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1.
Polymers (Basel) ; 16(10)2024 May 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38794550

ABSTRACT

The dilational modulus (E) of polymer films has been commonly measured using the oscillating ring/bubble/drop methods with an external force, and often without specifying the state of the adsorbed film. This study explores an approach where E was determined from the relaxations of surface tension (ST) and surface area (SA) of natural perturbations, in which ST and SA were monitored using a pendant bubble tensiometer. The E of the adsorbed film of PAA (polyacrylic acid) was evaluated for aqueous solutions at CPAA = 5 × 10-4 g/cm3, [MW = 5, 25, and 250 (kDa)]. The E (=dγ/dlnA) was estimated from the surface dilational rate (dlnA/dt) and the rate of ST change (dγ/dt) of the bubble surface from the natural perturbation caused by minute variations in ambient temperature. The data revealed that (i) a considerable time is required to reach the equilibrium-ST (γeq) and to attain the saturated dilational modulus (Esat) of the adsorbed PAA film, (ii) both γeq and Esat of PAA solutions increase with MW of PAA, (iii) a lower MW solution requires a longer time to reach its γeq and Esat, and (iv) this approach is workable for evaluating the E of adsorbed polymer films.

2.
Cell Rep Methods ; 4(5): 100774, 2024 May 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38749444

ABSTRACT

We present methods for making and testing the membrane biophysics of model lipid droplets (LDs). Methods are described for imaging LDs ranging in size from 0.1 to 40 µm in diameter with high-resolution microscopy and spectroscopy. With known LD compositions, membrane binding, sorting, diffusion, and tension were measured via fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and imaging flow cytometry. Additionally, a custom, small-volume pendant droplet tensiometer is described and used to measure the association of phospholipids to the LD surface. These complementary, cross-validating methods of measuring LD membrane behavior reveal the interplay of biophysical processes on lipid droplet monolayers.


Subject(s)
Lipid Droplets , Lipid Droplets/metabolism , Lipid Droplets/chemistry , Microscopy, Atomic Force/methods , Microscopy, Fluorescence/methods , Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching/methods , Humans , Flow Cytometry/methods , Spectrometry, Fluorescence/methods
3.
Materials (Basel) ; 17(8)2024 Apr 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38673163

ABSTRACT

The presence of alkaline earth cations, in particular, Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions in brine, causes undesired effects in solutions containing anionic surfactants because of precipitate formation. In the present study, an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), was investigated, focusing on the determination of various properties (surface tension, critical micelle concentration, micelle size, turbidity) in the presence of alcohols and, in particular, the inhibition of the precipitation of SDS with calcium ions. The calcium ions were added to the surfactant in increasing concentrations (3.0-10.0 g/L), and short-carbon-chain alcohols (methanol, ethanol, n-propanol and n-butanol) were used to shift the onset of precipitate formation. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of SDS in the presence of alcohols was also determined. It was established that among these alcohols, methanol and ethanol did not exert significant effects on the solubility of the Ca(DS)2 precipitate, while n-propanol and n-butanol were found to be much more efficient inhibitors. In addition, all the alcohols in the applied concentration range (up to 20 V/V%) were found to decrease the critical micelle concentration of SDS.

4.
Adv Colloid Interface Sci ; 326: 103138, 2024 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38522289

ABSTRACT

This review focuses on the current understanding regarding lipid crystallisation at oil-water interfaces. The main aspects of crystallisation in bulk lipids will be introduced, allowing for a more comprehensive overview of the crystallisation processes within emulsions. Additionally, the properties of an emulsion and the impact of lipid crystallisation on emulsion stability will be discussed. The effect of different emulsifiers on lipid crystallisation at oil-water interfaces will also be reviewed, however, this will be limited to their impact on the interfacial crystallisation of monoglycerides and diglycerides. The final part of the review highlights the recent methodologies used to study crystallisation at oil-water interfaces.

