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At least 973 records · Page 54Linked to original sources

A single-pole model for the propagation of ultrasound in soft tissue.

A minimum-phase function, which characterizes the velocity dispersion in tissue was calculated from measured attenuation. This function was incorporated into a causal tissue model. Predictions of attenuation using the minimum-phase function with just a single pole matched measured attenuation in the 1- to 10-MHz range within a few percent. Dispersion of phase velocity predicted by the single-pole model was comparable to measured dispersion. The frequency associated with the single pole, which is a relaxation frequency, decreased with hemoglobin concentration and collagen content but increased with temperature. The electrical equivalent circuit for this model is a delay coupled with a low-pass filter which can be configured as a resistance in series with a parallel combination of resistance and capacitance.

Collagen↗

Admittance-based measurement of membrane capacitance using the EPC-9 patch-clamp amplifier.

A software lock-in amplifier (SLIA) was developed to allow high-time-resolution measurement of membrane capacitance as a single-cell assay of exocytosis. The unique feature of this "virtual instrument" is that it is thoroughly integrated with a computer-controlled patch-clamp amplifier (EPC-9) to allow estimation of equivalent circuit parameters based upon calibrated admittance measurements rather than just relative changes. Since the same software package ("PULSE") controls both the EPC-9 and the SLIA, instrument settings which affect admittance calculations (gain, filtering, etc.) are always "known" by the SLIA. Attenuation and phase shifts introduced within the EPC-9 by low-pass filters and other circuitry are modelled and automatically corrected by the software. In addition, changes in the measured signal introduced by whole-cell capacitance and series resistance compensation are accounted for. The noise of capacitance measurements is nearly optimal and resistive parameters can vary over a large range without inducing artifactual changes in capacitance estimates.

Artifacts↗

Analysis of capacitance ratio of a rectangular X-cut length-extensional mode quartz crystal resonator by stresses.

The electrical properties of an X-cut, length-extensional mode quartz crystal resonator of a cut angle theta around the X-axis were calculated by a variational method using stresses as trial functions. Analytical expressions of stresses were estimated by a linear regression on a cut angle best-fit to the results of finite-element method. The calculated dependence of the capacitance ratio on the cut angle was consistent with the measured results.

Letter↗

A patch-clamp study of mammalian platelets and their voltage-gated potassium current.

1. Mammalian platelets were freshly isolated from human, rabbit, or rat blood. The whole-cell and cell-attached voltage-clamp variations of the patch-clamp technique were employed to study the passive electrical properties and ion channels of unstimulated platelets. 2. The input capacitance of a platelet measured by the phase-sensitive detection method was about 128 fF, the input resistance of a platelet was about 59 G omega and the resting membrane potential was about -50 mV which was directly measured by a whole-cell recording in the current-clamp mode. 3. The predominant ion channel was a voltage-gated K+ channel resembling the delayed rectifier K+ channel of nerve, muscle and T-lymphocyte. There was no indication of any inward current in the platelet membrane. The activation of the K+ current could be fitted by n4 kinetics, and was half-maximal at about -35 mV. 4. The time constant of K+ current inactivation was virtually independent of voltage and varied from cell to cell. Recovery from inactivation was slow and dependent on the size and duration of the preceding conditional voltage step. Steady-state inactivation was half-maximal at about -50 mV and was complete at positive potentials. 5. The predominant single-K+-channel conductance was 9 pS and the estimated number of K+ channels per platelet was about 325, corresponding to a density of 25/micron2 apparent membrane area.

Action Potentials↗

Internodal conduction in undissected demyelinated nerve fibres.

