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Polyvalent bacteriophages show the feature of infecting bacteria across multiple species or even orders. Infectivity of a polyvalent phage is variable depending on the host bacteria, which can disclose differential inhibition of bacteria by the phage. In this study, a polyvalent phage CSP1 infecting both Cronobacter sakazakii ATCC 29544 and Escherichia coli MG1655 was isolated. CSP1 showed higher growth inhibition and adsorption rate in E. coli compared to C. sakazakii, and identification of host receptors revealed that CSP1 uses E. coli LamB (LamBE) as a receptor but that CSP1 requires both C. sakazakii LamB (LamBC) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core for C. sakazakii infection. The substitution of LamBC with LamBE in C. sakazakii enhanced CSP1 susceptibility and made C. sakazakii LPS core no more essential for CSP1 infection. Comparative analysis of LamBC and LamBE disclosed that the extra proline at amino acid residue 284 in LamBC made a structural distinction by forming a longer loop and that the deletion of 284P in LamBC aligns its structure and makes LamBC function like LamBE, enhancing CSP1 adsorption and growth inhibition of C. sakazakii. These results suggest that 284P of LamBC plays a critical role in determining the CSP1-host bacteria interaction. These findings could provide insight into the elucidation of molecular determinants in the interaction between polyvalent phages and host bacteria and help us to understand the phage infectivity for efficient phage application. IMPORTANCE: Polyvalent phages have the advantage of a broader host range, overcoming the limitation of the narrow host range of phages. However, the limited molecular biological understanding on the host bacteria-polyvalent phage interaction hinders its effective application. Here, we revealed that the ability of the polyvalent phage CSP1 to infect Cronobacter sakazakii ATCC 29544 is disturbed by a single proline residue in the LamB protein and that lipopolysaccharide is used as an auxiliary receptor for CSP1 to support the adsorption and the subsequent infection of C. sakazakii. These results can contribute to a better understanding of the interaction between polyvalent phages and host bacteria for efficient phage application.

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The complete mitochondrial genome of carnivorous Nigidius miwai was analyzed prior to a study on evolution of carnivorous pathway within the family. This species' genome had a total length of 18,462 bp (GenBank accession number: OL597607), comprising 36 genes along with 13 protein-coding genes, 21 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and an A + T rich region. The nucleotide composition was 37.2% A, 33.8% T, 9.2% G, and 19.8% C (GC contents 29.0%). The phylogenetic tree indicated that N. miwai is a distinctive species within Nigidiini of Lucaninae.

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Agarose/succinoglycan hydrogels were prepared as pH-responsive drug delivery systems with significantly improved flexibility, thermostability, and porosity compared to agarose gels alone. Agarose/succinoglycan hydrogels were made using agarose and succinoglycan, a polysaccharide directly isolated from Sinorhizobium meliloti. Mechanical and physical properties of agarose/succinoglycan hydrogels were investigated using various instrumental methods such as rheological measurements, attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopic analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The results showed that the agarose/succinoglycan hydrogels became flexible and stable network gels with an improved swelling pattern in basic solution compared to the hard and brittle agarose gel alone. In addition, these hydrogels showed a pH-responsive delivery of ciprofloxacin (CPFX), with a cumulative release of ~41% within 35 h at pH 1.2 and complete release at pH 7.4. Agarose/succinoglycan hydrogels also proved to be non-toxic as a result of the cell cytotoxicity test, suggesting that these hydrogels would be a potential natural biomaterial for biomedical applications such as various drug delivery system and cell culture scaffolds.

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To enhance the skin whitening effect, tyrosinase activity and melanin biosynthesis needs to be suppressed in the skin. To achieve this goal, we examined the extract of Thymus quinquecostatus flowers, and identified a functional ingredient, galuteolin. Galuteolin effectively inhibited melanin biosynthesis in B16/F10 cells, partially suppressing tyrosinase activity. Therefore, this study suggests that galuteolin can be used as a cosmetic ingredient for skin whitening.

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A simple and rapid method for the simultaneous determination of 11 mycotoxins - aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2; fumonisins B1, B2 and B3; ochratoxin A; zearalenone; deoxynivalenol; and T-2 toxin - in edible oils was established using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In this study, QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe), QuEChERS with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, and solvent extraction were examined for sample preparation. Among these methods, solvent extraction with a mixture of formic acid/acetonitrile (5/95, v/v) successfully extracted all target mycotoxins. Subsequently, a defatting process using n-hexane was employed to remove the fats present in the edible oil samples. Mass spectrometry was carried out using electrospray ionisation in polarity switching mode with multiple reaction monitoring. The developed LC-MS/MS method was validated by assessing the specificity, linearity, recovery, limit of quantification (LOQ), accuracy and precision with reference to Commission Regulation (EC) 401/2006. Mycotoxin recoveries of 51.6-82.8% were achieved in addition to LOQs ranging from 0.025 ng/g to 1 ng/g. The edible oils proved to be relatively uncomplicated matrices and the developed method was applied to 9 edible oil samples, including soybean oil, corn oil and rice bran oil, to evaluate potential mycotoxin contamination. The levels of detection were significantly lower than the international regulatory standards. Therefore, we expect that our developed method, based on simple, two-step sample preparation process, will be suitable for the large-scale screening of mycotoxin contamination in edible oils.

