did not affect renal hypertrophy caused by high salt. Both drugs prevented high salt-induced fibrosis in heart, kidney and aorta. Conclusion and implication: As the ACE inhibitors could completely prevent tissue fibrosis and partially prevent tissue hypertrophy and hypertension, the tissue RAAS may play a critical role in salt-induced fibrosis, but a lesser role in the hypertrophy. PMID:17906684

Anakinra reduces blood pressure and renal fibrosis in one kidney/DOCA/salt-induced hypertension.

PubMed

Ling, Yeong Hann; Krishnan, Shalini M; Chan, Christopher T; Diep, Henry; Ferens, Dorota; Chin-Dusting, Jaye; Kemp-Harper, Barbara K; Samuel, Chrishan S; Hewitson, Timothy D; Latz, Eicke; Mansell, Ashley; Sobey, Christopher G; Drummond, Grant R

2017-02-01

To determine whether a clinically-utilised IL-1 receptor antagonist, anakinra, reduces renal inflammation, structural damage and blood pressure (BP) in mice with established hypertension. Hypertension was induced in male mice by uninephrectomy, deoxycorticosterone acetate (2.4mg/d,s.c.) and replacement of drinking water with saline (1K/DOCA/salt). Control mice received uninephrectomy, a placebo pellet and normal drinking water. 10days post-surgery, mice commenced treatment with anakinra (75mg/kg/d, i.p.) or vehicle (0.9% saline, i.p.) for 11days. Systolic BP was measured by tail cuff while qPCR, immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry were used to measure inflammatory markers, collagen and immune cell infiltration in the kidneys. By 10days post-surgery, 1K/DOCA/salt-treated mice displayed elevated systolic BP (148.3±2.4mmHg) compared to control mice (121.7±2.7mmHg; n=18, P<0.0001). The intervention with anakinra reduced BP in 1K/DOCA/salt-treated mice by ∼20mmHg (n=16, P<0.05), but had no effect in controls. In 1K/DOCA/salt-treated mice, anakinra modestly reduced (∼30%) renal expression of some (CCL5, CCL2; n=7-8; P<0.05) but not all (ICAM-1, IL-6) inflammatory markers, and had no effect on immune cell infiltration (n=7-8, P>0.05). Anakinra reduced renal collagen content (n=6, P<0.01) but paradoxically appeared to exacerbate the renal and glomerular hypertrophy (n=8-9, P<0.001) that accompanied 1K/DOCA/salt-induced hypertension. Despite its anti-hypertensive and renal anti-fibrotic actions, anakinra had minimal effects on inflammation and leukocyte infiltration in mice with 1K/DOCA/salt-induced hypertension. Future studies will assess whether the anti-hypertensive actions of anakinra are mediated by protective actions in other BP-regulating or salt-handling organs such as the arteries, skin and brain. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Environmental Heat and Salt Stress Induce Transgenerational Phenotypic Changes in Arabidopsis thaliana

PubMed Central

Suter, Léonie; Widmer, Alex

2013-01-01

Plants that can adapt their phenotype may be more likely to survive changing environmental conditions. Heritable epigenetic variation could provide a way to rapidly adapt to such changes. Here we tested whether environmental stress induces heritable, potentially adaptive phenotypic changes independent of genetic variation over few generations in Arabidopsis thaliana. We grew two accessions (Col-0, Sha-0) of A. thaliana for three generations under salt, heat and control conditions and tested for induced heritable phenotypic changes in the fourth generation (G4) and in reciprocal F1 hybrids generated in generation three. Using these crosses we further tested whether phenotypic changes were maternally or paternally transmitted. In generation five (G5), we assessed whether phenotypic effects persisted over two generations in the absence of stress. We found that exposure to heat stress in previous generations accelerated flowering under G4 control conditions in Sha-0, but heritable effects disappeared in G5 after two generations without stress exposure. Previous exposure to salt stress increased salt tolerance in one of two reciprocal F1 hybrids. Transgenerational effects were maternally and paternally inherited. Lacking genetic variability, maternal and paternal inheritance and reversibility of transgenerational effects together indicate that stress can induce heritable, potentially adaptive phenotypic changes, probably through epigenetic mechanisms. These effects were strongly dependent on plant genotype and may not be a general response to stress in A. thaliana. PMID:23585834

Uteroplacental insufficiency temporally exacerbates salt-induced hypertension associated with a reduced natriuretic response in male rat offspring.

PubMed

Gallo, Linda A; Walton, Sarah L; Mazzuca, Marc Q; Tare, Marianne; Parkington, Helena C; Wlodek, Mary E; Moritz, Karen M

2018-03-31

Low weight at birth increases the risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood A diet that is high in salt is known to elevate blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and kidney diseases The present study demonstrates that growth restricted male rats have a heightened sensitivity to high dietary salt, in the context of raised systolic blood pressure, reduced urinary sodium excretion and stiffer mesenteric resistance vessels Other salt-induced effects, such as kidney hyperfiltration, albuminuria and glomerular damage, were not exacerbated by being born small The present study demonstrates that male offspring born small have an increased cardiovascular susceptibility to high dietary salt, such that that minimizing salt intake is probably of particular benefit to this at-risk population ABSTRACT: Intrauterine growth restriction increases the risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood. Lifestyle factors, such as poor dietary choices, may elevate this risk. We determined whether being born small increases the sensitivity to a dietary salt challenge, in the context of hypertension, kidney disease and arterial stiffness. Bilateral uterine vessel ligation or sham surgery (offspring termed Restricted and Control, respectively) was performed on 18-day pregnant Wistar Kyoto rats. Male offspring were allocated to receive a diet high in salt (8% sodium chloride) or remain on standard rat chow (0.52% sodium chloride) from 20 to 26 weeks of age for 6 weeks. Systolic blood pressure (tail-cuff), renal function (24 h urine excretions) and vascular stiffness (pressure myography) were assessed. Restricted males were born 15% lighter than Controls and remained smaller throughout the study. Salt-induced hypertension was exacerbated in Restricted offspring, reaching a peak systolic pressure of ∼175 mmHg earlier than normal weight counterparts. The natriuretic response to high dietary salt in Restricted animals was less than in Controls and may

Experiments on the heat-induced salt balance changes in cow's milk.

PubMed

Pouliot, Y; Boulet, M; Paquin, P

1989-01-01

The heat-induced changes in salt balance between the colloidal phase of milk and its serum were studied using an ultrafiltration technique. Milk permeate was isolated at the heating temperature by means of a hollow fibre ultrafiltration cartridge coupled with a stainless steel heat exchanger unit. The milk samples initially at 4 degrees C were heated to 20, 40, 60, 80 or 90 degrees C. Ca, P, Mg and citrate contents of the permeates were determined. The decreases in Ca and P were proportional to the increase in temperature. Smaller losses in Mg and citrate were observed. An initial sharp decrease in concentration occurred within the first seconds of holding time and was followed by a slower and smaller decrease. The possible occurrence of a two-stage mechanism for the heat-induced salt precipitation is discussed. The precipitation of dicalcium phosphate is believed to occur together with some tricalcium citrate precipitation.

Role of abscisic acid in strigolactone-induced salt stress tolerance in arbuscular mycorrhizal Sesbania cannabina seedlings.

PubMed

Ren, Cheng-Gang; Kong, Cun-Cui; Xie, Zhi-Hong

2018-05-03

Strigolactones (SLs) are considered to be a novel class of phytohormone involved in plant defense responses. Currently, their relationships with other plant hormones, such as abscisic acid (ABA), during responses to salinity stress are largely unknown. In this study, the relationship between SL and ABA during the induction of H 2 O 2 - mediated tolerance to salt stress were studied in arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) Sesbania cannabina seedlings. The SL levels increased after ABA treatments and decreased when ABA biosynthesis was inhibited in AM plants. Additionally, the expression levels of SL-biosynthesis genes in AM plants increased following treatments with exogenous ABA and H 2 O 2 . Furthermore, ABA-induced SL production was blocked by a pre-treatment with dimethylthiourea, which scavenges H 2 O 2 . In contrast, ABA production was unaffected by dimethylthiourea. Abscisic acid induced only partial and transient increases in the salt tolerance of TIS108 (a SL synthesis inhibitor) treated AM plants, whereas SL induced considerable and prolonged increases in salt tolerance after a pre-treatment with tungstate. These results strongly suggest that ABA is regulating the induction of salt tolerance by SL in AM S. cannabina seedlings.

13. VIEW OF THE MOLTEN SALT EXTRACTION LINE. THE MOLTEN ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

13. VIEW OF THE MOLTEN SALT EXTRACTION LINE. THE MOLTEN SALT EXTRACTION PROCESS WAS USED TO PURIFY PLUTONIUM BY REMOVING AMERICIUM, A DECAY BY-PRODUCT OF PLUTONIUM. (1/98) - Rocky Flats Plant, Plutonium Fabrication, Central section of Plant, Golden, Jefferson County, CO

Intracerebroventricular infusion of the (Pro)renin receptor antagonist PRO20 attenuates deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt-induced hypertension.

PubMed

Li, Wencheng; Sullivan, Michelle N; Zhang, Sheng; Worker, Caleb J; Xiong, Zhenggang; Speth, Robert C; Feng, Yumei

2015-02-01

We previously reported that binding of prorenin to the (pro)renin receptor (PRR) plays a major role in brain angiotensin II formation and the development of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertension. Here, we designed and developed an antagonistic peptide, PRO20, to block prorenin binding to the PRR. Fluorescently labeled PRO20 bound to both mouse and human brain tissues with dissociation constants of 4.4 and 1.8 nmol/L, respectively. This binding was blocked by coincubation with prorenin and was diminished in brains of neuron-specific PRR-knockout mice, indicating specificity of PRO20 for PRR. In cultured human neuroblastoma cells, PRO20 blocked prorenin-induced calcium influx in a concentration- and AT(1) receptor-dependent manner. Intracerebroventricular infusion of PRO20 dose-dependently inhibited prorenin-induced hypertension in C57Bl6/J mice. Furthermore, acute intracerebroventricular infusion of PRO20 reduced blood pressure in both DOCA-salt and genetically hypertensive mice. Chronic intracerebroventricular infusion of PRO20 attenuated the development of hypertension and the increase in brain hypothalamic angiotensin II levels induced by DOCA-salt. In addition, chronic intracerebroventricular infusion of PRO20 improved autonomic function and spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity in mice treated with DOCA-salt. In summary, PRO20 binds to both mouse and human PRRs and decreases angiotensin II formation and hypertension induced by either prorenin or DOCA-salt. Our findings highlight the value of the novel PRR antagonist, PRO20, as a lead compound for a novel class of antihypertensive agents and as a research tool to establish the validity of brain PRR antagonism as a strategy for treating hypertension. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Transgenic overexpression of uncoupling protein 2 attenuates salt-induced vascular dysfunction by inhibition of oxidative stress.

PubMed

Ma, Shuangtao; Wang, Qiang; Zhang, Yan; Yang, Dachun; Li, De; Tang, Bing; Yang, Yongjian

2014-03-01

Ablation of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) has been involved in the enhancement of salt sensitivity associated with increased superoxide level and decreased nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. However, the role of overexpression of UCP2 in salt-induced vascular dysfunction remains elusive. UCP2 transgenic (TG) and wild-type (WT) mice were placed on either a normal-salt (NS, 0.5%) or a high-salt (HS, 8%) diet for 12 weeks. Blood pressure (BP) and hypotensive responses were measured, and the vascular tone, superoxide level, and NO bioavailability in aortas were measured in each group. The TG mice had increased expression and function of UCP2 in vascular smooth muscle cells. The acetylcholine (ACh)- and nitroglycerin (NTG)-induced hypotensive responses and aortic relaxations were significantly blunted in WT mice fed with an HS diet compared with an NS diet. These harmful effects were prevented in UCP2 TG mice. The impairments of ACh- and NTG-induced relaxation in aorta were inhibited by the endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) inhibitor L-NAME and mitochondrial antioxidant MitoQ, respectively. The HS intake led to a significant increase in superoxide production and a comparable decrease in NO bioavailability in aortas, and these effects were blunted in UCP2 TG mice. The expression of UCP2 was slightly increased in the HS group. However, the expression and phosphorylation of eNOS were not affected by an HS diet and overexpression of UCP2. These findings suggest that overexpression of UCP2 can ameliorate salt-induced vascular dysfunction. This beneficial effect of UCP2 is mediated by decreased superoxide and reserved NO bioavailability.

Miso (Japanese soybean paste) soup attenuates salt-induced sympathoexcitation and left ventricular dysfunction in mice with chronic pressure overload.

PubMed

Ito, Koji; Hirooka, Yoshitaka; Sunagawa, Kenji

2014-02-01

The hypothalamic mineralocorticoid receptor (MR)-angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) pathway is activated in mice with chronic pressure overload (CPO). When this activation is combined with high salt intake, it leads to sympathoexcitation, hypertension, and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Salt intake is thus an important factor that contributes to heart failure. Miso, a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans, rice, wheat, or oats, can attenuate salt-induced hypertension in rats. However, its effects on CPO mice with salt-induced sympathoexcitation and LV dysfunction are unclear. Here, we investigated whether miso has protective effects in these mice. We also evaluated mechanisms associated with the hypothalamic MR-AT1R pathway. Aortic banding was used to produce CPO, and a sham operation was performed for controls. At 2 weeks after surgery, the mice were given water containing high NaCl levels (0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%) for 4 weeks. The high salt loading in CPO mice increased excretion of urinary norepinephrine (uNE), a marker of sympathetic activity, in an NaCl concentration-dependent manner; however, this was not observed in Sham mice. Subsequently, CPO mice were administered 1.0% NaCl water (CPO-H) or miso soup (1.0% NaCl equivalent, CPO-miso). The expression of hypothalamic MR, serum glucocorticoid-induced kinase-1 (SGK-1), and AT1R was higher in the CPO-H mice than in the Sham mice; however, the expression of these proteins was attenuated in the CPO-miso group. Although the CPO-miso mice had higher sodium intake, salt-induced sympathoexcitation was lower in these mice than in the CPO-H group. Our findings indicate that regular intake of miso soup attenuates salt-induced sympathoexcitation in CPO mice via inhibition of the hypothalamic MR-AT1R pathway.

Feasibility of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for classification of sea salts.

PubMed

Tan, Man Minh; Cui, Sheng; Yoo, Jonghyun; Han, Song-Hee; Ham, Kyung-Sik; Nam, Sang-Ho; Lee, Yonghoon

2012-03-01

We have investigated the feasibility of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) as a fast, reliable classification tool for sea salts. For 11 kinds of sea salts, potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), and aluminum (Al), concentrations were measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), and the LIBS spectra were recorded in the narrow wavelength region between 760 and 800 nm where K (I), Mg (I), Ca (II), Al (I), and cyanide (CN) band emissions are observed. The ICP-AES measurements revealed that the K, Mg, Ca, and Al concentrations varied significantly with the provenance of each salt. The relative intensities of the K (I), Mg (I), Ca (II), and Al (I) peaks observed in the LIBS spectra are consistent with the results using ICP-AES. The principal component analysis of the LIBS spectra provided the score plot with quite a high degree of clustering. This indicates that classification of sea salts by chemometric analysis of LIBS spectra is very promising. Classification models were developed by partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and evaluated. In addition, the Al (I) peaks enabled us to discriminate between different production methods of the salts. © 2012 Society for Applied Spectroscopy

Expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α mRNA in hearts and lungs of broiler chickens with ascites syndrome induced by excess salt in drinking water.

PubMed

Zhang, Jianjun; Feng, Xuejian; Zhao, Lihong; Wang, Wei; Gao, Mingyu; Wu, Boning; Qiao, Jian

2013-08-01

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is a ubiquitously expressed heterodimeric transcription factor that mediates adaptive responses to hypoxia in all nucleated cells of metazoan organisms. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α is involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension in humans and animals, but whether HIF-1α is associated with the development of pulmonary hypertension syndrome (also known as ascites syndrome, AS) in broiler chickens has not been determined. In the present paper we addressed this issue by measuring the expression of HIF-1α mRNA in hearts and lungs of broiler chickens with AS induced by excess salt in drinking water. We conducted 2 experiments. The first experiment was used to observe the effects of excess salt on AS incidence. The results indicated that total incidence (20%) of AS in excess salt group (receiving 0.3% NaCl in drinking water) was much higher compared with the control group (receiving tap water) over a 43-d time course (P < 0.05). In the second experiment, we determined mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP), ascites heart index (AHI), and expression of HIF-1α mRNA in lungs and hearts of broiler chickens after the excess salt treatment. Our results showed that excess salt induced pulmonary hypertension (indicated by higher mPAP) and right ventricular hypertrophy (greater ascites heart index) in broiler chickens. Meanwhile, the expression levels of HIF-1α mRNA in lungs and hearts were significantly increased at different time points in the excess salt group compared with the control group. Linear correlation analysis showed that the expression of HIF-1α mRNA in lungs was significantly positively correlated with mPAP (correlation coefficient = 0.79, P < 0.001), demonstrating that expression of HIF-1α mRNA was gradually increased in the excess salt group with the increase of pulmonary arterial pressure. In addition, the ascitic chickens showed significantly higher transcriptional levels of HIF-1α in hearts and lungs

Silicon-mediated changes in polyamines participate in silicon-induced salt tolerance in Sorghum bicolor L.

PubMed

Yin, Lina; Wang, Shiwen; Tanaka, Kiyoshi; Fujihara, Shinsuke; Itai, Akihiro; Den, Xiping; Zhang, Suiqi

2016-02-01

Silicon (Si) is generally considered a beneficial element for the growth of higher plants, especially under stress conditions, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that Si improves salt tolerance through mediating important metabolism processes rather than acting as a mere mechanical barrier. Seedlings of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) growing in hydroponic culture were treated with NaCl (100 mm) combined with or without Si (0.83 mm). The result showed that supplemental Si enhanced sorghum salt tolerance by decreasing Na(+) accumulation. Simultaneously, polyamine (PA) levels were increased and ethylene precursor (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid: ACC) concentrations were decreased. Several key PA synthesis genes were up-regulated by Si under salt stress. To further confirm the role of PA in Si-mediated salt tolerance, seedlings were exposed to spermidine (Spd) or a PA synthesis inhibitor (dicyclohexylammonium sulphate, DCHA) combined with salt and Si. Exogenous Spd showed similar effects as Si under salt stress whereas exogenous DCHA eliminated Si-enhanced salt tolerance and the beneficial effect of Si in decreasing Na(+) accumulation. These results indicate that PAs and ACC are involved in Si-induced salt tolerance in sorghum and provide evidence that Si plays an active role in mediating salt tolerance. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Solvent-induced chirality control in the enantioseparation of 1-phenylethylamine via diastereomeric salt formation.

PubMed

Kodama, Koichi; Kimura, Yuria; Shitara, Hiroaki; Yasutake, Mikio; Sakurai, Rumiko; Hirose, Takuji

2011-04-01

Solvent-induced chirality control in the enantioseparation of 1-phenylethylamine 1 by N-(p-toluenesulfonyl)-(S)-phenylalanine 2 via diastereomeric salt formation was studied. (S)-1·(S)-2 was preferentially crystallized as a less-soluble salt from aqueous alcohol, while (R)-1·(S)-2 salt was mainly obtained by addition of solvents with a six-membered ring such as dioxane, cyclohexane, tetrahydropyran, and cyclohexene to 2-propanol. Further investigations were carried out from the viewpoints of molecular structures, optical rotation measurement, and X-ray crystallographic analyses. Crystallographic analyses have revealed that incorporation of the six-membered ring solvent molecule in (R)-1·(S)-2 without hydrogen bonds changed the molecular conformation of (S)-2 to stabilize the salt, which changed the selectivity of 1 in the enantioseparation. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Zeno effect in spontaneous decay induced by coupling to an unstable level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luis, Alfredo

2001-09-01

A metastable atomic level can be rendered unstable in a controllable way by coupling it to a decaying state. In this work we carry out a full dynamical analysis of the Zeno effect in this kind of unstable systems, comparing it to the inhibition of purely coherent Rabi oscillations. Simple and experimentally feasible measuring strategies involving three atomic levels are considered. It is shown that this induced decay is actually an example of a partial Zeno effect so that the observed evolution results from the competition of two Zeno effects. We also show that a three-level scheme can display both coherent, incoherent, and anti-Zeno effects.

Renal tubular angiotensin converting enzyme is responsible for nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME)-induced salt sensitivity

PubMed Central

Giani, Jorge F.; Eriguchi, Masahiro; Bernstein, Ellen A.; Katsumata, Makoto; Shen, Xiao Z.; Li, Liang; McDonough, Alicia A.; Fuchs, Sebastien; Bernstein, Kenneth E.; Gonzalez-Villalobos, Romer A.

2017-01-01

Renal parenchymal injury predisposes to salt-sensitive hypertension, but how this occurs is not known. Here we tested whether renal tubular angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), the main site of kidney ACE expression, is central to the development of salt sensitivity in this setting. Two mouse models were used: it-ACE mice in which ACE expression is selectively eliminated from renal tubular epithelial cells; and ACE 3/9 mice, a compound heterozygous mouse model that makes ACE only in renal tubular epithelium from the ACE 9 allele, and in liver hepatocytes from the ACE 3 allele. Salt sensitivity was induced using a post L-NAME salt challenge. While both wild-type and ACE 3/9 mice developed arterial hypertension following three weeks of high salt administration, it-ACE mice remained normotensive with low levels of renal angiotensin II. These mice displayed increased sodium excretion, lower sodium accumulation, and an exaggerated reduction in distal sodium transporters. Thus, in mice with renal injury induced by L-NAME pretreatment, renal tubular epithelial ACE, and not ACE expression by renal endothelium, lung, brain, or plasma, is essential for renal angiotensin II accumulation and salt-sensitive hypertension. PMID:27988209

Remodeling of atrial ATP-sensitive K+ channels in a model of salt-induced elevated blood pressure

PubMed Central

Lader, Joshua M.; Vasquez, Carolina; Bao, Li; Maass, Karen; Qu, Jiaxiang; Kefalogianni, Eirini; Fishman, Glenn I.; Coetzee, William A.

2011-01-01

Hypertension is associated with the development of atrial fibrillation; however, the electrophysiological consequences of this condition remain poorly understood. ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels, which contribute to ventricular arrhythmias, are also expressed in the atria. We hypothesized that salt-induced elevated blood pressure (BP) leads to atrial KATP channel activation and increased arrhythmia inducibility. Elevated BP was induced in mice with a high-salt diet (HS) for 4 wk. High-resolution optical mapping was used to measure atrial arrhythmia inducibility, effective refractory period (ERP), and action potential duration at 90% repolarization (APD90). Excised patch clamping was performed to quantify KATP channel properties and density. KATP channel protein expression was also evaluated. Atrial arrhythmia inducibility was 22% higher in HS hearts compared with control hearts. ERP and APD90 were significantly shorter in the right atrial appendage and left atrial appendage of HS hearts compared with control hearts. Perfusion with 1 μM glibenclamide or 300 μM tolbutamide significantly decreased arrhythmia inducibility and prolonged APD90 in HS hearts compared with untreated HS hearts. KATP channel density was 156% higher in myocytes isolated from HS animals compared with control animals. Sulfonylurea receptor 1 protein expression was increased in the left atrial appendage and right atrial appendage of HS animals (415% and 372% of NS animals, respectively). In conclusion, KATP channel activation provides a mechanistic link between salt-induced elevated BP and increased atrial arrhythmia inducibility. The findings of this study have important implications for the treatment and prevention of atrial arrhythmias in the setting of hypertensive heart disease and may lead to new therapeutic approaches. PMID:21724863

Salt bridge interactions within the β2 integrin α7 helix mediate force-induced binding and shear resistance ability.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiao; Li, Linda; Li, Ning; Shu, Xinyu; Zhou, Lüwen; Lü, Shouqin; Chen, Shenbao; Mao, Debin; Long, Mian

2018-01-01

The functional performance of the αI domain α 7 helix in β 2 integrin activation depends on the allostery of the α 7 helix, which axially slides down; therefore, it is critical to elucidate what factors regulate the allostery. In this study, we determined that there were two conservative salt bridge interaction pairs that constrain both the upper and bottom ends of the α 7 helix. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for three β 2 integrin members, lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1; α L β 2 ), macrophage-1 antigen (Mac-1; α M β 2 ) and α x β 2 , indicated that the magnitude of the salt bridge interaction is related to the stability of the αI domain and the strength of the corresponding force-induced allostery. The disruption of the salt bridge interaction, especially with double mutations in both salt bridges, significantly reduced the force-induced allostery time for all three members. The effects of salt bridge interactions of the αI domain α 7 helix on β 2 integrin conformational stability and allostery were experimentally validated using Mac-1 constructs. The results demonstrated that salt bridge mutations did not alter the conformational state of Mac-1, but they did increase the force-induced ligand binding and shear resistance ability, which was consistent with MD simulations. This study offers new insight into the importance of salt bridge interaction constraints of the αI domain α 7 helix and external force for β 2 integrin function. © 2017 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Protective role of AgRP neuron's PDK1 against salt-induced hypertension.

PubMed

Zhang, Boyang; Nakata, Masanori; Lu, Ming; Nakae, Jun; Okada, Takashi; Ogawa, Wataru; Yada, Toshihiko

2018-06-12

In the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC), orexigenic agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons regulate feeding behavior and energy homeostasis. The 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1) in AgRP neurons serves as a major signaling molecule for leptin and insulin, the hormones regulating feeding behavior, energy homeostasis and circulation. However, it is unclear whether PDK1 in AGRP neurons is also involved in regulation of blood pressure. This study explored it by generating and analyzing AgRP neuron-specific PDK1 knockout (Agrp-Pdk1 flox/flox ) mice and effect of high salt diet on blood pressure in KO and WT mice was analyzed. Under high salt diet feeding, systolic blood pressure (SBP) of Agrp-Pdk1 flox/flox mice was significantly elevated compared to Agrp-Cre mice. When the high salt diet was switched to control low salt diet, SBP of Agrp-Pdk1 flox/flox mice returned to the basal level observed in Agrp-Cre mice within 1 week. In Agrp-Pdk1 flox/flox mice, urinary noradrenalin excretion and NUCB2 mRNA expression in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) were markedly upregulated. Moreover, silencing of NUCB2 in the PVN counteracted the rises in urinary noradrenalin excretions and SBP. These results demonstrate a novel role of PDK1 in AgRP neurons to counteract the high salt diet-induced hypertension by preventing hyperactivation of PVN nesfatin-1 neurons. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhanced salt-induced antioxidative responses involve a contribution of polyamine biosynthesis in grapevine plants.

PubMed

Ikbal, Fatima Ezzohra; Hernández, José Antonio; Barba-Espín, Gregorio; Koussa, Tayeb; Aziz, Aziz; Faize, Mohamed; Diaz-Vivancos, Pedro

2014-06-15

The possible involvement of polyamines in the salt stress adaptation was investigated in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) plantlets focusing on photosynthesis and oxidative metabolism. Salt stress resulted in the deterioration of plant growth and photosynthesis, and treatment of plantlets with methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG), a S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC) inhibitor, enhanced the salt stress effect. A decrease in PSII quantum yield (Fv/Fm), effective PSII quantum yield (Y(II)) and coefficient of photochemical quenching (qP) as well as increases in non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) and its coefficient (qN) was observed by these treatments. Salt and/or MGBG treatments also triggered an increase in lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation as well as an increase of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POX) activities, but not ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity. Salt stress also resulted in an accumulation of oxidized ascorbate (DHA) and a decrease in reduced glutathione. MGBG alone or in combination with salt stress increased monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), SOD and POX activities and surprisingly no accumulation of DHA was noticed following treatment with MGBG. These salt-induced responses correlated with the maintaining of high level of free and conjugated spermidine and spermine, whereas a reduction of agmatine and putrescine levels was observed, which seemed to be amplified by the MGBG treatment. These results suggest that maintaining polyamine biosynthesis through the enhanced SAMDC activity in grapevine leaf tissues under salt stress conditions could contribute to the enhanced ROS scavenging activity and a protection of photosynthetic apparatus from oxidative damages. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Electrostatic Origin of Salt-Induced Nucleosome Array Compaction

PubMed Central

Korolev, Nikolay; Allahverdi, Abdollah; Yang, Ye; Fan, Yanping; Lyubartsev, Alexander P.; Nordenskiöld, Lars

2010-01-01

The physical mechanism of the folding and unfolding of chromatin is fundamentally related to transcription but is incompletely characterized and not fully understood. We experimentally and theoretically studied chromatin compaction by investigating the salt-mediated folding of an array made of 12 positioning nucleosomes with 177 bp repeat length. Sedimentation velocity measurements were performed to monitor the folding provoked by addition of cations Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, spermidine3+, Co(NH3)63+, and spermine4+. We found typical polyelectrolyte behavior, with the critical concentration of cation needed to bring about maximal folding covering a range of almost five orders of magnitude (from 2 μM for spermine4+ to 100 mM for Na+). A coarse-grained model of the nucleosome array based on a continuum dielectric description and including the explicit presence of mobile ions and charged flexible histone tails was used in computer simulations to investigate the cation-mediated compaction. The results of the simulations with explicit ions are in general agreement with the experimental data, whereas simple Debye-Hückel models are intrinsically incapable of describing chromatin array folding by multivalent cations. We conclude that the theoretical description of the salt-induced chromatin folding must incorporate explicit mobile ions that include ion correlation and ion competition effects. PMID:20858435

Caleosin from Chlorella vulgaris TISTR 8580 is salt-induced and heme-containing protein.

PubMed

Charuchinda, Pairpilin; Waditee-Sirisattha, Rungaroon; Kageyama, Hakuto; Yamada, Daisuke; Sirisattha, Sophon; Tanaka, Yoshito; Mahakhant, Aparat; Takabe, Teruhiro

2015-01-01

Physiological and functional properties of lipid droplet-associated proteins in algae remain scarce. We report here the caleosin gene from Chlorella vulgaris encodes a protein of 279 amino acid residues. Amino acid sequence alignment showed high similarity to the putative caleosins from fungi, but less to plant caleosins. When the C. vulgaris TISTR 8580 cells were treated with salt stress (0.3 M NaCl), the level of triacylglycerol increased significantly. The mRNA contents for caleosin in Chlorella cells significantly increased under salt stress condition. Caleosin gene was expressed in E. coli. Crude extract of E. coli cells exhibited the cumene hydroperoxide-dependent oxidation of aniline. Absorption spectroscopy showed a peak around 415 nm which was decreased upon addition of cumene hydroperoxide. Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis suggests caleosin existed as the oligomer. These data indicate that a fresh water C. vulgaris TISTR 8580 contains a salt-induced heme-protein caleosin.

Salt Weathering on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jagoutz, E.

2006-12-01

Large well rounded boulders and angular rock fragments characterizes the Martian landscape as seen on the recent excellent quality photos. Analyzing the different rock-shapes indicates a time sequence of emplacement, fragmentation and transport of different rocks on Mars, which might give interesting insight into transport and weathering processes. Larger commonly well rounded boulders were emplaced onto gravel plains. After emplacement, these rocks were fragmented and disassembled. Nests of angular rock fragments are marking the locations of preexisting larger rocks. Frequently it is possible to reconstruct larger rounded rocks from smaller angular fragments. In other cases transport after fragmentation obscured the relationship of the fragments. However, a strewn field of fragments is still reminiscent of the preexisting rock. Mechanical salt weathering could be a plausible explanation for the insitu fragmentation of larger rounded blocks into angular fragments. Impact or secondary air fall induced fragmentation produces very different patterns, as observed around impact crates on Earth. Salt weathering of rocks is a common process in terrestrial environments. Salt crystallization in capillaries causes fragmentation of rocks, irrespective of the process of salt transportation and concentration. On Earth significant salt weathering can be observed in different climatic environments: in the transition zone of alluvial aprons and salt playas in desserts and in dry valleys of Antarctica. In terrestrial semi-arid areas the salt is transported by salt solution, which is progressively concentrated by evaporation. In Antarctic dry valleys freeze-thaw cycles causes salt transportation and crystallization resulting in rock fragmentation. This salt induced process can lead to complete destruction of rocks and converts rocks to fine sand. The efficient breakdown of rocks is dominating the landscape in some dry valleys of the Earth but possibly also on Mars. (Malin, 1974

Korean Solar Salt Ameliorates Colon Carcinogenesis in an AOM/DSS-Induced C57BL/6 Mouse Model.

PubMed

Ju, Jaehyun; Kim, Yeung-Ju; Park, Eui Seong; Park, Kun-Young

2017-06-01

The effects of Korean solar salt on an azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colon cancer C57BL/6 mouse model were studied. Korean solar salt samples (SS-S, solar salt from S salt field; SS-Yb, solar salt from Yb salt field), nine-time-baked bamboo salt (BS-9x, made from SS-Yb), purified salt (PS), and SS-G (solar salt from Guérande, France) were orally administered at a concentration of 1% during AOM/DSS colon cancer induction, and compared for their protective effects during colon carcinogenesis in C57BL/6 mice. SS-S and SS-Yb suppressed colon length shortening and tumor counts in mouse colons. Histological evaluation by hematoxylin and eosin staining also revealed suppression of tumorigenesis by SS-S. Conversely, PS and SS-G did not show a similar suppressive efficacy as Korean solar salt. SS-S and SS-Yb promoted colon mRNA expression of an apoptosis-related factor and cell-cycle-related gene and suppressed pro-inflammatory factor. SS-Yb baked into BS-9x further promoted these anti-carcinogenic efficacies. Taken together, the results indicate that Korean solar salt, especially SS-S and SS-Yb, exhibited anti-cancer activity by modulating apoptosis- and inflammation-related gene expression during colon carcinogenesis in mice, and bamboo salt baked from SS-Yb showed enhanced anti-cancer functionality.

High-salt diet induces outward remodelling of efferent arterioles in mice with reduced renal mass.

PubMed

Zhao, L; Gao, Y; Cao, X; Gao, D; Zhou, S; Zhang, S; Cai, X; Han, F; Wilcox, C S; Li, L; Lai, E Y

2017-03-01

The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) falls progressively in chronic kidney disease (CKD) which is caused by a reduction in the number of functional nephrons. The dysfunctional nephron exhibits a lower glomerular capillary pressure that is induced by an unbalance between afferent and efferent arteriole. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that oxidative stress induced by CKD differentially impairs the structure or function of efferent vs. afferent arterioles. C57BL/6 mice received sham operations (sham) or 5/6 nephrectomy (RRM) and three months of normal- or high-salt diet or tempol. GFR was assessed from the plasma inulin clearance, arteriolar remodelling from media/lumen area ratio, myogenic responses from changes in luminal diameter with increases in perfusion pressure and passive wall compliance from the wall stress/strain relationships. Mice with RRM fed a high salt (vs. sham) had a lower GFR (553 ± 25 vs. 758 ± 36 μL min -1  g -1 kidney, P < 0.01) and a larger efferent arteriolar diameter (9.6 ± 0.8 vs. 7.4 ± 0.7 μm, P < 0.05) resulting in a lower media/lumen area ratio (1.4 ± 0.1 vs. 2.4 ± 0.2, P < 0.01). These alterations were corrected by tempol. The myogenic responses of efferent arterioles were about one-half that of afferent arterioles and were unaffected by RRM or salt. Passive wall compliance was reduced by high salt in both afferent and efferent arterioles. A reduction in renal mass with a high-salt diet induces oxidative stress that leads to an outward eutrophic remodelling in efferent arterioles and reduced wall compliance in both afferent and efferent arterioles. This may contribute to the lower GFR in this model of CKD. © 2016 Scandinavian Physiological Society. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Rock-Salt Growth-Induced (003) Cracking in a Layered Positive Electrode for Li-Ion Batteries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Hanlei; Omenya, Fredrick; Yan, Pengfei

For the first time, the (003) cracking is observed and determined to be the major cracking mechanism for the primary particles of Ni-rich layered dioxides as the positive electrode for Li-ion batteries. Using transmission electron microscopy techniques, here we show that the propagation and fracturing of platelet-like rock-salt phase along the (003) plane of the layered oxide are the leading cause for the cracking of primary particles. The fracturing of the rock-salt platelet is induced by the stress discontinuity between the parent layered oxide and the rock-salt phase. The high nickel content is considered to be the key factor formore » the formation of the rock-salt platelet and thus the (003) cracking. The (003)-type cracking can be a major factor for the structural degradation and associated capacity fade of the layered positive electrode.« less

[Salt-induced inappropriate augmentation of intrarenal RAAS and its treatment in patients with chronic kidney disease].

PubMed

Konishi, Yoshio

2012-09-01

Focus on the role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in the pathophysiology of hypertension and renal damage has shifted recently to the role of the local RAAS in the kidneys. Inappropriate augmentation of intrarenal RAAS activity in patients with chronic kidney disease has suggested playing important roles in the development of hypertension and renal injury. In this article, I show the recent findings that salt-induced this augmentation may contribute to the development of salt-sensitive hypertension and play a key role in cardiorenal syndrome (CRS), and that blockade of intrarenal RAAS may be an important strategy for salt-sensitive hypertension and CRS.

Changes in Phosphatidylcholine Headgroup Tilt and Water Order Induced by Monovalent Salts: Molecular Dynamics Simulations

PubMed Central

Sachs, Jonathan N.; Nanda, Hirsh; Petrache, Horia I.; Woolf, Thomas B.

2004-01-01

The association between monovalent salts and neutral lipid bilayers is known to influence global bilayer structural properties such as headgroup conformational fluctuations and the dipole potential. The local influence of the ions, however, has been unknown due to limited structural resolution of experimental methods. Molecular dynamics simulations are used here to elucidate local structural rearrangements upon association of a series of monovalent Na+ salts to a palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine bilayer. We observe association of all ion types in the interfacial region. Larger anions, which are meant to rationalize data regarding a Hofmeister series of anions, bind more deeply within the bilayer than either Cl− or Na+. Although the simulations are able to reproduce experimentally measured quantities, the analysis is focused on local properties currently invisible to experiments, which may be critical to biological systems. As such, for all ion types, including Cl−, we show local ion-induced perturbations to headgroup tilt, the extent and direction of which is sensitive to ion charge and size. Additionally, we report salt-induced ordering of the water well beyond the interfacial region, which may be significant in terms of hydration repulsion between stacked bilayers. PMID:15189873

Salt-tolerance mechanisms induced in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni: Effects on mineral nutrition, antioxidative metabolism and steviol glycoside content.

PubMed

Cantabella, Daniel; Piqueras, Abel; Acosta-Motos, José Ramón; Bernal-Vicente, Agustina; Hernández, José A; Díaz-Vivancos, Pedro

2017-06-01

In order to cope with challenges linked to climate change such as salinity, plants must develop a wide spectrum of physiological and molecular mechanisms to rapidly adapt. Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plants are a case in point. According to our findings, salt stress has no significant effect on plant growth in these plants, which accumulate sodium (Na + ) in their roots, thus avoiding excessive Na + accumulation in leaves. Furthermore, salt stress (NaCl stress) increases the potassium (K + ), calcium (Ca 2+ ), chloride ion (Cl - ) and proline concentrations in Stevia leaves, which could contribute to osmotic adjustment. We also found that long-term NaCl stress does not produce changes in chlorophyll concentrations in Stevia leaves, reflecting a mechanism to protect the photosynthesis process. Interestingly, an increase in chlorophyll b (Chlb) content occured in the oldest plants studied. In addition, we found that NaCl induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in Stevia leaves and that this accumulation was more evident in the presence of 5 g/L NaCl, the highest concentration used in the study. Nevertheless, Stevia plants are able to induce (16 d) or maintain (25 d) antioxidant enzymes to cope with NaCl-induced oxidative stress. Low salt levels did not affect steviolbioside and rebaudioside A contents. Our results suggest that Stevia plants induce tolerance mechanisms in order to minimize the deleterious effects of salt stress. We can thus conclude that saline waters can be used to grow Stevia plants and for Steviol glycosides (SGs) production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Low-energy N+ ion irradiation induced synthesis of nitrogenous compound from solid organic sodium salts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiangqin; Yu, Zengliang

2003-08-01

In this paper, samples of solid organic sodium salts (sodium formate, sodium acetate and sodium benzoate) were irradiated by low-energy N+ ions. The induced damage was detected by infrared (FT-IR). It is shown that a new cyano group (-CN) and amino group (-NH2) were formed in the irradiated sodium carbroxylic sample with N+ ion irradiation. The experimental results examined the effect of N+ ion irradiation by reacting with sodium salt molecules, and presented a new way for the synthesis of nitrogenous compound by low-energy ion irradiation.

CP violation induced by the double resonance for pure annihilation decay process in perturbative QCD

DOE PAGES

Lü, Gang; Lu, Ye; Li, Sheng-Tao; ...

2017-08-04

In a perturbative QCD approach we study the direct CP violation in the pure annihilation decay process ofmore » $$\\bar{B}$$$0\\atop{s}$$→π +π -π +π - induced by the ρ and ω double resonance effect.Generally, the CP violation is small in the pure annihilation type decay process. But, we find that the CP violation can be enhanced by doubleinterference when the invariant masses of the π + π - pairs are in the vicinity of the ω resonance. For the decay process of $$\\bar{B}$$$0\\atop{s}$$→π +π -π +π -, the CP violation can reach ACP($$\\bar{B}$$$0\\atop{s}$$→π +π -π +π -)=27.20$$+0.05+0.28+7.13\\atop{-0.15-0.31-6.11}$$%.« less

CP violation induced by the double resonance for pure annihilation decay process in perturbative QCD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lü, Gang; Lu, Ye; Li, Sheng-Tao

In a perturbative QCD approach we study the direct CP violation in the pure annihilation decay process ofmore » $$\\bar{B}$$$0\\atop{s}$$→π +π -π +π - induced by the ρ and ω double resonance effect.Generally, the CP violation is small in the pure annihilation type decay process. But, we find that the CP violation can be enhanced by doubleinterference when the invariant masses of the π + π - pairs are in the vicinity of the ω resonance. For the decay process of $$\\bar{B}$$$0\\atop{s}$$→π +π -π +π -, the CP violation can reach ACP($$\\bar{B}$$$0\\atop{s}$$→π +π -π +π -)=27.20$$+0.05+0.28+7.13\\atop{-0.15-0.31-6.11}$$%.« less

Prolonged Baroreflex Activation Abolishes Salt-Induced Hypertension After Reductions in Kidney Mass.

PubMed

Hildebrandt, Drew A; Irwin, Eric D; Lohmeier, Thomas E

2016-12-01

Chronic electric activation of the carotid baroreflex produces sustained reductions in sympathetic activity and arterial pressure and is currently being evaluated for therapy in patients with resistant hypertension. However, patients with significant impairment of renal function have been largely excluded from clinical trials. Thus, there is little information on blood pressure and renal responses to baroreflex activation in subjects with advanced chronic kidney disease, which is common in resistant hypertension. Changes in arterial pressure and glomerular filtration rate were determined in 5 dogs after combined unilateral nephrectomy and surgical excision of the poles of the remaining kidney to produce ≈70% reduction in renal mass. After control measurements, sodium intake was increased from ≈45 to 450 mol/d. While maintained on high salt, animals experienced increases in mean arterial pressure from 102±4 to 121±6 mm Hg and glomerular filtration rate from 40±2 to 45±2 mL/min. During 7 days of baroreflex activation, the hypertension induced by high salt was abolished (103±6 mm Hg) along with striking suppression of plasma norepinephrine concentration from 139±21 to 81±9 pg/mL, but despite pronounced blood pressure lowering, there were no significant changes in glomerular filtration rate (43±2 mL/min). All variables returned to prestimulation values during a recovery period. These findings indicate that after appreciable nephron loss, chronic suppression of central sympathetic outflow by baroreflex activation abolishes hypertension induced by high salt intake. The sustained antihypertensive effects of baroreflex activation occur without significantly compromising glomerular filtration rate in remnant nephrons. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Intestinal metaplasia with a high salt diet induces epithelial proliferation and alters cell composition in the gastric mucosa of mice.

PubMed

Xiao, Fang; Crissey, Mary Ann S; Lynch, John P; Kaestner, Klaus H; Silberg, Debra G; Suh, Eunran

2005-06-01

Intestinal metaplasia of the gastric mucosa is an important component in the pathway to adenocarcinoma. The mechanisms that induce the progression from intestinal metaplasia to cancer have not been elucidated. High dietary salt has been known as one of the risk factors for gastric cancer development in humans. Therefore, we investigated the role of high salt diet on gastric epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation, using our mouse model that ectopically expressed Cdx2 homeodomain transcription factor and induced an intestinal metaplastic phenotype in the gastric epithelia. Sixty Cdx2 transgenic and sixty age-matched wild-type littermates were studied. Fifty-percent Cdx2 transgenic and wild type mice were administered a high-salt diet and the other fifty-percent was fed a standard diet starting at 12 weeks after birth. At 10, 20 and 40 weeks after initiation of the diets, histopathological changes were determined by Hemotoxylin and Eosin, alcian blue, and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. Cell types and cell kinetics were assessed by immunohistochemistry. At 52 weeks, significant alterations in pathology were observed in the Cdx2 transgenic mice fed a high-salt diet, including elongation of gastric pits, reduction of the glandular zone in the gastric corpus, and deepening of glands in the antrum. In the Cdx2 transgenic mice fed a high salt diet, the parietal and chief cells were significantly decreased in the gastric corpus. A significant increase in cell proliferation and apoptosis in the corpus and antrum were observed in Cdx2 transgenic mice fed a high-salt diet as compared to wild-type littermates. Taken together, these data implicate that intestinal metaplasia in concert with a high-salt diet induces epithelial proliferation, apoptosis, and alters cellular types in the gastric mucosa of mice. Alteration in the composition of the gastric epithelium may play a role in influencing the microenvironment to engender susceptibility to carcinogens.

Salt weathering on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jagoutz, E.

Large well rounded boulders and angular rock fragments characterizes the Martian landscape as seen on the recent excellent quality photos. Analyzing the different rock-shapes indicates a time sequence of emplacement, fragmentation and transport of different rocks on Mars, which might give interesting insight into transport and weathering processes. Larger commonly well rounded boulders were emplaced onto gravel plains. After emplacement, these rocks were fragmented and disassembled. Nests of angular rock fragments are marking the locations of preexisting larger rocks. Frequently it is possible to reconstruct larger rounded rocks from smaller angular fragments. In other cases transport after fragmentation obscured the relationship of the fragments. However, a strewn field of fragments is still reminiscent of the preexisting rock. Mechanical salt weathering could be a plausible explanation for the insitu fragmentation of larger rounded blocks into angular fragments. Impact or secondary air fall induced fragmentation produces very different patterns, as observed around impact crates on Earth. Salt weathering of rocks is a common process in terrestrial environments. Salt crystallization in capillaries causes fragmentation of rocks, irrespective of the process of salt transportation and concentration. On Earth significant salt weathering can be observed in different climatic environments: in the transition zone of alluvial aprons and salt playas in desserts and in dry valleys of Antarctica. In terrestrial semi-arid areas the salt is transported by salt solution, which is progressively concentrated by evaporation. In Antarctic dry valleys freeze-thaw cycles causes salt transportation and crystallization resulting in rock fragmentation. This salt induced process can lead to complete destruction of rocks and converts rocks to fine sand. The efficient breakdown of rocks is dominating the landscape in some dry valleys of the Earth but possibly also on Mars. (Malin, 1974

Selective aldosterone blockade prevents angiotensin II/salt-induced vascular inflammation in the rat heart.

PubMed

Rocha, Ricardo; Martin-Berger, Cynthia L; Yang, Pochang; Scherrer, Rachel; Delyani, John; McMahon, Ellen

2002-12-01

We studied the role of aldosterone (aldo) in myocardial injury in a model of angiotensin (Ang) II-hypertension. Wistar rats were given 1% NaCl (salt) to drink and randomized into one of the following groups (n = 10; treatment, 21 d): 1) vehicle control (VEH); 2) Ang II infusion (25 ng/min, sc); 3) Ang II infusion plus the selective aldo blocker, eplerenone (epl, 100 mg/kg.d, orally); 4) Ang II infusion in adrenalectomized (ADX) rats; and 5) Ang II infusion in ADX rats with aldo treatment (20 micro g/kg.d, sc). ADX rats received also dexamethasone (12 micro g/kg.d, sc). Systolic blood pressure increased with time in all treatment groups except the VEH group (VEH, 136 +/- 6; Ang II/NaCl, 203 +/- 12; Ang II/NaCl/epl, 196 +/- 10; Ang II/NaCl/ADX, 181 +/- 7; Ang II/NaCl/ADX/aldo, 236 +/- 8 mm Hg). Despite similar levels of hypertension, epl and ADX attenuated the increase in heart weight/body weight induced by Ang II. Histological examination of the hearts evidenced myocardial and vascular injury in the Ang II/salt (7 of 10 hearts with damage, P < 0.05 vs. VEH) and Ang II/salt/ADX/aldo groups (10 of 10 hearts with damage, P < 0.05). Injury included arterial fibrinoid necrosis, perivascular inflammation (primarily macrophages), and focal infarctions. Vascular lesions were associated with expression of the inflammatory mediators cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and osteopontin in the media of coronary arteries. Myocardial injury, COX-2, and osteopontin expression were markedly attenuated by epl treatment (1 of 10 hearts with damage, P < 0.05 vs. Ang II/salt) and adrenalectomy (2 of 10 hearts with damage, P < 0.05 vs. Ang II/salt). Our data indicate that aldo plays a major role in Ang II-induced vascular inflammation in the heart and implicate COX-2 and osteopontin as potential mediators of the damage.

Salt-Induced Hypertension in a Mouse Model of Liddle's Syndrome is Mediated by Epithelial Sodium Channels in the Brain

PubMed Central

Van Huysse, James W.; Amin, Md. Shahrier; Yang, Baoli; Leenen, Frans H. H.

2012-01-01

Neural precursor cell expressed and developmentally downregulated 4-2 protein (Nedd4-2) facilitates the endocytosis of epithelial Na channels (ENaC). Both mice and humans with a loss of regulation of ENaC by Nedd4-2 have salt-induced hypertension. ENaC is also expressed in the brain, where it is critical for hypertension on high salt diet in salt-sensitive rats. In the present studies we assessed whether Nedd4-2 knockout (−/−) mice have: 1) increased brain ENaC; 2) elevated CSF sodium on high salt diet; and 3) enhanced pressor responses to CSF sodium and hypertension on high salt diet, both mediated by brain ENaC. Prominent choroid plexus and neuronal ENaC staining was present in −/− but not in wild-type (W/T) mice. In chronically instrumented mice, intracerebroventricular (icv) infusion of Na-rich aCSF increased MAP 3-fold higher in −/− than W/T. Icv infusion of the ENaC blocker benzamil abolished this enhancement. In telemetered −/− mice on high salt diet (8% NaCl), CSF [Na+], MAP and HR increased significantly, MAP by 30-35 mmHg. These MAP and HR responses were largely prevented by icv benzamil, but only to a minor extent by sc benzamil at the icv rate. We conclude that increased ENaC expression in the brain of Nedd 4-2 −/− mice mediates their hypertensive response to high salt diet, by causing increased sodium levels in the CSF as well as hyper-responsiveness to CSF sodium. These findings highlight the possible causative contribution of CNS ENaC in the etiology of salt-induced hypertension. PMID:22802227

Isolation, identification and expression analysis of salt-induced genes in Suaeda maritima, a natural halophyte, using PCR-based suppression subtractive hybridization

PubMed Central

Sahu, Binod B; Shaw, Birendra P

2009-01-01

Background Despite wealth of information generated on salt tolerance mechanism, its basics still remain elusive. Thus, there is a need of continued effort to understand the salt tolerance mechanism using suitable biotechnological techniques and test plants (species) to enable development of salt tolerant cultivars of interest. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to generate information on salt stress responsive genes in a natural halophyte, Suaeda maritima, using PCR-based suppression subtractive hybridization (PCR-SSH) technique. Results Forward and reverse SSH cDNA libraries were constructed after exposing the young plants to 425 mM NaCl for 24 h. From the forward SSH cDNA library, 429 high quality ESTs were obtained. BLASTX search and TIGR assembler programme revealed overexpression of 167 unigenes comprising 89 singletons and 78 contigs with ESTs redundancy of 81.8%. Among the unigenes, 32.5% were found to be of special interest, indicating novel function of these genes with regard to salt tolerance. Literature search for the known unigenes revealed that only 17 of them were salt-inducible. A comparative analysis of the existing SSH cDNA libraries for NaCl stress in plants showed that only a few overexpressing unigenes were common in them. Moreover, the present study also showed increased expression of phosphoethanolamine N-methyltransferase gene, indicating the possible accumulation of a much studied osmoticum, glycinebetaine, in halophyte under salt stress. Functional categorization of the proteins as per the Munich database in general revealed that salt tolerance could be largely determined by the proteins involved in transcription, signal transduction, protein activity regulation and cell differentiation and organogenesis. Conclusion The study provided a clear indication of possible vital role of glycinebetaine in the salt tolerance process in S. maritima. However, the salt-induced expression of a large number of genes involved in a wide range of

Sustained ELABELA Gene Therapy in High-salt Diet-induced Hypertensive Rats.

PubMed

Schreiber, Claire A; Holditch, Sara J; Generous, Alex; Ikeda, Yasuhiro

2017-01-01

Elabela (ELA) is a recently identified apelin receptor agonist essential for cardiac development, but its biology and therapeutic potential are unclear. In humans, ELA transcripts are detected in embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, kidney, heart and blood vessels. ELA through the apelin (APJ) receptor promotes angiogenesis in vitro, relaxes murine aortic blood vessels and attenuates high blood pressure in vivo. The APJ receptor when bound to its original ligand, apelin, exerts peripheral vasodilatory and positive inotropic effects, conferring cardioprotection in vivo. This study initially assessed endogenous ELA expression in normal and diseased rats and then characterized the effects of long-term ELA gene delivery by adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) vectors on cardiorenal function in Dahl salt-sensitive rats (DS) on a high-salt diet over 3 months. Endogenous ELA was predominantly expressed in the kidneys, especially in the renal collecting duct cells and was not affected by disease. Rat ELA was overexpressed in the heart via AAV9 vector by a single intravenous injection. ELA-treated animals showed delayed onset of blood pressure elevation. Prior to high-salt diet, a reduction in the fractional sodium and chloride excretion was observed in rats given the AAV9-ELA vector. After three months on a high-salt diet, ELA preserved glomerular architecture, decreased renal fibrosis and suppressed expression of fibrosis-associated genes in the kidneys. ELA is constitutively expressed in renal collecting ducts in rats. Sustained AAV-ELA expression may offer a potential long-term therapy for hypertension and renal remodeling. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Temperature effect on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy spectra of molten and solid salts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanson, Cynthia; Phongikaroon, Supathorn; Scott, Jill R.

2014-07-01

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been investigated as a potential analytical tool to improve operations and safeguards for electrorefiners, such as those used in processing spent nuclear fuel. This study set out to better understand the effect of sample temperature and physical state on LIBS spectra of molten and solid salts by building calibration curves of cerium and assessing self-absorption, plasma temperature, electron density, and local thermal equilibrium (LTE). Samples were composed of a LiCl-KCl eutectic salt, an internal standard of MnCl2, and varying concentrations of CeCl3 (0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.8, and 1.0 wt.% Ce) under different temperatures (773, 723, 673, 623, and 573 K). Analysis of salts in their molten form is preferred as plasma plumes from molten samples experienced less self-absorption, less variability in plasma temperature, and higher clearance of the minimum electron density required for local thermal equilibrium. These differences are attributed to plasma dynamics as a result of phase changes. Spectral reproducibility was also better in the molten state due to sample homogeneity.

Mechanism of salt-induced activity enhancement of a marine-derived laccase, Lac15.

PubMed

Li, Jie; Xie, Yanan; Wang, Rui; Fang, Zemin; Fang, Wei; Zhang, Xuecheng; Xiao, Yazhong

2018-04-01

Laccase (benzenediol: oxygen oxidoreductases, EC1.10.3.2) is a multi-copper oxidase capable of oxidizing a variety of phenolic and other aromatic organic compounds. The catalytic power of laccase makes it an attractive candidate for potential applications in many areas of industry including biodegradation of organic pollutants and synthesis of novel drugs. Most laccases are vulnerable to high salt and have limited applications. However, some laccases are not only tolerant to but also activated by certain concentrations of salt and thus have great application potential. The mechanisms of salt-induced activity enhancement of laccases are unclear as yet. In this study, we used dynamic light scattering, size exclusion chromatography, analytical ultracentrifugation, intrinsic fluorescence emission, circular dichroism, ultraviolet-visible light absorption, and an enzymatic assay to investigate the potential correlation between the structure and activity of the marine-derived laccase, Lac15, whose activity is promoted by low concentrations of NaCl. The results showed that low concentrations of NaCl exert little influence on the protein structure, which was partially folded in the absence of the salt; moreover, the partially folded rather than the fully folded state seemed to be favorable for enzyme activity, and this partially folded state was distinctive from the so-called 'molten globule' occasionally observed in active enzymes. More data indicated that salt might promote laccase activity through mechanisms involving perturbation of specific local sites rather than a change in global structure. Potential binding sites for chloride ions and their roles in enzyme activity promotion are proposed.

Depressor effect of the young leaves of Polygonum hydropiper Linn. in high-salt induced hypertensive mice.

PubMed

Devarajan, Sankar; Yahiro, Eiji; Uehara, Yoshinari; Kuroda, Rieko; Hirano, Yoshio; Nagata, Kaori; Miura, Shinichiro; Saku, Keijiro; Urata, Hidenori

2018-06-01

A novel chymase inhibitor has been reported to have depressor effect in salt-induced hypertension. Therefore, we examined the hypothesis that chymase inhibitory dried young leaves of Polygonum hydropiper (PPH) or young leaves extract of Polygonum hydropiper (PHE) could reduce salt-induced hypertension. In this study, 8-wk old wild-type mice were allocated into three experiments and experiment I included groups, I- normal water drinking, II- high salt (2% NaCl) water (HSW) drinking, and III- HSW plus PPH (500 mg kg -1 , orally) for 12-wk. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were measured at baseline and weekly up to wk-12. In experiment II, mice were given HSW for 12-wk followed by 8-wk treatment with PPH plus HSW (62.5, 125, 250 and 500 mg kg -1 for groups I, II, III and IV, respectively). BP and HR were measured at baseline and monthly until wk-12, following weekly for 8-wk. Experiment III comprised of four groups of mice for 12-wk HSW and 8-wk treatment with PHE plus HSW (2.5, 5, 10 and 20 mg kg -1 for groups I-IV, respectively). BP and HR were measured at baseline and monthly up to wk-12, following weekly for 8-wk. Significant reduction in BP and HR were observed in mice treated with PPH (500 mg kg -1 ) compared to HSW control. PPH reduced BP and HR dose dependently in hypertensive mice and the higher dose showed maximum reduction. PHE at its maximum dose (20 mg kg -1 ) significantly suppressed BP and HR. Over all, we found that the young leaves of Polygonum hydropiper suppressed salt-induced hypertension. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Observation of fast and slow interatomic Coulombic decay in argon dimers induced by electron-impact ionization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Xueguang; Miteva, Tsveta; Kolorenč, Přemysl; Gokhberg, Kirill; Kuleff, Alexander I.; Cederbaum, Lorenz S.; Dorn, Alexander

2017-09-01

We investigate the interatomic Coulombic decay (ICD) in argon dimers induced by electron-impact ionization (E0=90 eV ) using a multiparticle coincidence experiment in which the momentum vectors and, consequently, the kinetic energies for electrons and fragment ions are determined. The signature of the ICD process is obtained from a correlation map between ejected electron energy and kinetic energy release (KER) for Ar++Ar+ fragment ions where low-energy ICD electrons can be identified. Furthermore, two types of ICD processes, termed fast and slow interatomic decay, are separated by the ICD initial-state energies and projectile energy losses. The dependence of the energies of emitted low-energy ICD electrons on the initial-state energy is studied. ICD electron energy spectra and KER spectra are obtained separately for fast and slow decay processes where the KER spectra for the slow decay channel are strongly influenced by nuclear motion. The KER and ICD electron energy spectra are well reproduced by ab initio calculations.

Stick slip, charge separation and decay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lockner, D.A.; Byerlee, J.D.; Kuksenko, V.S.; Ponomarev, A.V.

1986-01-01

Measurements of charge separation in rock during stable and unstable deformation give unexpectedly large decay times of 50 sec. Time-domain induced polarization experiments on wet and dry rocks give similar decay times and suggest that the same decay mechanisms operate in the induced polarization response as in the relaxation of charge generated by mechanical deformation. These large decay times are attributed to electrochemical processes in the rocks, and they require low-frequency relative permittivity to be very large, in excess of 105. One consequence of large permittivity, and therefore long decay times, is that a significant portion of any electrical charge generated during an earthquake can persist for tens or hundreds of seconds. As a result, electrical disturbances associated with earthquakes should be observable for these lengths of time rather than for the milliseconds previously suggested. ?? 1986 Birka??user Verlag.

Heat-induced ribosome pausing triggers mRNA co-translational decay in Arabidopsis thaliana

PubMed Central

Merret, Rémy; Nagarajan, Vinay K.; Carpentier, Marie-Christine; Park, Sunhee; Favory, Jean-Jacques; Descombin, Julie; Picart, Claire; Charng, Yee-yung; Green, Pamela J.; Deragon, Jean-Marc; Bousquet-Antonelli, Cécile

2015-01-01

The reprogramming of gene expression in heat stress is a key determinant to organism survival. Gene expression is downregulated through translation initiation inhibition and release of free mRNPs that are rapidly degraded or stored. In mammals, heat also triggers 5′-ribosome pausing preferentially on transcripts coding for HSC/HSP70 chaperone targets, but the impact of such phenomenon on mRNA fate remains unknown. Here, we provide evidence that, in Arabidopsis thaliana, heat provokes 5′-ribosome pausing leading to the XRN4-mediated 5′-directed decay of translating mRNAs. We also show that hindering HSC/HSP70 activity at 20°C recapitulates heat effects by inducing ribosome pausing and co-translational mRNA turnover. Strikingly, co-translational decay targets encode proteins with high HSC/HSP70 binding scores and hydrophobic N-termini, two characteristics that were previously observed for transcripts most prone to pausing in animals. This work suggests for the first time that stress-induced variation of translation elongation rate is an evolutionarily conserved process leading to the polysomal degradation of thousands of ‘non-aberrant’ mRNAs. PMID:25845591

High salt intake enhances swim stress-induced PVN vasopressin cell activation and active stress coping.

