Glass-like thermal transport in symmetry-broken clathrates
We present the quantitative interpretation for the glass-like behavior of thermal conductivities κ(T) for type-I clathrate compounds involving off-centered guest ions. It is shown that the dipole-dipole interaction generated in cage/guest-ion systems is crucial to reproduce the characteristics of thermal conductivities for these symmetry-broken clathrates. The above scenario also explains well the difference of κ(T) between the p-type and the n-type β-BGS found recently by K. Suekuni et al. (Phys. Rev. B, 77 (2008) 235119.)
Interacting dipoles in type-I clathrates: Why glass-like though crystalline?
Almost identical thermal properties of type-I clathrate compounds to those of glasses follow naturally from the consideration that off-centered guest ions possess electric dipole moments. Local fields from neighbor dipoles create many potential minima in the configuration space. A theoretical analysis based on two-level tunneling states demonstrates that interacting dipoles are a key to quantitatively explain the glass-like behaviors of low-temperature thermal properties of type-I clathrate compounds with off-centered guest ions.
Electrophysiological Studies of Penticainide (CM 7857), a New Antiarrhythmic Agent, in Mammalian Myocardium
The intracellular electrophysiologic properties of a new antiarrhythmic substance, penticainide, were studied in isolated rabbit, dog, and guinea pig myocardial preparations superfused or perfused with oxygenated Tyrode's solution. “Therapeutic” concentrations of penticainide (1.5 to 3 x 10-5 M) had little effect on sinus node automaticity; sinoatrial conduction was slightly delayed. In atrial, Purkinje and ventricular fibers, amplitude, and maximal rate of rise of phase 0 (dV/dtmax) were decreased by penticainide; Purkinje-ventricle conduction velocity was depressed. Penticainide did not significantly modify action potential duration (APD) of rabbit atria and dog ventricle and reduced APD and effective refractory period (ERP) of dog Purkinje and guinea pig ventricular fibers. Penticainide reduced APD heterogeneity of Purkinje-ventricle junction with a preferential effect at the gate and decreased tension amplitude of perfused papillary muscle in dog heart. The effect of penticainide on dV/dtmax was voltage and rate dependent; the resting block was weak. Thus, penticainide is a class 1 antiarrhythmic agent with properties of class 1B agents such as APD reduction and properties of class 1C agents such as slow recovery kinetic of rate-dependent block.