scholarly journals The Binding of Mercury by the Yeast Cell in Relation to Changes in Permeability

1960 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 621-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hermann Passow ◽  
Aser Rothstein

Yeast cells exposed to mercuric chloride suffer irreversible damage to the membrane, resulting in a loss of potassium and cellular anions to the medium. The maximal loss of K+, but not the time course of K+ loss is related to the mercury concentration, the relationship following a normal curve on a graph of log-concentration versus effect. It is concluded that the response is all or none for individual cells, and that with increasing concentrations of metal, the threshold is exceeded in an increasing proportion of the cells. Parallel studies of the binding of mercury by the cells indicate two distinct phases, only one of which is associated with the physiological response. The binding process is relatively slow but reaches an equilibrium state. Desorption is markedly dependent on temperature. No simple stoichiometric relationship exists between the binding of mercury and the physiological response (K+ loss).

1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 405-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelvin E. Jones ◽  
Parveen Bawa

Jones, Kelvin E. and Parveen Bawa. Computer simulation of the responses of human motoneurons to composite 1A EPSPS: effects of background firing rate. J. Neurophysiol. 77: 405–420, 1997. Two compartmental models of spinal alpha motoneurons were constructed to explore the relationship between background firing rate and response to an excitatory input. The results of these simulations were compared with previous results obtained from human motoneurons and discussed in relation to the current model for repetitively firing human motoneurons. The morphologies and cable parameters of the models were based on two type-identified cat motoneurons previously reported in the literature. Each model included five voltage-dependent channels that were modeled using Hodgkin-Huxley formalism. These included fast Na+ and K+ channels in the initial segment and fast Na+ and K+ channels as well as a slow K+ channel in the soma compartment. The density and rate factors for the slow K+ channel were varied until the models could reproduce single spike AHP parameters for type-identified motoneurons in the cat. Excitatory synaptic conductances were distributed along the equivalent dendrites with the same density described for la synapses from muscle spindles to type-identified cat motoneurons. Simultaneous activation of all synapses on the dendrite resulted in a large compound excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP). Brief depolarizing pulses injected into a compartment of the equivalent dendrite resulted in pulse potentials (PPs), which resembled the compound EPSPs. The effects of compound EPSPs and PPs on firing probability of the two motoneuron models were examined during rhythmic firing. Peristimulus time histograms, constructed between the stimulus and the spikes of the model motoneuron, showed excitatory peaks whose integrated time course approximated the time course of the underlying EPSP or PP as has been shown in cat motoneurons. The excitatory peaks were quantified in terms of response probability, and the relationship between background firing rate and response probability was explored. As in real human motoneurons, the models exhibited an inverse relationship between response probability and background firing rate. The biophysical properties responsible for the relationship between response probability and firing rate included the shapes of the membrane voltage trajectories between spikes and nonlinear changes in PP amplitude during the interspike interval at different firing rates. The results from these simulations suggest that the relationship between response probability and background firing rate is an intrinsic feature of motoneurons. The similarity of the results from the models, which were based on the properties of cat motoneurons, and those from human motoneurons suggests that the biophysical properties governing rhythmic firing in human motoneurons are similar to those of the cat.


1988 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.C. Sherlock ◽  
M.J. Quinn

Wide discrepancies have been observed between controlled and uncontrolled intake studies of the relationship of blood mercury concentration to intake of mercury. The probable reason for the apparent discrepancies is that the within-subject variation of mercury intake in the uncontrolled studies was almost certainly considerably larger than the within-subject variation in blood mercury concentration; in these circumstances, the apparent slope obtained from a linear regression of blood mercury on intake will invariably be much smaller than the true slope. Studies of the exposure or intake of any substance should therefore include a consideration of the likely within-subject variation in the exposure or intake relative to that in the effect.


2002 ◽  
Vol 82 (10) ◽  
pp. 1000-1008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Segers ◽  
Jean-Paul Belgrado ◽  
Andre Leduc ◽  
Olivier Leduc ◽  
Pascal Verdonck

