RP-HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS Qualitative Profiling, Antioxidant, Anti-Enzymatic, Anti-Inflammatory and Non-Cytotoxic Properties of Ephedra alata Monjauzeana

An investigation was conducted to study the beneficial effects of Ephedra alata monjauzeana crude extract (EamCE). The chemical profile was determined using RP-HPLC–ESI-QTOF-MS analysis, revealing the presence of twenty-one flavonoids and phenolic acids. A series of antioxidant assays was carried out using ten different methods. The EamCE has demonstrated a significant antioxidant potential, with interesting IC50 values not exceeding 40 µg/mL in almost activities. Likewise, a significant inhibition of key enzymes, involved in some health issues, such as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, hyperpigmentation, dermatological disorders, gastric/urinary bacterial infections, and obesity, was observed for the first time. The IC50 values ranged from 22.46 to 54.93. The anti-inflammatory and non-cytotoxic activities were assessed by heat-induced hemolysis and cell culture methods, respectively; the EamCE has shown a prominent effect in both tests, notably for the anti-inflammatory effect that was superior to the reference compound “diclofenac” (IC50: 71.03 ± 1.38 > 70.23 ± 0.99 (µg/mL)). According to these results, this plant could be used in a large spectrum as a food supplement, as a natural remedy for various physiological disorders and pathologies; and it might serve as a preventive and health care agent.

About the professionalism of the teacher in the conditions of distance learning

The article provides a review of the scientific psychological and pedagogical literature on the issue of the study of the teacher's professionalism in the conditions of the implementation of distance learning. For a modern teacher, the formation and development of his own professional and pedagogical competence becomes important, which, in accordance with the existing professional standards of pedagogical work, can be represented by such components of competence as the presence of certain personal characteristics that are of priority importance for scientific and pedagogical activity; the ability to motivate students to achieve the goals of educational interaction; understanding of the goals and objectives of pedagogical activity, the subject and its content and assimilation; skills and abilities to develop programs of pedagogical activity and readiness to make pedagogical decisions; possession of information culture and information and communication technologies in various forms of education; competence in the organization of their pedagogical work. Among the key digital competencies of teachers currently distinguish such as the use of information technology in everyday teaching work, the possession of digital tools to evaluate the results of pedagogical activity, the use of information tools to expand the educational opportunities of students, the development of skills for creating and sharing digital resources, etc. One of the significant results today is the expansion of the professionalism of teachers (unexpectedly for them), the development of new technical knowledge, skills, skills in the implementation of distance learning, mutual assistance and psychological and pedagogical support for both students and teachers at various stages of the distance learning process. Possession of information technologies for the transmission and presentation of educational material, a certain level of information culture, methods of digital and e-learning is a mandatory requirement for a teacher, which allows him to holistically build a distance learning process, develop and update his professional competencies and, thus, realize the set learning goals.

Aged Microglia in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Microglia Lifespan and Culture Methods

Microglia have been recognized as macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS) that are regarded as a culprit of neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, microglia have been considered as a cell that should be suppressed for maintaining a homeostatic CNS environment. However, microglia ontogeny, fate, heterogeneity, and their function in health and disease have been defined better with advances in single-cell and imaging technologies, and how to maintain homeostatic microglial function has become an emerging issue for targeting neurodegenerative diseases. Microglia are long-lived cells of yolk sac origin and have limited repopulating capacity. So, microglial perturbation in their lifespan is associated with not only neurodevelopmental disorders but also neurodegenerative diseases with aging. Considering that microglia are long-lived cells and may lose their functional capacity as they age, we can expect that aged microglia contribute to various neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, understanding microglial development and aging may represent an opportunity for clarifying CNS disease mechanisms and developing novel therapies.

