Superficial sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) regulates smooth muscle force development directly by Ca(2+) release and removal to and from the cytoplasm (Somlyo and Somlyo. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 8, Suppl 8: S42-S47, 1986) by buffering Ca(2+) influx and contributing to Ca(2+) extrusion (Mueller and van Breemen. Nature 281: 682-683, 1979) and indirectly by releasing Ca(2+) near Ca(2+)-activated K(+) c...

A covering array CA(N ; t, k, v) is anN×k array on v symbols such that everyN×t subarray contains as a row each t-tuple over the v symbols at least once. The minimum N for which a CA(N ; t, k, v) exists is called the covering array number of t, k, and v, and it is denoted by CAN(t, k, v). In this work we prove that if exists CA(N ; t+ 1, k + 1, v) it can be obtained from the juxtaposition of v ...

High-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (K(Ca)) channels were studied in mouse skeletal muscle fibers using the patch-clamp technique. In inside-out patches, application of negative pressure to the patch induced a dose-dependent and reversible activation of K(Ca) channels. Stretch-induced increase in channel activity was found to be of the same magnitude in the presence and in the absence of Ca(...