Low Amplitude (low + amplitude)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Electrical penetration graphs of the nymphal stage of Bemisia argentifolii

ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA, Issue 2 2003
Y.X. Jiang
Abstract Electrical penetration graph (EPG, DC system) waveforms were recorded from first, second, and third instar Bemisia argentifolii nymphs. Waveforms recorded were similar among the three instars. Four waveforms were recorded and were named C, J, L, and H. Waveform J is new, whereas waveforms C, L, and H of B. argentifolii nymphs were similar to those published previously from greenhouse whitefly nymphs. As in the previous study on greenhouse whitefly nymphs, there was variation in each of waveforms C, L, and H. Waveform C was recorded at an extracellular voltage level, and represents a pathway phase where the stylets penetrate the plant tissue in an intercellular pathway. At the end of waveform C, the voltage dropped to an intracellular level, indicating penetration of a living cell, and the stylet tips then remained in that cell for the rest of the EPG recording, which was sometimes as long as 16 h. Three waveforms (J, L, and H) were recorded during this intracellular phase, beginning with J, a brief (average = 31 s), low amplitude, irregular waveform. J appeared only at the beginning of the intracellular phase, and was followed by either L (five out of eight times) or H (three out of eight times). Waveforms L and H then alternated with one another for the remainder of the intracellular phase. The most conspicuous difference between L and H was the frequency of their voltage fluctuations; L had a lower frequency and H a higher frequency. Usually the shape of waveform L was dominated by voltage peaks in a positive direction, while waveform H was characterized by strong voltage peaks in a negative direction; although some variants of both L and H had distinct voltage peaks in both directions. The electrical origin of both the positive and negative voltage peaks was electromotive force (emf) fluctuation rather than resistance fluctuation. During waveform H, copious amounts of honeydew were produced, indicating that the penetrated cell was a sieve element. We conclude, therefore, that H represents phloem sap ingestion; and because J and L are produced in the same cell as H, then phloem phase is represented by waveforms J, L, and H. The biological correlations for J and L are not yet known. [source]


Focal Atrial Tachycardia Originating from the Left Atrial Appendage: Electrocardiographic and Electrophysiologic Characterization and Long-Term Outcomes of Radiofrequency Ablation

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 5 2007
WANG YUN-LONG M.D.
Introduction: This study sought to investigate electrophysiologic characteristics and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with focal atrial tachycardia (AT) arising from the left atrial appendage (LAA). Methods: This study included seven patients undergoing RFA with focal AT. Activation mapping was performed during tachycardia to identify an earlier activation in the left atria and the LAA. The atrial appendage angiography was performed to identify the origin in the LAA before and after RFA. Results: AT occurred spontaneously or was induced by isoproterenol infusion rather than programmed extrastimulation and burst atrial pacing in any patient. The tachycardia demonstrated a characteristic P-wave morphology and endocardial activation pattern. The P wave was highly positive in inferior leads in all patients. Lead V1 showed upright or biphasic (±) component in all patients. Lead V2,V6 showed an isoelectric component in five patients or an upright component with low amplitude (<0.1 mV) in two patients. Earliest endocardial activity occurred at the distal coronary sinus (CS) ahead of P wave in all seven patients. Mean tachycardia cycle length was 381 ± 34 msec and the earliest endocardial activation at the successful RFA site occurred 42.3 ± 9.6 msec before the onset of P wave. RFA was acutely successful in all seven patients. Long-term success was achieved in seven of the seven over a mean follow-up of 24 ± 5 months. Conclusions: The LAA is an uncommon site of origin for focal AT (3%). There were consistent P-wave morphology and endocardial activation associated with this type of AT. The LAA focal ablation is safe and effective. Long-term success was achieved with focal ablation in all patients. [source]


Influence of Wavefront Dynamics on Transmembrane Potential Characteristics During Atrial Fibrillation

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 8 2000
CHARLES A. ATHILL M.D.
Transmembrane Potential Characteristics. Introduction: Although computerized mapping studies have demonstrated the presence of multiple wavelets during atrial fibrillation (AF) and that action potential amplitude and duration in AF vary significantly from beat to heat, no study has correlated the single cell action potential changes with the patterns of activation during AF. Methods and Results: We studied wavefront dynamics and single cell transmembrane potential (TMP) characteristics in 12 isolated perfused canine right atria. The endocardial surface was mapped using 477 bipolar electrodes while TMP was recorded with a standard glass microelectrode from an epicardial cell. AF was induced in the presence of acetylcholine. Successful simultaneous TMP recordings and activation maps were made during six episodes of AF and for a total of 141 activations. Large variations of TMP amplitude and duration were observed frequently; 34% of them have a low amplitude (<50% of the amplitude recorded during pacing). Low-amplitude potentials were recorded when the impaled cell was (1) in an area of random reentry (67%, n = 36); (2) within 3.2 mm of the core of organized functional reentry (22%, n = 12); (3) in the middle of two merging wavefronts (9%, n = 5); and (4) at the point of spontaneous wavebreak (2%, n = 1). Conclusion: Large variations of TMP are observed frequently during in vitro AF. Low-amplitude TMPs are associated with specific patterns of AF activation wavefronts. [source]


Three-dimensional fiber orientation in vibration welded joints of glass fiber reinforced polyamide-6

POLYMER COMPOSITES, Issue 9 2008
Musa R. Kamal
A technique was developed to obtain the three-dimensional distribution of fiber orientation in vibration-welded joints of polyamide-6 (PA-6) reinforced with 30 wt% glass fibers. The heat-affected zone (HAZ) of fiber-reinforced PA-6 was successfully revealed by polishing and etching the vibration welded joints. Examination with the polarized light microscope in the reflection mode showed detailed microstructure domains, including the bulk crystalline zone and the HAZ. Experimental elliptical fiber cross-section images were used to obtain second order orientation tensors, thus providing a quantitative description of the three-dimensional fiber orientation distribution. The fibers in the HAZ were reoriented towards the squeeze flow direction, when compared with the bulk phase. Low welding pressure does not necessarily produce a more favorable fiber orientation in the tensile direction than high welding pressure. High welding pressure and low amplitude promote fiber reorientation in both the squeeze flow and tensile (weld thickness) directions. Overall, it was found that, at 30% fiber content, vibration-welded joints of injection molded fiber-reinforced PA-6 are weaker than vibration-welded joints in unreinforced injection molded samples. The fibers in the former do not undergo sufficient reorientation to influence weld strength in the tensile direction. POLYM. COMPOS., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers [source]


Importance of electroretinogram in bull's eye maculopathy

ACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2009
R HALFELD FURTADO DE MENDONCA
Purpose To describe the retinographic, electroretinographic and ultra-structural alteration in a interesting family case of bull's eye maculopathy. Methods A 14-year-old boy, his brother a 12-year-old boy and his sister a 10-year-old girl with visual loss, underwent complete ophthalmological exams, including retinography, electroretinography (ERG) and ultrastructural study by electron microscopy of the skeletal muscle, at the Clinical Hospital of the University of São Paulo. Results All three children presented optic nerve pallor, arteriolar thinning and bull's eye maculopathy. The scotopic responses were absent or with low amplitude contrasting with normal flicker responses. Electron microscopy study detected the curvilinear bodies typical from Neuronal Ceroid Lipofucinosis (NCL). Conclusion The initial diagnose of those children was cone-rod dystrophy. Diagnosis of NCL was established by normal ERG flicker and findings of characteristic electron microscopic curvilinear bodies. The electrophysiologic testing are very important in the early diagnosis of NCL. [source]