#19 - Testing USDA Certified Organic Soy Noodles for Genetic Modifications

Screening USDA Certified Organic Soy noodles for genetic modifications using various DNA and protein analysis tools like DNA isolation, PCR, Gel Electrophoresis, Nano-drop, and ELISA

#46 - Anti-Inflammatory Agents Modulate Phagocytic Activity of Alpha-Synuclein Stimulated Microglial Cells

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by tremors, spasms, involuntary movements and the loss of dopaminergic neurons. The degeneration of dopamine neurons during PD is concurrent with the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines that cause inflammation in the brain. This can reduce the neuroprotective effects of the microglia, by inhibiting their phagocytic response. With this in mind, we investigated the ability of nicotine and ibuprofen (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) to stimulate the release of anti-inflammatory cytokines and stabilize the phagocytic activity of microglia in an inflamed environment. Nicotine has long been thought to be a carcinogen found in tobacco cigarettes and more recently E-cigarettes. Although public consensus shows a negative reception, recent in vivo and in vitro studies have supported the use of low doses of nicotine as a potentially anti-inflammatory compound. Epidemiological studies suggest that smokers tend to have a lower incidence of PD. BV-2 microglial cells were first treated with nicotine or ibuprofen at concentrations 1 µM, 10 µM and 100 µM. Following a 24-hour incubation period, cells were then treated with an α-synuclein peptide and left to incubate for another 24 hours. Phagocytic activity was measured using fluorescently-tagged E. coli particles and quantified using ImageJ. Our experiments found that specific doses of nicotine and ibuprofen stabilized phagocytic activity in microglia incubated in neurotoxic environments induced by α-synuclein. These data support the utility of anti-inflammatory compounds in the regulation of phagocytosis in microglia and their potential as a mechanism for therapeutic treatments of PD

Social identity patterns and trust in demographically diverse work teams

The article presents a model that links trust in a demographically diverse work context to three different social-identity patterns. Trust is considered to be beneficial for interpersonal relationships and work outcomes in diverse teams as well as for a healthy work relationship between minority members and their company. First, imposing a common ingroup identity based on similarities has been put forward as a useful method of creating depersonalized forms of trust among members of different demographic subgroups. However, its usefulness seems to be limited to situations of low identity threat. Alternatively, recent findings support the usefulness of creating a relational identity orientation or a common ingroup identity that explicitly embraces the value of diversity. The latter methods seem to enforce more personalized and more robust forms of identity-based trust in teams. They may also be useful in promoting trust of minority members in the organizational setting as a whole and in its authorities, probably because these identity patterns contribute to feelings of respect among minority members. Practical implications of these findings are discussed