Enhancement of evaporation rates from thin layers of liquids exposed to air ions

A beta-ray gauge system was used to study evaporation rates and drying times of liquids exposed to relatively high fluxes of air ions of either polarity produced by a corona discharge. Evaporation rates from thin layers of water, ethyl alcohol, and carbon tetrachloride increased considerably when exposed to air ions, compared to untreated liquids under constant environmental conditions. Drying times of liquid layers exposed to air ions were shortened by a factor of at least two over liquids that had not been exposed to ions. The drying time of a liquid layer was found to increase with the decrease of ion fluxes at the liquid surface. Threshold values of 1.9×10¹¹ positive ions and 2.7×10¹¹ negative ions cm^–2 s^–1 were established below which no increase in the evaporation rates were observed for ethyl alcohol and carbon tetrachloride. The evaporation rate of water at these same ion fluxes was significantly higher than that of the control. The present experiments indicate that a stream of air ions could play a major role in the observed enhancement of evaporation rates.     

Effects of atmospheric small negative ions on the oxygen consumption of mouse liver cells

The effects of small negative air ions on the oxygen uptake of isolated mouse liver cells were studied by exposing the liver cells to varying ion concentrations. For concentrations of the order of 1–2 × 10⁵ ions/cm³, the oxygen uptake was always higher than in the normal atmospheric conditions of 3–8 × 10²/ions/cm³. For intermediate concentrations varying effects of activation and inhibition were observed. A statistical analysis showed that the oxygen uptake increased by approximately 14% when liver cells were exposed to ion concentrations of values 1–9 times the normal, by approximately 9% when exposed to 10–99 times the normal, and by approximately 38% when exposed to 100–999 times the normal. The significance and possible implications of the results are discussed.     

Long-term biological effects of air ions and D.C. electric fields on Namru mice: First year report

This report describes for the first time the effects of long-term continuous exposures of animals to small air ions and D.C. electric fields. In this study we exposed 200 female NAMRU mice (25/cage) to the following conditions: ± high ions (2×10⁵/cm³), ± low ions (2×10³/cm³), ± field only and ground (ion depleted, no field). Specially designed cages provided a defined D.C. field of about 2 kV/meter in ionized environments, with somewhat lower values in the field only cages. Detailed mapping of ion flux originating from a tritium foil generating system (multiple sources in an overhead plate) indicated a well defined, but heterogenous pattern with eight peak areas. Using a 100 cm² probe, ion flux values ranged from 10^–12–10^–14 A/cm², with an average flux of 8.7±6.8×10^–13 A/cm² in high negative ion cages, with good reproducibility between cages.Measurements of serum glucose, cholesterol, and urea nitrogen (samples taken every three months) showed a number of small but consistent and statistically significant differences between animals maintained in different environments during the first year of exposure. Serum globulin and whole blood serotonin, however, did not show any significant environmental effects. Interestingly, pairwise comparisons between high negative and low negative ion conditions, or between high positive and low positive ion conditions, or between the two ground conditions, revealed no significant differences between cages. This argues for a similarity of environmental responses for the mice maintained in each of the compared conditions.The results of a multiple classification analysis for the entire first year showed a preponderence of effects for the ionized cages, although other conditions also had highly significant differences as compared to the grand mean value. While this study has shown effects of only small magnitude (compared to normal physiological variations) in the female NAMRU mice studied here, the significance of these results strongly validates the precept of long-term air ion effects in animals. Given the known variability of different species and strains, future studies will have to determine the actual range of responsiveness of animals exposed on a long-term basis to defined air ion and electromagnetic environments.Deceased December 8, 1982.     

