Community Culture Survey - Revised: Measuring neighborhood culture and exploring geographic, socioeconomic, and cultural determinants of health in samples across the United States and in Thailand.

Objectives: Research on links between social, geographic, and cultural determinants of health has been thwarted by inadequate measures of culture. The purpose of this study was to improve the measurement of community culture, defined as shared patterns of attitudes and behaviors among people within a neighborhood that distinguish it from others, and to examine dimensions of culture, independent of socioeconomic and demographic factors, and their relationships with health. Study design: A survey research design with correlational analyses was used. Methods: A survey packet including the Community Culture Survey - Revised (CCS-R), demographic, health, and other individual-level measures was administered through convenience sampling across the United States (US) and to a sample in Thailand from 2016 to 2018. US county-level variables were obtained from zip codes. Results: 1930 participants from 49 US states (n = 1592) and Thailand (n = 338) completed all CCS-R items, from which 12 subscales were derived: Social Support & Connectedness, Responsibility for Self & Others, Family Ties & Duties, Social Distress, Urban Diversity, Discontinuity, Church-Engaged, External Resource-Seeking, Locally Owned Business-Active, Power Deference, Next Generation Focus, and Self-Reliance. Neighborhood culture subscale scores varied more by geography than by participant's demographics. All subscales predicted one or more health indicator, and some of these relationships were significant after adjusting for participant age and county-level socioeconomic variables. Most of the significant differences on subscales by race/ethnicity were no longer significant after adjusting for participant's age and county-level socioeconomic variables. Most rural/urban and regional differences in culture within the US persisted after these adjustments. Based on correlational analyses, Social Support & Connectedness and Responsibility for Self & Others were the best predictors of participants' overall health and quality of life, and Responsibility for Self & Others was the best predictor (inversely) of the CDC's measures of social vulnerability. Conclusions: Neighborhood culture is measurable, multi-dimensional, distinct from race/ethnicity, and related to health even after controlling for age and socioeconomic factors. The CCS-R is useful for advancing research and practice addressing the complex interactions between individuals, their neighborhood communities, and health outcomes.

HDAC inhibitor cowanin extracted from G. fusca induces apoptosis and autophagy via inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways in Jurkat cells.

Cowanin, a xanthone derivative extracted from the Garcinia fusca plant, has been recognized for various biological activities including, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. However, the mechanism to induce cancer cell death in cancer cells remains to be fully elucidated. Our previous report showed that other xanthones from these plants could act as histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), so we deeply analyzed the role of cowanin, a major compound of G.fusca, and investigated through the mode of cell death both apoptosis and autophagy that have never been reported. As a result, it was demonstrated that cowanin indicated the role of HDACi as other xanthones. The molecular docking analysis showed that cowanin could interact within the catalytic pocket region of HDAC class I (HDAC2, 8) and II (HDAC4, 7) proteins and inhibit their activity. Also, the level of protein expression of HDAC2, 4, 7, and 8 was distinctly decreased, and the level of histone H3 and H4 acetylation increased in cowanin treated cells. For the mode of cell death, cowanin demonstrated both apoptosis and autophagy activation in Jurkat cells. Besides, cowanin significantly suppressed phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR signaling. Therefore, these findings revealed that cowanin represents a new promising candidate for development as an anticancer agent by inducing apoptosis and autophagy via PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and effectively inhibiting HDAC activity.

Sonicated Extract from the Aril of Momordica Cochinchinensis Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Migration in Aggressive Prostate Cancer Cells.

Momordica cochinchinensis or gac fruit has been reported to have several biological activities, including antioxidation, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. However, the effect on cancer cell metastasis has not been extensively studied. With this aim, the extract from the aril part was selected and investigated for prostate cancer cell migration. The aril extracts were prepared as boiled extract, sonicated extract, ethanol extract, and HAE (hexane:acetone:ethanol; 2 : 1 : 1) extract, while the prostate cancer cell models were PC-3 and LNCaP cells. An MTT assay was performed to compare the antiproliferative effect between prostate cancer cells and normal Vero cells. As a result, the sonicated extract had the highest efficiency in PC-3 cells, with IC50 values of 2 mg/mL and 0.59 mg/mL for 48 and 72 h, respectively, while it had less of an effect in LNCaP cells and was not toxic to normal cells. Cell damage was further confirmed using LDH and cell cycle analysis. As a result, the sonicated extract did not cause cell damage or death and only inhibited cell proliferation. The effect on cancer metastasis was further examined by wound healing, transwell migration assays, and western blotting. The results demonstrated that the sonicated extract inhibited PC-3 cell migration and decreased MMP-9 but increased TIMP-1 expression. All these results support that gac fruit is a valuable source for further development as an anticancer agent for prostate cancer patients.

