1,721,042 research outputs found
OPTIMIZATION OF MYOCARDIAL-FUNCTION
No full textUnder normal conditions the cardiac output is designed to meet the metabolic needs of the organism. Thus, the demands imposed on the heart muscle can range from low values at rest to an order of magnitude greater values during exercise. The heart uses a number of strategies to meet the short- and long-term changes in demand. These strategies are of general biological interest and employ similar mechanisms to those responsible for the differences in muscle performance seen between muscle from various species and diverse muscle types within a given animal. This review deals wi th the heart's utilization of these strategies to meet a broad range of requirements. Tortoise (TM) and rat soleus (RS) muscles are slow, have high economy and develop low power. In contrast (FM) and rat extensor digitorum longus (REDL) are fast, have low economy and have a high power output. These differences are explainable in terms of the characteristics of the myosin head crossbridge cycle (Cross-bridge tension-time integral: FM/FT = 0.024; REDL/RS = 0.16. Myosin ATPase activity: FM/TM = 15; RDEL/RS = 2.3) and excitation contraction coupling system (time to peak tension: FM/TM = 0.2; REDL/RS = 0.4). Heart muscle employs similar strategies (cross-bridge cycle; excitation contraction coupling) to meet short (catecholamine) and long (hypertrophy secondary to pressure overload or thyrotoxicosis) term changes in demand. In the presence of catecholamine power is increased while economy is decreased. This difference between control (C) and isoproterenol treated hearts (I) is explainable in terms of the contractile and excitation contraction coupling systems (Cross-bridge tension-time integral: I/C = 0.4. Tension independent heat: I/C = 2.0. Tension independent heat rate: I/C = 2.5). A persistent increase in the demand on the heart results in myocardial hypertrophy that is associated with intracellular reorganization. Hyperthyroidism (T) and pressure overload (PO) were used to produce myocardial hypertrophy. In T hearts the economy is decreased while the power is increased; in PO hearts oppositely directed changes occur. These alterations are attributable to changes in the performance of the contractile and excitation contraction coupling systems (Cross-bridge force-time integral: T/C/PO = 0.5/1.0/2.6. Tension independent heat: T/C/PO = 1,4/1.0/0.4. Tension independent heat rate: T/C/PO = 1.4/1.0/0.3). Thus it is clear that in meeting changes in demand, the heart uses strategies comparable to those seen between species and muscle types within a given muscle
Myocyte reorganization in hypertrophied and failing hearts
No full textIn hypertrophied and failing hearts there are major changes in the overall contractile performance We present a review of our previous work relating the alterations in myocardial force work, power and relaxation, that lead to changes in overall ventricular performance, to changes in the actin-myosin cross-bridge cycle characteristics along with the degree of activation and inactivation (calcium cycling). Tissues from hypertrophied rabbit and failing human (volume overload dilated cardiomyopathy) heart were used in these studies. Myocardial peak twitch tension (mN.mm(-2) was reduced in dilated cardiomyopathy (human) (25.9 +/- 3.9 vs 13.9 +/- 2.0, 37 degrees C), volume overload (human) (44.0 +/- 11.7 vs 19.9 +/- 3.7, 21 degrees C) and pressure overload (rabbit) (46.1 +/- 2.6 vs 41.7 +/- 5.0, 21 degrees C). We used myothermal and mechanical data to analyse the average cross-bridge force time integral and the amount of calcium cycled pet gram per bent. Tension-dependent heat (mJ.g(-1)) (TIH) (cross-bridge cycling) and tension-independent heat (mJ.g(-1) (TIH) were reduced in all of the experimental preparations (dilated cardiomyopathy, human , 37 degrees C: TDH, 3.39 +/- 0.59 vs 1.34 +/- 0.22; TIH, 0.51 0.02 vs 0.16 +/- 0.03) (volume overload, human 21 degrees C: TDH, 7.23 +/- 2.22 vs 1.92 +/- 0.25; TIH, 0.75 +/- 0.19 vs 0.39 0.04) (pressure overload rabbit, 21 degrees C: TDH, 6.60 +/- 0.75 vs 3.05 +/- 0.46; TIH, 1.00 +/- 0.17 vs 0.41 +/- 0.08). The cross-bridge force-time integral (pNs, pico Newton seconds) was increased in ah experimental preparations (dilated cardiomyopathy, 138%; volume overload 175%; pressure overload, 253%), while in each of the experimental preparations, the amount of calcium cycled (nmoles.beat-g) is reduced (expressed as % control) (dilated cardiomyopathy, 36%; volume overload 53%; pressure overload 46%). The decrease in power observed in these hearts and the inadequate cardiac output in the failing hearts are attributed to these documented changes in the contractile and excitation contraction coupling systems
OPTIMIZATION OF MYOCARDIAL-FUNCTION