PubMed

Mitchell, N C; Gilman, T L; Daws, L C; Toney, G M

2018-07-01

Stress contributes to many psychiatric disorders; however, responsivity to stressors can vary depending on previous or current stress exposure. Relatively innocuous heterotypic (differing in type) stressors can summate to result in exaggerated neuronal and behavioral responses. Here we investigated the ability of prior high dietary sodium chloride (salt) intake, a dehydrating osmotic stressor, to enhance neuronal and behavioral responses of mice to an acute psychogenic swim stress (SS). Further, we evaluated the contribution of the osmo-regulatory stress-related neuropeptide arginine vasopressin (VP) in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), one of only a few brain regions that synthesize VP. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of high dietary salt intake on responsivity to heterotypic stress and the potential contribution of VPergic-mediated neuronal activity on high salt-induced stress modulation, thereby providing insight into how dietary (homeostatic) and environmental (psychogenic) stressors might interact to facilitate psychiatric disorder vulnerability. Salt loading (SL) with 4% saline for 7 days was used to dehydrate and osmotically stress mice prior to exposure to an acute SS. Fluid intake and hematological measurements were taken to quantify osmotic dehydration, and serum corticosterone levels were measured to index stress axis activation. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to stain for the immediate early gene product c-Fos to quantify effects of SL on SS-induced activation of neurons in the PVN and extended amygdala - brain regions that are synaptically connected and implicated in responding to osmotic stress and in modulation of SS behavior, respectively. Lastly, the role of VPergic PVN neurons and VP type 1 receptor (V1R) activity in the amygdala in mediating effects of SL on SS behavior was evaluated by quantifying c-Fos activation of VPergic PVN neurons and, in functional experiments, by nano-injecting the V1R selective

Salt-responsive gut commensal modulates TH17 axis and disease.

PubMed

Wilck, Nicola; Matus, Mariana G; Kearney, Sean M; Olesen, Scott W; Forslund, Kristoffer; Bartolomaeus, Hendrik; Haase, Stefanie; Mähler, Anja; Balogh, András; Markó, Lajos; Vvedenskaya, Olga; Kleiner, Friedrich H; Tsvetkov, Dmitry; Klug, Lars; Costea, Paul I; Sunagawa, Shinichi; Maier, Lisa; Rakova, Natalia; Schatz, Valentin; Neubert, Patrick; Frätzer, Christian; Krannich, Alexander; Gollasch, Maik; Grohme, Diana A; Côrte-Real, Beatriz F; Gerlach, Roman G; Basic, Marijana; Typas, Athanasios; Wu, Chuan; Titze, Jens M; Jantsch, Jonathan; Boschmann, Michael; Dechend, Ralf; Kleinewietfeld, Markus; Kempa, Stefan; Bork, Peer; Linker, Ralf A; Alm, Eric J; Müller, Dominik N

2017-11-30

A Western lifestyle with high salt consumption can lead to hypertension and cardiovascular disease. High salt may additionally drive autoimmunity by inducing T helper 17 (T H 17) cells, which can also contribute to hypertension. Induction of T H 17 cells depends on gut microbiota; however, the effect of salt on the gut microbiome is unknown. Here we show that high salt intake affects the gut microbiome in mice, particularly by depleting Lactobacillus murinus. Consequently, treatment of mice with L. murinus prevented salt-induced aggravation of actively induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and salt-sensitive hypertension by modulating T H 17 cells. In line with these findings, a moderate high-salt challenge in a pilot study in humans reduced intestinal survival of Lactobacillus spp., increased T H 17 cells and increased blood pressure. Our results connect high salt intake to the gut-immune axis and highlight the gut microbiome as a potential therapeutic target to counteract salt-sensitive conditions.

Induced Seismicity Monitoring of an Underground Salt Cavern Prone to Collapse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mercerat, E. D.; Driad-Lebeau, L.; Bernard, P.

2010-02-01

Within the framework of a large research project launched to assess the feasibility of microseismic monitoring of growing underground caverns, this specific work focuses on the analysis of the induced seismicity recorded in a salt mine environment. A local seismic network has been installed over an underground salt cavern located in the Lorraine basin (Northeast of France). The microseismic network includes four 3-components and three single component geophones deployed at depths between 30 and 125 m in cemented boreholes drilled in the vicinity of the study area. The underground cavern under monitoring is located within a salt layer at 180 m depth and it presents a rather irregular shape that can be approximated by a cylindrical volume of 50 m height and 180 m diameter. Presently, the cavern is full of saturated brine inducing a significant pressure on its walls (~2.0 MPa) to keep the overburden mechanically stable. Nevertheless some small microseismic events were recorded by the network and analyzed (approximately 2,000 events in 2 years of recording). In October 2005 and April 2007, two controlled pressure transient experiments were carried out in the cavern, in order to analyze the mechanical response of the overburden by tracking the induced microseismicity. The recorded events were mainly grouped in clusters of 3-30 s of signal duration with emergent first arrivals and rather low frequency content (between 20 and 120 Hz). Some of these events have been spatially located by travel-time picking close to the actual cavern and its immediate roof. Preliminary spectral analysis of isolated microearthquakes suggests sources with non-negligible tensile components possibly related to fluid-filled cracks. Rock-debris falling into the cavern from delamination of clay marls in the immediate roof is probably another source of seismic excitation. This was later confirmed when the most important seismic swarms occurred at the site during May 2007, accompanied by the

Arabidopsis RabF1 (ARA6) Is Involved in Salt Stress and Dark-Induced Senescence (DIS)

PubMed Central

Yin, Congfei; Karim, Sazzad; Zhang, Hongsheng; Aronsson, Henrik

2017-01-01

Arabidopsis small GTPase RabF1 (ARA6) functions in endosomal vesicle transport and may play a crucial role in recycling and degradation of molecules, thus involved in stress responses. Here we have reported that complementary overexpression lines RabF1OE (overexpression), GTPase mutants RabF1Q93L (constitutively active) and RabF1S47N (dominant negative) lines show longer root growth than wild-type, rabF1 knockout and N-myristoylation deletion (Δ1−29, N-terminus) complementary overexpression mutant plants under salt induced stress, which indicates that N-myristoylation of RabF1 is indispensable for salt tolerance. Moreover, RabF1 is highly expressed during senescence and RabF1OE lines were more tolerant of dark-induced senescence (DIS) than wild-type and rabF1. PMID:28157156

Salicornia Extract Ameliorates Salt-Induced Aggravation of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Obese Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet.

PubMed

Kim, Jae Hwan; Suk, Sujin; Jang, Woo Jung; Lee, Chang Hyung; Kim, Jong-Eun; Park, Jin-Kyu; Kweon, Mee-Hyang; Kim, Jong Hun; Lee, Ki Won

2017-07-01

High-fat and high-salt intakes are among the major risks of chronic diseases including obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Salicornia is a halophytic plant known to exert antioxidant, antidiabetic, and hypolipidemic effects, and Salicornia-extracted salt (SS) has been used as a salt substitute. In this study, the effects of SS and purified salt (PS) on the aggravation of NAFLD/NASH were compared. C57BL/6J male mice (8-wk-old) were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 6 mo and divided into 3 dietary groups, which were additionally fed HFD, HFD + SS, and HFD + PS for 13 wk. PS induced aggravation of NAFLD/NASH in HFD-fed mice. Although the actual salt intake was same between the PS and SS groups as 1% of the diet (extrapolated from the World Health Organization [WHO] guideline), SS induced less liver injury and hepatic steatosis compared to PS. The hepatic mRNA expressions of inflammatory cytokines and fibrosis marker were significantly lower in the SS group than the PS group. Oxidative stress is one of the major causes of inflammation in NAFLD/NASH. Results of the component analysis showed that the major polyphenols that exhibited antioxidant activity in the Salicornia water extract were ferulic acid, caffeic acid, and isorhamnetin. These results suggest that even the level of salt intake recommended by WHO can accelerate the progression of liver disease in obese individuals consuming HFD. It is proposed that SS can be a salt substitute for obese individuals who consume HFD. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Creatine phosphate disodium salt protects against Dox-induced cardiotoxicity by increasing calumenin.

PubMed

Wang, Yu; Sun, Ying; Guo, Xin; Fu, Yao; Long, Jie; Wei, Cheng-Xi; Zhao, Ming

2018-06-01

Inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-induced apoptosis may be a new therapeutic target in cardiovascular diseases. Creatine phosphate disodium salt (CP) has been reported to have cardiovascular protective effect, but its effects on ERS are unknown. The aim of this study was to identify the mechanism by which CP exerts its cardioprotection in doxorubicin (Dox)-induced cardiomyocytes injury. In our study, neonatal rats cardiomyocytes (NRC) was randomly divided into control group, model group, and treatment group. The cell viability and apoptosis were detected. grp78, grp94, and calumenin of the each group were monitored. To investigate the role of calumenin, Dox-induced ERS was compared in control and down-regulated calumenin cardiomyocytes. Our results showed that CP decreased Dox-induced apoptosis and relieved ERS. We found calumenin increased in Dox-induced apoptosis with CP. ERS effector C/EBP homologous protein was down-regulated by CP and it was influenced by calumenin. CP could protect NRC by inhibiting ERS, this mechanisms may be associated with its increasing of calumenin.

SALT-RESPONSIVE ERF1 Regulates Reactive Oxygen Species–Dependent Signaling during the Initial Response to Salt Stress in Rice[W

PubMed Central

Schmidt, Romy; Mieulet, Delphine; Hubberten, Hans-Michael; Obata, Toshihiro; Hoefgen, Rainer; Fernie, Alisdair R.; Fisahn, Joachim; San Segundo, Blanca; Guiderdoni, Emmanuel; Schippers, Jos H.M.; Mueller-Roeber, Bernd

2013-01-01

Early detection of salt stress is vital for plant survival and growth. Still, the molecular processes controlling early salt stress perception and signaling are not fully understood. Here, we identified SALT-RESPONSIVE ERF1 (SERF1), a rice (Oryza sativa) transcription factor (TF) gene that shows a root-specific induction upon salt and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatment. Loss of SERF1 impairs the salt-inducible expression of genes encoding members of a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade and salt tolerance–mediating TFs. Furthermore, we show that SERF1-dependent genes are H2O2 responsive and demonstrate that SERF1 binds to the promoters of MAPK KINASE KINASE6 (MAP3K6), MAPK5, DEHYDRATION-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING2A (DREB2A), and ZINC FINGER PROTEIN179 (ZFP179) in vitro and in vivo. SERF1 also directly induces its own gene expression. In addition, SERF1 is a phosphorylation target of MAPK5, resulting in enhanced transcriptional activity of SERF1 toward its direct target genes. In agreement, plants deficient for SERF1 are more sensitive to salt stress compared with the wild type, while constitutive overexpression of SERF1 improves salinity tolerance. We propose that SERF1 amplifies the reactive oxygen species–activated MAPK cascade signal during the initial phase of salt stress and translates the salt-induced signal into an appropriate expressional response resulting in salt tolerance. PMID:23800963

Electron trapping in the photo-induced conductivity decay in GaAs/SnO2 heterostructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Freitas Bueno, Cristina; de Andrade Scalvi, Luis Vicente

2018-06-01

The decay of photo-induced conductivity is measured for GaAs/SnO2 heterostructure, after illumination with appropriate wavelength. The top oxide layer is deposited by sol-gel-dip-coating and doped with Eu3+, and the GaAs bottom layer is deposited by resistive evaporation. It shows quite unusual behavior since the decay rate gets slower as the temperature is raised. The trapping by intrabandgap defects in the SnO2 top layer is expected, but a GaAs/SnO2 interface arrest becomes also evident, mainly for temperatures below 100 K. Concerning the SnO2 layer, trapping by different defects is possible, due to the observed distinct capture time range. Besides Eu3+ centers and oxygen vacancies, this sort of heterostructure also leads to Eu3+ agglomerate areas in the SnO2 top layer surface, which may contribute for electron scattering. The electrical behavior reported here aims to contribute for the understanding of the electrical transport mechanisms which, combined with emission from Eu3+ ions from the top layer of the heterostructure, opens new possibilities for optoelectronic devices because samples in the form of films are desirable for circuit integration. The modeling of the photo-induced decay data yields the capture barrier in the range 620-660 meV, and contributes for the defect rules on the electrical properties of this heterostructure.

Decay Accelerating Factor (CD55) Protects Neuronal Cells from Chemical Hypoxia-Induced Injury

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-09

Pavlakovic G, Isom GE: Dopaminergic neurotoxicity of cyanide: neurochemical, histological and behavioral characterization. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol...provided the original work is properly cited. ResearchDecay accelerating factor (CD55) protects neuronal cells from chemical hypoxia-induced injury...deposition of C3a/C5a and membrane attack complex (MAC or C5b-9) production. The present study investigates the ability of DAF to protect primary cultured

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Measurement of Uranium in Molten Salt.

PubMed

Williams, Ammon; Phongikaroon, Supathorn

2018-01-01

In this current study, the molten salt aerosol-laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system was used to measure the uranium (U) content in a ternary UCl 3 -LiCl-KCl salt to investigate and assess a near real-time analytical approach for material safeguards and accountability. Experiments were conducted using five different U concentrations to determine the analytical figures of merit for the system with respect to U. In the analysis, three U lines were used to develop univariate calibration curves at the 367.01 nm, 385.96 nm, and 387.10 nm lines. The 367.01 nm line had the lowest limit of detection (LOD) of 0.065 wt% U. The 385.96 nm line had the best root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV) of 0.20 wt% U. In addition to the univariate calibration approach, a multivariate partial least squares (PLS) model was developed to further analyze the data. Using partial least squares (PLS) modeling, an RMSECV of 0.085 wt% U was determined. The RMSECV from the multivariate approach was significantly better than the univariate case and the PLS model is recommended for future LIBS analysis. Overall, the aerosol-LIBS system performed well in monitoring the U concentration and it is expected that the system could be used to quantitatively determine the U compositions within the normal operational concentrations of U in pyroprocessing molten salts.

Protective effect of dietary potassium against vascular injury in salt-sensitive hypertension.

PubMed

Kido, Makiko; Ando, Katsuyuki; Onozato, Maristela L; Tojo, Akihiro; Yoshikawa, Masahiro; Ogita, Teruhiko; Fujita, Toshiro

2008-02-01

Hypertensive cardiovascular damage is accelerated by salt loading but counteracted by dietary potassium supplementation. We suggested recently that antioxidant actions of potassium contribute to protection against salt-induced cardiac dysfunction. Therefore, we examined whether potassium supplementation ameliorated cuff-induced vascular injury in salt-sensitive hypertension via suppression of oxidative stress. Four-week-old Dahl salt-sensitive rats were fed a normal-salt (0.3% NaCl), high-salt (8% NaCl), or high-salt plus high-potassium (8% KCl) diet for 5 weeks, and some of the rats fed a high-salt diet were also given antioxidants. One week after the start of the treatments, a silicone cuff was implanted around the femoral artery. Examination revealed increased cuff-induced neointimal proliferation with adventitial macrophage infiltration in arteries from salt-loaded Dahl salt-sensitive rats compared with that in arteries from non-salt-loaded animals (intima/media ratio: 0.471+/-0.070 versus 0.302+/-0.037; P<0.05), associated with regional superoxide overproduction and reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase activation and mRNA overexpression. On the other hand, simultaneous potassium supplementation attenuated salt-induced neointimal hyperplasia (intima/media ratio: 0.205+/-0.012; P<0.001), adventitial macrophage infiltration, superoxide overproduction, and reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase activation and overexpression. Antioxidants, which decrease vascular oxidative stress, also reduced neointima formation induced by salt excess. In conclusion, high-potassium diets seems to have a protective effect against the development of vascular damage induced by salt loading mediated, at least in part, through suppression of the production of reactive oxygen species probably generated by reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase.

Effects of arginine on rabbit muscle creatine kinase and salt-induced molten globule-like state.

PubMed

Ou, Wen-bin; Wang, Ri-Sheng; Lu, Jie; Zhou, Hai-Meng

2003-11-03

The arginine (Arg)-induced unfolding and the salt-induced folding of creatine kinase (CK) have been studied by measuring enzyme activity, fluorescence emission spectra, native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The results showed that Arg caused inactivation and unfolding of CK, but there was no aggregation during CK denaturation. The kinetics of CK unfolding followed a one-phase process. At higher concentrations of Arg (>160 mM), the CK dimers were fully dissociated, the alkali characteristic of Arg mainly led to the dissociation of dimers, but not denaturation effect of Arg's guanidine groups on CK. The inactivation of CK occurred before noticeable conformational changes of the whole molecules. KCl induced monomeric and dimeric molten globule-like states of CK denatured by Arg. These results suggest that as a protein denaturant, the effect of Arg on CK differed from that of guanidine and alkali, its denaturation for protein contains the double effects, which acts not only as guanidine hydrochloride but also as alkali. The active sites of CK have more flexibility than the whole enzyme conformation. Monomeric and dimeric molten globule-like states of CK were formed by the salt inducing in 160 and 500 mM Arg H(2)O solutions, respectively. The molten globule-like states indicate that monomeric and dimeric intermediates exist during CK folding. Furthermore, these results also proved the orderly folding model of CK.

Mutual amino acid catalysis in salt-induced peptide formation supports this mechanism's role in prebiotic peptide evolution.

PubMed

Suwannachot, Y; Rode, B M

1999-10-01

The presence of some amino acids and dipeptides under the conditions of the salt-induced peptide formation reaction (aqueous solution at 85 degrees C, Cu(II) and NaCl) has been found to catalyze the formation of homopeptides of other amino acids, which are otherwise produced only in traces or not at all by this reaction. The condensation of Val, Leu and Lys to form their homodipeptides can occur to a considerable extent due to catalytic effects of other amino acids and related compounds, among which glycine, histidine, diglycine and diketopiperazine exhibit the most remarkable activity. These findings also lead to a modification of the table of amino acid sequences preferentially formed by the salt-induced peptide formation (SIPF) reaction, previously used for a comparison with the sequence preferences in membrane proteins of primitive organisms.

Mutual Amino Acid Catalysis in Salt-Induced Peptide Formation Supports this Mechanism's Role in Prebiotic Peptide Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suwannachot, Yuttana; Rode, Bernd M.

1999-10-01

The presence of some amino acids and dipeptides under the conditions of the salt-induced peptide formation reaction (aqueous solution at 85 °C, Cu(II) and NaCl) has been found to catalyze the formation of homopeptides of other amino acids, which are otherwise produced only in traces or not at all by this reaction. The condensation of Val, Leu and Lys to form their homodipeptides can occur to a considerable extent due to catalytic effects of other amino acids and related compounds, among which glycine, histidine, diglycine and diketopiperazine exhibit the most remarkable activity. These findings also lead to a modification of the table of amino acid sequences preferentially formed by the salt-induced peptide formation (SIPF) reaction, previously used for a comparison with the sequence preferences in membrane proteins of primitive organisms

Measuring lanthanide concentrations in molten salt using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).

PubMed

Weisberg, Arel; Lakis, Rollin E; Simpson, Michael F; Horowitz, Leo; Craparo, Joseph

2014-01-01

The versatility of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) as an analytical method for high-temperature applications was demonstrated through measurement of the concentrations of the lanthanide elements europium (Eu) and praseodymium (Pr) in molten eutectic lithium chloride-potassium chloride (LiCl-KCl) salts at a temperature of 500 °C. Laser pulses (1064 nm, 7 ns, 120 mJ/pulse) were focused on the top surface of the molten salt samples in a laboratory furnace under an argon atmosphere, and the resulting LIBS signals were collected using a broadband Echelle-type spectrometer. Partial least squares (PLS) regression using leave-one-sample-out cross-validation was used to quantify the concentrations of Eu and Pr in the samples. The root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) for Eu was 0.13% (absolute) over a concentration range of 0-3.01%, and for Pr was 0.13% (absolute) over a concentration range of 0-1.04%.

Central Diabetes Insipidus and Cisplatin-Induced Renal Salt Wasting Syndrome: A Challenging Combination.

PubMed

Cortina, Gerard; Hansford, Jordan R; Duke, Trevor

2016-05-01

We describe a 2-year-old female with a suprasellar primitive neuroectodermal tumor and central diabetes insipidus (DI) who developed polyuria with natriuresis and subsequent hyponatremia 36 hr after cisplatin administration. The marked urinary losses of sodium in combination with a negative sodium balance led to the diagnosis of cisplatin-induced renal salt wasting syndrome (RSWS). The subsequent clinical management is very challenging. Four weeks later she was discharged from ICU without neurological sequela. The combination of cisplatin-induced RSWS with DI can be confusing and needs careful clinical assessment as inaccurate diagnosis and management can result in increased neurological injury. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Mechanisms of protection by NHA against fungal decay

Treesearch

Frederick Green; William Henry; Tor Schultz

2002-01-01

Treating wood with the water-borne sodium salt of N'-N-naphthaloylhydroxylamine (Na-NHA) protects wood against decay and termite damage. Initial testing indicated little or no inhibition of sapstain fungi, molds, or soft-rot fungi by Na-NHA, suggesting that the mechanism by which this compound protected wood was complex and not that of a broad-spectrum biocide....

Salt-Sensitive Hypertension: Perspectives on Intrarenal Mechanisms

PubMed Central

Majid, Dewan S.A.; Prieto, Minolfa C.; Navar, L Gabriel

2015-01-01

Salt sensitive hypertension is characterized by increases in blood pressure in response to increases in dietary salt intake and is associated with an enhanced risk of cardiovascular and renal morbidity. Although researchers have sought for decades to understand how salt sensitivity develops in humans, the mechanisms responsible for the increases in blood pressure in response to high salt intake are complex and only partially understood. Until now, scientists have been unable to explain why some individuals are salt sensitive and others are salt resistant. Although a central role for the kidneys in the development of salt sensitivity and hypertension has been generally accepted, it is also recognized that hypertension is of multifactorial origin and a variety of factors can induce, or prevent, blood pressure responsiveness to the manipulation of salt intake. Excess salt intake in susceptible persons may also induce inappropriate central and sympathetic nervous system responses and increase the production of intrarenal angiotensin II, catecholamines and other factors such as oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines. One key factor is the concomitant inappropriate or paradoxical activation of the intrarenal renin-angiotensin system, by high salt intake. This is reflected by the increases in urinary angiotensinogen during high salt intake in salt sensitive models. A complex interaction between neuroendocrine factors and the kidney may underlie the propensity for some individuals to retain salt and develop salt-dependent hypertension. In this review, we focus mainly on the renal contributions that provide the mechanistic link between chronic salt intake and the development of hypertension. PMID:26028244

Salt-Induced Tissue-Specific Cytosine Methylation Downregulates Expression of HKT Genes in Contrasting Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genotypes.

PubMed

Kumar, Suresh; Beena, Ananda Sankara; Awana, Monika; Singh, Archana

2017-04-01

Plants have evolved several strategies, including regulation of genes through epigenetic modifications, to cope with environmental stresses. DNA methylation is dynamically regulated through the methylation and demethylation of cytosine in response to environmental perturbations. High-affinity potassium transporters (HKTs) have accounted for the homeostasis of sodium and potassium ions in plants under salt stress. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is sensitive to soil salinity, which impedes its growth and development, resulting in decreased productivity. The differential expression of HKTs has been reported to confer tolerance to salt stress in plants. In this study, we investigated variations in cytosine methylation and their effects on the expression of HKT genes in contrasting wheat genotypes under salt stress. We observed a genotype- and tissue-specific increase in cytosine methylation induced by NaCl stress that downregulated the expression of TaHKT2;1 and TaHKT2;3 in the shoot and root tissues of Kharchia-65, thereby contributing to its improved salt-tolerance ability. Although TaHKT1;4 was expressed only in roots and was downregulated under the stress in salt-tolerant genotypes, it was not regulated through variations in cytosine methylation. Thus, understanding epigenetic regulation and the function of HKTs would enable an improvement in salt tolerance and the development of salt-tolerant crops.

Salt stress-induced changes in antioxidative defense system and proteome profiles of salt-tolerant and sensitive Frankia strains.

PubMed

Srivastava, Amrita; Singh, Anumeha; Singh, Satya S; Mishra, Arun K

2017-04-16

An appreciation of comparative microbial survival is most easily done while evaluating their adaptive strategies during stress. In the present experiment, antioxidative and whole cell proteome variations based on spectrophotometric analysis and SDS-PAGE and 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis have been analysed among salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive Frankia strains. This is the first report of proteomic basis underlying salt tolerance in these newly isolated Frankia strains from Hippophae salicifolia D. Don. Salt-tolerant strain HsIi10 shows higher increment in the contents of superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase as compared to salt-sensitive strain HsIi8. Differential 2-DGE profile has revealed differential profiles for salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive strains. Proteomic confirmation of salt tolerance in the strains with inbuilt efficiency of thriving in nitrogen-deficient locales is a definite advantage for these microbes. This would be equally beneficial for improvement of soil nitrogen status. Efficient protein regulation in HsIi10 suggests further exploration for its potential use as biofertilizer in saline soils.

Loop induced single top partner production and decay at the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jeong Han; Lewis, Ian M.

2018-05-01

Most searches for top partners, T , are concerned with top partner pair production. However, as these bounds become increasingly stringent, the LHC energy will saturate and single top partner production will become more important. In this paper we study the novel signature of the top partner produced in association with the SM top, pp\\to T\\overline{t}+t\\overline{T} , in a model where the Standard Model (SM) is extended by a vector-like SU(2) L singlet fermion top partner and a real, SM gauge singlet scalar, S. In this model, pp\\to T\\overline{t}+t\\overline{T} production is possible through loops mediated by the scalar singlet. We find that, with reasonable coupling strengths, the production rate of this channel can dominate top partner pair production at top partner masses of m T ≳ 1 .5 TeV. In addition, this model allows for the exotic decay modes T → tg, T → tγ, and T → tS. In much of the parameter space the loop induced decay T → tg dominates and the top partner is quite long lived. New search strategies are necessary to cover these decay modes. We project the the sensitivity of the high luminosity LHC to pp\\to T\\overline{t}+t\\overline{T} via a realistic collider study. We find with 3 ab-1, the LHC is sensitive to this process for masses m T ≲ 2 TeV. In addition, we provide appendices detailing the renormalization of this model.

Salt-induced subcellular kinase relocation and seedling susceptibility caused by overexpression of Medicago SIMKK in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Ovečka, Miroslav; Takáč, Tomáš; Komis, George; Vadovič, Pavol; Bekešová, Slávka; Doskočilová, Anna; Šamajová, Veronika; Luptovčiak, Ivan; Samajová, Olga; Schweighofer, Alois; Meskiene, Irute; Jonak, Claudia; Křenek, Pavel; Lichtscheidl, Irene; Škultéty, L'udovít; Hirt, Heribert; Šamaj, Jozef

2014-06-01

Dual-specificity mitogen-activated protein kinases kinases (MAPKKs) are the immediate upstream activators of MAPKs. They simultaneously phosphorylate the TXY motif within the activation loop of MAPKs, allowing them to interact with and regulate multiple substrates. Often, the activation of MAPKs triggers their nuclear translocation. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics and the physiological consequences of the activation of MAPKs, particularly in plants, are still poorly understood. Here, we studied the activation and localization of the Medicago sativa stress-induced MAPKK (SIMKK)-SIMK module after salt stress. In the inactive state, SIMKK and SIMK co-localized in the cytoplasm and in the nucleus. Upon salt stress, however, a substantial part of the nuclear pool of both SIMKK and SIMK relocated to cytoplasmic compartments. The course of nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of SIMK correlated temporally with the dual phosphorylation of the pTEpY motif. SIMKK function was further studied in Arabidopsis plants overexpressing SIMKK-yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) fusions. SIMKK-YFP plants showed enhanced activation of Arabidopsis MPK3 and MPK6 kinases upon salt treatment and exhibited high sensitivity against salt stress at the seedling stage, although they were salt insensitive during seed germination. Proteomic analysis of SIMKK-YFP overexpressors indicated the differential regulation of proteins directly or indirectly involved in salt stress responses. These proteins included catalase, peroxiredoxin, glutathione S-transferase, nucleoside diphosphate kinase 1, endoplasmic reticulum luminal-binding protein 2, and finally plasma membrane aquaporins. In conclusion, Arabidopsis seedlings overexpressing SIMKK-YFP exhibited higher salt sensitivity consistent with their proteome composition and with the presumptive MPK3/MPK6 hijacking of the salt response pathway. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel salt-inducible gene encoding an acidic isoform of PR-5 protein in soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.).

PubMed

Onishi, M; Tachi, H; Kojima, T; Shiraiwa, M; Takahara, H

2006-10-01

We identified a novel salt-inducible soybean gene encoding an acidic-isoform of pathogenesis-related protein group 5 (PR-5 protein). The soybean PR-5-homologous gene, designated as Glycine max osmotin-like protein, acidic isoform (GmOLPa)), encodes a putative polypeptide having an N-terminal signal peptide. The mature GmOLPa protein without the signal peptide has a calculated molecular mass of 21.5 kDa and a pI value of 4.4, and was distinguishable from a known PR-5-homologous gene of soybean (namely P21 protein) through examination of the structural features. A comparison with two intracellular salt-inducible PR-5 proteins, tobacco osmotin and tomato NP24, revealed that GmOLPa did not have a C-terminal extension sequence functioning as a vacuole-targeting motif. The GmOLPa gene was transcribed constitutively in the soybean root and was induced almost exclusively in the root during 24 h of high-salt stress (300 mM NaCl). Interestingly, GmOLPa gene expression in the stem and leaf, not observed until 24 h, was markedly induced at 48 and 72 h after commencement of the high-salt stress. Abscisic acid (ABA) and dehydration also induced expression of the GmOLPa gene in the root; additionally, dehydration slightly induced expression in the stem and leaf. In fact, the 5'-upstream sequence of the GmOLPa gene contained several putative cis-elements known to be involved in responsiveness to ABA and dehydration, e.g. ABA-responsive element (ABRE), MYB/MYC, and low temperature-responsive element (LTRE). These results suggested that GmOLPa may function as a protective PR-5 protein in the extracellular space of the soybean root in response to high-salt stress and dehydration.

Stress inducible overexpression of AtHDG11 leads to improved drought and salt stress tolerance in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banavath, Jayanna N.; Chakradhar, Thammineni; Pandit, Varakumar; Konduru, Sravani; Guduru, Krishna K.; Akila, Chandra S.; Podha, Sudhakar; Puli, Chandra O. R.

2018-03-01

Peanut is an important oilseed and food legume cultivated as a rain-fed crop in semi-arid tropics. Drought and high salinity are the major abiotic stresses limiting the peanut productivity in this region. Development of drought and salt tolerant peanut varieties with improved yield potential using biotechnological approach is highly desirable to improve the peanut productivity in marginal geographies. As abiotic stress tolerance and yield represent complex traits, engineering of regulatory genes to produce abiotic stress-resilient transgenic crops appears to be a viable approach. In the present study, we developed transgenic peanut plants expressing an Arabidopsis homeodomain-leucine zipper transcription factor (AtHDG11) under stress inducible rd29Apromoter. A stress-inducible expression of AtHDG11 in three independent homozygous transgenic peanut lines resulted in improved drought and salt tolerance through up-regulation of known stress responsive genes(LEA, HSP70, Cu/Zn SOD, APX, P5CS, NCED1, RRS5, ERF1, NAC4, MIPS, Aquaporin, TIP, ELIP ) in the stress gene network , antioxidative enzymes, free proline along with improved water use efficiency traits such as longer root system, reduced stomatal density, higher chlorophyll content, increased specific leaf area, improved photosynthetic rates and increased intrinsic instantaneous WUE. Transgenic peanut plants displayed high yield compared to non-transgenic plants under both drought and salt stress conditions. Holistically, our study demonstrates the potentiality of stress-induced expression of AtHDG11 to improve the drought, salt tolerance in peanut.

High-salt in addition to high-fat diet may enhance inflammation and fibrosis in liver steatosis induced by oxidative stress and dyslipidemia in mice.

PubMed

Uetake, Yuzaburo; Ikeda, Hitoshi; Irie, Rie; Tejima, Kazuaki; Matsui, Hiromitsu; Ogura, Sayoko; Wang, Hong; Mu, ShengYu; Hirohama, Daigoro; Ando, Katsuyuki; Sawamura, Tatsuya; Yatomi, Yutaka; Fujita, Toshiro; Shimosawa, Tatsuo

2015-02-13

It is widely known that salt is an accelerating factor for the progression of metabolic syndrome and causes cardiovascular diseases, most likely due to its pro-oxidant properties. We hypothesized that excessive salt intake also facilitates the development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is frequently associated with metabolic syndrome. We examined the exacerbating effect of high-salt diet on high-fat diet-induced liver injury in a susceptible model to oxidative stress, apoE knockout and lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) transgenic mice. High-salt diet led to NASH in high-fat diet-fed LOX-1 transgenic/apoE knockout mice without affecting high-fat diet-induced dyslipidemia or hepatic triglyceride accumulation. Additionally, a high-salt and high-fat diet stimulated oxidative stress production and inflammatory reaction to a greater extent than did a high-fat diet in the liver of LOX-1 transgenic/apoE knockout mice. We demonstrated that high-salt diet exacerbated NASH in high-fat diet-fed LOX-1 transgenic /apoE knockout mice and that this effect was associated with the stimulation of oxidative and inflammatory processes; this is the first study to suggest the important role of excessive salt intake in the development of NASH.

Silencing of the CaCP Gene Delays Salt- and Osmotic-Induced Leaf Senescence in Capsicum annuum L.

PubMed Central

Xiao, Huai-Juan; Yin, Yan-Xu; Chai, Wei-Guo; Gong, Zhen-Hui

2014-01-01

Cysteine proteinases have been known to participate in developmental processes and in response to stress in plants. Our present research reported that a novel CP gene, CaCP, was involved in leaf senescence in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). The full-length CaCP cDNA is comprised of 1316 bp, contains 1044 nucleotides in open reading frame (ORF), and encodes a 347 amino acid protein. The deduced protein belongs to the papain-like cysteine proteases (CPs) superfamily, containing a highly conserved ERFNIN motif, a GCNGG motif and a conserved catalytic triad. This protein localized to the vacuole of plant cells. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the expression level of CaCP gene was dramatically higher in leaves and flowers than that in roots, stems and fruits. Moreover, CaCP transcripts were induced upon during leaf senescence. CaCP expression was upregulated by plant hormones, especially salicylic acid. CaCP was also significantly induced by abiotic and biotic stress treatments, including high salinity, mannitol and Phytophthora capsici. Loss of function of CaCP using the virus-induced gene-silencing technique in pepper plants led to enhanced tolerance to salt- and osmotic-induced stress. Taken together, these results suggest that CaCP is a senescence-associated gene, which is involved in developmental senescence and regulates salt- and osmotic-induced leaf senescence in pepper. PMID:24823878

Telmisartan improves survival and ventricular function in SHR rats with extensive cardiovascular damage induced by dietary salt excess.

PubMed

Susic, Dinko; Frohlich, Edward D

2014-05-01

Excessive dietary salt intake induces extensive cardiovascular and renal damage in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) that may be prevented by antihypertensive agents. This study examines whether salt-induced cardiac damage may be reversed by angiotensin II (type 1) receptor blockade (telmisartan). Eight-week-old male SHRs were divided into four groups; Group 1 (NS) was fed regular rat chow, and Group 2 (HS) received high-salt diet (HS; 8% NaCl). After 8 weeks on their respective diets, systemic hemodynamics and indices of left ventricular (LV) function were determined. Group 3 (HSnoT) was given HS for 8 weeks and then switched to a regular chow (0.6% NaCl) diet with no other treatment, and Group 4 (HSArb) received HS for 8 weeks and was then given regular diet plus telmisartan. Rats from these latter two groups were monitored for the ensuing 30 days. Compared with the NS group, rats in the HS group exhibited increased mean arterial pressure (161 ± 7 vs. 184 ± 8 mm Hg) and LV diastolic dysfunction, as evidenced by a decreased rate of LV pressure decline (-8754 ± 747 vs. -4234 ± 754 mmHg/sec) at the end of the 8 weeks of their respective treatment. After switching to regular chow, only one of 11 rats in the HSnoT group survived for the 30 days, whereas 10 died within 18 days; in the HSArb group only one of nine rats died; eight survived 30 days (P < .01). Telmisartan significantly improved LV function and survival in those SHR rats having extensive cardiovascular damage induced by dietary salt excess. Copyright © 2014 American Society of Hypertension. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Salting effects on protein components in aqueous NaCl and urea solutions: toward understanding of urea-induced protein denaturation.

PubMed

Li, Weifeng; Zhou, Ruhong; Mu, Yuguang

2012-02-02

The mechanism of urea-induced protein denaturation is explored through studying the salting effect of urea on 14 amino acid side chain analogues, and N-methylacetamide (NMA) which mimics the protein backbone. The solvation free energies of the 15 molecules were calculated in pure water, aqueous urea, and NaCl solutions. Our results show that NaCl displays strong capability to salt out all 15 molecules, while urea facilitates the solvation (salting-in) of all the 15 molecules on the other hand. The salting effect is found to be largely enthalpy-driven for both NaCl and urea. Our observations can explain the higher stability of protein's secondary and tertiary structures in typical salt solutions than that in pure water. Meanwhile, urea's capability to better solvate protein backbone and side-chain components can be extrapolated to explain protein's denaturation in aqueous urea solution. Urea salts in molecules through direct binding to solute surface, and the strength is linearly dependent on the number of heavy atoms of solute molecules. The van der Waals interactions are found to be the dominant force, which challenges a hydrogen-bonding-driven mechanism proposed previously.

Salt Stress–Induced Disassembly of Arabidopsis Cortical Microtubule Arrays Involves 26S Proteasome–Dependent Degradation of SPIRAL1[C][W

PubMed Central

Wang, Songhu; Kurepa, Jasmina; Hashimoto, Takashi; Smalle, Jan A.

2011-01-01

The dynamic instability of cortical microtubules (MTs) (i.e., their ability to rapidly alternate between phases of growth and shrinkage) plays an essential role in plant growth and development. In addition, recent studies have revealed a pivotal role for dynamic instability in the response to salt stress conditions. The salt stress response includes a rapid depolymerization of MTs followed by the formation of a new MT network that is believed to be better suited for surviving high salinity. Although this initial depolymerization response is essential for the adaptation to salt stress, the underlying molecular mechanism has remained largely unknown. Here, we show that the MT-associated protein SPIRAL1 (SPR1) plays a key role in salt stress–induced MT disassembly. SPR1, a microtubule stabilizing protein, is degraded by the 26S proteasome, and its degradation rate is accelerated in response to high salinity. We show that accelerated SPR1 degradation is required for a fast MT disassembly response to salt stress and for salt stress tolerance. PMID:21954463

Activation of TRPV4 by dietary apigenin antagonizes renal fibrosis in deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt-induced hypertension.

PubMed

Wei, Xing; Gao, Peng; Pu, Yunfei; Li, Qiang; Yang, Tao; Zhang, Hexuan; Xiong, Shiqiang; Cui, Yuanting; Li, Li; Ma, Xin; Liu, Daoyan; Zhu, Zhiming

2017-04-01

Hypertension-induced renal fibrosis contributes to the progression of chronic kidney disease, and apigenin, an anti-hypertensive flavone that is abundant in celery, acts as an agonist of transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4). However, whether apigenin reduces hypertension-induced renal fibrosis, as well as the underlying mechanism, remains elusive. In the present study, the deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertension model was established in male Sprague-Dawley rats that were treated with apigenin or vehicle for 4 weeks. Apigenin significantly attenuated the DOCA-salt-induced structural and functional damage to the kidney, which was accompanied by reduced expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)/Smad2/3 signaling pathway and extracellular matrix proteins. Immunochemistry, cell-attached patch clamp and fluorescent Ca 2+ imaging results indicated that TRPV4 was expressed and activated by apigenin in both the kidney and renal cells. Importantly, knockout of TRPV4 in mice abolished the beneficial effects of apigenin that were observed in the DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. Additionally, apigenin directly inhibited activation of the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 signaling pathway in different renal tissues through activation of TRPV4 regardless of the type of pro-fibrotic stimulus. Moreover, the TRPV4-mediated intracellular Ca 2+ influx activated the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) pathway, which inhibited the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 signaling pathway. In summary, dietary apigenin has beneficial effects on hypertension-induced renal fibrosis through the TRPV4-mediated activation of AMPK/SIRT1 and inhibition of the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 signaling pathway. This work suggests that dietary apigenin may represent a promising lifestyle modification for the prevention of hypertension-induced renal damage in populations that consume a high-sodium diet. © 2017 The Author(s). published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

Induced seismicity in a salt mine environment evaluated by a coupled continuum-discrete modelling.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mercerat, E.; Souley, M.; Driad, L.; Bernard, P.

2005-12-01

Within the framework of a research project launched to assess the feasibility of seismic monitoring of underground growing cavities, this specific work focus on two main complementary axis: the validation of seismic monitoring techniques in salt mine environments, and the numerical modelling of deformation and failure mechanisms with their associated acoustic emissions, the induced microseismicity. The underground cavity under monitoring is located at Cerville (Lorraine, France) within a salt layer 180 m deep and it presents a rather regular cylindrical shape of 100 m diameter. Typically, the overburden is characterized by the presence of two competent layers with elasto-brittle behaviour and located 50 m above the salt layer. When the salt exploitation restarts, the cavity will progressively grow causing irreversible damage of the upper layers until its final collapse at a time scale of the order of one year. Numerical modelling of such a complex process requires a large scale model which takes into account both the growing cavity within the salt layer and the mechanical behaviour of the overburden where high deformation and fracturing is expected. To keep the elasto-brittle behaviour of the competent layers where most seismic damage is expected, we use the PFC code (Itasca Cons). To approach the other layers (mainly composed of marls and salt) which present more ductile and/or viscoplastic behaviour, a continuum approach based on the FLAC code (Itasca Cons) is employed. Numerous calibration process were needed to estimate the microproperties used in PFC to reproduce the macroscopic behaviour from laboratory tests performed on samples extracted from the competent layers. As long as the size of the PFC inclusion representing the brittle material is much higher than the core sample sizes, the scale effect of microproperties is examined. The next stage is to perform calculations on the basis of previous macroscopic and microproperties calibration results, and compare

Mechanism of Salt-Induced Self-Compatibility Dissected by Comparative Proteomic Analysis in Brassica napus L.

PubMed

Yang, Yong; Liu, Zhiquan; Zhang, Tong; Zhou, Guilong; Duan, Zhiqiang; Li, Bing; Dou, Shengwei; Liang, Xiaomei; Tu, Jinxing; Shen, Jinxiong; Yi, Bin; Fu, Tingdong; Dai, Cheng; Ma, Chaozhi

2018-06-03

Self-incompatibility (SI) in plants genetically prevents self-fertilization to promote outcrossing and genetic diversity. Its hybrids in Brassica have been widely cultivated due to the propagation of SI lines by spraying a salt solution. We demonstrated that suppression of Brassica napus SI from edible salt solution treatment was ascribed to sodium chloride and independent of S haplotypes, but it did not obviously change the expression of SI - related genes. Using the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) technique, we identified 885 differentially accumulated proteins (DAPs) in Brassica napus stigmas of un-pollinated (UP), pollinated with compatible pollen (PC), pollinated with incompatible pollen (PI), and pollinated with incompatible pollen after edible salt solution treatment (NA). Of the 307 DAPs in NA/UP, 134 were unique and 94 were shared only with PC/UP. In PC and NA, some salt stress protein species, such as glyoxalase I , were induced, and these protein species were likely to participate in the self-compatibility (SC) pathway. Most of the identified protein species were related to metabolic pathways, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, ribosome, and so on. A systematic analysis implied that salt treatment-overcoming SI in B. napus was likely conferred by at least five different physiological mechanisms: (i) the use of Ca 2+ as signal molecule; (ii) loosening of the cell wall to allow pollen tube penetration; (iii) synthesis of compatibility factor protein species for pollen tube growth; (iv) depolymerization of microtubule networks to facilitate pollen tube movement; and (v) inhibition of protein degradation pathways to restrain the SI response.

Role of bardoxolone methyl, a nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 activator, in aldosterone- and salt-induced renal injury.

PubMed

Hisamichi, Mikako; Kamijo-Ikemori, Atsuko; Sugaya, Takeshi; Hoshino, Seiko; Kimura, Kenjiro; Shibagaki, Yugo

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the renoprotective effect of bardoxolone methyl (BM), a nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activator with an antioxidant effect, in a salt-sensitive hypertension model induced by aldosterone (Ald) and salt. Tubulointerstitial damage with urinary liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) was evaluated using human L-FABP chromosomal transgenic (L-FABP +/- ) male mice. The mice in the Ald group (n=7) received systemic Ald infusions via an osmotic minipump and were given 1% NaCl water for 35 days. Those in the Ald-BM group (n=8) were administered BM intraperitoneally in addition to an injection of Ald and salt. The dose of BM was gradually increased every 7 days up to 10 mg kg -1 per day, which was maintained for 14 days. The administration of BM significantly increased renal expression of the Nrf2 target antioxidant gene. Tubulointerstitial damage was significantly ameliorated in the Ald-BM group compared to the Ald group. The increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and upregulation of angiotensinogen expression in the kidneys of the Ald group was significantly prevented in the Ald-BM group. The upregulation of human L-FABP expression induced in the kidneys and increase in urinary L-FABP in the Ald group were significantly suppressed by BM administration. In conclusion, BM ameliorated tubulointerstitial damage in the Ald- and salt-induced hypertension model through suppression of both ROS production and intrarenal renin-angiotensin system activation. Urinary L-FABP may be a useful marker reflecting the therapeutic efficacy of BM.

GmWRKY53, a water- and salt-inducible soybean gene for rapid dissection of regulatory elements in BY-2 cell culture

PubMed Central

Tripathi, Prateek; Rabara, Roel C.; Lin, Jun; Rushton, Paul J.

2013-01-01

Drought is the major cause of crop losses worldwide. Water stress-inducible promoters are important for understanding the mechanisms of water stress responses in crop plants. Here we utilized tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) Bright Yellow 2 (BY-2) cell system in presence of polyethylene glycol, salt and phytohormones. Extension of the system to 85 mM NaCl led to inducibility of up to 10-fold with the water stress and salt responsive soybean GmWRKY53 promoter. Upon ABA and JA treatment fold inducibility was up to 5-fold and 14-fold, respectively. Thus, we hypothesize that GmWRKY53 could be used as potential model candidate for dissecting drought regulatory elements as well as understanding crosstalk utilizing a rapid heterologous system of BY-2 culture. PMID:23511199

Graphene oxide wrapped croconic acid disodium salt for sodium ion battery electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Chao; Zhu, Yujie; Xu, Yunhua; Liu, Yihang; Gao, Tao; Wang, Jing; Wang, Chunsheng

2014-03-01

Croconic acid disodium salt (CADS), a renewable or recyclable organic compound, is investigated as an anode material in sodium ion battery for the first time. The pristine micro-sized CADS delivers a high capacity of 246.7 mAh g-1, but it suffers from fast capacity decay during charge/discharge cycles. The detailed investigation reveals that the severe capacity loss is mainly attributed to the pulverization of CADS particles induced by the large volume change during sodiation/desodiation rather than the generally believed dissolution of CADS in the organic electrolyte. Minimizing the particle size can effectively suppress the pulverization, thus improving the cycling stability. Wrapping CADS with graphene oxide by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis can enhance the integration and conductivity of CADS electrodes, thus providing a high capacity of 293 mAh g-1.

Spin accumulation in thin Cs salts on contact with optically polarized Cs vapor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ishikawa, Kiyoshi

2011-09-15

The spin angular momentum accumulates in the Cs nuclei of salt on contact with optically pumped Cs vapor. The spin polarization in stable chloride as well as dissociative hydride indicates that nuclear dipole interaction works in spin transferring with a lesser role of atom exchange. In the solid film, not only the spin buildup but also the decay of enhanced polarization is faster than the thermal recovery rate for the bulk salt. Eliminating the signal of thick salt, we find that the nuclear spin polarization in the chloride film reaches over 100 times the thermal equilibrium.

Salt induced reduction of lysozyme adsorption at charged interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Göhring, Holger; Paulus, Michael; Salmen, Paul; Wirkert, Florian; Kruse, Theresa; Degen, Patrick; Stuhr, Susan; Rehage, Heinz; Tolan, Metin

2015-06-01

A study of lysozyme adsorption below a behenic acid membrane and at the solid-liquid interface between aqueous lysozyme solution and a silicon wafer in the presence of sodium chloride is presented. The salt concentration was varied between 1 mmol L-1 and 1000 mmol L-1. X-ray reflectivity data show a clear dependence of the protein adsorption on the salt concentration. Increasing salt concentrations result in a decreased protein adsorption at the interface until a complete suppression at high concentrations is reached. This effect can be attributed to a reduced attractive electrostatic interaction between the positively charged proteins and negatively charged surfaces by charge screening. The measurements at the solid-liquid interfaces show a transition from unoriented order of lysozyme in the adsorbed film to an oriented order with the short protein axis perpendicular to the solid-liquid interface with rising salt concentration.

Application of hinokitiol potassium salt for wood preservative.

PubMed

Hu, Junyi; Shen, Yu; Pang, Song; Gao, Yun; Xiao, Guoyong; Li, Shujun; Xu, Yingqian

2013-12-01

The decay of wood and other cellulosic materials by fungi cause significant economic loss. The widely used chromated copper arsenate was prohibited for the environmental impact and safety of arsenic and chromium. It was found that natural product hinokitiol (HK) had fungicidal and insecticidal activities, and its toxicity was bearable for the environment. We described the practical synthesis of HK-K salt. According to the GB/T18261-2000 and LY/T1283-1998, wood preservative performance of HK-K salt was tested. The results showed that the best inhibitory concentration of HK-K salt was 50 mg/L, for which the prevention effectiveness on mold is better, the killed value is between 0 and 1, and the corrosion-resistant for wood-rotting fungi is grade A. Copyright © 2013 The Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Salt Induces Features of a Dormancy-Like State in Seeds of Eutrema (Thellungiella) salsugineum, a Halophytic Relative of Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Kazachkova, Yana; Khan, Asif; Acuña, Tania; López-Díaz, Isabel; Carrera, Esther; Khozin-Goldberg, Inna; Fait, Aaron; Barak, Simon

2016-01-01

The salinization of land is a major factor limiting crop production worldwide. Halophytes adapted to high levels of salinity are likely to possess useful genes for improving crop tolerance to salt stress. In addition, halophytes could provide a food source on marginal lands. However, despite halophytes being salt-tolerant plants, the seeds of several halophytic species will not germinate on saline soils. Yet, little is understood regarding biochemical and gene expression changes underlying salt-mediated inhibition of halophyte seed germination. We have used the halophytic Arabidopsis relative model system, Eutrema (Thellungiella) salsugineum to explore salt-mediated inhibition of germination. We show that E. salsugineum seed germination is inhibited by salt to a far greater extent than in Arabidopsis, and that this inhibition is in response to the osmotic component of salt exposure. E. salsugineum seeds remain viable even when germination is completely inhibited, and germination resumes once seeds are transferred to non-saline conditions. Moreover, removal of the seed coat from salt-treated seeds allows embryos to germinate on salt-containing medium. Mobilization of seed storage reserves is restricted in salt-treated seeds, while many germination-associated metabolic changes are arrested or progress to a lower extent. Salt-exposed seeds are further characterized by a reduced GA/ABA ratio and increased expression of the germination repressor genes, RGL2, ABI5, and DOG1. Furthermore, a salt-mediated increase in expression of a LATE EMBRYOGENESIS ABUNDANT gene and accretion of metabolites involved in osmoprotection indicates induction of processes associated with stress tolerance, and accumulation of easily mobilized carbon reserves. Overall, our results suggest that salt inhibits E. salsugineum seed germination by inducing a seed state with molecular features of dormancy while a physical constraint to radicle emergence is provided by the seed coat layers. This seed

Comparison of salt taste thresholds and salt usage behaviours between adults in Myanmar and Korea.

PubMed

Cho, Hyungjin; Kim, So Mi; Jeong, Seong Su; Kim, Soon Bae

2016-12-01

Excessive oral salt intake can induce hypertension. According to previous studies, the prevalence of hypertension is higher in Myanmar than in Korea. We postulated that Myanmar adults had higher salt taste thresholds and eat much saltier food. This study aimed to compare salt taste thresholds and salt usage behaviour scores between adults in Myanmar and Korea. This cross-sectional study enrolled patients who visited volunteer medical service clinics at Ansung in Korea and Hlegu and Bago in Myanmar in August 2014. We measured the vital signs, heights, and weights of each patient and evaluated detection thresholds, recognition thresholds, and salt preferences. All patients underwent urinalysis and spot urine Na tests. Additionally, they each completed a salt usage behaviour questionnaire. A total of 131 patients were enrolled, including 64 Myanmarese patients and 67 Korean patients. Blood pressure was significantly higher in the Myanmarese than in the Koreans. Detection and recognition thresholds, salt preferences, and spot urine sodium and salt usage behaviour scores were also higher in the Myanmarese than in the Korean subjects. We calculated correlation coefficients between systolic blood pressure and parameters that were related to salt intake. The detection and recognition thresholds were significantly correlated with systolic blood pressure. All parameters related to salt intake, including detection and recognition thresholds, salt preference, salt usage behaviour scores and spot urine sodium concentrations, are significantly higher in Myanmarese than in Korean individuals.

Nutrient enrichment induces dormancy and decreases diversity of active bacteria in salt marsh sediments

PubMed Central

Kearns, Patrick J.; Angell, John H.; Howard, Evan M.; Deegan, Linda A.; Stanley, Rachel H. R.; Bowen, Jennifer L.

2016-01-01

Microorganisms control key biogeochemical pathways, thus changes in microbial diversity, community structure and activity can affect ecosystem response to environmental drivers. Understanding factors that control the proportion of active microbes in the environment and how they vary when perturbed is critical to anticipating ecosystem response to global change. Increasing supplies of anthropogenic nitrogen to ecosystems globally makes it imperative that we understand how nutrient supply alters active microbial communities. Here we show that nitrogen additions to salt marshes cause a shift in the active microbial community despite no change in the total community. The active community shift causes the proportion of dormant microbial taxa to double, from 45 to 90%, and induces diversity loss in the active portion of the community. Our results suggest that perturbations to salt marshes can drastically alter active microbial communities, however these communities may remain resilient by protecting total diversity through increased dormancy. PMID:27666199

Nutrient enrichment induces dormancy and decreases diversity of active bacteria in salt marsh sediments.

PubMed

Kearns, Patrick J; Angell, John H; Howard, Evan M; Deegan, Linda A; Stanley, Rachel H R; Bowen, Jennifer L

2016-09-26

Microorganisms control key biogeochemical pathways, thus changes in microbial diversity, community structure and activity can affect ecosystem response to environmental drivers. Understanding factors that control the proportion of active microbes in the environment and how they vary when perturbed is critical to anticipating ecosystem response to global change. Increasing supplies of anthropogenic nitrogen to ecosystems globally makes it imperative that we understand how nutrient supply alters active microbial communities. Here we show that nitrogen additions to salt marshes cause a shift in the active microbial community despite no change in the total community. The active community shift causes the proportion of dormant microbial taxa to double, from 45 to 90%, and induces diversity loss in the active portion of the community. Our results suggest that perturbations to salt marshes can drastically alter active microbial communities, however these communities may remain resilient by protecting total diversity through increased dormancy.

Nutrient enrichment induces dormancy and decreases diversity of active bacteria in salt marsh sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kearns, Patrick J.; Angell, John H.; Howard, Evan M.; Deegan, Linda A.; Stanley, Rachel H. R.; Bowen, Jennifer L.

2016-09-01

Microorganisms control key biogeochemical pathways, thus changes in microbial diversity, community structure and activity can affect ecosystem response to environmental drivers. Understanding factors that control the proportion of active microbes in the environment and how they vary when perturbed is critical to anticipating ecosystem response to global change. Increasing supplies of anthropogenic nitrogen to ecosystems globally makes it imperative that we understand how nutrient supply alters active microbial communities. Here we show that nitrogen additions to salt marshes cause a shift in the active microbial community despite no change in the total community. The active community shift causes the proportion of dormant microbial taxa to double, from 45 to 90%, and induces diversity loss in the active portion of the community. Our results suggest that perturbations to salt marshes can drastically alter active microbial communities, however these communities may remain resilient by protecting total diversity through increased dormancy.

Effects of Clofibrate on Salt Loading-Induced Hypertension in Rats

PubMed Central

Cruz, Antonio; Rodríguez-Gómez, Isabel; Pérez-Abud, Rocío; Vargas, Miguel Ángel; Wangensteen, Rosemary; Quesada, Andrés; Osuna, Antonio; Moreno, Juan Manuel

2011-01-01

The effects of clofibrate on the hemodynamic and renal manifestations of increased saline intake were analyzed. Four groups of male Wistar rats were treated for five weeks: control, clofibrate (240 mg/kg/day), salt (2% via drinking water), and salt + clofibrate. Body weight, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and heart rate (HR) were recorded weekly. Finally, SBP, HR, and morphologic, metabolic, plasma, and renal variables were measured. Salt increased SBP, HR, urinary isoprostanes, NOx, ET, vasopressin and proteinuria and reduced plasma free T4 (FT4) and tissue FT4 and FT3 versus control rats. Clofibrate prevented the increase in SBP produced by salt administration, reduced the sodium balance, and further reduced plasma and tissue thyroid hormone levels. However, clofibrate did not modify the relative cardiac mass, NOx, urinary ET, and vasopressin of saline-loaded rats. In conclusion, chronic clofibrate administration prevented the blood pressure elevation of salt-loaded rats by decreasing sodium balance and reducing thyroid hormone levels. PMID:20981147

Preventive dietary potassium supplementation in young salt-sensitive Dahl rats attenuates development of salt hypertension by decreasing sympathetic vasoconstriction.

PubMed

Zicha, J; Dobešová, Z; Behuliak, M; Kuneš, J; Vaněčková, I

2011-05-01

Increased potassium intake attenuates the development of salt-dependent hypertension, but the detailed mechanisms of blood pressure (BP) reduction are still unclear. The aims of our study were (i) to elucidate these mechanisms, (ii) to compare preventive potassium effects in immature and adult animals and (iii) to evaluate the therapeutic effects of dietary potassium supplementation in rats with established salt hypertension.   Young (4-week-old) and adult (24-week-old) female salt-sensitive Dahl rats were fed a high-salt diet (5% NaCl) or a high-salt diet supplemented with 3% KCl for 5 weeks. The participation of vasoconstrictor (renin-angiotensin and sympathetic nervous systems) and vasodilator systems [prostanoids, Ca(2+) -activated K(+) channels, nitric oxide (NO)] was evaluated using a sequential blockade of these systems. Preventive potassium supplementation attenuated the development of severe salt hypertension in young rats, whereas it had no effects on BP in adult rats with moderate hypertension. Enhanced sympathetic vasoconstriction was responsible for salt hypertension in young rats and its attenuation for potassium-induced BP reduction. Conversely, neither salt hypertension nor its potassium-induced attenuation were associated with significant changes of the vasodilator systems studied. The relative deficiency of vasodilator action of NO and Ca(2+) -activated K(+) channels in salt hypertensive Dahl rats was not improved by potassium supplementation. The attenuation of enhanced sympathetic vasoconstriction is the principal mechanism of antihypertensive action exerted by preventive potassium supplementation in immature Dahl rats. Dietary potassium supplementation has no preventive effects on BP in adult salt-loaded animals or no therapeutic effects on established salt hypertension in young rats. © 2011 The Authors. Acta Physiologica © 2011 Scandinavian Physiological Society.

Short-term dietary salt supplementation blunts telmisartan induced increases in plasma renin activity in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Chen, Angela X; Jerums, George; Baqar, Sara; Lambert, Elisabeth; Somarajah, Goji; Thomas, Georgina; O'Callaghan, Christopher; MacIsaac, Richard J; Ekinci, Elif I

2015-09-01

Current guidelines recommend low dietary salt intake (LDS) in patients with diabetes to reduce blood pressure (BP). However, low salt intake has been associated with higher mortality rates in people with diabetes. Our aim is to examine the effect of angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), telmisartan, with and without dietary sodium chloride (NaCl) supplementation, on BP [mean arterial pressure (MAP)], plasma renin activity (PRA), serum aldosterone level and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (RCT), 28 patients with type 2 diabetes, treated with telmisartan (40 mg daily), received 2 weeks of placebo or NaCl capsules (100 mmol/24 h). Following a 6-week washout, the protocol was repeated in reverse. Twenty-four-hour urinary sodium excretion (24hUNa), ambulatory BP (ABP) monitoring and blood tests were performed before and after each study phase. The telmisartan-associated increase in PRA was blunted by approximately 50% during salt supplementation compared with placebo; median PRA was 2.3 μg/l/h with placebo compared with 1.7 μg/l/h with salt (P<0.001). A trend towards blunting of ARB induced increases in serum aldosterone was also demonstrated. Salt supplementation significantly reduced the MAP lowering effects of telmisartan (P<0.05). The present study demonstrates that salt supplementation blunts the telmisartan induced increase in PRA in patients with type 2 diabetes. © 2015 Authors; published by Portland Press Limited.

Cadmium hampers salt tolerance of Sesuvium portulacastrum.

PubMed

Wali, Mariem; Martos, Soledad; Pérez-Martín, Laura; Abdelly, Chedly; Ghnaya, Tahar; Poschenrieder, Charlotte; Gunsé, Benet

2017-06-01

It is well known that salinity reduces cadmium toxicity in halophytes. However, the possible interference of Cd with the mechanisms of salt tolerance is poorly explored. The aim of this study was to see whether Cd affects salt tolerance mechanisms in the halophyte Sesuvium portulacastrum. S. portulacastrum plants obtained from cuttings were grown in hydroponics for 3 weeks and then exposed to low (0.09 mM) or moderate (200 mM) NaCl concentrations, alone or in combination with 25 μM CdCl 2 . Microscopy observation revealed two strategies of salt tolerance: euhalophytism and secretion of salt by bladder cells. Cadmium exposure hardly influenced the total leaf Na + concentrations. However, Cd supply delayed the salt-induced upregulation of AHA1 (plasma membrane H + -ATPase 1) and SOS1 (plasma membrane Na + transporter "Salt Overly Sensitive 1"), genes that are essential for salt tolerance. Moreover, Cd induced the activation of BADH, coding for betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase, indicating enhanced osmotic stress due to Cd. Sodium-green fluorescence in protoplasts from plants grown with low or high NaCl, alone or in combination with Cd, revealed higher Na + concentrations in the cytoplasm of Cd-exposed plants. Taken together the results indicate interference of Cd with salt tolerance mechanisms in S. portulacastrum. This may have consequences for the efficient use of halophytes in phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated saline soils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Reduced NO production rapidly aggravates renal function through the NF-κB/ET-1/ETA receptor pathway in DOCA-salt-induced hypertensive rats.

