Multiscale fabrication of multiple proteins and topographical structures by combining capillary force lithography and microscope projection photolithography

We present new methods that enable the fabrication of multiscale, multicomponent protein-patterned surfaces and multiscale topologically structured surfaces by exploiting the merits of two well-established techniques: capillary force lithography (CFL) and microscope projection photolithography (MPP) based on a protein-friendly photoresist. We further demonstrate that, when hierarchically organized micro- and nanostructures were used as a cell culture platform, human colon cancer cells (cell line SW480) preferentially adhere and migrate onto the area with nanoscale topography over the one with microscale topography. These methods will provide many exciting opportunities for the study of cellular responses to multiscale physicochemical cues.     

Fermentation of Korean Red Ginseng by Lactobacillus plantarum M-2 and Its Immunological Activities

We investigated ginsenoside transformation by fermentation of red ginseng with Lactobacillus plantarum M-2. We also examined the anti-metastasis and immune-stimulating activities of EtOH extracts of fermented red ginseng (FRG-E) in animal and human subjects. Total sugar decreased from 85.5 mg mL(-1) to 44.1 mg mL(-1) with increasing culture time during the fermentation with L. plantarum M-2. Uronic acid content reached a maximum level (534.3 μg mL(-1)) at 3 days of fermentation and decreased thereafter. Ginsenoside metabolites increased from 4,637.0 to 7,581.1 μg mL(-1) after 4 days. The prophylactic intraperitoneal injection of FRG-E (500 μg mouse(-1)) inhibited lung metastasis about 81.1%, while the inhibitory effect against tumor metastasis by treatment of EtOH extract from non-fermented red ginseng (NFRG-E) was 66.9%. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) and G (IgG) levels in the serum of healthy subjects were higher after FRG-E administration than at baseline, whereas NFRG-E induced reductions of these variables related to immunity. At 1 week, the change in IgA level by FRG-E (5.14 mg mL(-1)) was significantly higher than that by NFRG-E (-14.50 mg mL(-1); p < 0.05). It was concluded that the immunological activities of FRG-E were higher than those of NFRG-E, indicating that fermentation helped enhance the immunological activities of red ginseng.     

Rigidity problems in toric topology: A survey

Several rigidity problems in toric topology are addressed in the survey paper by the second and third authors, “Classification Problems of Toric Manifolds via Topology” (in Toric Topology, Am. Math. Soc., Providence, RI, 2008, pp. 273–286). In the present paper, we survey the results on those problems including recent developments.     

Carbon nanofibers extracted from soot as a sorbent for the determination of aromatic amines from wastewater effluent samples

The isolation and characterization of carbon nanofibers from soot obtained by burning natural oil is reported. The fibers were extracted from the soot with tetrahydrofuran followed by sonication. The carbon nanofibers were mixed with poly(vinyl alcohol) and electrospun to get the nanofiber mat. The extraction ability of electrospun nanofibers for the separation and preconcentration of aromatic compounds such as 3-nitroaniline, 4-chloroaniline, 4-bromoaniline and 3,4-dichloroaniline were tested and efficiently evaluated using high performance liquid chromatography. Under optimized conditions, the method showed good linearity in a range of 0.5–50 μg L⁻¹ with correlation coefficient ranging from 0.989 to 0.998. High precision of the extraction with RSD values of 4.5–5.8% and low LOD value in a range of 0.009–0.081 μg L⁻¹ for all aniline compounds were achieved. The proposed microextraction method offers advantages such as easy operation, high recovery, fast extraction, minimal use of organic solvent and elimination of tedious solvent evaporation and reconstitution steps.     

End-to-end azide-bridged manganese(III) chain compounds: field-induced magnetic phase transitions and variation of T(C) to 38 K depending on the side groups of the Schiff bases

Three one-dimensional coordination polymers [Mn(L)(N(3))](n) [L = L1 (1), L2 (2), L3 (3); L1H(2) = N,N'-bis(5-chlorosalicylideneiminato)-1,3-diaminopentane, L2H(2) = N,N'-bis(5-bromosalicylideneiminato)-1,3-diaminopentane, L3H(2) = N,N'-bis(5-bromosalicylideneiminato)-1,3-diamino-2-dimethylpropane] bridged by end-to-end azides were prepared. The crystal systems differ according to the Schiff bases used. Each Mn atom adopts a typical Jahn-Teller distortion. The helicity of the chains occurs in a racemic manner only for 2. No noncovalent forces are relevant in 2, while π-π contacts are visible in 1 and 3. Magnetic measurements show the presence of apparent spin canting. Complexes 1 and 3 exhibit a field-induced metamagnetic transition from an antiferromagnetic state to a weak ferromagnetic phase, whereas 2 embraces a field-induced two-step magnetic phase transition. The critical temperature is observed at 38 K for 2, which is relatively higher than those for 1 (11 K) and 3 (10 K). The pronounced long-range order may contribute from intrachain exchange couplings and through-space dipolar interactions between adjacent chains.     

Anticancer Activity of 2-O-caffeoyl Alphitolic Acid Extracted from the Lichen,Usnea barbata 2017-KL-10

Colorectal cancer is one of the life-threatening ailments causing high mortality and morbidity worldwide. Despite the innovation in medical genetics, the prognosis for metastatic colorectal cancer in patients remains unsatisfactory. Recently, lichens have attracted the attention of researchers in the search for targets to fight against cancer. Lichens are considered mines of thousands of metabolites. Researchers have reported that lichen-derived metabolites demonstrated biological effects, such as anticancer, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, analgesic, antipyretic, antiproliferative, and cytotoxic, on various cell lines. However, the exploration of the biological activities of lichens’ metabolites is limited. Thus, the main objective of our study was to evaluate the anticancer effect of secondary metabolites isolated from lichen (Usnea barbata 2017-KL-10) on the human colorectal cancer cell line HCT116. In this study, 2OCAA exhibited concentration-dependent anticancer activities by suppressing antiapoptotic genes, such as MCL-1, and inducing apoptotic genes, such as BAX, TP53, and CDKN1A(p21). Moreover, 2OCAA inhibited the migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Taken together, these data suggest that 2OCAA is a better therapeutic candidate for colorectal cancer.