1. A new method is described for recording external longitudinal currents from single undissected nerve fibres in rat ventral roots. The method permits identification of the sites of fifteen or more successive nodes of Ranvier in a given single fibre and the measurement of internodal conduction times between them.2. Average internodal conduction time for normal ventral root fibres of internodal length between 0.75 and 1.45 mm is 19.7 +/- 4.6 (S.D.) musec at 37 degrees C. Internodal conduction time appeared to show a minimum for fibres of internodal length 1.0 mm.3. Ventral roots were demyelinated by focal application of diphtheria toxin. Although conduction is markedly slowed in demyelinated fibres, sites of inward membrane current remain spatially separated indicating that conduction remains saltatory to the point of conduction block rather than becoming continuous as in unmyelinated fibres.4. Slowing of conduction appears to be due to changes in the passive electrical properties of the internodal myelin. Evidence is presented suggesting that there is an increase in internodal capacitance and a decrease in internodal transverse resistance at internodes of demyelinated fibres; such changes would have the effect of delaying excitation at the nodes. The changes in passive electrical properties, which appear to be primarily in the vicinity of the nodes, would be consistent with the pathological changes observed in demyelinated fibres.5. Internodal conduction times in demyelinated fibres have ranged from normal (26 musec at 30 degrees C) to more than 600 musec. There is a great variation in internodal conduction time at successive internodes of a given single fibre; this presumably reflects the varying severity of demyelination of successive internodes.6. As in normal fibres, nodes of demyelinated fibres generate less current when excited by the second of two closely spaced impulses. This results in an increased internodal conduction time for the second impulse and, at a critically short interstimulus interval, conduction block of the second impulse.7. The increased refractory period of transmission of internodes with increased internodal conduction times is a consequence of the decreased ability of such internodes to sustain propagation in the face of small decreases in nodal current.8. During tetanic stimulation, increases in internodal conduction time are associated with corresponding decreases in nodal current generated by the node proximal to the internode in question.9. It is suggested that changes in the magnitude of the nodal current during repetitive activity are due to changes in transmembrane concentration gradients of sodium, the increased internodal conduction time and eventual conduction block during tetanic stimulation being caused by intracellular sodium accumulation.10. Intracellular sodium accumulation is also offered as the explanation for the post-tetanic depression seen in demyelinated fibres.

Action Potentials↗

Measurement of dielectric properties of subcutaneous fat with open-ended coaxial sensors.

A three-layer model of stratum corneum, epidermis/dermis and subcutaneous fat has been developed for the capacitance of an open-ended coaxial line in contact with human skin. Applying the model, the electrical properties of subcutaneous fat can be calculated from skin dielectric measurements with three probes of different sizes. The three-layer model is based on a variational formula for the capacitance of the coaxial probe. An accurate approximation for the dielectric constant of the multilayer cutaneous structure is presented for the inverse problem of solving the dielectric constants of various layers. The method was tested at 300 MHz with breast cancer patients who often have radiotherapy-induced late alterations in the structure of subcutaneous fat due to the development of subcutaneous fibrosis. Measurements from 206 sites yielded a good agreement between the dielectric constant of subcutaneous fat and the clinical score for subcutaneous fibrosis.

Adipose Tissue↗

Nitric oxide uncouples gap junctions of supporting Deiters cells from Corti's organ.

Supporting cells of Corti's organ are electrically coupled via gap junctions. They probably serve to maintain the unique cochlear environment that is required for normal sensory function. In this study we used input capacitance measurements under whole-cell voltage-clamp conditions to evaluate the effects of nitric oxide on gap junctional communication between pairs of isolated supporting Deiters cells. We show that the nitric oxide (NO) donor sodium nitroprusside causes the uncoupling of Deiters cells, and that an NO synthase inhibitor blocks the effect. The cGMP analogue 8-bromo-cGMP also uncouples Deiters cells. With either treatment, the input capacitance of pairs of Deiters cells drops to single-cell levels within minutes of application, indicative of electrical uncoupling. We surmise that the NO/cGMP pathway may serve to modulate normal cochlear homeostasis and possibly plays a role in ototoxic mechanisms.

Animals↗

Electrical properties of toad sartorius muscle fibres in summer and winter.