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Geometrical frustration describes situations where interactions are incompatible with the lattice geometry and stabilizes exotic phases such as spin liquids. Whether geometrical frustration of magnetic interactions in metals can induce unconventional quantum critical points is an active area of research. We focus on the hexagonal heavy fermion metal CeRhSn, where the Kondo ions are located on distorted kagome planes stacked along the c axis. Low-temperature specific heat, thermal expansion, and magnetic Grüneisen parameter measurements prove a zero-field quantum critical point. The linear thermal expansion, which measures the initial uniaxial pressure derivative of the entropy, displays a striking anisotropy. Critical and noncritical behaviors along and perpendicular to the kagome planes, respectively, prove that quantum criticality is driven be geometrical frustration. We also discovered a spin flop-type metamagnetic crossover. This excludes an itinerant scenario and suggests that quantum criticality is related to local moments in a spin liquid-like state.

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We demonstrate the fabrication of integrated three-dimensional microchannel and optical waveguide structures inside fused silica for the interrogation and processing of single cells. The microchannels are fabricated by scanning femtosecond laser pulses (523 nm) and subsequent selective wet etching process. Optical waveguides are additionally integrated with the fabricated microchannels by scanning the laser pulse train inside the glass specimen. Single red blood cells (RBC) in diluted human blood inside of the manufactured microchannel were detected by two optical schemes. The first involved sensing the intensity change of waveguide-delivered He-Ne laser light (632.8 nm) induced by the refractive index difference of a cell flowing in the channel. The other approach was via detection of fluorescence emission from dyed RBC excited by Ar laser light (488 nm) delivered by the optical waveguide. The proposed device was tested to detect 23 fluorescent particles per second by increasing the flow rate up to 0.5 microl min(-1). The optical cell detection experiments support potential implementation of a new generation of glass-based optofluidic biochip devices in various single cell treatment processes including laser based cell processing and sensing.

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The primary objective of this study was to assess the in vitro melanogenesis inhibitory effects of methanolic extracts of the edible and medicinal lichens, Umbilicaria (Gyrophora) esculenta and Usnea longissima. The quantities of the total phenolic compounds of methanolic extract of the two lichen extracts were determined to be 1.46% and 2.62%, respectively. In order to evaluate the antioxidative effects of the extracts, we also measured electron donating abilities (EDA) and lipid peroxidation rates. The EDA values measured by the reduction of 1.1''-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) were 72.8% and 80.7% for the extracts, with SC50 (median scavenging concentration) values of 1.29+/-0.05 mg/ml and 1.03+/-0.06 mg/ml, respectively. The rates of inhibition of lipid peroxidation using linoleic acid were 92.1% and 97.3% for the extracts, with IC50 (median inhibitory concentration) values of 0.57+/-0.05 mg/ml and 0.53+/-0.06 mg/ml, respectively. The inhibitory rates of the extracts against tyrosinase were 67.4% and 84.8%, respectively. The extracts were shown to reduce melanin formation in human melanoma cells. Melanin contents in the samples treated with 0.01% and 0.1% U. esculenta were 47.1% and 31.2%, respectively, and those treated with 0.01% and 0.1% Usnea longissima were 51.1% and 34.9%, respectively, whereas a value of 54.0% was registered when ascorbic acid was utilized as a positive control. In addition to direct tyrosinase inhibition, it was determined that the lichen extracts affected the activity of tyrosinase via the inhibition of tyrosinase glycosylation. As a result, the methanolic extracts of U. esculenta and Usnea longissima evidenced melanogenesis inhibitory effects, which occurred via multiple routes.

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Antithrombotic activity of methanolic extract of an edible lichen, Umbilicaria esculenta, was evaluated on platelet aggregation in vitro and pulmonary thrombosis in vivo. The extract showed concentration dependent inhibitory effects on platelet aggregation induced by ADP, with IC(50) value of 2.4 mg/mL. Orally administered extract protected mice against thrombotic death or paralysis induced by collagen and epinephrine in a dose dependent manner. It produced a significant inhibition of thrombotic death or paralysis at over 100 mg/kg body weight, while aspirin produced a significant inhibition of thrombosis at 10-20 mg/kg body weight. Mouse tail bleeding time was significantly prolonged by addition of the extract. On the other hand, the extract did not show any fibrinolytic activity and alter coagulation parameters such as activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT) and thrombin time (TT) in rat platelet. These results suggested that the antithrombotic activity of Umbilicaria esculenta extract might be due to antiplatelet activity rather than anticoagulation activity.

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The antiplatelet and antithrombotic activities of a methanol extract of a medicinal lichen, Usnea longissima, were investigated on platelet aggregation in vitro and on pulmonary thrombosis in vivo. The extract showed concentration dependent inhibitory effects on ADP-induced platelet aggregation, with an IC50 value of 3.6 mg/mL. Using an in vivo mouse thrombotic model in which mice were challenged with an intravenous injection of collagen and epinephrine mixture, oral administration of the extract prior to the injection produced a significant inhibition of thrombotic death or paralysis at 100-200 mg/kg body weight. Aspirin, a representative antiplatelet drug, produced a significant inhibition of thrombotic death at 10-20 mg/kg body weight. The mouse tail bleeding time was significantly prolonged by the addition of the extract. On the other hand, the extract did not show any fibrinolytic activity or alter the coagulation parameters such as activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT) and thrombin time (TT) in rat platelets in vitro. These results suggested that the antithrombotic activity of U. longissima extract might be due to antiplatelet activity rather than anticoagulant activity.

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