Physiological Consequences of Adrenal Enlargement and Implications for Toxin Resistance in North American Snakes

The long observed relationship between enlarged adrenal glands and toad-eating in snakes has remained a mystery in physiological ecology and herpetology. It has been predicted that large adrenal glands may be capable of producing higher amounts of key hormones, and that higher plasma hormone levels may lend some behavioral or physiological benefits after a toxic toad has been eaten. I address questions surrounding adrenal enlargement and its potential benefits to toad eaters in four research chapters. In my second chapter, I quantify adrenal hormone output at different embryonic stages in the toad-generalist snake Thamnophis elegans and examine the ability of mid stage embryos to respond hormonally when their mothers are given a high dose of toad toxin. I found that adrenal hormones increase in both the embryo and the yolk as they develop, and that toad toxin given to mothers did not have a significant impact on embryo or yolk hormone levels. In my third chapter I compared the ratio of different cell types in the adrenal gland between a toad specialist species, toad-generalist species, and non-toad eating species. I found that the toad specialists had a higher ratio of interrenal cells (cells that produce corticosteroids). This could indicate that toad specialists are able to produce higher levels of corticosteroids when poisoned. I also examined sex differences within each species and found that the cell-type ratios within the non toad-eating species was significant. This surprising finding could be due to behavioral and life history differences between males and females of the non toad-eating species. In my fourth chapter I measured the corticosterone response of the toad specialist Heterodon platirhinos upon capture (before plasma hormone levels can rise) and after a field stress test. The hormone corticosterone aids in energy mobilization and increases significantly in response to stressful events. I found that corticosterone does increase significantly in this species in response to a stress test. Comparisons with stress tests in other snake species also show that the species H. platirhinos can respond to a stressful event with relatively higher levels of corticosterone. This could indicate that a larger adrenal gland is capable of releasing more hormones into the bloodstream, this may carry implications for physiological toxin resistance in toad-eating snakes. My final research chapter examined the relationship between the adrenal hormone aldosterone and the expression of a toad toxin resistant ion exchanger, ATP1a3. In other animals, the adrenal hormone aldosterone has been shown to increase the gene expression of ATP1a3. I gave snakes a high dose of the hormone aldosterone and measured gene expression. The hormone treatment did not significantly increase the expression of this gene, but other pathways should not be ruled out. It is possible that adrenal hormones may provide some benefit at the molecular level through other mechanisms. Additionally, I measured brain ATP1a3 expression and found that it was comparable to heart expression, which was previously found to be high relative to other organ tissues. Overall, these experiments show that adrenal enlargement does appear to impact the secretion capability of the gland in species with adrenal enlargement and emphasize the many potential ways that this could impact an animal’s physiology across multiple tiers of organismal biology