1. The area and circumference of surface fibres of sartorius muscles were measured from photomicrographs of frozen sections of whole muscles, and compared with the values obtained assuming a circular cross-section. The latter assumption gave an over-estimate of the mean area of 28%, but only a 2% over-estimate of the circumference. In isolated, single fibres, the assumption gave over-estimates of 25 and 6%, of area and circumference respectively.2. The passive electrical properties of fibres were different in summer and winter. The mean internal resistivity, membrane resistance and membrane capacitance were 147 Omega.cm, 7.6 kOmega.cm(2) and 4 muF/cm(2) in summer, and 194 Omega.cm, 3.9 kOmega.cm(2) and 6.7 muF/cm(2) in winter, in fibres of comparable diameters in situ. In single fibres in summer, the mean values were 120 Omega.cm, 8.6 kOmega.cm(2) and 3.6 muF/cm(2).3. In glycerol-treated fibres the mean specific membrane capacitance was 1.0 muF/cm(2) in summer and 2.0 muF/cm(2) in winter. The internal resistivity and specific membrane resistance were 167 Omega.cm and 8.9 kOmega.cm(2) in summer, and 232 Omega.cm and 3.9 kOmega.cm(2) in winter.4. Early after-depolarizations were recorded in glycerol-treated fibres which had a low membrane capacitance, did not twitch and showed little ;creep'. Electron micrographs of glycerol-treated fibres showed disruption of the transverse tubular system and sarcoplasmic reticulum.5. After exposure of muscles to 400 mM urea or acetamide for 1 hr, muscle fibres did not twitch and had a reduced membrane capacitance in Ringer solution.

Acetamides↗

A synthetic strand of cardiac muscle: its passive electrical properties.

The passive electrical properties of synthetic strands of cardiac muscle, grown in tissue culture, were studied using two intracellular microelectrodes: one to inject a rectangular pulse of current and the other to record the resultant displacement of membrane potential at various distances from the current source. In all preparations, the potential displacement, instead of approaching a steady value as would be expected for a cell with constant electrical properties, increased slowly with time throughout the current step. In such circumstances, the specific electrical constants for the membrane and cytoplasm must not be obtained by applying the usual methods, which are based on the analytical solution of the partial differential equation describing a one-dimensional cell with constant electrical properties. A satisfactory fit of the potential waveforms was, however, obtained with numerical solutions of a modified form of this equation in which the membrane resistance increased linearly with time. Best fits of the waveforms from 12 preparations gave the following values for the membrane resistance times unit length, membrane capacitance per unit length, and for the myoplasmic resistance: 1.22 plus or minus 0.13 x 10-5 omegacm, 0.224 plus or minus 0.023 uF with cm-minus 1, and 1.37 plus or minus 0.13 x 10-7 omegacm-minus 1, respectively. The value of membrane capacitance per unit length was close to that obtained from the time constant of the foot of the action potential and was in keeping with the generally satisfactory fit of the recorded waveforms with solutions of the cable equation in which the membrane impedance is that of a single capacitor and resistor in parallel. The area of membrane per unit length and the cross-sectional area of myoplasm at any given length of the preparation were determined from light and composite electron micrographs, and these were used to calculate the following values for the specific electrical membrane resistance, membrane capacitance, and the resistivity of the cytoplasm: 20.5 plus or minus 3.0 x 10-3 omegacm-2, l.54 plus or minus 0.24 uFWITHcm-minus 2, and 180 plus or minus 34 omegacm, respectively.

Action Potentials↗

Membrane properties of nociceptive neurones in lamina II of lumbar spinal cord in the cat.

