Matthew Fielden

Hydrophobisation of wood surfaces by combining liquid flame spray (LFS) and plasma treatment: dynamic wetting properties

Abstract The hydrophilic nature of wood surfaces is a major cause for water uptake and subsequent biological degradation and dimensional changes. In the present paper, a thin transparent superhydrophobic layer on pine veneer surfaces has been created for controlling surface wettability and water repellency. This effect was achieved by means of the liquid flame spray (LFS) technique, in the course of which the nanoparticulate titanium dioxide (TiO2) was brought to the surface, followed by plasma polymerisation. Plasma polymerised perfluorohexane (PFH) or hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) were then deposited onto the LFS-treated wood surfaces. The same treatment systems were applied to silicon wafers so as to have well-defined reference surfaces. The dynamic wettability was studied by the multicycle Wilhelmy plate (mWP) method, resulting in advancing and receding contact angles as well as sorption behavior of the samples during repeated wetting cycles in water. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to characterise the topography and surface chemical compositions and to elucidate the question how the morphology of the nanoparticles and plasma affect the wetting behavior. A multi-scale roughness (micro-nano roughness) was found and this enhanced the forced wetting durability via a superhydrophobic effect on the surface, which was stable even after repeated wetting cycles. The hydrophobic effect of this approach was higher compared to that of plasma modified surfaces with their micro-scale modification.

Experimental and computational assessment of F-actin influence in regulating cellular stiffness and relaxation behaviour of fibroblasts

In biomechanics, a complete understanding of the structures and mechanisms that regulate cellular stiffness at a molecular level remain elusive. In this paper, we have elucidated the role of filamentous actin (F-actin) in regulating elastic and viscous properties of the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Specifically, we performed colloidal-probe atomic force microscopy (AFM) on BjhTERT fibroblast cells incubated with Latrunculin B (LatB), which results in depolymerisation of F-actin, or DMSO control. We found that the treatment with LatB not only reduced cellular stiffness, but also greatly increased the relaxation rate for the cytoplasm in the peripheral region and in the vicinity of the nucleus. We thus conclude that F-actin is a major determinant in not only providing elastic stiffness to the cell, but also in regulating its viscous behaviour. To further investigate the interdependence of different cytoskeletal networks and cell shape, we provided a computational model in a finite element framework. The computational model is based on a split strain energy function of separate cellular constituents, here assumed to be cytoskeletal components, for which a composite strain energy function was defined. We found a significant influence of cell geometry on the predicted mechanical response. Importantly, the relaxation behaviour of the cell can be characterised by a material model with two time constants that have previously been found to predict mechanical behaviour of actin and intermediate filament networks. By merely tuning two effective stiffness parameters, the model predicts experimental results in cells with a partly depolymerised actin cytoskeleton as well as in untreated control. This indicates that actin and intermediate filament networks are instrumental in providing elastic stiffness in response to applied forces, as well as governing the relaxation behaviour over shorter and longer time-scales, respectively.

Friction Measurement Between Polyester Fibres Using the Fibre Probe SPM

An SPM has been used to measure frictional interactions between two crossed fibres for the first time. The preparation of the surfaces is briefly described, but the crucial element is that the fibr ...

Towards the mechanism of electrochemical activity and self-healing of 1 wt% PTSA doped polyaniline in alkyd composite polymer coating: combined AFM-based studies

A composite solvent-borne alkyd coating with 1 wt% p-toluene sulfonic acid (PTSA) doped polyaniline (PANI) was prepared. The mechanisms of electrochemical activity and self-healing properties of the composite coating were investigated by in situ atomic force microscopy (AFM), intermodulation AFM (ImAFM), electrochemical controlled (EC)-AFM combined with cyclic voltammetry (CV), Kelvin force microscopy (KFM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), as well as open-circuit potential (OCP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods. The ImAFM demonstrates the multiphase structure of the composite coating and a high compatibility between the doped PANI and alkyd matrix. The CV and EC-AFM results reveal a high electrochemical activity of the doped PANI in the composite coating as well as reversible redox reactions between the emeraldine salt (ES) and leuco emeraldine base (LB) forms. The Volta potential mapping of KFM demonstrates a strong self-healing ability of the doped PANI in air conditions. The good electrochemical connection between the fine network of PANI in the composite coating and metal surface underneath enable the occurrence of reversible redox reaction between the ES/LB forms of doped PANI and a concomitant release of dopant anions both in air and in 3 wt% NaCl solution as demonstrated by OCP and EIS results. These therefore lead to the strong passivation and self-healing effect of the composite coated on the carbon steel surface.

Wetting hysteresis induced by temperature changes: Supercooled water on hydrophobic surfaces.

The state and stability of supercooled water on (super)hydrophobic surfaces is crucial for low temperature applications and it will affect anti-icing and de-icing properties. Surface characteristics such as topography and chemistry are expected to affect wetting hysteresis during temperature cycling experiments, and also the freezing delay of supercooled water. We utilized stochastically rough wood surfaces that were further modified to render them hydrophobic or superhydrophobic. Liquid flame spraying (LFS) was utilized to create a multi-scale roughness by depositing titanium dioxide nanoparticles. The coating was subsequently made non-polar by applying a thin plasma polymer layer. As flat reference samples modified silica surfaces with similar chemistries were utilized. With these substrates we test the hypothesis that superhydrophobic surfaces also should retard ice formation. Wetting hysteresis was evaluated using contact angle measurements during a freeze-thaw cycle from room temperature to freezing occurrence at -7°C, and then back to room temperature. Further, the delay in freezing of supercooled water droplets was studied at temperatures of -4°C and -7°C. The hysteresis in contact angle observed during a cooling-heating cycle is found to be small on flat hydrophobic surfaces. However, significant changes in contact angles during a cooling-heating cycle are observed on the rough surfaces, with a higher contact angle observed on cooling compared to during the subsequent heating. Condensation and subsequent frost formation at sub-zero temperatures induce the hysteresis. The freezing delay data show that the flat surface is more efficient in enhancing the freezing delay than the rougher surfaces, which can be rationalized considering heterogeneous nucleation theory. Thus, our data suggests that molecular flat surfaces, rather than rough superhydrophobic surfaces, are beneficial for retarding ice formation under conditions that allow condensation and frost formation to occur.

