The Maxwell time is a typical time scale for the screening of an electric field in a medium with a given conductivity. We introduce a generalization of the Maxwell time that is valid for gas discharges: the ionization screening time, that takes the growth of the conductivity due to impact ionization into account. We present an analytic estimate for this time scale, assuming a planar geometry, a...

Different approaches are used in estimating the global production of NOx by lightning flashes, including field measurements carried out during thunderstorm conditions, theoretical studies combining the physics and chemistry of the electrical discharges, and measurements of NOx yield in laboratory sparks with subsequent extrapolation to lightning. In the latter procedure, laboratory data are ext...

Insulation used in transformer is mostly oil pressboard insulation. Insulation failure is one of the major causes of catastrophic failure of transformers. It is established that partial discharges (PD) cause insulation degradation and premature failure of insulation. Online monitoring of PDs can reduce the risk of catastrophic failure of transformers. There are different techniques of partial d...

We present an effective contour model for electrical discharges deduced as the asymptotic limit of the minimal streamer model for the propagation of electric discharges, in the limit of small electron diffusion. The incorporation of curvature effects to the velocity propagation and not to the boundary conditions is a feature and makes it different from the classical Laplacian growth models. The...

The human brain processes sensory information received by external/internal stimuli. Human brain is an organic electrochemical computer as neurons exploit chemical reaction to generate electricity [1]. Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a graphical record of ongoing electrical activity, which measures the changes of the electrical activity in term of voltage fluctuations of the brain through multipl...

5-Methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (20-200 microgram/kg) inhibits phrenic and sympathetic neural discharges and depresses blood pressure. The effects occur within seconds after injection. Complete recovery occurs, on the average, after 20 min. The inhibition of phrenic nerve discharges is prevented during hypercapnia and hyperthermia and reversed during 50 Hz electrical stimulation of the carotid...

The presence of myotonia and paramyotonia on clinical examination and of myotonic discharges during electrodiagnostic (EDX) studies are important for the diagnosis of certain neuromuscular conditions. The increased muscle activity of myotonia produces muscle stiffness that improves with repeated activity. Paramyotonia produces a similar symptom, but the stiffness paradoxically increases with ac...

We read with interest the excellent retrospective study of YooSeok Kwon, reporting a high proportion (22.9%) of patients with transient global amnesia (TGA) and epileptiform discharges (mostly with a left dominance) detected within days of the episode of TGA. Authors should be commended for having conducted a study aimed to shed further light on the pathogenesis of such a fascinating disorder. ...