Depolarization Channel Research Articles

Chronic hypoxia‐induced upregulation of Ca2+‐activated Cl− channel in pulmonary arterial myocytes: a mechanism contributing to enhanced vasoreactivity

Chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (CHPH) is associated with altered expression and function of cation channels in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), but little is known for anion channels. The Ca(2+)-activated Cl(-) channel (CaCC), recently identified as TMEM16A, plays important roles in pulmonary vascular function. The present study sought to determine the effects of chronic hypoxia (CH) on the expression and function of CaCCs in PASMCs, and their contributions to the vascular hyperreactivity in CHPH. Male Wistar rats were exposed to room air or 10% O(2) for 3–4 weeks to generate CHPH. CaCC current (I(CI.Ca)) elicited by caffeine-induced Ca(2+) release or by depolarization at a constant high [Ca(2+)](i) (500 or 750 nm) was significantly larger in PASMCs of CH rats compared to controls. The enhanced I(CI.Ca)) density in CH PASMCs was unrelated to changes in amplitude of Ca(2+) release, Ca(2+)-dependent activation, voltage-dependent properties or calcineurin-dependent modulation of CaCCs, but was associated with increased TMEM16A mRNA and protein expression. Maximal contraction induced by serotonin, an important mediator of CHPH, was potentiated in endothelium-denuded pulmonary arteries of CH rats. The enhanced contractile response was prevented by the CaCC blockers niflumic acid and T16A(inh)-A01, or by the L-type Ca(2+) channel antagonist nifedipine. The effects of niflumic acid and nifedipine were non-additive. Our results demonstrate for the first time that CH increases I(CI.Ca) density, which is attributable to an upregulation of TMEM16A expression in PASMCs. The augmented CaCC activity in PASMCs may potentiate membrane depolarization and L-type channel activation in response to vasoconstrictors and enhance pulmonary vasoreactivity in CHPH.

Geometrical Theory of Channel Depolarization

A geometrical theory is proposed for depolarization in narrow-band fixed-to-mobile (F2M) and mobile-to-mobile (M2M) wireless channels. This novel theory is used to reveal the origin of channel depolarization and to provide a mechanism for computing cross-polarization discrimination (XPD). Based on the superposition of polarization components on conservation-of-polarization planes, a new 3-D geometry-based reference model is proposed for XPD in narrow-band F2M and M2M wireless channels. This purely theoretical approach is used to derive the XPD without the aid of measurement data or its approximation. The geometrical theory and reference model provide a relationship between channel depolarization or XPD and channel modeling factors such as the distance between the transmitter (Tx) and the receiver (Rx), the azimuth/elevation angles of arrival and departure, and the distribution of scatterers around the Tx and/or the Rx. Our geometry-based XPD model shows good agreement with previously reported empirical results from other authors and provides insight on the detailed behavior observed in their XPD measurements.

Effects of depolarizing quantum channels on BB84 and SARG04 quantum cryptography protocols

We report experimental studies on the effect of the depolarizing quantum channel on weak-pulse BB84 and SARG04 quantum cryptography. The experimental results show that, in real world conditions in which channel depolarization cannot be ignored, BB84 should perform better than SARG04.

Accuracy of depolarization and delay spread predictions using advanced ray-based modeling in indoor scenarios

This article investigates the prediction accuracy of an advanced deterministic propagation model in terms of channel depolarization and frequency selectivity for indoor wireless propagation. In addition to specular reflection and diffraction, the developed ray tracing tool considers penetration through dielectric blocks and/or diffuse scattering mechanisms. The sensitivity and prediction accuracy analysis is based on two measurement campaigns carried out in a warehouse and an office building. It is shown that the implementation of diffuse scattering into RT significantly increases the accuracy of the cross-polar discrimination prediction, whereas the delay-spread prediction is only marginally improved.

