Article
Chemistry, Physical
Srinivas Mushnoori, Jack A. Logan, Alexei V. Tkachenko, Meenakshi Dutt
Summary: This study uses Brownian dynamics to investigate self-assembly in a hybrid system of isotropic particles and anisotropic building blocks. By simulating annealing and analyzing structure characteristics, it is found that the resultant structures exhibit different symmetries and degrees of order for different size ratios.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yiwei Zhu, Walter G. Chapman
Summary: In this study, cluster distribution theory was combined with percolation theory to investigate the phase behavior and percolation of a binary patchy colloid system. It was found that the relative bonding strength of solvent-solvent and solute-solvent association plays a key role in phase behavior and percolation.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Victor Kang, Robin T. White, Simon Chen, Walter Federle
Summary: Research has found that net-winged midge larvae have powerful suction organs that can withstand tremendous forces on different surfaces, thanks to the microtrichia structures on the surface of the suction organs. These findings provide new insights for designing and manufacturing suction cups capable of adhering to a wider variety of surfaces.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Camilla Beneduce, Diogo E. P. Pinto, Petr Sulc, Francesco Sciortino, John Russo
Summary: This study investigates the nucleation process of a binary mixture of patchy particles designed to nucleate into a diamond lattice. By combining Gibbs-ensemble simulations and direct nucleation simulations, the role of the liquid-gas metastable phase diagram on the nucleation process is revealed. The strongest enhancement of crystallization is found to occur at an azeotropic point with the same stoichiometric composition of the crystal.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christine Linne, Daniele Visco, Stefano Angioletti-Uberti, Liedewij Laan, Daniela J. Kraft
Summary: Distinguishing cells based on minute differences in receptor density is crucial for cell recognition and signal transduction. A multivalent model system using colloidal particles equipped with surface-mobile DNA linkers has been developed to superselectively target surfaces. Experimental results show a nonlinear transition in binding probability with increasing ligand or receptor concentration, and increased sensitivity with weaker ligand-receptor interactions.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Qiang Zhang, Ling Lin, Xizhen Yi, Tianze Xie, Gaowa Xing, Yuxuan Li, Xiaorui Wang, Jin-Ming Lin
Summary: The study presents a microfluidic method for extracting undissolved chemical components from subcellular regions of living cells, enabling in-depth analysis. The method allows control over the sampling region and successfully extracts immobilized components.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Adiran Garaizar, Tim Higginbotham, Ignacio Sanchez-Burgos, Andres R. Tejedor, Eduardo Sanz, Jorge R. Espinosa
Summary: Colloidal patchy particles with high-symmetry bonding were computationally studied, and the crystallization behavior was investigated. The competition of ordered phases and the nucleation mechanisms were found to be influenced by pressure and the structure of crystalline embryos.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Jonathan Asante, Akebe L. K. Abia, Daniel Anokwah, Bakoena A. Hetsa, Dorcas O. Fatoba, Linda A. Bester, Daniel G. Amoako
Summary: The study investigates biofilm formation and biofilm/adhesion-encoding genes in coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) recovered from blood culture isolates. A total of 89 clinical CoNS were confirmed using the VITEK 2 system and qualitative and quantitative assays were performed to assess biofilm formation. The presence of adherence-related genes was also investigated, and a high prevalence of biofilm-forming CoNS with various resistance phenotypes was observed.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Nazzareno Dominelli, Heidi Yoko Jaeger, Angela Langer, Andreas Brachmann, Ralf Heermann
Summary: This study investigates the phenotypic heterogeneity in the bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens. Through genome sequencing and comparative analysis, the researchers found that the observed phenotypic differences are not caused by genetic mutations or rearrangements.