Abstract Background and Purpose. Pneumatic compression devices, used as part of the therapeutic strategy for lymphatic drainage, often have cuffs with multiple chambers that are inflated sequentially. The purpose of this study was to investigate (1) the relationship between cuff chamber pressure (Pchamber) and the pressure on the cuff-skin interface (Pinterface) and (2) the mechanical interaction of cuff chambers and consequences for device control. Subjects and Methods. In this study, we used 3 cylindrical (60-, 80-, and 100-mm-diameter) model limbs and 1 ellipsoidal model of the arm to test a commercially available pressure controller using “target pressures,” indicated by the controller, of 30, 60, 80, and 100 mm Hg. We studied the time course of Pchamber and Pinterface during the inflation sequence and the effect of local curvature on Pinterface. Results. Our data indicated that, overall, Pinterface is of the same order of magnitude as Pchamber. There was some effect of model diameter and shape, with the smaller curvatures yielding the highest Pinterface. Cuff chamber interaction led to Pchamber and Pinterface values in the most distal (first inflated) chamber that were up to 80% higher than the target pressure. For the 80-mm cylindrical model, for instance, pressure in this chamber reached 54, 98, 121, and 141 mm Hg, respectively, instead of the 30, 60, 80, and 100 mm Hg indicated by the controller. Discussion and Conclusion. The discrepancy between the target pressure, indicated by the controller, and the pressure measured inside the cuff chambers undermines the therapeutic control and efficacy of the pneumatic compression devices. Because the measured pressures were far beyond the pressure level indicated by the controller, it is recommended that pneumatic compression devices be used at much lower target pressures (<30 mm Hg) than those applied in clinical practice.


1976 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Scaife ◽  
D. Jones

SUMMARYLettuce obeys the Shinozaki–Kira relationship in which the reciprocal of plant weight is linearly related to plant density. The intercept (a) represents the reciprocal of the weight of an isolated plant and the slope (b) represents the reciprocal of yield/unit area at high densities (the ‘ceiling yield’). This work examines the time course of (a) and (b) in an ‘ideal environment’ in which water and nutrients are non-limiting, and the light/temperature regime is constant.Two pot experiments are described: the first showed that the growth of isolated lettuces follows a logistic expression, which can therefore be substituted for a–1 in the Shinozaki-Kira equation. It was then hypothesized that b–1, the ‘ceiling yield’ would be constant over time. This was confirmed by the second experiment, giving the equationw–1t = w–10 e1–kt × w–1max × bd,in which wt is mean plant weight at time t, w0 and wmax are the initial and final weights of isolated plants, k is the early relative growth rate of such plants, b–1 is the constant ceiling yield, and d is the plant density.Two examples of the use of the equation are given: one shows how it predicts the interaction between seed size and plant density within a species (subterranean clover): the other illustrates how it can be used to explain why lettuce growth appears to be log-linear against time whereas cereal growth is more nearly just linear.


1992 ◽  
Vol 263 (2) ◽  
pp. E400-E415 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Mari

A simple tracer-based method for calculating the rate of appearance of endogenous substances in the non-steady state, free from the inconsistencies of Steele's equation, is still lacking. This paper presents a method based on a two-compartment model by which the rate of appearance can be calculated with only a modest increase in complexity over Steele's approach. An equation is developed where the rate of appearance is expressed as a sum of three terms: a steady-state term, a term for the first compartment, and a term for the second compartment. The formula employs three parameters and makes the relationship between rate of appearance and specific activity changes explicit. An equation is also provided for estimating the error of the method in each individual run. The algorithm can be implemented with a spreadsheet on a personal computer. Simulated and experimental data obtained by the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic glucose clamp technique were used as a test. The accuracy with which the time course of glucose production could be reconstructed was clearly better than that using Steele's equation. Marked negative values for endogenous glucose output were calculated with Steele's equation but not with the new method. The characteristics of generality, simplicity, and accuracy and the availability of an error estimate make this new method suitable for routine application to non-steady-state tracer analysis.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jong-hoon Lee

When gravity exists in magnetic fields, gravity interacts with magnetic fields to generate electricity Earth direction or opposite direction. In this experiment, we demonstrate it and explain why need the renormalization theory. And in this experimental model, the relationship between electricity, voltage and time were redefined through the analysis of data for 0.1 second. Voltage and time are in a 1: 1 matching relationship. The voltage can be recorded on the x-axis and time on the y-axis. It explains two expressions of the Schrödinger equation. According to these experiments, the electric potential energy generated in gravity and magnetic fields is not reflected in quantum mechanics. The renormalization theory has modified the quantum mechanics in four-dimensional systems. If gravity and electromagnetic force are particles, they are in a symmetrical balance of supersymmetric particles in the gravity generator. Gravity generator was voltage (0) and electricity (0) in Excel 6380 data of experiment F4 when it was in equilibrium state in the direction of the Earth by gravity force and in the opposite direction by the magnetic repulsive force.


2004 ◽  
Vol 287 (3) ◽  
pp. C594-C602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Rembold ◽  
Robert L. Wardle ◽  
Christopher J. Wingard ◽  
Timothy W. Batts ◽  
Elaine F. Etter ◽  
...  