Golden Glittering Biocomposite Fibers from Poly(lactic acid) and Nanosilver-Coated Titanium Dioxide with Unique Properties; Antimicrobial, Photocatalytic, and Ion-Sensing Properties.

Golden glittering biocomposite fibers from poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and nanosilver-coated titanium dioxide (Ag/TiO2) were successfully prepared via a melt spinning process. Various contents of 10% Ag/TiO2/PLA masterbatch were diluted with PLA in concentrations of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 phr, respectively. The physical, mechanical, thermal, and antibacterial properties of the obtained fibers were investigated. The results indicated that the glittering biocomposite fiber had a light, yellow-gold color and a slightly rough surface. Tenacity and elongation at break of the glittering biocomposite fibers were lower than those of the pristine PLA fiber. The thermal properties of the glittering composite fibers also decreased with increasing masterbatch content. The PLA/PEG-10 biocomposite fiber with good spinnability and mechanical properties was suitably used for preparing the golden glittering composite fabric by the knitting process. Moreover, the golden glittering biocomposite fabrics exhibited antibacterial activity against certain microbes, for example, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Candida albicans. The prepared fabric has significant potential for use in eco-friendly textile products and antibacterial fabrics. Besides, our novel textiles showed not only the photocatalytic property needed to degrade organic dyes such as methylene blue in water but also the ion-sensing property for mercury(II) ions by changing the textile color from yellow to colorless.

Structure-antioxidant activity relationship of ß-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes with olive tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein: Deep insights from X-ray analysis, DFT calculation and DPPH assay.

Olives and olive oil, a key food type of the Mediterranean diets, are packed with various important polyphenols including oleuropein (OLE), hydroxytyrosol (HTY) and tyrosol (TYR). OLE and HTY are highly powerful antioxidants and play a prime role in the therapeutics of free radical-related diseases. Their molecular stabilities and antioxidant properties can be improved by cyclodextrin (CD) encapsulation. Here, we present a systematic investigation on the inclusion complexes of ß-CD-TYR (1), ß-CD-HTY (2) and ß-CD-OLE (3) by combined single-crystal structure determination, DFT complete-geometry optimization and DPPH antioxidant assay. X-ray analysis and DFT calculation reveal the preference of inclusion geometry with deep protrusion of the aromatic ring moieties of TYR, HTY and OLE from the ß-CD O6-H-side, and the common host-guest stabilization scheme via intermolecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bonding interactions. No polyphenol OH group is shielded in the ß-CD cavity, in contrast to the structures of ß-CD-tea catechins complexes. The established host-guest O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds help to elevate antioxidant capacities of the olive polyphenols upon ß-CD encapsulation. The order of antioxidant activity 2 >3 ≫ 1 based on the DPPH measurement is in fair agreement with their relative thermodynamic stabilities derived from DFT calculation.

ß-Cyclodextrin encapsulation elevates antioxidant capacity of tea: A closing chapter on non-epicatechins, atomistic insights from X-ray analysis, DFT calculation and DPPH assay.

Polyphenolic catechins prevalent in tea are powerful antioxidants for therapeutics of various free radical-related diseases. The non-epicatechins are thermally obtained from the naturally abundant epicatechins. In our study series on the structure-antioxidant property relationship of the CD inclusion complexes with tea catechins, this closing chapter presents the ß-CD encapsulation of three non-epicatechins, i.e., (-)-gallocatechin (GC) 1, (-)-catechin gallate (GC) 2, and (-)-gallocatechin gallate (GCG) 3 investigated by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction, DFT calculation and DPPH radical scavenging activity assay. Detailed structural comparisons of the ß-CD inclusion complexes with both non-epi and epi type catechins reveal that a common host-guest hydrogen bonding scheme and the shielding of catechin OH groups inside the host circular wall play a prime role in flourishing antioxidant capacities in the order of 3 > 2 > 1. This is consistent with the relative thermodynamic stabilities derived from DFT energy minimization.