PubMed

Kimura, Kimihiro; Ohkita, Mamoru; Koyama, Maki; Matsumura, Yasuo

2012-10-15

It has been reported that endothelin-1 (ET-1) overproduction and reduced nitric oxide (NO) production are closely related to the progression of renal diseases. In the present study, we examined the interrelation between ET-1 and NO system using rats treated with the combination of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt and a non selective NO synthase inhibitor N(ω)-nitro-L-arginine (NOARG). Rats were treated with DOCA-salt (15 mg/kg, plus drinking water containing 1% NaCl) for two weeks, and then additional treatment of NOARG (0.6 mg/ml in the drinking water) was performed for three days. Combined treatment of DOCA-salt and NOARG drastically developed the severe renal dysfunction and tissue injury. This treatment additionally enhanced renal ET-1 production compared to the rats treated with DOCA-salt alone, whereas a selective ET(A) receptor antagonist ABT-627 completely prevented renal dysfunction and tissue injury. On the other hand, combined treatment of DOCA-salt and NOARG induced the phosphorylation of inhibitory protein kappa B (IκB), followed by the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in the kidney. In addition, pyrrolidine-dithiocarbamate completely suppressed not only NF-κB activation but also renal dysfunction and ET-1 overproduction. These results suggest that NF-κB/ET-1/ET(A) receptor-mediated actions are responsible for the increased susceptibility to DOCA-salt induced renal injuries in the case of reduced NO production. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of salt intake on beat-to-beat blood pressure nonlinear dynamics and entropy in salt-sensitive versus salt-protected rats.

PubMed

Fares, Souha A; Habib, Joseph R; Engoren, Milo C; Badr, Kamal F; Habib, Robert H

2016-06-01

Blood pressure exhibits substantial short- and long-term variability (BPV). We assessed the hypothesis that the complexity of beat-to-beat BPV will be differentially altered in salt-sensitive hypertensive Dahl rats (SS) versus rats protected from salt-induced hypertension (SSBN13) maintained on high-salt versus low-salt diet. Beat-to-beat systolic and diastolic BP series from nine SS and six SSBN13 rats (http://www.physionet.org) were analyzed following 9 weeks on low salt and repeated after 2 weeks on high salt. BP complexity was quantified by detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), short- and long-range scaling exponents (αS and αL), sample entropy (SampEn), and traditional standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV(%)). Mean systolic and diastolic BP increased on high-salt diet (P < 0.01) particularly for SS rats. SD and CV(%) were similar across groups irrespective of diet. Salt-sensitive and -protected rats exhibited similar complexity indices on low-salt diet. On high salt, (1) SS rats showed increased scaling exponents or smoother, systolic (P = 0.007 [αL]) and diastolic (P = 0.008 [αL]) BP series; (2) salt-protected rats showed lower SampEn (less complex) systolic and diastolic BP (P = 0.046); and (3) compared to protected SSBN13 rats, SS showed higher αL for systolic (P = 0.01) and diastolic (P = 0.005) BP Hypertensive SS rats are more susceptible to high salt with a greater rise in mean BP and reduced complexity. Comparable mean pressures in sensitive and protective rats when on low-salt diet coupled with similar BPV dynamics suggest a protective role of low-salt intake in hypertensive rats. This effect likely reflects better coupling of biologic oscillators. © 2016 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American Physiological Society and The Physiological Society.

The RING Finger E3 Ligase SpRing is a Positive Regulator of Salt Stress Signaling in Salt-Tolerant Wild Tomato Species.

PubMed

Qi, Shilian; Lin, Qingfang; Zhu, Huishan; Gao, Fenghua; Zhang, Wenhao; Hua, Xuejun

2016-03-01

Protein ubiquitination in plants plays critical roles in many biological processes, including adaptation to abiotic stresses. Previously, RING finger E3 ligase has been characterized during salt stress response in several plant species, but little is known about its function in tomato. Here, we report that SpRing, a stress-inducible gene, is involved in salt stress signaling in wild tomato species Solanum pimpinellifolium 'PI365967'. In vitro ubiquitination assay revealed that SpRing is an E3 ubiquitin ligase and the RING finger conserved region is required for its activity. SpRing is expressed in all tissues of wild tomato and up-regulated by salt, drought and osmotic stresses, but repressed by low temperature. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion analysis showed that SpRing is localized at the endoplasmic reticulum. Silencing of SpRing through a virus-induced gene silencing approach led to increased sensitivity to salt stress in wild tomato. Overexpression of SpRing in Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in enhanced salt tolerance during seed germination and early seedling development. The expression levels of certain key stress-related genes are altered both in SpRing-overexpressing Arabidopsis plants and virus-induced gene silenced tomato seedlings. Taken together, our results indicate that SpRing is involved in salt stress and functions as a positive regulator of salt tolerance. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Strong interference effects in the resonant Auger decay of atoms induced by intense x-ray fields

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Demekhin, Philipp V.; Cederbaum, Lorenz S.

2011-02-15

The theory of resonant Auger decay of atoms in a high-intensity coherent x-ray pulse is presented. The theory includes the coupling between the ground state and the resonance due to an intense x-ray pulse, taking into account the decay of the resonance and the direct photoionization of the ground state, both populating the final ionic states coherently. The theory also considers the impact of the direct photoionization of the resonance state itself which typically populates highly excited ionic states. The combined action of the resonant decay and of the direct ionization of the ground state in the field induces amore » non-Hermitian time-dependent coupling between the ground and the ''dressed'' resonance stats. The impact of these competing processes on the total electron yield and on the 2s{sup 2}2p{sup 4}({sup 1}D)3p {sup 2}P spectator and 2s{sup 1}2p{sup 6} {sup 2}S participator Auger decay spectra of the Ne 1s{yields}3p resonance is investigated. The role of the direct photoionization of the ground state and of the resonance increases dramatically with the field intensity. This results in strong interference effects with distinct patterns in the electron spectra, which differ for the participator and spectator final states.« less

Agmatine Induced NO Dependent Rat Mesenteric Artery Relaxation and its Impairment in Salt-Sensitive Hypertension

PubMed Central

Gadkari, Tushar V.; Cortes, Natalie; Madrasi, Kumpal; Tsoukias, Nikolaos M.; Joshi, Mahesh S.

2013-01-01

L-arginine and its decarboxylated product, agmatine are important mediators of NO production and vascular relaxation. However, the underlying mechanisms of their action are not understood. We have investigated the role of arginine and agmatine in resistance vessel relaxation of Sprague-Dawley (SD) and Dahl salt-sensitive hypertensive rats. Second or 3rd-order mesenteric arterioles were cannulated in an organ chamber, pressurized and equilibrated before perfusing intraluminally with agonists. The vessel diameters were measured after mounting on the stage of a microscope fitted with a video camera. The gene expression in Dahl rat vessel homogenates was ascertained by real-time PCR. L-arginine initiated relaxations (EC50, 5.8 ± 0.7 mM; n = 9) were inhibited by arginine decarboxylase (ADC) inhibitor, difluoromethylarginine (DFMA) (EC50, 18.3 ± 1.3 mM; n = 5) suggesting that arginine-induced vessel relaxation was mediated by agmatine formation. Agmatine relaxed the SD rat vessels at significantly lower concentrations (EC50, 138.7 ± 12.1 μM; n = 22), which was compromised by L-NAME (L-NG-Nitroarginine methyl ester, an eNOS inhibitor), RX821002 (α-2 AR antagonist) and pertussis toxin (G-protein inhibitor). The agmatine-mediated vessel relaxation from high salt Dahl rats was abolished as compared to that from normal salt rats (EC50, 143.9 ± 23.4 μM; n = 5). The α-2A AR, α-2B AR and eNOS mRNA expression was downregulated in mesenteric arterioles of high-salt treated Dahl hypertensive rats. These findings demonstrate that agmatine facilitated the relaxation via activation of α-2 adrenergic G-protein coupled receptor and NO synthesis, and this pathway is compromised in salt-sensitive hypertension. PMID:23994446

Agmatine induced NO dependent rat mesenteric artery relaxation and its impairment in salt-sensitive hypertension.

PubMed

Gadkari, Tushar V; Cortes, Natalie; Madrasi, Kumpal; Tsoukias, Nikolaos M; Joshi, Mahesh S

2013-11-30

l-Arginine and its decarboxylated product, agmatine are important mediators of NO production and vascular relaxation. However, the underlying mechanisms of their action are not understood. We have investigated the role of arginine and agmatine in resistance vessel relaxation of Sprague-Dawley (SD) and Dahl salt-sensitive hypertensive rats. Second or 3rd-order mesenteric arterioles were cannulated in an organ chamber, pressurized and equilibrated before perfusing intraluminally with agonists. The vessel diameters were measured after mounting on the stage of a microscope fitted with a video camera. The gene expression in Dahl rat vessel homogenates was ascertained by real-time PCR. l-Arginine initiated relaxations (EC50, 5.8±0.7mM; n=9) were inhibited by arginine decarboxylase (ADC) inhibitor, difluoromethylarginine (DFMA) (EC50, 18.3±1.3mM; n=5) suggesting that arginine-induced vessel relaxation was mediated by agmatine formation. Agmatine relaxed the SD rat vessels at significantly lower concentrations (EC50, 138.7±12.1μM; n=22), which was compromised by l-NAME (l-N(G)-nitroarginine methyl ester, an eNOS inhibitor), RX821002 (α-2 AR antagonist) and pertussis toxin (G-protein inhibitor). The agmatine-mediated vessel relaxation from high salt Dahl rats was abolished as compared to that from normal salt rats (EC50, 143.9±23.4μM; n=5). The α-2A AR, α-2B AR and eNOS mRNA expression was downregulated in mesenteric arterioles of high-salt treated Dahl hypertensive rats. These findings demonstrate that agmatine facilitated the relaxation via activation of α-2 adrenergic G-protein coupled receptor and NO synthesis, and this pathway is compromised in salt-sensitive hypertension. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Salt-induced modulation in inorganic nutrients, antioxidant enzymes, proline content and seed oil composition in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.).

PubMed

Siddiqi, Ejaz Hussain; Ashraf, Muhammad; Al-Qurainy, Fahad; Akram, Nudrat Aisha

2011-12-01

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) has gained considerable ground as a potential oil-seed crop. However, its yield and oil production are adversely affected under saline conditions. The present study was conducted to appraise the influence of salt (NaCl) stress on yield, accumulation of different inorganic elements, free proline and activities of some key antioxidant enzymes in plant tissues as well as seed oil components in safflower. Two safflower accessions differing in salt tolerance (Safflower-33 (salt sensitive) and Safflower-39 (salt tolerant)) were grown under saline (150 mmol L(-1) ) conditions and salt-induced changes in the earlier-mentioned physiological attributes were determined. Salt stress enhanced leaf and root Na(+) , Cl(-) and proline accumulation and activities of leaf superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase, while it decreased K(+) , Ca(2+) and K(+) /Ca(2+) and Ca(2+) /Na(+) ratios and seed yield, 100-seed weight, number of seeds, as well as capitula, seed oil contents and oil palmitic acid. No significant effect of salt stress was observed on seed oil α-tocopherols, stearic acid, oleic acid or linoleic acid contents. Of the two safflower lines, salt-sensitive Safflower-33 was higher in leaf and root Na(+) and Cl(-) , while Safflower-39 was higher in leaf and root K(+) , K(+) /Ca(2+) and Ca(2+) /Na(+) and seed yield, 100-seed weight, catalase activity, seed oil contents, seed oil α-tocopherol and palmitic acid. Other attributes remained almost unaffected in both accessions. Overall, high salt tolerance of Safflower-39 could be attributed to Na(+) and Cl(-) exclusion, high accumulation of K(+) and free proline, enhanced CAT activity, seed oil α-tocopherols and palmitic acid contents. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Augmenting laboratory rearing of stable fly (diptera: muscidae) larvae with ammoniacal salts

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Stable flies are blood feeding parasites and serious pests of livestock. The immature stages develop in decaying materials which frequently have high ammonium content. We added various ammonium salts to our laboratory stable fly rearing medium and measured their effect on size and survival as well a...

Increased salt consumption induces body water conservation and decreases fluid intake.

PubMed

Rakova, Natalia; Kitada, Kento; Lerchl, Kathrin; Dahlmann, Anke; Birukov, Anna; Daub, Steffen; Kopp, Christoph; Pedchenko, Tetyana; Zhang, Yahua; Beck, Luis; Johannes, Bernd; Marton, Adriana; Müller, Dominik N; Rauh, Manfred; Luft, Friedrich C; Titze, Jens

2017-05-01

The idea that increasing salt intake increases drinking and urine volume is widely accepted. We tested the hypothesis that an increase in salt intake of 6 g/d would change fluid balance in men living under ultra-long-term controlled conditions. Over the course of 2 separate space flight simulation studies of 105 and 205 days' duration, we exposed 10 healthy men to 3 salt intake levels (12, 9, or 6 g/d). All other nutrients were maintained constant. We studied the effect of salt-driven changes in mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid urinary excretion on day-to-day osmolyte and water balance. A 6-g/d increase in salt intake increased urine osmolyte excretion, but reduced free-water clearance, indicating endogenous free water accrual by urine concentration. The resulting endogenous water surplus reduced fluid intake at the 12-g/d salt intake level. Across all 3 levels of salt intake, half-weekly and weekly rhythmical mineralocorticoid release promoted free water reabsorption via the renal concentration mechanism. Mineralocorticoid-coupled increases in free water reabsorption were counterbalanced by rhythmical glucocorticoid release, with excretion of endogenous osmolyte and water surplus by relative urine dilution. A 6-g/d increase in salt intake decreased the level of rhythmical mineralocorticoid release and elevated rhythmical glucocorticoid release. The projected effect of salt-driven hormone rhythm modulation corresponded well with the measured decrease in water intake and an increase in urine volume with surplus osmolyte excretion. Humans regulate osmolyte and water balance by rhythmical mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid release, endogenous accrual of surplus body water, and precise surplus excretion. Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology/DLR; the Interdisciplinary Centre for Clinical Research; the NIH; the American Heart Association (AHA); the Renal Research Institute; and the TOYOBO Biotechnology Foundation. Food products were donated by APETITO

Konjac flour improved textural and water retention properties of transglutaminase-mediated, heat-induced porcine myofibrillar protein gel: Effect of salt level and transglutaminase incubation.

PubMed

Chin, Koo B; Go, Mi Y; Xiong, Youling L

2009-03-01

Functional properties of heat-induced gels prepared from microbial transglutaminase (TG)-treated porcine myofibrillar protein (MP) containing sodium caseinate with or without konjac flour (KF) under various salt concentrations (0.1, 0.3 and 0.6MNaCl) were evaluated. The mixed MP gels with KF exhibited improved cooking yields at all salt concentrations. TG treatment greatly enhanced gel strength and elasticity (storage modulus, G') at 0.6M NaCl, but not at lower salt concentrations. The combination of KF and TG improved the gel strength at 0.1 and 0.3M NaCl and G' at all salt concentrations, when compared with non-TG controls. Incubation of MP suspensions (sols) with TG promoted the disappearance of myosin heavy chain and the production of polymers. The TG-treated MP mixed gels had a compact structure, compared to those without TG, and the KF incorporation modified the gel matrix and increased its water-holding capacity. Results from differential scanning calorimetry suggested possible interactions of MP with KF, which may explain the changes in the microstructure of the heat-induced gels.

Thermal-gradient migration of brine inclusions in salt crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yagnik, S. K.

1982-09-01

High level nuclear waste disposal in a geologic repository was proposed. Natural salt deposits which are considered contain a small volume fraction of water in the form of brine inclusions distributed throughout the salt. Radioactive decay heating of the nuclear wastes will impose a temperature gradient on the surrounding salt which mobilizes the brine inclusions. Inclusions filled completely with brine migrate up the temperature gradient and eventually accumulate brine near the buried waste forms. The brine may slowly corrode or degrade the waste forms which is undesirable. In this work, thermal gradient migration of both all liquid and gas liquid inclusions was experimentally studied in synthetic single crystals of NaCl and KCl using a hot stage attachment to an optical microscope which was capable of imposing temperature gradients and axial compressive loads on the crystals. The migration velocities of the inclusion shape and size are discussed.

Effects of dietary salt restriction on renal progression and interstitial fibrosis in adriamycin nephrosis.

PubMed

Park, Joon-Sung; Kim, Sua; Jo, Chor Ho; Oh, Il Hwan; Kim, Gheun-Ho

2014-01-01

Although high salt intake is thought to accelerate renal progression in proteinuric kidney disease, it is not known whether strict dietary salt restriction could delay renal inflammation and interstitial fibrosis. Here, we sought to answer this question in a rat model of adriamycin-induced nephrotic syndrome. Adriamycin was administered via the femoral vein in a single bolus (7.5 mg/kg), and the rats were put on a sodium-deficient rodent diet. Rats with intact kidneys were studied for 5 weeks (experiment 1), and uninephrectomized rats were studied for 6 weeks (experiment 2). In experiment 1, restricting salt intake improved renal tubulointerstitial histopathology in adriamycin-treated rats. Immunohistochemical and immunoblot results additionally showed that restricting dietary salt lowered adriamycin-induced expression of osteopontin, collagen III, and fibronectin. In experiment 2, salt restriction improved adriamycin-induced azotemia, although it did not affect proteinuria or blood pressure. Dietary salt restriction also reduced adriamycin-induced infiltration of ED1-positive cells and the upregulated expression of osteopontin and α-SMA. Masson's trichrome and Sirius red staining revealed that salt restriction slowed Adriamycin-induced progression of renal interstitial fibrosis. Finally, qPCR revealed that adriamycin-induced expression of TNF-α, IκB-α, gp91(phox), p47(phox), and p67(phox) mRNA was blocked by salt restriction. Our findings demonstrate that strict dietary salt restriction delays the progress of renal inflammation and fibrosis in proteinuric kidney disease, most likely via relieving the reactive oxygen species-mediated NF-κB activation. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Protective effect of dietary potassium against cardiovascular damage in salt-sensitive hypertension: possible role of its antioxidant action.

PubMed

Ando, Katsuyuki; Matsui, Hiromitsu; Fujita, Megumi; Fujita, Toshiro

2010-01-01

It is well known that high salt intake induces hypertension and cardiovascular damage, while dietary potassium supplementation counteracts these harmful effects. Actually, the protective effect of potassium is strengthened with excess salt as compared with salt depletion. Although the precise mechanisms have not been fully elucidated, in our previous reports, the antihypertensive effect of dietary potassium was accompanied by sympathetic nerve inhibition in salt-sensitive hypertension. Also, potassium supplement suppressed salt-induced insulin resistance. These effects of dietary potassium can explain its cardio- and vasculo-protective action in addition to the potassium supplementation induced decreased salt-induced rise in blood pressure. On the other hand, salt-sensitive hypertension is associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction. Moreover, sympathoexcitation can be induced by central ROS upregulation and insulin resistance can be caused by ROS excess in the target organs of insulin, such as skeletal muscle. Conversely, the seemingly different actions of potassium can be explained by the antioxidant effect of dietary potassium; in our recent studies, potassium supplementation inhibits salt-induced progress of cardiac diastolic dysfunction and vascular neointima formation by cuff placement around arteries, associated with the inhibition of regional ROS overproduction, in salt-sensitive hypertension. Thus, it is possible that dietary potassium protects against salt-induced cardiovascular damage by the reduction of ROS generation and by central sympatholytic action and amelioration of insulin resistance induced through its antioxidant effect.

Rare Higgs three body decay induced by top-Higgs FCNC coupling in the littlest Higgs model with T-parity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Bing-Fang; Liu, Zhi-Yong; Liu, Ning

2017-04-01

Motivated by the search for flavor-changing neutral current (FCNC) top quark decays at the LHC, we calculate the rare Higgs three body decay H → Wbc induced by top-Higgs FCNC coupling in the littlest Higgs model with T-parity (LHT). We find that the branching ratio of H → Wbc in the LHT model can reach O(10-7) in the allowed parameter space. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (11305049, 11405047), Startup Foundation for Doctors of Henan Normal University (11112, qd15207) and Education Department Foundation of Henan Province(14A140010)

Plasma 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentration of Dahl salt-sensitive rats decreases during high salt intake

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thierry-Palmer, Myrtle; Tewolde, Teclemicael K.; Forte, Camille; Wang, Min; Bayorh, Mohamed A.; Emmett, Nerimiah L.; White, Jolanda; Griffin, Keri

2002-01-01

Dahl salt-sensitive rats, but not salt-resistant rats, develop hypertension in response to high salt intake. We have previously shown an inverse relationship between plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) concentration and blood pressure of Dahl salt-sensitive rats during high salt intake. In this study, we report on the relationship between high salt intake and plasma 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (24,25-(OH)(2)D) concentration of Dahl salt-sensitive and salt-resistant rats. Rats were fed a high salt diet (8%) and sacrificed at day 2, 7, 14, 21, and 28. Plasma 24,25-(OH)(2)D concentrations of salt-sensitive rats were reduced to 50% of that at baseline at day 2-when blood pressure and plasma 25-OHD concentration were unchanged, but 25-OHD content in the kidney was 81% of that at baseline. Plasma 24,25-(OH)(2)D concentration was reduced further to 10% of that at baseline from day 7 to 14 of high salt intake, a reduction that was prevented in rats switched to a low salt (0.3%) diet at day 7. Exogenous 24,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (24,25-(OH)(2)D(3)), administered at a level that increased plasma 24,25-(OH)(2)D concentration to five times normal, did not attenuate the salt-induced hypertension of salt-sensitive rats. Plasma 24,25-(OH)(2)D concentration of salt-resistant rats was gradually reduced to 50% of that at baseline at day 14 and returned to baseline value at day 28 of high salt intake. We conclude that the decrease in plasma 24,25-(OH)(2)D concentration in salt-sensitive rats during high salt intake is caused by decreased 25-OHD content in the kidney and also by another unidentified mechanism.

Decay patterns of brick wall in atmospheric environment: a possible analogue to rock weathering?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prikryl, Richard; Weishauptová, Zuzana; Přikrylová, Jiřina; Jablonský, Jakub

2015-04-01

This study is focused on the decay of bricks exposed in enclosing wall of the Regional maternal hospital in Prague city centre (Czech Republic). The hospital, listed as a Czech architectural monument, has been constructed from locally produced bricks in neo-Gothic style in the period of 1867-1875. The bricks of the enclosing wall show sequence of decay patterns that resemble weathering forms observable on monuments built of natural stone. This study aims to study the observed decay patterns by means of in situ mapping and by analyses of decayed material (optical microscopy, SEM/EDS, X-ray diffraction, Hg-porosimetry, water soluble salts analysis) and to interpret them based on the phase composition and other properties of bricks. Finally, the decay patterns of studied brick wall are compared to known weathering sequences on porous rocks (both on natural outcrops and on artistic monuments).

Trapping of hydrogen atoms in X-irradiated salts at room temperature and the decay kinetics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

May, C. E.; Philipp, W. H.; Marsik, S. J.

1974-01-01

The salts (hypophosphites, formates, a phosphite, a phosphate, and an oxalate) were X-irradiated, whereby hydrogen formed chemically by a radiolytic process becomes trapped in the solid. By room temperature vacuum extraction, the kinetics for the evolution of this trapped hydrogen was studied mass spectrometrically. All salts except two exhibited second-order kinetics. The two exceptions (NaH2PO2(H2O) and K2HPO4) showed first-order kinetics. Based on experimental results, the escape of hydrogen involves three steps: the diffusion of hydrogen atoms from the bulk to the surface, association of these atoms on the surface (rate controlling step for second-order hydrogen evolution), and the desorption of molecular hydrogen from the surface. The hydrogen does not escape if the irradiated salt is stored in air, apparently because adsorbed air molecules occupy surface sites required in the escape mechanism.

Catalysis of Dialanine Formation by Glycine in the Salt-Induced Peptide Formation Reaction.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suwannachot, Yuttana; Rode, Bernd M.

1998-02-01

Mutual catalysis of amino acids in the salt-induced peptide formation (SIPF) reaction is demonstrated for the case of glycine/alanine. The presence of glycine enhances dialanine formation by a factor up to 50 and enables dialanine formation at much lower alanine concentrations. The actual amounts of glycine play an important role for this catalytic effect, the optimal glycine concentration is 1/8 of the alanine concentration. The mechanism appears to be based on the formation of the intermediate Gly-Ala-Ala tripeptide, connected to one coordination site of copper(II) ion, and subsequent hydrolysis to dialanine and glycine.

Catalysis of dialanine formation by glycine in the salt-induced peptide formation reaction.

PubMed

Suwannachot, Y; Rode, B M

1998-02-01

Mutual catalysis of amino acids in the salt-induced peptide formation (SIPF) reaction is demonstrated for the case of glycine/alanine. The presence of glycine enhances dialanine formation by a factor up to 50 and enables dialanine formation at much lower alanine concentrations. The actual amounts of glycine play an important role for this catalytic effect, the optimal glycine concentration is 1/8 of the alanine concentration. The mechanism appears to be based on the formation of the intermediate Gly-Ala-Ala tripeptide, connected to one coordination site of copper(II) ion, and subsequent hydrolysis to dialanine and glycine.

OsNAC2 positively affects salt-induced cell death and binds to the OsAP37 and OsCOX11 promoters.

PubMed

Mao, Chanjuan; Ding, Jialin; Zhang, Bin; Xi, Dandan; Ming, Feng

2018-05-01

Plant development and adaptation to environmental stresses are intimately associated with programmed cell death (PCD). Although some of the mechanisms regulating PCD [e.g., accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)] are common among responses to different abiotic stresses, the pathways mediating salt-induced PCD remain largely uncharacterized. Here we report that overexpression of OsNAC2, which encodes a plant-specific transcription factor, promotes salt-induced cell death accompanied by the loss of plasma membrane integrity, nuclear DNA fragmentation, and changes to caspase-like activity. In OsNAC2-knockdown lines, cell death was markedly decreased in response to severe salt stress. Additionally, OsNAC2 expression was enhanced in rice seedlings exposed to a high NaCl concentration. Moreover, the results of quantitative real-time PCR, chromatin immunoprecipitation, dual-luciferase, and yeast one-hybrid assays indicated that OsNAC2 targeted genes that encoded an ROS scavenger (OsCOX11) and a caspase-like protease (OsAP37). Furthermore, K + -efflux channels (OsGORK and OsSKOR) were clearly activated by OsNAC2. Overall, our results suggested that OsNAC2 accelerates NaCl-induced PCD and provide new insights into the mechanisms that affect ROS accumulation, plant caspase-like activity, and K + efflux. © 2018 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Detection of fallout 241Am in U.S. Atlantic salt marsh soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyd, B. M.; Sommerfield, C. K.

2017-09-01

We report the presence of the fallout radionuclide 241Am (t1/2 = 433 years) in salt marsh soils from two U.S. Atlantic estuaries and discuss its utility as a particle tracer and geochronometer. This work is motivated by the knowledge that 137Cs, the most widely used geochronometer in environmental studies, will decay to extinction during the next century. At the same time, levels of 241Am, produced by radioactive decay of fallout 241Pu, will continue to increase on Earth's surface as they have since the height of atmospheric nuclear weapons testing in the 1960s. Measurements of 241Am in soils at eighteen salt marsh locations were made by non-destructive gamma spectrometry and compared to activities of 137Cs in the same samples. Results indicate that decay of fallout 241Pu can explain the presence of 241Am in the soils, and that the activities are sufficiently high to provide meaningful chronological information with acceptable confidence limits. We achieved a detection limit of 0.28-1.47 Bq kg-1 using low-energy, planar germanium detectors and 11-55 g powderized samples. Activities of 241Am (0.08-6.44 Bq kg-1) were similar in mineral- and organic-rich marsh soils indicating that soil composition does not appear to influence the initial capture of 241Pu and retention of its 241Am progeny. Given its high affinity for fine particles, long half-life, and ease of measurement by non-destructive gamma spectrometry, 241Am has potential to serve as an alternative to 137Cs geochronometry in salt marshes and perhaps other estuarine and coastal environments.

Protein diffusiophoresis and salt osmotic diffusion in aqueous solutions.

PubMed

Annunziata, Onofrio; Buzatu, Daniela; Albright, John G

2012-10-25

Diffusion of a solute can be induced by the concentration gradient of another solute in solution. This transport mechanism is known as cross-diffusion. We have investigated cross-diffusion in a ternary protein-salt-water system. Specifically, we measured the two cross-diffusion coefficients for the lysozyme-NaCl-water system at 25 °C and pH 4.5 as a function of protein and salt concentrations by Rayleigh interferometry. One cross-diffusion coefficient characterizes salt osmotic diffusion induced by a protein concentration gradient, and is related to protein-salt thermodynamic interactions as described by the theories of Donnan membrane equilibrium and protein preferential hydration. The other cross-diffusion coefficient characterizes protein diffusiophoresis induced by a salt concentration gradient, and is described as the difference between a preferential-interaction coefficient and a transport parameter. We first relate our experimental results to the protein net charge and the thermodynamic excess of water near the protein surface. We then extract the Stefan-Maxwell diffusion coefficient describing protein-salt interactions in water. We find that the value of this coefficient is negative, contrary to the friction interpretation of Stefan-Maxwell equations. This result is explained by considering protein hydration. Finally, protein diffusiophoresis is quantitatively examined by considering electrophoretic and hydration effects on protein migration and utilized to accurately estimate lysozyme electrophoretic mobility. To our knowledge, this is the first time that protein diffusiophoresis has been experimentally characterized and a protein-salt Stefan-Maxwell diffusion coefficient reported. This work represents a significant contribution for understanding and modeling the effect of concentration gradients in protein-salt aqueous systems relevant to diffusion-based mass-transfer technologies and transport in living systems.

Increased salt consumption induces body water conservation and decreases fluid intake

PubMed Central

Rakova, Natalia; Kitada, Kento; Lerchl, Kathrin; Dahlmann, Anke; Birukov, Anna; Daub, Steffen; Kopp, Christoph; Pedchenko, Tetyana; Zhang, Yahua; Beck, Luis; Marton, Adriana; Müller, Dominik N.; Rauh, Manfred; Luft, Friedrich C.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND. The idea that increasing salt intake increases drinking and urine volume is widely accepted. We tested the hypothesis that an increase in salt intake of 6 g/d would change fluid balance in men living under ultra-long-term controlled conditions. METHODS. Over the course of 2 separate space flight simulation studies of 105 and 205 days’ duration, we exposed 10 healthy men to 3 salt intake levels (12, 9, or 6 g/d). All other nutrients were maintained constant. We studied the effect of salt-driven changes in mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid urinary excretion on day-to-day osmolyte and water balance. RESULTS. A 6-g/d increase in salt intake increased urine osmolyte excretion, but reduced free-water clearance, indicating endogenous free water accrual by urine concentration. The resulting endogenous water surplus reduced fluid intake at the 12-g/d salt intake level. Across all 3 levels of salt intake, half-weekly and weekly rhythmical mineralocorticoid release promoted free water reabsorption via the renal concentration mechanism. Mineralocorticoid-coupled increases in free water reabsorption were counterbalanced by rhythmical glucocorticoid release, with excretion of endogenous osmolyte and water surplus by relative urine dilution. A 6-g/d increase in salt intake decreased the level of rhythmical mineralocorticoid release and elevated rhythmical glucocorticoid release. The projected effect of salt-driven hormone rhythm modulation corresponded well with the measured decrease in water intake and an increase in urine volume with surplus osmolyte excretion. CONCLUSION. Humans regulate osmolyte and water balance by rhythmical mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid release, endogenous accrual of surplus body water, and precise surplus excretion. FUNDING. Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology/DLR; the Interdisciplinary Centre for Clinical Research; the NIH; the American Heart Association (AHA); the Renal Research Institute; and the TOYOBO Biotechnology

Wheat TaSP gene improves salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Ma, Xiaoli; Cui, Weina; Liang, Wenji; Huang, Zhanjing

2015-12-01

A novel salt-induced gene with unknown functions was cloned through analysis of gene expression profile of a salt-tolerant wheat mutant RH8706-49 under salt stress. The gene was named Triticum aestivum salt-related protein (TaSP) and deposited in GenBank (Accession No. KF307326). Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) results showed that TaSP expression was induced under salt, abscisic acid (ABA), and polyethylene glycol (PEG) stresses. Subcellular localization revealed that TaSP was mainly localized in cell membrane. Overexpression of TaSP in Arabidopsis could improve salt tolerance of 35S::TaSP transgenic Arabidopsis. 35S::TaSP transgenic Arabidopsis lines after salt stress presented better physiological indexes than the control group. In the non-invasive micro-test (NMT), an evident Na(+) excretion was observed at the root tip of salt-stressed 35S::TaSP transgenic Arabidopsis. TaSP promoter was cloned, and its beta-glucuronidase (GUS) activities before and after ABA, salt, cold, heat, and salicylic acid (SA) stresses were determined. Full-length TaSP promoter contained ABA and salt response elements. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A cold-induced pectin methyl-esterase inhibitor gene contributes negatively to freezing tolerance but positively to salt tolerance in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Chen, Jian; Chen, Xuehui; Zhang, Qingfeng; Zhang, Yidan; Ou, Xiangli; An, Lizhe; Feng, Huyuan; Zhao, Zhiguang

2018-03-01

Plant pectin methyl-esterase (PME) and PME inhibitor (PMEI) belong to large gene families whose members are proposed to be widely involved in growth, development, and stress responses; however, the biological functions of most PMEs and PMEIs have not been characterized. In this study, we studied the roles of CbPMEI1, a cold-induced pectin methyl-esterase inhibitor (PMEI) gene from Chorispora bungeana, under freezing and salt stress. The putative CbPMEI1 peptide shares highest similarity (83%) with AT5G62360 (PMEI13) of Arabidopsis. Overexpression of either CbPMEI1 or PMEI13 in Arabidopsis decreased tissue PME activity and enhanced the degree of methoxylation of cell wall pectins, indicating that both genes encode functional PMEIs. CbPMEI1 and PMEI13 were induced by cold but repressed by salt stress and abscisic acid, suggesting distinct roles of the genes in freezing and salt stress tolerance. Interestingly, transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing CbPMEI1 or PMEI13 showed decreased freezing tolerance, as indicated by survival and electrolyte leakage assays. On the other hand, the salt tolerance of transgenic plants was increased, showing higher rates of germination, root growth, and survival under salinity conditions as compared with non-transgenic wild-type plants. Although the transgenic plants were freezing-sensitive, they showed longer roots than wild-type plants under cold conditions, suggesting a role of PMEs in balancing the trade-off between freezing tolerance and growth. Thus, our study indicates that CbPMEI1 and PMEI13 are involved in root growth regulation under cold and salt stresses, and suggests that PMEIs may be potential targets for genetic engineering aimed to improve fitness of plants under stress conditions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Layered-to-Rock-Salt Transformation in Desodiated Na xCrO 2 ( x 0.4)

DOE PAGES

Bo, Shou-Hang; Li, Xin; Toumar, Alexandra J.; ...

2016-02-01

O3 layered sodium transition metal oxides (i.e., NaMO 2, M = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) are a promising class of cathode materials for Na-ion battery applications. These materials, however, all suffer from severe capacity decay when the extraction of Na exceeds certain capacity limits. Understanding the causes of this capacity decay is critical to unlocking the potential of these materials for battery applications. In this work, we investigate the structural origins of capacity decay for one of the compounds in this class, NaCrO 2. The (de)sodiation processes of NaCrO 2 were studied both in situ and exmore » situ through X-ray and electron diffraction measurements. We demonstrate that Na xCrO 2 (0 < x < 1) remains in the layered structural framework without Cr migration up to a composition of Na 0.4CrO 2. Further removal of Na beyond this composition triggers a layered-to-rock-salt transformation, which converts P'3-Na 0.4CrO 2 into the rock-salt CrO 2 phase. This structural transformation proceeds via the formation of an intermediate O3 Na δCrO 2 phase that contains Cr in both Na and Cr slabs and shares very similar lattice dimensions with those of rock-salt CrO 2. It is intriguing to note that intercalation of alkaline ions (i.e., Na + and Li + ) into the rock-salt CrO 2 and O3 Na δCrO 2 structures is actually possible, albeit in a limited amount (~0.2 per formula unit). When these results were analyzed under the context of electrochemistry data, it was apparent that preventing the layered-to-rock-salt transformation is crucial to improve the cyclability of NaCrO 2. Possible strategies for mitigating this detrimental phase transition are proposed.« less

Penguin Decays of B Mesons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lingel, Karen; Skwarnicki, Tomasz; Smith, James G.

Penguin, or loop, decays of B mesons induce effective flavor-changing neutral currents, which are forbidden at tree level in the standard model. These decays give special insight into the CKM matrix and are sensitive to non-standard-model effects. In this review, we give a historical and theoretical introduction to penguins and a description of the various types of penguin processes: electromagnetic, electroweak, and gluonic. We review the experimental searches for penguin decays, including the measurements of the electromagnetic penguins b -> sgamma and B -> K*gamma and gluonic penguins B -> Kpi, B+ -> omegaK+ and B -> eta'K, and their implications for the standard model and new physics. We conclude by exploring the future prospects for penguin physics.

Rheological stratification of the Hormuz Salt Formation in Iran - microstructural study of the dirty and pure rock salts from the Kuh-e-Namak (Dashti) salt diapir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Závada, Prokop; Desbois, Guillaume; Urai, Janos; Schulmann, Karel; Rahmati, Mahmoud; Lexa, Ondrej; Wollenberg, Uwe

2014-05-01

Significant viscosity contrasts displayed in flow structures of a mountain namakier (Kuh-e-Namak - Dashti), between 'weak' terrestrial debris bearing rock salt types and 'strong' pure rock salt types are questioned for deformation mechanisms using detailed quantitative microstructural study including crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) mapping of halite grains. While the solid impurity rich ("dirty") rock salts contain disaggregated siltstone and dolomite interlayers, "clean" salts (debris free) reveal microscopic hematite and remnants of abundant fluid inclusions in non-recrystallized cores of porphyroclasts. Although flow in both, the recrystallized dirty and clean salt types is accommodated by combined mechanisms of pressure-solution creep (PS), grain boundary sliding (GBS) and dislocation creep accommodated grain boundary migration (GBM), their viscosity contrasts are explained by significantly slower rates of intergranular diffusion and piling up of dislocations at hematite inclusions in clean salt types. Porphyroclasts of clean salts deform by semi-brittle and plastic mechanisms with intra-crystalline damage being induced also by fluid inclusions that explode in the crystals at high fluid pressures. Boudins of clean salt types with coarse grained and original sedimentary microstructure suggest that clean rock salts are associated with dislocation creep dominated power law flow in the source layer and the diapiric stem. Rheological contrasts between both rock salt classes apply in general for the variegated and terrestrial debris rich ("dirty") Lower Hormuz and the "clean" rock salt forming the Upper Hormuz, respectively, and suggest that large strain rate gradients likely exist along horizons of mobilized salt types of different composition and microstructure.

Time-Resolved Fluorescence of Water-Soluble Pyridinium Salt: Sensitive Detection of the Conformational Changes of Bovine Serum Albumin.

PubMed

Li, Lei; Yi, Hua; Jia, Menghui; Chang, Mengfang; Zhou, Zhongneng; Zhang, Sanjun; Pan, Haifeng; Chen, Yan; Chen, Jinquan; Xu, Jianhua

2016-06-20

In this paper, we report a pyridinium salt "turn-on" fluorescent probe, 4-[2-(4-Dimethylamino-phenyl)-vinyl]-1-methylpyridinium iodide (p-DASPMI), and applied its time-resolved fluorescence (TRF) to monitor the protein conformational changes. Both the fluorescence lifetime and quantum yield (QY) of p-DASPMI were increased about two orders of magnitude after binding to the protein bovine serum albumin (BSA). The free p-DASPMI in solution presents an ultrashort fluorescence lifetime (12.4 ps), thus it does not interfere the detection of bound p-DASPMI which has nanosecond fluorescence lifetime. Decay-associated spectra (DAS) show that p-DASPMI molecules bind to subdomains IIA and IIIA of BSA. The TRF decay profiles of p-DASPMI can be described by multi-exponential decay function ([Formula: see text]), and the obtained parameters, such as lifetimes ([Formula: see text]), fractional amplitudes ([Formula: see text]), and fractional intensities ([Formula: see text]), may be used to deduce the conformational changes of BSA. The pH and Cu 2+ induced conformational changes of BSA were investigated through the TRF of p-DASPMI. The results show that the p-DASPMI is a candidate fluorescent probe in studying the conformational changes of proteins through TRF spectroscopy and microscopy in the visible range. © The Author(s) 2016.

Physiological responses to salt stress of salt-adapted and directly salt (NaCl and NaCl+Na2SO4 mixture)-stressed cyanobacterium Anabaena fertilissima.

PubMed

Swapnil, Prashant; Rai, Ashwani K

2018-05-01

Soil salinity in nature is generally mixed type; however, most of the studies on salt toxicity are performed with NaCl and little is known about sulfur type of salinity (Na 2 SO 4 ). Present study discerns the physiologic mechanisms responsible for salt tolerance in salt-adapted Anabaena fertilissima, and responses of directly stressed parent cells to NaCl and NaCl+Na 2 SO 4 mixture. NaCl at 500 mM was lethal to the cyanobacterium, whereas salt-adapted cells grew luxuriantly. Salinity impaired gross photosynthesis, electron transport activities, and respiration in parent cells, but not in the salt-adapted cells, except a marginal increase in PSI activity. Despite higher Na + concentration in the salt mixture, equimolar NaCl appeared more inhibitive to growth. Sucrose and trehalose content and antioxidant activities were maximal in 250 mM NaCl-treated cells, followed by salt mixture and was almost identical in salt-adapted (exposed to 500 mm NaCl) and control cells, except a marginal increase in ascorbate peroxidase activity and an additional fourth superoxide dismutase isoform. Catalase isoform of 63 kDa was induced only in salt-stressed cells. Salinity increased the uptake of intracellular Na + and Ca 2+ and leakage of K + in parent cells, while cation level in salt-adapted cells was comparable to control. Though there was differential increase in intracellular Ca 2+ under different salt treatments, ratio of Ca 2+ /Na + remained the same. It is inferred that stepwise increment in the salt concentration enabled the cyanobacterium to undergo priming effect and acquire robust and efficient defense system involving the least energy.

Inefficacy of osmotic backwash induced by sodium chloride salt solution in controlling SWRO membrane fouling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farooque, A. Mohammed; Al-Jeshi, Subhi; Saeed, Mohamed O.; Alreweli, Ali

2014-12-01

A study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of osmotic backwash induced by high salt (NaCl) concentration solution on feed side of seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) membranes, online and offline, in controlling membrane fouling and therefore minimizing/eliminating the need for chemical cleaning. SWRO membranes were deliberately fouled by feeding seawater from an open intake located on the Arabian Gulf Coast without dosing chemicals. The fouled membranes were subjected to offline cleaning with the salt solution of up to 25 % concentration. Despite the partial removal of foulants from the membrane surface, SWRO membrane performance could not be restored, indicating the ineffectiveness of osmotic backwash in aiding offline salt cleaning. Similarly, online osmotic backwash was found to be not only ineffective in removing foulants from membrane surfaces but actually increased the fouling rate, as indicated by faster fouling rates compared to other cases. Although the driving force required for the osmotic backwash existed, the generated back flow proved to be insufficient to detach foulants from membrane surfaces. During the study period, the average SWRO membrane flux was maintained between 19 and 23 LMH, whereas the average generated back flow flux by high salt concentration solution was only 11 LMH, which was not adequate to remove foulants from membrane surfaces. Moreover, it seems that the membrane configuration as well as inherent microstructure of SWRO membrane places certain constraints on the osmotic backwash process and renders osmotic backwash ineffective in tackling SWRO membrane fouling. Hence, chemical cleaning is essential to restore SWRO membrane performance whenever fouling occurs, and the use of highly concentrated salt solution does not have any significant benefit. Membrane autopsy revealed only an insignificant accumulation of biofouling layer despite the absence of disinfection. However, it was shown that culturable biofilm bacteria species

Reconsolidated Salt as a Geotechnical Barrier

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hansen, Francis D.; Gadbury, Casey

Salt as a geologic medium has several attributes favorable to long-term isolation of waste placed in mined openings. Salt formations are largely impermeable and induced fractures heal as stress returns to equilibrium. Permanent isolation also depends upon the ability to construct geotechnical barriers that achieve nearly the same high-performance characteristics attributed to the native salt formation. Salt repository seal concepts often include elements of reconstituted granular salt. As a specific case in point, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant recently received regulatory approval to change the disposal panel closure design from an engineered barrier constructed of a salt-based concrete to onemore » that employs simple run-of-mine salt and temporary bulkheads for isolation from ventilation. The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant is a radioactive waste disposal repository for defense-related transuranic elements mined from the Permian evaporite salt beds in southeast New Mexico. Its approved shaft seal design incorporates barrier components comprising salt-based concrete, bentonite, and substantial depths of crushed salt compacted to enhance reconsolidation. This paper will focus on crushed salt behavior when applied as drift closures to isolate disposal rooms during operations. Scientific aspects of salt reconsolidation have been studied extensively. The technical basis for geotechnical barrier performance has been strengthened by recent experimental findings and analogue comparisons. The panel closure change was accompanied by recognition that granular salt will return to a physical state similar to the halite surrounding it. Use of run-of-mine salt ensures physical and chemical compatibility with the repository environment and simplifies ongoing disposal operations. Our current knowledge and expected outcome of research can be assimilated with lessons learned to put forward designs and operational concepts for the next generation of salt repositories. Mined salt

Numerical study of cold filling and tube deformation in the molten salt receiver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Tingting; Zhang, Gongchen; Peniguel, Christophe; Liao, Zhirong; Li, Xin; Lu, Jiahui; Wang, Zhifeng

2017-06-01

Molten salt tube cold filling is one way to accelerate the startup of molten salt Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant. This practical operation may induce salt solidification and large thermal stress due to tube's large temperature difference. This paper presents the cold filling study and the induced thermal stress quantitatively through simulation approaches. Physical mechanisms and safe working criteria are identified under certain conditions.

Salt stress induces changes in the proteomic profile of micropropagated sugarcane shoots

PubMed Central

Reis, Ricardo S.; Heringer, Angelo S.; Rangel, Patricia L.; Santa-Catarina, Claudete; Grativol, Clícia; Veiga, Carlos F. M.; Souza-Filho, Gonçalo A.

2017-01-01

Salt stress is one of the most common stresses in agricultural regions worldwide. In particular, sugarcane is affected by salt stress conditions, and no sugarcane cultivar presently show high productivity accompanied by a tolerance to salt stress. Proteomic analysis allows elucidation of the important pathways involved in responses to various abiotic stresses at the biochemical and molecular levels. Thus, this study aimed to analyse the proteomic effects of salt stress in micropropagated shoots of two sugarcane cultivars (CB38-22 and RB855536) using a label-free proteomic approach. The mass spectrometry proteomics data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD006075. The RB855536 cultivar is more tolerant to salt stress than CB38-22. A quantitative label-free shotgun proteomic analysis identified 1172 non-redundant proteins, and 1160 of these were observed in both cultivars in the presence or absence of NaCl. Compared with CB38-22, the RB855536 cultivar showed a greater abundance of proteins involved in non-enzymatic antioxidant mechanisms, ion transport, and photosynthesis. Some proteins, such as calcium-dependent protein kinase, photosystem I, phospholipase D, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, were more abundant in the RB855536 cultivar under salt stress. Our results provide new insights into the response of sugarcane to salt stress, and the changes in the abundance of these proteins might be important for the acquisition of ionic and osmotic homeostasis during exposure to salt stress. PMID:28419154

Pearson’s correlations between moisture content, drip loss, expressible fluid and salt-induced water gain of broiler pectoralis major muscle

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Moisture content, drip loss, expressible fluid, and % salt-induced water gain are widely used to estimate water states and water-holding capacity of raw meat. However, the relationships between these four measurements of broiler pectoralis (p.) major muscle describe are not well described. The objec...

Salt inactivates endothelial nitric oxide synthase in endothelial cells.

PubMed

Li, Juan; White, James; Guo, Ling; Zhao, Xiaomin; Wang, Jiafu; Smart, Eric J; Li, Xiang-An

2009-03-01

There is a 1-4 mmol/L rise in plasma sodium concentrations in individuals with high salt intake and in patients with essential hypertension. In this study, we used 3 independent assays to determine whether such a small increase in sodium concentrations per se alters endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) function and contributes to hypertension. By directly measuring NOS activity in living bovine aortic endothelial cells, we demonstrated that a 5-mmol/L increase in salt concentration (from 137 to 142 mmol/L) caused a 25% decrease in NOS activity. Importantly, the decrease in NOS activity was in a salt concentration-dependent manner. The NOS activity was decreased by 25, 45, and 70%, with the increase of 5, 10, and 20 mmol/L of NaCl, respectively. Using Chinese hamster ovary cells stably expressing eNOS, we confirmed the inhibitory effects of salt on eNOS activity. The eNOS activity was unaffected in the presence of equal milliosmol of mannitol, which excludes an osmotic effect. Using an ex vivo aortic angiogenesis assay, we demonstrated that salt attenuated the nitric oxide (NO)-dependent proliferation of endothelial cells. By directly monitoring blood pressure changes in response to salt infusion, we found that in vivo infusion of salt induced an acute increase in blood pressure in a salt concentration-dependent manner. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that eNOS is sensitive to changes in salt concentration. A 5-mmol/L rise in salt concentration, within the range observed in essential hypertension patients or in individuals with high salt intake, could significantly suppress eNOS activity. This salt-induced reduction in NO generation in endothelial cells may contribute to the development of hypertension.

Replacement of salt by a novel potassium- and magnesium-enriched salt alternative improves the cardiovascular effects of ramipril.

PubMed Central

Mervaala, E. M.; Paakkari, I.; Laakso, J.; Nevala, R.; Teräväinen, T. M.; Fyhrquist, F.; Vapaatalo, H.; Karppanen, H.

1994-01-01

1. The influence of salt (sodium chloride; NaCl) (an additional 6% in the diet) and that of a novel sodium-reduced, potassium-, magnesium-, and L-lysine-enriched salt alternative on the cardiovascular effects of ramipril was studied in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats in a 6-week study. The intake of sodium chloride was adjusted to the same level by adding the salt alternative at a 1.75 times higher amount than regular salt. 2. Salt produced a marked rise in blood pressure and induced cardiac hypertrophy and significant mortality, while the salt alternative neither increased blood pressure nor caused any mortality and produced less cardiac hypertrophy than salt. 3. Ramipril treatment at a daily dose of 3 mg kg-1 normalized blood pressure and prevented the development of cardiac hypertrophy of rats on control diet. These effects of ramipril were blocked by the addition of salt but were only slightly attenuated by the addition of the salt alternative. The mortality in the salt group was prevented by ramipril. 4. Responses of mesenteric arterial rings in vitro were examined at the end of the study. Salt, but not the salt alternative, increased vascular contractile responses to noradrenaline. Ramipril treatment improved the arterial relaxation responses to acetylcholine and to sodium nitroprusside. The vascular relaxation enhancing effect of ramipril was blocked by salt but only slightly attenuated by the salt alternative. 5. Ramipril treatment did not significantly increase plasma renin activity in the presence or in the absence of salt supplementation. The salt alternative did not cause hyperkalaemia, either alone or in combination with ramipril treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) PMID:8032605

Ionomic and metabolic responses to neutral salt or alkaline salt stresses in maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings.

PubMed

Guo, Rui; Shi, LianXuan; Yan, Changrong; Zhong, Xiuli; Gu, FengXue; Liu, Qi; Xia, Xu; Li, Haoru

2017-02-10

Soil salinity and alkalinity present a serious threat to global agriculture. However, most of the studies have focused on neutral salt stress, and the information on the metabolic responses of plants to alkaline salt stress is limited. This investigation aimed at determining the influence of neutral salt and alkaline salt stresses on the content of metal elements and metabolites in maize plant tissues, by using mixtures of various proportions of NaCl, NaHCO 3 , Na 2 SO 4 , and Na 2 CO 3 . We found that alkaline salt stress suppressed more pronouncedly the photosynthesis and growth of maize plants than salinity stress. Under alkaline salt stress conditions, metal ions formed massive precipitates, which ultimately reduced plant nutrient availability. On the other hand, high neutral salt stress induced metabolic changes in the direction of gluconeogenesis leading to the enhanced formation of sugars as a reaction contributing to the mitigation of osmotic stress. Thus, the active synthesis of sugars in shoots was essential to the development of salt tolerance. However, the alkaline salt stress conditions characterized by elevated pH values suppressed substantially the levels of photosynthesis, N metabolism, glycolysis, and the production of sugars and amino acids. These results indicate the presence of different defensive mechanisms responsible for the plant responses to neutral salt and alkaline salt stresses. In addition, the increased concentration of organic acids and enhanced metabolic energy might be potential major factors that can contribute to the maintenance intracellular ion balance in maize plants and counteract the negative effects of high pH under alkaline salt stress.

Decay of motor memories in the absence of error

PubMed Central

Vaswani, Pavan A.; Shadmehr, Reza

2013-01-01

When motor commands are accompanied by an unexpected outcome, the resulting error induces changes in subsequent commands. However, when errors are artificially eliminated, changes in motor commands are not sustained, but show decay. Why does the adaptation-induced change in motor output decay in the absence of error? A prominent idea is that decay reflects the stability of the memory. We show results that challenge this idea and instead suggest that motor output decays because the brain actively disengages a component of the memory. Humans adapted their reaching movements to a perturbation and were then introduced to a long period of trials in which errors were absent (error-clamp). We found that, in some subjects, motor output did not decay at the onset of the error-clamp block, but a few trials later. We manipulated the kinematics of movements in the error-clamp block and found that as movements became more similar to subjects’ natural movements in the perturbation block, the lag to decay onset became longer and eventually reached hundreds of trials. Furthermore, when there was decay in the motor output, the endpoint of decay was not zero, but a fraction of the motor memory that was last acquired. Therefore, adaptation to a perturbation installed two distinct kinds of memories: one that was disengaged when the brain detected a change in the task, and one that persisted despite it. Motor memories showed little decay in the absence of error if the brain was prevented from detecting a change in task conditions. PMID:23637163

High salt reduces the activation of IL-4- and IL-13-stimulated macrophages.

PubMed

Binger, Katrina J; Gebhardt, Matthias; Heinig, Matthias; Rintisch, Carola; Schroeder, Agnes; Neuhofer, Wolfgang; Hilgers, Karl; Manzel, Arndt; Schwartz, Christian; Kleinewietfeld, Markus; Voelkl, Jakob; Schatz, Valentin; Linker, Ralf A; Lang, Florian; Voehringer, David; Wright, Mark D; Hubner, Norbert; Dechend, Ralf; Jantsch, Jonathan; Titze, Jens; Müller, Dominik N

2015-11-02

A high intake of dietary salt (NaCl) has been implicated in the development of hypertension, chronic inflammation, and autoimmune diseases. We have recently shown that salt has a proinflammatory effect and boosts the activation of Th17 cells and the activation of classical, LPS-induced macrophages (M1). Here, we examined how the activation of alternative (M2) macrophages is affected by salt. In stark contrast to Th17 cells and M1 macrophages, high salt blunted the alternative activation of BM-derived mouse macrophages stimulated with IL-4 and IL-13, M(IL-4+IL-13) macrophages. Salt-induced reduction of M(IL-4+IL-13) activation was not associated with increased polarization toward a proinflammatory M1 phenotype. In vitro, high salt decreased the ability of M(IL-4+IL-13) macrophages to suppress effector T cell proliferation. Moreover, mice fed a high salt diet exhibited reduced M2 activation following chitin injection and delayed wound healing compared with control animals. We further identified a high salt-induced reduction in glycolysis and mitochondrial metabolic output, coupled with blunted AKT and mTOR signaling, which indicates a mechanism by which NaCl inhibits full M2 macrophage activation. Collectively, this study provides evidence that high salt reduces noninflammatory innate immune cell activation and may thus lead to an overall imbalance in immune homeostasis.

Optimizing a readout protocol for low dose retrospective OSL-dosimetry using household salt.

PubMed

Christiansson, Maria; Mattsson, Sören; Bernhardsson, Christian; Rääf, Christopher L

2012-06-01

The authors' aim has been to find a single aliquot regenerative dose (SAR) protocol that accurately recovers an unknown absorbed dose in the region between 1-250 mGy in household salt. The main investigation has been conducted on a specific mine salt (>98.5% NaCl) intended for household use, using optical stimulation by blue LED (λ = 462 nm). The most accurate dose recovery for this brand of salt is found to be achieved when using Peak Signal Summing (PSS) of the OSL-decay and a preheat temperature of 200°C after the test dose. A SAR protocol for the household salt with preset values of regenerative doses (R1--R5) and a test dose (TED) of 17 mGy is also suggested here. Under laboratory conditions, the suggested protocol recovers unknown absorbed doses in this particular brand within 5% (2 SD) in the dose range between 1-250 mGy. This is a very promising result for low dose applications of household salt as a retrospective dosimeter after a nuclear or radiological event.

Evolution of arched roofs in salt caves: Role of gravity-induced stress and relative air humidity and temperature changes (Zagros Mts., Iran)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruthans, Jiri; Filippi, Michal; Zare, Mohammad

2016-04-01

In salt caves in the halite karst in SE Iran the disintegration of rock salt into individual grains can be observed. Highly disintegrated blocks and individual grains form a major volume of debris in many caves on islands in the Persian Gulf. Larger cave rooms have often perfectly arched roof. The perfect geometry of rooms and interlocking of salt grains indicate that evolution of room cross-sections in these caves is controlled by feedback between gravity-induced stress and rock salt disintegration in similar way as in evolution of sandstone landforms (Bruthans et al. 2014). Those portions of rock salt, which are under compressional stress, disintegrate much slower than portions under tensile stress. Important question is the kind of weathering mechanism responsible for intergranular disintegration of rock salt. The relationship between disintegration, its rate and cave climate was studied. Clearly the fastest disintegration rate was found in caves with strong air circulation (i.e, short caves with large cross-sections, open on both ends). Temperature and air humidity changes are considerable in these caves. On the other hand the disintegration is very slow in the inner parts of long caves with slow air circulation or caves with one entrance. The best example of such caves is the inner part of 3N Cave on Namakdan salt diapir with nearly no air circulation and stable temperature and humidity, where disintegration of rock salt into grains is missing. Strong effect of cave climate on disintegration rate can be explained by deliquescence properties of halite. Halite is absorbing air moisture forming NaCl solution if relative humidity (RH) exceeds 75 % (at 20-30 oC). In the Persian Gulf region the RH of the air is passing the 75 % threshold in case of 91% days (Qeshm Island, years 2002-2005), while in mountainous areas in mainland this threshold is less commonly reached. In most of nights (91 %) in Persian Gulf the air with RH >75 % is entering the salt caves and air

Mechanism of How Salt-Gradient-Induced Charges Affect the Translocation of DNA Molecules through a Nanopore

PubMed Central

He, Yuhui; Tsutsui, Makusu; Scheicher, Ralph H.; Fan, Chun; Taniguchi, Masateru; Kawai, Tomoji

2013-01-01

Experiments using nanopores demonstrated that a salt gradient enhances the capture rate of DNA and reduces its translocation speed. These two effects can help to enable electrical DNA sequencing with nanopores. Here, we provide a quantitative theoretical evaluation that shows the positive net charges, which accumulate around the pore entrance due to the salt gradient, are responsible for the two observed effects: they reinforce the electric capture field, resulting in promoted molecule capture rate; and they induce cationic electroosmotic flow through the nanopore, thus significantly retarding the motion of the anionic DNA through the nanopore. Our multiphysical simulation results show that, during the polymer trapping stage, the former effect plays the major role, thus resulting in promoted DNA capture rate, while during the nanopore-penetrating stage the latter effect dominates and consequently reduces the DNA translocation speed significantly. Quantitative agreement with experimental results has been reached by further taking nanopore wall surface charges into account. PMID:23931325

Molten salt extraction of transuranic and reactive fission products from used uranium oxide fuel

DOEpatents

Herrmann, Steven Douglas

2014-05-27

Used uranium oxide fuel is detoxified by extracting transuranic and reactive fission products into molten salt. By contacting declad and crushed used uranium oxide fuel with a molten halide salt containing a minor fraction of the respective uranium trihalide, transuranic and reactive fission products partition from the fuel to the molten salt phase, while uranium oxide and non-reactive, or noble metal, fission products remain in an insoluble solid phase. The salt is then separated from the fuel via draining and distillation. By this method, the bulk of the decay heat, fission poisoning capacity, and radiotoxicity are removed from the used fuel. The remaining radioactivity from the noble metal fission products in the detoxified fuel is primarily limited to soft beta emitters. The extracted transuranic and reactive fission products are amenable to existing technologies for group uranium/transuranic product recovery and fission product immobilization in engineered waste forms.

Self-Healing Characteristics of Damaged Rock Salt under Different Healing Conditions

PubMed Central

Chen, Jie; Ren, Song; Yang, Chunhe; Jiang, Deyi; Li, Lin

2013-01-01

Salt deposits are commonly regarded as ideal hosts for geologic energy reservoirs. Underground cavern construction-induced damage in salt is reduced by self-healing. Thus, studying the influencing factors on such healing processes is important. This research uses ultrasonic technology to monitor the longitudinal wave velocity variations of stress-damaged rock salts during self-recovery experiments under different recovery conditions. The influences of stress-induced initial damage, temperature, humidity, and oil on the self-recovery of damaged rock salts are analyzed. The wave velocity values of the damaged rock salts increase rapidly during the first 200 h of recovery, and the values gradually increase toward stabilization after 600 h. The recovery of damaged rock salts is subjected to higher initial damage stress. Water is important in damage recovery. The increase in temperature improves damage recovery when water is abundant, but hinders recovery when water evaporates. The presence of residual hydraulic oil blocks the inter-granular role of water and restrains the recovery under triaxial compression. The results indicate that rock salt damage recovery is related to the damage degree, pore pressure, temperature, humidity, and presence of oil due to the sealing integrity of the jacket material. PMID:28811444

Self-Healing Characteristics of Damaged Rock Salt under Different Healing Conditions.

PubMed

Chen, Jie; Ren, Song; Yang, Chunhe; Jiang, Deyi; Li, Lin

2013-08-12

Salt deposits are commonly regarded as ideal hosts for geologic energy reservoirs. Underground cavern construction-induced damage in salt is reduced by self-healing. Thus, studying the influencing factors on such healing processes is important. This research uses ultrasonic technology to monitor the longitudinal wave velocity variations of stress-damaged rock salts during self-recovery experiments under different recovery conditions. The influences of stress-induced initial damage, temperature, humidity, and oil on the self-recovery of damaged rock salts are analyzed. The wave velocity values of the damaged rock salts increase rapidly during the first 200 h of recovery, and the values gradually increase toward stabilization after 600 h. The recovery of damaged rock salts is subjected to higher initial damage stress. Water is important in damage recovery. The increase in temperature improves damage recovery when water is abundant, but hinders recovery when water evaporates. The presence of residual hydraulic oil blocks the inter-granular role of water and restrains the recovery under triaxial compression. The results indicate that rock salt damage recovery is related to the damage degree, pore pressure, temperature, humidity, and presence of oil due to the sealing integrity of the jacket material.

Neuroprotective and antioxidant activities of bamboo salt soy sauce against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in rat cortical neurons.

