Effects of dipole polarization of water molecules on ice formation under an electrostatic field

Experiments were carried out to clarify the effects of an electrostatic field on ice formation. Distilled water was used as the test sample and was kept in a special container and cooled down to a constant temperature of −30 °C. The strength of the electrostatic field used in the experiments was in the range of 1.0 × 10³-1.0 × 10⁵ V/m. The results indicated that the electrostatic field was capable of inducing nucleation in water supercooled at a relatively high temperature and raising the temperature of supercooling by up to 1.6 °C. The analysis indicated that dipole polarization of the water molecules by the electrostatic field is the primary factor in this phenomenon. Under an electrostatic field, water molecules have a tendency to align with the electrostatic field. Water molecules with dipole moments along the direction of the electrostatic field are the most stable, and have the maximum value for the Boltzmann distribution function. These properties are conducive to nucleation. A special method was used to determine the dependence of the phase transformation time on the application of an electrostatic field. It was found that the phase transformation time was unaffected by the application of an electrostatic field and only the supercooling temperature was affected.     

Particle deposition onto a human head: Influence of electrostatic and wind fields

This study investigates electrostatic fields surrounding the human head and particle deposition onto facial skin and eyes caused by the combined effect of electrostatic and wind fields. The electrostatic fields are calculated by a three-dimensional numerical model calculating the field strength between a field source and a human head. The deposition velocity can be viewed as determined by the sum of two contributions: that of an electrostatic field and that of a wind field. Deposition velocities are calculated by a semiempirical particle deposition model that considers particle transport from the free stream to the human face. The particle deposition model uses the electrostatic field model results as input parameters and is applied to the forehead and eyes of two facial shapes for two different turbulence conditions and aerosol charge distributions. The results of different practical working conditions, under which the potential difference between head (person) and source ranges from 5.6 to 15.0 kV, indicates that the presence of electrostatic fields always increases particle deposition for industrial aerosols. For aged aerosols an effect is only present for submicron particles. Bioelectromagnetics 19:246–258, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

静电场处理对垂枝樱花插穗生根及相关生理生化特性的影响

以垂枝樱花为材料,设置1.5、3.0、4.5、6.0kV/cm共4种场强的静电场处理,分析静电场对垂枝樱花插穗生根性状及相关生理、生化特性的影响,探讨静电场促进垂枝樱花插穗生根的机制。结果显示:(1)1.5～4.5kV/cm场强的静电处理能显著提高插穗的可溶性蛋白、可溶性糖含量,且4.5kV/cm处理的增幅最大,峰值时比对照分别增加43%和44.1%;(2)1.5～4.5kV/cm场强的静电场处理能显著提高插穗的过氧化物酶(POD)活性,降低吲哚乙酸氧化酶(IAAO)活性,且4.5kV/cm处理的效果最明显,与对照相比增幅和降幅最大时分别达到58.9%和17.5%;(3)3.0、4.5kV/cm的静电场处理均能够显著提高插穗的平均单株生根数、根系平均长度、单株根鲜重、根系活力以及插穗成活率,且4.5kV/cm处理的增幅最大,与对照相比分别增加了127.4%、29.2%、88.9%、107.1%、116.3%。研究表明,静电场处理可以有效调节垂枝樱花插穗的可溶性蛋白、可溶性糖的含量以及POD、IAAO的活性,能显著提高插穗的扦插成活率,其最佳静电场场强为4.5kV/cm。     

静电场处理花生种子后的生物学效应试验简报

本文指出通过静电场处理花生种子,测量其种子活力,生长势及产质量等指标,说明以一定测量处理花生种子可达到提高花生产量的目标。     

高压静电场对离子溶液中过氧化氢酶的作用研究

研究了 KBr、磷酸缓冲液、Na Cl对高压静电场对过氧化氢酶作用的影响。结果表明 :浓度在 0 .0 2 m mol/L～ 0 .0 5 m mol/L的低浓度的无机离子对高压静电场对过氧化氢酶的作用影响很小。浓度在 0 .1mmol/L～0 .4 0 m mol/L的无机离子对高压静电压对过氧化氢酶的活力影响较大 ,过氧化氢酶在 3× 10 3V /cm的电场作用下活力只会升高。而对照出现先下降后上升的现象。浓度高于 0 .80 m mol/L时 ,无机离子可以保护过氧化氢酶不受高压静电场的影响。无机离子的这种效应可能是无机离子在高压静电场的作用下 ,产生反抗电场降低了高压静电场的强度所致。     

利用静电场提高IVF小鼠胚胎发育率的研究

本研究首先用静电场处理小鼠2细胞期胚胎,通过观察其发育率筛选了最佳处理剂量(场强和时间),在此基础上探讨了不同细胞期的静电刺激对小鼠胚胎发育的影响。结果表明:用静电场处理小鼠2细胞期胚胎,能显著提高胚胎的发育能力,最佳处理剂量的囊胚率从42.4％提高到64.5％,囊胚孵化率从20.0％提高到44.8％,与对照组存在极显著差异(P<0.01)。不同细胞期胚胎对静电刺激的敏感性不同,其中1细胞(授精后6h)和2细胞期(授精后24h)胚胎对电场刺激较为敏感。     