Design and construction of cage environments for air ion and electric field research

This report describes the design and construction of cage environments suitable for chronic exposures of large groups of mice to air ions and electric fields. These environments provide defined and reproducible ion densities, ion flux, DC electric fields, sound levels, air temperature and air quality. When used during a 2 year study, these cage environments served as a durable and reliable continuous exposure system. Three environmental chambers (cubicles) housed a total of 12 cages and provided control of air temperature, air purity and lighting. Exposure cages had grounded metal exterior walls, a plexiglass door and interior walls lined with formica. An internal isolated field plate supplemented with guard wires, energized with ca 1000 VDC, created about a 2 kV/m electric field at the grounded cage floor. Air ions resulted from the beta emission of sealed tritium foils mounted on the field plate. Cages provided high ion (1.3×10⁵ ions/cc), low ion (1.6×10³ ions/cc) and field only (ion depleted < 50 ions/cc) conditions for both polarities with similar electric fields in ionized and field only cages. Detailed mapping of the floor level ion flux using 100 cm² flat probes gave average fluxes of 880 fA cm^–2 in high ion cages and 10 fA cm^–2 in low ion cages. Whole body currents measured using live anesthethized mice in high ion cages averaged 104±63 pA. Both ion flux and whole body currents remained constant over time, indicating no charge accumulation on body fur or cage wall surfaces in this exposure system.     

Dielectric saturation of the aqueous boundary layers adjacent to charged bilayer membranes

Summary The surface charge density resulting from the adsorption of hydrophobic anions of dipicrylamine onto dioleyl-lecithin bilayer membranes has been measured directly using a high field pulse method. The surface charge density increases linearly with adsorbate concentration in the water until electrostatic repulsion of impinging hydrophobic ions by those already adsorbed becomes appreciable. Then Gouy-Chapman theory predicts that surface charge density will increase sublinearly, with the power [z ⁺/(z ⁺+2)] of the adsorbate concentration, wherez ⁺ is the cation valence of the indifferent electrolyte screening the negatively charged membrane surface. The predicted 1/3 and 1/2 power laws for univalent and divalent cations, respectively, have been observed in these experiments using Na⁺, Mg⁺⁺, and Ba⁺⁺ ions. Gouy-Chapman theory predicts further that the change from linear to sublinear dependence takes place at a surface charge density governed by the static dielectric constant of water and the concentration of indifferent electrolyte. Quantitative agreement with experiment is obtained at electrolyte concentrations of 10^–4 m and 10^–3 m, but can be maintained at higher concentrations only if the aqueous dielectric constant is decreased. A transition field model is proposed in which the Gouy-Chapman theory is modified to take account of dielectric saturation of water in the intense electric fields adjacent to charged membrane surfaces.     

Electric fields,small air ions and biological effects

Early growth of barley seedlings supplied with ion-depleted air in a controlled microenvironment was used as the criterion of physiological action in experiments designed to separate electrical field and air ion effects. The essential element in this work was the fact that³H foils, functioning as bias electrodes at applied voltages of 67.5-955 V and providing field strengths of 4.6 V/cm to 90 V/cm will produce 2.7×10⁴–1.7×10⁵ small air ions/cm³ — concentrations sufficient to yield a statistically valid increase in growth rate. In contrast, seedlings exposed to equivalent electrical fields in ion-depleted air exhibited no increase in rate of growth. These results indicate that this particular physiological response is produced by small negative air ions and is not dependent on the accompanying electrical fields.     

Evidence for salt diffusion from sediments contributing to increasing salinity in the Salton Sea, California

Geochemical investigations of interstitial waters from the Salton Sea, CA reveal evidence of concentrated brines in the sediments underlying the lakes two basins. The brines are likely caused by the gradual dissolution of evaporite deposits. The chemical composition of the brine in the northern basin is dominated by magnesium and sulfate and differs from the southern basin where the dominant components are sodium and chloride. Sediment depth distributions of major ions and porosity indicate diffusion of salts from the sediments into the overlying waters in both basins. Benthic fluxes have been calculated for the four most abundant ions: magnesium, sodium, sulfate and chloride. For the northern basin we calculate diffusive fluxes of 3.7 × 10^–2, 8.2 × 10^–2, 44 × 10^–2, and 5.4 × 10^–2 g cm^–2 yr^–1 for magnesium, sodium, sulfate and chloride, respectively. For the southern basin we calculate diffusive fluxes of 0.9 × 10^–2, 9.7 × 10^–2, 6.9 × 10^–2, and 25 × 10^–2 g cm^–2 yr^–1 for these same ions. By scaling up our results we estimate the salinity flux from the sediment to the water column to be between 3.6 × 10⁴ and 3.6 × 10⁵metric tons per year, equivalent to 1–10% of the riverine input. These results are important for developing strategies to combat rising salinity in the Salton Sea, CA.     

