CYFC Monthly, May 2016

This archival publication may not reflect current scientific knowledge or recommendations. Current information available from the University of Minnesota Extension: https://www.extension.umn.edu.Children, Youth & Family Consortium; Chatterjee, Debanjana; Gloppen, Kari; Kessler, Kristen; McRee, Annie-Laurie. (2016). CYFC Monthly, May 2016. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/191136

Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells utilise activin-A to suppress interferon-gamma production by natural killer cells

Following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), interferon (IFN)-γ levels in the recipient's body can strongly influence the clinical outcome. Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) are lucrative as biological tolerance inducers in HSCT settings. Hence, we studied the molecular mechanism of how UC-MSCs influence natural killer (NK) cell-mediated IFN-γ production. Allogeneic NK cells were cultured in direct contact with UC-MSCs or cell free supernatants from MSC cultures (MSC conditioned media). We found that soluble factors secreted by UC-MSCs strongly suppressed IL-12/IL-18-induced IFN-γ production by NK cells by reducing phosphorylation of STAT4, NF-κB as well as T-bet activity. UC-MSCs secreted considerable amounts of Activin-A, which could suppress IFN-γ production by NK cells. Neutralisation of Activin-A in MSC conditioned media significantly abrogated their suppressive abilities. Till date, multiple groups have reported that prostaglandin (PG)-E2 produced by MSCs can suppress NK cell functions. Indeed, we found that inhibition of PGE2 production by MSCs could also significantly restore IFN-γ production. However, the effects of Activin-A and PGE2 were not cumulative. To the best of our knowledge, we are first to report the role of Activin-A in MSC mediated suppression of IFN-γ production by NK cells.DFG/SFB738/A5Hannover Biomedical Research School (HBRS)DFG/REBIRTHNiedersächsische Krebsgesellschaf

Role of gamma-secretase in human umbilical-cord derived mesenchymal stem cell mediated suppression of NK cell cytotoxicity

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are increasingly considered to be used as biological immunosuppressants in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In the early reconstitution phase following HSCT, natural killer (NK) cells represent the major lymphocyte population in peripheral blood and display graft-vs-leukemia (GvL) effects. The functional interactions between NK cells and MSCs have the potential to influence the leukemia relapse rate after HSCT. Until date, MSC-NK cell interaction studies are largely focussed on bone marrow derived (BM)-MSCs. Umbilical cord derived (UC)-MSCs might be an alternative source of therapeutic MSCs. Thus, we studied the interaction of UC-MSCs with unstimulated allogeneic NK cells.Results: UC-MSCs could potently suppress NK cell cytotoxicity in overnight cultures via soluble factors. The main soluble immunosuppressant was identified as prostaglandin (PG)-E2. Maximal PGE2 release involved IL-1β priming of MSCs after close contact between the NK cells and UC-MSCs. Interestingly, blocking gamma-secretase activation alleviated the immunosuppression by controlling PGE2 production. IL-1 receptor activation and subsequent downstream signalling events were found to require gamma-secretase activity.Conclusion: Although the role of PGE2 in NK cell-MSC has been reported, the requirement of cell-cell contact for PGE2 induced immunosuppression remained unexplained. Our findings shed light on this puzzling observation and identify new players in the NK cell-MSC crosstalk.DFG/SFB738/A5Hannover Biomedical Research School (HBRS)REBIRTH Cluster of ExcellenceNiedersächsische Krebsgesellschaft e.V

Modeling the illumination of the church at Studenica monastery during evening services

This paper presents an analytical model to analyze illumination of the church interior during the evening service. The focus is on the artificial light achieved using church lighting fixtures known as polycandela, which are suspended directly below the church dome. The analysis focuses on the main church (katholikon) at Studenica Monastery, built in Serbia sometime before 1208/9. By using a computer-generated model of the Studenica church derived from high-precision laser scanning and close-range photogrammetry rather than from more conventional architectural drawings of the church, we recreate the actual three-dimensional space of the church interior. Our model allows for a quantitative calculation and analysis of the amount of artificial light that could have been achieved inside medieval churches. We apply this model for the church at Studenica to better understand the lighting of medieval structures as well as more abstract and diagrammatic qualities of the sacred space of the church manifested by light conditions.Radovi sa radionice će biti publikovni u tematskom zborniku pod istim nazivom u izdanju poznatog izdavača akademskih radova - Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, Netherlands

Evaluation of the cost and effectiveness of diverse recruitment methods for a genetic screening study

Purpose: Recruitment of participants from diverse backgrounds is crucial to the generalizability of genetic research, but has proven challenging. We retrospectively evaluated recruitment methods used for a study on return of genetic results. Methods: The costs of study design, development, and participant enrollment were calculated, and the characteristics of the participants enrolled through the seven recruitment methods were examined. Results: A total of 1118 participants provided consent, a blood sample, and questionnaire data. The estimated cost across recruitment methods ranged from $579 to$1666 per participant and required a large recruitment team. Recruitment methods using flyers and staff networks were the most cost-efficient and resulted in the highest completion rate. Targeted sampling that emphasized the importance of Latino/a participation, utilization of translated materials, and in-person recruitments contributed to enrolling a demographically diverse sample. Conclusions: Although all methods were deployed in the same hospital or neighborhood and shared the same staff, each recruitment method was different in terms of cost and characteristics of the enrolled participants, suggesting the importance of carefully choosing the recruitment methods based on the desired composition of the final study sample. This analysis provides information about the effectiveness and cost of different methods to recruit adults for genetic research

Comprehensive assessment of meta-analysis and contingent valuation technique for sustainable management of wetland of Middle Ganga Plain

In this study, the functions and threats of Suraha Tal Wetland are identified by the stated preference method and weightage is given according to their rank. The objective of the study is to determine the total economic value of Suraha Tal Wetland. The direct value can be drawn from the market price and from a survey of the stakeholders. Suraha Tal Wetland is also famous for the presence of the Jai Prakash Narayan Birds Sanctuary, which makes it a biodiversity-enriched area. The indirect value has been drawn from a review of the literature on Suraha Tal Wetland and the relevance of this literature is justified through the comprehensive meta-analysis (CMA) software. The total valuation of the wetland has been calculated. The paper concludes with suggestions for a few management strategies for better wetland management