A Key Role of Dendritic Cells in Probiotic Functionality

BACKGROUND: Disruption of the intestinal homeostasis and tolerance towards the resident microbiota is a major mechanism involved in the development of inflammatory bowel disease. While some bacteria are inducers of disease, others, known as probiotics, are able to reduce inflammation. Because dendritic cells (DCs) play a central role in regulating immune responses and in inducing tolerance, we investigated their role in the anti-inflammatory potential of probiotic lactic acid bacteria. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Selected LAB strains, while efficiently taken up by DCs in vitro, induced a partial maturation of the cells. Transfer of probiotic-treated DCs conferred protection against 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis. Protection was associated with a reduction of inflammatory scores and colonic expression of pro-inflammatory genes, while a high local expression of the immunoregulatory enzyme indolamine 2, 3 dioxgenase (IDO) was observed. The preventive effect of probiotic-pulsed DCs required not only MyD88-, TLR2- and NOD2-dependent signaling but also the induction of CD4+ CD25+ regulatory cells in an IL-10-independent pathway. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Altogether, these results suggest that selected probiotics can stimulate DC regulatory functions by targeting specific pattern-recognition receptors and pathways. The results not only emphasize the role of DCs in probiotic immune interactions, but indicate a possible role in immune-intervention therapy for IBD

Maintenance of cross-sector partnerships: the role of frames in sustained collaboration

We examine the framing mechanisms used to maintain a cross-sector partnership (XSP) that was created to address a complex long-term social issue. We study the first eight years of existence of an XSP that aims to create a market for recycled phosphorus, a nutrient that is critical to crop growth but whose natural reserves have dwindled significantly. Drawing on 27 interviews and over 3,000 internal documents, we study the evolution of different frames used by diverse actors in an XSP. We demonstrate the role of framing in helping actors to avoid some of the common pitfalls for an XSP, such as debilitating conflict, and in creating sufficient common ground to sustain collaboration. As opposed to a commonly held assumption in the XSP literature, we find that collaboration in a partnership does not have to result in a unanimous agreement around a single or convergent frame regarding a contentious issue. Rather, successful collaboration between diverse partners can also be achieved by maintaining a productive tension between different frames through ‘optimal’ frame plurality – not excessive frame variety that may prevent agreements from emerging, but the retention of a select few frames and the deletion of others towards achieving a narrowing frame bandwidth. One managerial implication is that resources need not be focussed on reaching a unanimous agreement among all partners on a single mega-frame vis-à-vis a contentious issue, but can instead be used to kindle a sense of unity in diversity that allows sufficient common ground to emerge, despite the variety of actors and their positions

Performance studies of the CMS strip tracker before installation

Peer reviewe

Negative Regulation of Endogenous Stem Cells in Sensory Neuroepithelia: Implications for Neurotherapeutics

Stem cell therapies to treat central nervous system (CNS) injuries and diseases face many obstacles, one of which is the fact that the adult CNS often presents an environment hostile to the development and differentiation of neural stem and progenitor cells. Close examination of two regions of the nervous system – the olfactory epithelium (OE), which regenerates, and the neural retina, which does not – have helped identify endogenous signals, made by differentiated neurons, which act to inhibit neurogenesis by stem/progenitor cells within these tissues. In this chapter, we provide background information on these systems and their neurogenic signaling systems, with the goal of providing insight into how manipulation of endogenous signaling molecules may enhance the efficacy of stem cell neurotherapeutics

Performance evaluation of a CMM tactile scanning probing system according to the revised ISO 10360 standard

© 2018 CURRAN-CONFERENCE. All rights reserved. In recent years the procedures described in the ISO 10360 standards on acceptance and reverification tests for CMMs have changed drastically. Although the line of thought has not changed much, testing parameters have been extended and the symbolic annotation has altered significantly. This paper elaborates on the revision of ISO 10360-4:2000: CMMs used in scanning measuring mode. This component is going to be incorporated in the updated ISO/CD 10360-5:2017 on contacting probing systems. The changes embody modifications in symbolic representation, alterations in procedures and equipment description and the addition of two parameters. The new parameters are the scanning mode size error on a sphere and its MPE value, resp. PSize. Sph. Scan: k: Tact and PSize. Sph. Scan: k: Tact, MPE. The work presented here exemplifies all theory with a real set of measurements, conducted on a state-of-the-art CMM.status: publishe

Methodology for systematic analysis and improvement of manufacturing unit process life-cycle inventory (UPLCI)—CO2PE! initiative (cooperative effort on process emissions in manufacturing). Part 1: Methodology description

LINK: http://www.springerlink.com/content/ygn87mq1x217752w/Purpose: This report proposes a life cycle analysis (LCA)-oriented methodology for systematic inventory analysis of manufacturing unit processes (referred to as unit process life cycle inventories, UPLCI). The methodology has been developed in the framework of the CO2PE! collaborative research programme and comprises two approaches with different levels of detail, respectively referred to as the screening approach and the in-depth approach. Methodology: The screening approach relies on representative publicly available data and theoretical calculations for energy use, material loss, and identification of variables for improvement, while the in-depth approach is subdivided into four modules, including a time study, a power consumption study, a consumables study and an emissions study, in which all relevant process in- and outputs are measured and analysed in detail. The screening approach provides the first insight in the unit process and results in a set of approximate LCI-data, which also serve to guide the more detailed and complete in-depth approach leading to more accurate LCI-data as well as the identification of potential for energy and resource efficiency improvements of the manufacturing unit process. To ensure optimal reproducibility and applicability, documentation guidelines for data and metadata are included in both approaches. Guidance on definition of functional unit and reference flow as well as on determination of system boundaries specifies the generic goal and scope definition requirements according to ISO 14040 (2006) and ISO 14044 (2006). Results: The proposed methodology aims at ensuring solid foundations for the provision of high-quality LCI data for manufacturing unit processes. Envisaged usage encompasses the provision of high-quality data for LCA studies of products using these UPLCI for the manufacturing processes, as well as the in-depth analysis of individual manufacturing unit processes. In addition, the accruing availability of data for a range of similar machines (same process, different suppliers and machine capacities) will allow the establishment of parametric emission and resource use estimation models for a more streamlined LCA of products including reliable manufacturing process data. Both approaches have already provided useful results in some initial case studies and their use will be illustrated by two case studies in Part 2 of this paper in the next issue of this journal.status: publishe