PubMed

Jeong, Jong Hee; Noh, Min-Young; Choi, Jae-Hyeok; Lee, Haiwon; Kim, Seung Hyun

2016-04-01

Bamboo salt (BS) and soy sauce (SS) are traditional foods in Asia, which contain antioxidants that have cytoprotective effects on the body. The majority of SS products contain high levels of common salt, consumption of which has been associated with numerous detrimental effects on the body. However, BS may be considered a healthier substitute to common salt. The present study hypothesized that SS made from BS, known as bamboo salt soy sauce (BSSS), may possess enhanced cytoprotective properties; this was evaluated using a hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 )-induced neuronal cell death rat model. Rat neuronal cells were pretreated with various concentrations (0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1 and 10%) of BSSS, traditional soy sauce (TRSS) and brewed soy sauce (BRSS), and were subsequently exposed to H 2 O 2 (100 µM). The viability of neuronal cells, and the occurrence of DNA fragmentation, was subsequently examined. Pretreatment of neuronal cells with TRSS and BRSS reduced cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas neuronal cells pretreated with BSSS exhibited increased cell viability, as compared with non-treated neuronal cells. Furthermore, neuronal cells pretreated with 0.01% BSSS exhibited the greatest increase in viability. Exposure of neuronal cells to H 2 O 2 significantly increased the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), B-cell lymphoma 2-associated X protein, poly (ADP-ribose), cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, cytochrome c , apoptosis-inducing factor, cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3, in all cases. Pretreatment of neuronal cells with BSSS significantly reduced the levels of ROS generated by H 2 O 2 , and increased the levels of phosphorylated AKT and phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase-3β. Furthermore, the observed effects of BSSS could be blocked by administration of 10 µM LY294002, a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor. The results of the present study suggested that BSSS may exert positive neuroprotective effects against H 2 O 2

Dietary Salt Exacerbates Isoproterenol-induced Cardiomyopathy in Rats

EPA Science Inventory

Spontaneously Hypertensive Heart Failure rats (SHHFs) take far longer to develop compensated heart failure and congestive decompensation than common surgical models of heart failure. Isoproterenol (ISO) infusion can accelerate cardiomyopathy in young SHHFs, while dietary salt loa...

Field induced spontaneous quasiparticle decay and renormalization of quasiparticle dispersion in a quantum antiferromagnet

DOE PAGES

Hong, Tao; Qiu, Y.; Matsumoto, M.; ...

2017-05-05

The notion of a quasiparticle, such as a phonon, a roton or a magnon, is used in modern condensed matter physics to describe an elementary collective excitation. The intrinsic zero-temperature magnon damping in quantum spin systems can be driven by the interaction of the one-magnon states and multi-magnon continuum. However, detailed experimental studies on this quantum many-body effect induced by an applied magnetic field are rare. Here we present a high-resolution neutron scattering study in high fields on an S=1/2 antiferromagnet C 9H 18N 2CuBr 4. Finally, compared with the non-interacting linear spin–wave theory, our results demonstrate a variety ofmore » phenomena including field-induced renormalization of one-magnon dispersion, spontaneous magnon decay observed via intrinsic linewidth broadening, unusual non-Lorentzian two-peak structure in the excitation spectra and a dramatic shift of spectral weight from one-magnon state to the two-magnon continuum.« less

Field induced spontaneous quasiparticle decay and renormalization of quasiparticle dispersion in a quantum antiferromagnet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Tao; Qiu, Y.; Matsumoto, M.; Tennant, D. A.; Coester, K.; Schmidt, K. P.; Awwadi, F. F.; Turnbull, M. M.; Agrawal, H.; Chernyshev, A. L.

2017-05-01

The notion of a quasiparticle, such as a phonon, a roton or a magnon, is used in modern condensed matter physics to describe an elementary collective excitation. The intrinsic zero-temperature magnon damping in quantum spin systems can be driven by the interaction of the one-magnon states and multi-magnon continuum. However, detailed experimental studies on this quantum many-body effect induced by an applied magnetic field are rare. Here we present a high-resolution neutron scattering study in high fields on an S=1/2 antiferromagnet C9H18N2CuBr4. Compared with the non-interacting linear spin-wave theory, our results demonstrate a variety of phenomena including field-induced renormalization of one-magnon dispersion, spontaneous magnon decay observed via intrinsic linewidth broadening, unusual non-Lorentzian two-peak structure in the excitation spectra and a dramatic shift of spectral weight from one-magnon state to the two-magnon continuum.

Field induced spontaneous quasiparticle decay and renormalization of quasiparticle dispersion in a quantum antiferromagnet

PubMed Central

Hong, Tao; Qiu, Y.; Matsumoto, M.; Tennant, D. A.; Coester, K.; Schmidt, K. P.; Awwadi, F. F.; Turnbull, M. M.; Agrawal, H.; Chernyshev, A. L.

2017-01-01

The notion of a quasiparticle, such as a phonon, a roton or a magnon, is used in modern condensed matter physics to describe an elementary collective excitation. The intrinsic zero-temperature magnon damping in quantum spin systems can be driven by the interaction of the one-magnon states and multi-magnon continuum. However, detailed experimental studies on this quantum many-body effect induced by an applied magnetic field are rare. Here we present a high-resolution neutron scattering study in high fields on an S=1/2 antiferromagnet C9H18N2CuBr4. Compared with the non-interacting linear spin–wave theory, our results demonstrate a variety of phenomena including field-induced renormalization of one-magnon dispersion, spontaneous magnon decay observed via intrinsic linewidth broadening, unusual non-Lorentzian two-peak structure in the excitation spectra and a dramatic shift of spectral weight from one-magnon state to the two-magnon continuum. PMID:28474679

Field induced spontaneous quasiparticle decay and renormalization of quasiparticle dispersion in a quantum antiferromagnet.

PubMed

Hong, Tao; Qiu, Y; Matsumoto, M; Tennant, D A; Coester, K; Schmidt, K P; Awwadi, F F; Turnbull, M M; Agrawal, H; Chernyshev, A L

2017-05-05

The notion of a quasiparticle, such as a phonon, a roton or a magnon, is used in modern condensed matter physics to describe an elementary collective excitation. The intrinsic zero-temperature magnon damping in quantum spin systems can be driven by the interaction of the one-magnon states and multi-magnon continuum. However, detailed experimental studies on this quantum many-body effect induced by an applied magnetic field are rare. Here we present a high-resolution neutron scattering study in high fields on an S=1/2 antiferromagnet C 9 H 18 N 2 CuBr 4 . Compared with the non-interacting linear spin-wave theory, our results demonstrate a variety of phenomena including field-induced renormalization of one-magnon dispersion, spontaneous magnon decay observed via intrinsic linewidth broadening, unusual non-Lorentzian two-peak structure in the excitation spectra and a dramatic shift of spectral weight from one-magnon state to the two-magnon continuum.

Does salt have a permissive role in the induction of puberty?

PubMed Central

Pitynski, Dori; Flynn, Francis W.; Skinner, Donal C.

2017-01-01

Puberty is starting earlier than ever before and there are serious physiological and sociological implications as a result of this development. Current research has focused on the potential role of high caloric, and commensurate high adiposity, contributions to early puberty. However, girls with normal BMI also appear to be initiating puberty earlier. Westernized diets, in addition to being high in fat and sugar, are also high in salt. To date, no research has investigated a link between elevated salt and the reproductive axis. We hypothesize that a high salt diet can result in an earlier onset of puberty through three mechanisms that are not mutually exclusive. (1) High salt activates neurokinin B, a hormone that is involved in both the reproductive axis and salt regulation, and this induces kisspeptin release and ultimate activation of the reproductive axis. (2) Vasopressin released in response to high salt acts on vasopressin receptors expressed on kisspeptin neurons in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus, thereby stimulating gonadotropin releasing hormone and subsequently luteinizing hormone secretion. (3) Salt induces metabolic changes that affect the reproductive axis. Specifically, salt acts indirectly to modulate adiposity, ties in with the obesity epidemic, and further compounds the pathologic effects of obesity. Our overall hypothesis offers an additional cause behind the induction of puberty and provides testable postulates to determine the mechanism of potential salt-mediated affects on puberty. PMID:26190310

Salt Inactivates Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase in Endothelial Cells12

PubMed Central

Li, Juan; White, James; Guo, Ling; Zhao, Xiaomin; Wang, Jiafu; Smart, Eric J.; Li, Xiang-An

2009-01-01

There is a 1–4 mmol/L rise in plasma sodium concentrations in individuals with high salt intake and in patients with essential hypertension. In this study, we used 3 independent assays to determine whether such a small increase in sodium concentrations per se alters endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) function and contributes to hypertension. By directly measuring NOS activity in living bovine aortic endothelial cells, we demonstrated that a 5-mmol/L increase in salt concentration (from 137 to 142 mmol/L) caused a 25% decrease in NOS activity. Importantly, the decrease in NOS activity was in a salt concentration-dependent manner. The NOS activity was decreased by 25, 45, and 70%, with the increase of 5, 10, and 20 mmol/L of NaCl, respectively. Using Chinese hamster ovary cells stably expressing eNOS, we confirmed the inhibitory effects of salt on eNOS activity. The eNOS activity was unaffected in the presence of equal milliosmol of mannitol, which excludes an osmotic effect. Using an ex vivo aortic angiogenesis assay, we demonstrated that salt attenuated the nitric oxide (NO)-dependent proliferation of endothelial cells. By directly monitoring blood pressure changes in response to salt infusion, we found that in vivo infusion of salt induced an acute increase in blood pressure in a salt concentration-dependent manner. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that eNOS is sensitive to changes in salt concentration. A 5-mmol/L rise in salt concentration, within the range observed in essential hypertension patients or in individuals with high salt intake, could significantly suppress eNOS activity. This salt-induced reduction in NO generation in endothelial cells may contribute to the development of hypertension. PMID:19176751

Overexpression of a partial fragment of the salt-responsive gene OsNUC1 enhances salt adaptation in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana and rice (Oryza sativa L.) during salt stress.

PubMed

Sripinyowanich, Siriporn; Chamnanmanoontham, Nontalee; Udomchalothorn, Thanikarn; Maneeprasopsuk, Somporn; Santawee, Panudda; Buaboocha, Teerapong; Qu, Li-Jia; Gu, Hongya; Chadchawan, Supachitra

2013-12-01

The rice (Oryza sativa L.) nucleolin gene, OsNUC1, transcripts were expressed in rice leaves, flowers, seeds and roots but differentially expressed within and between two pairs of salt-sensitive and salt-resistant rice lines when subjected to salt stress. Salt-resistant lines exhibited higher OsNUC1 transcript expression levels than salt-sensitive lines during 0.5% (w/v) NaCl salt stress for 6d. Two sizes of OsNUC1 full-length cDNA were found in the rice genome database and northern blot analysis confirmed their existence in rice tissues. The longer transcript (OsNUC1-L) putatively encodes for a protein with a serine rich N-terminal, RNA recognition motifs in the central domain and a glycine- and arginine-rich repeat in the C-terminal domain, while the shorter one (OsNUC1-S) putatively encodes for the similar protein without the N-terminus. Without salt stress, OsNUC1-L expressing Arabidopsis thaliana Atnuc1-L1 plants displayed a substantial but incomplete revertant phenotype, whereas OsNUC1-S expression only induced a weak effect. However, under 0.5% (w/v) NaCl salt stress they displayed a higher relative growth rate, longer root length and a lower H2O2 level than the wild type plants, suggesting a higher salt resistance. Moreover, they displayed elevated AtSOS1 and AtP5CS1 transcript levels. We propose that OsNUC1-S plays an important role in salt resistance during salt stress, a new role for nucleolin in plants. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multivariate classification of edible salts: Simultaneous Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy and Laser-Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Yonghoon; Nam, Sang-Ho; Ham, Kyung-Sik; Gonzalez, Jhanis; Oropeza, Dayana; Quarles, Derrick; Yoo, Jonghyun; Russo, Richard E.

2016-04-01

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Laser-Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), both based on laser ablation sampling, can be employed simultaneously to obtain different chemical fingerprints from a sample. We demonstrated that this analysis approach can provide complementary information for improved classification of edible salts. LIBS could detect several of the minor metallic elements along with Na and Cl, while LA-ICP-MS spectra were used to measure non-metallic and trace heavy metal elements. Principal component analysis using LIBS and LA-ICP-MS spectra showed that their major spectral variations classified the sample salts in different ways. Three classification models were developed by using partial least squares-discriminant analysis based on the LIBS, LA-ICP-MS, and their fused data. From the cross-validation performances and confusion matrices of these models, the minor metallic elements (Mg, Ca, and K) detected by LIBS and the non-metallic (I) and trace heavy metal (Ba, W, and Pb) elements detected by LA-ICP-MS provided complementary chemical information to distinguish particular salt samples.

Salt and nitric oxide synthase inhibition-induced hypertension: kidney dysfunction and brain anti-oxidant capacity.

PubMed

Oktar, Süleyman; Ilhan, Selçuk; Meydan, Sedat; Aydin, Mehmet; Yönden, Zafer; Gökçe, Ahmet

2010-01-01

The specific aim of this study was to examine the effects of salt-loading on kidney function and brain antioxidant capacity. Wistar rats were divided into four groups: Control rats were given normal drinking water and no drug treatment for 2 weeks. LNNA group: rats were given normal drinking water and the nitric oxide (NO) inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), 3 mg/kg/day. LNNA + Salt group: rats were given drinking water containing salt 2% and 3 mg/kg L-NNA. Salt group: rats were given drinking water containing salt 2% and no drug treatment. Basal blood pressure and the levels of serum BUN, creatinine, uric acid, cortisol, electrolyte, serum antioxidant capacity, and oxidative stress were measured. NO, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) levels were measured in the hypothalamus, brainstem, and cerebellum. Salt overload increased the blood pressure of the LNNA + Salt group. Salt-loading enhanced BUN, creatinine, sodium retention. High salt produced an increase in uric acid levels and a decrease in cortisol levels in serum. Additionally, the oxidative stress index in serum increased in the LNNA + Salt group. Salt-loading enhanced brain NO levels, but not SOD and CAT activity. L-NNA increased brain SOD activity, but not CAT and NO levels. In conclusion, salt-loading causes hypertension, kidney dysfunction, and enhances oxidative stress in salt-sensitive rats.

Salt

USGS Publications Warehouse

Franson, J.C.; Friend, M.

1999-01-01

Animals become victims of salt poisoning or toxicosis when toxic levels of sodium and chloride accumulate in the blood after they ingest large amounts of salt or, in some species, are deprived of water. For birds, salt sources may include saline water and road salt.Normally, the salt glands of birds (Fig. 47.1) excrete sodium and chloride to maintain the proper physiologic chemical balance. However, when there has been insufficient time for acclimation of the salt gland to the saline environment, or when salt gland function is compromised by exposure to certain pesticides or oil, the electrolyte balance of the blood may be upset by the excess sodium and chloride, resulting in toxicosis. Salt accumulation on the outside of the body, or salt encrustation, is a greater problem for waterbirds that use very saline waters than is salt toxicosis. Salt encrustation can lead to exertion, acute muscle degeneration, and eventual drowning during the struggle to escape entrapment.

The impact of high-salt exposure on cardiovascular development in the early chick embryo.

PubMed

Wang, Guang; Zhang, Nuan; Wei, Yi-Fan; Jin, Yi-Mei; Zhang, Shi-Yao; Cheng, Xin; Ma, Zheng-Lai; Zhao, Shu-Zhu; Chen, You-Peng; Chuai, Manli; Hocher, Berthold; Yang, Xuesong

2015-11-01

In this study, we show that high-salt exposure dramatically increases chick mortality during embryo development. As embryonic mortality at early stages mainly results from defects in cardiovascular development, we focused on heart formation and angiogenesis. We found that high-salt exposure enhanced the risk of abnormal heart tube looping and blood congestion in the heart chamber. In the presence of high salt, both ventricular cell proliferation and apoptosis increased. The high osmolarity induced by high salt in the ventricular cardiomyocytes resulted in incomplete differentiation, which might be due to reduced expression of Nkx2.5 and GATA4. Blood vessel density and diameter were suppressed by exposure to high salt in both the yolk sac membrane (YSM) and chorioallantoic membrane models. In addition, high-salt-induced suppression of angiogenesis occurred even at the vasculogenesis stage, as blood island formation was also inhibited by high-salt exposure. At the same time, cell proliferation was repressed and cell apoptosis was enhanced by high-salt exposure in YSM tissue. Moreover, the reduction in expression of HIF2 and FGF2 genes might cause high-salt-suppressed angiogenesis. Interestingly, we show that high-salt exposure causes excess generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the heart and YSM tissues, which could be partially rescued through the addition of antioxidants. In total, our study suggests that excess generation of ROS might play an important role in high-salt-induced defects in heart and angiogenesis. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

CNS neuroplasticity and salt-sensitive hypertension induced by prior treatment with subpressor doses of ANG II or aldosterone.

PubMed

Clayton, Sarah C; Zhang, Zhongming; Beltz, Terry; Xue, Baojian; Johnson, Alan Kim

2014-06-15

Although sensitivity to high dietary NaCl is regarded to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the causes of salt-sensitive hypertension remain elusive. Previously, we have shown that rats pretreated with subpressor doses of either ANG II or aldosterone (Aldo) show sensitized hypertensive responses to a mild pressor dose of ANG II when tested after an intervening delay. The current studies investigated whether such treatments will induce salt sensitivity. In studies employing an induction-delay-expression experimental design, male rats were instrumented for chronic mean arterial pressure (MAP) recording. In separate experiments, ANG II, Aldo, or vehicle was delivered either subcutaneously or intracerebroventricularly during the induction. There were no sustained differences in BP during the delay prior to being given 2% saline. While consuming 2% saline during the expression, both ANG II- and Aldo-pretreated rats showed significantly greater hypertension. When hexamethonium was used to assess autonomic control of MAP, no differences in the decrease of MAP in response to ganglionic blockade were detected during the induction. However, during the expression, the fall was greater in sensitized rats. In separate experiments, brain tissue that was collected at the end of delay showed increases in message or activation of putative markers of neuroplasticity (i.e., brain-derived neurotrophic factor, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and cAMP response element-binding protein). These experiments demonstrate that prior administration of nonpressor doses of either ANG II or Aldo will induce salt sensitivity. Collectively, our findings indicate that treatment with subpressor doses of ANG II and Aldo initiate central neuroplastic changes that are involved in hypertension of different etiologies. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

Flavor violating top decays and flavor violating quark decays of the Higgs boson

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, Tarek; Itani, Ahmad; Nath, Pran; Zorik, Anas

2017-08-01

In the Standard Model, flavor violating decays of the top quark and of the Higgs boson are highly suppressed. Further, the flavor violating decays of the top and of the Higgs are also small in MSSM and not observable in current or in near future experiment. In this work, we show that much larger branching ratios for these decays can be achieved in an extended MSSM model with an additional vector-like quark generation. Specifically, we show that in the extended model, one can achieve branching ratios for t → h0c and t → h0u as large as the current experimental upper limits given by the ATLAS and the CMS Collaborations. We also analyze the flavor violating quark decay of the Higgs boson, i.e. h0 → sb¯ + b¯s and h0 → bd¯ + b¯d. Here again, one finds that the branching ratio for these decays can be as large as O(1)%. The analysis is done with inclusion of the CP phases in the Higgs sector, and the effect of CP phases on the branching ratios is investigated. Specifically, the Higgs sector spectrum and mixings are computed involving quarks and mirror quarks, squarks and mirror squarks in the loops consistent with the Higgs boson mass constraint. The resulting effective Lagrangian with inclusion of the vector-like quark generation induce flavor violating decays at the tree level. In the analysis, we also include the experimental constraints from the flavor changing quark decays of the Z boson. The test of the branching ratios predicted could come with further data from LHC13 and such branching ratios could also be accessible at future colliders such as the Higgs factories where the Higgs couplings to fermions will be determined with greater precision.

Induced maize salt tolerance by rhizosphere inoculation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SQR9.

PubMed

Chen, Lin; Liu, Yunpeng; Wu, Gengwei; Veronican Njeri, Kimani; Shen, Qirong; Zhang, Nan; Zhang, Ruifu

2016-09-01

Salt stress reduces plant growth and is now becoming one of the most important factors restricting agricultural productivity. Inoculation of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) has been shown to confer plant tolerance against abiotic stress, but the detailed mechanisms of how this occurs remain unclear. In this study, hydroponic experiments indicated that the PGPR strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SQR9 could help maize plants tolerate salt stress. After exposure to salt stress for 20 days, SQR9 significantly promoted the growth of maize seedlings and enhanced the chlorophyll content compared with the control. Additional analysis showed that the involved mechanisms could be the enhanced total soluble sugar content for decreasing cell destruction, improved peroxidase/catalase activity and glutathione content for scavenging reactive oxygen species, and reduced Na(+) levels in the plant to decrease Na(+) toxicity. These physiological appearances were further confirmed by the upregulation of RBCS, RBCL, H(+) -PPase, HKT1, NHX1, NHX2 and NHX3, as well as downregulation of NCED expression, as determined by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. However, SQR9 counteracted the increase of abscisic acid in response to salt stress. In summary, these results show that SQR9 confers plant salt tolerance by protecting the plant cells and managing Na(+) homeostasis. Hence, it can be used in salt stress prone areas, thereby promoting agricultural production. © 2016 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

The tomato mutant ars1 (altered response to salt stress 1) identifies an R1-type MYB transcription factor involved in stomatal closure under salt acclimation.

PubMed

Campos, Juan F; Cara, Beatriz; Pérez-Martín, Fernando; Pineda, Benito; Egea, Isabel; Flores, Francisco B; Fernandez-Garcia, Nieves; Capel, Juan; Moreno, Vicente; Angosto, Trinidad; Lozano, Rafael; Bolarin, Maria C

2016-06-01

A screening under salt stress conditions of a T-DNA mutant collection of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) led to the identification of the altered response to salt stress 1 (ars1) mutant, which showed a salt-sensitive phenotype. Genetic analysis of the ars1 mutation revealed that a single T-DNA insertion in the ARS1 gene was responsible of the mutant phenotype. ARS1 coded for an R1-MYB type transcription factor and its expression was induced by salinity in leaves. The mutant reduced fruit yield under salt acclimation while in the absence of stress the disruption of ARS1 did not affect this agronomic trait. The stomatal behaviour of ars1 mutant leaves induced higher Na(+) accumulation via the transpiration stream, as the decreases of stomatal conductance and transpiration rate induced by salt stress were markedly lower in the mutant plants. Moreover, the mutation affected stomatal closure in a response mediated by abscisic acid (ABA). The characterization of tomato transgenic lines silencing and overexpressing ARS1 corroborates the role of the gene in regulating the water loss via transpiration under salinity. Together, our results show that ARS1 tomato gene contributes to reduce transpirational water loss under salt stress. Finally, this gene could be interesting for tomato molecular breeding, because its manipulation could lead to improved stress tolerance without yield penalty under optimal culture conditions. © 2015 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Spectral modelling of ice-induced wave decay: implementation of a new viscoelastic theory in WAVEWATCH III

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Q.; Rogers, W. E.; Babanin, A. V.; Squire, V. A.; Mosig, J. E. M.; Li, J.; Guan, C.

2017-12-01

A new viscoelastic ice layer model is implemented in the third generation spectral wave model WAVEWATCH III to estimate the ice-induced, frequency-dependent wave attenuation rate. Two case studies are then conducted with this viscoelastic model: one is the hindcast of waves in the autumn Beaufort Sea, 2015, and the other is the modelling of wave fields in the Antarctic marginal ice zone (MIZ), 2012. It is demonstrated that the viscoelastic model is capable of reproducing the measured significant wave heights (Ηs) in these two different geophysical regions. The sensitivity of the simulated wave height on different source terms -- ice-induced decay Sice and other physical processes Sother such as wind input Sin, nonlinear four-wave interaction Snl -- is also investigated in this study. For the Antarctic MIZ experiment, Sother is found to be much less than Sice and thus contributes little to the simulated Hs. The trend of the wave height decay (dHs/dx) discovered recently -- saturating at large wave heights -- is well reproduced by the standalone linear viscoelastic model. The flattening of dHs/dx is most likely due to the only presence of longer waves, with the shorter waves having been already low-pass filtered. Nonetheless, Sother should not be disregarded within a more general modelling perspective as Sin and Snl is shown to be comparable or even much higher than Sice in the Beaufort Sea case.

Intake of dietary salt and drinking water: Implications for the development of age-related macular degeneration

PubMed Central

Hollborn, Margrit; Kohen, Leon; Wiedemann, Peter

2016-01-01

Purpose Systemic hypertension is a risk factor of age-related retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. High intake of dietary salt and low intake of water increase extracellular osmolality resulting in hypertension, in particular in salt-sensitive individuals. This review summarizes the present knowledge regarding the impact of salt and water intake on the regulation of blood pressure, retinal function, and the development of age-related retinal diseases. Methods A literature search of the Medline database and a summary of recent studies that used human RPE cells. Results The salt sensitivity of the blood pressure and plasma osmolality increase with age, and body water deficits are common in older individuals. High plasma osmolality has adverse effects in the retina. In RPE cells, high osmolality induces expression and secretion of angiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), placental growth factor, and basic fibroblast growth factor, and expression of aquaporin-5, a water channel implicated in transepithelial water transport. The transcriptional activities of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and nuclear factor of activated T cell 5 (NFAT5) are critical for the production of VEGF in response to salt-induced osmotic stress. Salt-induced osmotic stress also induces priming of the NLRP3 inflammasome and activates inflammatory enzymes in RPE cells. Conclusions Raised plasma osmolality may aggravate age-related retinal diseases by stimulation of local inflammation and angiogenic factor production in the RPE. Alterations in salt and water consumption, and of minerals that stimulate renal salt excretion, may offer nutritional approaches to prevent age-related retinal disorders, in particular in salt-sensitive individuals and individuals who show signs of body dehydration. PMID:28031693

Intake of dietary salt and drinking water: Implications for the development of age-related macular degeneration.

PubMed

Bringmann, Andreas; Hollborn, Margrit; Kohen, Leon; Wiedemann, Peter

2016-01-01

Systemic hypertension is a risk factor of age-related retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. High intake of dietary salt and low intake of water increase extracellular osmolality resulting in hypertension, in particular in salt-sensitive individuals. This review summarizes the present knowledge regarding the impact of salt and water intake on the regulation of blood pressure, retinal function, and the development of age-related retinal diseases. A literature search of the Medline database and a summary of recent studies that used human RPE cells. The salt sensitivity of the blood pressure and plasma osmolality increase with age, and body water deficits are common in older individuals. High plasma osmolality has adverse effects in the retina. In RPE cells, high osmolality induces expression and secretion of angiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), placental growth factor, and basic fibroblast growth factor, and expression of aquaporin-5, a water channel implicated in transepithelial water transport. The transcriptional activities of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and nuclear factor of activated T cell 5 (NFAT5) are critical for the production of VEGF in response to salt-induced osmotic stress. Salt-induced osmotic stress also induces priming of the NLRP3 inflammasome and activates inflammatory enzymes in RPE cells. Raised plasma osmolality may aggravate age-related retinal diseases by stimulation of local inflammation and angiogenic factor production in the RPE. Alterations in salt and water consumption, and of minerals that stimulate renal salt excretion, may offer nutritional approaches to prevent age-related retinal disorders, in particular in salt-sensitive individuals and individuals who show signs of body dehydration.

Osmotic and Salt Stresses Modulate Spontaneous and Glutamate-Induced Action Potentials and Distinguish between Growth and Circumnutation in Helianthus annuus Seedlings

PubMed Central

Stolarz, Maria; Dziubinska, Halina

2017-01-01

Action potentials (APs), i.e., long-distance electrical signals, and circumnutations (CN), i.e., endogenous plant organ movements, are shaped by ion fluxes and content in excitable and motor tissues. The appearance of APs and CN as well as growth parameters in seedlings and 3-week old plants of Helianthus annuus treated with osmotic and salt stress (0–500 mOsm) were studied. Time-lapse photography and extracellular measurements of electrical potential changes were performed. The hypocotyl length was strongly reduced by the osmotic and salt stress. CN intensity declined due to the osmotic but not salt stress. The period of CN in mild salt stress was similar to the control (~164 min) and increased to more than 200 min in osmotic stress. In sunflower seedlings growing in a hydroponic medium, spontaneous APs (SAPs) propagating basipetally and acropetally with a velocity of 12–20 cm min−1 were observed. The number of SAPs increased 2–3 times (7–10 SAPs 24 h−1plant−1) in the mild salt stress (160 mOsm NaCl and KCl), compared to the control and strong salt stress (3–4 SAPs 24 h−1 plant−1 in the control and 300 mOsm KCl and NaCl). Glutamate-induced series of APs were inhibited in the strong salt stress-treated seedlings but not at the mild salt stress and osmotic stress. Additionally, in 3-week old plants, the injection of the hypo- or hyperosmotic solution at the base of the sunflower stem evoked series of APs (3–24 APs) transmitted along the stem. It has been shown that osmotic and salt stresses modulate differently hypocotyl growth and CN and have an effect on spontaneous and evoked APs in sunflower seedlings. We suggested that potassium, sodium, and chloride ions at stress concentrations in the nutrient medium modulate sunflower excitability and CN. PMID:29093722

High salt stress induces swollen prothylakoids in dark-grown wheat and alters both prolamellar body transformation and reformation after irradiation.

PubMed

Abdelkader, Amal F; Aronsson, Henrik; Solymosi, Katalin; Böddi, Bela; Sundqvist, Christer

2007-01-01

High salinity causes ion imbalance and osmotic stress in plants. Leaf sections from 8-d-old dark-grown wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Giza 168) were exposed to high salt stress (600 mM) and the native arrangements of plastid pigments together with the ultrastructure of the plastids were studied using low-temperature fluorescence spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Although plastids from salt-treated leaves had highly swollen prothylakoids (PTs) the prolamellar bodies (PLBs) were regular. Accordingly, a slight intensity decrease of the short-wavelength protochlorophyllide (Pchlide) form was observed, but no change was found in the long-wavelength Pchlide form emitting at 656 nm. After irradiation, newly formed swollen thylakoids showed traversing stromal strands. The PLB dispersal was partly inhibited and remnants of the PLBs formed an electron-dense structure, which remained after prolonged (8 h) irradiation. The difference in fluorescence emission maximum of the main chlorophyll form in salt-stressed leaves (681 nm) and in control leaves (683 nm) indicated a restrained formation of the photosynthetic apparatus. Overall chlorophyll accumulation during prolonged irradiation was inhibited. Salt-stressed leaves returned to darkness after 3 h of irradiation had, compared with the control, a reduced amount of Pchlide and reduced re-formation of regular net-like PLBs. Instead, the size of the electron-dense structures increased. This study reports, for the first time, the salt-induced swelling of PTs and reveals traversing stromal strands in newly formed thylakoids. Although the PLBs were intact and the Pchlide fluorescence emission spectra appeared normal after salt stress in darkness, plastid development to chloroplasts was highly restricted during irradiation.

Does salt have a permissive role in the induction of puberty?

PubMed

Pitynski, Dori; Flynn, Francis W; Skinner, Donal C

2015-10-01

Puberty is starting earlier than ever before and there are serious physiological and sociological implications as a result of this development. Current research has focused on the potential role of high caloric, and commensurate high adiposity, contributions to early puberty. However, girls with normal BMI also appear to be initiating puberty earlier. Westernized diets, in addition to being high in fat and sugar, are also high in salt. To date, no research has investigated a link between elevated salt and the reproductive axis. We hypothesize that a high salt diet can result in an earlier onset of puberty through three mechanisms that are not mutually exclusive. (1) High salt activates neurokinin B, a hormone that is involved in both the reproductive axis and salt regulation, and this induces kisspeptin release and ultimate activation of the reproductive axis. (2) Vasopressin released in response to high salt acts on vasopressin receptors expressed on kisspeptin neurons in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus, thereby stimulating gonadotropin releasing hormone and subsequently luteinizing hormone secretion. (3) Salt induces metabolic changes that affect the reproductive axis. Specifically, salt acts indirectly to modulate adiposity, ties in with the obesity epidemic, and further compounds the pathologic effects of obesity. Our overall hypothesis offers an additional cause behind the induction of puberty and provides testable postulates to determine the mechanism of potential salt-mediated affects on puberty. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Biphasic decay of the Ca transient results from increased sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca leak

PubMed Central

Sankaranarayanan, Rajiv; Li, Yatong; Greensmith, David J.; Eisner, David A.

2016-01-01

Key points Ca leak from the sarcoplasmic reticulum through the ryanodine receptor (RyR) reduces the amplitude of the Ca transient and slows its rate of decay.In the presence of β‐adrenergic stimulation, RyR‐mediated Ca leak produces a biphasic decay of the Ca transient with a fast early phase and a slow late phase.Two forms of Ca leak have been studied, Ca‐sensitising (induced by caffeine) and non‐sensitising (induced by ryanodine) and both induce biphasic decay of the Ca transient.Only Ca‐sensitising leak can be reversed by traditional RyR inhibitors such as tetracaine.Ca leak can also induce Ca waves. At low levels of leak, waves occur. As leak is increased, first biphasic decay and then slowed monophasic decay is seen. The level of leak has major effects on the shape of the Ca transient. Abstract In heart failure, a reduction in Ca transient amplitude and contractile dysfunction can by caused by Ca leak through the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca channel (ryanodine receptor, RyR) and/or decreased activity of the SR Ca ATPase (SERCA). We have characterised the effects of two forms of Ca leak (Ca‐sensitising and non‐sensitising) on calcium cycling and compared with those of SERCA inhibition. We measured [Ca2+]i with fluo‐3 in voltage‐clamped rat ventricular myocytes. Increasing SR leak with either caffeine (to sensitise the RyR to Ca activation) or ryanodine (non‐sensitising) had similar effects to SERCA inhibition: decreased systolic [Ca2+]i, increased diastolic [Ca2+]i and slowed decay. However, in the presence of isoproterenol, leak produced a biphasic decay of the Ca transient in the majority of cells while SERCA inhibition produced monophasic decay. Tetracaine reversed the effects of caffeine but not of ryanodine. When caffeine (1 mmol l−1) was added to a cell which displayed Ca waves, the wave frequency initially increased before waves disappeared and biphasic decay developed. Eventually (at higher caffeine concentrations), the

High Salt Intake Promotes Urinary Loss of Vitamin D Metabolites by Dahl Salt-Sensitive Rats in a Space Flight Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thierry-Palmer, M.; Cephas, S.; Sayavongsa, P.; Clark, T.; Arnaud, S. B.

2004-01-01

Vitamin D metabolism in the Dahl salt-sensitive (S) rat, a model of salt-induced hypertension, differs from that in the Dahl salt-resistant (R) rat. We have demonstrated that female S rats are more vulnerable than female R rats to decreases in plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25-(OH)2D) concentrations during hind limb unloading (a space flight model). We report here on the response of the vitamin D endocrine system of S and R rats to hind limb unloading during high salt intake. Dahl female rats (9.7-week-old) were tail-suspended (hind limb unloaded) for 28 days, while fed a diet containing twice the salt in standard rat chow (2 % sodium chloride). Control rats were fed the same diet, but were not hind limb unloaded. Vitamin D metabolites were analyzed by HPLC and radioimmunoassay kits from Diasorin.

A train of kink folds in the surficial salt of Qom Kuh, Central Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cosgrove, John W.; Talbot, Christopher J.; Aftabi, Pedram

2009-11-01

The many subaerial extrusions of salt current in Iran are smaller and faster versions of steady state extrusions of metamorphic rocks from crustal channels in mountain chains. The extruded salt develops a variety of internal folds as the salt accumulates ductile displacements that can reach metres a year. Weather-induced elastic strains de-stress the outer layers of salt extrusions to a brittle carapace of broken dilated salt. Qom Kuh, situated in Central Iran, is a comparatively small and slow example of a viscous salt fountain and, as a result, its brittle elastic carapace may be thicker than most. This may account for Qom Kuh being the only salt fountain known to have a train of 10 m scale kink folds in its surficial salt. We attribute these folds to lateral shortening and back-shear of a surface-parallel planar mechanical anisotropy in the surficial salt induced by gravitationally driven ductile flow of the underlying salt. When it is dry, the elastic carapace is relatively strong and acts as a stiff corset impeding gravity spreading of the underlying confined salt. However, the carapace weakens and kinks on wetting, allowing the underlying salt to gravity spread. These folds illustrate how the weather can affect gravity spreading of surficial salt masses and how complex the interplay of tectonic and climatic signals can be in "steady state" mountains.

A Tolerant Behavior in Salt-Sensitive Tomato Plants can be Mimicked by Chemical Stimuli

PubMed Central

Flors, Víctor; Paradís, Mercedes; García-Andrade, Javier; Cerezo, Miguel; González-Bosch, Carmen

2007-01-01

Lycopersicon esculentum plants exhibit increased salt stress tolerance following treatment with adipic acid monoethylester and 1,3-diaminepropane (DAAME), known as an inducer of resistance against biotic stress in tomato and pepper. For an efficient water and nutrient uptake, plants should adapt their water potential to compensate a decrease in water soil potential produced by salt stress. DAAME-treated plants showed a faster and stronger water potential reduction and an enhanced proline accumulation. Salinity-induced oxidative stress was also ameliorated by DAAME treatments. Oxidative membrane damage and ethylene emission were both reduced in DAAME-treated plants. This effect is probably a consequence of an increase of both non-enzymatic antioxidant activity as well as peroxidase activity. DAAME-mediated tolerance resulted in an unaltered photosynthetic rate and a stimulation of the decrease in transpiration under stress conditions without a cost in growth due to salt stress. The reduction in transpiration rate was concomitant with a reduction in phytotoxic Na+ and Cl− accumulation under saline stress. Interestingly, the ABA deficient tomato mutant sitiens was insensitive to DAAME-induced tolerance following NaCl stress exposure. Additionally, DAAME treatments increased the ABA content of leaves, therefore, an intact ABA signalling pathway seems to be important to express DAAME-induced salt tolerance. Here, we show a possibility of enhance tomato stress tolerance by chemical induction of the major plant defences against salt stress. DAAME-induced tolerance against salt stress could be complementary to or share elements with induced resistance against biotic stress. This might be the reason for the observed wide spectrum of effectiveness of this compound. PMID:19516968

Crosstalk between Two bZIP Signaling Pathways Orchestrates Salt-Induced Metabolic Reprogramming in Arabidopsis Roots

PubMed Central

Hartmann, Laura; Pedrotti, Lorenzo; Weiste, Christoph; Fekete, Agnes; Schierstaedt, Jasper; Göttler, Jasmin; Kempa, Stefan; Krischke, Markus; Dietrich, Katrin; Mueller, Martin J.; Vicente-Carbajosa, Jesus; Hanson, Johannes; Dröge-Laser, Wolfgang

2015-01-01

Soil salinity increasingly causes crop losses worldwide. Although roots are the primary targets of salt stress, the signaling networks that facilitate metabolic reprogramming to induce stress tolerance are less understood than those in leaves. Here, a combination of transcriptomic and metabolic approaches was performed in salt-treated Arabidopsis thaliana roots, which revealed that the group S1 basic leucine zipper transcription factors bZIP1 and bZIP53 reprogram primary C- and N-metabolism. In particular, gluconeogenesis and amino acid catabolism are affected by these transcription factors. Importantly, bZIP1 expression reflects cellular stress and energy status in roots. In addition to the well-described abiotic stress response pathway initiated by the hormone abscisic acid (ABA) and executed by SnRK2 (Snf1-RELATED-PROTEIN-KINASE2) and AREB-like bZIP factors, we identify a structurally related ABA-independent signaling module consisting of SnRK1s and S1 bZIPs. Crosstalk between these signaling pathways recruits particular bZIP factor combinations to establish at least four distinct gene expression patterns. Understanding this signaling network provides a framework for securing future crop productivity. PMID:26276836

Durum wheat seedlings in saline conditions: Salt spray versus root-zone salinity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spanò, Carmelina; Bottega, Stefania

2016-02-01

Salinity is an increasingly serious problem with a strong negative impact on plant productivity. Though many studies have been made on salt stress induced by high NaCl concentrations in the root-zone, few data concern the response of plants to saline aerosol, one of the main constraints in coastal areas. In order to study more in depth wheat salinity tolerance and to evaluate damage and antioxidant response induced by various modes of salt application, seedlings of Triticum turgidum ssp. durum, cv. Cappelli were treated for 2 and 7 days with salt in the root-zone (0, 50 and 200 mM NaCl) or with salt spray (400 mM NaCl + 0 or 200 mM NaCl in the root-zone). Seedlings accumulated Na+ in their leaves and therefore part of their ability to tolerate high salinity seems to be due to Na+ leaf tissue tolerance. Durum wheat, confirmed as a partially tolerant plant, shows a higher damage under airborne salinity, when both an increase in TBA-reactive material (indicative of lipid peroxidation) and a decrease in root growth were recorded. A different antioxidant response was activated, depending on the type of salt supply. Salt treatment induced a depletion of the reducing power of both ascorbate and glutathione while the highest contents of proline were detected under salt spray conditions. In the short term catalase and ascorbate peroxidase co-operated with glutathione peroxidase in the scavenging of hydrogen peroxide, in particular in salt spray-treated plants. From our data, the durum wheat cultivar Cappelli seems to be sensitive to airborne salinity.

Effects of Heat Generation on Nuclear Waste Disposal in Salt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clayton, D. J.

2008-12-01

Disposal of nuclear waste in salt is an established technology, as evidenced by the successful operations of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) since 1999. The WIPP is located in bedded salt in southeastern New Mexico and is a deep underground facility for transuranic (TRU) nuclear waste disposal. There are many advantages for placing radioactive wastes in a geologic bedded-salt environment. One desirable mechanical characteristic of salt is that it flows plastically with time ("creeps"). The rate of salt creep is a strong function of temperature and stress differences. Higher temperatures and deviatoric stresses increase the creep rate. As the salt creeps, induced fractures may be closed and eventually healed, which then effectively seals the waste in place. With a backfill of crushed salt emplaced around the waste, the salt creep can cause the crushed salt to reconsolidate and heal to a state similar to intact salt, serving as an efficient seal. Experiments in the WIPP were conducted to investigate the effects of heat generation on the important phenomena and processes in and around the repository (Munson et al. 1987; 1990; 1992a; 1992b). Brine migration towards the heaters was induced from the thermal gradient, while salt creep rates showed an exponential dependence on temperature. The project "Backfill and Material Behavior in Underground Salt Repositories, Phase II" (BAMBUS II) studied the crushed salt backfill and material behavior with heat generation at the Asse mine located near Remlingen, Germany (Bechthold et al. 2004). Increased salt creep rates and significant reconsolidation of the crushed salt were observed at the termination of the experiment. Using the data provided from both projects, exploratory modeling of the thermal-mechanical response of salt has been conducted with varying thermal loading and waste spacing. Increased thermal loading and decreased waste spacing drive the system to higher temperatures, while both factors are desired to

High Salt Intake Attenuates Breast Cancer Metastasis to Lung.

PubMed

Xu, Yijuan; Wang, Wenzhe; Wang, Minmin; Liu, Xuejiao; Lee, Mee-Hyun; Wang, Mingfu; Zhang, Hao; Li, Haitao; Chen, Wei

2018-04-04

Diet-related factors are thought to modify the risk of cancers, while the influence of high salt intake remains largely uncharacterized. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. In the present study, we examined the effect of salt intake on breast cancer by using a 4T1 mouse mammary tumor model. Unexpectedly, both the fitness and the survival rate of the tumor-bearing mice were improved by high salt intake. Similarly, high salt intake suppressed the primary tumor growth as well as metastasis to lung in mice. Mechanistically, high salt intake greatly reduced food intake and thus might exert antitumor effect through mimicking calorie restriction. Immunoblotting showed the lower proliferation marker Ki-67 and the higher expression of the tumor suppressor gene p53 in tumors of high salt intake mice. Importantly, high salt intake might induce hyperosmotic stress, which sensitized breast cancer cells to p53-dependent anoikis. Collectively, our findings raise the possibility that endogenous salt deposition might act as the first-line defense system against breast cancer progression as well as metastasis.

TaSK5, an abiotic stress-inducible GSK3/shaggy-like kinase from wheat, confers salt and drought tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Christov, Nikolai Kirilov; Christova, Petya Koeva; Kato, Hideki; Liu, Yuelin; Sasaki, Kentaro; Imai, Ryozo

2014-11-01

A novel cold-inducible GSK3/shaggy-like kinase, TaSK5, was isolated from winter wheat using a macroarray-based differential screening approach. TaSK5 showed high similarity to Arabidopsis subgroup I GSK3/shaggy-like kinases ASK-alpha, AtSK-gamma and ASK-epsilon. RNA gel blot analyses revealed TaSK5 induction by cold and NaCl treatments and to a lesser extent by drought treatment. TaSK5 functionally complemented the cold- and salt-sensitive phenotypes of a yeast GSK3/shaggy-like kinase mutant, △mck1. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing TaSK5 cDNA showed enhanced tolerance to salt and drought stresses. By contrast, the tolerance of the transgenic plants to freezing stress was not altered. Microarray analysis revealed that a number of abiotic stress-inducible genes were constitutively induced in the transgenic Arabidopsis plants, suggesting that TaSK5 may function in a novel signal transduction pathway that appears to be unrelated to DREB1/CBF regulon and may involve crosstalk between abiotic and hormonal signals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Putrescine differently influences the effect of salt stress on polyamine metabolism and ethylene synthesis in rice cultivars differing in salt resistance

PubMed Central

Quinet, Muriel; Lefèvre, Isabelle; Lambillotte, Béatrice; Dupont-Gillain, Christine C.; Lutts, Stanley

2010-01-01

Effects of salt stress on polyamine metabolism and ethylene production were examined in two rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars [I Kong Pao (IKP), salt sensitive; and Pokkali, salt resistant] grown for 5 d and 12 d in nutrient solution in the presence or absence of putrescine (1 mM) and 0, 50, and 100 mM NaCl. The salt-sensitive (IKP) and salt-resistant (Pokkali) cultivars differ not only in their mean levels of putrescine, but also in the physiological functions assumed by this molecule in stressed tissues. Salt stress increased the proportion of conjugated putrescine in salt-resistant Pokkali and decreased it in the salt-sensitive IKP, suggesting a possible protective function in response to NaCl. Activities of the enzymes ornithine decarboxylase (ODC; EC 4.1.1.17) and arginine decarboxylase (ADC; EC 4.1.1.19) involved in putrescine synthesis were higher in salt-resistant Pokkali than in salt-sensitive IKP. Both enzymes were involved in the response to salt stress. Salt stress also increased diamine oxidase (DAO; 1.4.3.6) and polyamine oxidase (PAO EC 1.5.3.11) activities in the roots of salt-resistant Pokkali and in the shoots of salt-sensitive IKP. Gene expression followed by reverse transcription-PCR suggested that putrescine could have a post-translational impact on genes coding for ADC (ADCa) and ODC (ODCa and ODCb) but could induce a transcriptional activation of genes coding for PAO (PAOb) mainly in the shoot of salt-stressed plants. The salt-resistant cultivar Pokkali produced higher amounts of ethylene than the salt-sensitive cultivar IKP, and exogenous putrescine increased ethylene synthesis in both cultivars, suggesting no direct antagonism between polyamine and ethylene pathways in rice. PMID:20472577

Terahertz field-induced ionization and perturbed free induction decay of excitons in bulk GaAs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murotani, Yuta; Takayama, Masayuki; Sekiguchi, Fumiya; Kim, Changsu; Akiyama, Hidefumi; Shimano, Ryo

2018-03-01

We investigated the interaction between an intense terahertz (THz) pulse and excitons in bulk GaAs by using THz pump near-infrared (NIR) optical probe spectroscopy. We observed a clear spectral oscillation in the NIR transient absorption spectra at low temperature, which is interpreted as the THz pump-induced perturbed free induction decay (PFID) of the excitonic interband polarization. We performed a numerical simulation based on a microscopic theory and identified that the observed PFID signal originates from the THz field-induced ionization of excitons. Using a real-space representation of the excitonic wave function, we visualized how the ionization of an exciton proceeds under the intense single-cycle THz electric field. We also calculated the nonlinear susceptibility with the lowest-order perturbation theory assuming a weak THz pump, which showed a similar spectral feature with that obtained by the full treatment to field-induced ionization process. This coincidence is attributed to the fact that 1s-excitonic interband polarization is modified predominantly through interactions with the p-wave component of the excitonic wave function. A simple phenomenological expression of the PFID signal is presented to discuss effects of the THz pump pulse duration on the spectral oscillation.

Salicylic acid improves salinity tolerance in Arabidopsis by restoring membrane potential and preventing salt-induced K+ loss via a GORK channel

PubMed Central

Jayakannan, Maheswari; Bose, Jayakumar; Babourina, Olga; Rengel, Zed; Shabala, Sergey

2013-01-01

Despite numerous reports implicating salicylic acid (SA) in plant salinity responses, the specific ionic mechanisms of SA-mediated adaptation to salt stress remain elusive. To address this issue, a non-invasive microelectrode ion flux estimation technique was used to study kinetics of NaCl-induced net ion fluxes in Arabidopsis thaliana in response to various SA concentrations and incubation times. NaCl-induced K+ efflux and H+ influx from the mature root zone were both significantly decreased in roots pretreated with 10–500 μM SA, with strongest effect being observed in the 10–50 μM SA range. Considering temporal dynamics (0–8-h SA pretreatment), the 1-h pretreatment was most effective in enhancing K+ retention in the cytosol. The pharmacological, membrane potential, and shoot K+ and Na+ accumulation data were all consistent with the model in which the SA pretreatment enhanced activity of H+-ATPase, decreased NaCl-induced membrane depolarization, and minimized NaCl-induced K+ leakage from the cell within the first hour of salt stress. In long-term treatments, SA increased shoot K+ and decreased shoot Na+ accumulation. The short-term NaCl-induced K+ efflux was smallest in the gork1-1 mutant, followed by the rbohD mutant, and was highest in the wild type. Most significantly, the SA pretreatment decreased the NaCl-induced K+ efflux from rbohD and the wild type to the level of gork1-1, whereas no effect was observed in gork1-1. These data provide the first direct evidence that the SA pretreatment ameliorates salinity stress by counteracting NaCl-induced membrane depolarization and by decreasing K+ efflux via GORK channels. PMID:23580750

Increased salt intake during early ontogenesis lead to development of arterial hypertension in salt-resistant Wistar rats.

PubMed

Svitok, Pavel; Molcan, Lubos; Vesela, Anna; Kruzliak, Peter; Moravcik, Roman; Zeman, Michal

2015-01-01

A direct relationship exists between salt consumption and hypertension. Increased sodium intake does not automatically lead to a rise in blood pressure (BP) because of marked intra-individual variability in salt sensitivity. Wistar rats are a salt-resistant strain and increased salt intake in adults does not induce hypertension. Mechanisms regulating BP develop during early ontogenesis and increased sodium consumption by pregnant females leads to an increase in BP of their offspring, but early postnatal stages have not been sufficiently analyzed in salt-resistant strains of rats. The aim of this work was to study the effects of increased salt during early ontogeny on cardiovascular characteristics of Wistar rats. We used 16 control (C; 8 males + 8 females) rats fed with a standard diet (0.2% sodium) and 16 experimental (S; 8 males + 8 females) rats fed with a diet containing 0.8% sodium. BP was measured weekly and plasma renin activity, aldosterone and testosterone concentrations were assayed by radioimmunoassay after the experiment in 16-week-old animals. In the kidney, AT1 receptors were determined by the western blot. BP was higher in the S as compared with the C rats and did not differ between males and females. The relative left ventricle mass was increased in S as compared with C males and no differences were recorded in females. No significant differences between groups were found in hormonal parameters and AT1 receptors. Results indicate that moderately increased salt intake during postnatal ontogeny results in a BP rise even in salt-resistant rats.

Bile salt tolerance of Lactococcus lactis is enhanced by expression of bile salt hydrolase thereby producing less bile acid in the cells.

PubMed

Bi, Jie; Liu, Song; Du, Guocheng; Chen, Jian

2016-04-01

Changes of bile salt tolerance, morphology and amount of bile acid within cells were studied to evaluate the exact effects of bile salt hydrolase (BSH) on bile salt tolerance of microorganism. The effect of BSHs on the bile salt tolerance of Lactococcus lactis was examined by expressing two BSHs (BSH1 and BSH2). Growth of L. lactis expressing BSH1 or BSH2 was better under bile salt stress compared to wild-type L. lactis. As indicated by transmission electron microscopy, bile acids released by the action of BSH induced the formation of micelles around the membrane surface of cells subject to conjugated bile salt stress. A similar micelle containing bile acid was observed in the cytoplasm by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. BSH1 produced fewer bile acid micelles in the cytoplasm and achieved better cell growth of L. lactis compared to BSH2. Expression of BSH improved bile salt tolerance of L. lactis but excessive production by BSH of bile acid micelles in the cytoplasm inhibited cell growth.

Salt-Inducible Kinase 1 (SIK1) is Induced by Alcohol and Suppresses Microglia Inflammation via NF-κB Signaling.

PubMed

Zhang, Yu; Gao, Weida; Yang, Kongbin; Tao, Haiquan; Yang, Haicheng

2018-06-19

Alcohol consumption has been shown to cause neuroinflammation and increase a variety of immune-related signaling processes. Microglia are a crucial part of alcohol-induced neuroinflammation and undergo apoptosis. Even though the importance of these inflammatory processes in the effects of alcohol-related neurodegeneration have been established, the mechanism of alcohol-induced microglia apoptosis is unknown. In prior research, we discovered that alcohol increases expression of salt-inducible kinase 1 (SIK1) in rodent brain tissue. In this study, we sought to determine what role SIK1 expression plays in alcohol-induced neuroinflammation as well as whether and by what mechanism it regulates microglia apoptosis. Adult C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups and for 3 weeks treated with either 0%, 5%, 10%, or 15% alcohol during 3 hour periods. The mice were sacrificed and their brains excised for analysis. Additionally, primary microglia were isolated from neonatal mice. SIK1 expression in alcohol-treated brain tissue and microglia was analyzed via RT-PCR and western blotting. TUNEL staining, caspase-3, and caspase-9 activity assays were performed to evaluate microglial apoptosis. Cell fluorescence staining and NF-κB luciferase activity assays were used to evaluate the effects of SIK1 expression on the NF-κB signaling pathway. SIK1 expression was increased in the brains of mice that consumed alcohol, and this effect was seen in mouse primary microglia. SIK1 knockdown in microglia increased alcohol-induced apoptosis in these cells. Furthermore, SIK1 reduced NF-κB signaling pathway factors, and SIK1 knockdown in microglia promoted alcohol-induced NF-κB activity. TUNEL staining, caspase-3, and caspase-9 activity assays consistently revealed that alcohol-induced microglial apoptosis was inhibited by depletion of p65. Finally, we determined that NF-κB signaling is required for alcohol-induced, SIK1-mediated apoptosis in microglia. This study establishes for the

Restoration of Tidal Flow to Impounded Salt Marsh Exerts Mixed Effect on Leaf Litter Decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henry, B. A.; Schade, J. D.; Foreman, K.

2015-12-01

Salt marsh impoundments (e.g. roads, levees) disconnect marshes from ocean tides, which impairs ecosystem services and often promotes invasive species. Numerous restoration projects now focus on removing impoundments. Leaf litter decomposition is a central process in salt marsh carbon and nutrient cycles, and this study investigated the extent to which marsh restoration alters litter decomposition rates. We considered three environmental factors that can potentially change during restoration: salinity, tidal regime, and dominant plant species. A one-month field experiment (Cape Cod, MA) measured decay of litter bags in impounded, restored, and natural marshes under ambient conditions. A two-week lab experiment measured litter decay in controlled incubations under experimental treatments for salinity (1ppt and 30 ppt), tidal regime (inundated and 12 hr wet-dry cycles), and plant species (native Spartina alterniflora and invasive Phragmites australis). S. alterniflora decomposed faster in situ than P. australis (14±1.0% mass loss versus 0.74±0.69%). Corroborating this difference in decomposition, S. alterniflora supported greater microbial respiration during lab incubation, measured as CO2 flux from leaf litter and biological oxygen demand of water containing leached organic matter (OM). However, nutrient analysis of plant tissue and leached OM show P. australis released more nitrogen than S. alterniflora. Low salinity treatments in both lab and field experiments decayed more rapidly than high salinity treatments, suggesting that salinity inhibited microbial activity. Manipulation of inundation regime did not affect decomposition. These findings suggest the reintroduction of tidal flow to an impounded salt marsh can have mixed effects; recolonization by the native cordgrass could supply labile OM to sediment and slow carbon sequestration, while an increase in salinity might inhibit decomposition and accelerate sequestration.

Bile Salt-induced Biofilm Formation in Enteric Pathogens: Techniques for Identification and Quantification.

PubMed

Nickerson, Kourtney P; Faherty, Christina S

2018-05-06

Biofilm formation is a dynamic, multistage process that occurs in bacteria under harsh environmental conditions or times of stress. For enteric pathogens, a significant stress response is induced during gastrointestinal transit and upon bile exposure, a normal component of human digestion. To overcome the bactericidal effects of bile, many enteric pathogens form a biofilm hypothesized to permit survival when transiting through the small intestine. Here we present methodologies to define biofilm formation through solid-phase adherence assays as well as extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrix detection and visualization. Furthermore, biofilm dispersion assessment is presented to mimic the analysis of events triggering release of bacteria during the infection process. Crystal violet staining is used to detect adherent bacteria in a high-throughput 96-well plate adherence assay. EPS production assessment is determined by two assays, namely microscopy staining of the EPS matrix and semi-quantitative analysis with a fluorescently-conjugated polysaccharide binding lectin. Finally, biofilm dispersion is measured through colony counts and plating. Positive data from multiple assays support the characterization of biofilms and can be utilized to identify bile salt-induced biofilm formation in other bacterial strains.

Gα modulates salt-induced cellular senescence and cell division in rice and maize

DOE PAGES

Urano, Daisuke; Colaneri, Alejandro; Jones, Alan M.

2014-09-16

The plant G-protein network, comprising Gα, Gβ, and Gγ core subunits, regulates development, senses sugar, and mediates biotic and abiotic stress responses. Here in this paper, we report G-protein signalling in the salt stress response using two crop models, rice and maize. Loss-of-function mutations in the corresponding genes encoding the Gα subunit attenuate growth inhibition and cellular senescence caused by sodium chloride (NaCl). Gα null mutations conferred reduced leaf senescence, chlorophyll degradation, and cytoplasm electrolyte leakage under NaCl stress. Sodium accumulated in both wild-type and Gα-mutant shoots to the same levels, suggesting that Gα signalling controls cell death in leavesmore » rather than sodium exclusion in roots. Growth inhibition is probably initiated by osmotic change around root cells, because KCl and MgSO 4 also suppressed seedling growth equally as well as NaCl. NaCl lowered rates of cell division and elongation in the wild-type leaf sheath to the level of the Gα-null mutants; however there was no NaCl-induced decrease in cell division in the Gα mutant, implying that the osmotic phase of salt stress suppresses cell proliferation through the inhibition of Gα-coupled signalling. These results reveal two distinct functions of Gα in NaCl stress in these grasses: attenuation of leaf senescence caused by sodium toxicity in leaves, and cell cycle regulation by osmotic/ionic stress.« less

Corrosion-induced microstructural developments in 316 stainless steel during exposure to molten Li 2BeF 4(FLiBe) salt

DOE PAGES

Zheng, Guiqiu; He, Lingfeng; Carpenter, David; ...

2016-10-12

The microstructural evaluation and characterization of 316 stainless steel samples that were tested in molten Li 2BeF 4 (FLiBe) salt were investigated in this study for evaluating its performance in high-temperature molten fluoride salts. Recently, 316 stainless steel and FLiBe salt are being actively considered as the main structural alloy and primary coolant of fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR), a leading nuclear reactor concept for the next generation nuclear plants (NGNP). In support of the materials development for the FHR, high-temperature corrosion tests of 316 stainless steel in molten FLiBe salt at 700°C have been conducted in both bare graphitemore » crucibles and 316 stainless steel-lined crucibles in an inert atmosphere for up to 3000 hours. The microstructure of the tested samples was comprehensively characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in conjunction with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with EDS. In addition to the noticeable intergranular corrosion attack on surface, the corrosion in terms of the Cr depletion along high angle grain boundaries (15-180º) extended to 22µm in depth after 3000-hour exposure to molten FLiBe salt in graphite crucible. The coherent Σ3 grain boundary appeared high resistance to the Cr depletion. The substantial Cr depletion from the near-to-surface layer induced phase transformation from γ-martensite to α-ferrite phase (FeNi x) during corrosion at 700ºC. Furthermore, the presence of graphite in the molten salt doubled the corrosion attack depth and led to the formation of round Mo2C, hexagonal Cr 7C 3 and needle-like Al 4C 3 phase within the alloy as deep as 50 µm after 3000-hour corrosion testing. Based on the microstructural analysis, the corrosion mechanisms of 316 stainless steel in molten FLiBe salt in different corrosion crucibles were illuminated through schematic

Corrosion-induced microstructural developments in 316 stainless steel during exposure to molten Li 2BeF 4(FLiBe) salt

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zheng, Guiqiu; He, Lingfeng; Carpenter, David

The microstructural evaluation and characterization of 316 stainless steel samples that were tested in molten Li 2BeF 4 (FLiBe) salt were investigated in this study for evaluating its performance in high-temperature molten fluoride salts. Recently, 316 stainless steel and FLiBe salt are being actively considered as the main structural alloy and primary coolant of fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR), a leading nuclear reactor concept for the next generation nuclear plants (NGNP). In support of the materials development for the FHR, high-temperature corrosion tests of 316 stainless steel in molten FLiBe salt at 700°C have been conducted in both bare graphitemore » crucibles and 316 stainless steel-lined crucibles in an inert atmosphere for up to 3000 hours. The microstructure of the tested samples was comprehensively characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in conjunction with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with EDS. In addition to the noticeable intergranular corrosion attack on surface, the corrosion in terms of the Cr depletion along high angle grain boundaries (15-180º) extended to 22µm in depth after 3000-hour exposure to molten FLiBe salt in graphite crucible. The coherent Σ3 grain boundary appeared high resistance to the Cr depletion. The substantial Cr depletion from the near-to-surface layer induced phase transformation from γ-martensite to α-ferrite phase (FeNi x) during corrosion at 700ºC. Furthermore, the presence of graphite in the molten salt doubled the corrosion attack depth and led to the formation of round Mo2C, hexagonal Cr 7C 3 and needle-like Al 4C 3 phase within the alloy as deep as 50 µm after 3000-hour corrosion testing. Based on the microstructural analysis, the corrosion mechanisms of 316 stainless steel in molten FLiBe salt in different corrosion crucibles were illuminated through schematic

Use of phosphite salts in laboratory and semi-commercial tests to control citrus postharvest decay

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Many growers of citrus fruit and other crops often apply phosphite or phosphorous acid containing products before harvest. Phosphite fungicides include calcium or potassium phosphite salts, or the phosphite-generating fungicide fosetyl-aluminium (Aliette®, Bayer CropScience). Recently, two products ...