5.
J Colloid Interface Sci ; 665: 1091-1101, 2024 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38548506

ABSTRACT

HYPOTHESIS: Understanding and manipulating the oil/water interface is important across various industries, including food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and detergents. Many of these processes occur under elevated pH conditions in buffer systems, where base-catalyzed hydrolysis of triglyceride ester bonds leads to amphiphilic reaction products such as fatty acids. EXPERIMENTS: Here, pH-triggered alterations of the triolein/water interface are analyzed in the presence of phosphate (PB) and tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (TRIS). Ellipsometry at the liquid/liquid interface, tensiometry, and scanning small angle X-ray scattering are used to study the formation of structures at the oil/water interface. Confocal Raman microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and in silico modeling analyze compositional changes in the interfacial region. FINDINGS: pH and buffer ions were discovered to significantly modify the triglyceride/water interface, contrary to the decane/water control. Decreasing interfacial tensions from 32.4 to 2.2 mN/m upon pH increase from 6.5 to 9.5 is seen with multilamellar interfacial layers forming at pH around 9.0 in the presence of TRIS. Oleic acid from triolein hydrolysis and its further interaction with TRIS is held responsible for this. The new understanding can guide the design of pH- and ion-responsive functional materials and optimize industrial processes involving triglyceride/water interfaces.

6.
J Colloid Interface Sci ; 660: 52-65, 2024 Apr 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38241871

ABSTRACT

HYPOTHESIS: Protein molecules adsorb on the air/liquid interface due to possessing a hydrophobic side. A full surface coverage is important in many processes such as in protein harvesting by foam fractionation. The adsorption of proteins in low concentration solutions is preceded by a relatively long time lag known as the induction period. This has been attributed to the formation of an adsorbed monolayer, which relies on the reorientation of the protein molecules. The reduction of the induction period can significantly facilitate the sorption process to reach full protein coverage. For this purpose acoustically induced non-spherical bubble oscillations can aid in the formation of the monolayer and enhance the sorption process. EXPERIMENT: In this study, low frequency ultrasound was used to induce non-spherical oscillations on an air bubble attached to a capillary. Profile analysis tensiometry was deployed to examine the effect of these non-spherical oscillations on the sorption dynamics of different proteins. FINDINGS: We observed that during the initial stages of adsorption, when the bubble surface is almost empty, non-spherical oscillations occur, which were found to significantly expedite the adsorption process. However, during later stages of the adsorption process, despite the continued presence of several sonication phenomena such as the primary radiation force and acoustic streaming, no change in adsorption behavior of the proteins could be noted. The occurrence, duration, and intensity of the non-spherical bubble oscillations appeared to be the sole contributing factors for the change of the sorption dynamics of proteins.


Subject(s)
Proteins , Ultrasonics , Proteins/chemistry
7.
Foot Ankle Int ; 44(12): 1295-1304, 2023 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37924256

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The clinically relevant healing process of a ruptured and repaired Achilles tendon (AT) can last more than a year. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to test if shear wave tensiometry is able to detect AT loading changes between a surgically managed AT rupture versus the unaffected contralateral tendon. Our secondary aims were to evaluate differences in mechanical properties when measured with myotonometry and morphological properties of the tendons measured with ultrasonographic imaging. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with surgically treated AT ruptures were investigated 12-37 months after surgery. Tendon load was measured using a shear wave tensiometer composed of an array of 4 accelerometers fixed on the tendon. Shear wave speed along the Achilles tendon was evaluated at different levels of ankle torque for both the operated and the unaffected side. Mechanical properties of the tendons were evaluated using MyotonPRO and morphological properties using ultrasonographic imaging. Friedman test was used to assess differences in AT wave speed, stiffness, thickness, and cross-sectional area between the operated and the unaffected tendon. RESULTS: We found a significant shear wave speed difference between sides at every ankle joint torque (P < .05) with a large effect size for the lowest ankle torque and small to medium effect sizes for higher ankle torque. Stiffness, thickness, and cross-sectional area of the operated tendon remained significantly higher compared to the unaffected side. CONCLUSION: In this cohort, we found that shear wave tensiometry can detect differences between operated and unaffected AT during a standardized loading procedure. The shear wave speed along the operated tendon, as well as the mechanical and morphologic properties, remains higher for 1-3 years after a rupture. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, case-control study.


