Macroscopic Assembly of Materials with Engineered Bacterial Spores via Coiled-Coil Interaction.

Herein, we report macroscopic materials formed by the assembly of engineered bacterial spores. Spores were engineered by using a T7-driven expression system to display a high density of pH-responsive self-associating proteins on their surface. The engineered surface protein on the spore surface enabled pH-dependent binding at the protein level and enabled the assembly of granular materials.

Management of a Large Hypervascular Apicoposterior Mediastinal Mass Using the Purse-String Suture Technique in Robotic-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery: A Case Report.

Complete resection of an apicoposterior mediastinal mass is essential due to the mass effect, which exerts pressure on adjacent organs. Recently, the use of minimally invasive surgery has had many advantages. In this report, we describe a case in which a large apicoposterior mediastinal hypervascular mass was managed using a purse-string suture technique during robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS).

Characterization of glutamate carboxypeptidase 2 orthologs in trematodes.

Background: Glutamate carboxypeptidase 2 (GCP2) belongs to the M28B metalloprotease subfamily encompassing a variety of zinc-dependent exopeptidases that can be found in many eukaryotes, including unicellular organisms. Limited information exists on the physiological functions of GCP2 orthologs in mammalian tissues outside of the brain and intestine, and such data are completely absent for non-mammalian species. Here, we investigate GCP2 orthologs found in trematodes, not only as putative instrumental molecules for defining their basal function(s) but also as drug targets.

Nanotopography-Promoted Formation of Axon Collateral Branches of Hippocampal Neurons.

Axon collateral branches, as a key structural motif of neurons, allow neurons to integrate information from highly interconnected, divergent networks by establishing terminal boutons. Although physical cues are generally known to have a comprehensive range of effects on neuronal development, their involvement in axonal branching remains elusive. Herein, it is demonstrated that the nanopillar arrays significantly increase the number of axon collateral branches and also promote their growth.

Cytocompatible cross-linking of degradable LbL films based on thiol-exchange reaction.

Formation of both mechanically durable and programmably degradable layer-by-layer (LbL) films in a biocompatible fashion has potential applications in cell therapy, tissue engineering, and drug-delivery systems, where the films are interfaced with living cells. In this work, we developed a simple but versatile method for generating cross-linked and responsively degradable LbL films, based on the thiol-exchange reaction, under highly cytocompatible conditions (aqueous solution at pH 7.4 and room temperature).

Lactobacillus fermentum RC-14 inhibits Staphylococcus aureus infection of surgical implants in rats.

Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of community and hospital-acquired infections. Moreover, the clinical impact of S. aureus is on the rise because of the global increase in the incidence of multidrug-resistant strains and its growing prevalence as a major cause of surgical infections.