Grid-generated turbulence in a mesocosm experiment

In two mesocosm experiments designed to study the effect of nutrients and turbulence on trophic levels below fish larvae in the ecosystem, turbulence was created by oscillating grids. Utilizing two different frequencies, two levels of turbulence (`high' and `low') were generated in a total of eight mesocosms in both experiments. In each mesocosm a two-layer density structure was created. We succeeded in generating turbulence that mimics turbulence found in natural ecosystems, with turbulent eddies on larger scales than those relevant for organism interactions. Energy dissipation rates () were calculated from the frequency spectrums of the measured turbulent velocities. In the second experiment the average energy dissipation rates in the upper layer were 1.9×10^–7 W kg^–1 and 5.5×10^–8 W kg^–1 in the `high' and `low' enclosures, respectively. Finding `background' turbulence levels between 5.3×10^–9 and 3×10 ^–8 W kg^–1, we suggest that future experiments consider turbulent measurements as a standard variable.     

Long-term biological effects of air ions and D.C. electric fields on Namru mice: Second year report

This report describes the second year of long-term continuous exposures of female NAMRU mice to small air ions and D.C. electric fields in the following conditions: ± high ions ((2×10⁵/cm³), ± low ions (2×10³/cm³), ± field (2 kV/m) only and ground (ion depleted, no field). Using an isolated anesthesized mouse, whole body ion flux values averaged 1.04±0.63×10^–10 A in high ion cages for different positions on the cage floor, with about a hundred-fold reduction for low ion cages.During the second year (sample periods 5–8) of exposure serum chemistry variability increased, due to increased pathology and decreased numbers of animals as our experimental population died off. The fifth sample period yielded results consistent with those seen earlier, but later sample periods had many fewer significant differences between cages than did those of the first year. Nevertheless, MCA statistics for serum glucose for the second year found a pattern remarkably similar to the first, with the low ion cages (LN and LP) having the lowest levels. MCA statistics for both years emphasized this possible window effect of low level ionized conditions. Also, a comparison between the combined values for ionized (HN, LN, HP and LP) and ion depleted cages (NF, PF, G₁ and G₂) showed a highly significant difference (p<10^–6) for serum glucose for both years of exposure, with lower glucose values seen for animals in the ionized cages overall. Animals of all conditions also showed a highly significant decrease in serum glucose with age.Comparison of mice in ionized cages vs. the non-ionized cages also resulted in a significant difference (p<.013) for survival characteristics between groups, with ion exposed animals having a shorter lifespan. These statistics argue strongly for significant effects of long-term exposure of NAMRU mice to the ionized environment.     