No full textUnder normal conditions the cardiac output is designed to meet the metabolic needs of the organism. Thus, the demands imposed on the heart muscle can range from low values at rest to an order of magnitude greater values during exercise. The heart uses a number of strategies to meet the short- and long-term changes in demand. These strategies are of general biological interest and employ similar mechanisms to those responsible for the differences in muscle performance seen between muscle from various species and diverse muscle types within a given animal. This review deals wi th the heart's utilization of these strategies to meet a broad range of requirements. Tortoise (TM) and rat soleus (RS) muscles are slow, have high economy and develop low power. In contrast (FM) and rat extensor digitorum longus (REDL) are fast, have low economy and have a high power output. These differences are explainable in terms of the characteristics of the myosin head crossbridge cycle (Cross-bridge tension-time integral: FM/FT = 0.024; REDL/RS = 0.16. Myosin ATPase activity: FM/TM = 15; RDEL/RS = 2.3) and excitation contraction coupling system (time to peak tension: FM/TM = 0.2; REDL/RS = 0.4). Heart muscle employs similar strategies (cross-bridge cycle; excitation contraction coupling) to meet short (catecholamine) and long (hypertrophy secondary to pressure overload or thyrotoxicosis) term changes in demand. In the presence of catecholamine power is increased while economy is decreased. This difference between control (C) and isoproterenol treated hearts (I) is explainable in terms of the contractile and excitation contraction coupling systems (Cross-bridge tension-time integral: I/C = 0.4. Tension independent heat: I/C = 2.0. Tension independent heat rate: I/C = 2.5). A persistent increase in the demand on the heart results in myocardial hypertrophy that is associated with intracellular reorganization. Hyperthyroidism (T) and pressure overload (PO) were used to produce myocardial hypertrophy. In T hearts the economy is decreased while the power is increased; in PO hearts oppositely directed changes occur. These alterations are attributable to changes in the performance of the contractile and excitation contraction coupling systems (Cross-bridge force-time integral: T/C/PO = 0.5/1.0/2.6. Tension independent heat: T/C/PO = 1,4/1.0/0.4. Tension independent heat rate: T/C/PO = 1.4/1.0/0.3). Thus it is clear that in meeting changes in demand, the heart uses strategies comparable to those seen between species and muscle types within a given muscle
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
POSITIVE INOTROPISM AND MYOCARDIAL ENERGETICS - INFLUENCE OF BETA-RECEPTOR AGONIST STIMULATION, PHOSPHODIESTERASE INHIBITION, AND OUABAIN
No full textObjective: The aim was to study the effect of three positive inotropic interventions on myocardial force development and heat production in guinea pig papillary muscles in order to investigate the energetic consequences. Methods: The positive inotropic agents used were epinine (beta adrenoceptor stimulation), E-1020 (phosphodiesterase inhibition), and ouabain (sodium-potassium ATPase inhibition). Heat measurements were accomplished using antimony-bismuth thermopiles and initial heat was separated into tension dependent and tension independent heat using the butanedione-monoxime (BDM) and the shortening methods. Results: Optimal concentrations of epinine, E-1020, and ouabain increased peak developed force from 20.0(SD 6.6) to 55.5(9.3) (n = 5; p < 0.01), from 20.9(9.1) to 27.2(7.2) (n = 6; p < 0.05), and from 23.4(9.2) to 44.9(18.0) mN.mm(-2) (n = 6; p < 0.01), respectively. Epinine and E-1020 decreased the tension-time integral per unit initial heat, ie, the economy of isometric contraction, from 5.5(1.4) to 3.6(0.5) (p < 0.01) and from 5.5(1.4) to 3.1(0.9) N.m.s.J(-1) (p < 0.01), respectively; no significant change was observed with ouabain [6.7(1.4) to 8.3(0.5) N.m.s.J(-1)]. The tension independent heat (calcium turnover) was measured in two different ways using BDM or shortening to abolish force production. It was increased significantly by epinine (by 141-243%), E-1020 (by 77-114%), and ouabain (by 23-38%). The first measurement in brackets is the BDM estimate, the second is the shortening estimate. From the tension-time integral and the tension dependent heat the crossbridge force-time integral was analysed: epinine and E-1020 decreased the crossbridge force-time integral from 0.46(0.16) to 0.31(0.06) pN.s (p < 0.01) and from 0.50(0.19) to 0.31(0.08) pN.s (p < 0.01), respectively, while ouabain left the force-time integral unchanged [0.59(0.27) to 0.63(0.20) pN.s]. Conclusions: (1) The inotropic effect of ouabain results from an increase in muscle activation with no change in crossbridge kinetics; (2) epinine and E-1020 increase the tension independent heat and decrease the crossbridge force-time integral, both effects reducing the overall economy; and (3) the shortening and BDM methods for measuring the tension independent heat give qualitatively similar but quantitatively different results
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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