Glass-wool study of laser-induced spin currents en route to hyperpolarized Cs salt

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ishikawa, Kiyoshi

2011-07-15

The nuclear spin polarization of optically pumped Cs atoms flows to the surface of Cs hydride in a vapor cell. A fine glass wool lightly coated with the salt helps greatly increase the surface area in contact with the pumped atoms and enhance the spin polarization of the salt nuclei. Even though the glass wool randomly scatters the pump light, the atomic vapor can be polarized with unpolarized light in a magnetic field. The measured enhancement in the salt enables study of the polarizations of light and atomic nuclei very near the salt surface.

Decay assessment through thermographic analysis in architectural and archaeological heritage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomez-Heras, Miguel; Martinez-Perez, Laura; Fort, Rafael; Alvarez de Buergo, Monica

2010-05-01

Any exposed stone-built structure is subject to thermal variations due to daily, seasonal and secular environmental temperature changes. Surface temperature is a function of air temperature (due to convective heat transfer) and of infrared radiation received through insolation. While convective heat transfer homogenizes surface temperature, stone response to insolation is much more complex and the temporal and spatial temperature differences across structures are enhanced. Surface temperature in stone-built structures will be affected by orientation, sunlight inclination and the complex patterns of light and shadows generated by the often intricate morphology of historical artefacts and structures. Surface temperature will also be affected by different material properties, such as albedo, thermal conductivity, transparency and absorbance to infrared radiation of minerals and rocks. Moisture and the occurrence of salts will also be a factor affecting surface temperatures. Surface temperatures may as well be affected by physical disruptions of rocks due to differences in thermal inertia generated by cracks and other discontinuities. Thermography is a non-invasive, non-destructive technique that measures temperature variations on the surface of a material. With this technique, surface temperature rates of change and their spatial variations can be analysed. This analysis may be used not only to evaluate the incidence of thermal decay as a factor that generates or enhances stone decay, but also to detect and evaluate other factors that affect the state of conservation of architectural and archaeological heritage, as for example moisture, salts or mechanical disruptions.

Effects of aging on mineralocorticoid-induced salt appetite in rats

PubMed Central

Beltz, Terry G.; Johnson, Alan Kim

2013-01-01

This work examined the effects of age on salt appetite measured in the form of daily saline (i.e., 0.3 M NaCl) drinking in response to administration of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA; 5 mg/kg body wt) using young (4 mo), “middle-aged” adult (12 mo), and old (30 mo) male Brown Norway rats. Water and sodium intakes, excretions, and balances were determined daily. The salt appetite response was age dependent with “middle-aged” rats ingesting the most saline solution followed in order by young and then old rats. While old rats drank the least saline solution, the amounts of saline ingested still were copious and comprise an unambiguous demonstration of salt appetite in old rats. Middle-aged rats had the highest saline preference ratios of the groups under baseline conditions and throughout testing consistent with an increased avidity for sodium taste. There were age differences in renal handling of water and sodium that were consistent with a renal contribution to the greater saline intakes by middle-aged rats. There was evidence of impaired renal function in old rats, but this did not account for the reduced saline intakes of the oldest rats. PMID:24133100

Numerical modeling of salt marsh morphological change induced by Hurricane Sandy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hu, Kelin; Chen, Qin; Wang, Hongqing; Hartig, Ellen K.; Orton, Philip M.

2018-01-01

The salt marshes of Jamaica Bay serve as a recreational outlet for New York City residents, mitigate wave impacts during coastal storms, and provide habitat for critical wildlife species. Hurricanes have been recognized as one of the critical drivers of coastal wetland morphology due to their effects on hydrodynamics and sediment transport, deposition, and erosion processes. In this study, the Delft3D modeling suite was utilized to examine the effects of Hurricane Sandy (2012) on salt marsh morphology in Jamaica Bay. Observed marsh elevation change and accretion from rod Surface Elevation Tables and feldspar Marker Horizons (SET-MH) and hydrodynamic measurements during Hurricane Sandy were used to calibrate and validate the wind-waves-surge-sediment transport-morphology coupled model. The model results agreed well with in situ field measurements. The validated model was then used to detect salt marsh morphological change due to Sandy across Jamaica Bay. Model results indicate that the island-wide morphological changes in the bay's salt marshes due to Sandy were in the range of −30 mm (erosion) to +15 mm (deposition), and spatially complex and heterogeneous. The storm generated paired deposition and erosion patches at local scales. Salt marshes inside the west section of the bay showed erosion overall while marshes inside the east section showed deposition from Sandy. The net sediment amount that Sandy brought into the bay is only about 1% of the total amount of reworked sediment within the bay during the storm. Numerical experiments show that waves and vegetation played a critical role in sediment transport and associated wetland morphological change in Jamaica Bay. Furthermore, without the protection of vegetation, the marsh islands of Jamaica Bay would experience both more erosion and less accretion in coastal storms.

Phasic Stimulation of Midbrain Dopamine Neuron Activity Reduces Salt Consumption

PubMed Central

Sandhu, Eleanor C.; Fernando, Anushka B. P.; Tossell, Kyoko; Kokkinou, Michelle; Glegola, Justyna; Howes, Oliver D.

2018-01-01

Abstract Salt intake is an essential dietary requirement, but excessive consumption is implicated in hypertension and associated conditions. Little is known about the neural circuit mechanisms that control motivation to consume salt, although the midbrain dopamine system, which plays a key role in other reward-related behaviors, has been implicated. We, therefore, examined the effects on salt consumption of either optogenetic excitation or chemogenetic inhibition of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons in male mice. Strikingly, optogenetic excitation of dopamine neurons decreased salt intake in a rapid and reversible manner, despite a strong salt appetite. Importantly, optogenetic excitation was not aversive, did not induce hyperactivity, and did not alter salt concentration preferences in a need-free state. In addition, we found that chemogenetic inhibition of dopamine neurons had no effect on salt intake. Lastly, optogenetic excitation of dopamine neurons reduced consumption of sucrose following an overnight fast, suggesting a more general role of VTA dopamine neuron excitation in organizing motivated behaviors. PMID:29766048

Facile synthesis of electrophilic vinyl boranes: reactions of alkynyl-borates and diazonium salts.

PubMed

Zhao, Xiaoxi; Liang, Liyuan; Stephan, Douglas W

2012-10-21

Reactions of alkynylborate salts, easily derived from reaction of frustrated Lewis pairs with terminal alkynes, with diazonium salts to induce 1,1-carboboration affording a facile and efficient route to substituted electrophilic vinyl boranes.

Salt stress induces differential regulation of the phenylpropanoid pathway in Olea europaea cultivars Frantoio (salt-tolerant) and Leccino (salt-sensitive).

PubMed

Rossi, Lorenzo; Borghi, Monica; Francini, Alessandra; Lin, Xiuli; Xie, De-Yu; Sebastiani, Luca

2016-10-01

Olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is an important crop in the Mediterranean Basin where drought and salinity are two of the main factors affecting plant productivity. Despite several studies have reported different responses of various olive tree cultivars to salt stress, the mechanisms that convey tolerance and sensitivity remain largely unknown. To investigate this issue, potted olive plants of Leccino (salt-sensitive) and Frantoio (salt-tolerant) cultivars were grown in a phytotron chamber and treated with 0, 60 and 120mM NaCl. After forty days of treatment, growth analysis was performed and the concentration of sodium in root, stem and leaves was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Phenolic compounds were extracted using methanol, hydrolyzed with butanol-HCl, and quercetin and kaempferol quantified via high performance liquid-chromatography-electrospray-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) and HPLC-q-Time of Flight-MS analyses. In addition, the transcripts levels of five key genes of the phenylpropanoid pathway were measured by quantitative Real-Time PCR. The results of this study corroborate the previous observations, which showed that Frantoio and Leccino differ in allocating sodium in root and leaves. This study also revealed that phenolic compounds remain stable or are strongly depleted under long-time treatment with sodium in Leccino, despite a strong up-regulation of key genes of the phenylpropanoid pathway was observed. Frantoio instead, showed a less intense up-regulation of the phenylpropanoid genes but overall higher content of phenolic compounds. These data suggest that Frantoio copes with the toxicity imposed by elevated sodium not only with mechanisms of Na + exclusion, but also promptly allocating effective and adequate antioxidant compounds to more sensitive organs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Shigella flexneri Resistance, Biofilm Formation, and Transcriptional Profile in Response to Bile Salts

PubMed Central

Nickerson, Kourtney P.; Chanin, Rachael B.; Sistrunk, Jeticia R.; Fink, Peter J.; Barry, Eileen M.; Nataro, James P.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The Shigella species cause millions of cases of watery or bloody diarrhea each year, mostly in children in developing countries. While many aspects of Shigella colonic cell invasion are known, crucial gaps in knowledge regarding how the bacteria survive, transit, and regulate gene expression prior to infection remain. In this study, we define mechanisms of resistance to bile salts and build on previous research highlighting induced virulence in Shigella flexneri strain 2457T following exposure to bile salts. Typical growth patterns were observed within the physiological range of bile salts; however, growth was inhibited at higher concentrations. Interestingly, extended periods of exposure to bile salts led to biofilm formation, a conserved phenotype that we observed among members of the Enterobacteriaceae. Characterization of S. flexneri 2457T biofilms determined that both bile salts and glucose were required for formation, dispersion was dependent upon bile salts depletion, and recovered bacteria displayed induced adherence to HT-29 cells. RNA-sequencing analysis verified an important bile salt transcriptional profile in S. flexneri 2457T, including induced drug resistance and virulence gene expression. Finally, functional mutagenesis identified the importance of the AcrAB efflux pump and lipopolysaccharide O-antigen synthesis for bile salt resistance. Our data demonstrate that S. flexneri 2457T employs multiple mechanisms to survive exposure to bile salts, which may have important implications for multidrug resistance. Furthermore, our work confirms that bile salts are important physiological signals to activate S. flexneri 2457T virulence. This work provides insights into how exposure to bile likely regulates Shigella survival and virulence during host transit and subsequent colonic infection. PMID:28348056

Salt and essential hypertension: pathophysiology and implications for treatment.

PubMed

Garfinkle, Michael A

2017-06-01

Essential hypertension is common and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. However, questions remain as to the exact physiological mechanisms underlying this disease. First, we discuss how essential hypertension may be largely a result of a maladaptation to a high-salt diet and that high blood pressure, rather than being an inactive side effect of high salt intake, may be an adaptive mechanism to improve salt secretion. Next, we explain how any physiological state that reduces urinary sodium concentrating ability may increase an individual's risk for salt-induced hypertension. Finally, we conclude that natriuresis is a crucial criterion for effective long-term pharmacologic treatment of essential hypertension. Copyright © 2017 American Society of Hypertension. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Liking, salt taste perception and use of table salt when consuming reduced-salt chicken stews in light of South Africa's new salt regulations.

PubMed

De Kock, H L; Zandstra, E H; Sayed, N; Wentzel-Viljoen, E

2016-01-01

This study investigated the impact of salt reduction on liking, salt taste perception, and use of table salt when consuming chicken stew in light of South Africa's new salt recommendations. In total, 432 South-African consumers (aged 35.2 ± 12.3 years) consumed a full portion of a chicken stew meal once at a central location. Four stock cube powders varying in salt content were used to prepare chicken stews: 1) no reduction - 2013 Na level; regular salt level as currently available on the South African market (24473 mg Na/100 g), 2) salt reduction smaller than 2016 level, i.e. 10%-reduced (22025 mg Na/100 g), 3) 2016 salt level, as per regulatory prescriptions (18000 mg Na/100 g), 4) 2019 salt level, as per regulatory prescriptions (13000 mg Na/100 g). Consumers were randomly allocated to consume one of the four meals. Liking, salt taste perception, and use of table salt and pepper were measured. Chicken stews prepared with reduced-salt stock powders were equally well-liked as chicken stews with the current salt level. Moreover, a gradual reduction of the salt in the chicken stews resulted in a reduced salt intake, up to an average of 19% for the total group compared to the benchmark 2013 Na level stew. However, 19% of consumers compensated by adding salt back to full compensation in some cases. More salt was added with increased reductions of salt in the meals, even to the point of full compensation. Further investigation into the impacts of nutrition communication and education about salt reduction on salt taste perception and use is needed. This research provides new consumer insights on salt use and emphasises the need for consumer-focused behaviour change approaches, in addition to reformulation of products. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sea Salt vs. Table Salt: What's the Difference?

MedlinePlus

... Nutrition and healthy eating What's the difference between sea salt and table salt? Answers from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. The main differences between sea salt and table salt are in their taste, ...

Chitin receptor CERK1 links salt stress and chitin-triggered innate immunity in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Espinoza, Catherine; Liang, Yan; Stacey, Gary

2017-03-01

In nature, plants need to respond to multiple environmental stresses that require the involvement and fine-tuning of different stress signaling pathways. Cross-tolerance, in which plants pre-treated with chitin (a fungal microbe-associated molecular pattern) have improved salt tolerance, was observed in Arabidopsis, but is not well understood. Here, we show a unique link between chitin and salt signaling mediated by the chitin receptor CHITIN ELICITOR RECEPTOR KINASE 1 (CERK1). Transcriptome analysis revealed that salt stress-induced genes are highly correlated with chitin-induced genes, although this was not observed with other microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) or with other abiotic stresses. The cerk1 mutant was more susceptible to NaCl than was the wild type. cerk1 plants had an irregular increase of cytosolic calcium ([Ca 2+ ] cyt ) after NaCl treatment. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) and co-immunoprecipitation experiments indicated that CERK1 physically interacts with ANNEXIN 1 (ANN1), which was reported to form a calcium-permeable channel that contributes to the NaCl-induced [Ca 2+ ] cyt signal. In turn, ann1 mutants showed elevated chitin-induced rapid responses. In short, molecular components previously shown to function in chitin or salt signaling physically interact and intimately link the downstream responses to fungal attack and salt stress. © 2016 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Study of the soluble salts formation in a recently restored house of Pompeii by in-situ Raman spectroscopy.

PubMed

Prieto-Taboada, Nagore; Fdez-Ortiz de Vallejuelo, Silvia; Veneranda, Marco; Marcaida, Iker; Morillas, Héctor; Maguregui, Maite; Castro, Kepa; De Carolis, Ernesto; Osanna, Massimo; Madariaga, Juan Manuel

2018-01-25

The walls and mural paintings of Pompeii exposed directly to the rainfalls are the most impacted in view of the observed decay. However, there are also wall paintings in protected rooms showing evidences of decaying. The aim of this research was to study the salts formed in such protected wall paintings only by non-invasive and in-situ Raman spectroscopy to understand their decaying processes. The perystile of the House of the Gilded Cupids (Regio VI, Insula 16), one of the most important houses of Pompeii was studied. Although an exhaustive restoration was carried out in 2004, a new conservation treatment was needed in 2013 and only two years later, extensive crystallizations of soluble salts were again threatening several of the restored surfaces, thus, the presence of an unsolved degradation pathway was deduced. Thank to the proposed methodology, it was pointed out that the key is the acidified rainfall impact in the non-protected backside of the walls containing the wall paintings. Thus, a new concept in the preservation of the houses of Pompeii is provided, in which the need of the protection of those walls from both sides is suggested to avoid the movement of water through the pores of the walls.

Does mass accretion lead to field decay in neutron stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shibazaki, N.; Murakami, T.; Shaham, Jacob; Nomoto, K.

1989-01-01

The recent discovery of cyclotron lines from gamma-ray bursts indicates that the strong magnetic fields of isolated neutron stars might not decay. The possible inverse correlation between the strength of the magnetic field and the mass accreted by the neutron star suggests that mass accretion itself may lead to the decay of the magnetic field. The spin and magnetic field evolution of the neutron star was calculated under the hypothesis of the accretion-induced field decay. It is shown that the calculated results are consistent with the observations of binary and millisecond radio pulsars.

Salicylic acid promotes plant growth and salt-related gene expression in Dianthus superbus L. (Caryophyllaceae) grown under different salt stress conditions.

PubMed

Zheng, Jian; Ma, Xiaohua; Zhang, Xule; Hu, Qingdi; Qian, Renjuan

2018-03-01

Salt stress is a critical factor that affects the growth and development of plants. Salicylic acid (SA) is an important signal molecule that mitigates the negative effects of salt stress on plants. To elucidate salt tolerance in large pink Dianthus superbus L. (Caryophyllaceae) and the regulatory mechanism of exogenous SA on D. superbus under different salt stresses, we conducted a pot experiment to evaluate leaf biomass, leaf anatomy, soluble protein and sugar content, and the relative expression of salt-induced genes in D. superbus under 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9% NaCl conditions with and without 0.5 mM SA. The result showed that exposure of D. superbus to salt stress lead to a decrease in leaf growth, soluble protein and sugar content, and mesophyll thickness, together with an increase in the expression of MYB and P5CS genes. Foliar application of SA effectively increased leaf biomass, soluble protein and sugar content, and upregulated the expression of MYB and P5CS in the D. superbus , which facilitated in the acclimation of D. superbus to moderate salt stress. However, when the plants were grown under severe salt stress (0.9% NaCl), no significant difference in plant physiological responses and relevant gene expression between plants with and without SA was observed. The findings of this study suggest that exogenous SA can effectively counteract the adverse effects of moderate salt stress on D. superbus growth and development.

Sodium channel γENaC mediates IL-17 synergized high salt induced inflammatory stress in breast cancer cells

PubMed Central

Amara, Suneetha; Ivy, Michael T; Myles, Elbert L; Tiriveedhi, Venkataswarup

2015-01-01

Chronic inflammation is known to play a critical role in the development of cancer. Recent evidence suggests that high salt in the tissue microenvironment induces chronic inflammatory milieu. In this report, using three breast cancer-related cell lines, we determined the molecular basis of the potential synergistic inflammatory effect of sodium chloride (NaCl) with interleukin-17 (IL-17). Combined treatment of high NaCl (0.15 M) with sub-effective IL-17 (0.1 nM) induced enhanced growth in breast cancer cells along with activation of reactive nitrogen and oxygen (RNS/ROS) species known to promote cancer. Similar effect was not observed with equi-molar mannitol. This enhanced of ROS/RNS activity correlates with upregulation of γENaC an inflammatiory sodium channel. The similar culture conditions have also induced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, TNFα etc. Taken together, these data suggest that high NaCl in the cellular microenvironment induces a γENaC mediated chronic inflammatory response with a potential pro-carcinogenic effect. PMID:26723502

Particle formation above natural and simulated salt lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamilli, Katharina; Ofner, Johannes; Sattler, Tobias; Krause, Torsten; Zetzsch, Cornelius; Held, Andreas

2013-04-01

Western Australia was originally covered by natural eucalyptus forests, but land-use has changed considerably after large scale deforestation from 1950 to 1970. Thus, the ground-water level rose and brought dissolved salts and minerals to the surface. Nowadays, Western Australia is known for a great plenty of salt lakes with pH levels reaching from 2.5 to 7.1. The land is mainly used for wheat farming and livestock and becomes drier due to the lack of rain periods. One possible reason could be the formation of ultrafine particles from salt lakes, which increases the number of cloud condensation nuclei and thus potentially suppresses precipitation. Several field campaigns have been conducted between 2006 and 2011 with car-based and airborne measurements, where new particle formation has been observed and has been related to the Western Australian salt lakes (Junkermann et al., 2009). To identify particle formation directly above the salt lakes, a 1.5 m³ Teflon chamber was set up above several lakes in 2012. Inside the chamber, photochemistry may take place whereas mixing through wind or advection of already existing particles is prevented. Salt lakes with a low pH level lead to strongly increased aerosol formation. As salt lakes have been identified as a source for reactive halogen species (RHS; Buxmann et al., 2012) and RHS seem to interact with precursors of secondary organic aerosol (SOA), they could be producers of halogen induced secondary organic aerosol (XOA) (Ofner et al., 2012). As reference experiments, laboratory based aerosol smog-chamber runs were performed to examine XOA formation under atmospheric conditions using simulated sunlight and the chemical composition of a chosen salt lake. After adding α-pinene to the simulated salt lake, a strong nucleation event began in the absence of ozone comparable to the observed events in Western Australia. First results from the laboratory based aerosol smog-chamber experiments indicate a halogen-induced aerosol

Salt-Finger Convection in a Stratified Fluid Layer Induced by Thermal and Solutal Capillary Motion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Chuan F.; Chan, Cho Lik

1996-01-01

Salt-finger convection in a double-diffusive system is a motion driven by the release of gravitational potential due to different diffusion rates. Normally, when the gravitational field is reduced, salt-finger convection together with other convective motions driven by buoyancy forces will be rapidly suppressed. However, because the destabilizing effect of the concentration gradient is amplified by the Lewis number, with values varying from 10(exp 2) for aqueous salt solutions to 10 (exp 4) for liquid metals, salt-finger convection may be generated at much reduced gravity levels. In the microgravity environment, the surface tension gradient assumes a dominant role in causing fluid motion. In this paper, we report on some experimental results showing the generation of salt-finger convection due to capillary motio on the surface of a stratified fluid layer. A numerical simulation is presented to show the cause of salt-finger convection.

Ethanol modulates the VR-1 variant amiloride-insensitive salt taste receptor. II. Effect on chorda tympani salt responses.

PubMed

Lyall, Vijay; Heck, Gerard L; Phan, Tam-Hao T; Mummalaneni, Shobha; Malik, Shahbaz A; Vinnikova, Anna K; Desimone, John A

2005-06-01

The effect of ethanol on the amiloride- and benzamil (Bz)-insensitive salt taste receptor was investigated by direct measurement of intracellular Na(+) activity ([Na(+)](i)) using fluorescence imaging in polarized fungiform taste receptor cells (TRCs) and by chorda tympani (CT) taste nerve recordings. CT responses to KCl and NaCl were recorded in Sprague-Dawley rats, and in wild-type (WT) and vanilloid receptor-1 (VR-1) knockout mice (KO). CT responses were monitored in the presence of Bz, a specific blocker of the epithelial Na(+) channel (ENaC). CT responses were also recorded in the presence of agonists (resiniferatoxin and elevated temperature) and antagonists (capsazepine and SB-366791) of VR-1 that similarly modulate the Bz-insensitive VR-1 variant salt taste receptor. In the absence of mineral salts, ethanol induced a transient decrease in TRC volume and elicited only transient phasic CT responses. In the presence of mineral salts, ethanol increased the apical cation flux in TRCs without a change in volume, increased transepithelial electrical resistance across the tongue, and elicited CT responses that were similar to salt responses, consisting of both a phasic component and a sustained tonic component. At concentrations <50%, ethanol enhanced responses to KCl and NaCl, while at ethanol concentrations >50%, those CT responses were inhibited. Resiniferatoxin and elevated temperature increased the sensitivity of the CT response to ethanol in salt-containing media, and SB-366791 inhibited the effect of ethanol, resiniferatoxin, and elevated temperature on the CT responses to mineral salts. VR-1 KO mice demonstrated no Bz-insensitive CT response to NaCl and no sensitivity to ethanol. We conclude that ethanol increases salt taste sensitivity by its direct action on the Bz-insensitive VR-1 variant salt taste receptor.

Generic calculation of two-body partial decay widths at the full one-loop level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodsell, Mark D.; Liebler, Stefan; Staub, Florian

2017-11-01

We describe a fully generic implementation of two-body partial decay widths at the full one-loop level in the SARAH and SPheno framework compatible with most supported models. It incorporates fermionic decays to a fermion and a scalar or a gauge boson as well as scalar decays into two fermions, two gauge bosons, two scalars or a scalar and a gauge boson. We present the relevant generic expressions for virtual and real corrections. Whereas wave-function corrections are determined from on-shell conditions, the parameters of the underlying model are by default renormalised in a \\overline{ {DR}} (or \\overline{ {MS}}) scheme. However, the user can also define model-specific counter-terms. As an example we discuss the renormalisation of the electric charge in the Thomson limit for top-quark decays in the standard model. One-loop-induced decays are also supported. The framework additionally allows the addition of mass and mixing corrections induced at higher orders for the involved external states. We explain our procedure to cancel infrared divergences for such cases, which is achieved through an infrared counter-term taking into account corrected Goldstone boson vertices. We compare our results for sfermion, gluino and Higgs decays in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) against the public codes SFOLD, FVSFOLD and HFOLD and explain observed differences. Radiatively induced gluino and neutralino decays are compared against the original implementation in SPheno in the MSSM. We exactly reproduce the results of the code CNNDecays for decays of neutralinos and charginos in R-parity violating models. The new version SARAH 4.11.0 by default includes the calculation of two-body decay widths at the full one-loop level. Current limitations for certain model classes are described.

Geomechanical analysis applied to geological carbon dioxide sequestration, induced seismicity in deep mines, and detection of stress-induced velocity anisotropy in sub-salt environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucier, Amie Marie

and injection induced micro-seismicity are implemented. The second issue to which we apply geomechanical analysis in this thesis is mining-induced stress perturbations and induced seismicity in the TauTona gold mine, which is located in the Witwatersrand Basin of South Africa and is one of the deepest underground mines in the world. In the first investigation, we developed and tested a new technique for determining the virgin stress state near the TauTona gold mine. This technique follows an iterative forward modeling approach that combines observations of drilling induced borehole failures in borehole images, boundary element modeling of the mining-induced stress perturbations, and forward modeling of borehole failures based on the results of the boundary element modeling. The final result was a well constrained range of principal stress orientations and magnitudes that are consistent with all the observed failures and other stress indicators. In the second investigation, we used this constrained stress state to examine the likelihood of faulting to occur both on pre-existing fault planes that are optimally oriented to the virgin stress state and on faults affected by the mining-perturbed stress field, the latter of which is calculated with boundary element modeling. We made several recommendations that could potentially increase safety in deep South African mines as development continues. Finally, the third issue addressed in this thesis is the detection of stress-induced shear wave velocity anisotropy in a sub-salt environment. In this study, we tested a technique proposed by Boness and Zoback (2006) to identify structure-induced velocity anisotropy and isolate possible stress-induced velocity anisotropy. The investigation used cross-dipole sonic data from three deep water sub-salt wells in the Gulf of Mexico. First, we determined the parameters necessary to ensure the quality of the fast azimuth data used in our analysis. We then characterized the quality

Salt reduction in sheeted dough: A successful technological approach.

PubMed

Diler, Guénaëlle; Le-Bail, Alain; Chevallier, Sylvie

2016-10-01

The challenge of reducing the salt content while maintaining shelf life, stability and acceptability of the products is major for the food industry. In the present study, we implemented processing adjustments to reduce salt content while maintaining the machinability and the saltiness perception of sheeted dough: the homogeneous distribution of a layer of encapsulated salt grains on the dough during the laminating process. During sheeting, for an imposed deformation of 0.67, the final strain remained unchanged around 0.50 for salt reduction below 50%, and then, increased significantly up to 0.53 for a dough without salt. This increase is, in fine, positive regarding the rolling process since the decrease of salt content induces less shrinkage of dough downstream, which is the main feature to be controlled in the process. Moreover, the final strain was negatively correlated to the resistance to extension measured with a texture analyzer, therefore providing a method to evaluate the machinability of the dough. From these results, a salt reduction of 25% was achieved by holding 50% of the salt in the dough recipe to maintain the dough properties and saving 25% as salt grains to create high-salted areas that would enhance the saltiness perception of the dough. The distributor mounted above the rollers of the mill proved to be able to distribute evenly salt grains at a calculated step of the rolling out process. An innovative method based on RX micro-tomography allowed to follow the salt dissolving and to demonstrate the capability of the coatings to delay the salt dissolving and consequently the diffusion of salt within the dough piece. Finally, a ranking test on the salted perception of different samples having either an even distribution of encapsulated salt grains, a single layer of salt grains or a homogeneous distribution of salt, demonstrated that increasing the saltiness perception in salt-reduced food product could be achieved by a technological approach

Preliminary observations on the impact of complex stress histories on sandstone response to salt weathering: laboratory simulations of process combinations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCabe, S.; Smith, B. J.; Warke, P. A.

2007-03-01

Historic sandstone structures carry an inheritance, or a ‘memory’, of past stresses that the stone has undergone since its placement in a façade. This inheritance, which conditions present day performance, may be made up of long-term exposure to a combination of low magnitude background environmental factors (for example, salt weathering, temperature and moisture cycling) and, superimposed upon these, less frequent but potentially high magnitude events or ‘exceptional’ factors (for example, lime rendering, severe frost events, fire). The impact of complex histories on the decay pathways of historic sandstone is not clearly understood, but this paper seeks to improve that understanding through the use of a laboratory ‘process combination’ study. Blocks of quartz sandstone (Peakmoor, from NW England) were divided into subsets that experienced different histories (lime rendering and removal, fire and freeze-thaw cycles in isolation and combination) that reflected the event timeline of a real medieval sandstone monument in NE Ireland, Bonamargy Friary (McCabe et al. 2006b). These subsets were then subject to salt weathering cycles using a 10% salt solution of NaCl and MgSO4 that represents the ‘every-day’ stress environment of, for example, sandstone structures in coastal, or polluted urban, location. Block response to salt weathering was monitored by collecting, drying and weighing the debris that was released as blocks were immersed in the salt solution at the beginning of each cycle. The results illustrate the complexity of the stone decay system, showing that seemingly small variations in stress history can produce divergent response to salt weathering cycles. Applied to real-world historic sandstone structures, this concept may help to explain the spatial and temporal variability of sandstone response to background environmental factors on a single façade, and encourage conservators to include the role of stress inheritance when selecting and

Analysis of DNA methylation of maize in response to osmotic and salt stress based on methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism.

PubMed

Tan, Ming-pu

2010-01-01

Water stress is known to alter cytosine methylation, which generally represses transcription. However, little is known about the role of methylation alteration in maize under osmotic stress. Here, methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) was used to screen PEG- or NaCl-induced methylation alteration in maize seedlings. The sequences of 25 differentially amplified fragments relevant to stress were successfully obtained. Two stress-specific fragments from leaves, LP166 and LPS911, shown to be homologous to retrotransposon Gag-Pol protein genes, suggested that osmotic stress-induced methylation of retrotransposons. Three MSAP fragments, representing drought-induced or salt-induced methylation in leaves, were homologous to a maize aluminum-induced transporter. Besides these, heat shock protein HSP82, Poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase 2, Lipoxygenase, casein kinase (CK2), and dehydration-responsive element-binding (DREB) factor were also homologs of MSAP sequences from salt-treated roots. One MSAP fragment amplified from salt-treated roots, designated RS39, was homologous to the first intron of maize protein phosphatase 2C (zmPP2C), whereas - LS103, absent from salt-treated leaves, was homologous to maize glutathione S-transferases (zmGST). Expression analysis showed that salt-induced intron methylation of root zmPP2C significantly downregulated its expression, while salt-induced demethylation of leaf zmGST weakly upregulated its expression. The results suggested that salinity-induced methylation downregulated zmPP2C expression, a negative regulator of the stress response, while salinity-induced demethylation upregulated zmGST expression, a positive effecter of the stress response. Altered methylation, in response to stress, might also be involved in stress acclimation. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Stereoselective differentiation in the Salt-induced Peptide Formation reaction and its relevance for the origin of life.

PubMed

Plankensteiner, Kristof; Reiner, Hannes; Rode, Bernd M

2005-04-01

All living organisms on earth are almost totally made up of biomolecules of only one chiral form. For example, proteins are built almost exclusively of L-amino acids, and sugars are composed of D-saccharides, a fact that is usually referred to as biohomochirality. Its origin is the center of numerous investigations and theories but is not really elucidated yet. The results of experimental investigations of peptide formation in a prebiotically relevant scenario, as described in this paper, give indications on a possible pathway for the synthesis of homochiral L-peptides in the course of the Salt-induced Peptide Formation (SIPF) reaction.

Exogenous Proline and Glycine Betaine Mediated Upregulation of Antioxidant Defense and Glyoxalase Systems Provides Better Protection against Salt-Induced Oxidative Stress in Two Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Varieties

PubMed Central

Hasanuzzaman, Mirza; Alam, Md. Mahabub; Rahman, Anisur; Hasanuzzaman, Md.; Nahar, Kamrun; Fujita, Masayuki

2014-01-01

The present study investigates the roles of exogenous proline (Pro, 5 mM) and glycine betaine (GB, 5 mM) in improving salt stress tolerance in salt sensitive (BRRI dhan49) and salt tolerant (BRRI dhan54) rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties. Salt stresses (150 and 300 mM NaCl for 48 h) significantly reduced leaf relative water (RWC) and chlorophyll (chl) content and increased endogenous Pro and increased lipid peroxidation and H2O2 levels. Ascorbate (AsA), glutathione (GSH) and GSH/GSSG, ascorbate peroxidae (APX), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT), and glyoxalase I (Gly I) activities were reduced in sensitive variety and these were increased in tolerant variety due to salt stress. The glyoxalase II (Gly II), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were increased in both cultivars by salt stress. Exogenous Pro and GB application with salt stress improved physiological parameters and reduced oxidative damage in both cultivars where BRRI dhan54 showed better tolerance. The result suggests that exogenous application of Pro and GB increased rice seedlings' tolerance to salt-induced oxidative damage by upregulating their antioxidant defense system where these protectants rendered better performance to BRRI dhan54 and Pro can be considered as better protectant than GB. PMID:24991566

Constitutive and stress-inducible overexpression of a native aquaporin gene (MusaPIP2;6) in transgenic banana plants signals its pivotal role in salt tolerance.

PubMed

Sreedharan, Shareena; Shekhawat, Upendra K Singh; Ganapathi, Thumballi R

2015-05-01

High soil salinity constitutes a major abiotic stress and an important limiting factor in cultivation of crop plants worldwide. Here, we report the identification and characterization of a aquaporin gene, MusaPIP2;6 which is involved in salt stress signaling in banana. MusaPIP2;6 was firstly identified based on comparative analysis of stressed and non-stressed banana tissue derived EST data sets and later overexpression in transgenic banana plants was performed to study its tangible functions in banana plants. The overexpression of MusaPIP2;6 in transgenic banana plants using constitutive or inducible promoter led to higher salt tolerance as compared to equivalent untransformed control plants. Cellular localization assay performed using transiently transformed onion peel cells indicated that MusaPIP2;6 protein tagged with green fluorescent protein was translocated to the plasma membrane. MusaPIP2;6-overexpressing banana plants displayed better photosynthetic efficiency and lower membrane damage under salt stress conditions. Our results suggest that MusaPIP2;6 is involved in salt stress signaling and tolerance in banana.

Effective salt criteria in callus-cultured tomato genotypes.

PubMed

Dogan, Mahmut; Tipirdamaz, Rukiye; Demir, Yavuz

2010-01-01

Na+, Cl-, K+, Ca2+, and proline contents, the rate of lipid peroxidation level in terms of malondialdehyde (MDA) and chlorophyll content, and the changes in the activity of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD: EC 1.15.1.1), catalase (CAT: EC 1.11.1.6), ascorbate peroxidase (APX: EC 1.11.1.11), and glutathione reductase (GR: EC 1.6.4.2), in tissues of five tomato cultivars in salt tolerance were investigated in a callus culture. The selection of effective parameters used in these tomato genotypes and to find out the use of in vitro tests in place of in vivo salt tolerance tests were investigated. As a material, five different tomato genotypes during a 10-day time period were used, and 150 mM NaCl was applied at callus plant tissue. The exposure to NaCl induced a significant increase in MDA content in both salt-resistant and salt-sensitive cultivars. But the MDA content was higher in salt-sensitive cultivars. The chlorophyll content was more decreased in salt-sensitive than in salt-resistant ones. The proline amount was more increased in salt-sensitive than in salt-resistant ones. It has been reported that salt-tolerant plants, besides being able to regulate the ion and water movements, also exhibit a strong antioxidative enzyme system for effective removal of ROS. The degree of damage depends on the balance between the formation of ROS and its removal by the antioxidative scavenging system that protects against them. Exclusion or inclusion of Na+, Cl-, K+, and Ca2+, antioxidant enzymes and MDA concentration play a key protective role against stress, and this feature at the callus plant tissue used as an identifier for tolerance to salt proved to be an effective criterion.

Decay-accelerating factor 1 deficiency exacerbates Trypanosoma cruzi-induced murine chronic myositis.

PubMed

Solana, María E; Ferrer, María F; Novoa, María Mercedes; Song, Wen-Chao; Gómez, Ricardo M

2012-10-01

Murine infection with Trypanosoma cruzi (Tc) has been used to study the role of T-cells in the pathogenesis of human inflammatory idiopathic myositis. Absence of decay-accelerating factor 1 (Daf1) has been shown to enhance murine T-cell responses and autoimmunity. To determine whether Daf1 deficiency can exacerbate Tc-induced myositis, C57BL/6 DAF(+/+) and DAF(-/-) mice were inoculated with 5 × 10(4) trypomastigotes, and their morbidity, parasitemia, parasite burden, histopathology, and T-cell expansion were studied in the acute and chronic stages. DAF(-/-) mice had lower parasitemia and parasite burden but higher morbidity, muscle histopathology, and increased number of CD44(+) (activated/memory phenotype) splenic CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cells. An enhanced CD8(+) T-cell immune-specific response may explain the lower parasitemia and parasite burden levels and the increase in histopathological lesions. We propose that Tc-inoculated DAF(-/-) mice are a useful model to study T-cell mediated immunity in skeletal muscle tissues. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Critical role of renal dipeptidyl peptidase-4 in ameliorating kidney injury induced by saxagliptin in Dahl salt-sensitive hypertensive rats.

PubMed

Sakai, Mariko; Uchii, Masako; Myojo, Kensuke; Kitayama, Tetsuya; Kunori, Shunji

2015-08-15

Saxagliptin, a potent dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, is currently used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus, and it has been reported to exhibit a slower rate of dissociation from DPP-4 compared with another DPP-4 inhibitor, sitagliptin. In this study, we compared the effects of saxagliptin and sitagliptin on hypertension-related renal injury and the plasma and renal DPP-4 activity levels in Dahl salt-sensitive hypertensive (Dahl-S) rats. The high-salt diet (8% NaCl) significantly increased the blood pressure and quantity of urinary albumin excretion and induced renal glomerular injury in the Dahl-S rats. Treatment with saxagliptin (14mg/kg/day via drinking water) for 4 weeks significantly suppressed the increase in urinary albumin excretion and tended to ameliorate glomerular injury without altering the blood glucose levels and systolic blood pressure. On the other hand, the administration of sitagliptin (140mg/kg/day via drinking water) did not affect urinary albumin excretion and glomerular injury in the Dahl-S rats. Meanwhile, the high-salt diet increased the renal DPP-4 activity but did not affect the plasma DPP-4 activity in the Dahl-S rats. Both saxagliptin and sitagliptin suppressed the plasma DPP-4 activity by 95% or more. Although the renal DPP-4 activity was also inhibited by both drugs, the inhibitory effect of saxagliptin was more potent than that of sitagliptin. These results indicate that saxagliptin has a potent renoprotective effect in the Dahl-S rats, independent of its glucose-lowering actions. The inhibition of the renal DPP-4 activity induced by saxagliptin may contribute to ameliorating renal injury in hypertension-related renal injury. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Corrosion-induced microstructural developments in 316 stainless steel during exposure to molten Li2BeF4(FLiBe) salt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Guiqiu; He, Lingfeng; Carpenter, David; Sridharan, Kumar

2016-12-01

The microstructural developments in the near-surface regions of AISI 316 stainless steel during exposure to molten Li2BeF4 (FLiBe) salt have been investigated with the goal of using this material for the construction of the fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR), a leading nuclear reactor concept for the next generation nuclear plants (NGNP). Tests were conducted in molten FLiBe salt (melting point: 459 °C) at 700 °C in graphite crucibles and 316 stainless steel crucibles for exposure duration of up to 3000 h. Corrosion-induced microstructural changes in the near-surface regions of the samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in conjunction with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with EDS capabilities. Intergranular corrosion attack in the near-surface regions was observed with associated Cr depletion along the grain boundaries. High-angle grain boundaries (15-180°) were particularly prone to intergranular attack and Cr depletion. The depth of attack extended to the depths of 22 μm after 3000-h exposure for the samples tested in graphite crucible, while similar exposure in 316 stainless steel crucible led to the attack depths of only about 11 μm. Testing in graphite crucibles led to the formation of nanometer-scale Mo2C, Cr7C3 and Al4C3 particle phases in the near-surface regions of the material. The copious depletion of Cr in the near-surface regions induced a γ-martensite to α-ferrite phase (FeNix) transformation. Based on the microstructural analysis, a thermal diffusion controlled corrosion model was developed and experimentally validated for predicting long-term corrosion attack depth.

Altered regulation of renal sodium transporters in salt-sensitive hypertensive rats induced by uninephrectomy.

PubMed

Jung, Ji Yong; Lee, Jay Wook; Kim, Sejoong; Jung, Eun Sook; Jang, Hye Ryoun; Han, Jin Suk; Joo, Kwon Wook

2009-12-01

Uninephrectomy (uNx) in young rats causes salt-sensitive hypertension (SSH). Alterations of sodium handling in residual nephrons may play a role in the pathogenesis. Therefore, we evaluated the adaptive alterations of renal sodium transporters according to salt intake in uNx-SSH rats. uNx or sham operations were performed in male Sprague-Dawley rats, and normal-salt diet was fed for 4 weeks. Four experimental groups were used: sham-operated rats raised on a high-salt diet for 2 weeks (CHH) or on a low-salt diet for 1 week after 1 week's high-salt diet (CHL) and uNx rats fed on the same diet (NHH, NHL) as the sham-operated rats were fed. Expression of major renal sodium transporters were determined by semiquantitative immunoblotting. Systolic blood pressure was increased in NHH and NHL groups, compared with CHH and CHL, respectively. Protein abundances of Na(+)/K(+)/2Cl(-) cotransporter (NKCC2) and Na(+)/Cl(-) cotransporter (NCC) in the CHH group were lower than the CHL group. Expression of epithelial sodium channel (ENaC)-γ increased in the CHH group. In contrast, expressions of NKCC2 and NCC in the NHH group didn't show any significant alterations, compared to the NHL group. Expressions of ENaC-α and ENaC-β in the NHH group were higher than the CHH group. Adaptive alterations of NKCC2 and NCC to changes of salt intake were different in the uNx group, and changes in ENaC-α and ENaC-β were also different. These altered regulations of sodium transporters may be involved in the pathogenesis of SSH in the uNx rat model.

Lack of Inducible NO Synthase Reduces Oxidative Stress and Enhances Cardiac Response to Isoproterenol in Mice With Deoxycorticosterone Acetate–Salt Hypertension

PubMed Central

Sun, Ying; Carretero, Oscar A.; Xu, Jiang; Rhaleb, Nour-Eddine; Wang, Fangfei; Lin, Chunxia; Yang, James J.; Pagano, Patrick J.; Yang, Xiao-Ping

2015-01-01

Although NO derived from endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) is thought to be cardioprotective, the role of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) remains controversial. Using mice lacking iNOS (iNOS−/−), we studied (1) whether development of hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy, and dysfunction after deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)–salt would be less severe compared with wild-type controls (WT; C57BL/6J), and (2) whether the cardioprotection attributable to lack of iNOS is mediated by reduced oxidative stress. Mice were uninephrectomized and received either DOCA-salt (30 mg/mouse SC and 1% NaCl+0.2% KCl in drinking water) or vehicle (tap water) for 12 weeks. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured weekly. Left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) by echocardiography and cardiac response to isoproterenol (50 ng/mouse IV) were studied at the end of the experiment. Expression of eNOS and iNOS as well as the oxidative stress markers 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE, a marker of lipid peroxidation) and nitrotyrosine (a marker for peroxynitrite) were determined by Western blot and immunohistochemical staining, respectively. DOCA-salt increased SBP and LV weight similarly in both strains and decreased EF in WT but not in iNOS−/−. Cardiac contractile and relaxation responses to isoproterenol were greater, 4-HNE and nitrotyrosine levels were lower, and eNOS expression tended to be higher in iNOS−/−. We conclude that lack of iNOS leads to better preservation of cardiac function, which may be mediated by reduced oxidative stress and increased eNOS; however, it does not seem to play a significant role in preventing DOCA-salt–induced hypertension and hypertrophy. PMID:16286571

Salt-tolerant and -sensitive alfalfa (Medicago sativa) cultivars have large variations in defense responses to the lepidopteran insect Spodoptera litura under normal and salt stress condition

PubMed Central

Lei, Yunting; Liu, Qing; Hettenhausen, Christian; Cao, Guoyan; Tan, Qing; Zhao, Weiye; Lin, Honghui

2017-01-01

In nature, plants are often exposed to multiple stress factors at the same time. Yet, little is known about how plants modulate their physiology to counteract simultaneous abiotic and biotic stresses, such as soil salinity and insect herbivory. In this study, insect performance bioassays, phytohormone measurements, quantification of transcripts, and protein determination were employed to study the phenotypic variations of two alfalfa (Medicago sativa) cultivars in response to insect Spodoptera litura feeding under normal and salt stress condition. When being cultivated in normal soil, the salt-tolerant alfalfa cultivar Zhongmu-1 exhibited lower insect resistance than did the salt-sensitive cultivar Xinjiang Daye. Under salinity stress, the defense responses of Xinjiang Daye were repressed, whereas Zhongmu-1 did not show changes in resistance levels. It is likely that salinity influenced the resistance of Xinjiang Daye through suppressing the accumulation of jasmonic acid-isoleucine (JA-Ile), which is the bioactive hormone inducing herbivore defense responses, leading to attenuated trypsin proteinase inhibitor (TPI) activity. Furthermore, exogenous ABA supplementation suppressed the insect herbivory-induced JA/JA-Ile accumulation and levels of JAR1 (jasmonate resistant 1) and TPI, and further decreased the resistance of Xinjiang Daye, whereas Zhongmu-1 showed very little response to the increased ABA level. We propose a mechanism, in which high levels of abscisic acid induced by salt treatment may affect the expression levels of JAR1 and consequently decrease JA-Ile accumulation and thus partly suppress the defense of Xinjiang Daye against insects under salt stress. This study provides new insight into the mechanism by which alfalfa responds to concurrent abiotic and biotic stresses. PMID:28719628

Salt-tolerant and -sensitive alfalfa (Medicago sativa) cultivars have large variations in defense responses to the lepidopteran insect Spodoptera litura under normal and salt stress condition.

PubMed

Lei, Yunting; Liu, Qing; Hettenhausen, Christian; Cao, Guoyan; Tan, Qing; Zhao, Weiye; Lin, Honghui; Wu, Jianqiang

2017-01-01

In nature, plants are often exposed to multiple stress factors at the same time. Yet, little is known about how plants modulate their physiology to counteract simultaneous abiotic and biotic stresses, such as soil salinity and insect herbivory. In this study, insect performance bioassays, phytohormone measurements, quantification of transcripts, and protein determination were employed to study the phenotypic variations of two alfalfa (Medicago sativa) cultivars in response to insect Spodoptera litura feeding under normal and salt stress condition. When being cultivated in normal soil, the salt-tolerant alfalfa cultivar Zhongmu-1 exhibited lower insect resistance than did the salt-sensitive cultivar Xinjiang Daye. Under salinity stress, the defense responses of Xinjiang Daye were repressed, whereas Zhongmu-1 did not show changes in resistance levels. It is likely that salinity influenced the resistance of Xinjiang Daye through suppressing the accumulation of jasmonic acid-isoleucine (JA-Ile), which is the bioactive hormone inducing herbivore defense responses, leading to attenuated trypsin proteinase inhibitor (TPI) activity. Furthermore, exogenous ABA supplementation suppressed the insect herbivory-induced JA/JA-Ile accumulation and levels of JAR1 (jasmonate resistant 1) and TPI, and further decreased the resistance of Xinjiang Daye, whereas Zhongmu-1 showed very little response to the increased ABA level. We propose a mechanism, in which high levels of abscisic acid induced by salt treatment may affect the expression levels of JAR1 and consequently decrease JA-Ile accumulation and thus partly suppress the defense of Xinjiang Daye against insects under salt stress. This study provides new insight into the mechanism by which alfalfa responds to concurrent abiotic and biotic stresses.

Weak decays of doubly heavy baryons: multi-body decay channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Yu-Ji; Wang, Wei; Xing, Ye; Xu, Ji

2018-01-01

The newly-discovered Ξ _{cc}^{++} decays into the Λ c^+ K^-π ^+π ^+, but the experimental data has indicated that this decay is not saturated by any two-body intermediate state. In this work, we analyze the multi-body weak decays of doubly heavy baryons Ξ _{cc}, Ω _{cc}, Ξ _{bc}, Ω _{bc}, Ξ _{bb} and Ω _{bb}, in particular the three-body nonleptonic decays and four-body semileptonic decays. We classify various decay modes according to the quark-level transitions and present an estimate of the typical branching fractions for a few golden decay channels. Decay amplitudes are then parametrized in terms of a few SU(3) irreducible amplitudes. With these amplitudes, we find a number of relations for decay widths, which can be examined in future.

Soil bacteria confer plant salt tolerance by tissue-specific regulation of the sodium transporter HKT1.

PubMed

Zhang, Huiming; Kim, Mi-Seong; Sun, Yan; Dowd, Scot E; Shi, Huazhong; Paré, Paul W

2008-06-01

Elevated sodium (Na(+)) decreases plant growth and, thereby, agricultural productivity. The ion transporter high-affinity K(+) transporter (HKT)1 controls Na(+) import in roots, yet dysfunction or overexpression of HKT1 fails to increase salt tolerance, raising questions as to HKT1's role in regulating Na(+) homeostasis. Here, we report that tissue-specific regulation of HKT1 by the soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis GB03 confers salt tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. Under salt stress (100 mM NaCl), GB03 concurrently down- and upregulates HKT1 expression in roots and shoots, respectively, resulting in lower Na(+) accumulation throughout the plant compared with controls. Consistent with HKT1 participation in GB03-induced salt tolerance, GB03 fails to rescue salt-stressed athkt1 mutants from stunted foliar growth and elevated total Na(+) whereas salt-stressed Na(+) export mutants sos3 show GB03-induced salt tolerance with enhanced shoot and root growth as well as reduced total Na(+). These results demonstrate that tissue-specific regulation of HKT1 is critical for managing Na(+) homeostasis in salt-stressed plants, as well as underscore the breadth and sophistication of plant-microbe interactions.

Benchmark Simulation of Natural Circulation Cooling System with Salt Working Fluid Using SAM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ahmed, K. K.; Scarlat, R. O.; Hu, R.

Liquid salt-cooled reactors, such as the Fluoride Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor (FHR), offer passive decay heat removal through natural circulation using Direct Reactor Auxiliary Cooling System (DRACS) loops. The behavior of such systems should be well-understood through performance analysis. The advanced system thermal-hydraulics tool System Analysis Module (SAM) from Argonne National Laboratory has been selected for this purpose. The work presented here is part of a larger study in which SAM modeling capabilities are being enhanced for the system analyses of FHR or Molten Salt Reactors (MSR). Liquid salt thermophysical properties have been implemented in SAM, as well as properties ofmore » Dowtherm A, which is used as a simulant fluid for scaled experiments, for future code validation studies. Additional physics modules to represent phenomena specific to salt-cooled reactors, such as freezing of coolant, are being implemented in SAM. This study presents a useful first benchmark for the applicability of SAM to liquid salt-cooled reactors: it provides steady-state and transient comparisons for a salt reactor system. A RELAP5-3D model of the Mark-1 Pebble-Bed FHR (Mk1 PB-FHR), and in particular its DRACS loop for emergency heat removal, provides steady state and transient results for flow rates and temperatures in the system that are used here for code-to-code comparison with SAM. The transient studied is a loss of forced circulation with SCRAM event. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first application of SAM to FHR or any other molten salt reactors. While building these models in SAM, any gaps in the code’s capability to simulate such systems are identified and addressed immediately, or listed as future improvements to the code.« less

The response of Dahl salt-sensitive and salt-resistant female rats to a space flight model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thierry-Palmer, Myrtle; Cephas, Stacy; Cleek, Tammy; Sayavongsa, Phouyong; Arnaud, Sara B.

2003-01-01

Vitamin D metabolism in the Dahl salt-sensitive (S) rat, a model of salt-induced hypertension, differs from that in the Dahl salt-resistant (R) rat. We have tested the hypothesis that differences in vitamin D metabolism would render the Dahl S rat more susceptible than the Dahl R rat to the effects of a space flight model. Dahl female rats were tail suspended (hind limb unloaded) for 28 days, while fed a low salt (3 g/kg sodium chloride) diet. Plasma 25-OHD concentrations of S rats were significantly lower than that of R rats. Plasma 1,25-(OH)2D concentration was 50% lower in unloaded than in loaded S rats, but was unaffected in unloaded R rats. The left soleus muscle weight and breaking strength of the left femur (torsion test) were 50% and 25% lower in unloaded than in loaded S and R rats. The mineral content of the left femur, however, was significantly lower (by 11%) only in unloaded S rats. We conclude that female S rats are more vulnerable than female R rats to decreases in plasma 1,25-(OH)2D concentration and femur mineral content during hind limb unloading, but equally vulnerable to muscle atrophy and reduced breaking strength of the femur.

21 CFR 100.155 - Salt and iodized salt.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Salt and iodized salt. 100.155 Section 100.155 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION GENERAL Specific Administrative Rulings and Decisions § 100.155 Salt and iodized salt. (a) For the purposes of this section, the...

Systematic Evaluation of Salt Cavern Well Integrity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, B. L.; Lord, D. L.; Lord, A. S.; Bettin, G.; Sobolik, S. R.; Park, B. Y.

2017-12-01

The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) holds a reserve of crude oil ( 700 million barrels) to help ease any interruptions in oil import to the United States. The oil is stored in a set of 63 underground caverns distributed across four sites along the U.S. Gulf Coast. The caverns were solution mined into salt domes at each of the four sites. The plastic nature of the salt is beneficial for the storage of crude oil as it heals any fractures that may occur in the salt. The SPR is responsible for operating and maintaining the nearly 120 wells used to access the storage caverns over operational lifetimes spanning decades. Salt creep can induce deformation of the well casing which must be remediated to insure cavern and well integrity. This is particularly true at the interface between the plastic salt and the rigid caprock. The Department of Energy, the SPR Management and Operations contractor, and Sandia National Laboratories has developed a multidimensional well-grading system for the salt cavern access wells. This system is designed to assign numeric grades to each well indicating its risk of losing integrity and remediation priority. The system consists of several main components which themselves may consist of sub-components. The main components consider such things as salt cavern pressure history, results from geomechanical simulations modeling salt deformation, and measurements of well casing deformation due to salt creep. In addition, the geology of the salt domes and their overlying caprock is also included in the grading. These multiple factors are combined into summary values giving the monitoring and remediation priority for each well. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc. for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Dark Matter Decays from Nonminimal Coupling to Gravity.

PubMed

Catà, Oscar; Ibarra, Alejandro; Ingenhütt, Sebastian

2016-07-08

We consider the standard model extended with a dark matter particle in curved spacetime, motivated by the fact that the only current evidence for dark matter is through its gravitational interactions, and we investigate the impact on the dark matter stability of terms in the Lagrangian linear in the dark matter field and proportional to the Ricci scalar. We show that this "gravity portal" induces decay even if the dark matter particle only has gravitational interactions, and that the decay branching ratios into standard model particles only depend on one free parameter: the dark matter mass. We study in detail the case of a singlet scalar as a dark matter candidate, which is assumed to be absolutely stable in flat spacetime due to a discrete Z_{2} symmetry, but which may decay in curved spacetimes due to a Z_{2}-breaking nonminimal coupling to gravity. We calculate the dark matter decay widths and we set conservative limits on the nonminimal coupling parameter from experiments. The limits are very stringent and suggest that there must exist an additional mechanism protecting the singlet scalar from decaying via this gravity portal.

Measurement of Cerium and Gadolinium in Solid Lithium Chloride-Potassium Chloride Salt Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS).

PubMed

Williams, Ammon; Bryce, Keith; Phongikaroon, Supathorn

2017-10-01

Pyroprocessing of used nuclear fuel (UNF) has many advantages-including that it is proliferation resistant. However, as part of the process, special nuclear materials accumulate in the electrolyte salt and present material accountability and safeguards concerns. The main motivation of this work was to explore a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) approach as an online monitoring technique to enhance the material accountability of special nuclear materials in pyroprocessing. In this work, a vacuum extraction method was used to draw the molten salt (CeCl 3 -GdCl 3 -LiCl-KCl) up into 4 mm diameter Pyrex tubes where it froze. The salt was then removed and the solid salt was measured using LIBS and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). A total of 36 samples were made that varied the CeCl 3 and GdCl 3 (surrogates for uranium and plutonium, respectively) concentrations from 0.5 wt% to 5 wt%. From these samples, univariate calibration curves for Ce and Gd were generated using peak area and peak intensity methods. For Ce, the Ce 551.1 nm line using the peak area provided the best calibration curve with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.099 wt% and a root mean squared error of cross-validation (RMSECV) of 0.197 wt%. For Gd, the best curve was generated using the peak intensities of the Gd 564.2 nm line resulting in a LOD of 0.027 wt% and a RMSECV of 0.295 wt%. The RMSECV for the univariate cases were determined using leave-one-out cross-validation. In addition to the univariate calibration curves, partial least squares (PLS) regression was done to develop a calibration model. The PLS models yielded similar results with RMSECV (determined using Venetian blind cross-validation with 17% left out per split) values of 0.30 wt% and 0.29 wt% for Ce and Gd, respectively. This work has shown that solid pyroprocessing salt can be qualitatively and quantitatively monitored using LIBS. This work has the potential of significantly enhancing

Diclofenac salts. III. Alkaline and earth alkaline salts.

PubMed

Fini, Adamo; Fazio, Giuseppe; Rosetti, Francesca; Angeles Holgado, M; Iruín, Ana; Alvarez-Fuentes, Josefa

2005-11-01

Diclofenac salts containing the alkaline and two earth alkaline cations have been prepared and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and EDAX spectroscopy; and by thermal and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA): all of them crystallize as hydrate when precipitated from water. The salts dehydrate at room temperature and more easily on heating, but recovery the hydration, when placed in a humid environment. X-ray diffraction spectra suggest that on dehydration new peaks appear on diffractograms and the lattice of the salts partially looses crystallinity. This phenomenon is readily visible in the case of the calcium and magnesium salts, whose thermograms display a crystallization exotherm, before melting or decomposing at temperatures near or above 200 degrees C; these last salts appear to form solvates, when prepared from methanol. The thermogram of each salt shows a complex endotherm of dehydration about 100 degrees C; the calcium salt displays two endotherms, well separated at about 120 and 160 degrees C, which disappear after prolonged heating. Decomposition exotherms, before or soon after the melting, appear below 300 degrees C. The ammonium salt is thermally unstable and, when heated to start dehydration, dissociates and leaves acidic diclofenac.

Molecular dynamics study of salt-solution interface: solubility and surface charge of salt in water.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Kazuya; Liang, Yunfeng; Sakka, Tetsuo; Matsuoka, Toshifumi

2014-04-14

The NaCl salt-solution interface often serves as an example of an uncharged surface. However, recent laser-Doppler electrophoresis has shown some evidence that the NaCl crystal is positively charged in its saturated solution. Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we have investigated the NaCl salt-solution interface system, and calculated the solubility of the salt using the direct method and free energy calculations, which are kinetic and thermodynamic approaches, respectively. The direct method calculation uses a salt-solution combined system. When the system is equilibrated, the concentration in the solution area is the solubility. In the free energy calculation, we separately calculate the chemical potential of NaCl in two systems, the solid and the solution, using thermodynamic integration with MD simulations. When the chemical potential of NaCl in the solution phase is equal to the chemical potential of the solid phase, the concentration of the solution system is the solubility. The advantage of using two different methods is that the computational methods can be mutually verified. We found that a relatively good estimate of the solubility of the system can be obtained through comparison of the two methods. Furthermore, we found using microsecond time-scale MD simulations that the positively charged NaCl surface was induced by a combination of a sodium-rich surface and the orientation of the interfacial water molecules.

Bile Salt Mediated Growth of Reverse Wormlike Micelles in Nonpolar Liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tung, Shih-Huang; Huang, Yi-En; Raghavan, Srinivasa

2006-03-01

We report the growth of reverse wormlike micelles induced by the addition of a bile salt in trace amounts to solutions of the phospholipid, lecithin in nonpolar organic solvents. Previous recipes for reverse wormlike micelles have usually required the addition of water to induce reverse micellar growth; here, we show that bile salts, due to their unique ``facially amphiphilic'' structure, can play a role analogous to water and promote the longitudinal aggregation of lecithin molecules into reverse micellar chains. The formation of transient entangled networks of these reverse micelles transforms low-viscosity lecithin organosols into strongly viscoelastic fluids. The zero-shear viscosity increases by more than five orders of magnitude, and it is the molar ratio of bile salt to lecithin that controls this viscosity enhancement. The growth of reverse wormlike micelles is also confirmed by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments on these fluids.

Spin-injection optical pumping of molten cesium salt and its NMR diagnosis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ishikawa, Kiyoshi

2015-07-15

Nuclear spin polarization of cesium ions in the salt was enhanced during optical pumping of cesium vapor at high magnetic field. Significant motional narrowing and frequency shift of NMR signals were observed by intense laser heating of the salt. When the hyperpolarized salt was cooled by blocking the heating laser, the signal width and frequency changed during cooling and presented the phase transition from liquid to solid. Hence, we find that the signal enhancement is mostly due to the molten salt and nuclear spin polarization is injected into the salt efficiently in the liquid phase. We also show that opticalmore » pumping similarly induces line narrowing in the solid phase. The use of powdered salt provided an increase in effective surface area and signal amplitude without glass wool in the glass cells.« less

Probing new physics in B→f0(980)K decays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giri, A. K.; Mawlong, B.; Mohanta, R.

2006-12-01

We study the hadronic decay modes B±(0)→f0(980)K±(0), involving a scalar and a pseudoscalar meson in the final state. These decay modes are dominated by the loop induced b→sq¯q(q=s,u,d) penguins along with a small b→u tree level transition (for B+→f0K+) and annihilation diagrams. Therefore, the standard model expectation of direct CP violation is negligibly small and the mixing-induced CP violation parameter in the mode B0→f0KS is expected to give the same value of sin⁡(2β), as extracted from B0→J/ψKS but with opposite sign. Using the generalized factorization approach we find the direct CP violation in the decay mode B+→f0K+ to be of the order of few percent. We then study the effect of the R-parity violating supersymmetric model and show that the direct CP violating asymmetry in B+→f0(980)K+ could be as large as ˜80% and the mixing-induced CP asymmetry in B0→f0KS (i.e., -Sf0KS) could deviate significantly from that of sin⁡(2β)J/ψKS.

Salt stress-induced transcription of σB- and CtsR-regulated genes in persistent and non-persistent Listeria monocytogenes strains from food processing plants.

