Dynamic Control of Sliding Directions of Kinesin-Driven Microtubules With Rotating Electric Fields

Author(s):  
Shukei Sugita ◽  
Naoya Sakamoto ◽  
Toshiro Ohashi ◽  
Masaaki Sato

Kinesins, biomolecular motors that move along microtubules (MTs) can potentially be utilized as an actuator in nanoscale transporting systems. Recent studies have reported inverted geometry in vitro, in which MTs randomly moved on kinesins fixed to substrates. To develop the transporting systems, one of key elements includes precise control of the direction of sliding MTs. One possible method is to utilize electric field (EF) to direct the MTs because MTs are negatively charged in neutral solutions [1,2]. For example, MTs have been shown to orient to the direction of uniaxially or biaxially applied EFs [3,4]. However, for a reliable transporting system, further studies are still required to control the direction of sliding MTs dynamically and effectively. In our previous study [5], we applied EF to MTs in random direction and showed that the rate of change in angle (angular velocity) was proportional to the sin of the angle between the directions of MTs and the generated electrophoretic force. The result indicates that it is most efficient to continuously apply EF perpendicular to the direction of MTs. In this study, the direction of sliding MTs was dynamically controlled with EF, particularly demonstrating a circular movement of MTs.

Foods ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Setya B.M. Abduh ◽  
Sze Ying Leong ◽  
Dominic Agyei ◽  
Indrawati Oey

The purpose of this study was to investigate the properties of starch in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum cv. Agria) after being treated with pulsed electric fields (PEF). Potatoes were treated at 50 and 150 kJ/kg specific energies with various electric field strengths of 0, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9 and 1.1 kV/cm. Distilled water was used as the processing medium. Starches were isolated from potato tissue and from the PEF processing medium. To assess the starch properties, various methods were used, i.e., the birefringence capability using a polarised light microscopy, gelatinisation behaviour using hot-stage light microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal stability using thermogravimetry (TGA), enzyme susceptibility towards α-amylase and the extent of starch hydrolysis under in vitro simulated human digestion conditions. The findings showed that PEF did not change the properties of starch inside the potatoes, but it narrowed the temperature range of gelatinisation and reduced the digestibility of starch collected in the processing medium. Therefore, this study confirms that, when used as a processing aid for potato, PEF does not result in detrimental effects on the properties of potato starch.


Author(s):  
Sophie Loire ◽  
Yanting Zhang ◽  
Frederic Bottausci ◽  
Noel C. MacDonald ◽  
Igor Mezic

We present numerical simulations and experiments on dielectrophoretic (DEP) separation and trapping performed in a titanium-based microchannel linear electrode array. The use of electric fields and in particular dielectrophoresis (DEP) have a great potential to help miniaturize and increase the speed of biomedical analysis. Precise control and manipulation of micro/nano/bio particles inside those miniaturized devices depend greatly on our understanding of the phenomena induced by AC electric fields inside microchannels and how we take advantage of them. The studied DEP devices are composed of two parts: the inter-digitated titanium electrodes and the channel. The electrode substrate is constituted of two layers to form 4-phase traveling wave. Each electrode is 20 μm wide and separated from the other by a gap of 20 μm. The channel is 200 μm wide, 50 μm deep and 6 mm long. The device is designed to generate inhomogeneities in electric-field magnitude. This allows positive and negative DEP (p-DEP and n-DEP). Moreover, it can also produce inhomogeneities in electric-field phase, hence authorizing traveling wave DEP (twDEP). It is also capable of inducing two-frequency DEP, in contrast with most of the previous, single-frequency, designs. The advantages of two-frequency DEP were shown by theoretical work (Chang et al. 2003) and permit precise and optimal control of particles movements. We show that fluid flow effects are substantial and can affect the particle motion in a positive (enhanced trapping) and negative (trapping when separation is desired) way. We discuss the effects of AC-electroosmosis, electrothermal and dielectrophoresis combined. We discuss the advantages of two-frequency dielectrophoretic handling of bioparticles. We investigate the limits of particle size that can be accurately controlled.


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. D. M. Walker

Abstract. A method of mapping electric fields along geomagnetic field lines is applied to the IGRF (International Geomagnetic Reference Field) model. The method involves integrating additional sets of first order differential equations simultaneously with those for tracing a magnetic field line. These provide a measure of the rate of change of the separation of two magnetic field lines separated by an infinitesimal amount. From the results of the integration Faraday's law is used to compute the electric field as a function of position along the field line. Examples of computations from a software package developed to implement the method are presented. This is expected to be of use in conjugate studies of magnetospheric phenomena such as SuperDARN (Super Dual Auroral Radar) observations of convection in conjugate hemispheres, or comparison of satellite electric field observations with fields measured in the ionosphere.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina N. M. Ryan ◽  
Meletios N. Doulgkeroglou ◽  
Dimitrios I. Zeugolis

AbstractElectric fields are involved in numerous physiological processes, including directional embryonic development and wound healing following injury. To study these processes in vitro and/or to harness electric field stimulation as a biophysical environmental cue for organised tissue engineering strategies various electric field stimulation systems have been developed. These systems are overall similar in design and have been shown to influence morphology, orientation, migration and phenotype of several different cell types. This review discusses different electric field stimulation setups and their effect on cell response.


2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 1479-1489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bing Song ◽  
Yu Gu ◽  
Jin Pu ◽  
Brian Reid ◽  
Zhiqiang Zhao ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaohui Sun ◽  
Brian Reid ◽  
Fernando Ferreira ◽  
Guillaume Luxardi ◽  
Li Ma ◽  
...  

