A new method is presented to quantitatively estimate and graphically display the propensity of nonpolar groups to bind at the surface of proteins. It is based on the calculation of the binding energy, i.e., van der Waals interaction plus protein electrostatic desolvation, of a nonpolar probe sphere rolled over the protein surface, and on the color coding of this quantity on a smooth molecular s...

Growth of encapsulated (K+) and nonencapsulated (K-) Klebsiella pneumoniae strains in media containing sub-MICs of either cefuroxime or ciprofloxacin resulted in cell elongation but had little effect on the outer membrane protein or lipopolysaccharide profiles. Exposure to serum complement increased the surface hydrophobicity of a K- strain but failed to interact or to increase the surface hydr...

The role of cell and surface hydrophobicity in the adherence of the waterborne bacterium Mycobacterium smegmatis to nanostructures and biofilm formation was investigated. Carbon nanostructures (CNs) were synthesized using a flame reactor and deposited on stainless steel grids and foils, and on silicon wafers that had different initial surface hydrophobicities. Surface hydrophobicity was measure...

The cell surface hydrophobicity of micro-organisms is a characteristic that has been associated with the colonization of mammalian epithelia and with their capacity to induce diseases. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland that affects the immune response mechanism. This study investigated, as an expression of the virulence of Neisseria meningitidis, how its hydrophobic characteri...

Some properties of compounds in degrading bacteria are required for biodegradation of contaminants to higher performance. Those strains which have a high percentage of these features are more effective at biodegradation. The present experiments were designed to measure these parameters. In this study, measurement of cell surface hydrophobic-degrading bacteria was designed which oil was separate...

Fermentor-stabilized activated sludge from an industrial beverage bottling plant was grown on three different food sources: normal plant wastewater, plant wastewater containing high sucrose concentrations, and a synthetic glucose-based feed stock. Surface charge, hydrophobicity, and exopolysaccharide composition were measured on the stabilized bacterial flocs. Cell surface charge was measured b...

We describe the effect of electrode surface hydrophobicity on the electrochemical behavior and electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of Ru(bpy)3(2+) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridyl)/tripropylamine (TPrA) system. Gold and platinum electrodes were modified with different thiol monolayers. The hydrophobicity of the electrode surfaces changed with different terminal groups of the thiol molecules. The oxid...

Lipid modifications provide efficient targeting of oligonucleotides to live cell membranes in a range of applications. Targeting efficiency is a function of the rate of lipid DNA insertion into the cell surface and its persistence over time. Here we show that increasing lipid hydrophobicity increases membrane persistence, but decreases the rate of membrane insertion due to the formation of nonp...

We use atomistic computer simulation to explore the relationship between mesoscopic (liquid drop contact angle) and microscopic (surface atomic polarity) characteristics for water in contact with a model solid surface based on the structure of silica. We vary both the magnitude and direction of the solid surface polarity at the atomic scale and characterize the response of an aqueous interface ...

A process for the chemical modification of Chinese fir with alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) was studied. The hydrophobicity of the resulting products was evaluated by characterization of the equilibrium moisture content, water-surface contact angle, water absorption coefficient, and antiswelling efficiency. The results indicated that when 5% AKD solution was used, the modified wood generally showed go...