Subject(s)
Achilles Tendon , Tendon Injuries , Humans , Achilles Tendon/surgery , Achilles Tendon/diagnostic imaging , Case-Control Studies , Cross-Sectional Studies , Ankle , Ultrasonography , Tendon Injuries/diagnostic imaging , Tendon Injuries/surgery , Rupture/surgery
8.
Gels ; 9(10)2023 Oct 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37888376

ABSTRACT

Phospholipids (PLs) are widely used in the pharma industry and a better understanding of their behavior under different conditions is helpful for applications such as their use as medical transporters. The transition temperature Tm affects the lipid conformation and the interfacial tension between perfluoroperhydrophenanthrene (PFP) and an aqueous suspension of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DSPC), as well as a mixture of these PLs with cholesterol. Interfacial tensions were measured with the Du Noüy ring at quasi-equilibrium; the area per molecule was calculated according to the Gibbsian approach and a time-dependent tension gradient. Results show that the time tε to reach quasi-equilibrium was shorter when the temperature was above Tm, indicating a faster adsorption process (tε,DPPC,36 °C = 48 h, tε,DPPC,48 °C = 24 h) for PL in the liquid crystalline state than in the gel state (T < Tm). In addition, concentration-dependent results of the interfacial tension revealed that above the respective Tm and at all concentrations c > 0.1 mM, the average minimum interfacial tension for DPPC and DSPC (14.1 mN/m and 15.3 mN/m) does not differ significantly between those two lipids. Equilibrium between monolayers and bilayers shows that for T < Tm, surface pressures ∏ ≈ 31 mN/m are reached while for T > Tm, ∏ ≈ 41 mN/m. Mixtures with cholesterol only reach ∏ ≤ 31 mN/m Tm, with no significant difference between the two PLs. The higher interfacial tension of the mixture indicates stabilization of the liposomal conformation in the aqueous phase by the addition of cholesterol. The high diffusion coefficients show that adsorption is mainly based on liposomes.

9.
JPhys Mater ; 6(4): 045009, 2023 Oct 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37881171

ABSTRACT

Pendant drops of oxide-coated high-surface tension fluids frequently produce perturbed shapes that impede interfacial studies. Eutectic gallium indium or Galinstan are high-surface tension fluids coated with a ∼5 nm gallium oxide (Ga2O3) film and falls under this fluid classification, also known as liquid metals (LMs). The recent emergence of LM-based applications often cannot proceed without analyzing interfacial energetics in different environments. While numerous techniques are available in the literature for interfacial studies- pendant droplet-based analyses are the simplest. However, the perturbed shape of the pendant drops due to the presence of surface oxide has been ignored frequently as a source of error. Also, exploratory investigations of surface oxide leveraging oscillatory pendant droplets have remained untapped. We address both challenges and present two contributing novelties- (a) by utilizing the machine learning (ML) technique, we predict the approximate surface tension value of perturbed pendant droplets, (ii) by leveraging the oscillation-induced bubble tensiometry method, we study the dynamic elastic modulus of the oxide-coated LM droplets. We have created our dataset from LM's pendant drop shape parameters and trained different models for comparison. We have achieved >99% accuracy with all models and added versatility to work with other fluids. The best-performing model was leveraged further to predict the approximate values of the nonaxisymmetric LM droplets. Then, we analyzed LM's elastic and viscous moduli in air, harnessing oscillation-induced pendant droplets, which provides complementary opportunities for interfacial studies alternative to expensive rheometers. We believe it will enable more fundamental studies of the oxide layer on LM, leveraging both symmetric and perturbed droplets. Our study broadens the materials science horizon, where researchers from ML and artificial intelligence domains can work synergistically to solve more complex problems related to surface science, interfacial studies, and other studies relevant to LM-based systems.

