Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “ELECTRICITY”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,063 records · Page 59Linked to original sources

Cytotoxicity of bioreductive drug tirapazamine is increased by application of electric pulses in SA-1 tumours in mice.

The application of electrical pulses (electroporation) is a local tumour treatment resulting in the facilitated accumulation of non-permeant chemotherapeutic drugs (electrochemotherapy), as well as in the transient reduction of tumour blood flow. The aim of our study was to determine whether the application of electric pulses to the tumour increased the antitumour effectiveness of the bioreductive drug tirapazamine (TPZ). The survival of SA-1 fibrosarcoma cells was 150-fold lower after the exposure of cells for 1 h to TPZ under anoxic compared with normoxic conditions. The exposure of cells to electric pulses did not increase the cytotoxicity of TPZ. However, the in vivo treatment of subcutaneous tumours with a combination of TPZ (i.p. 25 mg/kg) injected 20 min before the application of electrical pulses significantly enhanced tumour response. Treatment with TPZ and electric pulses, repeated three times at 24-hour intervals resulted in tumour growth delay of 7.2 days. The results of our study showed that the observed antitumour effectiveness is unlikely to be due to increased cellular accumulation of TPZ by application of electric pulses, as indicated from in vitro experiments. The effect is more likely to be attributed to increased tumour hypoxia as a consequence of reduced tumour blood flow induced by application of electric pulses.

Animals↗

The alterations in adenosine nucleotides and lactic acid levels in striated muscles following death with cervical dislocation or electric shock.

In this study, changes in adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and lactic acid levels in masseter, triceps, and quadriceps muscles obtained from right and left sides of Spraque-Dawley rats following two different types of death were investigated. The samples were taken immediately and 120 minutes after death occurred either by cervical dislocation or electric shock. ATP concentrations in the muscles of masseter, triceps, and quadriceps were lower in samples obtained 120 minutes after death than that of samples obtained immediately after death. ADP, AMP, and lactic acid concentrations in these muscles were higher in samples obtained 120 minutes after death than those obtained immediately after death. A positive linear correlation was determined between ATP and ADP concentrations in quadriceps muscles of the rats killed with cervical dislocation and in masseter muscles of the rats killed with electric shock. When the rats killed with cervical dislocation and with electric shock were compared, ADP, AMP, and lactic acid concentrations were lower in the former than in the latter for both times (immediately and 120 minutes after death occurred). In the case of electric shock, ATP is consumed faster because of immediate contractions during death, resulting in a faster rigor mortis. This finding was confirmed with higher lactic acid levels in muscles of the rats killed with electric shock than the other group. In the cervical dislocation and electric shock group rats, ATP decreased in different levels in the three different muscle types mentioned above, being much decline in masseter in cervical dislocation and in quadriceps in electric shock group. This may be caused by low mass and less glycogen storage of masseter and by near localisation of electrode to quadriceps. One can conclude that the occurrence of rigor mortis is closely related to the mode of death.

Adenine Nucleotides↗

Electrical synapses and synchrony: the role of intrinsic currents.

Electrical synapses are ubiquitous in the mammalian CNS. Particularly in the neocortex, electrical synapses have been shown to connect low-threshold spiking (LTS) as well as fast spiking (FS) interneurons. Experiments have highlighted the roles of electrical synapses in the dynamics of neuronal networks. Here we investigate theoretically how intrinsic cell properties affect the synchronization of neurons interacting by electrical synapses. Numerical simulations of a network of conductance-based neurons randomly connected with electrical synapses show that potassium currents promote synchrony, whereas the persistent sodium current impedes it. Furthermore, synchrony varies with the firing rate in qualitatively different ways depending on the intrinsic currents. We also study analytically a network of quadratic integrate-and-fire neurons. We relate the stability of the asynchronous state of this network to the phase-response function (PRF), which characterizes the effect of small perturbations on the firing timing of the neurons. In particular, we show that the greater the skew of the PRF toward the first half of the period, the more stable the asynchronous state. Combining our simulations with our analytical results, we establish general rules to predict the dynamic state of large networks of neurons coupled with electrical synapses. Our work provides a natural explanation for surprising experimental observations that blocking electrical synapses may increase the synchrony of neuronal activity. It also suggests different synchronization properties for LTS and FS cells. Finally, we propose to further test our predictions in experiments using dynamic clamp techniques.