Terrein inhibits migration of human breast cancer cells via inhibition of the Rho and Rac signaling pathways.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Progression and aggressiveness of breast cancer is usually associated with its migration and invasion abilities. Recently, natural products with potential anticancer activity have become attractive candidates for alternative treatment of cancer. A fungal metabolite, terrein, isolated from the Aspergillus terreus has been revealed to exhibit selective anticancer activity; although this molecule has a variety of biological activities. The inhibitory effect on cell proliferation in hepatoma, keratinocytes, and lung cancer cells was due to cell cycle arrest without induction of apoptosis. In contrast, its effects on cervical and breast cancer cells were mediated through activation of the apoptotic process. However, the effect of terrein on cell migration and invasion has not been explored. In the present study we analyzed the molecular effects of terrein on cell adhesion, cell migration, and cell invasion using two breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, which exhibit different levels of invasiveness. Terrein induced apoptosis in both breast cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, at a non-toxic concentration terrein exhibited a weak inhibition of cell adhesion, using either fibronectin or type IV collagen as substrates. Notably, terrein significantly inhibited both the migration and invasion abilities of MDA-MB-231 cells at the same non-toxic concentration. A marked decrease in MMP-2 and MMP-9 transcripts, as evaluated by real-time PCR, confirmed the anti-invasion effect of terrein at the transcriptional level. Western blot analyses revealed that terrein treatment suppressed RhoB expression and reduced Rac1 phosphorylation, leading to Rho GTPase inhibition. In addition, terrein-treated MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells both displayed a scattered pattern of migration, suggesting that the suppression of RhoB and Rac1 disturbed the collective migration processes of breast cancer cells.

Enhancement of antioxidant activity of green tea epicatechins in ß-cyclodextrin cavity: Single-crystal X-ray analysis, DFT calculation and DPPH assay.

Green tea catechins are potent antioxidant for prevention of various free radical-related diseases. Their antioxidant properties can be improved by encapsulation in cyclodextrins (CDs). Four inclusion complexes of ß-CD with (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG) and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) have been investigated using single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis combined with full geometry optimization by DFT/B3LYP calculation and the DPPH assay, aiming to deepen the understanding on their structure-antioxidant activity relationship. Scrutinizing the inclusion structures and conformational changes of the four encapsulated epicatechins reveals the common host-guest stabilization scheme and the epicatechin conformational flexibility facilitating the enhancement of activity. Thermodynamic stability order derived from DFT calculation in vacuum fairly agrees with the order of improved antioxidant capacity deduced from the DPPH assay, ß-CD-EGCG>ß-CD-ECG>ß-CD-EGC≈ß-CD-EC.

Crystallographic evidence for ß-cyclodextrin inclusion complexation facilitating the improvement of antioxidant activity of tea (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin.

Single-crystal X-ray analysis to 0.6Å resolution using synchrotron radiation of the inclusion complexes of ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) with (+)-catechin (CA) and (-)-epicatechin (EC) has been carried out to gain atomistic insight into how the inclusion complexation helps to improve tea catechin antioxidant activity. The ß-CD-CA complex crystallizes in the monoclinic P21 space group, whereas the ß-CD-EC complex crystallizes in both the monoclinic P21 and triclinic P1 space groups. In comparing the inclusion structures, the ß-CD-EC dimeric structure having higher numbers of OH⋯O hydrogen bonds combined with π⋯π interactions is associated with its greater interaction energy, as derived from DFT/B3LYP single-point energy calculations. Detailed structural analysis of the CA, EC conformation and inclusion geometry reveals that the interplay of the intermolecular OH⋯O hydrogen bond stabilized catechol moiety and the protection of OH groups in the ß-CD cavity plays a key role in the improvement of antioxidant capacity upon inclusion complexation.

Terrein induces apoptosis in HeLa human cervical carcinoma cells through p53 and ERK regulation.

