Inactivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with Radio Frequency Electric Fields†

2003 ◽  
Vol 66 (9) ◽  
pp. 1712-1715 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID J. GEVEKE ◽  
CHRISTOPHER BRUNKHORST

The application of radio frequency (RF) electric fields as a nonthermal alternative to thermal inactivation of microorganisms in liquids was investigated. A novel RF system producing frequencies in the range of 20 to 60 kHz was developed. Electric field strengths of 20 and 30 kV/cm were applied to suspensions of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in water over a temperature range of 35 to 55°C. The flow rate was 1.2 liters/min. The S. cerevisiae population was reduced by 2.1 ± 0.1 log units following exposure to a 30-kV/cm field at 40°C. The results of the present study provide the first evidence that strong RF electric fields inactivate microorganisms at moderately low temperatures. Increasing the field strength, the number of treatments, and the temperature enhanced inactivation. Frequency had no effect on inactivation over the range of frequencies studied.

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 1544-1549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarita A Kurochkina ◽  
Elena A Konshina ◽  
Daria Khmelevskaia

We have experimentally investigated the effect of the reorientation of a nematic liquid crystal (LC) in an electric field on the photoluminescence (PL) of CdSe/ZnS semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). To the LC with positive dielectric anisotropy, 1 wt % QDs with a core diameter of 5 nm was added. We compared the change of PL intensity and decay times of QDs in LC cells with initially planar or vertically orientated molecules, i.e., in active or passive LC matrices. The PL intensity of the QDs increases four-fold in the active LC matrix and only 1.6-fold in the passive LC matrix without reorientation of the LC molecules. With increasing electric field strength, the quenching of QDs luminescence occurred in the active LC matrix, while the PL intensity did not change in the passive LC matrix. The change in the decay time with increasing electric field strength was similar to the behavior of the PL intensity. The observed buildup in the QDs luminescence can be associated with the transfer of energy from LC molecules to QDs. In a confocal microscope, we observed the increase of particle size and the redistribution of particles in the active LC matrix with the change of the electric field strength. At the same time, no significant changes occurred in the passive LC matrix. With the reorientation of LC molecules from the planar in vertical position in the LC active matrix, quenching of QD luminescence and an increase of the ion current took place simultaneously. The obtained results are interesting for controlling the PL intensity of semiconductor QDs in liquid crystals by the application of electric fields.


1967 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 1890-1903
Author(s):  
F. Karger

In a previous paper31 discrepancies between theory and experiment were found on investigating the positive column in a curved magnetic field. The approximation derived in 31 for the torus drift in a weakly ionized magnetoplasma is therefore checked here (Part I) with a refined theory which also yields the transverse electric field strength. Experimentally, both the transverse electric fields and the density profiles in the DC discharge were determined in addition to the longitudinal electric field strength.The discrepancies occurring in 31 are ascribed to the fact that the plasma concentrates at the cathode end of the magnetic field coils, this effect having a considerable influence on the form of the transverse density profile and on the stability behaviour. Part II later will show how the influence of this concentration can be eliminated and what effect in the current-carrying toroidal plasma causes a marked reduction of the charge carrier losses.


2009 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 656-661 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID J. GEVEKE ◽  
JOSHUA GURTLER ◽  
HOWARD Q. ZHANG

Radio frequency electric fields (RFEF) nonthermal processing effectively inactivates gram-negative bacteria in juices, but has yet to be shown effective at reducing gram-positive bacteria. Apple cider containing Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 49445, a gram-positive bacterium, was RFEF processed under the following conditions: field strength of 0.15 to 15 kV/cm, temperature of 45 to 55°C, frequency of 5 to 65 kHz, treatment time of 170 μs, and holding time of 5 to 50 s. The effect of refrigerating the inoculated cider prior to processing, the extent of sublethal injury, and the effect of storing the treated cider for 35 days were investigated. The population of L. plantarum was reduced by 1.0 log at 15 kV/cm, 20 kHz, and 50°C, with a 5-s hold time. There is a synergistic effect between RFEF and heat above 50°C. Inactivation significantly (P < 0.05) increased as frequency was decreased from 65 to 5 kHz. Inactivation increased linearly with field above 8 kV/cm. Holding cider at 55°C after RFEF treatment for 5 and 50 s resulted in 2.5- and 3.1-log reductions, respectively. The surviving population was composed of 1.4-log sublethally injured cells. Storing processed cider at 4°C for 35 days steadily and significantly (P < 0.05) reduced L. plantarum from 4.5 to 0.9 log CFU/ml. The electrical energy density was 51 J/ml. This provides the first evidence that nonthermal RFEF processing inactivates gram-positive bacteria, and that surviving cells may die off during refrigerated storage.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (01) ◽  
pp. 1950007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paúl Pozo-Guerrón ◽  
Gerardo Armijos-Capa ◽  
Luis Rincón ◽  
José R. Mora ◽  
F. Javier Torres ◽  
...  

In the present work, the activation of methyl halides bonds under experience of an external electric field (EEF) is explained from the Valence Bond theory perspective. The dissociation mechanism of C–X bonds (X [Formula: see text] Cl, Br, I) influenced by a homogeneous and a heterogeneous field placed parallel to the bond axis is presented. For all examples, an increase in the electric field strength have similar consequences: (i) the decrease of the energy depth along the dissociation path, (ii) an increase of the equilibrium interatomic distance (at high EEFs), and (iii) the transition from a homolytic to a heterolytic dissociation after some field magnitude. These general behaviors are explained through the curve crossing between the ionic and the covalent structure at some field strength.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 050703 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Dedrick ◽  
Andrew Robert Gibson ◽  
Dmytro Rafalskyi ◽  
Ane Aanesland

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Zhang ◽  
Z. Wang ◽  
R.-J. Yang ◽  
S.-Y. Xu

Pulsed electric fields (PEF) were applied to neutral ginkgo cloudy juice to study the influence of the electric field strength, the treatment time and temperature on microbial inactivation. The results showed that microbial inactivation increased with the electric field strength, the treatment time and temperature. PEF treatment caused 3.39 and 4.44-log cycles reduction of coliforms and total plate counts, respectively, when pulse duration was 3 μs, the electric field strength 30 kV/cm, the treatment time 520 μs and the water bath temperature 15°C. Under the same conditions, the microbial shelf life of ginkgo cloudy juice was extended to 24 days at 4°C and 18 days at room temperature. A 3.7-log cycles reduction of the total yeast and mould counts was obtained by applying 390 μs of 30 kV/cm at 15°C.Yeast and mould cells were less resistant to PEF process than bacteria cells. The effect of heat generated during the PEF treatment was limited on microbial inactivation. Temperature and the induced heat by PEF had synergistic effects to microbial inactivation in cloudy ginkgo juice.


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