Computer Simulation↗

Antitumour effectiveness of hyperthermia is potentiated by local application of electric pulses to LPB tumours in mice.

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to determine whether local application of electric pulses to tumours, which induce transient reduction of tumour perfusion, could potentiate the antitumour effectiveness of hyperthermia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antitumour effectiveness of local application of electric pulses (1300 V/cm, 100 micros, 1 Hz) and 910 MHz local hyperthermia at 43.5 degrees C, alone or in combination, was determined on LPB tumours in C57Bl/6 mice by measurement of tumour growth delay, changes in tumour perfusion using the Patent blue technique and extent of tumour necrosis. RESULTS: When hyperthermia was performed immediately after application of electric pulses, at a time of maximally reduced tumour perfusion, greater than additive antitumour effectiveness was observed, resulting in 14.5 +/- 3.1 days growth delay of tumours that regrew and 43% complete responses. Single treatment, application of electric pulses or hyperthermia had minor or no effect on tumour growth. When hyperthermia was performed 24 hours after application of electric pulses, at a point when tumour perfusion was restored, the effect of both treatments was additive, resulting in 4.1 +/- 1.1 days growth delay and no cures. CONCLUSION: The probable mechanisms for the observed, more than additive, interaction when hyperthermia was performed immediately after application of electric pulses are the potentiation of thermic cytotoxicity, due to the reduced tumour perfusion induced by application of electric pulses and prolonged tumour perfusion reduction after combined treatment leading to additional cell kill, due to the protracted ischemia.

Animals↗

Investigation of quadriceps femoris function through electrical stimulation.

OBJECTIVE: Patellofemoral dysfunctions are associated with problems in the knee extensor mechanism, including specific atrophy of the distal fibers of the vastus medialis, also known as the vastus medialis oblique. Rehabilitation of the vastus medialis in patellofemoral dysfunctions has been shown to be ineffective. This limitation had stemmed from the lack of understanding of the vastus medialis' specific functions. The purpose of this project was to investigate the role of four portions of the quadriceps femoris using surface electrical stimulation. DESIGN AND SETTING: Single-group and single-test (repeated measures on muscle portions) design. All tests were performed in a university laboratory. SUBJECTS: Eight healthy university students received electrical stimulation. MEASUREMENTS: Subjects were seated with the knee at 90 degrees of flexion and the leg pushing against a strain gauge that measured the force exerted. Electrical stimulation was administered on the vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, and proximal and distal fibers of the vastus medialis to quantify the torque produced by the knee extensors. The electrical stimulation maximum intensity was adjusted to achieve specific fiber recruitment and the highest isolated contraction. Force was measured with a strain gauge placed on the anterior aspect of the distal end of the tibia. Force was recorded in two levels: force applied before the onset of electrical stimulation and force produced by the stimulation. Subjects also performed two maximum isometric knee extensions before and after electrical stimulation for normalization. RESULTS: Electrical stimulation elicited mean torques of 6.31 per thousand, 14.0 per thousand, 20.2 per thousand, and 28.0 per thousand of maximum isometric voluntary contractions of the distal and proximal fibers of the vastus medialis, the vastus lateralis, and rectus femoris, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The distal fibers of the vastus medialis do not contribute significantly to knee extension.

Journal Article↗

[Examination of cerebral electrical admittance plethysmogram in healthy newborns].

OBJECTIVE: Cerebral electrical admittance plethysmography is a novel noninvasive technique for evaluating cerebral hemodynamics. This study aimed to measure the reference values of cerebral electrical admittance plethysmogram in healthy newborns. METHODS: Bilateral cerebral electrical admittance plethysmography was performed in 40 healthy newborns. RESULTS: The values of various indexes of cerebral electrical admittance plethysmogram in 40 newborns were obtained by this technique. The index of Admittance Differential Loop (ADL) I+II at the third and fourth days after birth was significantly higher than that at the first day of life (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in the index of ADL I+II and the ratio of Hs to b-S (Hs/ b-S) among different birth weight groups (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in all the indexes of cerebral electrical admittance plethysmogram between the left and right brain of newborns. Gender and parturition mode had also no effects on these indexes. CONCLUSIONS: The research reported the reference values of cerebral electrical admittance plethysmogram in healthy newborns. The postnatal age and birth weight are influencing factors for the cerebral electrical admittance plethysmogram.