ANNALS OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biology
Jean-Pascal Capp, James DeGregori, Aurora M. Nedelcu, Antoine M. Dujon, Justine Boutry, Pascal Pujol, Catherine Alix-Panabieres, Rodrigo Hamede, Benjamin Roche, Beata Ujvari, Andriy Marusyk, Robert Gatenby, Frederic Thomas
Summary: Although individual cancer cells are usually seen as the units of selection in malignant populations, they often function as part of groups that cannot simply be measured by the average fitness of individual members. The term 'group phenotypic composition' (GPC) captures the idea that the phenotypic makeup of individual group members impacts both individual and group fitness, with implications for cancer biology and therapeutic strategies.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Yasuhiro Shingai, Takafumi Yokota, Daisuke Okuzaki, Takao Sudo, Tomohiko Ishibashi, Yukiko Doi, Tomoaki Ueda, Takayuki Ozawa, Ritsuko Nakai, Akira Tanimura, Michiko Ichii, Hirohiko Shibayanna, Yuzuru Kanakura, Naoki Hosen
Summary: The heterogeneity of AML cells, including varying ESAM expression levels, can be mutually interconverted and regulated by the activation of the TGF beta signaling pathway. Inhibition of TGF beta signaling not only blocks the phenotypic variation of AML cells, but also hinders their proliferation, making it a potential therapeutic target for AML.
Article
Microbiology
Simone Eckstein, Jannis Brehm, Michael Seidel, Mats Lechtenfeld, Ralf Heermann
Summary: The study identified two novel XRE family transcriptional regulators, XreR1 and XreR2, that play a crucial role in the phenotypic switching process of P. luminescens. Their interplay may define the fate of single cells to convert from the 1 degrees to the 2 degrees phenotype.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Qiubo Liu, Ruonan Li, Wei Qu, Xiaojing Tian, Yafei Zhang, Wenhang Wang
Summary: This study investigated the effect of physicochemical properties of sausage casings on bacterial adhesion using Leuconostoc mesenteroides as a model bacteria. The results showed that the number of viable cells on the casings followed the order: animal casings>collagen casings>fiber casings>cellulose casings>nylon casings. The surface roughness of the casings was found to be the key factor influencing bacterial adhesion rate, rather than surface hydrophobicity and zeta potential.
FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Takashi Nagatani
Summary: We study the metapopulation dynamics of mediated infectious diseases such as mosquito-borne infections in a patchy environment. The actions and habitats of mediators are different from those of humans, and we focus on how this difference affects epidemic spreading in a patchy environment.
PHYSICA A-STATISTICAL MECHANICS AND ITS APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vincenzo Ierardi, Paolo Domenichini, Domenico Vercellotti, Giuseppe Vercellotti
Summary: This paper introduces a new method to capture bacteria from contaminated urine samples using commercial microscope slides coated with positively charged biomolecules. The method is simple, quick, and cost-effective, allowing the concentration of live bacteria in a well-defined position for further diagnostic investigations.
FRONTIERS IN BIOSCIENCE-LANDMARK
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Reece Nixon-Luke, Jochen Arlt, Wilson C. K. Poon, Gary Bryant, Vincent A. Martinez
Summary: This study systematically investigates the capability of Differential Dynamic Microscopy (DDM) to characterize particle dynamics in turbid colloidal suspensions, finding that DDM can obtain reliable diffusion coefficients at higher particle concentrations compared to other techniques. The research also reveals the appearance of short-time and long-time processes as turbidity increases, which can be used to estimate the particle size of non-interacting particles. Additionally, a simple theoretical framework, ms-DDM, is provided for turbid samples, taking into account multiple scattering.