Multiwavelength lidar node development and simulation for a regional tropospheric aerosol monitoring network

This work studies multiwavelength lidar node operation requirements to operate in a regional aerosol monitoring network. Some of the parameters taken into account are simplicity and robustness of the system in continuous and remote operation conditions. Sub-system modularity and accessibility is also contemplated. A numerical simulation is performed on a synthetic atmospheric signal to analyze the behaviour of this system in a) the visible (532 nm) and infrared (1064 nm) spectral regions; b) the main atmospheric compound Raman spectral region (nitrogen, oxygen water vapor). Adding depolarization channels in the 532 nm spectral region is also contemplated.

Depolarization for quantum channels with higher symmetries

The depolarization channel is usually modelled as a quantum operation that destroys all input information, replacing it by a completely chaotic state. For qubits this has a quite intuitive interpretation as a shrinking of the Bloch sphere. We propose a way of dealing with depolarizing dynamics (in the Markov approximation) for systems with arbitrary symmetries.

A New Double-Directional Channel Model Including Antenna Patterns, Array Orientation, and Depolarization

Multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) wireless channel models are often too simplistic to accurately model wireless propagation effects or too complex and/or site specific to be used for analytical purposes. In this paper, we develop a double-directional MIMO channel model that accounts for important propagation effects like scattering, clustering, and channel depolarization and antenna effects like antenna diversity, cross polarization, and random array orientation, while still retaining an intuitive representation. The proposed model can be parameterized using channel measurements obtained from site-specific measurement campaigns or from standard-based channel models. We show, using simulations, that the proposed model captures channel and antenna effects not included in other models, like the third-generation partnership program (3GPP) spatial channel model, the WINNER, and the IEEE 802.11n channel model. We use the model to study the impact of random orientation and channel depolarization on the data rates of a MIMO system.

Impairment of α1-adrenoceptor-mediated contractile activity in caudal arterial smooth muscle from Type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats

1. In the present study, we compared the responsiveness of de-endothelialized caudal artery smooth muscle strips, isolated from Type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) and normal Wistar rats, to alpha(1)-adrenoceptor stimulation (cirazoline) and membrane depolarization (K(+)). 2. The contractile and myosin 20 kDa light chain (LC(20)) phosphorylation responses to 0.3 micromol/L cirazoline of caudal artery strips isolated from 12-week-old GK rats were significantly reduced compared with those of age-matched Wistar rats, whereas the contractile and LC(20) phosphorylation responses to 60 mmol/L K(+) were unaltered. 3. Stimulation of fura 2-AM-loaded strips from GK rats with 0.3 micromol/L cirazoline induced a significantly smaller rise in [Ca(2+)](i) (by approximately 20%) compared with that in strips from Wistar rats, whereas comparable Ca(2+) transients were evoked by K(+) in both. 4. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, no significant differences were detected in the mRNA expression of alpha(1A)-, alpha(1B)- and alpha(1D)-adrenoceptor subtypes between GK and Wistar rats. 5. Cirazoline (1 micromol/L)- and caffeine (20 mmol/L)-induced contractions in the absence of extracellular Ca(2+) were unaltered in GK rats, suggesting that the release of Ca(2+) from the sarcoplasmic reticulum in response to cirazoline does not differ between GK and Wistar rats. 6. The results of the present study suggest that Ca(2+) entry from the extracellular space via alpha(1)-adrenoceptor-activated, Ca(2+)-permeable channels, but not via membrane depolarization and voltage-gated L-type Ca(2+) channels, is impaired in caudal artery smooth muscle of GK rats.

Quantum Serial Turbo Codes

In this paper, we present a theory of quantum serial turbo codes, describe their iterative decoding algorithm, and study their performances numerically on a depolarization channel. Our construction offers several advantages over quantum low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes. First, the Tanner graph used for decoding is free of 4-cycles that deteriorate the performances of iterative decoding. Second, the iterative decoder makes explicit use of the code's degeneracy. Finally, there is complete freedom in the code design in terms of length, rate, memory size, and interleaver choice. We define a quantum analogue of a state diagram that provides an efficient way to verify the properties of a quantum convolutional code, and in particular, its recursiveness and the presence of catastrophic error propagation. We prove that all recursive quantum convolutional encoders have catastrophic error propagation. In our constructions, the convolutional codes have thus been chosen to be noncatastrophic and nonrecursive. While the resulting families of turbo codes have bounded minimum distance, from a pragmatic point of view, the effective minimum distances of the codes that we have simulated are large enough not to degrade the iterative decoding performance up to reasonable word error rates and block sizes. With well-chosen constituent convolutional codes, we observe an important reduction of the word error rate as the code length increases.