PubMed

Ringus, Daina L; Ivy, Reid A; Wiedmann, Martin; Boor, Kathryn J

2012-03-01

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that can persist in food processing environments. Six persistent and six non-persistent strains from fish processing plants and one persistent strain from a meat plant were selected to determine if expression of genes in the regulons of two stress response regulators, σ(B) and CtsR, under salt stress conditions is associated with the ability of L. monocytogenes to persist in food processing environments. Subtype data were also used to categorize the strains into genetic lineages I or II. Quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to measure transcript levels for two σ(B)-regulated genes, inlA and gadD3, and two CtsR-regulated genes, lmo1138 and clpB, before and after (t=10 min) salt shock (i.e., exposure of exponential phase cells to BHI+6% NaCl for 10 min at 37°C). Exposure to salt stress induced higher transcript levels relative to levels under non-stress conditions for all four stress and virulence genes across all wildtype strains tested. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) of induction data revealed that transcript levels for one gene (clpB) were induced at significantly higher levels in non-persistent strains compared to persistent strains (p=0.020; two-way ANOVA). Significantly higher transcript levels of gadD3 (p=0.024; two-way ANOVA) and clpB (p=0.053; two-way ANOVA) were observed after salt shock in lineage I strains compared to lineage II strains. No clear association between stress gene transcript levels and persistence was detected. Our data are consistent with an emerging model that proposes that establishment of L. monocytogenes persistence in a specific environment occurs as a random, stochastic event, rather than as a consequence of specific bacterial strain characteristics.

Bile salt induced back diffusion of hydrogen ions across gastric mucosa in man. Fact or fiction?

PubMed

Ivey, K J

1981-01-01

We studied the effect of 5.5 mM bile salts, consisting of taurine conjugates in 5 normal subjects. Bile salts caused a significant increase in H+ loss from and Na+ movement into the gastric lumen (controls 1.5 mEq H+, 1.5 mEq Na+; bile salts -3.1 mEq H+ (p less than 0.001), Na+ 2.5 mEq (p less than 0.01) per 15 min.) To determine the effect of acid secretion, studies were repeated after i.v. atropine 2 mg/70 kg b.w. Atropine reduced net H+ flux to -0.2 mEq and Na+ gain to 0.9 mEq. When the bile salt studies were repeated after i.v. atropine, net H+ loss was increased to -5.4 mEq H+, significantly greater than with bile salts alone; corresponding Na+ gain was 3.2 mEq/15 min. The volume of fluid secreted was 25.0 ml in the bile salt study compared with 14.0 ml in the atropine and bile salt study. Even if all the additional volume 'secreted' (14 ml) were bicarbonate from the stomach or pancreatic juice with a concentration of 145 mEq/liter, it could account for a loss of only 2.0 mEq H+. In conclusion, atropine with bile salts is associated with a loss of H+ ions too great to be accounted for by bicarbonate neutralization. We conclude that back diffusion of H+ ions is the most likely explanation of H+ loss after bile salts in man.

Moderate salt treatment alleviates ultraviolet-B radiation caused impairment in poplar plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Xuan; Ou, Yong-Bin; Gao, Yong-Feng; Lutts, Stanley; Li, Tao-Tao; Wang, Yang; Chen, Yong-Fu; Sun, Yu-Fang; Yao, Yin-An

2016-09-01

The effects of moderate salinity on the responses of woody plants to UV-B radiation were investigated using two Populus species (Populus alba and Populus russkii). Under UV-B radiation, moderate salinity reduced the oxidation pressure in both species, as indicated by lower levels of cellular H2O2 and membrane peroxidation, and weakened the inhibition of photochemical efficiency expressed by O-J-I-P changes. UV-B-induced DNA lesions in chloroplast and nucleus were alleviated by salinity, which could be explained by the higher expression levels of DNA repair system genes under UV-B&salt condition, such as the PHR, DDB2, and MutSα genes. The salt-induced increase in organic osmolytes proline and glycine betaine, afforded more efficient protection against UV-B radiation. Therefore moderate salinity induced cross-tolerance to UV-B stress in poplar plants. It is thus suggested that woody plants growing in moderate salted condition would be less affected by enhanced UV-B radiation than plants growing in the absence of salt. Our results also showed that UV-B signal genes in poplar plants PaCOP1, PaSTO and PaSTH2 were quickly responding to UV-B radiation, but not to salt. The transcripts of PaHY5 and its downstream pathway genes (PaCHS1, PaCHS4, PaFLS1 and PaFLS2) were differently up-regulated by these treatments, but the flavonoid compounds were not involved in the cross-tolerance since their concentration increased to the same extent in both UV-B and combined stresses.

Low-temperature effect on enzyme activities involved in sucrose-starch partitioning in salt-stressed and salt-acclimated cotyledons of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) seedlings.

PubMed

Rosa, Mariana; Hilal, Mirna; González, Juan A; Prado, Fernando E

2009-04-01

The effect of low temperature on growth, sucrose-starch partitioning and related enzymes in salt-stressed and salt-acclimated cotyledons of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) was studied. The growth of cotyledons and growing axes in seedlings grown at 25/20 degrees C (light/dark) and shifted to 5/5 degrees C was lower than in those only growing at 25/20 degrees C (unstressed). However, there were no significant differences between low-temperature control and salt-treated seedlings. The higher activities of sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS, EC 2.4.1.14) and soluble acid invertase (acid INV, EC 3.2.1.25) were observed in salt-stressed cotyledons; however, the highest acid INV activity was observed in unstressed cotyledons. ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (ADP-GPPase, EC 2.7.7.27) was higher in unstressed cotyledons than in stressed ones. However, between 0 and 4days the highest value was observed in salt-stressed cotyledons. The lowest value of ADP-GPPase was observed in salt-acclimated cotyledons. Low temperature also affected sucrose synthase (SuSy, EC 2.4.1.13) activity in salt-treated cotyledons. Sucrose and glucose were higher in salt-stressed cotyledons, but fructose was essentially higher in low-temperature control. Starch was higher in low-temperature control; however, the highest content was observed at 0day in salt-acclimated cotyledons. Results demonstrated that low temperature induces different responses on sucrose-starch partitioning in salt-stressed and salt-acclimated cotyledons. Data also suggest that in salt-treated cotyledons source-sink relations (SSR) are changed in order to supply soluble sugars and proline for the osmotic adjustment. Relationships between starch formation and SuSy activity are also discussed.

Soil Carbon Stocks in a Shifting Ecosystem; Climate Induced Migration of Mangroves into Salt Marsh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simpson, L.; Osborne, T.; Feller, I. C.

2015-12-01

Across the globe, coastal wetland vegetation distributions are changing in response to climate change. The increase in global average surface temperature has already caused shifts in the structure and distribution of many ecological communities. In parts of the southeastern United States, increased winter temperatures have resulted in the poleward range expansion of mangroves at the expense of salt marsh habitat. Our work aims to document carbon storage in the salt marsh - mangrove ecotone and any potential changes in this reservoir that may ensue due to the shifting range of this habitat. Differences in SOM and C stocks along a latitudinal gradient on the east coast of Florida will be presented. The gradient studied spans 342 km and includes pure mangrove habitat, the salt marsh - mangrove ecotone, and pure salt marsh habitat.This latitudinal gradient gives us an exceptional opportunity to document and investigate ecosystem soil C modifications as mangroves transgress into salt marsh habitat due to climatic change.

Interaction of choline salts with artificial biological membranes: DSC studies elucidating cellular interactions.

PubMed

Weaver, Katherine D; Van Vorst, Matthew P; Vijayaraghavan, R; Macfarlane, Douglas R; Elliott, Gloria D

2013-08-01

To better understand the relationship between the relative cytotoxicity of diluted ionic liquids and their specific interaction with biological membranes, the thermotropic behavior of model lipid membrane systems formulated in a series of choline based organic salts was investigated. Unilamellar vesicles prepared from dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine were exposed to a series of choline phosphate salts at a concentration of 10mM at pH7.40, and the gel to liquid-crystalline state transition was examined using differential scanning calorimetry. The choline salts that were observed to have a low relative toxicity in previous studies induced minimal changes in the lipid phase transition behavior of these model membranes. In contrast, the salts choline bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinate and choline bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate, both of which were observed to have high relative toxicity, caused distinct disruptions in the lipid phase transition behavior, consistent with penetration of the salts into the acyl chains of the phospholipids. choline bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinate reduced the Tm and enthalpy of the main transition of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine while choline bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate induced the equilibration of alternate phases. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Altered potassium ATP channel signaling in mesenteric arteries of old high salt-fed rats

PubMed Central

Whidden, Melissa A.; Basgut, Bilgen; Kirichenko, Nataliya; Erdos, Benedek; Tümer, Nihal

2016-01-01

[Purpose] Both aging and the consumption of a high salt diet are associated with clear changes in the vascular system that can lead to the development of cardiovascular disease; however the mechanisms are not clearly understood. Therefore, we examined whether aging and the consumption of excess salt alters the function of potassium ATP-dependent channel signaling in mesenteric arteries [Methods] Young (7 months) and old (29 months) Fischer 344 x Brown Norway rats were fed a control or a high salt diet (8% NaCl) for 12 days and mesenteric arteries were utilized for vascular reactivity measurements. [Results] Acetylcholine-induced endothelium relaxation was significantly reduced in old arteries (81 ± 4%) when compared with young arteries (92 ± 2%). Pretreatment with the potassium-ATP channel blocker glibenclamide reduced relaxation to acetylcholine in young arteries but did not alter dilation in old arteries. On a high salt diet, endothelium dilation to acetylcholine was significantly reduced in old salt arteries (60 ± 3%) when compared with old control arteries (81 ± 4%). Glibenclamide reduced acetylcholine-induced dilation in young salt arteries but had no effect on old salt arteries. Dilation to cromakalim, a potassium-ATP channel opener, was reduced in old salt arteries when compared with old control arteries. [Conclusion] These findings demonstrate that aging impairs endothelium-dependent relaxation in mesenteric arteries. Furthermore, a high salt diet alters the function of potassium-ATP-dependent channel signaling in old isolated mesenteric arteries and affects the mediation of relaxation stimuli. PMID:27508155

High salt-induced excess reactive oxygen species production resulted in heart tube malformation during gastrulation.

PubMed

Gao, Lin-Rui; Wang, Guang; Zhang, Jing; Li, Shuai; Chuai, Manli; Bao, Yongping; Hocher, Berthold; Yang, Xuesong

2018-09-01

An association has been proved between high salt consumption and cardiovascular mortality. In vertebrates, the heart is the first functional organ to be formed. However, it is not clear whether high-salt exposure has an adverse impact on cardiogenesis. Here we report high-salt exposure inhibited basement membrane breakdown by affecting RhoA, thus disturbing the expression of Slug/E-cadherin/N-cadherin/Laminin and interfering with mesoderm formation during the epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT). Furthermore, the DiI + cell migration trajectory in vivo and scratch wound assays in vitro indicated that high-salt exposure restricted cell migration of cardiac progenitors, which was caused by the weaker cytoskeleton structure and unaltered corresponding adhesion junctions at HH7. Besides, down-regulation of GATA4/5/6, Nkx2.5, TBX5, and Mef2c and up-regulation of Wnt3a/β-catenin caused aberrant cardiomyocyte differentiation at HH7 and HH10. High-salt exposure also inhibited cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis. Most importantly, our study revealed that excessive reactive oxygen species(ROS)generated by high salt disturbed the expression of cardiac-related genes, detrimentally affecting the above process including EMT, cell migration, differentiation, cell proliferation and apoptosis, which is the major cause of malformation of heart tubes. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Consumer knowledge and attitudes to salt intake and labelled salt information.

PubMed

Grimes, Carley A; Riddell, Lynn J; Nowson, Caryl A

2009-10-01

The objective of this study was to investigate consumers' knowledge of health risks of high salt intake and frequency of use and understanding of labelled salt information. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in shopping centres within Metropolitan Melbourne. A sample of 493 subjects was recruited. The questionnaire assessed salt related shopping behaviours, attitudes to salt intake and health and their ability to interpret labelled sodium information. Four hundred and seventy four valid surveys were collected (65% female, 64% being the main shopper). Most participants knew of the relationship between salt intake and high blood pressure (88%). Sixty five percent of participants were unable to correctly identify the relationship between salt and sodium. Sixty nine percent reported reading the salt content of food products when shopping. Salt label usage was significantly related to shoppers concern about the amount of salt in their diet and the belief that their health could improve by lowering salt intake. Approximately half of the sample was unable to accurately use labelled sodium information to pick low salt options. Raising consumer awareness of the health risks associated with high salt consumption may increase salt label usage and purchases of low salt foods. However, for food labels to be effective in helping consumers select low salt foods a more 'user friendly' labelling format is needed.

Molecular interactions between lecithin and bile salts/acids in oils and their effects on reverse micellization.

PubMed

Njauw, Ching-Wei; Cheng, Chih-Yang; Ivanov, Viktor A; Khokhlov, Alexei R; Tung, Shih-Huang

2013-03-26

It has been known that the addition of bile salts to lecithin organosols induces the formation of reverse wormlike micelles and that the worms are similar to long polymer chains that entangle each other to form viscoelastic solutions. In this study, we further investigated the effects of different bile salts and bile acids on the growth of lecithin reverse worms in cyclohexane and n-decane. We utilized rheological and small-angle scattering techniques to analyze the properties and structures of the reverse micelles. All of the bile salts can transform the originally spherical lecithin reverse micelles into wormlike micelles and their rheological behaviors can be described by the single-relaxation-time Maxwell model. However, their efficiencies to induce the worms are different. In contrast, before phase separation, bile acids can induce only short cylindrical micelles that are not long enough to impart viscoelasticity. We used Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to investigate the interactions between lecithin and bile salts/acids and found that different bile salts/acids employ different functional groups to form hydrogen bonds with lecithin. Such effects determine the relative positions of the bile salts/acids in the headgroups of lecithin, thus resulting in varying efficiencies to alter the effective critical packing parameter for the formation of wormlike micelles. This work highlights the importance of intermolecular interactions in molecular self-assembly.

Search for Dinucleon Decay into Kaons in Super-Kamiokande

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Litos, M.; Abe, K.; Hayato, Y.; Iida, T.; Ikeda, M.; Iyogi, K.; Kameda, J.; Kobayashi, K.; Koshio, Y.; Kozuma, Y.; Miura, M.; Moriyama, S.; Nakahata, M.; Nakayama, S.; Obayashi, Y.; Ogawa, H.; Sekiya, H.; Shiozawa, M.; Suzuki, Y.; Takeda, A.; Takenaga, Y.; Takeuchi, Y.; Ueno, K.; Ueshima, K.; Watanabe, H.; Yamada, S.; Yokozawa, T.; Hazama, S.; Ishihara, C.; Kaji, H.; Kajita, T.; Kaneyuki, K.; McLachlan, T.; Okumura, K.; Shimizu, Y.; Tanimoto, N.; Vagins, M. R.; Kearns, E.; Stone, J. L.; Sulak, L. R.; Dufour, F.; Raaf, J. L.; Henning, B.; Goldhaber, M.; Bays, K.; Casper, D.; Cravens, J. P.; Kropp, W. R.; Mine, S.; Regis, C.; Smy, M. B.; Sobel, H. W.; Ganezer, K. S.; Hill, J.; Keig, W. E.; Jang, J. S.; Kim, J. Y.; Lim, I. T.; Albert, J. B.; Wongjirad, T.; Wendell, R.; Scholberg, K.; Walter, C. W.; Tasaka, S.; Learned, J. G.; Matsuno, S.; Watanabe, Y.; Hasegawa, T.; Ishida, T.; Ishii, T.; Kobayashi, T.; Nakadaira, T.; Nakamura, K.; Nishikawa, K.; Nishino, H.; Oyama, Y.; Sakashita, K.; Sekiguchi, T.; Tsukamoto, T.; Suzuki, A. T.; Minamino, A.; Nakaya, T.; Fukuda, Y.; Itow, Y.; Mitsuka, G.; Tanaka, T.; Jung, C. K.; Lopez, G.; McGrew, C.; Terri, R.; Yanagisawa, C.; Tamura, N.; Ishino, H.; Kibayashi, A.; Mino, S.; Mori, T.; Sakuda, M.; Toyota, H.; Kuno, Y.; Yoshida, M.; Kim, S. B.; Yang, B. S.; Ishizuka, T.; Okazawa, H.; Choi, Y.; Nishijima, K.; Yokosawa, Y.; Koshiba, M.; Yokoyama, M.; Totsuka, Y.; Chen, S.; Heng, Y.; Yang, Z.; Zhang, H.; Kielczewska, D.; Mijakowski, P.; Connolly, K.; Dziomba, M.; Thrane, E.; Wilkes, R. J.; Super-Kamiokande Collaboration

2014-04-01

A search for the dinucleon decay pp→K+K+ has been performed using 91.6 kton .yr data from Super-Kamiokande-I. This decay provides a sensitive probe of the R-parity-violating parameter λ112''. A boosted decision tree analysis found no signal candidates in the data. The expected background was 0.28±0.19 atmospheric neutrino induced events and the estimated signal detection efficiency was 12.6%±3.2%. A lower limit of 1.7×1032 years has been placed on the partial lifetime of the decay O16→C14K+K+ at 90% C.L. A corresponding upper limit of 7.8×10-9 has been placed on the parameter λ112''.

Intake of water with high levels of dissolved hydrogen (H2) suppresses ischemia-induced cardio-renal injury in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.

PubMed

Zhu, Wan-Jun; Nakayama, Masaaki; Mori, Takefumi; Nakayama, Keisuke; Katoh, Junichiro; Murata, Yaeko; Sato, Toshinobu; Kabayama, Shigeru; Ito, Sadayoshi

2011-07-01

Hydrogen (H(2)) reportedly produces an antioxidative effect by quenching cytotoxic oxygen radicals. We studied the biological effects of water with dissolved H(2) on ischemia-induced cardio-renal injury in a rat model of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Dahl salt-sensitive rats (7 weeks old) were allowed ad libitum drinking of filtered water (FW: dissolved H(2), 0.00 ± 0.00 mg/L) or water with dissolved H(2) produced by electrolysis (EW: dissolved H(2), 0.35 ± 0.03 mg/L) for up to 6 weeks on a 0.5% salt diet. The rats then underwent ischemic reperfusion (I/R) of one kidney and were killed a week later for investigation of the contralateral kidney and the heart. In the rats given FW, unilateral kidney I/R induced significant increases in plasma monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, methylglyoxal and blood urea nitrogen. Histologically, significant increases were found in glomerular adhesion, cardiac fibrosis, number of ED-1 (CD68)-positive cells and nitrotyrosine staining in the contralateral kidney and the heart. In rats given EW, those findings were significantly ameliorated and there were significant histological differences between rats given FW and those given EW. Consumption of EW by ad libitum drinking has the potential to ameliorate ischemia-induced cardio-renal injury in CKD model rats. This indicates a novel strategy of applying H(2) produced by water electrolysis technology for the prevention of CKD cardio-renal syndrome.

Investigation of salt loss from the Bonneville Salt Flats, northwestern Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mason, James L.; Kipp, Kenneth L.

1997-01-01

The Bonneville Salt Flats study area is located in the western part of the Great Salt Lake Desert in northwestern Utah, about 110 miles west of Salt Lake City. The salt crust covers about 50 square miles, but the extent varies yearly as a result of salt being dissolved by the formation and movement of surface ponds during the winter and redeposited with the evaporation of these ponds during the summer.A decrease in thickness and extent of the salt crust on the Bonneville Salt Flats has been documented during 1960-88 (S. Brooks, Bureau of Land Management, written commun., 1989). Maximum salt-crust thickness was 7 feet in 1960 and 5.5 feet in 1988. No definitive data are available to identify and quantify the processes that cause salt loss. More than 55 million tons of salt are estimated to have been lost from the salt crust during the 28-year period. The Bureau of Land Management needs to know the causes of salt loss to make appropriate management decisions.

Prospects for future experiments to search for nucleon decay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ayres, D.S.; Heller, K.; LoSecco, J.

1982-01-01

We review the status of theoretical expectations and experimental searches for nucleon decay, and predict the sensitivities which could be reached by future experiments. For the immediate future, we concur with the conclusions of the 1982 Summer Workshop on Proton Decay Experiments: all detectors now in operation or construction will be relatively insensitive to some potentially important decay modes. Next-generation experiments must therefore be designed to search for these modes, and should be undertaken whether or not present experiments detect nucleon decay in other modes. These future experiments should be designed to push the lifetime limits on all decay modesmore » to the levels at which irreducible cosmic-ray neutrino-induced backgrounds become important. Since the technology for these next-generation experiments is available now, the timetable for starting work on them will be determined by funding constraints and not by the need for extensive development of detectors. Efforts to develop advanced detector techniques should also be pursued, in order to mount more sensitive searches than can be envisioned using current technology, or to provide the most precise measurements possible of the properties of the nucleon decay interaction if it should occur at a detectable rate.« less

Attenuated flow‐induced dilatation of middle cerebral arteries is related to increased vascular oxidative stress in rats on a short‐term high salt diet

PubMed Central

Cosic, Anita; Jukic, Ivana; Stupin, Ana; Mihalj, Martina; Mihaljevic, Zrinka; Novak, Sanja; Vukovic, Rosemary

2016-01-01

Key points Recent studies have shown that high salt (HS) intake leads to endothelial dysfunction and impaired vascular reactivity in different vascular beds in both animal and human models, due to increased oxidative stress.The objective of this study was to assess vascular response to flow‐induced dilatation (FID) and to elucidate the role of vascular oxidative stress/antioxidative capacity in middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) of HS‐fed rats in vitro.The novelty of this study is in demonstrating impaired flow‐induced dilatation of MCAs and down‐regulation of vascular antioxidant genes with HS intake, leading to increased levels of oxidative stress in blood vessels and peripheral lymph organs, which together contribute to impaired FID.In addition, results show increased oxidative stress in leukocytes of peripheral lymph organs, suggesting the occurrence of inflammatory processes due to HS intake.Recirculation of leukocytes might additionally increase vascular oxidative stress in vivo. Abstract The aim of this study was to determine flow‐induced dilatation (FID) and the role of oxidative stress/antioxidative capacity in isolated, pressurized middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) of high salt (HS)‐fed rats. Healthy male Sprague‐Dawley rats (11 weeks old) were fed low salt (0.4% NaCl; LS group) or high salt (4% NaCl; HS group) diets for 1 week. Reactivity of MCAs in response to stepwise increases in pressure gradient (Δ10–Δ100 mmHg) was determined in the absence or presence of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic TEMPOL and/or the nitric oxide synthases (NOS) inhibitor N ω‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (l‐name). mRNA levels of antioxidative enzymes, NAPDH‐oxidase components, inducible (iNOS) and endothelial nitric oxide synthases (eNOS) were determined by quantitative real‐time PCR. Blood pressure (BP), antioxidant enzymes activity, oxidative stress in peripheral leukocytes, lipid peroxidation products and the antioxidant capacity of plasma

Attenuated flow-induced dilatation of middle cerebral arteries is related to increased vascular oxidative stress in rats on a short-term high salt diet.

PubMed

Cosic, Anita; Jukic, Ivana; Stupin, Ana; Mihalj, Martina; Mihaljevic, Zrinka; Novak, Sanja; Vukovic, Rosemary; Drenjancevic, Ines

2016-09-01

Recent studies have shown that high salt (HS) intake leads to endothelial dysfunction and impaired vascular reactivity in different vascular beds in both animal and human models, due to increased oxidative stress. The objective of this study was to assess vascular response to flow-induced dilatation (FID) and to elucidate the role of vascular oxidative stress/antioxidative capacity in middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) of HS-fed rats in vitro. The novelty of this study is in demonstrating impaired flow-induced dilatation of MCAs and down-regulation of vascular antioxidant genes with HS intake, leading to increased levels of oxidative stress in blood vessels and peripheral lymph organs, which together contribute to impaired FID. In addition, results show increased oxidative stress in leukocytes of peripheral lymph organs, suggesting the occurrence of inflammatory processes due to HS intake. Recirculation of leukocytes might additionally increase vascular oxidative stress in vivo. The aim of this study was to determine flow-induced dilatation (FID) and the role of oxidative stress/antioxidative capacity in isolated, pressurized middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) of high salt (HS)-fed rats. Healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats (11 weeks old) were fed low salt (0.4% NaCl; LS group) or high salt (4% NaCl; HS group) diets for 1 week. Reactivity of MCAs in response to stepwise increases in pressure gradient (Δ10-Δ100 mmHg) was determined in the absence or presence of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic TEMPOL and/or the nitric oxide synthases (NOS) inhibitor N(ω) -nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME). mRNA levels of antioxidative enzymes, NAPDH-oxidase components, inducible (iNOS) and endothelial nitric oxide synthases (eNOS) were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Blood pressure (BP), antioxidant enzymes activity, oxidative stress in peripheral leukocytes, lipid peroxidation products and the antioxidant capacity of plasma were measured for both groups. FID was

Proteomic and phosphoproteomic analysis of renal cortex in a salt-load rat model of advanced kidney damage

PubMed Central

Jiang, Shaoling; He, Hanchang; Tan, Lishan; Wang, Liangliang; Su, Zhengxiu; Liu, Yufeng; Zhu, Hongguo; Zhang, Menghuan; Hou, Fan Fan; Li, Aiqing

2016-01-01

Salt plays an essential role in the progression of chronic kidney disease and hypertension. However, the mechanisms underlying pathogenesis of salt-induced kidney damage remain largely unknown. Here, Sprague-Dawley rats, that underwent 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6Nx, a model of advanced kidney damage) or sham operation, were treated for 2 weeks with a normal or high-salt diet. We employed aTiO2 enrichment, iTRAQ labeling and liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry strategy for proteomic and phosphoproteomic profiling of the renal cortex. We found 318 proteins differentially expressed in 5/6Nx group relative to sham group, and 310 proteins significantly changed in response to salt load in 5/6Nx animals. Totally, 1810 unique phosphopeptides corresponding to 550 phosphoproteins were identified. We identified 113 upregulated and 84 downregulated phosphopeptides in 5/6Nx animals relative to sham animals. Salt load induced 78 upregulated and 91 downregulated phosphopeptides in 5/6Nx rats. The differentially expressed phospholproteins are important transporters, structural molecules, and receptors. Protein-protein interaction analysis revealed that the differentially phosphorylated proteins in 5/6Nx group, Polr2a, Srrm1, Gsta2 and Pxn were the most linked. Salt-induced differential phosphoproteins, Myh6, Lmna and Des were the most linked. Altered phosphorylation levels of lamin A and phospholamban were validated. This study will provide new insight into pathogenetic mechanisms of chronic kidney disease and salt sensitivity. PMID:27775022

Five novel transcription factors as potential regulators of OsNHX1 gene expression in a salt tolerant rice genotype.

PubMed

Almeida, Diego M; Gregorio, Glenn B; Oliveira, M Margarida; Saibo, Nelson J M

2017-01-01

This manuscript reports the identification and characterization of five transcription factors binding to the promoter of OsNHX1 in a salt stress tolerant rice genotype (Hasawi). Although NHX1 encoding genes are known to be highly regulated at the transcription level by different abiotic stresses, namely salt and drought stress, until now only one transcription factor (TF) binding to its promoter has been reported. In order to unveil the TFs regulating NHX1 gene expression, which is known to be highly induced under salt stress, we have used a Y1H system to screen a salt induced rice cDNA expression library from Hasawi. This approach allowed us to identify five TFs belonging to three distinct TF families: one TCP (OsPCF2), one CPP (OsCPP5) and three NIN-like (OsNIN-like2, OsNIN-like3 and OsNIN-like4) binding to the OsNHX1 gene promoter. We have also shown that these TFs act either as transcriptional activators (OsPCF2, OsNIN-like4) or repressors (OsCPP5, OsNIN-like2) and their encoding genes are differentially regulated by salt and PEG-induced drought stress in two rice genotypes, Nipponbare (salt-sensitive) and Hasawi (salt-tolerant). The transactivation activity of OsNIN-like3 was not possible to determine. Increased soil salinity has a direct impact on the reduction of plant growth and crop yield and it is therefore fundamental to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying gene expression regulation under adverse environmental conditions. OsNHX1 is the most abundant K + -Na + /H + antiporter localized in the tonoplast and its gene expression is induced by salt, drought and ABA. To investigate how OsNHX1 is transcriptionally regulated in response to salt stress in a salt-tolerant rice genotype (Hasawi), a salt-stress-induced cDNA expression library was constructed and subsequently screened using the yeast one-hybrid system and the OsNHX1 promoter as bait. Five transcription factors (TFs) belonging to three distinct TF families: one TCP (OsPCF2), one CPP (Os

Self-assembly of micelles in organic solutions of lecithin and bile salt: Mesoscale computer simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markina, A.; Ivanov, V.; Komarov, P.; Khokhlov, A.; Tung, S.-H.

2016-11-01

We propose a coarse-grained model for studying the effects of adding bile salt to lecithin organosols by means of computer simulation. This model allows us to reveal the mechanisms of experimentally observed increasing of viscosity upon increasing the bile salt concentration. We show that increasing the bile salt to lecithin molar ratio induces the growth of elongated micelles of ellipsoidal and cylindrical shape due to incorporation of disklike bile salt molecules. These wormlike micelles can entangle into transient network displaying perceptible viscoelastic properties.

Dynamics of glass-forming liquids. XIX. Rise and decay of field induced anisotropy in the non-linear regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young-Gonzales, Amanda R.; Samanta, Subarna; Richert, Ranko

2015-09-01

For glycerol and three monohydroxy alcohols, we have measured the non-linear dielectric effects resulting from the application and removal of a high dc bias electric field. The field effects are detected by virtue of a small amplitude harmonic field, from which time resolved changes in the dielectric loss are derived. The changes in permittivity are dominated by modifications of the time constants (rather than amplitudes) which display two contributions: a heating-like decrease of relaxation times that originates from the time dependent field when the bias is switched on and off and a slowing down of the dynamics resulting from the field induced reduction of configurational entropy. As observed for the electro-optical Kerr effect, the rise of the entropy change is slower than its decay, a feature that we rationalize on the basis of the quadratic dependence of the entropy change on polarization. For glycerol, the observed steady state level of the field induced shift of the glass transition temperature (+84 mK) matches the expectation based on the entropy change and its impact on dynamics via the Adam-Gibbs relation (+88 mK). For the alcohols, these non-linear effects rise and decay on the time scales of the prominent dielectric Debye process, underscoring the relation of these features to polarization anisotropy, opposed to mechanical or enthalpy relaxation which are orders of magnitude faster in these systems. A model is discussed which captures the observed magnitudes as well as time dependences in a near quantitative fashion. It is demonstrated that the high bias field modifies the response of polarization to the ac field, including a temporary change in the low field susceptibility.

Where Does Road Salt Go - a Static Salt Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, C. W.; Liu, F.; Moriarty, V. W.

2017-12-01

Each winter, more than 15 million tons of road salt is applied in the United States for the de-icing purpose. Considerable amount of chloride in road salt flows into streams/drainage systems with the snow melt runoff and spring storms, and eventually goes into ecologically sensitive low-lying areas in the watershed, such as ponds and lakes. In many watersheds in the northern part of US, the chloride level in the water body has increased significantly in the past decades, and continues an upward trend. The environmental and ecological impact of the elevated chloride level can no longer be ignored. However although there are many studies on the biological impact of elevated chloride levels, there are few investigations on how the spatially distributed road salt application affects various parts of the watershed. In this presentation, we propose a static road salt model as a first-order metric to address spacial distribution of salt loading. Derived from the Topological Wetness Index (TWI) in many hydrological models, this static salt model provides a spatial impact as- sessment of road salt applications. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the static model, National Elevation Dataset (NED) of ten-meter resolution of Lake George watershed in New York State is used to generate the TWI, which is used to compute a spatially dis- tributed "salt-loading coefficient" of the whole watershed. Spatially varying salt applica- tion rate is then aggregated, using the salt-loading coefficients as weights, to provide salt loading assessments of streams in the watershed. Time-aggregated data from five CTD (conductivity-temperature-depth) sensors in selected streams are used for calibration. The model outputs and the sensor data demonstrate a strong linear correlation, with the R value of 0.97. The investigation shows that the static modeling approach may provide an effective method for the understanding the input and transport of road salt to within watersheds.

Excreting and non-excreting grasses exhibit different salt resistance strategies

PubMed Central

Moinuddin, Muhammad; Gulzar, Salman; Ahmed, Muhammad Zaheer; Gul, Bilquees; Koyro, Hans-Werner; Khan, Muhammad Ajmal

2014-01-01

The combination of traits that makes a plant successful under saline conditions varies with the type of plant and its interaction with the environmental conditions. Knowledge about the contribution of these traits towards salt resistance in grasses has great potential for improving the salt resistance of conventional crops. We attempted to identify differential adaptive response patterns of salt-excreting versus non-excreting grasses. More specifically, we studied the growth, osmotic, ionic and nutrient (carbon/nitrogen) relations of two salt-excreting (Aeluropus lagopoides and Sporobolus tremulus) and two non-excreting (Paspalum paspalodes and Paspalidium geminatum) perennial C4 grasses under non-saline and saline (0, 200 and 400 mM NaCl) conditions. Growth and relative growth rate decreased under saline conditions in the order P. geminatum > S. tremulus = A. lagopoides > P. paspalodes. The root-to-shoot biomass allocation was unaffected in salt-excreting grasses, increased in P. paspalodes but decreased in P. geminatum. Salt-excreting grasses had a higher shoot/root Na+ ratio than non-excreting grasses. K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ homoeostasis remained undisturbed among test grasses possibly through improved ion selectivity with rising substrate salinity. Salt-excreting grasses increased leaf succulence, decreased ψs and xylem pressure potential, and accumulated proline and glycinebetaine with increasing salinity. Higher salt resistance of P. paspalodes could be attributed to lower Na+ uptake, higher nitrogen-use efficiency and higher water-use efficiency among the test species. However, P. geminatum was unable to cope with salt-induced physiological drought. More information is required to adequately document the differential strategies of salt resistance in salt-excreting and non-excreting grasses. PMID:24996428

Bioelectronic tongue of taste buds on microelectrode array for salt sensing.

PubMed

Liu, Qingjun; Zhang, Fenni; Zhang, Diming; Hu, Ning; Wang, Hua; Hsia, K Jimmy; Wang, Ping

2013-02-15

Taste has received great attention for its potential applications. In this work, we combine the biological tissue with micro-chips to establish a novel bioelectronic tongue system for salt taste detection. Before experiment, we established a computational model of action potential in salt taste receptor cell, simulating the responsive results to natural salt stimuli of NaCl solution with various concentrations. Then 36-channel microelectrode arrays (MEA) with the diameter of 30 μm were fabricated on the glass substrate, and taste epithelium was stripped from rat and fixed on MEA. When stimulated by the salt stimuli, electrophysiological activities of taste receptor cells in taste buds were measured through a multi-channel recording system. Both simulation and experiment results showed a dose-dependent increase in NaCl-induced potentials of taste receptor cells, which indicated good applications in salt measurements. The multi-channel analysis demonstrated that different groups of MEA channels were activated during stimulations, indicating non-overlapping populations of receptor cells in taste buds involved in salt taste perception. The study provides an effective and reliable biosensor platform to help recognize and distinguish salt taste components. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Coordinated Changes in Antioxidative Enzymes Protect the Photosynthetic Machinery from Salinity Induced Oxidative Damage and Confer Salt Tolerance in an Extreme Halophyte Salvadora persica L.

PubMed Central

Rangani, Jaykumar; Parida, Asish K.; Panda, Ashok; Kumari, Asha

2016-01-01

Salinity-induced modulations in growth, photosynthetic pigments, relative water content (RWC), lipid peroxidation, photosynthesis, photosystem II efficiency, and changes in activity of various antioxidative enzymes were studied in the halophyte Salvadora persica treated with various levels of salinity (0, 250, 500, 750, and 1000 mM NaCl) to obtain an insight into the salt tolerance ability of this halophyte. Both fresh and dry biomass as well as leaf area (LA) declined at all levels of salinity whereas salinity caused an increase in leaf succulence. A gradual increase was observed in the Na+ content of leaf with increasing salt concentration up to 750 mM NaCl, but at higher salt concentration (1000 mM NaCl), the Na+ content surprisingly dropped down to the level of 250 mM NaCl. The chlorophyll and carotenoid contents of the leaf remained unaffected by salinity. The photosynthetic rate (PN), stomatal conductance (gs), the transpiration rate (E), quantum yield of PSII (ΦPSII), photochemical quenching (qP), and electron transport rate remained unchanged at low salinity (250 to 500 mM NaCl) whereas, significant reduction in these parameters were observed at high salinity (750 to 1000 mM NaCl). The RWC% and water use efficiency (WUE) of leaf remained unaffected by salinity. The salinity had no effect on maximum quantum efficiency of PS II (Fv/Fm) which indicates that PS II is not perturbed by salinity-induced oxidative damage. Analysis of the isoforms of antioxidative enzymes revealed that the leaves of S. persica have two isoforms each of Mn-SOD and Fe-SOD and one isoform of Cu-Zn SOD, three isoforms of POX, two isoforms of APX and one isoform of CAT. There was differential responses in activity and expression of different isoforms of various antioxidative enzymes. The malondialdehyde (MDA) content (a product of lipid peroxidation) of leaf remained unchanged in S. persica treated with various levels of salinity. Our results suggest that the absence of pigment

INNER SALTS

DTIC Science & Technology

been characterized include: (1) mesomeric phosphonium salts possessing phototropic properties; (2) pentavalent phosphorus compounds; and (3) a...Products that have been characterized include: (1) mesomeric phosphonium salts possessing phototropic properties; (2) pentavalent phosphorus compounds; and (3) a mesomeric inner salt. (Author)

Controlling moisture content of wood samples using a modified soil-pan decay method

Treesearch

Jerrold E. Winandy; Simon F. Curling; Patricia K. Lebow

2005-01-01

In wood, the threshold level below which decay cannot occur varies with species or type of wood product and other factors such as temperature, humidity, and propensity of exposure or service-use to allow rain-induced wetting and subsequent drying. The ability to control wood moisture content (MC) during laboratory decay testing could allow research on the moisture...

Osmopriming-induced salt tolerance during seed germination of alfalfa most likely mediates through H2O2 signaling and upregulation of heme oxygenase.

PubMed

Amooaghaie, Rayhaneh; Tabatabaie, Fatemeh

2017-07-01

The present study showed that osmopriming or pretreatment with low H 2 O 2 doses (2 mM) for 6 h alleviated salt-reduced seed germination. The NADPH oxidase activity was the main source, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity might be a secondary source of H 2 O 2 generation during osmopriming or H 2 O 2 pretreatment. Hematin pretreatment similar to osmopriming improved salt-reduced seed germination that was coincident with the enhancement of heme oxygenase (HO) activity. The semi-quantitative RT-PCR confirmed that osmopriming or H 2 O 2 pretreatment was able to upregulate heme oxygenase HO-1 transcription, while the application of N,N-dimethyl thiourea (DMTU as trap of endogenous H 2 O 2 ) and diphenyleneiodonium (DPI as inhibitor of NADPHox) not only blocked the upregulation of HO but also reversed the osmopriming-induced salt attenuation. The addition of CO-saturated aqueous rescued the inhibitory effect of DMTU and DPI on seed germination and α-amylase activity during osmopriming or H 2 O 2 pretreatment, but H 2 O 2 could not reverse the inhibitory effect of ZnPPIX (as HO inhibitor) or Hb (as CO scavenger) that indicates that the CO acts downstream of H 2 O 2 in priming-driven salt acclimation. The antioxidant enzymes and proline synthesis were upregulated in roots of seedlings grown from primed seeds, and these responses were reversed by adding DMTU, ZnPPIX, and Hb during osmopriming. These findings for the first time suggest that H 2 O 2 signaling and upregulation of heme oxygenase play a crucial role in priming-driven salt tolerance.

β-decay properties in the Cs decay chain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benzoni, G.; Lică, R.; Borge, M. J. G.; Fraile, L. M.; IDS Collaboration

2018-02-01

The study of the decay of neutron-rich Cs isotopes has two main objectives: on one side β decay is a perfect tool to access the low-spin structures in the daughter Ba nuclei, where the evolution of octupole deformed shapes can be followed, while, on the other hand, the study of the gross properties of these decays, in terms of decay rates and branching to delayed-neutron emission, are fundamental inputs for the modelling of the r-process in the Rare-Earth Elements peak. Results obtained at CERN-ISOLDE are discussed within this framework and compared to existing data and predictions from state-of-the-art nuclear models.

Salt-specific regulation of the cytosolic O-acetylserine(thiol)lyase gene from Arabidopsis thaliana is dependent on abscisic acid.

PubMed

Barroso, C; Romero, L C; Cejudo, F J; Vega, J M; Gotor, C

1999-07-01

The expression of Atcys-3A gene coding for cytosolic O-acetylserine(thiol)lyase, a key enzyme in cysteine biosynthesis, from Arabidopsis thaliana is significantly induced by exposure to salt and heavy-metal stresses. Addition of NaCl to mature plants induced a rapid accumulation of the mRNA throughout the leaf lamina and roots, and later on in stems, being mainly restricted to vascular tissues. The salt-specific regulation of Atcys-3A was also mediated by abscisic acid (ABA) since: (1) exogenous addition of ABA to the culture medium mimicked the salt-induced plant response by raising the level of Atcys-3A transcript, and (2) Arabidopsis mutants aba-1 and abi2-1 were not able to respond to NaCl. Our results suggest that a high rate of cysteine biosynthesis is required in Arabidopsis under salt stress necessary for a plant protection or adaptation mechanism. This hypothesis was supported by the observation that intracellular levels of cysteine and glutathione increased up to 3-fold after salt treatment.

[Up-regulation of intrarenal renin-angiotensin system contributes to renal damage in high-salt induced hypertension rats].

PubMed

Wu, Hai-yan; Liang, Yao-xian; Bai, Qiong; Zhuang, Zhen; A, La-ta; Zheng, Dan-xia; Wang, Yue

2015-02-18

To test the hypothesis that in a high-salt induced hypertension in normal rats, whether the changes of intrarenal renin-agiotensin system (RAS) play a critical role in renal damage and could be reflected by urinary angiotensinogen (AGT). In the study, 27 normotensive male Wistar-Kyoto rats were divided into control group [0.3% (mass faction) NaCl in chow, n=9, NS], high-salt diet group [8% (mass faction) NaCl in chow, n=9, HS] and high-salt diet with Losartan group [8% (mass faction) NaCl in chow and 20 mg/(kg×d) Losartan in gavages, n=9, HS+L)], and were fed for six weeks. The blood pressure was monitored and urine samples were collected every 2 weeks. AGTs in plasma, kidney and urine were measured by ELISA kits. The renal cortex expression of mRNA and protein of AGT were measured by Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The renin activity and ANG II were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) kits. Compared with NS, the systolic blood pressure (SBP) [(156 ± 2) mmHg vs. (133 ± 3) mmHg, P<0.05] increased significantly at the end of the 2nd week, and the urinary protein [(14.07 ± 2.84) mg/24 h vs. (7.62 ± 3.02) mg/24 h, P<0.05] increased significantly at the end of the 6th week in HS. Compared with HS, there was no significant difference in SBP (P>0.05) but the proteinuria [(9.69 ± 2.73) mg/24 h vs. (14.07 ± 2.84) mg/24 h, P<0.01] decreased significantly in HS+L. Compared with NS, there was no significant difference in the plasma renin activity, angiotensinogen and ANG II level in HS (P>0.05), but the renal cortex renin content [(8.72 ± 1.98) ng/(mL × h) vs. (4.37 ± 1.26) ng/(mL × h), P<0.05], AGT formation [(4.02 ± 0.60) ng/mg vs. (2.59 ± 0.42) ng/mg, P<0.01], ANG II level [(313.8 ± 48.76) pmol/L vs. (188.9 ± 46.95) pmol/L, P<0.05] were increased significantly in HS, and the urinary AGT and ANG II excretion rates increased significantly (P<0.05). Compared with HS, the plasma renin activity, angiotensinogen and ANG II level were significantly

Molten salt oxidation of organic hazardous waste with high salt content.

PubMed

Lin, Chengqian; Chi, Yong; Jin, Yuqi; Jiang, Xuguang; Buekens, Alfons; Zhang, Qi; Chen, Jian

2018-02-01

Organic hazardous waste often contains some salt, owing to the widespread use of alkali salts during industrial manufacturing processes. These salts cause complications during the treatment of this type of waste. Molten salt oxidation is a flameless, robust thermal process, with inherent capability of destroying the organic constituents of wastes, while retaining the inorganic ingredients in the molten salt. In the present study, molten salt oxidation is employed for treating a typical organic hazardous waste with a high content of alkali salts. The hazardous waste derives from the production of thiotriazinone. Molten salt oxidation experiments have been conducted using a lab-scale molten salt oxidation reactor, and the emissions of CO, NO, SO 2 , HCl and dioxins are studied. Impacts are investigated from the composition of the molten salts, the types of feeding tube, the temperature of molten carbonates and the air factor. Results show that the waste can be oxidised effectively in a molten salt bath. Temperature of molten carbonates plays the most important role. With the temperature rising from 600 °C to 750 °C, the oxidation efficiency increases from 91.1% to 98.3%. Compared with the temperature, air factor has but a minor effect, as well as the composition of the molten salts and the type of feeding tube. The molten carbonates retain chlorine with an efficiency higher than 99.9% and the emissions of dioxins are below 8 pg TEQ g -1 sample. The present study shows that molten salt oxidation is a promising alternative for the disposal of organic hazardous wastes containing a high salt content.

How Does Circadian Rhythm Impact Salt Sensitivity of Blood Pressure in Mice? A Study in Two Close C57Bl/6 Substrains.

PubMed

Combe, Roy; Mudgett, John; El Fertak, Lahcen; Champy, Marie-France; Ayme-Dietrich, Estelle; Petit-Demoulière, Benoit; Sorg, Tania; Herault, Yann; Madwed, Jeffrey B; Monassier, Laurent

2016-01-01

Mouse transgenesis has provided the unique opportunity to investigate mechanisms underlying sodium kidney reabsorption as well as end organ damage. However, understanding mouse background and the experimental conditions effects on phenotypic readouts of engineered mouse lines such as blood pressure presents a challenge. Despite the ability to generate high sodium and chloride plasma levels during high-salt diet, observed changes in blood pressure are not consistent between wild-type background strains and studies. The present work was designed in an attempt to determine guidelines in the field of salt-induced hypertension by recording continuously blood pressure by telemetry in mice submitted to different sodium and potassium loaded diets and changing experimental conditions in both C57BL/6N and C57BL/6J mice strain (Normal salt vs. Low salt vs. High-salt/normal potassium vs. High salt/low potassium, standard vs. modified light cycle, Non-invasive tail cuff blood pressure vs. telemetry). In this study, we have shown that, despite a strong blood pressure (BP) basal difference between C57BL/6N and C57BL/6J mice, High salt/normal potassium diet increases BP and heart rate during the active phase only (dark period) in the same extent in both strains. On the other hand, while potassium level has no effect on salt-induced hypertension in C57BL/6N mice, high-salt/low potassium diet amplifies the effect of the high-salt challenge only in C57BL/6J mice. Indeed, in this condition, salt-induced hypertension can also be detected during light period even though this BP increase is lower compared to the one occurring during the dark period. Finally, from a methodological perspective, light cycle inversion has no effect on this circadian BP phenotype and tail-cuff method is less sensitive than telemetry to detect BP phenotypes due to salt challenges. Therefore, to carry investigations on salt-induced hypertension in mice, chronic telemetry and studies in the active phase are

Salt-induced inhibition of the precipitin reaction of concanavalin A with polysaccharides and glycoprotein.

PubMed

Salahuddin, A; Begum, R; Averill, B K

1984-06-15

The time course of the precipitin reactions of concanavalin A with glycogen, dextran and ovalbumin was investigated by a light-scattering method near 30 degrees C in 10 mM-Tris/HCl buffer, pH 7.4, containing neutral salts, i.e. NaCl, KCl, NaBr, KI and NaClO4. With 0.8 microM-lectin and 0.36 mg of glycogen/ml, the half-life, t 1/2, of the precipitin reaction was independent of salt concentration between 0.1 M and 1.5 M, and was the same (175s) in the presence of NaCl, KCl, NaBr and KI but was significantly (27%) higher in NaClO4. In contrast, the five salts caused significant to marked enhancement in t 1/2 for the reactions of concanavalin A with dextran and ovalbumin. Likewise, whereas the turbidity produced in 1 h as a result of lectin-glycogen precipitation remained unchanged, those measured for the binding of dextran and ovalbumin were decreased in the presence of three salts. The increase in t 1/2 and decrease in turbidity were found to be higher with NaClO4, followed by KI; NaBr produced moderate and NaCl (or KCl) small but generally significant inhibition of the precipitin reactions with dextran and ovalbumin. The results showed that the lectin-ligand precipitin reactions involve salt-sensitive polar interactions that are less pronounced with compactly folded ligands such as glycogen.

A search for double beta decays of 136Xe to the excited state of 136Ba with EXO-200

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yen, Yung-Ruey; EXO-200 Collaboration

2015-10-01

EXO-200 is one of the most sensitive searches for neutrinoless double beta decay of 136Xe in the world. The experiment uses 110 kg of active enriched liquid xenon in an ultralow background time projection chamber installed at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, a salt mine with a 1600 m water equivalent overburden. This detector has demonstrated excellent energy resolution and background rejection capabilities. While the experiment is designed to search for the double beta decays of 136Xe to the ground state of 136Ba, transitions to the excited states of 136Ba are also plausible. The ββ 2 ν decay to the first 0+ excited state of the daughter nuclei has been observed for 100Mo and 150Nd; this particular transition for 136Xe has a theoretical lifetime on the order of 1025 year, which is right around the sensitivity of EXO-200. We present the results from the search of double beta decays to the excited state using two years of EXO-200 data.

[Salt and cancer].

PubMed

Strnad, Marija

2010-05-01

Besides cardiovascular disease, a high salt intake causes other adverse health effects, i.e., gastric and some other cancers, obesity (risk factor for many cancer sites), Meniere's disease, worsening of renal disease, triggering an asthma attack, osteoporosis, exacerbation of fluid retention, renal calculi, etc. Diets containing high amounts of food preserved by salting and pickling are associated with an increased risk of cancers of the stomach, nose and throat. Because gastric cancer is still the most common cancer in some countries (especially in Japan), its prevention is one of the most important aspects of cancer control strategy. Observations among Japanese immigrants in the U.S.A. and Brazil based on the geographic differences, the trend in cancer incidence with time, and change in the incidence patterns indicate that gastric cancer is closely associated with dietary factors such as the intake of salt and salted food. The findings of many epidemiological studies suggest that high dietary salt intake is a significant risk factor for gastric cancer and this association was found to be strong in the presence of Helicobacter (H.) pylori infection with atrophic gastritis. A high-salt intake strips the lining of the stomach and may make infection with H. pylori more likely or may exacerbate the infection. Salting, pickling and smoking are traditionally popular ways of preparing food in Japan and some parts of Asia. In addition to salt intake, cigarette smoking and low consumption of fruit and vegetables increase the risk of stomach cancer. However, it is not known whether it is specifically the salt in these foods or a combination of salt and other chemicals that can cause cancer. One study identified a mutagen in nitrite-treated Japanese salted fish, and chemical structure of this mutagen suggests that it is derived from methionine and that salt and nitrite are precursors for its formation. Working under conditions of heat stress greatly increased the workers

Arabinogalactan Proteins Are Involved in Salt-Adaptation and Vesicle Trafficking in Tobacco by-2 Cell Cultures

PubMed Central

Olmos, Enrique; García De La Garma, Jesús; Gomez-Jimenez, Maria C.; Fernandez-Garcia, Nieves

2017-01-01

Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are a highly diverse family of glycoproteins that are commonly found in most plant species. However, little is known about the physiological and molecular mechanisms of their function. AGPs are involved in different biological processes such as cell differentiation, cell expansion, tissue development and somatic embryogenesis. AGPs are also involved in abiotic stress response such as salinity modulating cell wall expansion. In this study, we describe how salt-adaptation in tobacco BY-2 cell cultures induces important changes in arabinogalactan proteins distribution and contents. Using the immuno-dot blot technique with different anti-AGP antibodies (JIM13, JIM15, and others), we observed that AGPs were highly accumulated in the culture medium of salt-adapted tobacco cells, probably due to the action of phospholipases. We located these AGP epitopes using immunogold labeling in the cytoplasm associated to the endoplasmic reticulum, the golgi apparatus, and vesicles, plasma membrane and tonoplast. Our results show that salt-adaptation induced a significant reduction of the cytoplasm, plasma membrane and tonoplast content of these epitopes. Yariv reagent was added to the control and salt-adapted tobacco cell cultures, leading to cell death induction in control cells but not in salt-adapted cells. Ultrastructural and immunogold labeling revealed that cell death induced by Yariv reagent in control cells was due to the interaction of Yariv reagent with the AGPs linked to the plasma membranes. Finally, we propose a new function of AGPs as a possible sodium carrier through the mechanism of vesicle trafficking from the apoplast to the vacuoles in salt-adapted tobacco BY-2 cells. This mechanism may contribute to sodium homeostasis during salt-adaptation to high saline concentrations. PMID:28676820

Arabinogalactan Proteins Are Involved in Salt-Adaptation and Vesicle Trafficking in Tobacco by-2 Cell Cultures.

PubMed

Olmos, Enrique; García De La Garma, Jesús; Gomez-Jimenez, Maria C; Fernandez-Garcia, Nieves

2017-01-01

Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are a highly diverse family of glycoproteins that are commonly found in most plant species. However, little is known about the physiological and molecular mechanisms of their function. AGPs are involved in different biological processes such as cell differentiation, cell expansion, tissue development and somatic embryogenesis. AGPs are also involved in abiotic stress response such as salinity modulating cell wall expansion. In this study, we describe how salt-adaptation in tobacco BY-2 cell cultures induces important changes in arabinogalactan proteins distribution and contents. Using the immuno-dot blot technique with different anti-AGP antibodies (JIM13, JIM15, and others), we observed that AGPs were highly accumulated in the culture medium of salt-adapted tobacco cells, probably due to the action of phospholipases. We located these AGP epitopes using immunogold labeling in the cytoplasm associated to the endoplasmic reticulum, the golgi apparatus, and vesicles, plasma membrane and tonoplast. Our results show that salt-adaptation induced a significant reduction of the cytoplasm, plasma membrane and tonoplast content of these epitopes. Yariv reagent was added to the control and salt-adapted tobacco cell cultures, leading to cell death induction in control cells but not in salt-adapted cells. Ultrastructural and immunogold labeling revealed that cell death induced by Yariv reagent in control cells was due to the interaction of Yariv reagent with the AGPs linked to the plasma membranes. Finally, we propose a new function of AGPs as a possible sodium carrier through the mechanism of vesicle trafficking from the apoplast to the vacuoles in salt-adapted tobacco BY-2 cells. This mechanism may contribute to sodium homeostasis during salt-adaptation to high saline concentrations.

Examination of Liquid Fluoride Salt Heat Transfer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yoder Jr, Graydon L

2014-01-01

transfer equipment designs. All of the data discussed above were taken under forced convective conditions (both laminar and turbulent). Some recent data taken at ORNL under free convection conditions are also presented and results discussed. This data was taken using a simple crucible experiment with an instrumented nickel heater inserted in the salt to induce natural circulation within the crucible. The data was taken over a temperature range of 550oC to 650oC in FLiNaK salt. This data covers both laminar and turbulent natural convection conditions, and is compared to existing forms of natural circulation correlations.« less

Effect of Vegetation on Sediment Transport across Salt Marshes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coleman, D. J.; Kirwan, M. L.; Guntenspergen, G. R.; Ganju, N. K.

2016-12-01

Salt marshes are a classic example of ecogeomorphology where interactions between plants and sediment transport govern the stability of a rapidly evolving ecosystem. In particular, plants slow water velocities which facilitates deposition of mineral sediment, and the resulting change in soil elevation influences the growth and species distribution of plants. The ability of a salt marsh to withstand sea level rise (SLR) is therefore dependent, among other factors, on the availability of mineral sediment. Here we measure suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) along a transect from tidal channel to marsh interior, exploring the role biomass plays in regulating the magnitude and spatial variability in vertical accretion. Our study was conducted in Spartina alterniflora dominated salt marshes along the Atlantic Coast from Massachusetts to Georgia. At each site, we deployed and calibrated optical back scatter turbidity probes to measure SSC in 15 minute intervals in a tidal channel, on the marsh edge, and in the marsh interior. We visited each site monthly to measure plant biomass via clip plots and vertical accretion via two types of sediment tiles. Preliminary results confirm classic observations that biomass is highest at the marsh edge, and that SSC and vertical accretion decrease across the marsh platform with distance from the channel. We expect that when biomass is higher, such as in southern sites like Georgia and months late in the growing season, SSC will decay more rapidly with distance into the marsh. Higher biomass will likely also correspond to increased vertical accretion, with the greatest effect at marsh edge locations. Our study will likely demonstrate how salt marsh plants interact with sediment transport dynamics to control marsh morphology and thus contribute to marsh resilience to SLR.

Overexpression of a maize plasma membrane intrinsic protein ZmPIP1;1 confers drought and salt tolerance in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Zhou, Lian; Zhou, Jing; Xiong, Yuhan; Liu, Chaoxian; Wang, Jiuguang; Wang, Guoqiang; Cai, Yilin

2018-01-01

Drought and salt stress are major abiotic stress that inhibit plants growth and development, here we report a plasma membrane intrinsic protein ZmPIP1;1 from maize and identified its function in drought and salt tolerance in Arabidopsis. ZmPIP1;1 was localized to the plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum in maize protoplasts. Treatment with PEG or NaCl resulted in induced expression of ZmPIP1;1 in root and leaves. Constitutive overexpression of ZmPIP1;1 in transgenic Arabidopsis plants resulted in enhanced drought and salt stress tolerance compared to wild type. A number of stress responsive genes involved in cellular osmoprotection in ZmPIP1;1 overexpression plants were up-regulated under drought or salt condition. ZmPIP1;1 overexpression plants showed higher activities of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging enzymes such as catalase and superoxide dismutase, lower contents of stress-induced ROS such as superoxide, hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde, and higher levels of proline under drought and salt stress than did wild type. ZmPIP1;1 may play a role in drought and salt stress tolerance by inducing of stress responsive genes and increasing of ROS scavenging enzymes activities, and could provide a valuable gene for further plant breeding.

Profiling Groundwater Salt Concentrations in Mangrove Swamps and Tropical Salt Flats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ridd, Peter V.; Sam, Renagi

1996-11-01

The salt concentration of groundwater in mangrove swamps is an important parameter controlling the growth of mangrove species. Extremely high salt concentrations of groundwater in tropical salt flats are responsible for the complete absence of macrophytes. Determining groundwater salt concentrations can be a very time-consuming and laborious process if conventional techniques are used. Typically, groundwater samples must be extracted for later laboratory analysis. In this work, a simple conductivity probe has been developed which may be inserted easily to a depth of 2 m into the sediment. The changes in conductivity of the sediment is due primarily to porewater salt concentration, and thus ground conductivity is useful in determining changes in groundwater salt concentrations. Using the conductivity probe, transects of sediment conductivity can be undertaken quickly. As an example of a possible application of the probe, transects of ground conductivity were taken on a mangrove swamp/saltflat system. The transects show clearly the sharp delineation in conductivity between the salt flat and mangrove swamp due to a change in groundwater salt concentrations. Horizontal and vertical salt concentration gradients of up to 50 g l -1 m -1and 150 g l -1 m -1, respectively, were found. Very sharp changes in groundwater salt concentrations at the interface between salt flats and mangroves indicate that the mangroves may be modifying the salinity of the groundwater actively.

Supra-salt normal fault growth during the rise and fall of a diapir: Perspectives from 3D seismic reflection data, Norwegian North Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tvedt, Anette B. M.; Rotevatn, Atle; Jackson, Christopher A.-L.

2016-10-01

Normal faulting and the deep subsurface flow of salt are key processes controlling the structural development of many salt-bearing sedimentary basins. However, our detailed understanding of the spatial and temporal relationship between normal faulting and salt movement is poor due to a lack of natural examples constraining their geometric and kinematic relationship in three-dimensions. To improve our understanding of these processes, we here use 3D seismic reflection and borehole data from the Egersund Basin, offshore Norway, to determine the structure and growth of a normal fault array formed during the birth, growth and decay of an array of salt structures. We show that the fault array and salt structures developed in response to: (i) Late Triassic-to-Middle Jurassic extension, which involved thick-skinned, sub-salt and thin-skinned supra-salt faulting with the latter driving reactive diapirism; (ii) Early Cretaceous extensional collapse of the walls; and (iii) Jurassic-to-Neogene, active and passive diapirism, which was at least partly coeval with and occurred along-strike from areas of reactive diapirism and wall collapse. Our study supports physical model predictions, showcasing a three-dimensional example of how protracted, multiphase salt diapirism can influence the structure and growth of normal fault arrays.

Defense enzyme responses in dormant wild oat and wheat caryopses challenged with a seed decay pathogen

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Seed dormancy and resistance to seed decay organisms are fundamental ecological strategies for weed seed persistence in the weed seed-bank. Seeds have well-established physical, chemical, and biological defense mechanisms that protect their food reserves from decay-inducing organisms and herbivores....

Evaluation of technetium-99m decay on Escherichia coli inactivation: effects of physical or chemical agents.

PubMed Central

Silva, C. R.; Valsa, J. O.; Caniné, M. S.; Caldeira-de-Araújo, A.; Bernardo-Filho, M.

1998-01-01

Technetium-99m (99mTc) has been used in nuclear medicine and in biomedical research to label molecular and cellular structures employed as radiotracers. Here, we have evaluated, on a DNA repair proficient Escherichia coli strain, the 99mTc decay inactivation and the influence of the (i) pre-treatment with metal ion chelators or of the (ii) treatment with a free radical scavenger on the protection of the cells against the lethal effect of the 99mTc. As SnCl2 is frequently used as a reducing agent in the 99mTc-labeling process, we have also studied the capability of SnCl2 to alter the biological effects induced by the 99mTc decay. As we are exposed to either chemical or physical agents in the nature, we have decided to study a possible influence of the ultraviolet solar radiation in the biological phenomena induced by the 99mTc decay. Our data point out (i) a very important role of the Auger and/or conversion electrons in the cytotoxicity induced by the 99mTc decay; (ii) SnCl2, the metal ion chelators and the free radical scavenger protect the cells against the lethal effect of the 99mTc; and (iii) near-UV does not alter the lethal effect of the 99mTc decay. PMID:9713950

Trunk decays

Treesearch

Alex L. Shigo

1989-01-01

Trunk decays are major causes of low quality wood-wood with little or no economic value. As a forest practitioner you should be able to recognize trees at high risk for decay and remove them if timber production is your primary objective. Remember, however, that decayed trees often develop into den trees or nesting sites and provide essential habitat for wildlife....