RhoA knockout fibroblasts lose tumor-inhibitory capacity in vitro and promote tumor growth in vivo

Significance In order for cancer to develop, normal tumor-inhibitory fibroblasts need to change into tumor-promoting, cancer-associated fibroblasts. We created Ras homolog family member A (RhoA) gene knockout fibroblasts and found that even though these cells lacked common markers of classic cancer-associated fibroblasts, they had lost their normal tumor-inhibitory capacity and induced tumor-cell migration and proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. RhoA knock-out cells also showed an altered cytoskeleton, reduced contractile force, and induced stiffness of the fibroblasts. RhoA knockout also induced a loss of α-smooth muscle actin and an activated proinflammatory state, which was reflected by interference with a number of Rho signaling cascades. Our data indicate that RhoA is a key regulator of the switch from tumor-inhibitory to tumor-promoting fibroblasts. Fibroblasts are a main player in the tumor-inhibitory microenvironment. Upon tumor initiation and progression, fibroblasts can lose their tumor-inhibitory capacity and promote tumor growth. The molecular mechanisms that underlie this switch have not been defined completely. Previously, we identified four proteins overexpressed in cancer-associated fibroblasts and linked to Rho GTPase signaling. Here, we show that knocking out the Ras homolog family member A (RhoA) gene in normal fibroblasts decreased their tumor-inhibitory capacity, as judged by neighbor suppression in vitro and accompanied by promotion of tumor growth in vivo. This also induced PC3 cancer cell motility and increased colony size in 2D cultures. RhoA knockout in fibroblasts induced vimentin intermediate filament reorganization, accompanied by reduced contractile force and increased stiffness of cells. There was also loss of wide F-actin stress fibers and large focal adhesions. In addition, we observed a significant loss of α-smooth muscle actin, which indicates a difference between RhoA knockout fibroblasts and classic cancer-associated fibroblasts. In 3D collagen matrix, RhoA knockout reduced fibroblast branching and meshwork formation and resulted in more compactly clustered tumor-cell colonies in coculture with PC3 cells, which might boost tumor stem-like properties. Coculturing RhoA knockout fibroblasts and PC3 cells induced expression of proinflammatory genes in both. Inflammatory mediators may induce tumor cell stemness. Network enrichment analysis of transcriptomic changes, however, revealed that the Rho signaling pathway per se was significantly triggered only after coculturing with tumor cells. Taken together, our findings in vivo and in vitro indicate that Rho signaling governs the inhibitory effects by fibroblasts on tumor-cell growth.

Lubrication synergy: Mixture of hyaluronan and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) vesicles

Phospholipids and hyaluronan have been implied to fulfil important roles in synovial joint lubrication. Since both components are present in synovial fluid, self-assembly structures formed by them should also be present. We demonstrate by small angle X-ray scattering that hyaluronan associates with the outer shell of dipalmitoylphophatidylcholine (DPPC) vesicles in bulk solution. Further, we follow adsorption to silica from mixed hyaluronan/DPPC vesicle solution by Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation measurements. Atomic Force Microscope imaging visualises the adsorbed layer structure consisting of non-homogeneous phospholipid bilayer with hyaluronan/DPPC aggregates on top. The presence of these aggregates generates a long-range repulsive surface force as two such surfaces are brought together. However, the aggregates are easily deformed, partly rearranged into multilayer structures and partly removed from between the surfaces under high loads. These layers offer very low friction coefficient (<0.01), high load bearing capacity (≈23MPa), and self-healing ability. Surface bound DPPC/hyaluronan aggregates provide a means for accumulation of lubricating DPPC molecules on sliding surfaces.

Matrix stiffness controls lymphatic vessel formation through regulation of a GATA2-dependent transcriptional program

Tissue and vessel wall stiffening alters endothelial cell properties and contributes to vascular dysfunction. However, whether extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness impacts vascular development is not known. Here we show that matrix stiffness controls lymphatic vascular morphogenesis. Atomic force microscopy measurements in mouse embryos reveal that venous lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) progenitors experience a decrease in substrate stiffness upon migration out of the cardinal vein, which induces a GATA2-dependent transcriptional program required to form the first lymphatic vessels. Transcriptome analysis shows that LECs grown on a soft matrix exhibit increased GATA2 expression and a GATA2-dependent upregulation of genes involved in cell migration and lymphangiogenesis, including VEGFR3. Analyses of mouse models demonstrate a cell-autonomous function of GATA2 in regulating LEC responsiveness to VEGF-C and in controlling LEC migration and sprouting in vivo. Our study thus uncovers a mechanism by which ECM stiffness dictates the migratory behavior of LECs during early lymphatic development.Mechanical cues are known to influence endothelial cell behavior. Here Frye et al. show that lymphatic endothelial cell progenitors experience varying degrees of matrix stiffness during development, and that matrix stiffness regulates GATA2 expression to drive lymphatic vessel formation.