A fluorescence study of Tn10-encoded Tet repressor

Steady-state fluorescence quenching and time-resolved measurements have been performed to resolve the fluorescence contributions of the two tryptophan residues, W43 and W75, in the subunit of the homodimer of the Tet repressor fromEscherichia coli. The W43 residue is localized within the helix-turn-helix structural domain, which is responsible for sequence-specific binding of the Tet repressor to thetet operator. The W75 residue is in the protein matrix near the tetracycline-binding site. The assignment of the two residues has been confirmed by use of single-tryptophan mutants carrying either W43 or W75. The FQRS (fluorescence-quenching-resolved-spectra) method has been used to decompose the total emission spectrum of the wild-type protein into spectral components. The resolved spectra have maxima of fluorescence at 349 and 324 nm for the W43 and W75 residues, respectively. The maxima of the resolved spectra are in excellent agreement with those found using single-tryptophan-containing mutants. The fluorescence decay properties of the wild type as well as of both mutants of Tet repressor have been characterized by carrying out a multitemperature study. The decays of the wild-type Tet repressor and W43-containing mutant can be described as being of double-exponential type. The W75 mutant decay can be described by a Gaussian continuous distribution centered at 5.0 nsec with a bandwidth equal to 1.34 nsec. The quenching experiments have shown the presence of two classes of W43 emission. One of the components, exposed to solvent, has a maximum of fluorescence emission at 355 nm, with the second one at about 334 nm. The red-emitting component can be characterized by bimolecular-quenching rate constant,k _q equal to 2.6×10⁹, 2.8×10⁹, and 2.0×10⁹ M^–1 sec^–1 for acrylamide, iodide, and succinimide, respectively. The bluer component is unquenchable by any of the quenchers used. The W75 residue of the Tet repressor has quenching rate constant equal to 0.85×10⁹ and 0.28 × 10⁹ M^–1 sec^–1 for acrylamide and succinimide, respectively. These values indicate that the W75 is not deeply buried within the protein matrix. Our results indicate that the Tet repressor can exist in its ground state in two distinct conformational states which differ in the microenvironment of the W43 residue.Abbreviations FQRS fluorescence-quenching-resolved spectra - HTH helix-turn-helix motif - TetR tetracycline repressor fromE. coli - WT wild-type TetR - W43 single point mutant with phenyloalanine substituted for tryptophan at position 75 in both subunits - W75 single point mutant with phenyloalanine substituted for tryptophan at position 43 in both subunits     

Micropropagation in Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Multiple shoots in Arachis hypogaea L. could be induced from the de-embryonated cotyledons (DC), embryo-axes (EA) and mature whole seeds (MWS) in MS medium supplemented with different levels of benzylaminopurine (BAP). DC was the most suitable explant with 57.9 % induction and more than 40 shoots per explant in 31.6 % of cases. Though EA and MWS had high percent induction at or above 30 mg dm^–3 BAP, only 10 – 14 shoots per explant were observed. In DC, multiple shoots were confined to the proximal end and in EA they originated from the axillary bud region. Histological studies on DC confirmed the origin of shoots from the region of attachment with the embryo. Shoots could be rooted in MS medium containing 2 g dm^–3 charcoal and 200 mg dm^–3 casein hydrolysate. Sixty percent of the rooted plantlets could be established in the field.     

Characterization of H+/OH− currents in phospholipid vesicles

In pure phospholipid vesicles, the conductivity of H⁺/OH^– ions exceeds that for other simple inorganic ions. Protons achieve electrochemical equilibrium across egg phosphatidylcholine vesicles within tens of minutes. When pH gradients are established across vesicles, transmembrane potentials develop. Conversely, the establishment of transmembrane potentials leads to the formation of pH gradients. When the phenomenological permeability of H⁺/OH^– ions in vesicles is estimated, values are obtained that are much greater (six orders of magnitude larger) than those for Na⁺ or K⁺. A wide range in the values for this permeability has been reported; however, much of the discrepancy can be attributed to differences in the vesicle systems and experimental conditions. The H⁺/OH^– current appears to be modulated by changes in membrane dielectric constant. However, the dependence of this current on the pH gradient and on the membrane voltage argues against simple diffusion mechanisms as the source of the H⁺/OH^– current. In addition, in vesicle systems the H⁺/OH^– current shows a surprising invariance to changes in the membrane dipole potential, an observation that argues against the role of simple carriers for H⁺ and OH^– ions.     

Effect of microbial concentration on biodegradation rates of phenols

Summary Biodegradation rates of 12 phenols were measured with respect to acclimated microbial biomass ranging from 2.3×10⁴ to 2.3×10⁸ cells/l. Rates ranged between 0.02 mg l^–1 day^–1 for 1.6 mg/lp-bromophenol exposed to 2.3×10⁴ cells/l and 1.41 mg l^–1 day^–1 for 3.2 mg/lp-methylphenol exposed to 2.3×10⁸ cells/l. Generally, rates for all phenols were first-order in substrate concentration and zero-order in biomass concentration. Bromophenol biodegradation was preceded by lag periods of varying lengths and to a small extent the rate was dependent on microbial biomass. Results from this study suggest chemical biodegradation generally exhibits pseudo-first-and occasionally, second-order kinetics.     