Acclimation of hydrogen peroxide enhances salt tolerance by activating defense-related proteins in Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer.

PubMed

Sathiyaraj, Gayathri; Srinivasan, Sathiyaraj; Kim, Yu-Jin; Lee, Ok Ran; Parvin, Shonana; Balusamy, Sri Renuka Devi; Khorolragchaa, Atlanzul; Yang, Deok Chun

2014-06-01

The effect of exogenously applied hydrogen peroxide on salt stress tolerance was investigated in Panax ginseng. Pretreatment of ginseng seedlings with 100 μM H2O2 increased the physiological salt tolerance of the ginseng plant and was used as the optimum concentration to induce salt tolerance capacity. Treatment with exogenous H2O2 for 2 days significantly enhanced salt stress tolerance in ginseng seedlings by increasing the activities of ascorbate peroxidase, catalase and guaiacol peroxidase and by decreasing the concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and endogenous H2O2 as well as the production rate of superoxide radical (O2(-)). There was a positive physiological effect on the growth and development of salt-stressed seedlings by exogenous H2O2 as measured by ginseng dry weight and both chlorophyll and carotenoid contents. Exogenous H2O2 induced changes in MDA, O2(-), antioxidant enzymes and antioxidant compounds, which are responsible for increases in salt stress tolerance. Salt treatment caused drastic declines in ginseng growth and antioxidants levels; whereas, acclimation treatment with H2O2 allowed the ginseng seedlings to recover from salt stress by up-regulation of defense-related proteins such as antioxidant enzymes and antioxidant compounds.

Investigation of anomalous very fast decay regimes in homogeneous isotropic turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meldi, Marcello; Sagaut, Pierre

2018-05-01

The emergence of anomalous fast decay regimes in homogeneous isotropic turbulence (HIT) decay is investigated via both theoretical analysis and eddy-damped quasi-normal Markovian simulations. The work provides new insight about a fundamental issue playing a role in HIT decay, namely the influence of non-standard shapes of the energy spectrum, in particular in the large energetic scale region. A detailed analysis of the kinetic energy spectrum E(k) and the non-linear energy transfer T(k) shows that anomalous decay regimes are associated with the relaxation of initial energy spectra which exhibit a bump at energetic scales. This feature induces an increase in the energy cascade rate, toward solutions with a smooth shape at the spectrum peak. Present results match observations reported in wind-tunnel experiments dealing with turbulence decay in the wake of grids and bluff bodies, including scaling laws for the dissipation parameter Cɛ. They also indicate that the ratio between the initial eddy turnover time and the advection time determines of how fast anomalous regimes relax toward classical turbulence free-decay. This parameter should be used for consistent data comparison and it opens perspectives for the control of multiscale effects in industrial applications.

Effects of proliferation on the decay of thermotolerance in Chinese hamster cells.

PubMed

Armour, E P; Li, G C; Hahn, G M

1985-09-01

Development and decay of thermotolerance were observed in Chinese hamster HA-1 cells. The thermotolerance kinetics of exponentially growing and fed plateau-phase cells were compared. Following a 10-min heat exposure at 45 degrees C, cells in both growth states had similar rates of development of tolerance to a subsequent 45-min exposure at 45 degrees C. This thermotolerant state started to decay between 12 and 24 hr after the initial heat exposure. The decay appeared to initiate slightly sooner in the exponentially growing cells when compared to the fed plateau-phase cells. During the decay phase, the rate of thermotolerance decay was similar in the two growth conditions. In other experiments, cells were induced to divide at a slower rate by chronic growth (3 months) in a low concentration of fetal calf serum. Under these low serum conditions cells became more sensitive to heat and the rate of decay of thermotolerance remained the same for exponentially growing cells. Plateau-phase cells were also more sensitive, but thermotolerance decayed more rapidly in these cells. Although dramatic cell cycle perturbations were seen in the exponentially growing cells, these changes appeared not to be related to thermotolerance kinetics.

Nondestructive detection of decay in living trees

Treesearch

Bertil Larsson; Bengt Bengtsson; Mats Gustaffson

2004-01-01

We used a four-point resistivity method to detect wood decay in living trees. low-frequency alternating current was applied to the stem and the induced voltage measured between two points along the stem. The effective resistivity of the stem was estimated based on stem cross-sectional area. A comparison within a group of trees showed that trees with butt rot had an...

Radiative decays of the Σ0(1385) and Λ(1520) hyperons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, S.; Mutchler, G. S.; Adams, G.; Ambrozewicz, P.; Anciant, E.; Anghinolfi, M.; Asavapibhop, B.; Asryan, G.; Audit, G.; Avakian, H.; Bagdasaryan, H.; Ball, J. P.; Barrow, S.; Batourine, V.; Battaglieri, M.; Beard, K.; Bektasoglu, M.; Bellis, M.; Benmouna, N.; Berman, B. L.; Bianchi, N.; Biselli, A. S.; Boiarinov, S.; Bonner, B. E.; Bouchigny, S.; Bradford, R.; Branford, D.; Briscoe, W. J.; Brooks, W. K.; Bültmann, S.; Burkert, V. D.; Butuceanu, C.; Calarco, J. R.; Carman, D. S.; Carnahan, B.; Chen, S.; Cole, P. L.; Cords, D.; Corvisiero, P.; Crabb, D.; Crannell, H.; Cummings, J. P.; Sanctis, E. De; Devita, R.; Degtyarenko, P. V.; Denizli, H.; Dennis, L.; Deur, A.; Dharmawardane, K. V.; Djalali, C.; Dodge, G. E.; Doughty, D.; Dragovitsch, P.; Dugger, M.; Dytman, S.; Dzyubak, O. P.; Egiyan, H.; Egiyan, K. S.; Elouadrhiri, L.; Empl, A.; Eugenio, P.; Fatemi, R.; Feldman, G.; Fersch, R. G.; Feuerbach, R. J.; Forest, T. A.; Funsten, H.; Garçon, M.; Gavalian, G.; Gilfoyle, G. P.; Giovanetti, K. L.; Golovatch, E.; Gordon, C. I.; Gothe, R. W.; Griffioen, K. A.; Guidal, M.; Guillo, M.; Guler, N.; Guo, L.; Gyurjyan, V.; Hadjidakis, C.; Hakobyan, R. S.; Hardie, J.; Heddle, D.; Hersman, F. W.; Hicks, K.; Hleiqawi, I.; Holtrop, M.; Hu, J.; Huertas, M.; Hyde-Wright, C. E.; Ilieva, Y.; Ireland, D. G.; Ito, M. M.; Jenkins, D.; Joo, K.; Juengst, H. G.; Kellie, J. D.; Khandaker, M.; Kim, K. Y.; Kim, K.; Kim, W.; Klein, A.; Klein, F. J.; Klimenko, A. V.; Klusman, M.; Kossov, M.; Koubarovski, V.; Kramer, L. H.; Kuhn, S. E.; Kuhn, J.; Lachniet, J.; Laget, J. M.; Langheinrich, J.; Lawrence, D.; Lee, T.; Li, Ji; Lima, A. C.; Livingston, K.; Lukashin, K.; Manak, J. J.; Marchand, C.; McAleer, S.; McNabb, J. W.; Mecking, B. A.; Melone, J. J.; Mestayer, M. D.; Meyer, C. A.; Mikhailov, K.; Mirazita, M.; Miskimen, R.; Mokeev, V.; Morand, L.; Morrow, S. A.; Muccifora, V.; Mueller, J.; Napolitano, J.; Nasseripour, R.; Niccolai, S.; Niculescu, G.; Niculescu, I.; Niczyporuk, B. B.; Niyazov, R. A.; Nozar, M.; O'Rielly, G. V.; Osipenko, M.; Ostrovidov, A. I.; Park, K.; Pasyuk, E.; Philips, S. A.; Pivnyuk, N.; Pocanic, D.; Pogorelko, O.; Polli, E.; Pozdniakov, S.; Preedom, B. M.; Price, J. W.; Prok, Y.; Protopopescu, D.; Qin, L. M.; Raue, B. S.; Riccardi, G.; Ricco, G.; Ripani, M.; Ritchie, B. G.; Ronchetti, F.; Rosner, G.; Rossi, P.; Rowntree, D.; Rubin, P. D.; Sabatié, F.; Salgado, C.; Santoro, J. P.; Sapunenko, V.; Schumacher, R. A.; Serov, V. S.; Shafi, A.; Sharabian, Y. G.; Shaw, J.; Simionatto, S.; Skabelin, A. V.; Smith, E. S.; Smith, L. C.; Sober, D. I.; Spraker, M.; Stavinsky, A.; Stepanyan, S.; Stepanyan, S. S.; Stokes, B. E.; Stoler, P.; Strakovsky, I. I.; Strauch, S.; Suleiman, R.; Taiuti, M.; Tedeschi, D. J.; Thoma, U.; Thompson, R.; Tkabladze, A.; Todor, L.; Tur, C.; Ungaro, M.; Vineyard, M. F.; Vlassov, A. V.; Wang, K.; Weinstein, L. B.; Weller, H.; Weygand, D. P.; Whisnant, C. S.; Williams, M.; Wolin, E.; Wood, M. H.; Yegneswaran, A.; Yun, J.; Zana, L.

2005-05-01

The electromagnetic decays of the Σ0(1385) and Λ(1520) hyperons were studied in photon-induced reactions γp→K+Λ(1116)γ in the Large Acceptance Spectrometer detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. We report the first observation of the radiative decay of the Σ0(1385) and a measurement of the Λ(1520) radiative decay width. For the Σ0(1385)→Λ(1116)γ transition, we measured a partial width of 479±120(stat)+81-100(sys)keV, larger than all of the existing model predictions. For the Λ(1520)→Λ(1116)γ transition, we obtained a partial width of 167±43(stat)+26-12(sys)keV.

Influence of periostin-positive cell-specific Klf5 deletion on aortic thickening in DOCA-salt hypertensive mice.

PubMed

Zempo, Hirofumi; Suzuki, Jun-Ichi; Ogawa, Masahito; Watanabe, Ryo; Fujiu, Katsuhito; Manabe, Ichiro; Conway, Simon J; Taniyama, Yoshiaki; Morishita, Ryuichi; Hirata, Yasunobu; Isobe, Mitsuaki; Nagai, Ryozo

2016-11-01

Chronic hypertension causes vascular remodeling that is associated with an increase in periostin- (postn) positive cells, including fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. Krüppel-like factor (KLF) 5, a transcription factor, is also observed in vascular remodeling; however, it is unknown what role KLF5 plays in postn-positive cells during vascular remodeling induced by deoxycorticosterone-acetate (DOCA) salt. We used postn-positive cell-specific Klf5-deficient mice (Klf5 Postn KO: Klf5 flox/flox ; Postn Cre/- ) and wild-type mice (WT: Klf5 flox/flox ; Postn -/- ). We implanted a DOCA pellet and provided drinking water containing 0.9% NaCl for 8 weeks. The DOCA-salt treatment induced hypertension in both genotypes, as observed by increases in systolic blood pressure. In WT animals, DOCA-salt treatment increased the aortic medial area compared with the non-treated controls. Similarly, Tgfb1 was overexpressed in the aortas of the DOCA-salt treated WT mice compared with the controls. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that fibroblast-specific protein 1 (FSP1) + -α smooth muscle actin (αSMA) + myofibroblasts exist in the medial area of the WT aortas after DOCA-salt intervention. Importantly, these changes were not observed in the Klf5 Postn KO animals. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that the presence of KLF5 in postn-positive cells contributes to the pathogenesis of aortic thickening induced by DOCA-salt hypertension.

The Decay of Forced Turbulent Coflow of He II Past a Grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babuin, S.; Varga, E.; Skrbek, L.

2014-04-01

We present an experimental study of the decay of He II turbulence created mechanically, by a bellows-induced flow past a stationary grid in a 7×7 mm2 superfluid wind tunnel. The temporal decay L( t) originating from various steady-states of vortex line length per unit volume, L 0, has been observed based on measurements of the attenuation of second-sound, in the temperature range 1.17 K< T<1.95 K. Each presented decay curve is the average of up to 150 single decay events. We find that, independently of T and L 0, within seconds past the sudden stop of the drive, all the decay curves show a universal behavior lasting up to 200 s, of the form L( t)∝( t- t 0)-3/2, where t 0 is the virtual origin time. From this decay process we deduce the effective kinematic viscosity of turbulent He II. We compare our results with the bench-mark Oregon towed grid experiments and, despite our turbulence being non-homogeneous, find strong similarities.

Bath Salts Abuse Leading to New-Onset Psychosis and Potential for Violence.

PubMed

John, Michelle E; Thomas-Rozea, Crystal; Hahn, David

Bath salts have recently emerged as a popular designer drug of abuse causing significant hazardous effects on mental health and physical health, resulting in public health legislation making its usage illegal in the United States. To educate mental health providers on the effects of the new designer drug bath salts, including its potential to cause psychosis and violence in patients. This is a case report on a 40-year-old male with no past psychiatric history who presented with new-onset psychosis and increased risk for violence after ingesting bath salts. In addition, a literature review was performed to summarize the documented effects of bath salts abuse and the current U.S. public health legislation on bath salts. The presented case illustrates a new-onset, substance-induced psychotic disorder related to bath salts usage. The literature review explains the sympathomimetic reaction and the potential for psychotic symptoms. To discuss the physical and psychological effects of bath salts, treatment options for bath salts abuse and U.S. legislation by Ohio state law to current U.S. federal law that bans production, sale, and possession of main substances found in bath salts. It is important for mental health providers to be aware of bath salts, understand the physical and psychiatric effects of bath salts and be familiar with current legislative policy banning its usage. Lastly, bath salts abuse should be in the differential diagnosis where psychosis is new onset or clinically incongruent with known primary presentation of a psychotic disorder.

Normotensive blood pressure in pregnancy: the role of salt and aldosterone.

PubMed

Gennari-Moser, Carine; Escher, Geneviève; Kramer, Simea; Dick, Bernhard; Eisele, Nicole; Baumann, Marc; Raio, Luigi; Frey, Felix J; Surbek, Daniel; Mohaupt, Markus G

2014-02-01

A successful pregnancy requires an accommodating environment. Salt and water availability are critical for plasma volume expansion. Any changes in sodium intake would alter aldosterone, a hormone previously described beneficial in pregnancy. To date, it remains ambiguous whether high aldosterone or high salt intake is preferable. We hypothesized that increased aldosterone is a rescue mechanism and appropriate salt availability is equally effective in maintaining a normotensive blood pressure (BP) phenotype in pregnancy. We compared normotensive pregnant women (n=31) throughout pregnancy with young healthy female individuals (n=31-62) and performed salt sensitivity testing within the first trimester. Suppression of urinary tetrahydro-aldosterone levels by salt intake as measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and urinary sodium excretion corrected for creatinine, respectively, was shifted toward a higher salt intake in pregnancy (P<0.0001). In pregnancy, neither high urinary tetrahydro-aldosterone nor sodium excretion was correlated with higher BP. In contrast, in nonpregnant women, systolic BP rose with aldosterone (P<0.05). Testing the impact of salt on BP, we performed salt sensitivity testing in a final cohort of 19 pregnant and 24 nonpregnant women. On salt loading, 24-hour mean arterial pressure rose by 3.6±1.5 and dropped by -2.8±1.5 mm Hg favoring pregnant women (P<0.01; χ(2)=6.04; P<0.02). Our data suggest first that salt responsiveness of aldosterone is alleviated in conditions of pregnancy without causing aldosterone-induced hypertension. Second, salt seems to aid in BP lowering in pregnancy for reasons incompletely elucidated, yet involving renin suppression and potentially placental sensing mechanisms. Further research should identify susceptible individuals and clarify effector mechanisms.

Protection against salt toxicity in Azolla pinnata-Anabaena azollae symbiotic association by using combined-N sources.

PubMed

Mishra, A K; Singh, Satya S

2006-09-01

Protection from salt stress was observed in the terms of yield (fresh and dry weight, chlorophyll and protein) and nitrogenase activity. Azollapinnata appeared highly sensitive to 40 mM external NaCl stress. Fronds of Azolla unable to grow beyond a concentration of 30 mM NaCl and accordingly death was recorded at 40 mM NaCl on the 6th day of incubation. Yield was inhibited by various levels of NaCl (0, 10, 20 and 30 mM). Addition of combined-N to the growth medium protected the association partially from salt toxicity. Among the N-sources (NO3-, NH4+ and urea) tried, urea mitigated the salt-induced toxicity most efficiently. Reduction in nitrogenase activity was observed when intact Azolla was grown in nutrient medium either supplemented with different levels of NaCl or combined nitrogen. Only NO3- (5 mM) protected the enzymatic activity from salt toxicity while other concentrations of ammonium, nitrate and urea slowed down the salt-induced inhibition of enzyme activity in Azolla-Anabaena association. These results suggested that an optimum protection from salt stress could be obtained by using a combination of combined nitrogen sources. The reason for this protection might be due to the availability of combined nitrogen to the association, nitrogen is only available through the biological nitrogen fixation which is the most sensitive to salt stress.

Does vegetation prevent wave erosion of salt marsh edges?

PubMed

Feagin, R A; Lozada-Bernard, S M; Ravens, T M; Möller, I; Yeager, K M; Baird, A H

2009-06-23

This study challenges the paradigm that salt marsh plants prevent lateral wave-induced erosion along wetland edges by binding soil with live roots and clarifies the role of vegetation in protecting the coast. In both laboratory flume studies and controlled field experiments, we show that common salt marsh plants do not significantly mitigate the total amount of erosion along a wetland edge. We found that the soil type is the primary variable that influences the lateral erosion rate and although plants do not directly reduce wetland edge erosion, they may do so indirectly via modification of soil parameters. We conclude that coastal vegetation is best-suited to modify and control sedimentary dynamics in response to gradual phenomena like sea-level rise or tidal forces, but is less well-suited to resist punctuated disturbances at the seaward margin of salt marshes, specifically breaking waves.

Salt Plug Formation Caused by Decreased River Discharge in a Multi-channel Estuary

PubMed Central

Shaha, Dinesh Chandra; Cho, Yang-Ki

2016-01-01

Freshwater input to estuaries may be greatly altered by the river barrages required to meet human needs for drinking water and irrigation and prevent salt water intrusion. Prior studies have examined the salt plugs associated with evaporation and salt outwelling from tidal salt flats in single-channel estuaries. In this work, we discovered a new type of salt plug formation in the multi-channel Pasur River Estuary (PRE) caused by decreasing river discharges resulting from an upstream barrage. The formation of a salt plug in response to changes in river discharge was investigated using a conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) recorder during spring and neap tides in the dry and wet seasons in 2014. An exportation of saline water from the Shibsa River Estuary (SRE) to the PRE through the Chunkhuri Channel occurred during the dry season, and a salt plug was created and persisted from December to June near Chalna in the PRE. A discharge-induced, relatively high water level in the PRE during the wet season exerted hydrostatic pressure towards the SRE from the PRE and thereby prevented the intrusion of salt water from the SRE to the PRE. PMID:27255892

CP Violation in b- and c-hadron decays at LHCb

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinkamp, Olaf; LHCb Collaboration

2017-07-01

Testing the Standard Model of particle physics by precision measurements of CP violating observables in the decays of b and c hadrons has been one of the design goals of the LHCb experiment. World-leading measurements have been performed of the semileptonic asymmetry, {a}ssl, and of the mixing-induced CP-violating phase ϕs in the {B}s0{\\bar{B}}s0 system. The CKM angle γ is still the least known angle of the Unitarity Triangle, and the only one easily accessible using tree-level decays. A recent combination of LHCb measurements in various B → DK decay modes has yielded the most precise determination of γ from a single experiment to date. The LHCb experiment is collecting unprecedented samples of beauty baryons, allowing for the first time to study CP violating observables in their decays. A recent analysis provided the first evidence for CP violation in the beauty baryon sector. Finally, LHCb has the largest samples of charmed hadron decays collected by any experiment to date. These samples yield some of the world’s most sensitive searches for direct and indirect CP violation in the charm sector.

Salt stress causes cell wall damage in yeast cells lacking mitochondrial DNA.

PubMed

Gao, Qiuqiang; Liou, Liang-Chun; Ren, Qun; Bao, Xiaoming; Zhang, Zhaojie

2014-03-03

The yeast cell wall plays an important role in maintaining cell morphology, cell integrity and response to environmental stresses. Here, we report that salt stress causes cell wall damage in yeast cells lacking mitochondrial DNA (ρ 0 ). Upon salt treatment, the cell wall is thickened, broken and becomes more sensitive to the cell wall-perturbing agent sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Also, SCW11 mRNA levels are elevated in ρ 0 cells. Deletion of SCW11 significantly decreases the sensitivity of ρ 0 cells to SDS after salt treatment, while overexpression of SCW11 results in higher sensitivity. In addition, salt stress in ρ 0 cells induces high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which further damages the cell wall, causing cells to become more sensitive towards the cell wall-perturbing agent.

Distillation and condensation of LiCl-KCl eutectic salts for a separation of pure salts from salt wastes from an electrorefining process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eun, Hee Chul; Yang, Hee Chul; Lee, Han Soo; Kim, In Tae

2009-12-01

Salt separation and recovery from the salt wastes generated from a pyrochemical process is necessary to minimize the high-level waste volumes and to stabilize a final waste form. In this study, the thermal behavior of the LiCl-KCl eutectic salts containing rare earth oxychlorides or oxides was investigated during a vacuum distillation and condensation process. LiCl was more easily vaporized than the other salts (KCl and LiCl-KCl eutectic salt). Vaporization characteristics of LiCl-KCl eutectic salts were similar to that of KCl. The temperature to obtain the vaporization flux (0.1 g min -1 cm -2) was decreased by much as 150 °C by a reduction of the ambient pressure from 5 Torr to 0.5 Torr. Condensation behavior of the salt vapors was different with the ambient pressure. Almost all of the salt vapors were condensed and were formed into salt lumps during a salt distillation at the ambient pressure of 0.5 Torr and they were collected in the condensed salt storage. However, fine salt particles were formed when the salt distillation was performed at 10 Torr and it is difficult for them to be recovered. Therefore, it is thought that a salt vacuum distillation and condensation should be performed to recover almost all of the vaporized salts at a pressure below 0.5 Torr.

Decay rates of magnetic modes below the threshold of a turbulent dynamo.

PubMed

Herault, J; Pétrélis, F; Fauve, S

2014-04-01

We measure the decay rates of magnetic field modes in a turbulent flow of liquid sodium below the dynamo threshold. We observe that turbulent fluctuations induce energy transfers between modes with different symmetries (dipolar and quadrupolar). Using symmetry properties, we show how to measure the decay rate of each mode without being restricted to the one with the smallest damping rate. We observe that the respective values of the decay rates of these modes depend on the shape of the propellers driving the flow. Dynamical regimes, including field reversals, are observed only when the modes are both nearly marginal. This is in line with a recently proposed model.

Chemical evolution via beta decay: a case study in strontium-90

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marks, N. A.; Carter, D. J.; Sassi, M.; Rohl, A. L.; Sickafus, K. E.; Uberuaga, B. P.; Stanek, C. R.

2013-02-01

Using 90Sr as a representative isotope, we present a framework for understanding beta decay within the solid state. We quantify three key physical and chemical principles, namely momentum-induced recoil during the decay event, defect creation due to physical displacement, and chemical evolution over time. A fourth effect, that of electronic excitation, is also discussed, but this is difficult to quantify and is strongly material dependent. The analysis is presented for the specific cases of SrTiO3 and SrH2. By comparing the recoil energy with available threshold displacement data we show that in many beta-decay situations defects such as Frenkel pairs will not be created during decay as the energy transfer is too low. This observation leads to the concept of chemical evolution over time, which we quantify using density functional theory. Using a combination of Bader analysis, phonon calculations and cohesive energy calculations, we show that beta decay leads to counter-intuitive behavior that has implications for nuclear waste storage and novel materials design.

Chemical evolution via beta decay: a case study in strontium-90.

PubMed

Marks, N A; Carter, D J; Sassi, M; Rohl, A L; Sickafus, K E; Uberuaga, B P; Stanek, C R

2013-02-13

Using (90)Sr as a representative isotope, we present a framework for understanding beta decay within the solid state. We quantify three key physical and chemical principles, namely momentum-induced recoil during the decay event, defect creation due to physical displacement, and chemical evolution over time. A fourth effect, that of electronic excitation, is also discussed, but this is difficult to quantify and is strongly material dependent. The analysis is presented for the specific cases of SrTiO(3) and SrH(2). By comparing the recoil energy with available threshold displacement data we show that in many beta-decay situations defects such as Frenkel pairs will not be created during decay as the energy transfer is too low. This observation leads to the concept of chemical evolution over time, which we quantify using density functional theory. Using a combination of Bader analysis, phonon calculations and cohesive energy calculations, we show that beta decay leads to counter-intuitive behavior that has implications for nuclear waste storage and novel materials design.

[Correction of isoproterenol-induced myocardial injury with magnesium salts in magnesium-deficient rats].

PubMed

Kharitonova, M V; Zheltova, A A; Spasov, A A; Smirnov, A V; Pan'shin, N G; Iezhitsa, I N

2013-01-01

The effect of Mg L-asparaginate (Mg-L-Asp), Mg chloride (MgCl2) and Mg sulfate (MgSO4) on the severity of isoproterenol-induced myocardial injury in Mg-deficient rats has been evaluated. To induce Mg deficiency, twenty-eight rats were placed on a low Mg diet (Mg content < 15 mg/kg) and demineralized water for 10 weeks. Twelve control rats were fed a basal control diet (Mg content = 500 mg/kg) and water (with Mg content 20 mg/l) for equal duration. On day 49 of low Mg diet, Mg-deficient rats were randomly divided into four groups: 1) group that continued to receive low Mg diet; 2) low Mg diet plus oral MgSO4; 3) low Mg diet plus oral Mg-L-Asp and 4) low Mg diet plus oral MgCl2 (50 mg of Mg per kg of body weight). Isoproterenol was injected subcutaneously (30 mg/kg BW, twice, at an interval of 24 hours) on the day 70 of the study, when plasma and erythrocyte Mg level in rats fed a low Mg diet were significantly decreased by 47% and 45% compared to intact animals. Twenty-four hours after second injection of isoproterenol, tests for activities of creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were run and histopathological study was carried out. Administration of isoproterenol to rats resulted in significantly elevated plasma CK, LDH and AST, however analyses in Mg deficient group demonstrated more dramatically increased activity of CK and AST compared to control rats (3,06 and 4,67 fold in Mg-deficient group vs. 1,91 and 3,92 fold in intact group). Increased leakage of cardiac injury markers was concomitant to increased volume of fuchsinophilic cardiomyocytes (54.2 +/- 1.7% in Mg-deficient group and 38.9 +/- 1.9% in intact group, p < 0.05). However, pretreatment with of MgCl2, MgSO4 and Mg-L-Asp during 21 days favorably decreased sensitivity of myocardium to isoproterenol-induced ischemic injury. All evaluated salts significantly decreased myocyte marker enzymes as well as protected myocardium against isoproterenol-induced

Acceptability of Salt Fluoridation in a Rural Latino Community in the United States: An Ethnographic Study

PubMed Central

Barker, Judith C.; Hoeft, Kristin S.

2016-01-01

Compared to other population groups in the United States, caries (tooth decay) is a disproportionately prevalent disease among Latino populations, especially among low-income and rural sub-groups and children under five years of age. Fluoride is a primary preventive for caries. While water fluoridation is a major and effective public health means for delivering fluoride on a mass scale, it does not reach many rural areas or population groups such as Latinos who eschew drinking water from municipal sources. This study examines the acceptability to such groups of salt fluoridation, an alternate means of delivering fluoride long used on a global scale. An ethnographic study in California’s rural Central Valley was performed. Thirty individual interviews and 5 focus groups (N = 61) were conducted in Spanish to investigate low-income Latino migrant caregivers’ experiences, views and understandings of domestic salt, oral health, caries prevention and fluoride. Audio data were transcribed, translated, coded and thematically analyzed. Table salt was readily available and frequently consumed. Both adult and child daily sodium consumption was high. Despite a general feeling that it was good, and present in dentifrices or dietary supplements, most participants had little knowledge about fluoride. Concerns were raised about cardio-vascular and other possibly deleterious effects if an increase in salt consumption occurred because fluoridated salt was viewed as having ‘extra’ benefits. Once informed about fluoride’s safety and role in caries prevention, most participants expressed willingness to use fluoridated salt, especially if it benefitted children. Reassurance about its safety and benefits, and demonstration of its taste, were important aspects of acceptance. Taste was paramount. Participants would not consume more fluoridated salt than their current salt as that would result in unpleasant changes in food flavor and taste. While salt fluoridation is acceptable

Heterogeneity of Equilibrium Molten Globule State of Cytochrome c Induced by Weak Salt Denaturants under Physiological Condition

PubMed Central

Rahaman, Hamidur; Alam Khan, Md. Khurshid; Hassan, Md. Imtaiyaz; Islam, Asimul; Moosavi-Movahedi, Ali Akbar; Ahmad, Faizan

2015-01-01

While many proteins are recognized to undergo folding via intermediate(s), the heterogeneity of equilibrium folding intermediate(s) along the folding pathway is less understood. In our present study, FTIR spectroscopy, far- and near-UV circular dichroism (CD), ANS and tryptophan fluorescence, near IR absorbance spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used to study the structural and thermodynamic characteristics of the native (N), denatured (D) and intermediate state (X) of goat cytochorme c (cyt-c) induced by weak salt denaturants (LiBr, LiCl and LiClO4) at pH 6.0 and 25°C. The LiBr-induced denaturation of cyt-c measured by Soret absorption (Δε 400) and CD ([θ]409), is a three-step process, N ↔ X ↔ D. It is observed that the X state obtained along the denaturation pathway of cyt-c possesses common structural and thermodynamic characteristics of the molten globule (MG) state. The MG state of cyt-c induced by LiBr is compared for its structural and thermodynamic parameters with those found in other solvent conditions such as LiCl, LiClO4 and acidic pH. Our observations suggest: (1) that the LiBr-induced MG state of cyt-c retains the native Met80-Fe(III) axial bond and Trp59-propionate interactions; (2) that LiBr-induced MG state of cyt-c is more compact retaining the hydrophobic interactions in comparison to the MG states induced by LiCl, LiClO4 and 0.5 M NaCl at pH 2.0; and (3) that there exists heterogeneity of equilibrium intermediates along the unfolding pathway of cyt-c as highly ordered (X1), classical (X2) and disordered (X3), i.e., D ↔ X3 ↔ X2 ↔ X1 ↔ N. PMID:25849212

Heterogeneity of equilibrium molten globule state of cytochrome c induced by weak salt denaturants under physiological condition.

PubMed

Rahaman, Hamidur; Alam Khan, Md Khurshid; Hassan, Md Imtaiyaz; Islam, Asimul; Moosavi-Movahedi, Ali Akbar; Ahmad, Faizan

2015-01-01

While many proteins are recognized to undergo folding via intermediate(s), the heterogeneity of equilibrium folding intermediate(s) along the folding pathway is less understood. In our present study, FTIR spectroscopy, far- and near-UV circular dichroism (CD), ANS and tryptophan fluorescence, near IR absorbance spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used to study the structural and thermodynamic characteristics of the native (N), denatured (D) and intermediate state (X) of goat cytochorme c (cyt-c) induced by weak salt denaturants (LiBr, LiCl and LiClO4) at pH 6.0 and 25°C. The LiBr-induced denaturation of cyt-c measured by Soret absorption (Δε400) and CD ([θ]409), is a three-step process, N ↔ X ↔ D. It is observed that the X state obtained along the denaturation pathway of cyt-c possesses common structural and thermodynamic characteristics of the molten globule (MG) state. The MG state of cyt-c induced by LiBr is compared for its structural and thermodynamic parameters with those found in other solvent conditions such as LiCl, LiClO4 and acidic pH. Our observations suggest: (1) that the LiBr-induced MG state of cyt-c retains the native Met80-Fe(III) axial bond and Trp59-propionate interactions; (2) that LiBr-induced MG state of cyt-c is more compact retaining the hydrophobic interactions in comparison to the MG states induced by LiCl, LiClO4 and 0.5 M NaCl at pH 2.0; and (3) that there exists heterogeneity of equilibrium intermediates along the unfolding pathway of cyt-c as highly ordered (X1), classical (X2) and disordered (X3), i.e., D ↔ X3 ↔ X2 ↔ X1 ↔ N.

Effects of Decay of Incorporated H3-Thymidine on Bacteria

PubMed Central

Person, Stanley; Leah Lewis, Hazel

1962-01-01

The killing efficiency due to the decay of incorporated H3-thymidine in three mutants of E. coli strain 15: 15T-, 15T-L-, and 15T-U- has been determined. This efficiency is comparable to that previously determined by others for P32 decay. The killing efficiency has been determined as a function of H3-thymidine specific activity, storage media and storage temperature. We have observed a latent killing effect that causes lethality under certain conditions. The kinetics of latent killing have been examined at several temperatures. Finally, mutation production induced by H3-thymidine decays was shown to occur. The results are consistent with the idea that inactivation and mutations may be caused by a process in the nuclear transmutation that is not associated with β-particle ionization damage. PMID:19431318

Salt Stress Induced Variation in DNA Methylation Pattern and Its Influence on Gene Expression in Contrasting Rice Genotypes

PubMed Central

Karan, Ratna; DeLeon, Teresa; Biradar, Hanamareddy; Subudhi, Prasanta K.

2012-01-01

Background Salinity is a major environmental factor limiting productivity of crop plants including rice in which wide range of natural variability exists. Although recent evidences implicate epigenetic mechanisms for modulating the gene expression in plants under environmental stresses, epigenetic changes and their functional consequences under salinity stress in rice are underexplored. DNA methylation is one of the epigenetic mechanisms regulating gene expression in plant’s responses to environmental stresses. Better understanding of epigenetic regulation of plant growth and response to environmental stresses may create novel heritable variation for crop improvement. Methodology/Principal Findings Methylation sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) technique was used to assess the effect of salt stress on extent and patterns of DNA methylation in four genotypes of rice differing in the degree of salinity tolerance. Overall, the amount of DNA methylation was more in shoot compared to root and the contribution of fully methylated loci was always more than hemi-methylated loci. Sequencing of ten randomly selected MSAP fragments indicated gene-body specific DNA methylation of retrotransposons, stress responsive genes, and chromatin modification genes, distributed on different rice chromosomes. Bisulphite sequencing and quantitative RT-PCR analysis of selected MSAP loci showed that cytosine methylation changes under salinity as well as gene expression varied with genotypes and tissue types irrespective of the level of salinity tolerance of rice genotypes. Conclusions/Significance The gene body methylation may have an important role in regulating gene expression in organ and genotype specific manner under salinity stress. Association between salt tolerance and methylation changes observed in some cases suggested that many methylation changes are not “directed”. The natural genetic variation for salt tolerance observed in rice germplasm may be independent of

Salting by Vacuum Brine Impregnation in Nitrite-Free Lonza: Effect on Enterobacteriaceae.

PubMed

Serio, Annalisa; Chaves-López, Clemencia; Rossi, Chiara; Pittia, Paola; Rosa, Marco Dalla; Paparella, Antonello

2017-01-24

Lonza is a traditional Italian meat product made from whole pork muscles, which is typically cured by dry salting. In this work, we study the effects of vacuum brine impregnation (VBI) as an alternative salting method on the survival of Enterobacteriaceae, in presence and in absence of nitrites. In comparison with the traditional brining process, VBI contributed to reducing the Enterobacteriaceae population on product surface but induced contamination of the inner muscle tissues. Our results suggest that the species isolated became adapted to processing conditions, and salt tolerance was species- or strain-dependent. This result is of particular importance for future applications of VBI in lonza manufacturing.

Evaluation of genetic damage induced by glyphosate isopropylamine salt using Tradescantia bioassays.

PubMed

Alvarez-Moya, Carlos; Silva, Mónica Reynoso; Arámbula, Alma Rosa Villalobos; Sandoval, Alfonso Islas; Vasquez, Hugo Castañeda; González Montes, Rosa María

2011-01-01

Glyphosate is noted for being non-toxic in fishes, birds and mammals (including humans). Nevertheless, the degree of genotoxicity is seriously controversial. In this work, various concentrations of a glyphosate isopropylamine salt were tested using two methods of genotoxicity assaying, viz., the pink mutation assay with Tradescantia (4430) and the comet assay with nuclei from staminal cells of the same plant. Staminal nuclei were studied in two different forms, namely nuclei from exposed plants, and nuclei exposed directly. Using the pink mutation assay, isopropylamine induced a total or partial loss of color in staminal cells, a fundamental criterion utilized in this test. Consequently, its use is not recommended when studying genotoxicity with agents that produce pallid staminal cells. The comet assay system detected statistically significant (p < 0.01) genotoxic activity by isopropylamine, when compared to the negative control in both the nuclei of treated plants and directly treated nuclei, but only the treated nuclei showed a dose-dependent increase. Average migration in the nuclei of treated plants increased, when compared to that in treated nuclei. This was probably due, either to the permanence of isopropylamine in inflorescences, or to the presence of secondary metabolites. In conclusion, isopropylamine possesses strong genotoxic activity, but its detection can vary depending on the test systems used.

Evaluation of genetic damage induced by glyphosate isopropylamine salt using Tradescantia bioassays

PubMed Central

Alvarez-Moya, Carlos; Silva, Mónica Reynoso; Arámbula, Alma Rosa Villalobos; Sandoval, Alfonso Islas; Vasquez, Hugo Castañeda; González Montes, Rosa María

2011-01-01

Glyphosate is noted for being non-toxic in fishes, birds and mammals (including humans). Nevertheless, the degree of genotoxicity is seriously controversial. In this work, various concentrations of a glyphosate isopropylamine salt were tested using two methods of genotoxicity assaying, viz., the pink mutation assay with Tradescantia (4430) and the comet assay with nuclei from staminal cells of the same plant. Staminal nuclei were studied in two different forms, namely nuclei from exposed plants, and nuclei exposed directly. Using the pink mutation assay, isopropylamine induced a total or partial loss of color in staminal cells, a fundamental criterion utilized in this test. Consequently, its use is not recommended when studying genotoxicity with agents that produce pallid staminal cells. The comet assay system detected statistically significant (p < 0.01) genotoxic activity by isopropylamine, when compared to the negative control in both the nuclei of treated plants and directly treated nuclei, but only the treated nuclei showed a dose-dependent increase. Average migration in the nuclei of treated plants increased, when compared to that in treated nuclei. This was probably due, either to the permanence of isopropylamine in inflorescences, or to the presence of secondary metabolites. In conclusion, isopropylamine possesses strong genotoxic activity, but its detection can vary depending on the test systems used. PMID:21637555

Combined effect of salt and drought on boron toxicity in Puccinellia tenuiflora.

PubMed

Liu, Chunguang; Dai, Zheng; Xia, Jingye; Chang, Can; Sun, Hongwen

2018-08-15

Boron toxicity is a worldwide problem, usually accompanied by salt (NaCl) and drought. The combined stresses may induce complex toxicity to the plant. The aim of the present study was to investigate how the combined stresses of salt and drought affect B toxicity in plants. Puccinellia tenuiflora seedlings were planted in vermiculite. A three (B) × three (salt) × three (drought) factorial experiment (for a total of 27 treatments) was conducted. After a 30-day cultivation, plants were harvested to determine dry weight and the concentrations of B, Na + , K + , Ca 2+ , and Mg 2+ . Plant growth was inhibited by B toxicity, which was alleviated by salt and drought. B stress enhanced B uptake and transport of the plant, which was inhibited by salt and drought. B stress had a little effect on K + and Na + concentration and caused Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ accumulation in the plant. Salt addition increased Na + concentration and inhibited Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ accumulation. Drought addition inhibited Na + accumulation and enhanced Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ accumulation. The combined stresses of salt and drought had a greater alleviation on the inhibition of dry weight caused by B than individual salt and drought. Besides, the combined stresses of salt and drought also enhanced B uptake and inhibited B transport. The results indicate that salt, drought, and the combined stresses of salt and drought all can alleviate B toxicity in P. tenuiflora, the main mechanism of which is the restriction of B and Na + uptake caused by salt and drought. The combined stresses of salt and drought have a greater effect on B toxicity than individual salt and drought. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Leptons from decay of mesons in the laser-induced particle pulse from ultra-dense protium p(0)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmlid, Leif

2016-10-01

Kaons and pions are observed by their characteristic decay times of 12, 52 and 26 ns after impact of relatively weak ns-long laser pulses on ultra-dense hydrogen H(0), as reported previously. The signal using an ultra-dense protium p(0) generator with natural hydrogen is now studied. Deflection in a weak magnetic field or penetration through metal foils cannot distinguish between the types of decaying mesons. The signals observed are thus not caused by the decaying mesons themselves, but by the fast particles often at >50MeV u-1 formed in their decay. The fast particles are concluded to be mainly muons from their relatively small magnetic deflection and strong penetration. This is further supported by published studies on the direct observation of the beta decay of muons in scintillators and solid converters using the same type of p(0) generator.

Posttranscriptional Control of Photosynthetic mRNA Decay under Stress Conditions Requires 3′ and 5′ Untranslated Regions and Correlates with Differential Polysome Association in Rice1[W][OA

PubMed Central

Park, Su-Hyun; Chung, Pil Joong; Juntawong, Piyada; Bailey-Serres, Julia; Kim, Youn Shic; Jung, Harin; Bang, Seung Woon; Kim, Yeon-Ki; Do Choi, Yang; Kim, Ju-Kon

2012-01-01

Abiotic stress, including drought, salinity, and temperature extremes, regulates gene expression at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. Expression profiling of total messenger RNAs (mRNAs) from rice (Oryza sativa) leaves grown under stress conditions revealed that the transcript levels of photosynthetic genes are reduced more rapidly than others, a phenomenon referred to as stress-induced mRNA decay (SMD). By comparing RNA polymerase II engagement with the steady-state mRNA level, we show here that SMD is a posttranscriptional event. The SMD of photosynthetic genes was further verified by measuring the half-lives of the small subunit of Rubisco (RbcS1) and Chlorophyll a/b-Binding Protein1 (Cab1) mRNAs during stress conditions in the presence of the transcription inhibitor cordycepin. To discern any correlation between SMD and the process of translation, changes in total and polysome-associated mRNA levels after stress were measured. Total and polysome-associated mRNA levels of two photosynthetic (RbcS1 and Cab1) and two stress-inducible (Dehydration Stress-Inducible Protein1 and Salt-Induced Protein) genes were found to be markedly similar. This demonstrated the importance of polysome association for transcript stability under stress conditions. Microarray experiments performed on total and polysomal mRNAs indicate that approximately half of all mRNAs that undergo SMD remain polysome associated during stress treatments. To delineate the functional determinant(s) of mRNAs responsible for SMD, the RbcS1 and Cab1 transcripts were dissected into several components. The expressions of different combinations of the mRNA components were analyzed under stress conditions, revealing that both 3′ and 5′ untranslated regions are necessary for SMD. Our results, therefore, suggest that the posttranscriptional control of photosynthetic mRNA decay under stress conditions requires both 3′ and 5′ untranslated regions and correlates with differential polysome

Blood pressure, magnesium and other mineral balance in two rat models of salt-sensitive, induced hypertension: effects of a non-peptide angiotensin II receptor type 1 antagonist.

PubMed

Rondón, Lusliany Josefina; Marcano, Eunice; Rodríguez, Fátima; del Castillo, Jesús Rafael

2014-01-01

The renin-angiotensin system is critically involved in regulating arterial blood pressure (BP). Inappropriate angiotensin type-1 receptor activation by angiotensin-II (Ang-II) is related to increased arterial BP. Mg has a role in BP; it can affect cardiac electrical activity, myocardial contractility, and vascular tone. To evaluate the relationship between high BP induced by a high sodium (Na) diet and Mg, and other mineral balances, two experimental rat models of salt-sensitive, induced-hypertension were used: Ang-II infused and Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rats. We found that: 1) Ang-II infusion progressively increased BP, which was accompanied by hypomagnesuria and signs of secondary hyperaldosteronism; 2) an additive effect between Ang-II and a high Na load may have an effect on strontium (Sr), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) balances; 3) Dahl SS rats fed a high Na diet had a slow pressor response, accompanied by altered Mg, Na, potassium (K), and phosphate (P) balances; and 4) losartan prevented BP increases induced by Ang II-NaCl, but did not modify mineral balances. In Dahl SS rats, losartan attenuated high BP and ameliorated magnesemia, Na and K balances. Mg metabolism maybe considered a possible defect in this strain of rat that may contribute to hypertension.

On possible microscopic origins of the swelling of neutral lipid bilayers induced by simple salts.

PubMed

Manciu, Marian; Ruckenstein, Eli

2007-05-01

It was recently suggested that the swelling of neutral multilipid bilayers upon addition of a salt can be simply explained only by the electrolyte screening of the van der Waals attractions, while assuming that the hydration force and the repulsion due to thermal undulations of membranes are unaffected by the salt. While we agree that the screening of the van der Waals interactions plays a role, we suggest that the increase in the hydration force upon addition of a salt has also to be taken into account. In a statistical model, which accounts for the membrane undulations, parameters could be found to explain the multibilayer swelling even when the van der Waals attraction is considered unaffected by the electrolyte screening. These results point out that the decrease by a factor of three of the Hamaker constant upon addition of a salt, suggested recently to be responsible for the swelling of neutral multilipid bilayers, is perhaps too large, and a smaller decrease in Hamaker constant, coupled with the above mentioned effects might explain the swelling.

Molten Salt Promoting Effect in Double Salt CO2 Absorbents

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Keling; Li, Xiaohong S.; Chen, Haobo

2016-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to elaborate on the concept of molten salts as catalysts for CO2 absorption by MgO, and extend these observations to the MgO-containing double salt oxides. We will show that the phenomena involved with CO2 absorption by MgO and MgO-based double salts are similar and general, but with some important differences. This paper focuses on the following key concepts: i) identification of conditions that favor or disfavor participation of isolated MgO during double salt absorption, and investigation of methods to increase the absorption capacity of double salt systems by including MgO participation; ii) examination ofmore » the relationship between CO2 uptake and melting point of the promoter salt, leading to the recognition of the role of pre-melting (surface melting) in these systems; and iii) extension of the reaction pathway model developed for the MgO-NaNO3 system to the double salt systems. This information advances our understanding of MgO-based CO2 absorption systems for application with pre-combustion gas streams.« less

Proteomic study participating the enhancement of growth and salt tolerance of bottle gourd rootstock-grafted watermelon seedlings.

PubMed

Yang, Yanjuan; Wang, Liping; Tian, Jing; Li, Jing; Sun, Jin; He, Lizhong; Guo, Shirong; Tezuka, Takafumi

2012-09-01

An insertion grafting technique to do research on salt tolerance was applied using watermelon (Citrullus lanatus [Thunb.] Mansf. cv. Xiuli) as a scion and bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria Standl. cv. Chaofeng Kangshengwang) as a rootstock. Rootstock-grafting significantly relieved the inhibition of growth and photosynthesis induced by salt stress in watermelon plants. Proteomic analysis revealed 40 different expressed proteins in response to rootstock-grafting and/or salt stress. These proteins were involved in Calvin cycle, amino acids biosynthesis, carbohydrate and energy metabolism, ROS defense, hormonal biosynthesis and signal transduction. Most of these proteins were up-regulated by rootstock-grafting and/or susceptible to salt stress. The enhancement of the metabolic activities of Calvin cycle, biosynthesis of amino acids, carotenoids and peroxisomes, glycolytic pathway and tricarboxylic acid cycle will probably contribute to intensify the biomass and photosynthetic capacity in rootstock-grafted seedlings under condition without salt. The accumulation of key enzymes included in these biological processes described above seems to play an important role in the enhancement of salt tolerance of rootstock-grafted seedlings. Furthermore, leucine-rich repeat transmembrane protein kinase and phospholipase may be involved in transmitting the internal and external stimuli induced by grafting and/or salt stress. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Influence of tensor interactions on masses and decay widths of dibaryons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pang Hourong; Ping Jialun; Chen Lingzhi

The influence of gluon and Goldstone boson induced tensor interactions on the dibaryon masses and D-wave decay widths has been studied in the quark delocalization, color screening model. The effective S-D wave transition interactions induced by gluon and Goldstone boson exchanges decrease rapidly with increasing strangeness of the channel. The tensor contribution of K and {eta} mesons is negligible in this model. There is no six-quark state in the light flavor world studied so far that can become bound by means of these tensor interactions besides the deuteron. The partial D-wave decay widths of the IJ{sup p}=(1/2)2{sup +}N{omega} state tomore » spin 0 and 1 {lambda}{xi} final states are 12.0 and 21.9 keV, respectively. This is a very narrow dibaryon resonance that might be detectable in those production reactions with rich high strangeness particles through the reconstruction of the vertex mass of the decay product {lambda}{xi} by existing detectors at RHIC and COMPASS at CERN or at JHF in Japan and FAIR in Germany in the future.« less

Does vegetation prevent wave erosion of salt marsh edges?

PubMed Central

Feagin, R. A.; Lozada-Bernard, S. M.; Ravens, T. M.; Möller, I.; Yeager, K. M.; Baird, A. H.

2009-01-01

This study challenges the paradigm that salt marsh plants prevent lateral wave-induced erosion along wetland edges by binding soil with live roots and clarifies the role of vegetation in protecting the coast. In both laboratory flume studies and controlled field experiments, we show that common salt marsh plants do not significantly mitigate the total amount of erosion along a wetland edge. We found that the soil type is the primary variable that influences the lateral erosion rate and although plants do not directly reduce wetland edge erosion, they may do so indirectly via modification of soil parameters. We conclude that coastal vegetation is best-suited to modify and control sedimentary dynamics in response to gradual phenomena like sea-level rise or tidal forces, but is less well-suited to resist punctuated disturbances at the seaward margin of salt marshes, specifically breaking waves. PMID:19509340

Hypernuclear Weak Decays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itonaga, K.; Motoba, T.

The recent theoretical studies of Lambda-hypernuclear weak decaysof the nonmesonic and pi-mesonic ones are developed with the aim to disclose the link between the experimental decay observables and the underlying basic weak decay interactions and the weak decay mechanisms. The expressions of the nonmesonic decay rates Gamma_{nm} and the decay asymmetry parameter alpha_1 of protons from the polarized hypernuclei are presented in the shell model framework. We then introduce the meson theoretical Lambda N -> NN interactions which include the one-meson exchanges, the correlated-2pi exchanges, and the chiral-pair-meson exchanges. The features of meson exchange potentials and their roles on the nonmesonic decays are discussed. With the adoption of the pi + 2pi/rho + 2pi/sigma + omega + K + rhopi/a_1 + sigmapi/a_1 exchange potentials, we have carried out the systematic calculations of the nonmesonic decay observables for light-to-heavy hypernuclei. The present model can account for the available experimental data of the decay rates, Gamma_n/Gamma_p ratios, and the intrinsic asymmetry parameters alpha_Lambda (alpha_Lambda is related to alpha_1) of emitted protons well and consistently within the error bars. The hypernuclear lifetimes are evaluated by converting the total weak decay rates Gamma_{tot} = Gamma_pi + Gamma_{nm} to tau, which exhibit saturation property for the hypernuclear mass A ≥ 30 and agree grossly well with experimental data for the mass range from light to heavy hypernuclei except for the very light ones. Future extensions of the model and the remaining problems are also mentioned. The pi-mesonic weak processes are briefly surveyed, and the calculations and predictions are compared and confirmed by the recent high precision FINUDA pi-mesonic decay data. This shows that the theoretical basis seems to be firmly grounded.

a Search for Nucleon Decay with Multiple Muon Decays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, Thomas James

A search was made for nucleon decays which result in multiple delayed muon decays using the HPW (Harvard -Purdue-Wisconsin) water Cerenkov detector. The HPW detector consists of 680 metric tons of purified water instrumented with 704 five-inch photomultiplier tubes. The phototubes are situated on a volume array with a lattice spacing of approximately one meter, and the inside walls of the detector are lined with mirrors. This combination of mirrors and a volume array of phototubes gives the HPW detector a low trigger energy threshold and a high muon decay detection efficiency. The detector is surrounded by wire chambers to provide an active shield, and is located at a depth of 1500 meters-of-water-equivalent in the Silver King Mine in Park City, Utah. The entire HPW data set, consisting of 17.2 million events collec- ted during 282 live days between May 1983 and October 1984, was analyzed. No contained events with multiple muon decays were found in a 180 ton fiducial volume. This is consistent with the background rate from neutrino interactions, which is expected to be 0.7 (+OR-) 0.2 events. The calculated lower lifetime limit for the decay mode p (--->) (mu)('+)(mu)('+)(mu)('-) is: (tau)/B.R. = 1 x 10('31) years (90% C.L.). Limits are calculated for ten other proton decay modes and five bound neutron decay modes, most of which are around 4 x 10('30) years (90% C.L.). No previous studies have reported results from direct searches for eight of these modes.

Modeling an economic evaluation of a salt fluoridation program in Peru.

PubMed

Mariño, Rodrigo J; Fajardo, Jorge; Arana, Ana; Garcia, Carlos; Pachas, Flor

2011-01-01

This article models the cost-effectiveness, from a societal viewpoint, of a dental caries prevention program using salt fluoridation for children 12 years of age, compared with non-intervention (or status quo) in Arequipa, Peru. Standard cost-effectiveness analysis methods were used. The costs associated with implementing and operating the salt-fluoridation program were identified and measured using 2009 prices. Health outcomes were measured as dental caries averted over a 6-year period. Clinical effectiveness data was taken from published data. Costs were measured as direct treatment costs, programs costs and costs of productivity losses as a result of dental treatments. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated. A hypothetical population of 25,000 12-year-olds living in Arequipa, Peru was used in this analysis. Two-way sensitivity analyses were conducted over a range of values for key parameters. Our primary analysis estimated that if a dental caries prevention program using salt-fluoridation was available for 25,000 6-year-old children for 6 years, the net saving from a societal perspective would total S/. 11.95 [1 US$ = S/. (2009) 3.01] per diseased tooth averted when compared with the status quo group. That is, after 6 years, an investment of S/.0.32 per annum per child would result in a net saving of S/.11.95 per decayed/missing/filled teeth prevented. While the analysis has inherent limitations as a result of its reliance on a range of assumptions, the findings indicate that for the situations prevailing in Peru, there are significant health and economic benefits to be gained from the use of salt fluoridation.

Materials Outgassing Rate Decay in Vacuum at Isothermal Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huang, Alvin Y.; Kastanas, George N.; Kramer, Leonard; Soares, Carlos E.; Mikatarian, Ronald R.

2016-01-01

As a laboratory for scientific research, the International Space Station has been in Low Earth Orbit for nearly 20 years and is expected to be on-orbit for another 10 years. The ISS has been maintaining a relatively pristine contamination environment for science payloads. Materials outgassing induced contamination is currently the dominant source for sensitive surfaces on ISS and modeling the outgassing rate decay over a 20 to 30 year period is challenging. Materials outgassing is described herein as a diffusion-reaction process using ASTM E 1559 rate data. The observation of -1/2 (diffusion) or non-integers (reaction limited) as rate decay exponents for common ISS materials indicate classical reaction kinetics is unsatisfactory in modeling materials outgassing. Non-randomness of reactant concentrations at the interface is the source of this deviation from classical reaction kinetics. A diffusion limited decay was adopted as the result of the correlation of the contaminant layer thicknesses on returned ISS hardware, the existence of high outgassing silicone exhibiting near diffusion limited decay, and the confirmation of non-depleted material after ten years in the Low Earth Orbit.Keywords: Materials Outgassing, ASTM E 1559, Reaction Kinetics, Diffusion, Space Environments Effects, Contamination

Increased Renal Iron Accumulation in Hypertensive Nephropathy of Salt-Loaded Hypertensive Rats

PubMed Central

Naito, Yoshiro; Sawada, Hisashi; Oboshi, Makiko; Fujii, Aya; Hirotani, Shinichi; Iwasaku, Toshihiro; Okuhara, Yoshitaka; Eguchi, Akiyo; Morisawa, Daisuke; Ohyanagi, Mitsumasa; Tsujino, Takeshi; Masuyama, Tohru

2013-01-01

Although iron is reported to be associated with the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease, it is unknown whether iron participates in the pathophysiology of nephrosclerosis. Here, we investigate whether iron is involved in the development of hypertensive nephropathy and the effects of iron restriction on nephrosclerosis in salt- loaded stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). SHRSP were given either a normal or high-salt diet for 8 weeks. Another subset of SHRSP were fed a high-salt with iron-restricted diet. SHRSP given a high-salt diet developed severe hypertension and nephrosclerosis. As a result, survival rate was decreased after 8 weeks diet. Importantly, massive iron accumulation and increased iron content were observed in the kidneys of salt-loaded SHRSP, along with increased superoxide production, urinary 8-Hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine excretion, and urinary iron excretion; however, these changes were markedly attenuated by iron restriction. Of interest, expression of cellular iron transport proteins, transferrin receptor 1 and divalent metal transporter 1, was increased in the tubules of salt-loaded SHRSP. Notably, iron restriction attenuated the development of severe hypertension and nephrosclerosis, thereby improving survival rate in salt-loaded SHRSP. Taken together, these results suggest a novel mechanism by which iron plays a role in the development of hypertensive nephropathy and establish the effects of iron restriction on salt-induced nephrosclerosis. PMID:24116080

Secondary Confinement of Water Observed in Eutectic Melting of Aqueous Salt Systems in Nanopores.

PubMed

Meissner, Jens; Prause, Albert; Findenegg, Gerhard H

2016-05-19

Freezing and melting of aqueous solutions of alkali halides confined in the cylindrical nanopores of MCM-41 and SBA-15 silica was probed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). We find that the confinement-induced shift of the eutectic temperature in the pores can be significantly greater than the shift of the melting temperature of pure water. Greatest shifts of the eutectic temperature are found for salts that crystallize as oligohydrates at the eutectic point. This behavior is explained by the larger fraction of pore volume occupied by salt hydrates as compared to anhydrous salts, on the assumption that precipitated salt constitutes an additional confinement for ice/water in the pores. A model based on this secondary confinement effect gives a good representation of the experimental data. Salt-specific secondary confinement may play a role in a variety of fields, from salt-impregnated advanced adsorbents and catalysts to the thermal weathering of building materials.

Radioactive Decay

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Radioactive decay is the emission of energy in the form of ionizing radiation. Example decay chains illustrate how radioactive atoms can go through many transformations as they become stable and no longer radioactive.

Structural phase transition of magnetic [Ni(dmit)2]- salts induced by supramolecular cation structures of (M+)([12]crown-4)2.

PubMed

Akutagawa, Tomoyuki; Motokizawa, Takeshi; Matsuura, Kazumasa; Nishihara, Sadafumi; Noro, Shin-ichiro; Nakamura, Takayoshi

2006-03-30

Sandwich-type supramolecular cation structures of (M(+))([12]crown-4)(2) complexes (M(+) = Li(+), Na(+), K(+), and Rb(+)) were introduced as countercations to the [Ni(dmit)(2)](-) anion, which bears an S = (1)/(2) spin, to form novel magnetic crystals (dmit(2-) = 2-thione-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dithiolate). The zigzag arrangement of Li(+)([12]crown-4)(2) cations in Li(+)([12]crown-4)(2)[Ni(dmit)(2)](-) salt induced weak intermolecular interactions of [Ni(dmit)(2)](-) dimers, whose magnetic spins were isolated from each other. The molecular arrangements of cations and anions in M(+)([12]crown-4)(2)[Ni(dmit)(2)](-) salts (M(+) = Na(+), K(+), and Rb(+)) were isostructural to each other. In the case of Na(+)([12]crown-4)(2)[Ni(dmit)(2)](-), the space group C2/m changed to C2/c with a lowering in temperature from 298 to 100 K. This structural change occurred at 222.5 K as a first-order phase transition. The space group C2/m (T = 298 K) in the salt K(+)([12]crown-4)(2)[Ni(dmit)(2)](-) also changed to C2/c (T = 100 K), which transition occurred at 270 K. Crystal structural analyses at 298 and 100 K revealed changes in both supramolecular cation conformation and [Ni(dmit)(2)](-) anion arrangements. The transition from C2/m to C2/c crystals generated a dipole moment in the Na(+)([12]crown-4)(2) and K(+)([12]crown-4)(2) structures, which were reconstructed to cancel the net dipole moment of the C2/c crystals. These cation transformations led to changes in intermolecular interactions between the [Ni(dmit)(2)](-) anions via structural rearrangements. The crystal structure of C2/c was stabilized in Rb(+)([12]crown-4)(2)[Ni(dmit)(2)](-) at 298 K. The [Ni(dmit)(2)](-) configuration in these salts with the C2/c space group was a one-dimensional uniform chain, which showed the temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility of a one-dimensional linear Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chain.

Synthesis, Decay Properties, and Identification of Superheavy Nuclei Produced in 48Ca-induced Reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oganessian, Yu. Ts.; Utyonkov, V. K.; Lobanov, Yu. V.; Abdullin, F. Sh.; Polyakov, A. N.; Sagaidak, R. N.; Shirokovsky, I. V.; Tsyganov, Yu. S.; Voinov, A. A.; Iliev, S.; Subbotin, V. G.; Sukhov, A. M.; Gulbekian, G. G.; Bogomolov, S. L.; Gikal, B. N.; Mezentsev, A. N.; Subotic, K.; Zagrebaev, V. I.; Itkis, M. G.; Moody, K. J.; Henderson, R. A.; Patin, J. B.; Shaughnessy, D. A.; Stoyer, M. A.; Stoyer, N. J.; Wilk, P. A.; Kenneally, J. M.; Landrum, J. H.; Wild, J. F.; Lougheed, R. W.

2007-10-01

Thirty-four new nuclides with Z = 104-116, 118 and N = 161-177 have been synthesized in the complete-fusion reactions of 238U, 237Np, 242,244Pu, 243Am, 245,248Cm, and 249Cf targets with 48Ca beams. The masses of evaporation residues were identified through measurements of the excitation functions of the xn-evaporation channels and from cross bombardments. The decay properties of the new nuclei agree with those of previously known heavy nuclei and with predictions from different theoretical models. A discussion of self-consistent interpretations of all observed decay chains originating from the parent isotopes 282,283112, 282113, 286-289114, 287,288115, 290-293116, and 294118 is presented. Decay energies and lifetimes of the neutron-rich superheavy nuclei as well as their production cross sections indicate a considerable increase in the stability of nuclei with the approach to the theoretically predicted nuclear shells with N = 184 and Z = 114.