10.
Surg Endosc ; 37(12): 9347-9350, 2023 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37640951

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Tension-free abdominal closure is a primary tenet of laparotomy. But this concept neglects the baseline tension of the abdominal wall. Ideally, abdominal closure should be tailored to restore native physiologic tension. We sought to quantify the tension needed to re-establish the linea alba in patients undergoing exploratory laparotomy. METHODS: Patients without ventral hernias undergoing laparotomy at a single institution were enrolled from December 2021 to September 2022. Patients who had undergone prior laparotomy were included. Exclusion criteria included prior incisional hernia repair, presence of an ostomy, large-volume ascites, and large intra-abdominal tumors. After laparotomy, a sterilizable tensiometer measured the quantitative tension needed to bring the fascial edge to the midline. Outcomes included the force needed to bring the fascial edge to the midline and the association of BMI, incision length, and prior lateral incisions on abdominal wall tension. RESULTS: This study included 86 patients, for a total of 172 measurements (right and left for each patient). Median patient BMI was 26.4 kg/m2 (IQR 22.9;31.5), and median incision length was 17.0 cm (IQR 14;20). Mean tension needed to bring the myofascial edge to the midline was 0.97 lbs. (SD 1.03). Mixed-effect multivariable regression modeling found that increasing BMI and greater incision length were associated with higher abdominal wall tension (coefficient 0.04, 95% CI [0.01,0.07]; p = 0.004, coefficient 0.04, 95% CI [0.01,0.07]; p = 0.006, respectively). CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing laparotomy, the tension needed to re-establish the linea alba is approximately 1.94 lbs. A quantitative understanding of baseline abdominal wall tension may help surgeons tailor abdominal closure in complex scenarios, including ventral hernia repairs and open or burst abdomens.


Subject(s)
Abdominal Wall , Hernia, Ventral , Surgical Wound , Humans , Abdominal Wall/surgery , Hernia, Ventral/surgery , Abdominal Muscles/surgery , Laparotomy , Fascia
11.
J Biomech ; 157: 111699, 2023 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37429177

ABSTRACT

Shear wave tensiometry is a noninvasive technique for measuring tendon loading during activity based on the speed of a shear wave traveling along the tendon. Shear wave speed has been shown to modulate with axial stress, but calibration is required to obtain absolute measures of tendon loading. However, the current technique only makes use of wave speed, whereas other characteristics of the wave (e.g., amplitude, frequency content) may also vary with tendon loading. It is possible that these data could be used in addition to wave speed to circumvent the need for calibration. Given the potential complex relationships to tendon loading, and the lack of an analytical model to guide the use of these data, it is sensible to use a machine learning approach. Here, we used an ensemble neural network approach to predict inverse dynamics estimates of Achilles tendon stress from shear wave tensiometry data collected in a prior study. Neural network-predicted stresses were highly correlated with stance phase inverse dynamics estimates for walking (R2 = 0.89 ± 0.06) and running (R2 = 0.87 ± 0.11) data reserved for neural network model testing and not included in model training. Additionally, error between neural network-predicted and inverse dynamics-estimated stress was reasonable (walking: RMSD = 11 ± 2% of peak load; running: 25 ± 14%). Results of this pilot analysis suggest that a machine learning approach could reduce the reliance of shear wave tensiometry on calibration and expand its usability in many settings.


