THE APPARENT DISTORTION OF BRIEF RECTANGULAR ELECTRICAL STIMULI IN NERVE

If it is assumed that the kinetics of the process of excitation in nerve is given by dp/dt = KI – kp, I being the actual exciting component of the current, p the state of excitation, and K and k constants, it is necessary to postulate that on application of a rectangular stimulus of voltage, V, the current, I, undergoes a transient exponential variation, usually a decrease, in order that the integral of the differential equation (above) may fit the strength-duration data in V and t. This hypothesis is substantiated by data by Sakamoto on single fibers of the sciatic nerve of the frog. The time constant of the postulated current transient is of the order of 10^–4 sec. for single fibers and of the order of 10^–5 sec. or less in the sciatic nerve trunk. The latter value is about the same as that found by Cole in the same tissue by purely physical measurements. Some criticisms by Rushton (1934) are discussed.     

电波传递在嫁接基本理论研究中的应用

研究发现电波从接穗跃过嫁接面向砧木传递与嫁接的组织学变化相关。砧木和接穗愈伤组织细胞突破隔离层互相嵌合之前,接穗中产生的电波不能传到砧木。砧木和接穗细胞间产生次生胞间连丝后,电波即可沿接穗传至砧木,但此时传递速度慢。当砧木和接穗间产生维管束桥时,电波下传的速度加快。由此可见,通过检测电波跃过嫁接面与否及下传的速度,就可推断嫁接接合部组织学变化状况。电波传递法是一种快速鉴定嫁接植株发育过程的新方法。     

ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A VERY FAST LOBSTER MUSCLE

The remotor muscle of the second antenna of the American lobster is functionally divided into two parts. One part produces slow, powerful contractions and is used for postural control. The other part produces very brief twitches, can follow frequencies over 100/sec without fusion and is probably used for sound production. This great speed is due, in part, to synchronous arrival of nerve impulses at multiple terminals, a very brief membrane electrical response and electrical continuity throughout large volumes of sarcoplasm. Calculations indicate that the very extensive sarcoplasmic reticulum is probably responsible for the rapid decline of tension in this muscle.     

GUSTATORY NEURAL RESPONSE OF THE CHORDA TYMPANI TO LICK-DURATION STIMULI

NaCl solutions were flowed over the anterolateral region ofthe tongue of laboratory albino rats to determine the effectsof stimulus flow duration upon muitiunit chorda tympani nerveresponses. Fifty-five msec flow duration ‘artificial licks’delivered 5µl, while 2000 msec flow duration stimuli delivered650µl. Resonses were summated, A/D converted, and averaged,with time to stimulus presentation onset, ± 1 msec, astrigger. It was found that the latency and slope of the initialsegment of the phasic response were independent of flow duration,but they changed systematically with NaCl concentration. Slopeof both premaximum and postmaximum response was insensitiveto flow duration. In contrast, the magnitude and duration ofall segments of the phasic response were dependent upon bothstimulus flow duration and concentration. The final rising slopeof the phasic response, and the maximum response magnitude attained,were smaller, and were reached sooner, for the shorter flow,lick-duration stimuli. All maximum magnitudes to lick-durationstimuli occurred 170 msec or less after stimulus on-set. Thisis similar to the interval between actual licks. The contributionto the observed response differences of total number of fungiformpapillae stimulated, total number of receptor sites available,and rate of stimulus spread, was estimated.     

EXTINCTION DUE TO EVOLUTION OF A COMPETITOR

When Drosophila simulans and Drosophila funebris were cultured together in population cages over many generations, there was a prolonged period of apparently stable coexistence followed by a rapid exclusion of D. funebris. As both species maintained large population sizes in monocultures it follows that the extinctions of D. funebris in the mixed-species cultures must have been caused by D. simulans. The time to extinction of D. funebris ranged from 26 weeks in one cage, to between 40 and 48 weeks in the other five. To test the idea that an evolutionary increase in competitive ability of D. simulans had occurred during the course of its interaction with D. funebris, a single-generation experiment was set up. In this experiment the interspecific competitive ability of a population of D. simulans that had been in competition with D. funebris for 44 weeks was compared to that of a stock population that had had no previous contact with D. funebris. In this experiment both stock and precompeted populations of D. simulans increased the egg-to-adult development time of D. funebris. However, precompeted D. simulans caused a significantly greater increase in the development time of D. funebris than did stock D. simulans. Thus D. simulans had evolved an increase in competitive ability as a result of its interaction with D. funebris. Development time is important because in the population cages the resource bottles—in which the larvae reside—were replaced every three weeks. An increase in development time of D. funebris in the multigeneration experiment similar to that observed in the single-generation experiment would lead to a rapid decrease in adult population size, resulting in the extinction of this species, as was observed to happen.     

ON THE RELATION OF DIRECT CURRENTS TO CONDENSER DISCHARGES AS STIMULI

Data on the electrical stimulation of sciatic-gastrocnemius preparations of the frog by both direct currents and condenser discharges at the same time are discussed in relation to the validity of the differential equation See PDF for Equation where p is the local excitatory process, V the stimulating current or voltage, and K and k are constants. It is concluded that the constant k is the same whether it is derived from the data of the one stimulus or the other when the same fibres are being stimulated.     

SUMMATION OF DISSIMILAR STIMULI APPLIED TO LEAFLETS OF SENSITIVE BRIER (SCHRANKIA)

1. The pinnæ of sensitive brier or Schrankia are favorable for demonstrating summation of dissimilar stimuli. 2. The demonstration was made as follows: A time of day was chosen when the closure of a single proximal leaflet did not provoke closure of the next distal leaflet. An irritating gas was applied to the pinna. A few seconds later, a single leaflet was touched; it closed, induced closure of the next distal leaflet, and inaugurated a wave of closure which proceeded until all leaflets on the same side of the mid-rib were closed.     

INTERFERENCE OF SEX-RELATED FACTORS IN THE RESPONSE OF LIVER CELLS TO EXPERIMENTAL MITOTIC STIMULI

Stimulation of liver cell multiplication was obtained under two different experimental conditions.

• 1 A single injection of casein solution resulted in (a) an identical synchronized mitotic wave response in 10-day old male and female rats and (b) a significantly lower response in adult male rats compared to females, a difference which was reduced by castration of males at birth but essentially maintained if animals were operated when 10 days old.
• 2 Partial hepatectomy shortly after puberty resulted in active hepatocyte multiplication occurring 3 hr earlier in females than in males. This difference was suppressed when females were ovariectomized at birth and significantly reduced when they were spayed at a later age. Hepatocytes of castrated females entered actively into S phase 2 hr later than the sham-operated controls. Unilateral ovariectomy on the other hand indicated that during compensatory and/or hyper-compensatory activity of the single ovary there was a maximum difference between the male and female rate of [³H]thymidine uptake in liver nuclei 20 hr after hepatectomy. A further kinetic study (t= 25, 30, 40, 65, 90 hr) indicated no significant sex-related difference in the number of S phases per 10,000 cells.

The DNA content of regenerating versus control livers was comparable in both sexes at t= 22 and 90 hr but higher in females at t= 40 and 65 hr. A possible early postnatal interference of certain hormonal mechanisms in the receptivity to mitotic stimuli is postulated and discussed.