Age Factors↗

Effect of reducing agents and uncouplers on the electrical potential generated by mitochondrial ATPase activity.

Beef heart submitochondrial particles bound to phospholipids impregnated filters generated an electrical potential upon the addition of ATP. The magnitude of the electrical potential reached depended on the phospholipid mixture composition used for filter impregnation, phosphatidylethanolamine being the active component for the electrical potential generation. Uncoupler FCCP (p-trifluoromethoxy carbonyl cyanide phenylhydrazone) inhibited the transmembrane electrical potential generation by diminishing the electrical resistance of the system as a result of its protonophoric action. However, uncouplers 2, 4-dinitrophenol and dicoumarol did not provoke large modifications of the electrical resistance under the conditions of pH and concentration used, and their action varied with the time elapsed after the submitochondrial particles purification, favouring the idea of the uncoupler interaction with a specific site on the membrane. Addition of sodium dithionite resulted in a higher plateau value for the electrical potential consistent with the promoted increase in ATPase activity. The effect of this agent was reversed by the 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol added at equivalent concentrations.

Animals↗

The effects of cardioplegic potassium concentration and myocardial temperature on electrical activity in the heart during elective cardioplegic arrest.

A major objective of cardioplegic arrest for protection of the heart during cardiac operations is total electromechanical quiescence. Recent studies from our laboratory in which we used multiple bipolar intracardiac and unipolar intramural electrodes have detected the presence of electrical activity in the lower atrial septum, the atrioventricular node-His bundle complex, and in ventricular myocardium during elective cardioplegic arrest that cannot be detected on the limb-lead electrocardiogram. Moreover, this low-amplitude electrical activity is not associated with visible mechanical activity of the heart and occurs at ventricular septal temperatures previously thought to be adequate for myocardial protection. The present study was designed to determine the effect of cardioplegic solution potassium concentration and myocardial temperature on the occurrence and duration of low-amplitude electrical activity during elective cardioplegic arrest. Fifty adult mongrel dogs were subjected to two consecutive 20 minute periods of cardioplegic arrest. The animals were divided into six groups, depending upon the cardioplegic solution potassium concentration they received and on whether or not topical cooling techniques were employed. The probability of occurrence of low-amplitude electrical activity during the arrest interval was significantly decreased by application of topical hypothermic techniques and reinfusion of hyperkalemic, as compared to normokalemic, cardioplegic solution. These effects of hyperkalemic cardioplegic solution and myocardial hypothermia acted synergistically, but independently, to decrease the likelihood of low-amplitude electrical activity occurring during the period of cardioplegic arrest. Nevertheless, low-amplitude electrical activity did occur in all groups after each cardioplegic solution administration and was not detected by routine monitoring techniques. This suggests that low-amplitude electrical activity may represent a fundamental type of metabolic activity that can be recorded from the heart during arrest and may be responsible for the temporary depression in ventricular function that frequently follows a period of elective cardioplegic arrest.

Animals↗

Axotomy-induced parallel increases in electrical and dye coupling between identified neurons of Helisoma.

The electrically coupled buccal ganglion neurons 4R and 4L of the snail, Helisoma, display predictable plasticity. The strength of the electronic synapse between them increases significantly following axotomy. Synaptic strength was assayed by measurements of electrical coupling coefficients and by assessment of dye coupling (passage of dye into the uninjected neuron) following injection of Lucifer Yellow CH into one neuron. Within 3 to 5 days, axotomy induced an increase in electrical coupling coefficients between neurons 4R and 4L from 0.54 +/- 0.11 (n = 13) in normal preparations to 0.72 +/- 0.14 (n = 24). A parallel axotomy-induced increase in the probability of dye coupling occurred. Only 27% (n = 27) of normal neuron 4 pairs were dye coupled, compared with 87% (n = 15) of axotomized neuronal pairs. Irrespective of treatment, electrical and dye measurements in the same neuron 4 pairs showed a consistent correlation between the magnitude of the electrical coupling coefficients and the probability of detectable dye coupling. No dye coupling was observed in neuronal pairs with electrical coupling coefficients less than 0.50. Dye coupling always occurred when coupling coefficients were greater than 0.70. Sixty-seven percent of neuronal pairs with intermediate coupling (0.50 to 0.70) coefficients displayed dye coupling. The results show that axotomy evokes a predictable enhancement of communication at an "identified" electronic synapse and suggests that electrical and dye coupling are mediated by similar mechanisms.