1. Intracellular recordings were made from neurones in lamina II of the dorsal horn of the lumbar spinal cord of the cat, and the electrotonic responses to brief rectangular current pulses of up to 0.5 nA passed through the recording microelectrode measured. 2. The majority of penetrations were associated with input resistances lower than 70 M omega, low resting potentials (-25 to -45 mV) and frequent firing of action potentials. Stable resting potentials of -50 to -75 mV were recorded in twenty neurones which exhibited continuous ongoing synaptic activity without action potentials. The threshold for action potential initiation was around -42 mV. The current-voltage relationships were linear over most of the range of currents used; with depolarizing currents rectification became apparent close to the firing threshold. Input resistances ranged from 80 to 150 M omega. 3. The time course of the decay of the electrotonic response was exponential with a time constant of 0.8-2.0 ms. The morphology of the cells--small soma with a small number of fine processes--and these short time constants suggest that axial current flow is limited and that the charge is dissipated locally within the soma through the membrane capacitance. 4. Effective membrane capacities were calculated from the estimated soma surface area of typical neurones in lamina II stained with HRP, and assuming a specific membrane conductance of 1.0 microF cm-2 they ranged from 3.1 to 15.7 pF. Membrane capacities were calculated for the twenty neurones in this study from measurement of input resistance and time constants (6.4-15.0 pF) and lay within this range. 5. Three neurones which had their electrical properties measured were also stained with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Their specific membrane capacitances (1.1-1.2 microF cm-2) and specific resistances (0.9-1.1 k omega cm2) were within the range of values measured for other neurones in the CNS. 6. The short time constants found for these neurones suggests that temporal summation of postsynaptic potentials evoked by short-acting neurotransmitters will be limited. This may help to explain why action potentials arise singly from discrete, short-lived EPSPs. There is anatomical evidence for multiple connections from terminal branches of A delta and C afferent fibres within the superficial dorsal horn; this suggests that spatial summation of EPSPs is a major factor in synaptic integration of some of the primary afferent inputs to these neurones.

Action Potentials↗

Probing the stability of S-layer-supported planar lipid membranes.

Isolated protein subunits of the crystalline bacterial cell surface layer (S-layer) of Bacillus coagulans E38-66 have been recrystallized on one side of planar black lipid membranes (BLMs) and their influence on the electrical properties, rupture kinetics and mechanical stability of the BLM was investigated. The effect on the boundary potential, the capacitance or the conductance of the membrane was negligible whereas the mechanical properties were considerably changed. The mechanical stability was characterized by applying voltage pulses or ramps to induce irreversible rupture. The amplitude of the voltage pulse leading to rupture allows conclusions on the ability of membranes to resist external forces. Surprisingly, these amplitudes were significantly lower for composite S-layer/lipid membranes compared to undecorated BLMs. In contrast, the delay time between the voltage pulse and the appearance of the initial defect was found to be drastically longer for the S-layer-supported lipid bilayer. Furthermore, the kinetics of the rupture process was recorded. Undecorated membranes show a fast linear increase of the pore conductance in time, indicating an inertia-limited defect growth. The attachment of an S-layer causes a slow exponential increase in the conductance during rupture, indicating a viscosity-determined widening of the pore. In addition, the mechanical properties on a longer time scale were investigated by applying a hydrostatic pressure across the BLMs. This causes the BLM to bulge, as monitored by an increase in capacitance. Compared to undecorated BLMs, a significantly higher pressure gradient has to be applied on the S-layer face of the composite BLMs to observe any change in capacitance.

Bacillus↗

Electrical impedance tomography study of biological processes in a single cell.

An in vivo electrical impedance tomography (EIT) study of single plant cells of Chara corallina is reported. When these aquatic cells grow in alkaline conditions, proton-translocating ATP synthases in the plasma membrane operate in reverse, utilizing ATP to translocate protons against an electrochemical gradient to the periplasm and creating localized acidic regions along the cell's cylindrical surface. These acidic regions, which appear as radial bands, approximately 5 mm long, between narrower alkaline bands, facilitate the uptake of bicarbonate, the plant's source of inorganic carbon for photosynthesis in the carbon dioxide-depleted alkaline conditions. Our EIT study of cell ultrastructure in the acidic and alkaline regions provides evidence that the plasma membrane is folded in localized regions (e.g., charasomes) in the acidic bands. The very low frequency capacitance dispersions were very similar to those of double fixed-charge structures. Such charge distributions are known to be present in the membrane-bound F0 portion of the ATP synthase. The theoretical dependence of the fixed-charge concentrations on pH in the proteins is shown to broadly account for the observed correlations between pH, membrane potential, conductance, and capacitance in these regions. In synthetically formed double fixed-charge membranes, electric field-induced dissociation of water into H+ and OH- occurs. This leads to the speculation that H+/OH- fluxes in ATP synthases located in the alkaline regions of Chara cells might also involve the electric field-induced dissociation of water.