Subject(s)
Achilles Tendon , Running , Biomechanical Phenomena , Walking , Neural Networks, Computer
12.
Int J Mol Sci ; 24(3)2023 Feb 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36769129

ABSTRACT

Biomedical applications of nanoparticles require a fundamental understanding of their interactions and behavior with biological interfaces. Protein corona formation can alter the morphology and properties of nanomaterials, and knowledge of the interfacial behavior of the complexes, using in situ analytical techniques, will impact the development of nanocarriers to maximize uptake and permeability at cellular interfaces. In this study we evaluate the interactions of acrylamide-based nanogels, with neutral, positive, and negative charges, with serum-abundant proteins albumin, fibrinogen, and immunoglobulin G. The formation of a protein corona complex between positively charged nanoparticles and albumin is characterized by dynamic light scattering, circular dichroism, and surface tensiometry; we use neutron reflectometry to resolve the complex structure at the air/water interface and demonstrate the effect of increased protein concentration on the interface. Surface tensiometry data suggest that the structure of the proteins can impact the interfacial properties of the complex formed. These results contribute to the understanding of the factors that influence the bio-nano interface, which will help to design nanomaterials with improved properties for applications in drug delivery.


Subject(s)
Nanoparticles , Protein Corona , Protein Corona/chemistry , Nanogels , Water/chemistry , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Polymers , Albumins , Surface Properties
13.
Adv Colloid Interface Sci ; 312: 102844, 2023 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36708604

ABSTRACT

Surfactants are employed in microfluidic systems not just for drop stabilisation, but also to study local phenomena in industrial processes. On the scale of a single drop, these include foaming, emulsification and stability of foams and emulsions using statistically significant ensembles of bubbles or drops respectively. In addition, surfactants are often a part of a formulation in microfluidic drop reactors. In all these applications, surfactant dynamics play a crucial role and need to be accounted for. In this review, the effect of surfactant dynamics is considered on the level of standard microfluidic operations: drop formation, movement in channels and coalescence, but also on a more general level, considering the mechanisms controlling surfactant adsorption on time- and length-scales characteristic of microfluidics. Some examples of relevant calculations are provided. The advantages and challenges of the use of microfluidics to measure dynamic interfacial tension at short time-scales are discussed.

14.
J Orthop Res ; 41(3): 524-533, 2023 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35716160

ABSTRACT

Surgeons routinely perform incremental releases on overly tight ligaments during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) to reduce ligament tension and achieve their desired implant alignment. However, current methods to assess whether the surgeon achieved their desired reduction in the tension of a released ligament are subjective and/or do not provide a quantitative metric of tension in an individual ligament. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to determine whether shear wave tensiometry, a novel method to assess tension in individual ligaments based on the speed of shear wave propagation, can detect changes in ligament tension following incremental releases. In seven medial and eight lateral collateral porcine ligaments (MCL and LCL, respectively), we measured shear wave speeds and ligament tensions before and after incremental releases consisting of punctures with an 18-gauge needle. We found that shear wave speed squared decreased linearly with decreasing tension in both the MCL (average coefficient of determination (R2 avg ) = 0.76) and LCL (R2 avg = 0.94). We determined that errors in predicting tension following incremental releases were 26.2 and 14.2 N in the MCL and LCL, respectively, using ligament-specific calibrations. These results suggest shear wave tensiometry is a promising method to objectively measure the tension reduction in released structures. Clinical Significance: Direct, objective measurements of the tension changes in individual ligaments following release could enhance surgical precision during soft tissue balancing in total knee arthroplasty. Thus, shear wave tensiometry could help surgeons reduce the risk of poor outcomes associated with overly tight ligaments, including residual knee pain and stiffness.


Subject(s)
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee , Collateral Ligaments , Knee Prosthesis , Humans , Animals , Swine , Knee Joint/surgery , Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/methods , Knee/surgery , Range of Motion, Articular , Biomechanical Phenomena
15.
J Lipid Res ; 64(2): 100319, 2023 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36525992