Wall appositions induced by ionophore A 23187, CaCl2, LaCl3, and nifedipine in characean cells

Summary The formation of wall appositions (plugs) by ionophore A 23187, CaCl₂, LaCl₃, and nifedipine was studied in mature internodal cells of characeaen algae. CaCl₂ at concentrations above 10^–2M induces thick fibrillar plugs without callose inNitella flexilis. InChara corallina andNitella flexilis ionophore A 23187 (1.25×10^–5 to 5×10^–5M) and LaCl₃ (7.5×10^–5 to 2.5×10^–4M) cause flat appositions which contain callose and have a more granular structure. Plug formation by ionophore A 23187, CaCl₂, and LaCl₃ is pH-dependent and occurs beneath the alkaline regions of the cell. Nifedipine (10^–4 to 10^–5M) induces plugs inNitella flexilis after previous injury. These callose-containing wall appositions consist of a heterogeneous granular core which is covered by a fibrillar layer. The results of this work are compared with previous studies on wound wall formation and chlortetracycline (CTC)-induced plug formation which reveal that abundant coated vesicles occur only when a thick fibrillar wall layer is formed. Neither LaCl₃ nor nifedipine inhibit the formation of CaCl₂- or CTC-plugs. The unusual effects of these substances, which normally act as Ca²⁺ antagonists and therefore should prevent and not induce plug formation, are discussed. It is suggested that La³⁺ mimicks the effects of calcium and that nifedipine binding to the Ca²⁺ channels is altered in the alkaline regions of characean internodes and allows an influx of Ca²⁺.Abbreviations AFW artificial fresh water - CTC chlortetracycline - DCMU dichlorphenyldimethylurea - DMSO dimethylsulfoxide - EGTA ethyleneglycoltetraacetic acid - MES 2-(N-morpholino) ethanesulfonic acid - HEPES N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N-2-ethanesulfonic acid - TAPS N-tris[hydroxymethyl]methyl-3-aminopropanesulfonic acid     

Influence of rocks on soil temperature,soil water potential,and rooting patterns for desert succulents

Summary At a site in the Sonoran Desert, subterranean rocks and exposed boulders affected soil water potential as well as root morphology and distribution. For Agave deserti, the number of lateral roots per unit length of main root was 11 times higher under rocks and six times higher alongside rocks than in rock-free regions. Total root length per unit soil volume for Echinocereus engelmannii averaged 3-fold higher within 1 cm of boulders than 5 cm away, where the soil was drier. The total length of lateral roots per unit length of main root for Ferocactus acanthodes was 4.2 m m^–1 under rocks but only 0.8 m m^–1 in rock-free regions. The number of lateral roots per unit length of main root for Opuntia acanthocarpa was 7-fold higher alongside rocks than in rock-free regions and even higher under rocks. For transplanted and watered A. deserti, the number of new main roots produced per 1–2 month interval averaged 13 for five plants on the north side of boulders, 8 on the south side, 11 for five plants with half of their roots under rocks, 2 for those with half of their roots over rocks, and 3 for the control plants without rocks. Laboratory experiments showed that the soil water potential under rocks for 10 and 30 mm waterings stayed above –0.5 MPa for 13 and 19 d longer, respectively, than for regions away from rocks. The shortwave absorptance of granitic rocks from the field site was 0.82, the thermal conductivity coefficient was 1.50 W m^–1 °C^–1, and the volumetric heat capacity was 1.75 MJ m^–3 °C^–1. Field measurements indicated that 5-cm-thick buried rocks decreased the diel variation in soil temperatures on their undersurface by only 0.4° C compared with soil. Thus, the primary influence of rocks at the field site on root proliferation and branching for the four species was apparently caused by influences on soil water content.     