Electrostatic interactions in proteins: Calculations of the electrostatic term of free energy and the electrostatic potential field

The pH-dependence of the electrostatic energy of interactions between titratable groups is calculated for some well studied globular proteins: basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor, sperm whale myoglobin and tuna cytochrome c. The calculations are carried out using a semi-empirical appraach in terms of the macroscopic model based on the Kirkwood-Tanford theory. The results are discussed in the light of their physicochemical and biological properties. It was found that the pH-dependence of the electrostatic energy correlates with the III–IV transition of cytochrome c. The electrostatic field of the cysteine proteinase inhibitor, cystatin, was calculated in two ways. In the first one, the electrostatic field created by the pH dependent charges of the ionizable groups and peptide dipoles was calculated using the approach proposed. In the second one, the finite-difference method was used. The results obtained by the two methods are in overall agreement. The calculated field was discussed in terms of the binding of cystatin to papain.     

On the methods of calculation of the electrostatic potential in a protein channel

The profiles of the electrostatic potential along the axis of a gramicidin channel were calculated using two quantum chemistry methods (EHT and CNDO/2) and three methods of force fields (AMBER, CHARMM, and OPLS). The calculations were performed without taking into account the contribution of water. A comparative analysis of the calculated profiles indicated that the electrostatic field of point charges of the CHARMM force field is close to that obtained by the quantum chemistry methods. It was concluded that there is no need to calculate the electric field using laborious quantum-mechanical methods since the less laborious method of the CHARMM force field gives approximately the same results.     

高压静电场对过氧化氢酶的稳定作用及机理研究

用高压静电场直接处理过氧化氢酶溶液 ,结果表明 :不同强度的高压静电场能提高和降低过氧化氢酶的活力。电场强度越大 ,酶活力达到平衡所需时间越短。处理后的过氧化氢酶溶液 ,玻棒 30秒的搅拌作用能使酶活力基本上回到原来的状态。溶液极性降低 ,酶活力达到平衡所需时间减少。处于高压静电场中的过氧化氢酶溶液 ,在 2 0℃时 ,电场强度为 3× 10 3V/cm ,活力能保持 5～ 6天 ,而对照只能保持 2～ 3天。在 30℃时 ,同样电场强度下 ,活力能保持 48小时左右 ,对照能保持 2 4小时左右。经高压静电场处理的酶 ,活力保持时间也比对照长。研究表明 :高压静电场对酶活力的稳定作用很可能是高压静电场使酶及溶液发生极化作用产生的。     

Backbone makes a significant contribution to the electrostatics of alpha/beta-barrel proteins.

The electrostatic properties of seven alpha/beta-barrel enzymes selected from different evolutionary families were studied: triose phosphate isomerase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase, pyruvate kinase, mandelate racemase, trimethylamine dehydrogenase, glycolate oxidase, and narbonin, a protein without any known enzymatic activity. The backbone of the alpha/beta-barrel has a distinct electrostatic field pattern, which is dipolar along the barrel axis. When the side chains are included in the calculations the general effect is to modulate the electrostatic pattern so that the electrostatic field is generally enhanced and is focused into a specific area near the active site. We use the electrostatic flux through a square surface near the active site to gauge the functionally relevant magnitude of the electrostatic field. The calculations reveal that in six out of the seven cases the backbone itself contributes greater than 45% of the total flux. The substantial electrostatic contribution of the backbone correlates with the known preference of alpha/beta-barrel enzymes for negatively charged substrates.     

静电作用与修饰铜锌超氧化物歧化酶的稳定性

铜锌超氧化物歧化酶(Cu, Zn-SOD)表面的赖氨酸经化学修饰后, 酶的稳定性显著提高. 赖氨酸被修饰后, 酶的电荷结构遂发生变化, 从而影响到酶分子电场. 使用FDPB方法(有限差分法求解Poission-Boltzman方程)计算了酶修饰前后的静电场变化, 以及对维持酶的结构稳定起重要作用的Cu, Zn配位结构的影响.结果表明, Cu, Zn配位体的两级离解常数在酶修饰后分别约下降10³, 10⁶.     

The electrostatic field of DNA: the role of the nucleic acid conformation.

Calculations of the electrostatic field of DNA in two very different double helical conformations, A and Z, are reported and compared with the results previously obtained for B-DNA. Striking contrasts between these fields and the associated electrostatic potentials are brought into evidence. One of the major differences is that while the deepest potentials are generally located in the grooves of DNA, the strongest fields are associated with the phosphate groups. The results of screening the nucleic acids by counterions are also presented.     

