Using transmission and cryo-scanning electron microscopy, we confirm that extended water exposure leads to extensive disruption of stratum corneum intercellular lipid lamellae. We define the in vivo swelling behavior of the stratum corneum: exposure to water for 4 or 24 h results in a 3- or 4-fold expansion of the stratum corneum thickness, respectively. Corneocytes swell uniformly with the exception of the outermost and inner two to four corneocyte layers, which swell less. We show that hydration induces large pools of water in the intercellular space, pools that can exceed the size of water-swollen corneocytes. By 4 h of water exposure there are numerous small and large intercellular pools of water ("cisternae") present throughout the stratum corneum, and at 24 h these cisternae substantially increase in size. Within cisternae the lipid structure is disrupted by lamellar delamination ("roll-up"). Cisternae appear to be disk-shaped structures that do not obviously communicate. Cisternae appear to contain considerable lipidic and other material and to contain a substantial fluid volume that can rival the volume of the dry stratum corneum. Similar results are obtained following urine exposure. With urine exposure, cisternae communicate with salts in the external solution. This study illustrates the disruptive effect of overhydration on the stratum corneum intercellular space, identifies large and numerous unanticipated intercellular cisternal structures, defines the magnitude of stratum corneum swelling, and identifies stratum corneum cell layers that swell less. The study suggests the stratum corneum is a more chaotic structure than previously envisioned, and provides a framework for better understanding desquamation, irritancy, and percutaneous transport.

Using electron microscopy, we investigated the effect of (i) a dilute surfactant and of water alone on the ultrastructure of stratum corneum lipids in pig skin exposed in vitro at 46 degrees C, and (ii) of water alone on human skin exposed in vivo at ambient temperature. For pig skin, the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate disrupts stratum corneum intercellular lamellar bilayers, leading to bilayer delamination and "roll-up" in a water milieu after 1 h, extensive bilayer disruption after 6 h, and nearly complete dissociation of corneocytes after 24 h. Corneodesmosomes show progressive degradation with exposure time. Water alone also disrupts the stratum corneum, but with a slower onset. Alterations in intercellular lamellar bilayers, but not intercellular lamellar bilayer roll-up, are detected after 2 h. Intercellular lamellar bilayer roll-up occurs after 6 h. Extensive dissociation of corneocytes occurs after 24 h of water exposure. Unlike sodium dodecyl sulfate, water exposure results in the formation of amorphous intercellular lipid. Corneodesmosome degradation parallels intercellular lamellar bilayer disruption; calcium appears to offer some protection. Similar disruption of intercellular lamellar bilayers occurs in human skin in vivo at ambient temperature. Our studies show that water can directly disrupt the barrier lipids and are consistent with surfactant-induced intercellular lamellar bilayer disruption being due at least in part to the deleterious action of water. Intercellular lamellar bilayer disruption by water would be expected to enhance permeability and susceptibility to irritants; accordingly, increased attention should be given to the potential dangers of prolonged water contact. For common in vitro procedures, such as skin permeation studies or isolation of stratum corneum sheets, exposure to water should also be minimized.

Background/aims: Prolonged skin occlusion increases stratum corneum water content and often increases skin permeability and irritant dermatitis. As skin wetness from wearing diapers is considered an important factor favouring the onset of diaper dermatitis, optimal diapering might decrease skin hyperhydration and dermatitis. Our aim is to define the quantitative relationship between nicotinate ester (a model penetrant) skin permeability and hydration, as measured by water evaporation rate (WER), decay curves (at individual time points) and WER‐area under the curve (WER‐AUC); and also to determine the level of skin hydration and skin permeability to nicotinates following a diapering simulation. Methods/results: Nine healthy Caucasian adult women were enrolled after a prescreening procedure (time to peak redness response to nicotinate); each received three wet occlusive patches for different exposure times (10 min, 30 min, and 3 h) and two wet model diapers (3 and 8 h). Prior to patching or diapering of forearms, basal values of WER, skin blood flow volume (BFV), capacitance (Cap) and redness (a*) were measured on premarked sites (a, b, c and d). Immediately, following occlusive patch or diaper removal, 20 µL of each nicotinate (methyl and hexyl nicotinate) was applied to its respective site (a or b). The WER and Cap readings were recorded at designated sites (c and d) with the following intervals after nicotinate applications: 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 min. The a* and BFV measurements were made on each nicotinate challenged site (a and b) with the following intervals after nicotinate applications: 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, and 60 min. Results: WER‐AUC and thus, skin hyperhydration, increased with occlusive patch and diaper exposure time, but there was no statistical difference between 3 and 8 h diaper sites. All patched sites had significantly (P < 0.05) increased hydration in comparison to control sites (undiapered or unpatched skin). Cap increased with occlusion time with patches, but not with diapers. The degree and time‐course of redness from nicotinates did not vary with extent of skin hydration, but was significantly increased compared to non‐hydrated skin. BFV‐AUC did not show a significant increase between diapers at 3 and 8 h sites; the BFV‐AUC values varied on the patched sites, but some were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than control site. Conclusion: Wet patches and diapers increased skin hyperhydration proportional to exposure time. Permeation of nicotinates was increased for hydrated skin vs. control, even after only 10 min of patch exposure. For these model permeants, we found no evidence of increased permeation rates with increased hyperhydration, once a relatively low threshold of hyperhydration was achieved (e.g. that reached after a 10 min wet patch). The data showed no meaningful differences in permeation following either diapering simulation and also suggested that the WER‐AUC method was superior to capacitance for measuring the absolute extent of hyperhydration. We believe this is a suitable model f...

Broadband seismometers and gravitational wave detectors make use of mechanical resonators with a high quality factor to reduce Brownian noise. At low frequency, Brownian noise is ultimately dominated by internal friction in the suspension, which has a 1/f noise compared with the white noise arising from viscous dissipation. Internal friction is typically modeled as a frequency-dependent loss and can be challenging to measure reliably through experiment. In this work, we present the physics and experimental implementation of electrostatic frequency reduction (EFR) in a mechanical oscillator—a method to measure dissipation as a function of frequency. By applying a high voltage to two parallel capacitor plates, with the center plate being a suspended mass, an electrostatic force is created that acts as a negative stiffness mechanism to reduce the system’s resonance frequency. Through EFR, the loss angle can be measured as a function of frequency by measuring amplitude decay response curves for a range of applied voltages. We present experimental measurements of the loss angle for three metal helical extension springs in the nominal frequency range 0.7–2.9 Hz at 0.2 Hz intervals, demonstrating the possibility for fine adjustment of the resonance frequency for loss angle measurements. A quality factor proportional to the resonance frequency squared was measured, an indication that internal friction and other non-viscous dissipation elements, such as electrostatic damping, were the prominent loss mechanisms in our experiments. Finally, we consider the implications of Brownian noise arising from internal friction on a low 1/f noise seismometer.

Different diapers/diaper technologies are known to have different profiles in terms of their ability to provide wetness protection, which can result in consumer-noticeable differences in wetness. Simulation results based on published literature using data from a number of different diapers suggest that diapered skin hydrates within ranges considered reversible.