The airborne multi-wavelength water vapor differential absorption lidar WALES: system design and performance

A high-performance airborne water vapor differential absorption lidar has been developed during the past years. This system uses a four-wavelength/three-absorption line measurement scheme in the 935 nm H2O absorption band to cover the whole troposphere and lower stratosphere simultaneously. Additional high spectral resolution aerosol and depolarization channels allow precise aerosol characterization. This system is intended to demonstrate a future space-borne instrument. For the first time, it realizes an output power of up to 12 W at a high wall-plug efficiency using diode-pumped solid-state lasers and nonlinear conversion techniques. Special attention was given to a rugged optical layout. This paper describes the system layout and technical realization. Key performance parameters are given for the different subsystems.

The critical role of Golgi cells in regulating spatio-temporal integration and plasticity at the cerebellum input stage

The discovery of the Golgi cell is bound to the foundation of the Neuron Doctrine. Recently, the excitable mechanisms of this inhibitory interneuron have been investigated with modern experimental and computational techniques raising renewed interest for the implications it might have for cerebellar circuit functions. Golgi cells are pacemakers with preferential response frequency and phase-reset in the theta-frequency band and can therefore impose specific temporal dynamics to granule cell responses. Moreover, through their connectivity, Golgi cells determine the spatio-temporal organization of cerebellar activity. Finally, Golgi cells, by controlling granule cell depolarization and NMDA channel unblock, regulate the induction of long-term synaptic plasticity at the mossy fiber – granule cell synapse. Thus, the Golgi cells can exert an extensive control on spatio-temporal signal organization and information storage in the granular layer playing a critical role for cerebellar computation.

Simultaneous three-wavelength depolarization measurements of clouds and aerosols using a coherent white light continuum

Lidar (light detection and ranging) depolarization measurements were performed simultaneously at three wavelengths using a coherent white light continuum. The white light continuum ranging from the ultraviolet to the infrared region was generated by a focused 0.5 TW/100 fs pulse in a krypton gas cell at the atmospheric pressure. The lidar system consisted of three depolarization channels at 450, 550, and 800 nm. The observed depolarization ratios for each wavelength showed differences for clouds. These depolarization features in wavelength are discussed in terms of particle size and shape using T-matrix computations. The depolarization ratios at three wavelengths can be used to infer information on the size of the particles in clouds, assuming an ice crystal shape a priori. Also, the obtained size distributions from the three-wavelength depolarization ratios correspond with the changes in particle size indicated by changes in the Angstrom coefficient obtained by multiwavelength lidar techniques. This study demonstrated that the three-wavelength depolarization ratios provided additional information about the size and shape of clouds and aerosols.

Voltage-gated Nav channel targeting in the heart requires an ankyrin-G–dependent cellular pathway

Voltage-gated Nav channels are required for normal electrical activity in neurons, skeletal muscle, and cardiomyocytes. In the heart, Nav1.5 is the predominant Nav channel, and Nav1.5-dependent activity regulates rapid upstroke of the cardiac action potential. Nav1.5 activity requires precise localization at specialized cardiomyocyte membrane domains. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying Nav channel trafficking in the heart are unknown. In this paper, we demonstrate that ankyrin-G is required for Nav1.5 targeting in the heart. Cardiomyocytes with reduced ankyrin-G display reduced Nav1.5 expression, abnormal Nav1.5 membrane targeting, and reduced Na+ channel current density. We define the structural requirements on ankyrin-G for Nav1.5 interactions and demonstrate that loss of Nav1.5 targeting is caused by the loss of direct Nav1.5–ankyrin-G interaction. These data are the first report of a cellular pathway required for Nav channel trafficking in the heart and suggest that ankyrin-G is critical for cardiac depolarization and Nav channel organization in multiple excitable tissues.