DESALINATION AND BOREHOLE CONSTRUCTION FOR ABSTRACTION OF SALINE WATER AND CHANNELING BRINE DISPOSAL

Η εργασία αποβλέπει στην παρουσίαση όλων των τεχνικών λεπτομερειών αλλά και επιστημονικών κριτηρίων, βάση των οποίων υπάρχει δυνατότητα να κατασκευαστεί μια υδρογεώτρηση για απόληψη υφάλμυρου νερού και την διοχέτευση του αλμόλοιπου σε άλλη υδρογεώτρηση. Η μεθοδολογία αυτή επιδιώκει να αποδείξει ότι η τεχνική της απόληψης υφάλμυρου (ή και θαλασσινού νερού) μέσω υδρογέωτρησης και η διοχέτευση του υπολείμματος σε άλλη υδρογέωτρηση έχει πολλαπλά προτερήματα σε σχέση με την κλασική μέθοδο της απευθείας απόληψης και της επιστροφής του υπολείμματος στον θαλάσσιο χώρο. Τα προτερήματα αυτά συνοψίζονται στο ότι η θέση απόληψης μπορεί να βρίσκεται στην ενδοχώρα και υψομετρικά σε θέση αρκετά ευνοϊκή. Επίσης η διοχέτευση του υπεράλμυρου υπολείμματος σε παρακείμενη υδρογεώτρηση είναι ασφαλέστερη από περιβαλλοντικής άποψης γιατί, δεν διαταράσσει την χλωρίδα και την πανίδα στην βενθική ζώνη του θαλάσσιου χώρου αλλά και οικονομικότερη λύση απ’ ότι η διοχέτευση να γίνεται απευθείας στο θαλάσσιο χώρο. Σε κάθε περίπτωση απαραίτητη προϋπόθεση είναι οι υδρογεωλογικές συνθήκες στη περιοχή του έργου να εξασφαλίζουν υψηλή υδροπερατότητα και υδραυλική επικοινωνία με τον θαλάσσιο χώρο. Η εφαρμογή αυτής της τεχνικής πραγματοποιήθηκε με σχετική επιτυχία στην περίπτωση της νήσου Αγκίστρι (και ομώνυμου Δήμου) που βρίσκεται στον Σαρωνικό Κόλπο ,νοτιοδυτικά της νήσου Σαλαμίνας. Παρόλο που η απόσταση μεταξύ των δύο υδρογεωτρήσεων θα έπρεπε να ήταν μεγαλύτερη, έτσι ώστε αποτραπεί λόγω ακτίνας επίδρασης ο κίνδυνος δυναμικής εισροής αλμόλοιπου προς την γεώτρηση απόληψης με συνέπεια την βλάβη των μεμβρανών όσμωσης, μετά την αξιολόγηση των στοιχείων της δοκιμαστικής άντλησης αυτό διασφαλίστηκε με τη τοποθέτηση των κατάλληλων αισθητήρων αλατότητας.The purpose of this research is to present all the technical details, but also the scientific criteria according to which there is the possibility to make a borehole for the extraction of the saline water and channeling of brine in another borehole. This methodology has purpose to prove that this way of extraction of saline water (or sea water) through the borehole and the channeling of the remain into another one has multiple assets comparing to the classical method of the direct extraction and return of the residue into the sea. These assets are considered to be better because of the extraction which may be in the inland, hypsometrically more advantageous. Also, the channeling of the brine disposal in a nearby borehole is safer from an environmental point of view because  does not disturb the flora and fauna in the benthic zone of the marine space, but also a less expensive solution than channeling it straight into the sea. In any case, it is a necessary presumption that the hydrogeologic conditions in the area where the work is taking place to ensure a high factor of permeability and hydraulic connection with the sea area. The application of this technique was completed with some success in the case of Agistri Island (and homonymous municipality) which is located in the Saronic Gulf, southwest of Salamis Island. Although the distance between the two boreholes should be larger in order to prevent the risk of dynamic input of brine disposal to the borehole extraction because of the radius of influence, which would destroy the osmosis membranes. After the appropriate evaluation of the test pumping elements, this was ensured by placing the appropriate sensors of salinity