Animals↗

Autocorrelation, cross correlation and coherence analyses of the electrical activity of the human stomach in the postoperative period.

Electrical potentials generated by the stomach have been well categorized. They vary in amplitude, shape, frequency and time relationships and may be contaminated by electrical activity from other organs. In addition to visual observation, this investigation used methods of autocorrelation and cross correlation, spectral analysis and coherence determinations to refine and numerically characterize gastric electrical potentials. Bipolar Teflon coated electrode wires were brought out through the abdominal wall in six patients, four of whom underwent fundoplication, one of whom underwent cholecystectomy and one of whom underwent portacaval shunt. Recordings were obtained until the ninth postoperative day using differential preamplifiers, an oscilloscope and a dual channel tape recorder. Oscilloscope displays were photographed, and the outputs of the tape recorder were filtered in the analog mode. Similar recordings were also obtained postoperatively in a patient with gastric stasis, and a surface electrode was used to record the gastric electrical activity of a normal volunteer. The propagation time, electrical control activity frequencies and bioelectrical dependence or independence between the two measuring sites were clearly differentiated by these methods. This method offers a safe and feasible way of recording and analyzing the electrical activity of the human stomach in the postoperative period with statistically specified reliability. This is accomplished through temporarily implanted wires, and, potentially, from the surface of the body, even during electrical interference.

Electrodes, Implanted↗

A clinical evaluation of the electric pulp tester as an indicator of local anesthesia.

Local anesthesia is the primary method in dentistry to control patients' pain. However, several studies have shown that profound anesthesia is not always achieved. The electric pulp tester has been used to measure the level of local dental anesthesia during endodontic therapy. However, no study has been performed that evaluates the ability of the electric pulp tester to predict the efficacy of local anesthesia prior to as operative procedure. If ineffective anesthesia could be predicted, supplemental injections could be administered to alleviate the anesthetic problem. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of the electric pulp tester to measure the level of local anesthesia prior to operative treatment. The study was performed in vivo on patients requiring operative therapy. All teeth were pulp tested preoperatively for vitality using the electric pulp tester. After injection of local anesthetic, traditional parameters of dental anesthesia were verified (lip numbness, mucosal sticks). Teeth were then retested with the electric pulp tester and the results recorded. The teeth were them prepared for restoration using conventional instrumentation, and the patient's level of anesthesia evaluated using a visual analog scale. The electric pulp tester readings were compared to the patient's responses using Fisher's Exact test (two-tail). The results indicate that the electric pulp tester can be a valuable tool in predicting potential anesthetic problems in operative (restorative) dentistry.

Adolescent↗

Extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields as risk factors in chemical industry.

OBJECTIVES: The risk assessment for staff in the chemical industry is usually related to accident hazards, production emergencies, blast and fire danger, or to the adverse effects of toxic substances. The combined effect of electric and magnetic fields with other factors combined with other hazards and working conditions, has not yet been studied. In all branches of industry, the members of staff who endure the most exposure to electric and magnetic fields, are electricians. This group is considered at high risk because of the increased probability of cancer. METHODS: We studied electric and magnetic fields with low frequencies in the nitrogen chemical fertilizer plant "HIMCO", Vratza. Sources of extremely low frequency fields (50 Hz) are local thermal power plants, substations, open (110 kV) and closed (6 kV and 0.4 kV) distribution devices, transformers, compressors and turbocompressors, command halls, and video display units. The methods used for assessing exposure of low frequency electric and magnetic fields were based on the separate measurement of the electric and magnetic components of the field, using spot measurements and evaluation of the real time duration of exposure for different staff groups. RESULTS: The measured values for the different staff groups were within the limits of national and international standards. The measured magnetic flux densities in the "HIMCO" plant exceeded 3 mG, a value which is considered by many investigations in the literature, as a possible carcinogenic factor. CONCLUSIONS: The prolonged exposure to low frequency electric and magnetic fields determines the place of these physical factors in the complex of hazardous environmental factors for the staff. The simultaneous performance of combined investigations of all risk factors would result in the complete risk assessment for staff in the chemical industry. Electricians are considered to be a professional group who have an increased risk of contracting cancer. Extensive measurement and assessment of exposure of the low frequency electric and magnetic fields is needed using individual dosimeters and retrospective analysis to determine this. It is important to study all types of nonionizing radiation in the whole of the Bulgarian chemical industry, especially within petroleum refineries.