高压静电场分离水稻、油菜及芝麻种子对萌发期生物效应的影响

落入高压静电场内的水稻、芝麻及油菜种子,在场的作用下,即产生沿电场方向的位移,在同一跌落高度下,重量基本相同的种子,其分离距离产生很大的差异,且分离距离与种子的发芽率及发芽势的改善程度存在着较为明显的相关关系,研究中证实,种子活力强度得到提高,其α淀粉酶活性、蛋白酶活性、脂肪酶活性及电导率得到明显的改善。     

十二烷基硫酸钠对高压静电场对酶作用的影响

研究了十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)对高压静电场对酶作用的影响。结果表明:在强度为3×103V/cm的电场作用下,十二烷基硫酸钠使过氧化氢酶对高压静电场的作用变得更加敏感。低浓度的十二烷基硫酸钠中,过氧化氢酶在高压静电场的作用下活力升高;0.04mmol/L～0.12mmol/L的十二烷基硫酸钠中,酶活力在高压静电场作用下先升高后下降;高于0.40mmol/L,则酶活力单调下降。十二烷基硫酸钠对高压静电场中的过氧化氢酶具有一定的保护作用。     

Dynamics of Charged Dust Grains in Limited-Size Cluster Systems

Plasma Physics Reports - The results are presented from numerical studies of the dynamics of limited-size ensembles of charged dust grains in the potential field of electrostatic trap. The...     

Biophysics of animal response to an electrostatic field

Numerous reports have described biological effects in animals exposed to electrostatic fields. Present equilibrium theory does not envision such effects because the bulk conductivity of biological tissue is generally held to prevent penetration of the applied electric field. Employing a two-layer mathematical model of an animal exposed to an electrostatic field we show that if the transient response of the animal is considered, then electric fields of significant strength and periodicity can occur inside the animal. We show also that the total energy available to an animal in an electrostatic field is extraordinarily small, and therefore that the biological effects associated with such exposure are not energetically driven by the applied field.     

Influence of external electrostatic fields on enzyme systems of phospholipid deacylation

The in vivo effect of external electrostatic field (200 kV/m for 1 h) on the activity of type A phospholipases and lysophospholipases of erythrocyte and mitochondrial membranes was studied. The electrostatic field exposure activated membrane-associated deacylation of phosphatidylcholine fraction in erythrocyte membranes.     

Effect of membrane tension on the electric field and dipole potential of lipid bilayer membrane

The dipole potential of lipid bilayer membrane controls the difference in permeability of the membrane to oppositely charged ions. We have combined molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and experimental studies to determine changes in electric field and electrostatic potential of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) lipid bilayer in response to applied membrane tension. MD simulations based on CHARMM36 force field showed that electrostatic potential of DOPC bilayer decreases by ~45mV in the physiologically relevant range of membrane tension values (0 to 15dyn/cm). The electrostatic field exhibits a peak (~0.8×10(9)V/m) near the water/lipid interface which shifts by 0.9? towards the bilayer center at 15dyn/cm. Maximum membrane tension of 15dyn/cm caused 6.4% increase in area per lipid, 4.7% decrease in bilayer thickness and 1.4% increase in the volume of the bilayer. Dipole-potential sensitive fluorescent probes were used to detect membrane tension induced changes in DOPC vesicles exposed to osmotic stress. Experiments confirmed that dipole potential of DOPC bilayer decreases at higher membrane tensions. These results are suggestive of a potentially new mechanosensing mechanism by which mechanically induced structural changes in the lipid bilayer membrane could modulate the function of membrane proteins by altering electrostatic interactions and energetics of protein conformational states.     

蔗糖脂肪酸酯对高压静电场与过氧化氢酶作用的影响

研究了蔗糖脂肪酸酯对高压静电场与过氧化氢酶作用的影响 ,结果表明 :在强度为 3× 10 3 v cm的电场作用下 ,蔗糖脂肪酸酯在 3.2mmol L的高浓度以上 ,可以保护过氧化氢酶不受高压静电场的影响。这可能是蔗糖脂肪酸酯使得溶液介电常数增大 ,使得作用在过氧化氢酶分子上的电场强度减小所致 ;在 1.4～ 1.6mmol L的浓度区间中 ,高压静电场使得过氧化氢酶的活力先增加后下降 ;在 0 .4～ 0 .7mmol L时 ,高压静电场使得过氧化氢酶的活力单调下降 ;在0 .0 0 8～ 0 .2 8mmol L的浓度范围内 ,高压静电场使过氧化氢酶的活力先下降后上升 ,可能使酶达到了一种新稳定态。蔗糖脂肪酸酯使得高压静电场对过氧化氢酶的作用变快 ,2～ 4min酶活力开始发生变化 ,而对照需要 2 0min以上。     

多羟基小分子对高压静电场与过氧化氢酶作用影响研究

研究了甘露醇、丙三醇对高压静电场与过氧化氢酶作用的影响 ,结果表明 :在强度为 3× 10 3 v cm的电场作用下 ,甘露醇在低浓度区使得过氧化氢酶的活力下降 ,这可能是甘露醇降低了溶液极性 ,使酶在高压静电场作用下容易变形所致 ;在中浓度区 ,过氧化酶活力上升 ;在高浓度区 ,甘露醇使得高压静电场对过氧化氢酶失去作用 ,这可能是甘露醇使得溶液介电常数增加 ,酶分子实际感受的电场强度减小所致。丙三醇的作用具有一定类似性