Induction of ELF transmembrane potentials in relation to power-frequency electric field bioeffects in a plant root model system

Summary Seminal roots ofCucumis sativus andCucurbita maxima were exposed to 60 Hz electric fields of 100–500 Vm^–1 in a conducting aqueous inorganic growth medium. Root growth rates were measured to produce a dose-response relationship for each species. The species were selected for study because of their familial relationship, reported sensitivity to 60 Hz, 360 Vm^–1 electric fields, and differing average root cell sizes. The latter characteristic influences the magnitude of ELF membrane potentials induced by constant-strength applied electric fields, but does not affect the magnitude of the electric field strength tangent to the cell surface. The difference in average root cell size betweenC. sativus (smaller cells) andC. maxima (larger cells) was used to evaluate two alternate hypotheses that the observed effect on root growth is stimulated by [1] the electric field tangent to the cell surface, or (2) a field-induced perturbation in the normal transmembrane potential of the cells.The results of the dose-response relationship studies are qualitatively consistent with the hypothesis that the effect is elicited by induced transmembrane potentials. The smaller-celled roots showed a substantially higher response threshold [C. sativus; E ₀ ^TH 330 Vm^–1] than did the larger-celled species [C. maxima; E ₀ ^TH 200 Vm^–1]. At field strengths above the response thresholds in both species, the growth rate ofC. sativus roots was less affected than that ofC. maxima roots exposed to the same field strength.     

Cell-to-Cell diffusion of Procion Yellow in sheep and calf Purkinje fibers

Summary Sheep and calf Purkinje fibers (false tendons) were cut near one end and exposed to a solution containing no calcium and the dye Procion Yellow (M4RS, molecular weight near 700). Fifteen minutes later the damaged end was sealed by applying calcium ions (Tyrode solution). Traces of Procion Yellow were detected within the intracellular compartment at a distance of 2.4 mm from the site of damage when the preparations had been washed in dye-free solution for 4 hr. This indicates that the dye had diffused through about 20 cells in succession. There was no detectable uptake of Procion Yellow through intact surface membranes. Visual curve fitting to quantitative data on concentrationvs. distance gives an apparent diffusion coefficient (cell junctions and myoplasm in series) of 3×10^–8 cm² sec^–1, as against 1×10^–6 cm² sec^–1 in an agar gel. It is concluded that specialized contact areas between neighboring cardiac cells represent a considerable yet not an absolute hindrance to the movement of this particle.     

Influence of lead ions on cation permeability in human red cell ghosts

Summary Intracellular Pb²⁺ ions can replace Ca²⁺ ions in stimulating the Ca-dependent K permeability of human red blood cells. In metabolically depleted resealed ghosts, the threshold for stimulation of⁸⁶Rb efflux by internal Pb²⁺ is around 5×10^–10 m, and stimulation is half-maximal at about 2×10^–9 m, and maximal at 10^–8 m Pb²⁺. There is no effect on²²Na efflux in this concentration range.⁸⁶Rb efflux is antagonized by internal Mg²⁺ ions, and by the channel-blocking drugs quinidine and diS-C₂(5), as observed for the Ca-dependent K permeability in red cells. In ghosts containing EDTA, which prevents any internal effects of Pb²⁺ ions, external Pb²⁺ increases both²²Na and⁸⁶Rb permeability when its concentration exceeds 6×10^–7 m. This effect is seemingly unrelated to the Ca-dependent K permeability. This work makes extensive use of Pb²⁺ ion buffers, and gives information about their preparation and properties.     

Use of Ψ<Superscript>α</Superscript>-ETOs in the unified treatment of electronic attraction,electric field and electric field gradient multicenter integrals of screened Coulomb potentials over Slater orbitals

In this study, using complete orthonormal sets of -ETOs (where =1, 0, –1, –2, ...)introduced by the author, a large number of series expansion formulae for the multicenter electronic attraction (EA), electric field (EF) and electric field gradient (EFG) integrals of the Yukawa-like screened Coulomb potentials (SCPs) is presented through the new central and noncentral potentials and the overlap integrals with the same screening constants. The final results obtained are valid for arbitrary locations of STOs and their parameters.An erratum to this article can be found at