ABSTRACT

Population studies have found that a natural human apoA-I variant, apoA-I[K107del], is strongly associated with low HDL-C but normal plasma apoA-I levels. We aimed to reveal properties of this variant that contribute to its unusual phenotype associated with atherosclerosis. Our oil-drop tensiometry studies revealed that compared to WT, recombinant apoA-I[K107del] adsorbed to surfaces of POPC-coated triolein drops at faster rates, remodeled the surfaces to a greater extent, and was ejected from the surfaces at higher surface pressures on compression of the lipid drops. These properties may drive increased binding of apoA-I[K107del] to and its better retention on large triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, thereby increasing the variant's content on these lipoproteins. While K107del did not affect apoA-I capacity to promote ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux from J774 cells, it impaired the biogenesis of large nascent HDL particles resulting in the formation of predominantly smaller nascent HDL. Size-exclusion chromatography of spontaneously reconstituted 1,2-dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine-apoA-I complexes showed that apoA-I[K107del] had a hampered ability to form larger complexes but formed efficiently smaller-sized complexes. CD analysis revealed a reduced ability of apoA-I[K107del] to increase α-helical structure on binding to 1,2-dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine or in the presence of trifluoroethanol. This property may hinder the formation of large apoA-I[K107del]-containing discoidal and spherical HDL but not smaller HDL. Both factors, the increased content of apoA-I[K107del] on triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and the impaired ability of the variant to stabilize large HDL particles resulting in reduced lipid:protein ratios in HDL, may contribute to normal plasma apoA-I levels along with low HDL-C and increased risk for CVD.


Subject(s)
Apolipoprotein A-I , High-Density Lipoproteins, Pre-beta , Humans , Apolipoprotein A-I/metabolism , Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine , Lipoproteins/metabolism , Triglycerides , Mutation
16.
Micromachines (Basel) ; 15(1)2023 Dec 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38258151

ABSTRACT

Shear wave tensiometry is a noninvasive method for directly measuring wave speed as a proxy for force in tendons during dynamic activities. Traditionally, tensiometry has used broadband excitation pulses and measured the wave travel time between two sensors. In this work, we demonstrate a new method for tracking phase velocity using shaped excitations and measurements from a single sensor. We observed modulation of phase velocity in the Achilles tendon that was generally consistent with wave speed measures obtained via broadband excitation. We also noted a frequency dependence of phase velocity, which is expected for dispersive soft tissues. The implementation of this method could enhance the use of noninvasive wave speed measures to characterize tendon forces. Further, the approach allows for the design of smaller shear wave tensiometers usable for a broader range of tendons and applications.

17.
Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces ; 220: 112933, 2022 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36279762

ABSTRACT

The rapid and preferential adsorption of a gastric lipase recombinant dog gastric lipase (rDGL) in heterogeneous films of phospholipids and triacylglycerols has previously been unveiled using Langmuir films analyzed by tensiometry, ellipsometry and Langmuir-Blodgett transfer coupled to atomic force microscopy. Here we invest the adsorption behavior of rDGL in heterogeneous galactolipid and mixed galactolipid-phospholipid or galactolipid-phospholipid-phytosterol films representative of plant membrane. Again rDGL, preferentially got adsorbed at the expanded lipid phases of the films underlining the genericity of such adsorption behavior. The addition of phytosterols to these mixtures resulted in the creation of defects, favoring the adsorption of rDGL at the fluid phases, but also improving the adsorption capacities of the lipase at the phase boundaries and towards the defects in the condensed phase. rDGL, like all gastric lipases, does not show any activity on galactolipids and phospholipids but its adsorption impacts their lateral organization and may change the adsorption and activity of other lipolytic enzymes in the course of digestion.


Subject(s)
Galactolipids , Phytosterols , Dogs , Animals , Adsorption , Phospholipids , Lipase , Surface Properties
18.
Musculoskelet Sci Pract ; 62: 102665, 2022 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36122485