AbstractMany bacterial pathogens hijack macrophages to egress from the port of entry to the lymphatic/blood-stream, causing dissemination of life-threatening infections. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Here, we report thatSalmonellainfection generates directional electric fields (EF) in the follicle-associated epithelium of mouse cecum.In vitroapplication of an EF, mimicking the infection-generated electric field (IGEF), induces directional migration of primary mouse macrophages to the anode, which is reversed to the cathode uponSalmonellainfection. This infection-dependent directional switch is independent of theSalmonellapathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) type III secretion system. The switch is accompanied by a reduction of sialic acids on glycosylated surface components during phagocytosis of bacteria, which is absent in macrophages challenged by microspheres. Moreover, enzymatic cleavage of terminally exposed sialic acids reduces macrophage surface negativity and severely impairs directional migration of macrophages in response to EF. Based on these findings, we propose that macrophages are attracted to the site of infection by a combination of chemotaxis and galvanotaxis; after phagocytosis of bacteria, surface electrical properties of the macrophage change, and galvanotaxis directs the cells away from the site of infection.AbbreviationsCFU, colony-forming unit; Con A, Concanavalin A; EF, electric field; FAE, follicle-associated epithelium; GNL, Galanthus Nivalis lectin; IGEF, infection-generated electric field; Ji, electric current density; MAL-2, Maackia Amurensis lectin II; MLN, mesenteric lymph node; MOI, multiplicity of infection; nMFI, normalized mean fluorescence intensity; RCA-1, Ricinus Communis Agglutinin I; SNA, Sambucus Nigra lectin;S. Typhimurium,Salmonella entericaserotype Typhimurium; SPI-1,Salmonellapathogenicity island 1; PDMS, polydimethylsiloxane; TEP, trans-epithelial potential difference; TLR, Toll-like receptors; WGEF, wound-generated electric field


1989 ◽  
Vol 61 (03) ◽  
pp. 497-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Seifried ◽  
P Tanswell ◽  
D Ellbrück ◽  
W Haerer ◽  
A Schmidt

SummaryPharmacokinetics and systemic effects of recombinant tissue type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) were determined during coronary thrombolysis in 12 acute myocardial infarction patients using a consecutive intravenous infusion regimen. Ten mg rt-PA were infused in 2 minutes resulting in a peak plasma concentration (mean ±SD) of 3310±950 ng/ml, followed by 50 mg in 1 h and 30 mg in 1.5 h yielding steady state plasma levels of. 2210±470 nglml and 930±200 ng/ml, respectively. All patients received intravenous heparin. Total clearance of rt-PA was 380±74 ml/min, t,½α was 3.6±0.9 min and t,½β was 16±5.4 min.After 90 min, in plasma samples containing anti-rt-PA-IgG to inhibit in vitro effects, fibrinogen was decreased to 54%, plasminogen to 52%, α2-antiplasmin to 25%, α2-macroglobulin to 90% and antithrombin III to 85% of initial values. Coagulation times were prolonged and fibrin D-dimer concentrations increased from 0.40 to 2.7 μg/ml. It is concluded that pharmacokinetics of rt-PA show low interpatient variability and that its short mean residence time in plasma allows precise control of therapy. Apart from its moderate effect on the haemostatic system, rt-PA appears to lyse a fibrin pool in addition to the coronary thrombus.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes P. Dürholt ◽  
Babak Farhadi Jahromi ◽  
Rochus Schmid

Recently the possibility of using electric fields as a further stimulus to trigger structural changes in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has been investigated. In general, rotatable groups or other types of mechanical motion can be driven by electric fields. In this study we demonstrate how the electric response of MOFs can be tuned by adding rotatable dipolar linkers, generating a material that exhibits paralectric behavior in two dimensions and dielectric behavior in one dimension. The suitability of four different methods to compute the relative permittivity κ by means of molecular dynamics simulations was validated. The dependency of the permittivity on temperature T and dipole strength μ was determined. It was found that the herein investigated systems exhibit a high degree of tunability and substantially larger dielectric constants as expected for MOFs in general. The temperature dependency of κ obeys the Curie-Weiss law. In addition, the influence of dipolar linkers on the electric field induced breathing behavior was investigated. With increasing dipole moment, lower field strength are required to trigger the contraction. These investigations set the stage for an application of such systems as dielectric sensors, order-disorder ferroelectrics or any scenario where movable dipolar fragments respond to external electric fields.


Photonics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 107
Author(s):  
Haichao Yu ◽  
Feng Tang ◽  
Jingjun Wu ◽  
Zao Yi ◽  
Xin Ye ◽  
...  

In intense-light systems, the traditional discrete optical components lead to high complexity and high cost. Metasurfaces, which have received increasing attention due to the ability to locally manipulate the amplitude, phase, and polarization of light, are promising for addressing this issue. In the study, a metasurface-based reflective deflector is investigated which is composed of silicon nanohole arrays that confine the strongest electric field in the air zone. Subsequently, the in-air electric field does not interact with the silicon material directly, attenuating the optothermal effect that causes laser damage. The highest reflectance of nanoholes can be above 99% while the strongest electric fields are tuned into the air zone. One presentative deflector is designed based on these nanoholes with in-air-hole field confinement and anti-damage potential. The 1st order of the meta-deflector has the highest reflectance of 55.74%, and the reflectance sum of all the orders of the meta-deflector is 92.38%. The optothermal simulations show that the meta-deflector can theoretically handle a maximum laser density of 0.24 W/µm2. The study provides an approach to improving the anti-damage property of the reflective phase-control metasurfaces for intense-light systems, which can be exploited in many applications, such as laser scalpels, laser cutting devices, etc.


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