DESALINATION AND BOREHOLE CONSTRUCTION FOR ABSTRACTION OF SALINE WATER AND CHANNELING BRINE DISPOSAL

Η εργασία αποβλέπει στην παρουσίαση όλων των τεχνικών λεπτομερειών αλλά και επιστημονικών κριτηρίων, βάση των οποίων υπάρχει δυνατότητα να κατασκευαστεί μια υδρογεώτρηση για απόληψη υφάλμυρου νερού και την διοχέτευση του αλμόλοιπου σε άλλη υδρογεώτρηση. Η μεθοδολογία αυτή επιδιώκει να αποδείξει ότι η τεχνική της απόληψης υφάλμυρου (ή και θαλασσινού νερού) μέσω υδρογέωτρησης και η διοχέτευση του υπολείμματος σε άλλη υδρογέωτρηση έχει πολλαπλά προτερήματα σε σχέση με την κλασική μέθοδο της απευθείας απόληψης και της επιστροφής του υπολείμματος στον θαλάσσιο χώρο. Τα προτερήματα αυτά συνοψίζονται στο ότι η θέση απόληψης μπορεί να βρίσκεται στην ενδοχώρα και υψομετρικά σε θέση αρκετά ευνοϊκή. Επίσης η διοχέτευση του υπεράλμυρου υπολείμματος σε παρακείμενη υδρογεώτρηση είναι ασφαλέστερη από περιβαλλοντικής άποψης γιατί, δεν διαταράσσει την χλωρίδα και την πανίδα στην βενθική ζώνη του θαλάσσιου χώρου αλλά και οικονομικότερη λύση απ’ ότι η διοχέτευση να γίνεται απευθείας στο θαλάσσιο χώρο. Σε κάθε περίπτωση απαραίτητη προϋπόθεση είναι οι υδρογεωλογικές συνθήκες στη περιοχή του έργου να εξασφαλίζουν υψηλή υδροπερατότητα και υδραυλική επικοινωνία με τον θαλάσσιο χώρο. Η εφαρμογή αυτής της τεχνικής πραγματοποιήθηκε με σχετική επιτυχία στην περίπτωση της νήσου Αγκίστρι (και ομώνυμου Δήμου) που βρίσκεται στον Σαρωνικό Κόλπο ,νοτιοδυτικά της νήσου Σαλαμίνας. Παρόλο που η απόσταση μεταξύ των δύο υδρογεωτρήσεων θα έπρεπε να ήταν μεγαλύτερη, έτσι ώστε αποτραπεί λόγω ακτίνας επίδρασης ο κίνδυνος δυναμικής εισροής αλμόλοιπου προς την γεώτρηση απόληψης με συνέπεια την βλάβη των μεμβρανών όσμωσης, μετά την αξιολόγηση των στοιχείων της δοκιμαστικής άντλησης αυτό διασφαλίστηκε με τη τοποθέτηση των κατάλληλων αισθητήρων αλατότητας.The purpose of this research is to present all the technical details, but also the scientific criteria according to which there is the possibility to make a borehole for the extraction of the saline water and channeling of brine in another borehole. This methodology has purpose to prove that this way of extraction of saline water (or sea water) through the borehole and the channeling of the remain into another one has multiple assets comparing to the classical method of the direct extraction and return of the residue into the sea. These assets are considered to be better because of the extraction which may be in the inland, hypsometrically more advantageous. Also, the channeling of the brine disposal in a nearby borehole is safer from an environmental point of view because  does not disturb the flora and fauna in the benthic zone of the marine space, but also a less expensive solution than channeling it straight into the sea. In any case, it is a necessary presumption that the hydrogeologic conditions in the area where the work is taking place to ensure a high factor of permeability and hydraulic connection with the sea area. The application of this technique was completed with some success in the case of Agistri Island (and homonymous municipality) which is located in the Saronic Gulf, southwest of Salamis Island. Although the distance between the two boreholes should be larger in order to prevent the risk of dynamic input of brine disposal to the borehole extraction because of the radius of influence, which would destroy the osmosis membranes. After the appropriate evaluation of the test pumping elements, this was ensured by placing the appropriate sensors of salinity

Comparison of Gram stain and Nomarski optics for screening sputum specimens before culture

Although the Gram stain is usually used to screen sputum specimens prior to culture, wet mount observation with Nomarski optics has been suggested as a useful alternative. We compared the two methods and found that more specimens were rejected by the Gram stain technique without eliminating any that yielded important clinical information.</jats:p

Energy expenditure across immune challenge severities in a lizard: consequences for innate immunity, locomotor performance and oxidative status

ABSTRACT Reptiles, like other vertebrates, rely on immunity to defend themselves from infection. The energetic cost of an immune response is liable to scale with infection severity, prompting constraints on other self-maintenance traits if immune prioritization exceeds energy budget. In this study, adult male side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana) were injected with saline (control) or high (20 µg g−1 body mass) or low (10 µg g−1 body mass) concentrations of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to simulate bacterial infections of discrete severities. The costs and consequences of the immune response were assessed through comparisons of change in resting metabolic rate (RMR), energy metabolites (glucose, glycerol, triglycerides), innate immunity (bactericidal ability), sprint speed and oxidative status (antioxidant capacity, reactive oxygen metabolites). High-LPS lizards had the lowest glucose levels and greatest sprint reductions, while their RMR and bactericidal ability were similar to those of control lizards. Low-LPS lizards had elevated RMR and bactericidal ability, but glucose levels and sprint speed changes between those of high-LPS and control lizards. Levels of glycerol, triglycerides, reactive oxygen metabolites and antioxidant capacity did not differ by treatment. Taken together, energy expenditure for the immune response varies in a non-linear fashion with challenge severity, posing consequences for performance and self-maintenance processes in a reptile.</jats:p

Sustainable Value Chain for Sustainable Lending of State-Owned Banks in Indonesia

Banks have enormous potential to support the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in accordance with their function as financial intermediaries through sustainable lending. However, the average national financing growth for the sustainable business activity category over the past four years is still 12%. The aim of this research is to identify the conditions of sustainable lending at state-owned conventional banks and analyze the influence of the value chain, economic performance, and ESG performance on sustainable lending. The research was conducted at state-owned commercial banks in Indonesia. The research utilized structural equation modeling (SEM). The SEM results of this study describe value chain, ESG performance (environmental, social, and governance), and economic performance and have direct and positive influences on sustainable lending, of which ESG performance has the biggest influence. As per each individual aspect, social orientation makes the biggest contribution toward sustainable lending