Bacterial Cellulose/Alginate Nanocomposite for Antimicrobial Wound Dressing

Development of novel wound dressing has attracted more and more attentions in recent years. Bacterial cellulose is a biopolymer of great potentials, which features a distinctive three-dimensional structure consisting of an ultrafine network of cellulos nanofibers. In the present study, nanocomposite bacterial cellulose films modified in situ by the addition of alginate during the static cultivation of Gluconacetobacter sucrofermentans B-11267 were produced and then enriching the polymer with an antimicrobial agent tetracycline hydrochloride. The structure of bacterial cellulose and nanocomposite was analyzed by AFM and FTIR. The FTIR spectra displayed the specified interaction between the hydroxyl group of cellulose and the carboxyl group of alginate. The produced bacterial cellulose and nanocomposite were analyzed to determine tensile modulus. The antibacterial activity of nanocomposites were investigated by disk diffusion method. The resulting nanocomposite have high antibiotic activity against Staphylococcus aureus and can be used in medicine as a wound dressing. Keywords: bacterial cellulose, Gluconacetobacter sucrofermentans, alginate, nanocomposite, antibacterial activity, wound dressin

EWI-2 regulates α3β1 integrin–dependent cell functions on laminin-5

EWI-2, a cell surface immunoglobulin SF protein of unknown function, associates with tetraspanins CD9 and CD81 with high stoichiometry. Overexpression of EWI-2 in A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells did not alter cell adhesion or spreading on laminin-5, and had no effect on reaggregation of cells plated on collagen I (α2β1 integrin ligand). However, on laminin-5 (α3β1 integrin ligand), A431 cell reaggregation and motility functions were markedly impaired. Immunodepletion and reexpression experiments revealed that tetraspanins CD9 and CD81 physically link EWI-2 to α3β1 integrin, but not to other integrins. CD81 also controlled EWI-2 maturation and cell surface localization. EWI-2 overexpression not only suppressed cell migration, but also redirected CD81 to cell filopodia and enhanced α3β1–CD81 complex formation. In contrast, an EWI-2 chimeric mutant failed to suppress cell migration, redirect CD81 to filopodia, or enhance α3β1–CD81 complex formation. These results show how laterally associated EWI-2 might regulate α3β1 function in disease and development, and demonstrate how tetraspanin proteins can assemble multiple nontetraspanin proteins into functional complexes

The structure of intangible capital

© 2016 Taylor & Francis Group, London.The article deals with the structure of intangible capital. A significant share of the intangible capital is associated with a person and can be considered as human capital, which, in turn, also has a complex structure, including intellectual, social, organizational, cliental, and reputational capital. We have allocated a separate category of the intangible capital—unidentifiable capital—including a variety of synergistic interaction effects, and the structure of intangible capital

Peculiarities of schoolchildren's motivation for physical education and sport activities

In the article the study of the features of the motivation of schoolchildren for physical culture and sports activities is considered: the factors influencing the motivation of schoolchildren for physical training are analyzed, the results of the questioning of schoolchildren of 12-13 years, connected with the study of motivation to engage in physical culture and sports activities, are analyzedВ статье приводится исследование особенностей мотивации школьников к занятиям физкультурно-оздоровительной и спортивной деятельностью: рассматриваются факторы, влияющие на мотивацию школьников к занятиям физической культурой, анализируются результаты анкетирования школьников 11–12 лет, связанное с исследованием мотивации к занятиям физкультурно-оздоровительной и спортивной деятельность

Geochemical features of the elemental composition of meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria (L).Maxim) in Kemerovo Oblast

Biogeochemical sampling of the aboveground part of meadowsweet (Fillipendula Ulmaria (L). Maxim) allowed us to study ecological and geochemical features of 10 regions in Kemerovo Oblast, including both natural and man-made landscapes. The content of 55 elements in the plant is determined by ICP-MS. Statistical analysis of the results allowed us to establish the effect of the soil mineral composition and the mining region specificity on the elemental composition of meadowsweet, to reveal significant positive correlations of the elements and to establish a statistically significant difference in the studied areas on the basis of the content of some elements. Sample reference to one of the clusters, followed by an assessment of their geochemical features is determined by the K-average method

Role of cytokines in pathogenesis, diagnosis and efficiency evaluation of immunotherapy in various variants of sclerotic lichen in women

