Outside-Xylem Vulnerability, Not Xylem Embolism, Controls Leaf Hydraulic Decline during Dehydration.

Leaf hydraulic supply is crucial to maintaining open stomata for CO capture and plant growth. During drought-induced dehydration, the leaf hydraulic conductance (K) declines, which contributes to stomatal closure and, eventually, to leaf death. Previous studies have tended to attribute the decline of K to embolism in the leaf vein xylem.

Leaf vein xylem conduit diameter influences susceptibility to embolism and hydraulic decline.

Ecosystems worldwide are facing increasingly severe and prolonged droughts during which hydraulic failure from drought-induced embolism can lead to organ or whole plant death. Understanding the determinants of xylem failure across species is especially critical in leaves, the engines of plant growth. If the vulnerability segmentation hypothesis holds within leaves, higher order veins that are most terminal in the plant hydraulic system should be more susceptible to embolism to protect the rest of the water transport system.

The impact of tocilizumab on physical function and quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic literature review and interpretation.

Objective: To determine the impact of tocilizumab on physical function and quality of life in patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods: A systematic literature review was performed to select for trials that could be used to examine the impact of tocilizumab on patients in terms of health-related physical function, quality of life, and quality of sleep. By examining background therapy, disease duration, and remission rates, we were able to determine the impact that a dose of tocilizumab has on various patients.