Serine 19 phosphorylation of the myosin regulatory light chain (MRLC) appears to be the primary determinant of smooth muscle force development. The relationship between MRLC phosphorylation and force is nonlinear, showing that phosphorylation is not a simple switch regulating the number of cycling cross bridges. We reexamined the MRLC phosphorylation-force relationship in slow, tonic swine carotid media; fast, phasic rabbit urinary bladder detrusor; and very fast, tonic rat anococcygeus. We found a sigmoidal dependence of force on MRLC phosphorylation in all three tissues with a threshold for force development of ∼0.15 mol Pi/mol MRLC. This behavior suggests that force is regulated in a highly cooperative manner. We then determined whether a model that employs both the latch-bridge hypothesis and cooperative activation could reproduce the relationship between Ser19-MRLC phosphorylation and force without the need for a second regulatory system. We based this model on skeletal muscle in which attached cross bridges cooperatively activate thin filaments to facilitate cross-bridge attachment. We found that such a model describes both the steady-state and time-course relationship between Ser19-MRLC phosphorylation and force. The model required both cooperative activation and latch-bridge formation to predict force. The best fit of the model occurred when binding of a cross bridge cooperatively activated seven myosin binding sites on the thin filament. This result suggests cooperative mechanisms analogous to skeletal muscle that will require testing.


1994 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
pp. 363-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aubrey Blumsohn ◽  
Brian Morris ◽  
Richard Eastell

1. Stable strontium (Sr) has been proposed as an alternative to calcium (Ca) isotopes for the measurement of intestinal Ca absorption. The aim of this study was to compare the time course and fractional absorption of Ca and Sr, when both are measured using dual-tracer techniques. 2. 45Ca and Sr absorption tests were carried out on consecutive days in patients with osteoporosis (n = 10) or chronic renal failure (n = 7). Both tests were repeated in four patients with chronic renal failure after treatment with calcitriol (1 μg daily for 10 days). 3. The time course of Ca absorption was determined using the 85Sr (intravenous)/45Ca (oral) dual-tracer technique, and the time course of Sr absorption using 85Sr (intravenous)/stable Sr (oral). Oral tracers were administered on consecutive days with a test meal containing 5.3 mmol of Ca and 2.5 mmol of either stable Sr or Ca carrier. The fractional absorption of 45Ca and Sr at 6 h (FA360) and the absorption rate as a function of time were calculated by deconvolution. 4. The mean FA360 for Sr (20.2%) was lower than the mean FA360 for 45Ca (37.8%, P < 0.001, paired t-test), but the time course of Sr absorption was similar to that of Ca. There was a significant correlation between the FA360 for 45Ca and Sr, although the relationship was improved by including a quadratic term (R2 = 0.89, P < 0.001, significance of quadratic term, P < 0.05). After 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D treatment, the FA360 of stable Sr increased 4.29-fold, whereas the FA360 of 45Ca increased only 2.4-fold. 5. Although the fractional absorption of Sr determined by dual-tracer deconvolution was the best predictor of FA360 for 45Ca, little was lost by confining the analysis to a single serum Sr measurement taken 3 h or more after oral administration. 6. We conclude that Sr absorption is qualitatively similar to that of Ca, although absorption of Sr is much lower than that of Ca. Furthermore, the relationship does not appear to be linear. Stable Sr may be useful in place of Ca isotopes in the routine clinical evaluation of Ca absorption.


1968 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 565-582
Author(s):  
G. M. HUGHES ◽  
SHUN-ICHI UMEZAWA

1. The usefulness of a bottom-living fish, the dragonet (Callionymus lyra), in experiments on fish respiration is described. The position and nature of its opercular opening made it possible to determine directly the volume of water pumped over the gills and the PO2 of the mixed expired water. The normal ventilation volume for a 100 g. fish was about 30 c.c./min. 2. The relationship between cardiac and respiratory rhythms was investigated and showed a variety of ratios. The heart usually beats more than once during each respiratory cycle. Individual variations in the coupling between these rhythms was common and close couplings were observed in the absence of anaesthetic and at normal PO2s. 3. Changes in minute volume produced by altering the hydrostatic pressure across the respiratory system did not affect the heart rate. Percentage utilization fell at higher flow rates. Changes in flow per cm. of water pressure gradient was less with negative gradients than when the static pressure on the mouth side exceeded that in the opercular collecting chamber. 4. Oxygen consumption of the fish is directly related to the ambient PO2 over a wide range (30-120 mm. Hg). Sudden lowering of the PO2 in the inspired water leads to compensatory responses in which the minute volume is maintained or increased as a result of a rise in stroke volume and lowered respiratory frequency: there is also a marked bradycardia. During recovery the increased oxygen consumption of the fish resulted from a rise in utilization rather than a change in the respiratory rate or ventilation volume. 5. Analysis of the time course of the changes in heart rate and ventilation volume in experiments in which PO2 was changed supports the view that the receptors mediating bradycardia occur on the gills and respond directly to the change in PO2 rather than to the secondary increase in flow produced by the hypoxia.


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