Evaluation of microbial contamination in cold dishes and Prevalence of food-borne pathogens in the Jilin Province

In this study, we evaluated the microbial contamination status of cold dishes consumed by residents of Jilin Province and investigated to determine the incidence of four pathogenic bacteria in cold dishes. A total of 300 samples of cold dishes including meat, vegetable and mixed products, were collected from three different purchasing places: supermarkets, farmers' markets and mobile vendors. Live bacteria were isolated using conventional culture methods. After separation, a quick and easy polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect Listeria monocytogenes , Staphylococcus aureus , Enterotoxic Escherichia coli and Salmonella . The results showed that the total number of microbial colonies in the vegetable samples exceeded the standard rate of 8%, and the total number of microbial colonies in the meat and mixed samples did not exceed the standard. The total microbial colony count exceeded the standard in all three different procurement sites, with the highest exceedance of 7.4% in the mobile vendor sites. The detection rates of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus , L. monocytogenes and Salmonella among the four pathogenic bacteria detected in all samples were 4.3%, 3.3%; 3.0%; and 1.0%, respectively. This study can be used to qualitatively assess the microbiological quality associated with cold dishes. It provides data to support the detection of possible food safety problems.

Perfused Platforms to Mimic Bone Microenvironment at the Macro/Milli/Microscale: Pros and Cons

As life expectancy increases, the population experiences progressive ageing. Ageing, in turn, is connected to an increase in bone-related diseases (i.e., osteoporosis and increased risk of fractures). Hence, the search for new approaches to study the occurrence of bone-related diseases and to develop new drugs for their prevention and treatment becomes more pressing. However, to date, a reliable in vitro model that can fully recapitulate the characteristics of bone tissue, either in physiological or altered conditions, is not available. Indeed, current methods for modelling normal and pathological bone are poor predictors of treatment outcomes in humans, as they fail to mimic the in vivo cellular microenvironment and tissue complexity. Bone, in fact, is a dynamic network including differently specialized cells and the extracellular matrix, constantly subjected to external and internal stimuli. To this regard, perfused vascularized models are a novel field of investigation that can offer a new technological approach to overcome the limitations of traditional cell culture methods. It allows the combination of perfusion, mechanical and biochemical stimuli, biological cues, biomaterials (mimicking the extracellular matrix of bone), and multiple cell types. This review will discuss macro, milli, and microscale perfused devices designed to model bone structure and microenvironment, focusing on the role of perfusion and encompassing different degrees of complexity. These devices are a very first, though promising, step for the development of 3D in vitro platforms for preclinical screening of novel anabolic or anti-catabolic therapeutic approaches to improve bone health.

Perspectives of future lung toxicology studies using human pluripotent stem cells

The absence of in vitro platforms for human pulmonary toxicology studies is becoming an increasingly serious concern. The respiratory system has a dynamic mechanical structure that extends from the airways to the alveolar region. In addition, the epithelial, endothelial, stromal, and immune cells are highly organized in each region and interact with each other to function synergistically. These cells of varied lineage, particularly epithelial cells, have been difficult to use for long-term culture in vitro, thus limiting the development of useful experimental tools. This limitation has set a large distance between the bench and the bedside for analyzing the pathogenic mechanisms, the efficacy of candidate therapeutic agents, and the toxicity of compounds. Several researchers have proposed solutions to these problems by reporting on methods for generating human lung epithelial cells derived from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). Moreover, the use of organoid culture, organ-on-a-chip, and material-based techniques have enabled the maintenance of functional PSC-derived lung epithelial cells as well as primary cells. The aforementioned technological advances have facilitated the in vitro recapitulation of genetic lung diseases and the detection of ameliorating or worsening effects of genetic and chemical interventions, thus indicating the future possibility of more sophisticated preclinical compound assessments in vitro. In this review, we will update the recent advances in lung cell culture methods, principally focusing on human PSC-derived lung epithelial organoid culture systems with the hope of their future application in toxicology studies.

The Effect of TIBA and NPA on Shoot Regeneration of Cannabis sativa L. Epicotyl Explants

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L., family Cannabaceae) is a multi-purpose crop, used in the production of food, nutraceuticals, cosmetics and medicines. Therefore, development of new varieties with specific chemical profiles is necessary. In vitro culture methods could be complementary to conventional breeding and a useful tool for large-scale propagation. Strong apical dominance is considered as one of the factors contributing to the recalcitrance of industrial hemp in shoot proliferation. In this study, we tested the polar transport inhibitors N-1-naphtylphtalamic acid (NPA) and 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA) to enhance shoot regeneration as the result of suppression of apical dominance and to develop in vitro protocols for Diana, Finola and Fedora 17 cultivars. Shoot tips derived from epicotyls were cultivated on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) supplemented with meta-topolin (mT) and NPA, and also thidiazuron (TDZ) with a combination of TIBA and NPA. The results showed that the combination of TDZ with NPA (1–5 mg L−1) and TDZ with TIBA (0.5–2.5 mg L−1) increased the response of explants and the multiplication rate, but the effect was genotype-dependent and malformations were observed. To optimize the developed protocol, a two-step procedure with shortened time of exposure to inhibitors and reduced concentrations of them was applied. Shoots were rooted on media containing indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and then successfully acclimatized. The obtained results will be useful in micropropagation of recalcitrant industrial hemp varieties.