Article
Microbiology
Kathryn M. Styles, Rebecca K. Locke, Lauren A. Cowley, Aidan T. Brown, Antonia P. Sagona
Summary: Reviewing the genetics of the arms race between bacteria and bacteriophages provides insights into bacterial resistance and phage co-evolution. This study demonstrates how natural resistance to a specific bacteriophage can occur through insertional mutations in genes involved in polysialic acid biosynthesis. These mutations come with a fitness cost and result in phenotypic changes in the bacterial capsule. The study also shows that these insertional mutations are reversible, as demonstrated by renewed susceptibility to the bacteriophage upon exposure to a different strain.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pierre-Luc Latreille, Jean-Michel Rabanel, Marine Le Goas, Sina Salimi, Jochen Arlt, Shunmoogum A. Patten, Charles Ramassamy, Patrice Hildgen, Vincent A. Martinez, Xavier Banquy
Summary: A new theoretical framework that utilizes differential dynamic microscopy (DDM) in fluorescence imaging mode is proposed for quantifying protein adsorption and aggregation on nanoparticles (NP). This methodology provides insights into the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of the protein corona (PC) in vitro and in vivo.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Mechanics
Th. Larsen, A. L. Sobye, J. R. Royer, W. C. K. Poon, T. Larsen, S. J. Andreasen, A. D. Drozdov, J. D. C. Christiansen
Summary: This study investigates the influence of filler concentration and microphysics on the rheological properties of polydisperse flake-graphite particles suspended in Newtonian mineral oil. The experimental results show that the samples exhibit shear thinning under steady shear, and yielding behavior is observed for volume fractions above 0.18. Time-temperature superposition is observed using an Arrhenius-type horizontal shift factor, and a flow activation energy that depends on the graphite volume fraction is obtained, suggesting concentration-dependent contributions to relaxation processes in the suspensions. The flow curves are fitted by a constraint-based model, indicating that the flow behavior is controlled by frictional and adhesive contacts, with the model suggesting that the adhesive stress is temperature dependent.
JOURNAL OF RHEOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
Iain Muntz, James A. A. Richards, Sam Brown, Andrew B. B. Schofield, Marcel Rey, Job H. J. Thijssen
Summary: Interfacial rheology plays a crucial role in understanding the stability of dispersed systems. However, the current measurement methods have limitations in terms of accuracy. In this study, we developed a contactless interfacial method to measure interfacial shear rheology on liquid/liquid interfaces. The method allows us to obtain material parameters under steady shear conditions and combine macroscopic and microscopic analyses to visualize the correlation between interfacial response and particle assembly.
JOURNAL OF RHEOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shadi Kolahgar-Azari, Antonia Kagkoura, Dimitrios Mamalis, Jane R. Blackford, Prashant Valluri, Khellil Sefiane, Vasileios Koutsos
Summary: This study investigated the deposits formed after the evaporation of poly(ethylene oxide) aqueous solutions on hydrophilic glass substrates. The macrostructure and micro/nanostructures of the deposits were analyzed using microscopy techniques. A mathematical model based on thin-film lubrication theory was developed to evaluate the macrostructure and micro/nanostructure of the deposits. Experimental and numerical results showed that the micro/nanostructures of the deposits varied depending on the initial solution concentration and the driving force of crystallization. The findings of this study provide insights into the understanding of deposit formation and structure control.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Faraz Fazal, Ferry P. W. Melchels, Andrew McCormack, Andreia F. Silva, Anthony Callanan, Vasileios Koutsos, Norbert Radacsi
Summary: Reproducing the mechanical and biological performance of blood vessels is a challenge in tissue engineering, but additive-lathe printing with a vertical mandrel can fabricate uniform grafts. This study used gelatin methacryloyl (gelMA) hydrogel to print grafts in a helical pattern on a rotating mandrel. The printing parameters were optimized to improve bonding between filaments and eliminate sagging, resulting in grafts with similar anisotropic properties to native blood vessels. The printing system showed no leakage during burst pressure measurement, indicating its potential for vascular grafts in cardiovascular disease treatment.
JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Social Issues
Wilson C. K. Poon, Tom C. B. McLeish
Summary: Quantum mechanics is often discussed in the context of science and religion, as it allows for theological claims by manipulating language and vocabulary. By mapping quantum mechanics to classical statistical mechanics, we can better understand this discussion. However, it is important to exercise caution in making distinct claims about quantum theology. Despite this, quantum insights can resonate with longstanding theological themes such as hiddenness and visualizability, suggesting a theology of science where scientists participate in the divine gaze.