Bulgaria↗

Fatal occupational injuries among electric power company workers.

Surveillance data suggest high rates of electrocutions and fatal falls among workers in electric utility companies, who may be exposed to electric current, heights, flammable agents, and frequent motor vehicle travel. To characterize the occurrence of fatal injuries among electric utility workers, we studied workers in five electric power companies in the United States. A cohort of 127,129 men hired between 1950 and 1986 was followed through 1988. Injuries at work were identified through manual review of death certificates. The occurrence of occupational injuries was analyzed with directly adjusted rates and Poisson regression. The overall rate of fatal occupational injuries was 13.20 per 100,000 person-years (n = 192), with 76% due to electric current, homicide, and falls from heights. Deaths were concentrated in a few groups with elevated injury rates, notably linemen (rate ratio (RR) 3.33), electricians (RR 2.79), and painters (RR 3.27). Occupations requiring daily work on elevations or frequent, direct contact with energized electrical equipment experienced markedly higher rates of fatal injury from falls and electrocutions with rate ratios of 21.8 (95% confidence interval (CI) 11.4-41.5) and 16.7 (95% CI 6.6-42.6), respectively, independent of worker age and seniority. Although fatal injury rates in this industry have declined in recent decades, significant numbers of deaths still occur. Based on the premise that all injuries are preventable, a need for continued vigilance and efforts at prevention is indicated.

Accidental Falls↗

Stimulation of cutaneous mechanoreceptors by 60-Hz electric fields.

Chronic exposure of animals to 60-Hz electric fields is known to affect the nervous system in a variety of subtle ways. The mechanism whereby these effects are produced remains unknown. One hypothesis is that the effects are a result of direct interaction between neuronal membranes and induced currents. Alternatively, the effects could be produced indirectly, as a result of sensory stimulation and the resulting low-level stress. To test these hypotheses, a system was developed to expose the surface of an anesthetized cat's paw to surface electric fields up to 600 kV/m while simultaneously measuring, in dorsal root fibers, afferent nerve impulses originating from various receptor types in the exposed paw. Of the 245 receptor units tested, comprising ten cutaneous receptor types, ten responded to the electric field with an increase in firing rate. The most sensitive receptor type was the rapidly adapting field receptor (RAF); eight of 20 (40%) were sensitive to the electric field, with thresholds as low as 160 kV/m. One of 35 rapidly adapting high-frequency receptors and one of 22 type T hair-follicle receptors were also sensitive to the electric field. Follow-up tests on the RAF receptors showed that hair removal reduced but did not eliminate the electric field sensitivity, suggesting that at least one other mechanism was involved in addition to stimulation via hair movement. The most likely mechanism is field-induced vibrations of the skin, since a further reduction in firing rate occurred following application of mineral oil to the depilated paw. Direct interaction with neuronal membranes is not supported by our evidence.

Animals↗

Measurement of magnetically induced electric fields in conductive media near a 60 Hz current-carrying wire.