Synthesis, Decay Properties, and Identification of Superheavy Nuclei Produced in 48CA-INDUCED Reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oganessian, Yu. Ts.; Utyonkov, V. K.; Lobanov, Yu. V.; Abdullin, F. Sh.; Polyakov, A. N.; Sagaidak, R. N.; Shirokovsky, I. V.; Tsyganov, Yu. S.; Voinov, A. A.; Iliev, S.; Subbotin, V. G.; Sukhov, A. M.; Gulbekian, G. G.; Bogomolov, S. L.; Gikal, B. N.; Mezentsev, A. N.; Subotic, K.; Zagrebaev, V. I.; Itkis, M. G.; Moody, K. J.; Henderson, R. A.; Patin, J. B.; Shaughnessy, D. A.; Stoyer, M. A.; Stoyer, N. J.; Wilk, P. A.; Kenneally, J. M.; Landrum, J. H.; Wild, J. F.; Lougheed, R. W.

2008-04-01

Thirty-four new nuclides with Z = 104-116, 118 and N = 161-177 have been synthesized in the complete-fusion reactions of 238U, 237Np, 242,244Pu, 243Am, 245,248Cm, and 249Cf targets with 48Ca beams. The masses of evaporation residues were identified through measurements of the excitation functions of the xn-evaporation channels and from cross bombardments. The decay properties of the new nuclei agree with those of previously known heavy nuclei and with predictions from different theoretical models. A discussion of self-consistent interpretations of all observed decay chains originating from the parent isotopes 282,283112, 282113, 286-289114, 287,288115, 290-293116, and 294118 is presented. Decay energies and lifetimes of the neutron-rich superheavy nuclei as well as their production cross sections indicate a considerable increase in the stability of nuclei with the approach to the theoretically predicted nuclear shells with N = 184 and Z = 114.

[Alleviation of salt stress during maize seed germination by presoaking with exogenous sugar].

PubMed

Zhao, Ying; Yang, Ke-jun; Li, Zuo-tong; Zhao, Chang-jiang; Xu, Jing-yu; Hu, Xue- wei; Shi, Xin-xin; Ma, Li-feng

2015-09-01

The maize variety Kenyu 6 was used to study the effects of exogenous glucose (Glc) and sucrose (Suc) on salt tolerance of maize seeds at germination stage under 150 mmol · L(-1) NaCl treatment. Results showed that under salt stress condition, 0.5 mmol · L(-1) exogenous Glc and Suc presoaking could promote seed germination and early seedling growth. Compared with the salt treatment, Glc presoaking increased the shoot length, radicle length and corresponding dry mass up to 1.5, 1.3, 2.1 and 1.8 times, and those of the Suc presoaking treatment increased up to 1.7, 1.3. 2.7 and 1.9 times, respectively. Exogenous Glc and Suc presoaking resulted in decreased levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content of maize shoot under salt stress, which were lowered by 24.9% and 20.6% respectively. Exogenous Glc and Suc presoaking could increase the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GR) and induce glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) activity of maize shoot under salt stress. Compared with the salt treatment. Glc presoaking increased the activity of SOD, APX, GPX, GR and G6PDH by 66.2%, 62.9%, 32.0%, 38.5% and 50.5%, and those of the Suc presoaking increased by 67.5%, 59.8%, 30.0%, 38.5% and 50.4%, respectively. Glc and Suc presoaking also significantly increased the contents of ascorbic acid (ASA) and glutathione (GSH), ASA/DHA and GSH/GSSG. The G6PDH activity was found closely related with the strong antioxidation capacity induced by exogenous sugars. In addition, Glc and Suc presoaking enhanced K+/Na+ in maize shoot by 1.3 and 1.4 times of water soaking salt treatment, respectively. These results indicated that exogenous Glc and Suc presoaking could improve antioxidation capacity of maize seeds and maintain the in vivo K+/Na+ ion balance to alleviate the inhibitory effect of salt stress on maize seed germination.

Alteration of the Helicobacter pylori membrane proteome in response to changes in environmental salt concentration

PubMed Central

Voss, Bradley J.; Loh, John T.; Hill, Salisha; Rose, Kristie L.; McDonald, W. Hayes; Cover, Timothy L.

2015-01-01

Purpose Helicobacter pylori infection and a high dietary salt intake are each risk factors for the development of gastric cancer. We hypothesize that changes in environmental salt concentrations lead to alterations in the H. pylori membrane proteome. Experimental Design Label-free and iTRAQ methods were used to identify H. pylori proteins that change in abundance in response to alterations in environmental salt concentrations. In addition, we biotinylated intact bacteria that were grown under high- or low-salt conditions, and thereby analyzed salt-induced changes in the abundance of surface-exposed proteins. Results Proteins with increased abundance in response to high salt conditions included CagA, the outer membrane protein HopQ, and fibronectin domain-containing protein HP0746. Proteins with increased abundance in response to low salt conditions included VacA, two VacA-like proteins (ImaA and FaaA), outer-membrane iron transporter FecA3, and several proteins involved in flagellar activity. Consistent with the proteomic data, bacteria grown in high salt conditions exhibited decreased motility compared to bacteria grown in lower salt conditions. Conclusions and clinical relevance Alterations in the H. pylori membrane proteome in response to high salt conditions may contribute to the increased risk of gastric cancer associated with a high salt diet. PMID:26109032

Salt and stress synergize H. pylori-induced gastric lesions, cell proliferation, and p21 expression in Mongolian gerbils.

PubMed

Gamboa-Dominguez, Armando; Ubbelohde, Tom; Saqui-Salces, Milena; Romano-Mazzoti, Luis; Cervantes, Minerva; Domínguez-Fonseca, Claudia; de la Luz Estreber, Maria; Ruíz-Palacios, Guillermo M

2007-06-01

Our aim was to determine if salt and stress enhance Helicobacter pylori (Hp) lesions in Meriones unguiculatus. Two hundred seventy-eight pathogen-free gerbils were allocated to seven groups: Hp-Sydney strain (45), 8% higher-salt diet (38), stress (60% space reduction/water immersion; 36), Hp + salt (33), Hp + stress (34), N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (34), and sham (58). Gerbils were sacrificed at 1 week (67), 12 weeks (73), 52 weeks (65), and 68 weeks (73). Sydney, Padova, and Lauren classifications were blindly used. Proliferation, p53, p21, and apoptosis were assessed. Follicular active gastritis (grade 2/3) was observed in 10% of Hp gerbils, 38% of Hp + salt gerbils, and 29% of Hp + stress gerbils at 52 weeks and 67%, 83%, and 43% at 68 weeks (P < 0.05). Heterotopic proliferative glands were identified in synergy groups from 52 weeks, with increases in their number and size by 68 weeks. Higher proliferative rates were observed in Hp+salt gerbils (P < 0.0001), and p21 overexpression in Hp+salt and Hp+stress gerbils (both P's < 0.0001), by 68 weeks, without p53 increases. We conclude that salt and stress synergize Hp damage and increase pseudo-invasive gland foci.

Phenotypic Effects of Salt and Heat Stress over Three Generations in Arabidopsis thaliana

PubMed Central

Suter, Léonie; Widmer, Alex

2013-01-01

Current and predicted environmental change will force many organisms to adapt to novel conditions, especially sessile organisms such as plants. It is therefore important to better understand how plants react to environmental stress and to what extent genotypes differ in such responses. It has been proposed that adaptation to novel conditions could be facilitated by heritable epigenetic changes induced by environmental stress, independent of genetic variation. Here we assessed phenotypic effects of heat and salt stress within and across three generations using four highly inbred Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes (Col, Cvi, Ler and Sha). Salt stress generally decreased fitness, but genotypes were differently affected, suggesting that susceptibility of A. thaliana to salt stress varies among genotypes. Heat stress at an early rosette stage had less detrimental effects but accelerated flowering in three out of four accessions. Additionally, we found three different modes of transgenerational effects on phenotypes, all harboring the potential of being adaptive: heat stress in previous generations induced faster rosette growth in Sha, both under heat and control conditions, resembling a tracking response, while in Cvi, the phenotypic variance of several traits increased, resembling diversified bet-hedging. Salt stress experienced in earlier generations altered plant architecture of Sha under salt but not control conditions, similar to transgenerational phenotypic plasticity. However, transgenerational phenotypic effects depended on the type of stress as well as on genotype, suggesting that such effects may not be a general response leading to adaptation to novel environmental conditions in A. thaliana. PMID:24244719

Deformation of allochthonous salt and evolution of related salt-structural systems, eastern Louisiana Gulf Coast

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schuster, D.C.

1996-12-31

Salt tectonics in the northern Gulf of Mexico involves both vertical diapirism and lateral silling or flow of salt into wings and tablets (sheets). Combinations of these two modes of salt deformation, concurrent with sediment loading and salt evacuation, have produced complex structures in the coastal and offshore region of southeastern Louisiana, a prolific oil and gas province. Many large growth faults and salt domes in the study area root into intra-Tertiary salt welds that were formerly occupied by allochthonous salt tablets. Two end-member structural systems involving evacuation of former tabular salt are recognized: roho systems and stepped counter-regional systems.more » Both end-member systems share a similar multi-staged evolution, including (1) initial formation of a south-leaning salt dome or wall sourced from the Jurassic salt level; (2) progressive development into a semi-tabular allochthonous salt body; and (3) subsequent loading, evacuation, and displacement of the tabular salt into secondary domes. In both systems, it is not uncommon to find salt displaced as much as 16-24 km south of its autochthonous source, connected by a horizontal salt weld to an updip, deflated counter-regional feeder. Although both end-member structural systems may originate before loading of allochthonous salt having grossly similar geometry, their final structural configurations after loading and salt withdrawal are distinctly different. Roho systems are characterized by large-displacement, listric, south-dipping growth faults that sole into intra-Tertiary salt welds marked by high-amplitude reflections continuous with residual salt masses. Salt from the former salt tablets has been loaded and squeezed laterally and downdip. Stepped counter-regional systems, in contrast, comprise large salt domes and adjacent large-displacement, north-dipping growth faults that sole into intra-Tertiary salt welds before stepping down again farther north.« less

Fluorescence decay of naphthalene studied in an electrostatic storage ring, the Mini-Ring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, S.; Matsumoto, J.; Kono, N.; Ji, M.-C.; Brédy, R.; Bernard, J.; Cassimi, A.; Chen, L.

2017-10-01

The cooling of naphthalene cations (C10H8)+ has been studied in a compact electrostatic ion storage ring, the Mini-Ring. A nano second laser pulse of 532 nm (2.33 eV) was used to probe the internal energy distribution every millisecond during the storage time up to 5 ms. The evolution of the internal energy distribution of the stored ions was simulated with a model taking into account the dissociation and the radiative decay processes. Calculated decay curves were fitted to the corresponding laser induced neutral decays. For a laser power of 200 μJ/pulse, a good agreement between experiment and modeling was found using an initial Gaussian energy distribution centered to 5.9 eV and a fluorescence decay rate varying from 200 to 300 s-1 in the energy range from 6 to 7 eV. This fast decay was attributed to the delayed Poincaré fluorescence process.

A Novel Pulse-Chase SILAC Strategy Measures Changes in Protein Decay and Synthesis Rates Induced by Perturbation of Proteostasis with an Hsp90 Inhibitor

PubMed Central

Fierro-Monti, Ivo; Racle, Julien; Hernandez, Celine; Waridel, Patrice; Hatzimanikatis, Vassily; Quadroni, Manfredo

2013-01-01

Standard proteomics methods allow the relative quantitation of levels of thousands of proteins in two or more samples. While such methods are invaluable for defining the variations in protein concentrations which follow the perturbation of a biological system, they do not offer information on the mechanisms underlying such changes. Expanding on previous work [1], we developed a pulse-chase (pc) variant of SILAC (stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture). pcSILAC can quantitate in one experiment and for two conditions the relative levels of proteins newly synthesized in a given time as well as the relative levels of remaining preexisting proteins. We validated the method studying the drug-mediated inhibition of the Hsp90 molecular chaperone, which is known to lead to increased synthesis of stress response proteins as well as the increased decay of Hsp90 “clients”. We showed that pcSILAC can give information on changes in global cellular proteostasis induced by treatment with the inhibitor, which are normally not captured by standard relative quantitation techniques. Furthermore, we have developed a mathematical model and computational framework that uses pcSILAC data to determine degradation constants kd and synthesis rates Vs for proteins in both control and drug-treated cells. The results show that Hsp90 inhibition induced a generalized slowdown of protein synthesis and an increase in protein decay. Treatment with the inhibitor also resulted in widespread protein-specific changes in relative synthesis rates, together with variations in protein decay rates. The latter were more restricted to individual proteins or protein families than the variations in synthesis. Our results establish pcSILAC as a viable workflow for the mechanistic dissection of changes in the proteome which follow perturbations. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD000538. PMID:24312217

Continuous measurements of bronchial exposure induced by radon decay products during inhalation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Iwaoka, Kazuki; Tokonami, Shinji; Yonehara, Hidenori

2007-09-15

The deposition of radon decay products is not equal in each of the respiratory regions and as the presence of radon has been linked with an increase in lung cancer risk, it is important to calculate the deposition of radon decay products in each of the respiratory regions. Recently, many studies on the deposition of radon in respiratory regions have been simulated using wire screens. The systems and equipment used in those studies are not suitable for field measurements as their dimensions are relatively massive, nor can they measure continuously. We developed a continuous bronchial dosimeter (CBD) which is suitablemore » for field measurements. It was designed with specifications that allow it to be remain compact. The CBD simulates the deposition of radon decay products in the different respiratory regions by the use of a combination of wire screens. Deposition in the simulated regions of the lung can be continuously estimated in various environments. The ratio of activities deposited in a simulated nasal cavity (N) and tracheobronchial (TB) regions was calculated from the results of simultaneous measurements using CBD-R (reference), CBD-N (nasal), and CBD-TB (tracheobronchial) measurement units. After aerosols were injected into the radon chamber, the ratio of N and TB depositions decreased. This results indicate that the CBD gave a good response to changes in the environment. It was found that the ratio of N and TB deposition also varied with time in each actual environment.« less

The decay widths, the decay constants, and the branching fractions of a resonant state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de la Madrid, Rafael

2015-08-01

We introduce the differential and the total decay widths of a resonant (Gamow) state decaying into a continuum of stable states. When the resonance has several decay modes, we introduce the corresponding partial decay widths and branching fractions. In the approximation that the resonance is sharp, the expressions for the differential, partial and total decay widths of a resonant state bear a close resemblance with the Golden Rule. In such approximation, the branching fractions of a resonant state are the same as the standard branching fractions obtained by way of the Golden Rule. We also introduce dimensionless decay constants along with their associated differential decay constants, and we express experimentally measurable quantities such as the branching fractions and the energy distributions of decay events in terms of those dimensionless decay constants.

Inhibition of ethylene synthesis reduces salt-tolerance in tomato wild relative species Solanum chilense.

PubMed

Gharbi, Emna; Martínez, Juan-Pablo; Benahmed, Hela; Lepoint, Gilles; Vanpee, Brigitte; Quinet, Muriel; Lutts, Stanley

2017-03-01

Exposure to salinity induces a burst in ethylene synthesis in the wild tomato halophyte plant species Solanum chilense. In order to gain information on the role of ethylene in salt adaptation, plants of Solanum chilense (accession LA4107) and of cultivated glycophyte Solanum lycopersicum (cv. Ailsa Craig) were cultivated for 7days in nutrient solution containing 0 or 125mM NaCl in the presence or absence of the inhibitor of ethylene synthesis (aminovinylglycine (AVG) 2μM). Salt-induced ethylene synthesis in S. chilense occurred concomitantly with an increase in stomatal conductance, an efficient osmotic adjustment and the maintenance of carbon isotope discrimination value (Δ 13 C). In contrast, in S. lycopersicum, salt stress decreased stomatal conductance and Δ 13 C values while osmotic potential remained higher than in S. chilense. Inhibition of stress-induced ethylene synthesis by AVG decreased stomatal conductance and Δ 13 C in S. chilense and compromised osmotic adjustment. Solanum chilense behaved as an includer and accumulated high amounts of Na in the shoot but remained able to maintain K nutrition in the presence of NaCl. This species however did not stimulate the expression of genes coding for high-affinity K transport but genes coding for ethylene responsive factor ERF5 and JREF1 were constitutively more expressed in S. chilense than in S. lycopersicum. It is concluded that ethylene plays a key role in salt tolerance of S. chilense. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

New iodide-based molten salt systems for high temperature molten salt batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujiwara, Syozo; Kato, Fumio; Watanabe, Syouichiro; Inaba, Minoru; Tasaka, Akimasa

Novel multi-component molten salt systems containing iodides, LiF-LiBr-LiI, LiF-NaBr-LiI, and LiF-LiCl-LiBr-LiI, were investigated for use as electrolytes in high temperature molten salt batteries to improve the discharge rate-capability. The iodide-based molten salts showed higher ionic conductivity (∼3 S cm -1 at 500 °C) than conventional LiCl-KCl, and had low enough melting points (below 400 °C) that can be used in practical high temperature molten salt batteries. The iodide-based salts showed instability at temperatures higher than 280 °C in dried air. The decomposition mechanism of iodide-based molten salts was discussed, and it was found that elimination of oxygen from the environment is effective to stabilize the iodide-based molten salts at high temperatures.

Zweig-rule-satisfying inelastic rescattering in B decays to pseudoscalar mesons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Łach, P.; Żenczykowski, P.

2002-09-01

We discuss all contributions from Zweig-rule-satisfying SU(3)-symmetric inelastic final state interaction (FSI)-induced corrections in B decays to ππ, πK, KK¯, πη(η'), and Kη(η'). We show how all of these FSI corrections lead to a simple redefinition of the amplitudes, permitting the use of a simple diagram-based description, in which, however, weak phases may enter in a modified way. The inclusion of FSI corrections admitted by the present data allows an arbitrary relative phase between the penguin and tree short-distance amplitudes. The FSI-induced error of the method, in which the value of the weak phase γ is to be determined by combining future results from B+,B0d,B0s decays to Kπ, is estimated to be of the order of 5° for γ~50°-60°.

Determination of fluoroquinolone antibiotics via ionic-liquid-based, salt-induced, dual microextraction in swine feed.

PubMed

Wang, Huili; Gao, Ming; Gao, Jiajia; Yu, Nana; Huang, Hong; Yu, Qing; Wang, Xuedong

2016-09-01

In conventional microextraction procedures, the disperser (organic solvent or ionic liquid) is left in the aqueous phase and discarded after finishing the microextraction process. Because the disperser is water-soluble, it results in low extraction recovery for polar compounds. In this investigation, an ionic-liquid-based microextraction (ILBME) was integrated with salting-out assisted liquid-liquid microextraction (SALLME) to build an ionic-liquid-based, salt-induced, dual microextraction (ILSDME) for isolation of five fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FQs) with high polarity (log P, -1.0 to 1.0). The proposed ILSDME method incorporates a dual microextraction by converting the disperser in the ILBME to the extractor in the SALLME. Optimization of key factors was conducted by integrating single-factor experiments and central composite design. The optimized experimental parameters were 80 μL [C8MIM][PF6] as extractor, 505 μL acetone as disperser, pH = 2.0, 4.1 min extraction time, and 4.2 g of Na2SO4. Under optimized conditions, high ERs (90.6-103.2 %) and low LODs (0.07-0.61 μg kg(-1)) were determined for five FQs in swine feed. Experimental precision based on RSDs was 1.4-5.2 % for intra-day and 2.4-6.9 % for inter-day analyses. The combination of ILBME with SALLME increased FQ recoveries by 15-20 % as compared with SALLME, demonstrating that the ILSDME method can enhance extraction efficiency for polar compounds compared to single-step microextraction. Therefore, the ILSDME method developed in this study has wide application for pretreatment of moderately to highly polar pollutants in complex matrices. Graphical Abstract A dual microextraction was developed by integrating ionic-liquid-based microextraction with salting-out assisted liquid-liquid microextraction for isolation of five fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FQs) with high polarity (log P = -1.0 to 1.0). The principle of dual microextraction is based on converting the remaining disperser from

Salt modulates gravity signaling pathway to regulate growth direction of primary roots in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Sun, Feifei; Zhang, Wensheng; Hu, Haizhou; Li, Bao; Wang, Youning; Zhao, Yankun; Li, Kexue; Liu, Mengyu; Li, Xia

2008-01-01

Plant root architecture is highly plastic during development and can adapt to many environmental stresses. The proper distribution of roots within the soil under various conditions such as salinity, water deficit, and nutrient deficiency greatly affects plant survival. Salinity profoundly affects the root system architecture of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). However, despite the inhibitory effects of salinity on root length and the number of roots, very little is known concerning influence of salinity on root growth direction and the underlying mechanisms. Here we show that salt modulates root growth direction by reducing the gravity response. Exposure to salt stress causes rapid degradation of amyloplasts in root columella cells of Arabidopsis. The altered root growth direction in response to salt was found to be correlated with PIN-FORMED2 (PIN2) messenger RNA abundance and expression and localization of the protein. Furthermore, responsiveness to gravity of salt overly sensitive (sos) mutants is substantially reduced, indicating that salt-induced altered gravitropism of root growth is mediated by ion disequilibrium. Mutation of SOS genes also leads to reduced amyloplast degradation in root tip columella cells and the defects in PIN2 gene expression in response to salt stress. These results indicate that the SOS pathway may mediate the decrease of PIN2 messenger RNA in salinity-induced modification of gravitropic response in Arabidopsis roots. Our findings provide new insights into the development of a root system necessary for plant adaptation to high salinity and implicate an important role of the SOS signaling pathway in this process.

High dispersibility and enhanced luminescence properties of BaMgAl10O17:Eu2+ phosphors derived from molten salt synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiang; Li, Jin-hong; Shi, Ping-lu; Guan, Wei-min; Zhang, Hong-yao

2015-08-01

BaMgAl10O17:Eu2+ (BAM) phosphors were prepared via the molten salt synthesis (MSS) method. The NaCl-KCl eutectic mixture and LiF were used as the molten salt and flux, respectively. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) patterns indicate that the BAM phase is formed above 1200 °C and that the addition of LiF leads to an obvious improvement in crystallinity. The emission intensity of the BAM phosphor with 10 wt% LiF is about 85% higher than that of the phosphor without LiF and about 200% higher than that of the phosphor without molten salt and LiF. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveal that the as-prepared phosphors have good crystallinity and regular morphology, and most importantly, they are not aggregated. Li+ doping is benefit for the thermal stability and results in a slightly longer decay times of 1.17 μs.

Proton-induced accelerated decay of the fungicide, vinclozolin, on TiO2 surface under solar irradiation: Experimental and DFT study.

PubMed

Osipov, Ivan; Gorbachev, Mikhail Y; Gorinchoy, Natalia N

2018-04-03

The photochemical degradation of vinclozolin by addition of titanium dioxide on silica support has been examined both experimental and quantum-chemically. Solar irradiation of vinclozolin on silica with and without addition of titanium dioxide for 6 h resulted in 21% and 97.8% vinclozolin residues, respectively. In both these cases, phototransformation leads to the formation of (3,5-dichlorophenyl isocyanate) and (3,5-dichloroaniline). The presence of the intermediary product resulted from opening of the 2,4-oxazolidine-dione ring is also confirmed by GS-MS and LC-MS chromatography. The proton-induced mechanism of vinclozolin decay at the above experimental conditions is clarified on the base of DFT calculations.

Electrolyte salts for power sources

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doddapaneni, Narayan; Ingersoll, David

Electrolyte salts for power sources comprising salts of phenyl polysulfonic acids and phenyl polyphosphonic acids. The preferred salts are alkali and alkaline earth metal salts, most preferably lithium salts.

Inhibition of hot salt corrosion by metallic additives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deadmore, D. L.; Lowell, C. E.

1978-01-01

The effectiveness of several potential fuel additives in reducing the effects of sodium sulfate-induced hot corrosion was evaluated in a cyclic Mach 0.3 burner rig. The potential inhibitors examined were salts of Al, Si, Cr, Fe, Zn, Mg, Ca, and Ba. The alloys tested were IN-100, U-700, IN-738, IN-792, Mar M-509, and 304 stainless steel. Each alloy was exposed for 100 cycles of 1 hour each at 900 C in combustion gases doped with the corrodant and inhibitor salts and the extent of attack was determined by measuring maximum metal thickness loss. The most effective and consistent inhibitor additive was Ba (NO3)2 which reduced the hot corrosion attack to nearly that of simple oxidation.

Salt stress induces the formation of a novel type of 'pressure wood' in two Populus species.

PubMed

Janz, Dennis; Lautner, Silke; Wildhagen, Henning; Behnke, Katja; Schnitzler, Jörg-Peter; Rennenberg, Heinz; Fromm, Jörg; Polle, Andrea

2012-04-01

• Salinity causes osmotic stress and limits biomass production of plants. The goal of this study was to investigate mechanisms underlying hydraulic adaptation to salinity. • Anatomical, ecophysiological and transcriptional responses to salinity were investigated in the xylem of a salt-sensitive (Populus × canescens) and a salt-tolerant species (Populus euphratica). • Moderate salt stress, which suppressed but did not abolish photosynthesis and radial growth in P. × canescens, resulted in hydraulic adaptation by increased vessel frequencies and decreased vessel lumina. Transcript abundances of a suite of genes (FLA, COB-like, BAM, XET, etc.) previously shown to be activated during tension wood formation, were collectively suppressed in developing xylem, whereas those for stress and defense-related genes increased. A subset of cell wall-related genes was also suppressed in salt-exposed P. euphratica, although this species largely excluded sodium and showed no anatomical alterations. Salt exposure influenced cell wall composition involving increases in the lignin : carbohydrate ratio in both species. • In conclusion, hydraulic stress adaptation involves cell wall modifications reciprocal to tension wood formation that result in the formation of a novel type of reaction wood in upright stems named 'pressure wood'. Our data suggest that transcriptional co-regulation of a core set of genes determines reaction wood composition. © 2011 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2011 New Phytologist Trust.

Balancing sub- and supra-salt strain in salt-influenced rifts: Implications for extension estimates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coleman, Alexander J.; Jackson, Christopher A.-L.; Duffy, Oliver B.

2017-09-01

The structural style of salt-influenced rifts may differ from those formed in predominantly brittle crust. Salt can decouple sub- and supra-salt strain, causing sub-salt faults to be geometrically decoupled from, but kinematically coupled to and responsible for, supra-salt forced folding. Salt-influenced rifts thus contain more folds than their brittle counterparts, an observation often ignored in extension estimates. Fundamental to determining whether sub- and supra-salt structures are kinematically coherent, and the relative contributions of thin- (i.e. gravity-driven) and thick-skinned (i.e. whole-plate stretching) deformation to accommodating rift-related strain, is our ability to measure extension at both structural levels. We here use published physical models of salt-influenced extension to show that line-length estimates yield more accurate values of sub- and supra-salt extension compared to fault-heave, before applying these methods to seismic data from the Halten Terrace, offshore Norway. We show that, given the abundance of ductile deformation in salt-influenced rifts, significant amounts of extension may be ignored, leading to the erroneous interpretations of thin-skinned, gravity-gliding. If a system is kinematically coherent, supra-salt structures can help predict the occurrence and kinematics of sub-salt faults that may be poorly imaged and otherwise poorly constrained.

Reducing the Salt Added to Takeaway Food: Within-Subjects Comparison of Salt Delivered by Five and 17 Holed Salt Shakers in Controlled Conditions

PubMed Central

Goffe, Louis; Wrieden, Wendy; Penn, Linda; Hillier-Brown, Frances; Lake, Amelia A.; Araujo-Soares, Vera; Summerbell, Carolyn; White, Martin; Adamson, Ashley J.

2016-01-01

Objectives To determine if the amount of salt delivered by standard salt shakers commonly used in English independent takeaways varies between those with five and 17 holes; and to determine if any differences are robust to variations in: the amount of salt in the shaker, the length of time spent shaking, and the person serving. Design Four laboratory experiments comparing the amount of salt delivered by shakers. Independent variables considered were: type of shaker used (five or 17 holes), amount of salt in the shaker before shaking commences (shaker full, half full or nearly empty), time spent shaking (3s, 5s or 10s), and individual serving. Setting Controlled, laboratory, conditions. Participants A quota-based convenience sample of 10 participants (five women) aged 18–59 years. Main Outcome Measures Amount of salt delivered by salt shakers. Results Across all trials, the 17 holed shaker delivered a mean (SD) of 7.86g (4.54) per trial, whilst the five holed shaker delivered 2.65g (1.22). The five holed shaker delivered a mean of 33.7% of the salt of the 17 holed shaker. There was a significant difference in salt delivered between the five and 17 holed salt shakers when time spent shaking, amount of salt in the shaker and participant were all kept constant (p<0.001). This difference was robust to variations in the starting weight of shakers, time spent shaking and participant shaking (pssalt shakers have the potential to reduce the salt content of takeaway food, and particularly food from Fish & Chip shops, where these shakers are particularly used. Further research will be required to determine the effects of this intervention on customers’ salt intake with takeaway food and on total dietary salt intake. PMID:27668747

Changes in Sea Salt Emissions Enhance ENSO Variability

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, Yang; Russell, Lynn M.; Lou, Sijia

Two 150-year pre-industrial simulations with and without interactive sea salt emissions from the Community Earth System Model (CESM) are performed to quantify the interactions between sea salt emissions and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Variations in sea salt emissions over the tropical Pacific Ocean are affected by changing wind speed associated with ENSO variability. ENSO-induced interannual variations in sea salt emissions result in decreasing (increasing) aerosol optical depth (AOD) by 0.03 over the equatorial central-eastern (western) Pacific Ocean during El Niño events compared to those during La Niña events. These changes in AOD further increase (decrease) radiative fluxes into the atmospheremore » by +0.2 W m -2 (-0.4 W m -2) over the tropical eastern (western) Pacific. Thereby, sea surface temperature increases (decreases) by 0.2–0.4 K over the tropical eastern (western) Pacific Ocean during El Niño compared to La Niña events and enhances ENSO variability by 10%. The increase in ENSO amplitude is a result of systematic heating (cooling) during the warm (cold) phase, of ENSO in the eastern Pacific. Interannual variations in sea salt emissions then produce the anomalous ascent (subsidence) over the equatorial eastern (western) Pacific between El Niño and La Niña events, which is a result of heating anomalies. Due to variations in sea salt emissions, the convective precipitation is enhanced by 0.6–1.2 mm day -1 over the tropical central-eastern Pacific Ocean and weakened by 0.9–1.5 mm day -1 over the Maritime Continent during El Niño compared to La Niña events, enhancing the precipitation variability over the tropical Pacific.« less

Neutron-induced Backgrounds in 134Xe for Large-Scale Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moriguchi, Nina; Kidd, Mary; Tornow, Werner

2016-09-01

136Xe is used in large neutrinoless double-beta (0 νββ) decay experiments, such as KamLAND- Zen and EXO 200. Though highly purified, 136Xe still contains a significant amount of 134Xe. Recently, a new nuclear energy level was found in 134Xe. If 134Xe decays from this proposed excited state, it will emit a 2485.7 keV gamma ray. Because this energy lies near the region of interest of 136Xe νββ decay experiments (Q value 2457.8 keV), it could make a significant contribution to the background. A purified gaseous sample of 134Xe will be irradiated with neutrons of an incident energy of 4.0 MeV at Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory and monitored with high-purity germanium detectors. The spectra obtained from these detectors will be analyzed for the presence of the 2581 keV gamma ray. We will report on the status of this experiment. Future plans include expanding this measurement to higher initial neutron energies. Tennesse Tech University CISE Grant program.

Salt Appetite: Interaction of Forebrain Angiotensinergic and Hindbrain Serotonergic Mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Menani, Jose Vanderlei; Colombari, Debora S. A.; Beltz, Terry G.; Thunhorst, Robert L.; Johnson, Alan Kim

1998-01-01

Methysergide injected into the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) increases the salt appetite of rats depleted of sodium by furosemide (FURO). The present study investigated the effects of angiotensin 2 (ANG 2) receptor blockade in the subfornical organ (SFO) on this increased salt appetite. The intake of 0.3 M NaCl and water was induced by combined administration of the diuretic, FURO, and the angiotensin-convertina, enzyme inhibitor, captopril (CAP). Pretreatment of the SFO with the anciotensin Type 1 (AT,) receptor antagonist, losartan (1 microgram/200 nl), reduced water intake but not 0.3 M NaCl intake induced by subcutaneous FURO+ CAP. Methysergide (4 microgram/200 nl) injected bilaterally into the LPBN increased 0.3 M NaCl intake after FURO + CAP. Losartan injected into the SFO prevented additional 0.3 M NaCl intake caused by methysergide injections into the LPBN. These results indicate that AT, receptors located in the SFO may have a role in mediatina the intake of sodium and water induced by sodium depletion. They also suggest that after treatment with FURO + CAP an LPBN-associated scrotonergic mechanism inhibits increased sodium intake.

Lepton-number violation in Bs meson decays induced by an on-shell Majorana neutrino

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mejía-Guisao, Jhovanny; Milanés, Diego; Quintero, Néstor; Ruiz-Álvarez, José D.

2018-04-01

Lepton-number violation can be induced by the exchange of an on-shell Majorana neutrino N in semileptonic |Δ L |=2 decays of the Bs meson, Bs0→P-π-μ+μ+ with P =K ,Ds. We investigate the production of such a heavy sterile neutrino through these four-body μ+μ+ channels and explore the sensitivity that can be reached at the LHCb and CMS experiments. For heavy neutrino lifetimes of τN=[1 ,100 ,1000 ] ps and integrated luminosities collected of 10 and 50 fb-1 at the LHCb and 30, 300, and 3000 fb-1 at the CMS, we find a significant sensitivity on branching fractions of the orders BR (Bs0→K-π-μ+μ+)≲O (10-9- 10-8) and BR (Bs0→Ds-π-μ+μ+)≲O (10-8- 10-7) . In the kinematically allowed mass ranges of mN∈[0.25 ,4.77 ] GeV and mN∈[0.25 ,3.29 ] GeV , respectively, we exclude regions on the parameter space (mN ,|Vμ N|2) associated with the heavy neutrino, which could slightly improve the limits from B-→π+μ-μ- (LHCb).

Probing solvation decay length in order to characterize hydrophobicity-induced bead-bead attractive interactions in polymer chains.

PubMed

Das, Siddhartha; Chakraborty, Suman

2011-08-01

In this paper, we quantitatively demonstrate that exponentially decaying attractive potentials can effectively mimic strong hydrophobic interactions between monomer units of a polymer chain dissolved in aqueous solvent. Classical approaches to modeling hydrophobic solvation interactions are based on invariant attractive length scales. However, we demonstrate here that the solvation interaction decay length may need to be posed as a function of the relative separation distances and the sizes of the interacting species (or beads or monomers) to replicate the necessary physical interactions. As an illustrative example, we derive a universal scaling relationship for a given solute-solvent combination between the solvation decay length, the bead radius, and the distance between the interacting beads. With our formalism, the hydrophobic component of the net attractive interaction between monomer units can be synergistically accounted for within the unified framework of a simple exponentially decaying potential law, where the characteristic decay length incorporates the distinctive and critical physical features of the underlying interaction. The present formalism, even in a mesoscopic computational framework, is capable of incorporating the essential physics of the appropriate solute-size dependence and solvent-interaction dependence in the hydrophobic force estimation, without explicitly resolving the underlying molecular level details.

Changes in hydraulic conductance cause the difference in growth response to short-term salt stress between salt-tolerant and -sensitive black gram (Vigna mungo) varieties.

PubMed

Win, Khin Thuzar; Oo, Aung Zaw; Ookawa, Taiichiro; Kanekatsu, Motoki; Hirasawa, Tadashii

2016-04-01

Black gram (Vigna mungo) is an important crop in Asia, However, most black gram varieties are salt-sensitive. The causes of varietal differences in salt-induced growth reduction between two black gram varieties, 'U-Taung-2' (salt-tolerant; BT) and 'Mut Pe Khaing To' (salt-sensitive; BS), were examined the potential for the first step toward the genetic improvement of salt tolerance. Seedlings grown in vermiculite irrigated with full-strength Hoagland solution were treated with 0mM NaCl (control) or 225 mM NaCl for up to 10 days. In the 225 mM NaCl treatment, plant growth rate, net assimilation rate, mean leaf area, leaf water potential, and leaf photosynthesis were reduced more in BS than in BT plants. Leaf water potential was closely related to leaf photosynthesis, net assimilation rate, and increase in leaf area. In response to salinity stress, hydraulic conductance of the root, stem, and petiole decreased more strongly in BS than in BT plants. The reduction in stem and petiole hydraulic conductance was caused by cavitation, whereas the reduction in root hydraulic conductance in BS plants was caused by a reduction in root surface area and hydraulic conductivity. We conclude that the different reduction in hydraulic conductance is a cause of the differences in the growth response between the two black gram varieties under short-term salt stress. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

[Gold salt alveolitis in 3 patients with rheumatoid arthritis].

PubMed

Music, E; Tomsic, M; Logar, D

1995-06-01

When the characteristic symptoms for an interstitial pulmonary disease arise in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, a drug-induced alveolitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis. In such cases, the administration of the drug and gold salts should be stopped. The cases of three patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who had been treated with gold salts for 2 months (A), 23 months (B), and 36 months (C) are presented. The total dose of sodium aureothiomalate amounted to 280 mg for patient A, 1150 mg for patient B, and 2190 mg for patient C. Clinical signs, X-rays of the lungs, pulmonary function tests, and laboratory tests were evaluated for the three patients while, for patient A BAL as well as provocation tests were additionally performed before and after therapy. In this case, the histological picture of the lungs is presented; biopsies were taken during the first BAL. The clinical complaints of all 3 patients were similar, with the alveolitis being observed as diffuse in one case and above all in the upper regions in two cases on radiology. This led to differing degrees of diffusion disorders in the lungs. In patient A, the diagnosis was made in the stage of progressive fibrotic alveolitis and was treated with D-penicillamine. All 3 patients received steroids over 3-6 months and the gold salts were stopped. Because of the long duration and doubtful differential diagnosis for patient A with either rheumatoid lung or gold salt alveolitis, a provocation test with sodium aureothiomalate was performed. All 3 patients had blood eosinophilia while, in case A, a thrombopenia was also found. A gold salt alveolitis can occur as a side effect of gold salts in addition to skin vasculitis and hematological disorders. When the gold salt administration is not stopped a fibrotic alveolitis can develop. The provocation test can be diagnostically useful to distinguish between a rheumatoid lung and gold salt alveolitis.

Experimental study on the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff: Salt weathering and consolidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

La Russa, Mauro Francesco; Ruffolo, Silvestro Antonio; Alvarez de Buergo, Monica; Ricca, Michela; Belfiore, Cristina Maria; Pezzino, Antonino; Mirocle Crisci, Gino

2016-04-01

Salt crystallization is one of the major weathering agents in porous building materials due to the crystallization pressure exerted by salt crystals growing in confined pores. The consolidation of such degraded stone materials is a crucial issue in the field of Cultural Heritage restoration. This contribution deals with laboratory experimentation carried out on the Neapolitan Tuff, a pyroclastic rock largely used in the Campanian architecture. Several specimens, collected from a historical quarry nearby the city of Naples, were treated with two different consolidating products: a suspension of nanosilica in water (Syton X30®) and ethyl silicate (Estel 1000®) dispersed in organic solvent (TEOS). Then, in order to assess the effectiveness of consolidation treatments, both treated and untreated samples underwent accelerated degradation through salt crystallization tests. A multi-analytical approach, including mercury intrusion porosimetry, peeling tests and point load test, was employed to evaluate the correlation between the salt crystallization and the micro-structural features of the examined tuff specimens. In addition, the calculation of the crystallization pressures was also performed in order to make a correlation between the porous structure of the tuff and its susceptivity to salt crystallization. Obtained results show that both the tested products increase the resistance of tuff to salt crystallization, although inducing an increase of crystallization pressure. Ethyl silicate, however, shows a better behaviour in terms of superficial cohesion, even after several degradation cycles.

Search for nucleon decays induced by GUT magnetic monopoles with the MACRO experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambrosio, M.; Antolini, R.; Auriemma, G.; Bakari, D.; Baldini, A.; Barbarino, G. C.; Barish, B. C.; Battistoni, G.; Becherini, Y.; Bellotti, R.; Bemporad, C.; Bernardini, P.; Bilokon, H.; Bloise, C.; Bower, C.; Brigida, M.; Bussino, S.; Cafagna, F.; Calicchio, M.; Campana, D.; Carboni, M.; Caruso, R.; Cecchini, S.; Cei, F.; Chiarella, V.; Choudhary, B. C.; Coutu, S.; Cozzi, M.; de Cataldo, G.; Dekhissi, H.; de Marzo, C.; de Mitri, I.; Derkaoui, J.; de Vincenzi, M.; di Credico, A.; Erriquez, O.; Favuzzi, C.; Forti, C.; Fusco, P.; Giacomelli, G.; Giannini, G.; Giglietto, N.; Giorgini, M.; Grassi, M.; Grillo, A.; Guarino, F.; Gustavino, C.; Habig, A.; Hanson, K.; Heinz, R.; Iarocci, E.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katsavounidis, I.; Kearns, E.; Kim, H.; Kyriazopoulou, S.; Lamanna, E.; Lane, C.; Levin, D. S.; Lipari, P.; Longley, N. P.; Longo, M. J.; Loparco, F.; Maaroufi, F.; Mancarella, G.; Mandrioli, G.; Manzoor, S.; Margiotta, A.; Marini, A.; Martello, D.; Marzari-Chiesa, A.; Mazziotta, M. N.; Michael, D. G.; Monacelli, P.; Montaruli, T.; Monteno, M.; Mufson, S.; Musser, J.; Nicolò, D.; Nolty, R.; Orth, C.; Osteria, G.; Palamara, O.; Patera, V.; Patrizii, L.; Pazzi, R.; Peck, C. W.; Perrone, L.; Petrera, S.; Pistilli, P.; Popa, V.; Rainò, A.; Reynoldson, J.; Ronga, F.; Rrhioua, A.; Satriano, C.; Scapparone, E.; Scholberg, K.; Sciubba, A.; Serra, P.; Sioli, M.; Sirri, G.; Sitta, M.; Spinelli, P.; Spinetti, M.; Spurio, M.; Steinberg, R.; Stone, J. L.; Sulak, L. R.; Surdo, A.; Tarlè, G.; Togo, V.; Vakili, M.; Walter, C. W.; Webb, R.

2002-12-01

The interaction of a Grand Unification Magnetic Monopole with a nucleon can lead to a barion-number violating process in which the nucleon decays into a lepton and one or more mesons (catalysis of nucleon decay). In this paper we report an experimental study of the effects of a catalysis process in the MACRO detector. Using a dedicated analysis we obtain new magnetic monopole (MM) flux upper limits at the level of \\char1263\\cdot 10^{-16} cm^{-2} s^{-1} sr^{-1} for 1.1\\cdot 10^{-4} le \\vertβ\\vert le 5\\cdot 10^{-3}, based on the search for catalysis events in the MACRO data. We also analyze the dependence of the MM flux limit on the catalysis cross section.

Materials outgassing rate decay in vacuum at isothermal conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Alvin Y.; Kastanas, George N.; Kramer, Leonard; Soares, Carlos E.; Mikatarian, Ronald R.

2016-09-01

As a laboratory for scientific research, the International Space Station has been in Low Earth Orbit for over 17 years and is planned to be on-orbit for another 10 years. The ISS has been maintaining a relatively pristine contamination environment for science payloads. Materials outgassing induced contamination is currently the dominant source for sensitive surfaces on ISS and modelling the outgassing rate decay over a 20 to 30 year period is challenging. Using ASTM E 1559 rate data, materials outgassing is described herein as a diffusion-reaction process with the interface playing a key role. The observation of -1/2 (diffusion) or non-integers (reaction limited) as rate decay exponents for common ISS materials indicate classical reaction kinetics is unsatisfactory in modelling materials outgassing. Nonrandomness of reactant concentrations at the interface is the source of this deviation from classical reaction kinetics. A t-1/2 decay is adopted as the result of the correlation of the contaminant layer thicknesses and composition on returned ISS hardware, the existence of high outgassing silicone exhibiting near diffusion limited decay, the confirmation of nondepleted material after ten years in Low Earth Orbit, and a potential slowdown of long term materials outgassing kinetics due to silicone contaminants at the interface.

Effects of Stress on Corrosion in a Molten Salt Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girdzis, Samuel; Manos, Dennis; Cooke, William

Molten salt is often used as a heat transfer and energy storage fluid in concentrating solar power plants. Despite its suitable thermal properties, molten salt can present challenges in terms of corrosion. Previous studies have focused extensively on mass loss due to molten salt-induced corrosion. In contrast, we have investigated how corrosion begins and how it changes the surface of stainless steel. Samples of alloys including 304 and 316 stainless steel were exposed to the industry-standard NaNO3-KNO3 (60%-40% by weight) mixture at temperatures over 500°C and then analyzed using Hirox, SEM, and TOF-SIMS. We compare the corrosion at grain boundaries to that within single grain surfaces, showing the effect of the increased internal stresses and the weakened passivation layer. Also, we have examined the enhanced corrosion of samples under mechanical stress, simulating the effects of thermal stresses in a power plant.

Great Salt Lake and Bonneville Salt Flats, UT, USA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This is a view of the Great Salt Lake and nearby Bonneville Salt Flats, UT, (41.0N, 112.5W). A railroad causeway divides the lake with a stark straight line changing the water level and chemistry of the lake as a result. Fresh water runoff enters from the south adding to the depth and reducing the salinity. The north half receives little frsh water and is more saline and shallow. The Bonnieville Salt Flats is the lakebed of a onetime larger lake.

Great Salt Lake and Bonneville Salt Flats, UT, USA

NASA Image and Video Library

1992-04-02

This is a view of the Great Salt Lake and nearby Bonneville Salt Flats, UT, (41.0N, 112.5W). A railroad causeway divides the lake with a stark straight line changing the water level and chemistry of the lake as a result. Fresh water runoff enters from the south adding to the depth and reducing the salinity. The north half receives little frsh water and is more saline and shallow. The Bonnieville Salt Flats is the lakebed of a onetime larger lake.

Proposed Great Salt Lake Basin Hydrologic Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, W. P.; Tarboton, D. G.

2004-12-01

The dynamic physiography and population growth within the Great Salt Lake Basin provide the opportunity to observe climate and human-induced land-surface changes affecting water availability, water quality, and water use, thereby making the Great Salt Lake Basin a microcosm of contemporary water resource issues and an excellent site to pursue interdisciplinary and integrated hydrologic science. Important societal concerns center on: How do climate variability and human-induced landscape changes affect hydrologic processes, water quality and availability, and aquatic ecosystems over a range of scales? What are the resource, social, and economic consequences of these changes? The steep topography and large climatic gradients of the Great Salt Lake Basin yield hydrologic systems that are dominated by non-linear interactions between snow deposition and snow melt in the mountains, stream flow and groundwater recharge in the mid-elevations, and evaporative losses from the desert floor at lower elevations. Because the Great Salt Lake Basin terminates in a closed basin lake, it is uniquely suited to closing the water, solute, and sediment balances in a way that is rarely possible in a watershed of a size sufficient for coupling to investigations of atmospheric processes. Proposed infrastructure will include representative densely instrumented focus areas that will be nested within a basin-wide network, thereby quantifying fluxes, residence times, pathways, and storage volumes over a range of scales and land uses. The significant and rapid ongoing urbanization presents the opportunity for observations that quantify the interactions among hydrologic processes, human induced changes and social and economic dynamics. One proposed focus area will be a unique, highly instrumented mountain-to-basin transect that will quantify hydrologic processes extending from the mountain ridge top to the Great Salt Lake. The transect will range in elevation from about 1200 m to 3200 m, with a

14-3-3 proteins mediate inhibitory effects of cAMP on salt-inducible kinases (SIKs).

PubMed

Sonntag, Tim; Vaughan, Joan M; Montminy, Marc

2018-02-01

The salt-inducible kinase (SIK) family regulates cellular gene expression via the phosphorylation of cAMP-regulated transcriptional coactivators (CRTCs) and class IIA histone deacetylases, which are sequestered in the cytoplasm by phosphorylation-dependent 14-3-3 interactions. SIK activity toward these substrates is inhibited by increases in cAMP signaling, although the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here, we show that the protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent phosphorylation of SIKs inhibits their catalytic activity by inducing 14-3-3 protein binding. SIK1 and SIK3 contain two functional PKA/14-3-3 sites, while SIK2 has four. In keeping with the dimeric nature of 14-3-3s, the presence of multiple binding sites within target proteins dramatically increases binding affinity. As a result, loss of a single 14-3-3-binding site in SIK1 and SIK3 abolished 14-3-3 association and rendered them insensitive to cAMP. In contrast, mutation of three sites in SIK2 was necessary to fully block cAMP regulation. Superimposed on the effects of PKA phosphorylation and 14-3-3 association, an evolutionary conserved domain in SIK1 and SIK2 (the so called RK-rich region; 595-624 in hSIK2) is also required for the inhibition of SIK2 activity. Collectively, these results point to a dual role for 14-3-3 proteins in repressing a family of Ser/Thr kinases as well as their substrates. © 2017 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

On the claim of modulations in radon decay and their association with solar rotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pommé, S.; Lutter, G.; Marouli, M.; Kossert, K.; Nähle, O.

2018-01-01

Claims were made by Sturrock et al. that radioactive decay can be induced by interaction of the nucleus with solar neutrinos and that cyclic modulations in decay rates are indicative of the dynamics of the solar interior. They analysed a series of measurements of gamma radiation associated with the emanation and decay of radon in a sealed container at the Geological Survey of Israel (GSI) laboratory. The integral count rates in the NaI detector showed strong variations in time of year and time of day. From time-series analysis, Sturrock et al. claim the presence of small oscillations at frequencies in a range between 7.4 a-1 and 12.5 a-1, which they speculatively associated with rotational influence on the solar neutrino flux. In this work, it is argued that the GSI radon measurements are unsuited for studying the variability of decay constants, because the data are strongly influenced by environmental conditions, such as solar irradiance and rainfall. At the JRC and PTB, decay rate measurements of the radon decay chain were performed with ionisation chambers, gamma-ray spectrometers and an alpha spectrometer. No deviation from the exponential-decay law was observed. The existence of cyclic variations in the decay constants is refuted, as well as the concept of measuring solar rotation through radioactive decay.

Proteomic identification of OsCYP2, a rice cyclophilin that confers salt tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings when overexpressed

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background High Salinity is a major environmental stress influencing growth and development of rice. Comparative proteomic analysis of hybrid rice shoot proteins from Shanyou 10 seedlings, a salt-tolerant hybrid variety, and Liangyoupeijiu seedlings, a salt-sensitive hybrid variety, was performed to identify new components involved in salt-stress signaling. Results Phenotypic analysis of one protein that was upregulated during salt-induced stress, cyclophilin 2 (OsCYP2), indicated that OsCYP2 transgenic rice seedlings had better tolerance to salt stress than did wild-type seedlings. Interestingly, wild-type seedlings exhibited a marked reduction in maximal photochemical efficiency under salt stress, whereas no such change was observed for OsCYP2-transgenic seedlings. OsCYP2-transgenic seedlings had lower levels of lipid peroxidation products and higher activities of antioxidant enzymes than wild-type seedlings. Spatiotemporal expression analysis of OsCYP2 showed that it could be induced by salt stress in both Shanyou 10 and Liangyoupeijiu seedlings, but Shanyou 10 seedlings showed higher OsCYP2 expression levels. Moreover, circadian rhythm expression of OsCYP2 in Shanyou 10 seedlings occurred earlier than in Liangyoupeijiu seedlings. Treatment with PEG, heat, or ABA induced OsCYP2 expression in Shanyou 10 seedlings but inhibited its expression in Liangyoupeijiu seedlings. Cold stress inhibited OsCYP2 expression in Shanyou 10 and Liangyoupeijiu seedlings. In addition, OsCYP2 was strongly expressed in shoots but rarely in roots in two rice hybrid varieties. Conclusions Together, these data suggest that OsCYP2 may act as a key regulator that controls ROS level by modulating activities of antioxidant enzymes at translation level. OsCYP2 expression is not only induced by salt stress, but also regulated by circadian rhythm. Moreover, OsCYP2 is also likely to act as a key component that is involved in signal pathways of other types of stresses-PEG, heat, cold, or ABA

[Historical roles of salt].

PubMed

Ritz, E; Ritz, C

2004-12-17

Recently increasing evidence has been provided pointing to a close relation of salt consumption to hypertension as well as to target organ damage. It is interesting to note that the discussion concerning salt is unusually emotional. This may be explained, at least in part, by the fact that since ancient times salt had deep symbolic significance, as exemplified, mostly subconsciously, by many customs and expressions still in current use. In the past salt was essential to preserve food. The past importance of salt as a commodity can well be compared with that of oil today. These and further historical aspects of the role of salt are briefly dealt with in this article.

Limit for the Survivability from Potassium Decay of Bacterial Spores in Halite Fluid Inclusions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kminek, G.; Bada, J. L.

2001-12-01

Vreeland et al.1 recently claimed to have isolated and cultured a viable spore forming halotolerant bacterium from a 250 million year old brine inclusion present in a salt crystal from the Salado formation. An earlier report suggested that viable bacterial spores could be revived from samples obtained from insects entombed in 25-40 million year old Dominican amber2. On the bases of these reports, Parkes3 raised the question of whether bacterial spores under some conditions might be effectively immortal. Sporulation, induced by an adverse change in the environmental conditions, is able to stabilize the DNA primarily against hydrolytic depurination for extended periods of time4. However, the organism is still exposed to ionizing radiation from the environment. Dormant spores have a reduced sensitivity to ionizing radiation per se, but unlike active organisms are unable to repair DNA damage encountered during long-term exposure to ionizing radiation. The accumulated damage may overwhelm any repair mechanism that starts in the early stage of spore germination5. The main radionuclide in a halite fluid inclusion is 40K, which accounts for 0.0117% of natural potassium. 40K decays via beta decay to 40Ca and via electron capture to 40Ar, releasing a primary gamma-ray. About 83.3 % of the beta's emitted are in the energy range of 0.3-1.3 MeV. We assume 7 g/l for an average concentration of natural potassium in a halite fluid inclusion, which means that the amount of 40K in a 10 μ l fluid inclusion is 8.19 ng. We have chosen a 10 μ l because this volume is typical of that used to obtain chemical data and in the attempts to extract bacteria. Less than a percent of the gamma decay energy is absorbed in a fluid inclusion of 10 μ l. Thus, we will not take the gamma decay energy into account for the further discussion. Almost all the beta energy is absorbed in the fluid inclusion. The total decay energy absorbed in a time period of 250 million years is about 87 kGy. The most

Regulation of ion homeostasis by aminolevulinic acid in salt-stressed wheat seedlings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Türk, Hülya, E-mail: hulyaa.turk@hotmail.com; East Anatolian High Technology Research and Application Center, Ataturk University, Erzurum; Genişel, Mucip, E-mail: m.genisel@hotmail.com

2016-04-18

Salinity is regarded as a worldwide agricultural threat, as it seriously limits plant development and productivity. Salt stress reduces water uptake in plants by disrupting the osmotic balance of soil solution. In addition, it creates a damaged metabolic process by causing ion imbalance in cells. In this study, we aim to examine the negative effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) (20 mg/l) on the ion balance in wheat seedling leaves exposed to salt stress (150 mM). Sodium is known to be highly toxic for plant cells at high concentrations, and is significantly increased by salt stress. However, it can be reduced by combinedmore » application of ALA and salt, compared to salt application alone. On the other hand, while the K{sup +}/Na{sup +} ratio was reduced by salt stress, ALA application changed this ratio in favor of K{sup +}. Manganese, iron, and copper were also able to reduce stress. However, ALA pre-treatment resulted in mineral level increments. Conversely, the stress-induced rise in magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, and molybdenum were further improved by ALA application. These data clearly show that ALA has an important regulatory effect of ion balance in wheat leaves.« less

Decay characteristics of electroadhesive forces by periodic electrodes in dielectric layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Junseok; Cha, Youngsu

2017-07-01

Electroadhesive force is the force generated by induced dipoles in the gradient of an electric field. Owing to its benefits of mechanical characteristics and versatility, it is widely used to hold and manipulate objects in robotic applications. So far, most studies in this field have been focused on the maximization of the magnitude of electroadhesive force. In this paper, we focus on the decay characteristics of electroadhesive force depending on the spatial distance from electrodes to employ the force to precisely separate a single layer from stacked dielectric layers. It turns out that all configurations with periodically repeating electrodes' arrangement, have the same decay characteristics which significantly depend on the geometrical period of the electrode patterns. Also, we find that the other parameters including the applied voltage and geometry of electrodes have little effect on the decay characteristics. The electric potential of an arbitrary electrode configuration is expanded in terms of the Fourier series, and we use it to analytically prove the high dependence of decay characteristics on the geometrical period. Numerical analysis is performed using the finite element method.

Neuron-specific (pro)renin receptor knockout prevents the development of salt-sensitive hypertension

PubMed Central

Li, Wencheng; Peng, Hua; Mehaffey, Eamonn P.; Kimball, Christie D.; Grobe, Justin L.; van Gool, Jeanette M.G.; Sullivan, Michelle N.; Earley, Scott; Danser, A.H. Jan; Ichihara, Atsuhiro; Feng, Yumei

2013-01-01

The (pro)renin receptor, which binds both renin and prorenin, is a newly discovered component of the renin angiotensin system that is highly expressed in the central nervous system. The significance of brain PRRs in mediating local angiotensin II formation and regulating blood pressure remains unclear. The current study was performed to test the hypothesis that PRR-mediated, non-proteolytic activation of prorenin is the main source of angiotensin II in the brain. Thus, PRR knockout in the brain is expected to prevent angiotensin II formation and development of deoxycorticosterone acetate salt induced hypertension. A neuron-specific PRR (ATP6AP2) knockout mouse model was generated using the Cre-LoxP system. Physiological parameters were recorded by telemetry. (Pro)renin receptor expression, detected by immunostaining and RT-PCR, was significantly decreased in the brains of knockout compared with wide-type mice. Intracerebroventricular infusion of mouse prorenin increased blood pressure and angiotensin II formation in wild type mice. This hypertensive response was abolished in (pro)renin receptor knockout mice in association with a reduction in angiotensin II levels. Deoxycorticosterone acetate salt increased (pro)renin receptor expression and angiotensin II formation in the brains of wild-type mice, an effect that was attenuated in (pro)renin receptor knockout mice. (Pro)renin receptor knockout in neurons prevented the development of Deoxycorticosterone acetate salt-induced hypertension as well as activation of cardiac and vasomotor sympathetic tone. In conclusion, non-proteolytic activation of prorenin through binding to the PRR mediates angiotensin II formation in the brain. Neuron-specific PRR knockout prevents the development of deoxycorticosterone acetate salt-induced hypertension, possibly through diminished angiotensin II formation. PMID:24246383

Grape seed proanthocyanidins prevent DOCA-salt hypertension-induced renal injury and its mechanisms in rats.

PubMed

Lan, Chao-Zong; Ding, Ling; Su, Yi-Lin; Guo, Kun; Wang, Li; Kan, Hong-Wei; Ou, Yu-Rong; Gao, Shan

2015-07-01

Renal dysfunction is one of the major effects of DOCA (deoxycorticosterone acetate)-salt hypertension and there is an increasing amount of evidence that oxidative stress damages the function of the kidney. Grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPE) have been reported to be potent anti-oxidants and free radical scavengers. The present study sought to investigate the ability of GSPE to prevent renal injury in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats and to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying its protective effects. A total of 54 Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 7 groups: Sham group (n = 7), UnX-sham group (n = 8), DOCA-salt group (n = 8), GSPE150 group (150 mg kg(-1), n = 7), GSPE240 group (240 mg kg(-1), n = 8), GSPE384 group (384 mg kg(-1), n = 8) and ALM (amlodipine besylate tablets) group (5 mg kg(-1), n = 8), and treated for 4 weeks. Compared to sham group rats, renal injury was observed in DOCA-salt hypertensive group rats as the urine protein, KW/BW (kidney weight/body weight), degree of renal fibrosis, renal MDA (malondialdehyde) and Hyp (hydroxyproline) contents significantly increased (P < 0.01). Moreover, SOD (Superoxide Dismutase) activities decreased in the model group (P < 0.01). In contrast, DOCA-salt hypertensive rats treated with different dose of GSPE or ALM showed a significant improvement of renal injury with decreased urine protein, KW/BW, degree of renal fibrosis, renal total MDA and Hyp contents compared to the untreated group. In addition, SOD activities increased in the treatment group. Since the experimental modeling time was short, kidney damage occurs to a lesser extent. BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen), Scr (Serum Creatinine) and UA (Uric Acid) contents did not appear significantly changed in all groups. Finally, the activation of JNK and p38 kinases in the kidney was suppressed in rats treated with GSPEs or ALM compared to the untreated group, suggesting that the inhibition of these kinase pathways by GSPE contributes to the improvement

Important Learnings for Reliable Management of Hydrocarbon Production and Salt Solution Mining induced Subsidence from Case Histories in the Netherlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waal, H. D.; Muntendam-Bos, A.; Breunese, J.; Roest, H.; Fokker, P. A.

2012-12-01

Reliable management of subsidence caused by hydrocarbon production and salt solution mining is important for a country like the Netherlands where most land surface is below or near sea level. However, a factor two difference between prediction and observation is not uncommon. To nevertheless ensure a high probability that subsidence is kept within the limits an area can robustly sustain, a tightly integrated prediction/monitoring/updating loop is applied. Prior to production, scenario's spanning the range of parameter and model uncertainties are generated to calculate possible subsidence outcomes. The probability of each scenario is updated over time through confrontation with measurements (e.g. using Bayesian statistics) as they become available. Production can thus be halted or adjusted timely if probabilities start to indicate an unacceptable risk of exceeding set limits now or in the future. A number of projects with well documented, high quality prediction and monitoring were started in the Netherlands in the second half of the previous century. They provide quality case histories covering multi-decade production periods from which important learnings have been been extracted. Firstly, from the data it is clear that sandstone reservoir compaction is not a linear function of pressure depletion. Initially the rock in the field compacts much less than expected based on standard lab measurements. As pressure drops further, compaction gradually increases, reaching and exceeding lab values. Various mechanisms could be responsible: delayed compaction in lower permeability/poorly connected parts of the reservoir or aquifers; intrinsic non-linear, time-dependent, rate-type or diffusive behavior of the reservoir rock; previous deeper burial or increasing overpressure over geological time. The observed field behavior is described reasonably well by a single exponential time decay model. The non-linear and/or time-dependent field behavior has to be accounted for when

Decay, excitation, and ionization of lithium Rydberg states by blackbody radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ovsiannikov, V. D.; Glukhov, I. L.

2010-09-01

Details of interaction between the blackbody radiation and neutral lithium atoms were studied in the temperature ranges T = 100-2000 K. The rates of thermally induced decays, excitations and ionization were calculated for S-, P- and D-series of Rydberg states in the Fues' model potential approach. The quantitative regularities for the states of the maximal rates of blackbody-radiation-induced processes were determined. Approximation formulas were proposed for analytical representation of the depopulation rates.

Anteroventral third ventricle (AV3V) lesions alter c-fos expression induced by salt loading

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)