Article
Polymer Science
Muhammad Waqas, Francisco Javier Diaz Sanchez, Valentin C. Menzel, Ignacio Tudela, Norbert Radacsi, Dipa Ray, Vasileios Koutsos
Summary: Polyaniline (PANI) in its emeraldine base (PANI-EB) and salt (PANI-ES) forms were combined with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to produce nanofibers using a nozzle-free electrospinning setup. The surface morphology and chemical structure of the composite nanofibers were characterized, and the effect of PANI concentration on the nanofiber properties was investigated. The incorporation of different contents of PANI-EB and PANI-ES in the PVP solution and their impact on the fiber morphology were also studied.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Hannah Jones, Jake Mcclements, Dipa Ray, Colin S. Hindle, Michail Kalloudis, Vasileios Koutsos
Summary: This paper investigates the variability in thermal and mechanical properties of virgin and recycled polypropylene/high-density polyethylene blends, and finds differences in crystallinity, melting and crystallization temperatures between the two. The deterioration of these properties in the recycled blends is believed to be caused by contaminants and structural degradation during reprocessing. The tensile properties of the recycled blends are also affected by the recycling process.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
John Walker, Andrew B. Schofield, Vasileios Koutsos
Summary: We studied the nanostructures and ultrathin films resulting from the deposition and adsorption of polystyrene nanocolloidal particles and methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate surfactants on mica surfaces. The samples were imaged with atomic force microscopy, revealing rich morphological features. The surfactant oligomers formed uniform ultrathin films and extended islands through self-assembly, while the polystyrene nanocolloids were embedded within the surfactant structures. Droplet evaporation resulted in imprints within the surfactant film, and dip coating induced colloidal crystalline structuring in extended nanocolloid clusters.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
John Walker, Vasileios Koutsos
Summary: This study investigated the feasibility of spin-coating methods for the self-assembly of 150 nm diameter silica nanocolloids into large crystal structures on mica. The results showed that colloidal concentration, acceleration, and rotational speed all had an impact on the formation of crystal structures. Low colloidal concentration resulted in size-dependent ordering configuration, while high colloidal concentration exhibited more polycrystalline or amorphous formations. Analysis with two dimensional-fast Fourier transform and radial distribution functions revealed the effect of the relationship between rotational speed and liquid film thickness on the structure formation.
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Joost de Graaf, Kim William Torre, Wilson C. K. Poon, Michiel Hermes
Summary: Attractive colloids form gels, which are solidlike particle networks suspended in a fluid. The impact of gravity on the gelation process has been rarely studied. In this study, we used simulations to investigate the effect of gravity on gel formation. We found that gravity-induced flows disrupt gelation at low volume fractions, but above a critical volume fraction, the forming gel network dominates the dynamics. The settling of colloids does not significantly affect the final colloidal gel-like sediment.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Joe J. Bradley, Vincent A. Martinez, Jochen Arlt, John R. Royer, Wilson C. K. Poon
Summary: Differential dynamic microscopy (DDM) can be used to measure the particle size distribution of multimodal suspensions without prior knowledge. By selectively analyzing different regions of DDM images, it is possible to separate and measure particles of different sizes.
Article
Polymer Science
Muhammad Waqas, Francisco Javier Diaz Sanchez, Valentin C. Menzel, Ignacio Tudela, Norbert Radacsi, Dipa Ray, Vasileios Koutsos
Summary: In this study, polyaniline (PANI) in its emeraldine base (PANI-EB) and salt (PANI-ES) forms were combined with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to produce nanofibers using a nozzle-free electrospinning setup. The surface morphologies and chemical structure of the composite nanofibers were characterized, and the effects of PANI concentration and type on the fiber structure and properties were investigated.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