Microfluidic-Based Droplets for Advanced Regenerative Medicine: Current Challenges and Future Trends

Microfluidics is a promising approach for the facile and large-scale fabrication of monodispersed droplets for various applications in biomedicine. This technology has demonstrated great potential to address the limitations of regenerative medicine. Microfluidics provides safe, accurate, reliable, and cost-effective methods for encapsulating different stem cells, gametes, biomaterials, biomolecules, reagents, genes, and nanoparticles inside picoliter-sized droplets or droplet-derived microgels for different applications. Moreover, microenvironments made using such droplets can mimic niches of stem cells for cell therapy purposes, simulate native extracellular matrix (ECM) for tissue engineering applications, and remove challenges in cell encapsulation and three-dimensional (3D) culture methods. The fabrication of droplets using microfluidics also provides controllable microenvironments for manipulating gametes, fertilization, and embryo cultures for reproductive medicine. This review focuses on the relevant studies, and the latest progress in applying droplets in stem cell therapy, tissue engineering, reproductive biology, and gene therapy are separately evaluated. In the end, we discuss the challenges ahead in the field of microfluidics-based droplets for advanced regenerative medicine.

Detection of Microorganisms in Body Fluids via MTT-PMS Assay

Early detection of microorganisms is essential for the management of infectious diseases. However, this is challenging, as traditional culture methods are labor-intensive and time-consuming. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide-phenazine methosulfate (MTT-PMS) assay has been used to evaluate the metabolic activity in live cells and can thus be used for detecting living microorganisms. With the addition of NaOH and Tris-EDTA, the same approach can be accelerated (within 15 min) and used for the quick detection of common bacterial pathogens. The assay results can be evaluated colorimetrically or semi-quantitatively. Here, the quick detection by MTT-PMS assay was further investigated. The assay had a detection limit of approximately 104 CFU/mL. In clinical evaluations, we used the MTT-PMS assay to detect clinical samples and bacteriuria (>105 CFU/mL). The negative predictive value of the MTT-PMS assay for determining bacteriuria was 79.59% but was 100% when the interference of abnormal blood was excluded. Thus, the MTT-PMS assay might be a potential “rule-out” tool for bacterial detection in clinical samples, at a cost of approximately USD 1 per test. Owing to its low cost, rapid results, and easy-to-use characteristics, the MTT-PMS assay may be a potential tool for microorganism detection.

Expert opinion on current and emerging treatments in dermatophytosis

<p class="abstract">Dermatophytosis continues to be a worldwide public health problem, predominantly in developing countries like India. Early diagnosis and appropriate management are imperative to enhance patient outcomes and improve quality of life of individuals with dermatophytosis. Multiple focused group discussions involving 76 dermatologists across 36 cities in India were conducted to provide a consensus clinical viewpoint of expert dermatologists to gain insights toward effective diagnosis and management of Indian subjects with dermatophytosis. These discussions mainly aimed at reviewing current literature on prevalence, etiology, diagnosis and management of dermatophytosis and highlighting variations in diagnostic and treatment approaches in routine clinical practice. The current article summarizes the experts’ clinical viewpoint on overall management of dermatophytosis. Diagnosis of dermatophytosis involves clinical observation, microscopic examination and dermoscopy. Molecular techniques have certain advantages over conventional microscopy and culture methods but are associated with issues of cost and technique complexity. Oral itraconazole 200 mg–400 mg daily and terbinafine 500 mg/day could be considered for recalcitrant tinea infections. Topical azoles like luliconazole, sertaconazole, and terbinafine could be beneficial. A combination of oral and topical antifungal drugs is effective in patients with steroid-modified and difficult-to-treat tinea infections. Also, patient counselling and use of adjunctive therapies like antihistamines, retinoids, and moisturizers are essential for managing tinea infections. </p><p class="abstract"> </p>