EARLINET: the European aerosol research lidar network

Present knowledge concerning aerosols and their distribution patterns in the earth’s atmosphere is far from adequate to properly assess their role in changing climate and environmental conditions, both regionally and globally. Information about vertical concentrations is particularly lacking. Lidar (light detection and ranging) remote sensing is the most appropriate tool to close this observational gap, and networks that deploy this technology are fundamental to the scaled-up study of aerosol concentrations, transport, and modification.1 Established in 2000, the EuropeanAerosol Research LidarNetwork (EARLINET) currently comprises 25 stations and has as its main objective the development of a qualitatively and quantitatively significant database that details the horizontal, vertical, and temporal distribution of atmospheric aerosol over the entire continent (see Figure 1). Station observation capabilities vary. EARLINET currently includes 10 single backscatter stations and 8 stations with a UV Raman channel for independent measurements of aerosol extinction and backscatter. In addition, for retrieval of aerosol microphysical properties, 7 multiwavelength Raman stations include elastic channels at 1064, 532, and 355nm, with Raman channels at 532 and 355nm, and a depolarization channel at 532nm. Network-wide observations take place systematically on a fixed schedule. For collection of unbiased data, all stations perform measurements three fixed days per week. Lidar surveillance adheres to a regular timetable: once each week around noon when the boundary layer is usually well developed, and twice weekly at night under low background light conditions in order to perform Raman extinction measurements. Other network activities monitor special events such as Saharan dust outbreaks (see Figure 2), forest fires, photochemical smog, and volcanic eruptions. A rigorous quality assurance program applies to both instruments and evaluation algorithms,2–4 and a standardFigure 1. Stations in the European Aerosol Research Lidar Network (EARLINET).

Robustness of multiparty nonlocality to local decoherence

We investigate the robustness of multiparty nonlocality under local decoherence, acting independently and equally on each subsystems. To be specific, we consider an N-qubit GHZ state under depolarization, dephasing, or dissipation channel, and tested the nonlocality by violation of Mermin-Klyshko inequality, which is one of Bell's inequalities for multi-qubit systems. The results show that the robustness of nonlocality increases with the number of qubits, and that the nonlocality of an N-qubit GHZ state with even N is extremely persistent against dephasing.

Depolarization channels with zero-bandwidth noises

A simple model describing depolarization channels with zero-bandwidth environment is presented and exactly solved. The environment is modeled by Lorentzian, telegraphic, and Gaussian zero-bandwidth noises. Such channels can go beyond the standard Markov dynamics and therefore can illustrate the influence of memory effects of the noisy communication channel on the transmitted information. To quantify the disturbance of quantum states the entanglement fidelity between arbitrary input and output states is investigated.

Experimental Purification of Single Qubits

We report the experimental realization of the purification protocol for single qubits sent through a depolarizing channel. The qubits are associated with polarization states of single photons and the protocol is achieved by means of passive linear optical elements. The present approach may represent a convenient alternative to the distillation and error correction protocols of quantum information.

Regulation of eosinophil membrane depolarization during NADPH oxidase activation.

Protein kinase C (PKC) activation in human eosinophils increases NADPH oxidase activity, which is associated with plasma membrane depolarization. In this study, membrane potential measurements of eosinophils stimulated with phorbol ester (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate; PMA) were made using a cell-permeable oxonol membrane potential indicator, diBAC4(3). Within 10 minutes after PMA stimulation, eosinophils depolarized from -32.9+/-5.7 mV to +17.3+/-1.8 mV. The time courses of depolarization and proton channel activation were virtually identical. Blocking the proton conductance with 250 microM ZnCl2 (+43.0+/-4.2 mV) or increasing the proton channel activation threshold by reducing the extracellular pH to 6.5 (+44.4+/-1.4 mV) increased depolarization compared with PMA alone. Additionally, the protein kinase C (PKC) delta-selective blocker, rottlerin, inhibited PMA-stimulated depolarization, indicating that PKCdelta was involved in regulating depolarization associated with eosinophil NADPH oxidase activity. Thus, the membrane depolarization that is associated with NADPH oxidase activation in eosinophils is sufficient to produce marked proton channel activation under physiological conditions.