Our aim was to evaluate diagnostic and pathogenetic significance of plasma cytokines (IL-20, IL-23, IL-10, TNFα, IFNγ) in the patients with various clinical and histological variants of sclerotic lichen and to assess opportunity for their use as effectiveness criteria of immunotherapy for this disease using a drug based on eukaryotic deoxyribonucleic acid (Derinat). The prospective cohort study included assessment of the clinical manifestations (itching and dyspareunia) and measurement of blood cytokine contents (IL-20, IL-23, IL-10, TNFα, IFNγ) in women (n = 114) with various clinical variants of sclerotic lichen (atrophic, sclerotic and sclerotic-atrophic) before and after immunotherapy with a nucleic acid-based drug (Derinat). Derinat was chosen due to the fact of being an agonist of Toll-like receptors, and a number of immunoregulatory effects, including the ability to modulate cytokine production and to exert a positive influence upon regeneration processes. In addition, based on visual inspection, vulvoscopy and morphohistochemical examination results (evaluation criteria: skin thickness, number of collagen fibers, severity of fibrosis and sclerosis, etc.), the corresponding subgroups were classified within the II group, i.e., 2.1 (minimal sclerotic signs, n = 14), and 2.2 (pronounced sclerotic signs, n = 20). The control group consisted of conditionally healthy women, without history or presence of vulvar pathology (n = 30), with an age ranging from 20 to 50 years. Along with cytokine assessment by enzyme immunoassay, the study used the data of clinical examination (anamnesis collection, examination, palpation, vulvoscopy), as well as complex morphohistochemical evaluation of vulvar tissues. In atrophic variant, we have observed an increase in plasma IL-23 content, along with decreased TNFα; in lichen sclerosis, a maximal increase in IL-20, IL-23, and IFNγ was revealed; in sclerotic form of sclerotic lichen variant with severe sclerotic features, maximally enhanced IL-20, IL-23, TNFα, IFNγ, along with minimal levels of IL-10 was registered, as compared with other groups. Immunotherapy using Derinate resulted into significant reduction in the clinical manifestations in sclerotic lichen, i.e., itching of the vulva and dyspareunia, as well as normalization of cytokine indexes. Our studies have demonstrated an opportunity of using plasma concentrations of IL-20, IL-23, IL-10, TNFα, IFNγ as biomarkers of sclerotic lichen variants, and as laboratory criteria for efficiency of immunotherapy

Haploid biotechnology as a tool for creating a selection material for sugar beets

Since the discovery of the phenomenon of haploidy, biotechnology has become an integral part in the successful creation of new varieties and hybrids of various plant species. In particular, these technologies are actively used in agriculture, which is concerned with increasing the volume and improving the quality of products. The integration of haploid production techniques together with other available biotechnological tools such as marker selection (MAS), induced mutagenesis and genetic engineering technologies can significantly accelerate crop breeding. This article shows the main stages in the development of biotechnology since 1921. Now they are successfully used to create doubled haploids to accelerate the selection process of various plants and, in particular, sugar beet, which is the most important sugar crop in regions with a temperate climate. There are several methods for obtaining forms with a single set of chromosomes. For sugar beets, the use of gynogenesis turned out to be expedient, since in this case the other methods turned out to be ineffective in the mass production of haploids. The article considers the stages of obtaining the H and DH lines of Beta vulgaris L., as well as the main stages of biotechnological production of homozygous breeding material of this culture. These stages include selecting parental forms – donor explants, sterilizing buds and introducing non-pollinated ovules in vitro, obtaining haploids, doubling their chromosome set, creating doubled haploids, determining ploidy at different stages, relocating the obtained plants to greenhouses and growing stecklings. A number of advantages that the technology of creating doubled haploids in vitro has in comparison with traditional methods of selection are described. It has been shown that the use of these approaches is relevant when obtaining new highly productive hybrids and varieties of agricultural plants; however, the methods for the production of homozygous forms in sugar beet still require additional research aimed at increasing the efficiency and reproducibility of each stage of the process

Reputation as part of intangible property, intangible national wealth and intangible heritage

The role of intangible values increases in the modern information society: knowledge, information, reputation and other intangible objects are capable to provide a competitive advantage of individual companies and states in general. The share of intangible capital in the structure of national wealth of the majority of developed countries increases. In our opinion, in the modern economic science there are no accurate criteria differentiating such categories as intangible heritage, intangible national wealth and intangible property that leads to the mix of concepts and complicates the definition of mechanisms which increase the intangible capital at the state level. One of the objectives of our research is differentiation of categories of intangible national wealth, intangible property, intangible heritage and identification of intangible objects, which they include. A large number of modern researches are devoted to the topic of reputation, scientists agree that this intangible resource has a great impact on competitiveness and efficiency of economic activity. However reputation isn't considered on a macrolevel, its influence on the activities of regions or country is not studied, questions of studying of the essence of reputation and factors influencing it at the macrolevel became the second problem of our research. The objective of this research is the study of reputation as a part of intangible wealth, heritage and property and identification of the factors which can be considered as a source of the increase in these intangible assets. Statement and proof of working hypotheses were carried out on the basis of methods of classification, analysis, synthesis, standardized analytical approach and analogy. As a result the reputation is considered to be the phenomenon with multiple aspects, which is subject to numerous factors such as actions and events in the region, social, economic, political and legal status of the region and etc. The analysis of reputation of the Republic of Tatarstan is carried out. It is defined that the improvement of reputation of the country and region increases the intangible national wealth, intangible property and intangible heritage