Cell Membrane↗

Electrical parameters for safe and effective electro-acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical stimulation: threshold potentials for tingling, muscle contraction and pain; and how to prevent adverse effects of electro-therapy. Part 1.

10 Essential electrical parameters for safe and effective electrical stimulation was discussed. Among them, especially importance of rise and fall time which influence capacitive current (Ic = C X dv/dt), pulse duration and output impedance for (+) and (-) polarities was emphasized. When comparing one pulse component with high amplitude with the other pulse component with low amplitude in the same stimulation pulse complex of the same electrical stimulator, effective stimulation voltage delivered to the body can be larger with the low amplitude pulse component if it has much lower output impedance than the other. When pulse repetition rate is higher than several pulses/sec., in spite of increase in pain threshold, microcirculation is often interfered with and as a result the effect will not last long after each treatment. Our studies indicate that optimal pulse repetition rate is about the same as heart rate synchronized with local circulation. Tingling threshold is a more reproducible reliable parameter than pain threshold in study of pain. Measurement of threshold potentials for tingling sensation, muscle contraction, along with pain threshold is extremely important in the same patient. Phenomena of short circuits between the nerve fibers responsible for tingling sensation and nerve fibers responsible for pain sensation is described.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

Electrical counting and sizing of mammalian cells in suspension.

A recently developed method of determining the number and size of particles suspended in a conducting solution is to pump the suspension through a small orifice having an immersed electrode on each side to supply electrical current. The current changes due to the passage of particles of resistivity different from that of the solution. Theoretical expressions are developed which relate the current change caused by such particles to their volume and shape. It is found that most biological cells may be treated as dielectric particles whose capacitive effects are negligible. Electrolytic tank measurements on models confirm the theoretical development, and electric field plots of model orifices are used to predict the observed pulse shapes. An equivalent circuit of the orifice-electrode system is analyzed and shows that the current pulse may be made conductivity-independent when observed with a zero input impedance amplifier.

Animals↗

Si-C linked organic monolayers on crystalline silicon surfaces as alternative gate insulators.

Herein, the influence of silicon surface modification via Si-C(n)H(2n+1) (n=10,12,16,22) monolayer-based devices on p-type 100 and n-type 100 silicon is studied by forming MIS (metal-insulator-semiconductor) diodes using a mercury probe. From current density-voltage (J-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements, the relevant parameters describing the electrical behavior of these diodes are derived, such as the diode ideality factor, the effective barrier height, the flatband voltage, the barrier height, the monolayer dielectric constant, the tunneling attenuation factor, and the fixed charge density (Nf). It is shown that the J-V behavior of our MIS structures could be precisely tuned via the monolayer thickness. The use of n-type silicon resulted in lower diode ideality factors as compared to p-type silicon. A similar flatband voltage, independent of monolayer thickness, was found, indicating similar properties for all silicon-monolayer interfaces. An exception was the C10-based monolayer device on p-type silicon. Furthermore, low values of N(f) were found for monolayers on p-type silicon (approximately 6 x 10(11) cm(-2)). These results suggest that Si--C linked monolayers on flat silicon may be a viable material for future electronic devices.

Journal Article↗

Effect of gas density variations on respiratory input impedance in humans.

The forced oscillation technique is a widely-used non-invasive method of characterizing the dynamic behaviour of the respiratory system. We used the forced oscillation technique to investigate respiratory mechanics in healthy subjects during simulated dives in dry hyperbaric chambers. We observed frequency dependence of input impedance, which was mainly density-dependent. To explain this result, we propose a model of the respiratory system, based on flow redistribution in a two-pathway circuit. This model, using the electrical analogue, is composed of two Resistance-Self Inductance-Capacitance (R-I-C) pathways set up in parallel. It allowed us to explain the dynamic behaviour of respiratory impedance under hyperbaric conditions in healthy subjects. Changes in respiratory impedance according to frequency vary with the relative importance of the inequalities of the two time constants RC and I/R between the two pathways. With low values of density, RC inequality predominates, whereas I/R inequality tends to predominate with high values of density.

Air Pressure↗