ALBERT

Notes: Abstract A somewhat different approach to the principle of biotopological mapping, discussed in previous publications, is given. The organism is considered as a set of properties, each of which is in its turn a set of numerous subproperties which are logically included in the corresponding properties. Topology is introduced by an appropriate definition of neighborhoods, and four postulates are stated which concern the mapping of the spaces corresponding to higher organisms on those of lower ones. A number of conclusions are drawn from the postulates. Some of them correspond to well-known facts. For example, in man and some higher organisms appropriate emotional stimuli should produce gastrointestinal or cardiovascular disturbances; or some microorganisms should produce substances harmful to other microorganisms (antibiotics). Some other conclusions are still awaiting verification. One of them is, for example, that there must exist unicellular organisms which produce antibodies to appropriate antigens.

Notes: Zusammenfassung Für die Praxis der Pflanzenernährung ist es wichtig, zu wissen, in welcher Weise die Ertragsbildung von der Konzentration eines mineralischen Nährstoffes in der Umgebung der Pflanze abhängt. Da nur diejenigen Nährstoffmengen das physiologische Geschehen in der Pflanze unmittelbar zu beeinflussen vermögen, die sich in der Pflanze befinden, wird angenommen, dass das Wachstum zum Zeitpunktt, d.h. die Geschwindigkeit der Trockensubstanzzunahme zu diesem Zeitpunkt, eine Funktion der zur Zeitt in der Pflanze enthaltenen Nährstoffmenge ist. Diese Nährstoffmenge wird natürlich im Intervall vor dem Zeitpunktt aufgenommen. Deshalb und auch noch aus anderen Gründen hängt das Wachstum zur Zeitt davon ab, wie die in der Umgebung der Pflanze herrschende Konzentration des betrachteten Nährstoffes in demjenigen Zeitintervall verläuft, das sich von der Aussaat bis zum Zeitpunktt erstreckt. Die angegebene Annahme fürhrt zusammen mit einigen weiteren naheliegenden Annahmen zu einem Ansatz, der Ergebnisse liefert, die in verschiedener Hinsicht gut mit der Erfahrung übereinstimmen. Jedoch gibt es auch noch Widersprüche zwischen Theorie und Erfahrung. Durch weitere Ausgestaltung der Theorie lassen sich diese Widersprüche beseitigen. Es wird angeregt, Versuche durchzuführen, deren Resultate Hinweise für die weitere Ausgestaltung der Theorie liefern.

Notes: Abstract The dynamics of cell multiplication and differentiation in tissues in asteady state and the kinetics of isotope incorporation into the DNA have been theoretically analyzed. Equations have been derived, with the aid of which thegeneration time, thelife span, and the distribution or rate of death of the cells can be obtained if the tissue is in asteady state, i.e., if the number of cells is maintained constant by constant, equal rates of cell division and cell death and if the mean DNA content per cell is also constant. An equation has also been derived which gives thegeneration time in the case of logarithmic multiplication of cells. Two special cases have been analyzed: InCase 1, the isotope is considered as being introduced into the metabolic system at zero time only; inCase 2, the specific activity of the DNA precursor is considered as being maintained constant. The use of the method has been illustrated by an example in which thegeneration time and themean, themedian, and themode life span, as well as the curve of the rate of death of leukocytes in a patient with chronic leukemic granulocytic leukemia, have been obtained from the rate of P32 incorporation into the DNA. The merits and the limitations of the method are discussed.

Notes: Abstract In order to evaluate the effect of anatomic asymmetries on the gas concentration distribution in the pulmonary airways, a Monte Carlo simulation of combined bulk flow and molecular diffusion was carried out in a realistic distal airway model (Parkeret al., 1971). This airway model, composed of branches distal to the 0.5-ram diameter airways, contained an upper symmetric segment consisting of four generations of conducting airways and a lower asymmetric segment of alveolar ducts and sacs arranged in five transport paths of varying lengths. In accounting for the volume increases of these ducts and sacs occurring during normal respiration, uniform alveolar filling rates and a fixed length-to-diameter ratio of all airways were assumed. For a pulse injection of inert tracer gas, the simulation was employed to determine the longitudinal concentration profiles in the conducting airways. In the alveolated airways, not only were the longitudinal profiles determined along each path, but radial transport from the core to the periphery of the airways was considered. The results of the simulations indicate that geometric asymmetries alone contribute substantially to regional concentration variations in the distal airways. For example, when a gas bolus is injected at mid*inspiration, there are concentration differences as great as 40% between two points along different transport paths located equi-distant from the proximal end of the model. As viewed from the terminal end of the model (acinus), average concentration differences as large as 6-to-1 exist between the longest and shortest transport paths respectively for gas boli introduced near the end of inspiration. The results further indicate because of large radial diffusion rates, no significant concentration differences exist between the periphery a-ld the central core of alveolated airways. Simulation of the expired concentration profiles indicate that boll injected very late during inspiration exhibit a sloping tail, unlike the earlier injected boll whose tails are virtually horizontal. Through the use of superposition teehniqnes, it was found that these sloping tails correspond to an alveolar slope of 1.5 vol% between 750 and 1250 ml expired for a continuous washing of tracer. This result is in disagreement with other transport analyses which did not directly account for the effect of geometric asymmetries.

Notes: Abstract Assuming a spherical geometry for the left ventricle, passive elastic stiffness-stress relations have been obtained on the basis of linear elasticity theory and large deformation theory. Employing pressure-volume aata taken from rat hearts of various age groups, it is shown that young rat heart muscle (1 month) is stiffer than either adult (7 months) or old rat heart muscle (17 months). Although the qualitative results are similar for both elasticity theories, the large deformation theory gave results in closer agreement with those obtained from papillary muscle studies. These results imply that stiffness of muscleper se can be assessed from left ventricular pressure-volume data.

Notes: Abstract Deliberate evaluation of the quantum theory of nerve excitation is made by comparing it with Hill's theory in fitting the experimental data on threshold-frequency relation, optimum frequency (v0) for nerve excitation and strength-duration relation. Decrease of v0 and increase of all the time constants (Hill's λ andk, Wei'sT 2 and spike durationw) with decreasing temperature are interpreted on the basis of the dipole relaxation timeT 2 but inexplicable from Hill's theory or any other existing theory. The closeness ofk,T 2 andw values is explained. A variety of experimental results obtained by others is discussed. Finally, a comparison is made between the Hodgkin-Huxley equations and the quantum theory. Most of the facts (electrical and non-electrical) tend to support the thesis that nerve excitation is a macroscopic expression of quantum transitions of dipoles between energy states.

Notes: Abstract In the periodic Leslie model the asymptotic period of total population is a divisor of the asymptotic period of the population vector. Under reasonable circumstances these periods are identical.

Notes: Abstract A number of biological branching systems, such as the bronchial and pulmonary arterial trees, are being investigated in an ongoing study in order to define their physiological properties. The technique involves the description of branching trees by the use of hierarchical systems of ordering, especially those described by Horsfield and by Strahler. During this work some mathematical properties of branching trees were demonstrated and these are described in this paper.