A colloid perspective of hair cell cilia: a selective literature review

Cilia of hair cells are structurally similar to unilaminar phospholipid vesicles. The close juxtaposition of adjacent cilia is similar to the intervesicle distances found in groups of vesicles. Both cilia and vesicles operate in similar ionic environments. By comparing the cross section of cilia, which are cylinders with the cross section of vesicles, which are spherical, we can see how colloid theory can be applied to both cilia and vesicles. While vesicles have been studied as colloid particles, thus far colloid theory has not been applied to hair cell cilia. This paper presents a basic explanation of colloid theory in a simple graphic form that facilitates a colloid perspective of hair cell cilia behavior. A review of relevant hair cell cilia behavior supports the hypothesis that colloid knowledge is applicable to the problem of understanding cilia functionality in the hair cell. The electromagnetic nature of colloid forces allows for their involvement in the relatively high speed operation required of hair cells which are dealing with signals of up to 2×10⁵ Hz. A fresh look at the biophysics of the hair cell from a colloid perspective may lower the barrier to a closer understanding of active mechanical sensory transduction, amplification and adaptation, and suggest a new domain for the application of colloid theory.     

Effect of Rough Nanoparticle Orientation on DLVO Energy Interaction

This study investigated the effect of the orientation of rough nanoparticles on Derjaguin and Landau, Verwey and Overbeek (DLVO) energy interaction. Rippled sphere model was used to survey van der Waals attraction energy and repulsive double-layer interaction energy between nanoparticles. The effect of particle size, asperity size, number of asperities, and concentration was studied for different orientations. Spherical coordinates were used to evaluate the effect of changes in orientation under controlled conditions. Surface element integral method was used to calculate DLVO energy interactions between rough particles at specific orientations. The DLVO energy results show that a change in orientation significantly affected the stability of the nanoparticles. The stability of dispersion varied as the contact surface between nanoparticles changed.     

Hamaker 2: A Toolkit for the Calculation of Particle Interactions and Suspension Stability and its Application to Mullite Synthesis by Colloidal Methods

For modern processing of ceramics at the nanoscale, the influence of interparticle interactions in the suspended state becomes increasingly important. The Hamaker 2 program has been developed for the rapid prediction of these interactions, allowing us to gain important understanding of the often delicate balance of forces in ceramic powder suspensions. This article discusses the theoretical foundation of the implemented models and shows the benefit of this predictive approach applied to mullite production by colloidal methods.     

影响高浓度氧化石墨烯分散液流变行为的重要因素及群体平衡动力学分析

氧化石墨烯(GO)片的基面和边缘上存在大量的含氧官能团,能很好地分散在水中,因而具有很好的加工性和广阔的应用前景。在较高浓度范围下,GO水分散液中存在着强烈的竞争性相互作用,从而对流变行为产生较大影响。在本文中,通过稳态、动态等流变实验以及理论分析,研究了pH值、温度和不同的有机溶剂对GO分散液流变行为的影响。结果表明,降低pH值、适当增加温度以及加入吡啶均可促进GO水分散液从粘弹性液体到凝胶态的转变。利用DLVO (Deryagin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek)理论,探讨了GO片之间的范德华作用力以及双电层排斥作用的相互关系,及其对流变性能的影响。通过群体平衡模型(PBE)分析了GO分散液的屈服应力与体积分数的正相关关系。同时,通过蠕变和松弛实验发现,高浓度的GO分散液中结构变化及流变行为在很多方面与高聚物相似,利用Poyting-Thomson模型能较好地拟合其粘弹性行为。上述研究结果为深入研究复杂的GO分散体系提供理论支撑和实验依据。     

Electrophoretic mobility and stability of SiO2 nanoparticles in the solutions of AOT in n-hexadecane-chloroform mixtures

Electrophoretic mobility of SiO₂ nanoparticles in a n-hexadecane-chloroform mixture depending on AOT concentration and chloroform content was determined. It was shown that an increase in chloroform content and a decrease in AOT concentration cause a growth in electrophoretic mobility. The use of the values of Debye lengths (characteristic thickness) of the diffuse part of the electric double layer (EDL) that were determined previously allowed us to calculate the electrokinetic potential and to evaluate the stability of organosols. The obtained data were in good correlation with the dynamics of temporal changes of hydrodynamic radius and the intensity of light scattering. Organosols may be used for heteroaggregation (sorption) of Au and Ag nanoparticles on SiO₂.     

