The effect of several intertrial intervals on the 1 Hz interference effect.

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of two intertrial intervals of 1-Hz brain stimulation on kindling behavior induced by 60Hz sine wave stimulation. In two experiments, the effective threshold intensity (ETI) to elicit a convulsion was determined on four separate occasions with 5 days of daily trials between determinations. On each day experimental rats were stimulated with 1-Hz current on the first and third trials for 120 seconds duration and with 60-Hz current for 30 seconds on the second trial (1-60-1 group). A second group was stimulated with 60-Hz-current on each trial (60-60-60 group). A third group received no stimulation on Trials 1 and 3 and 60-Hz current on Trial 2 (X-60-X group). In Experiment 1, the intertrial interval was 3 hours; a 24 hour interval was used in Experiment 2. The results were similar in both experiments. For the 1-60-1 group, there was a steady increase in the intensity required to elicit a convulsion shown with 60-Hz current from EtI1 to ETI4. However, the 24 hour interval produced a lesser effect than did 3 hour interval (or the 1 hour interval used in previous experiments). Rats in the other groups maintained relatively stable values from ETI1 to ETI1, with a slight decline occurring. Suppression of convulsive behaviour on daily trials was present with the 1-60-1 groups, and nonexistent with the other groups.

Model of gas exchange and diffusion in legume nodules : I. Calculation of gas exchange rates and the energy cost of N2 fixation.

A mathematical model is described which allows the estimation of rates of O2, CO2, N2, and H2 exchange from legume nodules under steady state conditions of N2 fixation. Calculated rates of gas exchange under defined conditions of nodule size, relative growth rate (RGR), specific total nitrogenase activity (TNA), nitrogenase electron allocation coefficient (EAC), uptake-hydrogenase activity (HUP) and nature of the N export product compared favorably with experimentally-obtained rates reported in the literature. Therefore the model was used to predict the effects of varying each of these nodule characteristics on the rates of gas exchange, and on the apparent respiratory cost (CO2/NH3) and sucrose cost (sucrose consumed/NH3) of N2 fixation.The model predicted that, all other characters being equal, ureide-producing nodules would consume 8% less sucrose per N fixed than asparagine-producing nodules, but would display an apparent respiratory cost which would be 5% higher than that in asparagine-producing nodules. In both ureide-producing and asparagine-producing nodules, the major factor affecting the apparent respiratory cost of N2 fixation was predicted to be EAC, followed by TNA, nodule RGR and nodule size. The relative importance of HUP in improving the apparent respiratory cost of N2 fixation was predicted to be largely dependent upon its potential role in the regulation of EAC.

Model of gas exchange and diffusion in legume nodules : II. Characterisation of the diffusion barrier and estimation of the concentrations of CO2, H 2 and N 2 in the infected cells.

The rates of nodule O2, CO2, N2 and H2 exchange calculated in the previous modeling study (D.B. Layzell et al., 1987, Planta 173, 117-127) were combined with information on the diffusion characteristics of each gas, and the structural characteristics of soybean nodules, to produce a comprehensive mathematical model of nodule structure and function. The model assumed that an aqueous barrier to gas diffusion exists in the nodule cortex which may be regulated to maintain an O2 concentration of 10 nM in the centre of the infected cells of the central zone. The model was used to predict the concentration of N2, CO2 and H2 in the infected cells as the physical and physiological characteristics of the nodule were varied. The model predicted that (a) the diffusion barrier may be represented by plugs of water in the intercellular spaces of a layer of cells between the inner and outer cortex, the depth of which may be varied to vary the resistance of the barrier; (b) facilitated diffusion of O2 by oxyleghemoglobin is essential to the regulation of free O2 concentration in the infected cells; (c) the diffusion barrier is less effective in regulating CO2 flux than the fluxes of other gases with the result that the total gas pressure in the central zone is less than atmospheric pressure; (d) concentrations of N2 and HCO 3 (-) in the infected cells are saturating with respect to nitrogenase activity and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity respectively and (e) under atmospheric conditions the concentration of H2 in the infected cells is similar to, or greater than the K i . (H2) for N2 fixation, which may account for values of nitrogenase electron allocation coefficient below 0.75.

Interference effect of 3 Hz brain stimulation on kindling behavior induced by 60 Hz stimulation.

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of 3 Hz brain stimulation on kindling behavior induced by 60 Hz sine waves stimulation. In Experiment 1, 12 rats were subjected to 40 or 60 convulsion trials with 60 Hz stimulation and then given 36 trials of 3 Hz stimulation. When these rats were stimulated again with 60 Hz sine wave current at the same brain site, none of the rats showed a convulsion in nine test trials. The intensity of stimulation had to be increased on test trial 10 to elicit convulsions for each rat. Of 10 rats in two control groups, only 1 did not convulse during the nine test trials. In Experiment 2 the effective threshold intensity (ETI) to elicit a convulsion was determined on five separate occasions with 10 days of daily trials between determinations. On each day experimental rats were stimulated with 3 Hz current on the first and third trials and with 60 Hz current on the second trial (3-60-3 group). A steady increase in the intensity required to elicit a convulsion with 60 Hz current from ETI1 to ETI5 resulted. Rats stimulated only with 60 Hz sine waves on the second trial each day (X-60-X grou,) maintained relatively stable values from ETI1 to ETI5. In the four, 10-day blocks of trials, convulsions were suppressed in 20% to 80% of the trials over the 10 day period for the 3-60-3 group, with the greatest effect occurring after about 4 days of stimulation. This suppressive effect was prominent both with rats that were at the convulsion stage prior to the first application of 3 Hz stimulation and with rats that were at preconvulsion stages. In Experiment 3 the permanency of the suppressive effect was evaluated. Eight suppressed rats from the experimental group in Experiment 2 and 4 control rats were stimulated for 90 trials over 30 days with 60 Hz current, and ETI values were determined after each set of six trials. Four of the 8 experimental rats were convulsing at ETI1 within 20 days.