Cancer metastasis results from the suppression of adhesion between cancer cells and the extracellular matrix, causing their migration from the primary tumor location and the subsequent formation of tumors in distant organs. This study demonstrates the potential use of nano-sized clay mineral particles to modulate adhesions between tumor cells and with the surrounding extracellular matrix. Atomic force microscopy studies of live cell cultures reveal a significant increase in adhesion between tumor cells and their environment after treatment with different types of electrically charged clay nanoparticles. The enhancement of adhesion among cancer cells was further confirmed through scratch type of wound healing assay studies. To provide insight into the adhesion mechanisms introduced by the clay nanoparticles, we performed a molecular-level computer simulation of cell adhesions in the presence and absence of the nanoparticles. Strong van der Waals and electrostatic attractions modelled in the molecular simulations result in an increase in the cohesive energy density of these environments when treated with clay crystallites. The increase in the cohesive energy density after the sorption of clay crystallites on cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix complexes lends weight to our strategy of using clay nanoparticles for the restoration of adhesion among cancer cells and prevention of metastasis.
The behaviour of salt-cemented sabkha soil was investigated by considering the effect of brine and distilled water on its properties. Laboratory and field testing programmes were conducted to examine the effect of soaking and leaching on the structure, compressibility, collapse, permeability, load-carrying capacity and settlement of sabkha soil. Results indicate that the percolation of distilled water through the sabkha causes destruction of the natural cementation, leading to collapse, increase in permeability, reduction in strength and increase in settlement. Dissolution and leaching of halite, gypsiferous and calcarenite cements occur, leaving the quartz particles covered by a thin loose mat of illitic clay with large voids. The collapse deformation of sabkha is inclusively linked to the ambient salt complex, which determines the structural properties of the soil and promotes the development of collapse on wetting. The soaking of sabkha produces practically negligible collapse; leaching causes a significant collapse due to the softening, dissolution and effusion of salts from the soil skeleton. Le comportement d'un sol de Sabkha cimenté par du set a été étudié au travers de l'effet de la circulation d'une saumure ou d'une eau distillée sur ses propriétés. Des programmes d'essais réalisés en laboratoire et in-situ ont permis d'examiner l'influence d'une immersion et d'un lessivage sur la texture, l'effondrement dû à la compressibilité des minéraux, la perméabilité, la charge admissible et le tassement du sol. Les résultats montrent qu'une percolation d'eau distillée dans la Sabkha induit une destruction de la cimentation naturelle qui se traduit par un effondrement du sol, une augmentation de la perméabilité, une diminution de la résistance et un accroissement du tassement. La dissolution et le lessivage des minéraux halitiques, gypseux et calcaires constitutifs du ciment font que les particules de quartz ne sont plus recouvertes que par une couche d'illites mince, peu dense et a larges vides. La déformation par effondrement de la Sabkha est à relier au complexe salin présent qui, parce qu'il régit les propriétés texturales du sol, favorise le développement d'effondrements lors de l'humidification. Si l'effondrement résultant d'une immersion est quasiment négligeable, it ne l'est plus lors d'un lessivage et devient même important en raison du ramollissement, de la dissolution et de l'effusion des sels du squelette solide.
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