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Shear wave tensiometry is a recent promising technology which can be used to evaluate tendon loading. Knowing the clinimetric features (e.g., reliability) of this technology is important for use in clinical and research settings. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the inter-session reliability of a novel shear wave tensiometer for the assessment of Achilles tendon loading. A further aim was to test the construct validity of this device by evaluating its precision in detecting Achilles tendon loading changes induced by a plantar flexor isometric contraction of increasing intensity. METHOD: Ten healthy participants were recruited. Five measurements were performed at different time points to evaluate inter-session reliability. Shear wave speed along the Achilles tendon was evaluated during different isometric contractions using a shear wave tensiometer composed of an array of four accelerometers fixed on the tendon, ranging from 4 to 8.5 cm from the calcaneal insertion of the tendon. Test-retest, intra- and inter-session reliability were determined using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC3.1). Absolute reliability was calculated using the standard error of measurement and minimal detectable change. RESULTS: Test-retest reliability was good to excellent (ICC3.1 0.87-0.99) for each of the contraction levels examined. Intra-session reliability was good to excellent (ICC3.1 0.85-0.96) and inter-session reliability was also good to excellent (ICC3.1 0.75-0.93) for each of the contraction levels. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the reliability of this novel device. Future studies analyzing participants with Achilles tendinopathy are needed to evaluate the capability of shear wave tensiometry to detect transient changes in loading due to pathology.


Subject(s)
Achilles Tendon , Tendinopathy , Humans , Reproducibility of Results , Tendinopathy/diagnosis , Healthy Volunteers
19.
Biochim Biophys Acta Biomembr ; 1864(11): 184035, 2022 11 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35987463

ABSTRACT

Dehydrodieugenol, a neolignan isolated from the Brazilian plant Nectandra leucantha (Lauraceae) with reported antiprotozoal and anticancer activity, was incorporated in Langmuir monolayers of selected lipids as cell membrane models, aiming to comprehend its action mechanism at the molecular level. The interaction of this compound with the lipids dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE), dipalmitoylphosphatidylserine (DPPS), and dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol (DPPG) was inferred through tensiometry, infrared spectroscopy, and Brewster angle microscopy. The interactions had different effects depending on the chemical nature of the lipid polar head, with expansion for DPPC monolayers, condensation for DPPE, and expansion (at low surface pressures) followed by the overlap of the isotherms (at high surface pressure values) for DPPS and DPPG. Effects caused by dehydrodieugenol in the negatively charged lipids were distinctive, which was also reflected in the hysteresis assays, surface potential-area isotherms, and rheological measurements. Infrared spectroscopy indicated that the drug interaction with the monolayer affects not only the polar groups, but also the acyl lipid chains for all lipids. These results pointed to the fact that the interaction of the drug with lipid monolayers at the air-water interface is modulated by the lipid composition, mainly considering the polar head of the lipids, as well as the hydrophobicity of the lipids and the drug. As negatively charged lipids pointed to distinctive interaction, we believe this can be related to the antiprotozoal and anticancer properties of the compound.


Subject(s)
Lauraceae , Lignans , Cell Membrane/chemistry , Eugenol/analogs & derivatives , Eugenol/analysis , Lignans/analysis
20.
Polymers (Basel) ; 14(14)2022 Jul 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35890621

ABSTRACT

The study of the viscoelastic properties of polymer systems containing huge internal two-dimensional interfacial areas, such as blends, foams and multilayer films, is of growing interest and plays a significant role in a variety of industrial fields. Hence, interfacial rheology can represent a powerful tool to directly investigate these complex polymer-polymer interfaces. First, the current review summarizes the theoretical basics and fundamentals of interfacial shear rheology. Particular attention has been devoted to the double-wall ring (DWR), bicone, Du Noüy ring and oscillating needle (ISR) systems. The measurement of surface and interfacial rheological properties requires a consideration of the relative contributions of the surface stress arising from the bulk sub-phases. Here, the experimental procedures and methodologies used to correct the numerical data are described considering the viscoelastic nature of the interface. Second, the interfacial dilational rheology is discussed, starting with the theory and underlying principles. In particular, the Langmuir trough method, the oscillating spinning drop technique and the oscillating pendant drop technique are investigated. The major pioneering studies and latest innovations dedicated to interfacial rheology in both shear and dilatation-compression are highlighted. Finally, the major challenges and limits related to the development of high-temperature interfacial rheology at the molten state are presented. The latter shows great potential for assessing the interfaces of polymer systems encountered in many high-value applications.

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