Quantification of particle-bubble interactions using atomic force microscopy: A review

The attachment of particles to bubbles in solution is of fundamental importance to several industrial processes, most notably in the process of froth flotation. During this process hydrophobic particles attach to air bubbles in solution, which allows them to be separated as froth at the surface. The addition of chemicals can help to modulate these interactions to increase the yield of the minerals of interest. Over the past decade the atomic force microscope (AFM) has been adapted for use in studying the forces involved in the attachment of single particles to bubbles in the laboratory. This allows the measurement of actual DLVO (Derjaguin, Landau, Vervey and Overbeek) forces and adhesive contacts to be measured under different conditions. In addition contact angles may be calculated from features of force versus distance curves. It is the purpose of this article to illustrate how the colloid probe technique can be used to make single particle-bubble interactions and to summarise the current literature describing such experiments.     

Application of the extended DLVO theory—the stability of alatrofloxacin mesylate solutions

Electrophoretic mobility and contact angle measurements have been made on alatrofloxacin mesylate and its formulations which were protected from or exposed to light, and its degradation product compound (F). In aqueous solution, the light-protected alatrofloxacin mesylate had a zeta-potential of +19 mV, a negligible electron-acceptor (γ_i⁺) surface tension parameter and an electron-donor surface tension parameter γ_i⁻=32.5 mJ m⁻², which was higher than that of water. This caused the particles to be very hydrophilic and to form very stable suspensions in aqueous solution due, mainly, to a net Lewis acid–base (polar) repulsion. After the suspensions were exposed to light, the zeta-potential of the degradation product increassed to +37.8 mV, but the electron-donor surface tension parameter decreased to γ_i⁻=8 mJ m⁻², making the molecules or particles very hydrophobic and causing them to flocculate. The energies of attraction in the latter case were mainly hydrophobic (90%) with about 10% resulting from van der Waals forces.     

Lactic acid bacteria in dairy food: Surface characterization and interactions with food matrix components

This review gives an overview of the importance of interactions occurring in dairy matrices between Lactic Acid Bacteria and milk components. Dairy products are important sources of biological active compounds of particular relevance to human health. These compounds include immunoglobulins, whey proteins and peptides, polar lipids, and lactic acid bacteria including probiotics. A better understanding of interactions between bioactive components and their delivery matrix may successfully improve their transport to their target site of action. Pioneering research on probiotic lactic acid bacteria has mainly focused on their host effects. However, very little is known about their interaction with dairy ingredients. Such knowledge could contribute to designing new and more efficient dairy food, and to better understand relationships between milk constituents. The purpose of this review is first to provide an overview of the current knowledge about the biomolecules produced on bacterial surface and the composition of the dairy matter. In order to understand how bacteria interact with dairy molecules, adhesion mechanisms are subsequently reviewed with a special focus on the environmental conditions affecting bacterial adhesion. Methods dedicated to investigate the bacterial surface and to decipher interactions between bacteria and abiotic dairy components are also detailed. Finally, relevant industrial implications of these interactions are presented and discussed.     

Electrophoresis and stability of nano-colloids: History,theory and experimental examples

The paper contains an extended historical overview of research activities focused on determining interfacial potential and charge of dispersed particles from electrophoretic and coagulation dynamic measurements. Particular attention is paid to nano-suspensions for which application of Standard Electrokinetic Model (SEM) to analysis of experimental data encounters difficulties, especially, when the solutions contain more than two ions, the particle charge depends on the solution composition and zeta-potentials are high. Detailed statements of Standard Electrokinetic and DLVO Models are given in the forms that are capable of addressing electrophoresis and interaction of particles for arbitrary ratios of the particle to Debye radius, interfacial potentials and electrolyte compositions. The experimental part of the study consists of two groups of measurements conducted for Pt/C nano-suspensions, namely, the electrophoretic and coagulation dynamic studies, with various electrolyte compositions. The obtained experimental data are processed by using numerical algorithms based on the formulated models for obtaining interfacial potential and charge. While analyzing the dependencies of interfacial potential and charge on the electrolyte compositions, conclusions are made regarding the mechanisms of charge formation. It is established that the behavior of system stability is in a qualitative agreement with the results computed from the electrophoretic data. The verification of quantitative applicability of the employed models is conducted by calculating the Hamaker constant from experimental data. It is proposed how to explain the observed variations of predicted Hamaker constant and its unusually high value.     

Effect of size and charge on ordering of a highly charged concentrated macroions in suspension

An efficient fast Fourier transform method has been employed to determine correlation function [g(r*)] using the structure factor [S(Q*)] calculated with the rescaled mean spherical approximation (RMSA) and the DLVO potential. Based on this function a parametric (size and charge) study of the ordering in a highly charged and concentrated macroions (an ideal colloid) has been made. The strength of the correlation increases with the increase in the charge on macroions and it saturates after acertain value. Similarly, a critical diameter of the particle depending on the charge on it has been found at which normal feature of the ordering disappears.