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Biomedical subjects

L A Roberts

Publications and source records attributed to L A Roberts.

47 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Chronotropic effect of alkali metals on spontaneously beating right atria.

The alkali metal ions lithium, potassium, rubidium and cesium depress the rate of spontaneous beating of isolated rabbit right atria. At low concentrations (2 to 4 mM) the negative chronotropic effect was in the order: Cs greater than Rb greater than K or Li; at a higher concentration (12 mM) it was Rb or K greater than Cs or Li. Force of contraction was also depressed by potassium and cesium at all levels, but was stimulated by lithium and by low levels of rubidium (2 mM). Lithium had little chronotropic effect up to relatively high concentrations, decreasing spontaneous beating rate to 80% of control at 100 mM LiCl. The significant positive inotropic effect at 2 mM LiCl (to 120% of control) increased (to 180% of control) at 40 mM LiCl. Rate of beating was significantly depressed by 0.2 mM CsCl. The chronotropic effect of cesium was biphasic; the decrease in SBR at 2 and 4 mM cesium was greater than the negative chronotropic effect at 10 mM CsCl. The effect of rubidium (above 4 mM) closely resembled that of increased potassium in decreasing spontaneous beating rate and contractile force.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Intonation sensitivity for traditional and nontraditional chords.

We studied listeners' intonation sensitivity to traditional (major and minor) and nontraditional chords. The nontraditional chords have frequency ratios of 3:5:7 and 5:7:9 and, like the major chord, have coincident upper partials and unambiguous fundamental basses. The center tone only of each of these four triads was varied from its just (integer ratio) value by -30, -15, 0, +15, and +30 cents. Each tone had ten partials whose amplitudes decreased with frequency relative to the fundamental (9 dB per octave). Subjects judged which chord (or chordal sequence) of a pair was more in tune, smooth and/or pleasant. Listeners' intonation sensitivity curves exhibited regular patterns for both traditional and nontraditional chords. However, our subjects divided into two groups: One group preferred chords in just intonation and their preferences decreased monotonically as the intonation deviated from just intonation; the other group preferred intonations that deviated from just intonation by +/- 15 cents.

Humans↗
PubMed1983

Thin-film electrode fabrication techniques.

After a long developmental effort, we can now fabricate, using thin-film techniques, both rigid modiolar multielectrodes and flexible scala tympani multielectrodes which we believe appropriate for long-term implantation in human subjects. In vitro and in vivo life tests are in progress to confirm this expectation.

Biocompatible Materials↗
PubMed1979

Increase in passive tension of spontaneously beating atria in hyperosmolar media.

Spontaneously beating rabbit atria were used for study of increases in passive tension induced by hyperosmolar Tyrode bathing media. The time course and degree of passive tension change was dependent on the level of osmolality and the osmotic agent used. The effectiveness of various agents added to Tyrode solution in increasing resting tension was in the order sucrose greater than mannitol greater than or equal to NaCl greater than glucose greater than = no change. The hyperosmotically induced "contracture" was similar to contracture induced by high Ca2+ medium, but the maximum hyperosmotic effect was greater than that of high Ca2+. In contrast to active atria, inactive atria showed no increase in passive tension in hyperosmotic solutions or in Tyrode solution containing high Ca2+. After depolarization with Tyrode medium containing high K+ or zero K+, increased Ca2+ caused contracture in inactive left atria greater than that caused by hyperosmotic media (+200 mM sucrose) in active right atria or atrial pairs. Results of the study indicate that although other factors may be involved, increased Ca2+ flux inward could largely account for the passive tension response.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Ethanol increases rate of isolated atria.

Ethanol has a positive chronotropic and negative inotropic effect on isolated spontaneously beating rabbit atria. Both effects increased with increasing ethanol concentrations in the bathing medium. This response is apparently a direct action of ethanol on the myocardium and is not due to the release of catecholamines, acetylcholine, or acetaldehyde produced by the oxidative metabolism of ethanol. Ethanol is one of the few pharmacologic agents having opposite actions on heart rate and force of contraction.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Chronotropic response of spontaneously beating rabbit atria to hyperosmotic media.

Spontaneously beating rabbit atria responded to hyperosmotic Tyrode bathing media with an increase in rate, force of contraction, and passive tension dependent on the level of osmolality and the osmotic agent employed. The positive chronotropic response reached a maximum within a few minutes and then declined to a lower, maintained plateau level. The plateau change in rate was similar whether the osmotic agent added to Tyrode solution was sucrose, mannitol or NaCl. For these agents, the response increased linearly with osmotic pressure of the bathing media from 300 to 500 mosmol/kg H2O, then progressively decreased approaching zero (plateau rate = control) at about 700 mosmol/kg H2O. The chronotropic response to urea in Tyrode solution, though less than for the other three agents, progressively increased over the entire range of osmolalities tested (from 300 to 700 mosmol/kg H2O). The inotropic response was positive for all agents from 300 to 600 mosmol/kg H2O. Passive tension of atria increased with added NaCl, sucrose, or mannitol, but not with urea. Propranolol did not alter the atrial response to hyperosmolality. Thus, we find that the chronotropic response of atria to hyperosmolar solutions is positive over a wide range of agents and osmolalities, in contrast to earlier reports of a direct negative chronotropic effect.

Animals↗