Terrein, a fungal metabolite derived from Aspergillus terreus, has been shown to have a variety of biological activities in human cells including inhibition of melanogenesis, as well as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer properties. In the present study, terrein was shown to have marked anticancer activity on HeLa human cervical carcinoma cells. Terrein exhibited inhibition of proliferation within the same ranges for other cancer cell types with an IC50 at 0.29 mM. The growth inhibition that induced cell death was via apoptosis mechanisms. Chromatin condensation was observed using the Hoechst 33342 stain, a DNA-specific dye. The increase of DNA fragmentation or the sub-G0 peak was also detected by flow cytometry. The signaling used by terrein to induce apoptosis was via the death-receptor and mitochondrial pathways; the cleavage of specific fluorogenic substrates by caspase-3, -8 and -9 activities are clearly demonstrated. The mitochondria were damaged as demonstrated by the decrease of the red/green ratio of the JC-1 staining and the increase of the Bax/Bcl-2 expression ratio. Further analysis of the upstream signaling by the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that p53, p21 and ERK were upregulated which indicates the importance of their roles on terrein signaling. This study is the first to show that terrein has an effect on the anticancer properties in cervical cancer cells by inducing apoptosis through p53 and ERK regulation. Our data may help expand the function of the terrein compound and may also aid in the discovery of new anticancer agents.

Micromonospora marina sp. nov., isolated from sea sand.

Two actinomycete strains, JSM1-1(T) and JSM1-3, were isolated from sea sand collected in Thailand. Their taxonomic position was determined using a polyphasic approach. The chemotaxonomic characteristics of these strains coincided with those of the genus Micromonospora, i.e. the presence of meso-diaminopimelic acid and N-glycolyl muramic acid in the peptidoglycan, whole cell sugar pattern D, phospholipids type II, and cellular fatty acid type 3b. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed a close relationship between strains JSM1-1(T) and JSM1-3 (99.8 %), and between JSM1-1(T) and Micromonospora aurantiaca JCM 10878(T) (99.3 %), Micromonospora chalcea JCM 3031(T) (99.0 %), and Micromonospora coxensis JCM 13248 (T) (99.0 %). However, strains JSM1-1(T) and JSM1-3 could be clearly distinguished from these type strains by a low DNA-DNA relatedness and by phenotypic differences. On the basis of the data presented, a new species, Micromonospora marina sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is JSM1-1(T) (=JCM 12870(T) =PCU 269(T) =TISTR 1566(T)).

Micromonospora chaiyaphumensis sp. nov., isolated from Thai soils.

Three actinomycete strains, MC5-1T, MC7-1 and R1-1, were isolated from soil samples collected in Thailand. Their taxonomic positions were determined using a polyphasic approach. The chemotaxonomic characteristics of these strains coincided with those of the genus Micromonospora, i.e. meso-diaminopimelic acid and N-glycolyl muramic acid were present in the cell-wall peptidoglycan, the whole-cell sugars were of pattern D, the phospholipids were of type II and the cellular fatty acids were of type 3b. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed a close relationship between strains MC5-1T, MC7-1 and R1-1 (99.8 % sequence similarity) and Micromonospora auratinigra JCM 12357T (99.3 %). The three novel strains were clearly distinguishable from M. auratinigra JCM 12357T from the low DNA-DNA relatedness (< or =43.4 %). On the basis of the data presented, strain MC5-1T represents a novel species of the genus Micromonospora, for which the name Micromonospora chaiyaphumensis is proposed. The type strain is MC5-1T (=KCTC 19332T=JCM 12873T=PCU 267T=TISTR 1564T).

Azaphilone pigments from a yellow mutant of the fungus Monascus kaoliang.

Azaphilone pigments, monascusones A (1) and B (2), together with two known azaphilones, monascin (3) and FK17-P2b2 (4), were isolated from the CH2Cl2 extract of a yellow mutant of the fungus M. kaoliang grown on rice. Structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by analyses of spectroscopic data. Monascusone A (1), the major metabolite of M. kaoliang, showed no antimalarial (against Plasmodium falciparum), antitubercular (against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra), and antifungal (toward Candida albicans) activities. Compound 1 exhibited no cytotoxicity against BC (breast cancer) and KB (human epidermoid carcinoma of cavity) cell lines.