Electric fields induced in a conductive body by the magnetic field of a current-carrying wire were analyzed theoretically and experimentally to assess the dosimetric importance of highly nonuniform, field-exposure conditions. Experimentation revealed that a 60-Hz magnetic field was inversely proportional to the radius of a wire bundle carrying 100 A within a 0.5-m2 test area. A miniaturized electric field probe was used to measure the electric fields induced in 5-cm-deep, saline-filled models. In the theoretical analysis, numerical estimates of induced fields were made by a spreadsheet method. The theoretical calculations and the measured values of induced electric fields were generally in good agreement. The induced fields were in a plane perpendicular to a vertically incident magnetic field; the maximally induced fields were in areas nearest the wire bundle. The strength of the induced field increased with model size: from 96 microV/cm in a 10 x 10 cm model to 176 microV/cm in a 40 x 40 cm model. The strength of the field induced in a 20 x 20 cm model decreased with increasing model-to-wire spacing: from 132 microV/cm for a 1-cm spacing (2-mT maximum, incident field) to 50 microV/cm for a 6-cm spacing (0.33-mT maximum). The results indicate that increases in local values of nonuniformly incident fields produce relatively small increases in induced electric fields. This finding may be important in dosimetric consideration of circumstances, such as use of electric blankets, in which fields of low average strength are accompanied by intense local fields.

Electric Conductivity↗

Magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography at 3 Tesla field strength.

Magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) is a recently developed imaging technique that combines MRI and electrical impedance tomography (EIT). In MREIT, cross-sectional electrical conductivity images are reconstructed from the internal magnetic field density data produced inside an electrically conducting object when an electrical current is injected into the object. In this work we present the results of electrical conductivity imaging experiments, and performance evaluations of MREIT in terms of noise characteristics and spatial resolution. The MREIT experiment was performed with a 3.0 Tesla MRI system on a phantom with an inhomogeneous conductivity distribution. We reconstructed the conductivity images in a 128 x 128 matrix format by applying the harmonic B(z) algorithm to the z-component of the internal magnetic field density data. Since the harmonic B(z) algorithm uses only a single component of the internal magnetic field data, it was not necessary to rotate the object in the MRI scan. The root mean squared (RMS) errors of the reconstructed images were between 11% and 35% when the injection current was 24 mA.

Electric Conductivity↗

Electrocommunication signals in female brown ghost electric knifefish, Apteronotus leptorhynchus.

Female communication behaviors are often overlooked by researchers in favor of male behaviors, which are usually more overt and easier to elicit. Very little is known about female electrocommunication behaviors in brown ghost knifefish, a weakly electric wavetype Gymnotiform fish. Most behavioral studies have focused on males, and fish are usually restrained and played a stimulus near their own electric organ discharge frequency to evoke chirps (abrupt short-term frequency rises) or the jamming avoidance response. Our study focuses on categorizing and describing spontaneous and evoked electric organ discharge modulations in free-swimming female fish that were either electrically coupled to tanks containing a conspecific (male or female), or left isolated. Cluster analysis of signals produced under isolated and social conditions revealed three categories of rises: short rise, medium rise and long rise; and one category of frequency decrease (dip). Females produce significantly more short rises when electrically coupled to tanks containing lower-frequency females, and produce more long rises when electrically coupled to tanks containing males. Short rises may have an intrasexual aggressive function, while long rises may serve as an advertisement of status or reproductive condition in intersexual interactions.

Animal Communication↗

Non-visual environmental imaging and object detection through active electrolocation in weakly electric fish.

Weakly electric fish orient at night by employing active electrolocation. South American and African species emit electric signals and perceive the consequences of these emissions with epidermal electroreceptors. Objects are detected by analyzing the electric images which they project onto the animal's electroreceptive skin surface. Electric images depend on size, distance, shape, and material of objects and on the morphology of the electric organ and the fish's body. It is proposed that the mormyrid Gnathonemus petersii possesses two electroreceptive "foveae" at its Schnauzenorgan and its nasal region, both of which resemble the visual fovea in the retina of many animals in design, function, and behavioral use. Behavioral experiments have shown that G. petersii can determine the resistive and capacitive components of an object's complex impedance in order to identify prey items during foraging. In addition, fish can measure the distance and three-dimensional shape of objects. In order to determine object properties during active electrolocation, the fish have to determine at least four parameters of the local signal within an object's electric image: peak amplitude, maximal slope, image width, and waveform distortions. A crucial parameter is the object distance, which is essential for unambiguous evaluation of object properties.

Animals↗