Regulation of cloned, Ca2+-activated K+ channels by cell volume changes.

Ca2+-activated K+ channels of big (hBK), intermediate (hIK) or small (rSK3) conductance were co-expressed with aquaporin 1 (AQP1) in Xenopus laevis oocytes. hBK channels were activated by depolarization, whereas hIK and rSK3 channels were activated by direct injection of Ca2+ or Cd2+ into the oocyte cytoplasm, before the oocytes were subjected to hyperosmolar or hypoosmolar (+/-50 mOsm mannitol) challenges. In all cases, the oocytes responded rapidly to the osmotic changes with shrinkage or swelling and the effects on the K+ currents were measured. hIK and rSK3 currents were highly sensitive to volume changes and increased immediately to 178% (hIK) or 165% (rSK3) of control in response to swelling and decreased to 64% (hIK) or 61% (rSK3) of control after shrinkage. These responses were dependent on the channels being pre-activated and were almost totally abolished after injection of cytochalasin D into the oocyte cytoplasm (final concentration: 1 microM). In contrast, hBK channels showed only a minor sensitivity to volume changes; the hBK channel activity decreased approximately 20% after swelling and increased approximately 20% after shrinkage. The opposite effects of volume changes on hIK/rSK3 and hBK channels suggest that the significant stimulation of hIK and rSK3 channels during swelling is not mediated by changes in intracellular Ca2+, but rather through interactions with the cytoskeleton, provided that a sufficient basal concentration of intracellular Ca2+ or Cd2+ is present.

Altered electromechanical coupling in the renal microvasculature during the early stage of diabetes mellitus.

1. The early stage of type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) is characterized by renal hyperfiltration, which promotes the eventual development of diabetic nephropathy. The hyperfiltration state is associated with afferent arteriolar dilation and diminished responsiveness of this vascular segment to a variety of vasoconstrictor stimuli, whereas efferent arteriolar diameter and vasoconstrictor responsiveness are typically unaltered. 2. The contractile status of preglomerular vascular smooth muscle appears to be tightly coupled to membrane potential (E(m)) and its influence on Ca(2+) influx through voltage-gated channels. Efferent arteriolar tone is largely independent of electromechanical events. Hence, defective electromechanical mechanisms in vascular smooth muscle should engender selective changes in preglomerular microvascular function, such as those evident during the early stage of DM. 3. Afferent arteriolar contractile responses to K(+)-induced depolarization and BAYK8644 are diminished 2 weeks after onset of DM in the rat. Similarly, depolarization-induced Ca(2+) influx and the resulting increase in intracellular [Ca(2+)] are abated in the preglomerular microvasculature of diabetic rats. The intracellular [Ca(2+)] response to depolarization is rapidly restored by normalization of extracellular glucose levels. These observations suggest that hyperglycaemia in DM impairs regulation of afferent arteriolar voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels. 4. Dysregulation of E(m) may also contribute to afferent arteriolar dilation in DM. Vasodilator responses to pharmacological opening of ATP-sensitive K(+) channels are exaggerated in afferent arterioles from diabetic rats. Moreover, blockade of these channels normalizes afferent arteriolar diameter in kidneys from diabetic rats. These observations suggest that increased functional availability and basal activation of ATP-sensitive K(+) channels promote afferent arteriolar dilation in DM. 5. We propose that dysregulation of E(m) (involving ATP- sensitive K(+) channels) and a diminished Ca(2+) influx response to depolarization (involving voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels) may act synergistically to promote preglomerular vasodilation during the early stage of DM.