TUNNELING STUDY ON Ba2Ca3Cu4O8(O1-xFx)2

We report the tunneling conductance on a quadruple-layered cuprate, Ba 2 Ca 3 Cu 4 O 8( O 1-x F x)2 (2x~1.4, Tc~100 K ) that includes inequivalent outer (OP) and inner (IP) CuO 2 planes in a unit cell. Typical tunneling conductance displays the spectral dip structures as well as the superconducting gap (SCG) with clear coherence peaks. However we sometimes observe a pseudogap (PG) like structure without coherence peak at 4.2K. The magnitude of PG at 4.2K is larger than that of SCG at 4.2K and its conductance curve displays a faint structure at low energy. Therefore its origin would be different from that of small-PG observed at above Tc. In addition, we find that there are two kinds of SCGs that originate from IP and OP, and this result suggests that the superconducting property at IP is different from that at OP because of the imbalance of doped carrier between IP and OP. The observation of large PG at low temperature suggests the existence of some form of hidden ordered state at T<Tc and it would coexist with superconductivity.

Chronic High-Inspired CO2 Decreases Excitability of Mouse Hippocampal Neurons

To examine the effect of chronically elevated CO2 on excitability and function of neurons, we exposed mice to 8 and 12% CO2 for 4 wk (starting at 2 days of age), and examined the properties of freshly dissociated hippocampal neurons obtained from slices. Chronic CO2-treated neurons (CC) had a similar input resistance ( Rm) and resting membrane potential ( Vm) as control (CON). Although treatment with 8% CO2 did not change the rheobase (64 ± 11 pA, n = 9 vs. 47 ± 12 pA, n = 8 for CC 8% vs. CON; means ± SE), 12% CO2 treatment increased it significantly (73 ± 8 pA, n = 9, P = 0.05). Furthermore, the 12% CO2 but not the 8% CO2 treatment decreased the Na+ channel current density (244 ± 36 pA/pF, n = 17, vs. 436 ± 56 pA/pF, n = 18, for CC vs. CON, P = 0.005). Recovery from inactivation was also lowered by 12% but not 8% CO2. Other gating properties of Na+ current, such as voltage-conductance curve, steady-state inactivation, and time constant for deactivation, were not modified by either treatment. Western blot analysis showed that the expression of Na+ channel types I–III was not changed by 8% CO2 treatment, but their expression was significantly decreased by 20–30% ( P = 0.03) by the 12% treatment. We conclude from these data and others that neuronal excitability and Na+ channel expression depend on the duration and level of CO2 exposure and maturational changes occur in early life regarding neuronal responsiveness to CO2.

Resonant Reflections in a Particle Conducting Through a Normal-Conductor–Superconductor Interface in Magnetic Fields

A quantum resonance in the conduction through the normal-conductor–superconductor junction is investigated in the presence of a magnetic field using a numerical transfer matrix method. It is shown that dip-pairs in the conductance curve occur at a certain geometry of the system owing to the resonant reflection caused by the interference of the reflected electron and hole waves under a finite magnetic field. By examining a local density of quasiparticles, we found that the feature of the resonant state giving the dip-pair in the conductance (in a magnetic field) is very different from that in a finite bias voltage.

A New Method for the Derivation of the Output Characteristics of Amorphous Silicon Thin-Film Transistors.

ABSTRACTA novel method to derive the output characteristics of a-Si:H thin film transistors from the channel conductance curve is presented. The Method well reproduces the experimental data both in the linear and saturation regimes without using any adjustable parameter. The Method is simple and fast enough to be used in a circuit simulator.

Use of Conductance to Detect Bacteriocin Activity

The inhibitory activity of a bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis G4 (Bac+) in milk was investigated by using conductivity measurements. The bacteriocin showed an inhibitory action toward some strains belonging to L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus species. A delay in detection time (δDT) of two milk cultures sensitive to bacteriocin, grown in the presence of preformed bacteriocin, was observed. An inactivation as well as a modified growth rate of the sensitive cultures due to bacteriocin activity might explain the δDT, as indicated by longer generation time (tg). Cells showed the highest sensitivity to bacteriocin during the log phase of growth that corresponded to the beginning of the acceleration of the conductance curve (DT).

Gating currents associated with Na channels in canine cardiac Purkinje cells.

Gating currents (Ig) were recorded in single canine cardiac Purkinje cells at 10-12 degrees C. Ig characteristics corresponded closely to macroscopic INa characteristics and appeared to exhibit little contamination from other voltage-gated channels. Charge density predicted by peak INa was 0.14-0.22 fC micron -2 and this compared well with the measured value of 0.19 +/- 0.10 fC micron -2 (SD; n = 28). The charge-voltage relationship rose over a voltage similar to the peak INa conductance curve. The midpoints of the two relationships were not significantly different although the conductance curve was 1.5 +/- 0.3 (SD; n = 9) times steeper. Consistent with this observation, which predicted that a large amount of the gating charge would be associated with transitions close to the open state, an analysis of activation from Hodgkin-Huxley fits to the macroscopic currents showed that tau m corresponded well with a prominent component of Ig. Ig relaxations fitted two exponentials better than one over the range of voltages in which Na channels were activated. When the holding potential was hyperpolarized, relaxation of Ig during step depolarizations to 0 mV was prolonged but there was no substantial increase in charge, further suggesting that early closed-state transitions are less in charge, further suggesting that early closed-state transitions are less voltage dependent. The single cardiac Purkinje cell appears to be a good candidate for combining Ig and single-channel measurements to obtain a kinetic description of the cardiac Na channel.

Gating of Na channels. Inactivation modifiers discriminate among models.

Macroscopic Na currents were recorded from N18 neuroblastoma cells by the whole-cell voltage-clamp technique. Inactivation of the Na currents was removed by intracellular application of proteolytic enzymes, trypsin, alpha-chymotrypsin, papain, or ficin, or bath application of N-bromoacetamide. Unlike what has been reported in squid giant axons and frog skeletal muscle fibers, these treatments often increased Na currents at all test pulse potentials. In addition, removal of inactivation gating shifted the midpoint of the peak Na conductance-voltage curve in the negative direction by 26 mV on average and greatly prolonged the rising phase of Na currents for small depolarizations. Polypeptide toxins from Leiurus quinquestriatus scorpion and Goniopora coral, which slow inactivation in adult nerve and muscle cells, also increase the peak Na conductance and shift the peak conductance curve in the negative direction by 7-10 mV in neuroblastoma cells. Control experiments argue against ascribing the shifts to series resistance artifacts or to spontaneous changes of the voltage dependence of Na channel kinetics. The negative shift of the peak conductance curve, the increase of peak Na currents, and the prolongation of the rise at small depolarization after removal of inactivation are consistent with gating kinetic models for neuroblastoma cell Na channels, where inactivation follows nearly irreversible activation with a relatively high, voltage-independent rate constant and Na channels open only once in a depolarization. As the same kind of experiment does not give apparent shifting of activation and prolongation of the rising phase of Na currents in adult axon and muscle membranes, the Na channels of these other membranes probably open more than once in a depolarization.