Stem cells transplanted into the brain are immunogenic and are actively rejected by the host [abstract]

Abstract only availableStem cell-based therapies have shown great promise in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Batten's Disease and Parkinson's Disease. Intracranial stem cell transplantation has the potential to restore function and compensate for neural cells lost due to injury or disease. However, rejection of donor cells by the host immune system may limit the effectiveness of stem cell therapies. Recent research has suggested that some stem cells may be immunoprivileged, able to avoid rejection by the host's immune system in both allogeneic and xenogeneic settings. This can occur regardless of an MHC mismatch. However, several aspects of these studies complicate interpretations of their results. Transplant recipients are often irradiated before the transplant (Drukker et al. 2006) or otherwise immunocompromised and studies often culminate in a time period insufficient for immune rejection to have occurred (under a week) (Li et al. 2004). To evaluate whether stem cells are immunoprivileged when transplanted into the brain, GFP-expressing neural stem cells (NSCs) were transplanted into the brains of immunocompetent, immunologically mismatched mice. Mice were then sacrificed at time points of one, three, five, seven and nine days posttransplantation. The brains were fixed, freeze-embedded with OCT and sectioned. Graft survival was evaluated by observing the amount of GFP-expressing donor cells in the sections. Sections were also immunolabeled for cells expressing CD4, CD8 and CD11b, all of which are markers for infiltrating immune cells. Presence of such cells indicates immune detection and rejection and can be used to quantify the immune response to foreign stem cells. In future studies, the use of Regulatory T Cells may help to alleviate this rejection by suppressing the activity of CD8 (cytotoxic) and CD4 (helper) T Cells.National Institutes of Healt

2016 top trends in academic libraries A review of the trends and issues affecting academic libraries in higher education

Every other year, the ACRL Research Planning and Review Committee produces a document on top trends in higher education as they relate to academic librarianship. The 2016 Top Trends report discusses research data services, digital scholarship, collection assessment trends, content provider mergers, evidence of learning, new directions with the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy, altmetrics, emerging staff positions, and open educational resources

The SDSS and e-science archiving at the University of Chicago Library

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) is a co-operative scientific project involving over 25 institutions worldwide and managed by the Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC) to map one- quarter of the entire sky in detail, determining the positions and absolute brightness of hundreds of millions of celestial objects. The project was completed in October 2008 and produced over 100 terabytes of data comprised of object catalogs, images, and spectra. While the project remained active, SDSS data was housed at Fermilab. As the project neared completion the SDSS project director (and University of Chicago faculty member) Richard Kron considered options for long term storage and preservation of the data turning to the University of Chicago Library for assistance. In 2007-2008 the University of Chicago Library undertook a pilot project to investigate the feasibility of long term storage and archiving of the project data and providing ongoing access by scientists and educators to the data through the SkyServer user interface. In late 2008 the University of Chicago Library entered into a formal agreement with ARC agreeing to assume responsibility for: • Archiving of the survey data (long-term scientific data archiving) • Serving up survey data to the public • Managing the HelpDesk • Preserving the SDSS Administrative Record This paper outlines the various aspects of the project as well as implementation

2018 Top Trends in Academic Libraries

Every other year, the ACRL Research Planning and Review Committee produces a document on top trends in higher education as they relate to academic librarianship. Topics in this edition of ACRL Top Trends will be familiar to some readers who will hopefully learn of new materials to expand their knowledge. Other readers will be made aware of trends that are outside of their experience. This is the nature of trends in our current technological and educational environments: change is continual, but it affects different libraries at different rates. The 2018 top trends share several overarching themes, including the impact of market forces, technology, and the political environment on libraries

White Matter Hyperintensities in Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (VCID): Knowledge Gaps and Opportunities

White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are frequently seen on brain magnetic resonance imaging scans of older people. Usually interpreted clinically as a surrogate for cerebral small vessel disease, WMHs are associated with increased likelihood of cognitive impairment and dementia (including Alzheimer\u27s disease [AD]). WMHs are also seen in cognitively healthy people. In this collaboration of academic, clinical, and pharmaceutical industry perspectives, we identify outstanding questions about WMHs and their relation to cognition, dementia, and AD. What molecular and cellular changes underlie WMHs? What are the neuropathological correlates of WMHs? To what extent are demyelination and inflammation present? Is it helpful to subdivide into periventricular and subcortical WMHs? What do WMHs signify in people diagnosed with AD? What are the risk factors for developing WMHs? What preventive and therapeutic strategies target WMHs? Answering these questions will improve prevention and treatment of WMHs and dementia

The Public Playground Paradox: "Child’s Joy" or Heterotopia of Fear?

Literature depicts children of the Global North withdrawing from public space to“acceptable islands”. Driven by fears both of and for children, the publicplayground – one such island – provides clear-cut distinctions between childhoodand adulthood. Extending this argument, this paper takes the original approach oftheoretically framing the playground as a heterotopia of deviance, examining –for the first time – three Greek public playground sites in relation to adjacentpublic space. Drawing on an ethnographic study in Athens, findings show fear tounderpin surveillance, control and playground boundary porosity. Normativeclassification as “children’s space” discourages adult engagement. However, in anovel and significant finding, a paradoxical phenomenon sees the playground’spresence simultaneously legitimizing playful behaviour in adjacent public spacefor children and adults. Extended playground play creates alternate orderings andnegotiates norms and hierarchies, suggesting significant wider potential toreconceptualise playground-urban design for an intergenerational public realm

Preparedness of the CTSA's Structural and Scientific Assets to Support the Mission of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)

The formation of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) brings new promise for moving basic and discoveries to clinical practice, ultimately improving the health of the nation. The CTSA sites, now housed with NCATS, are organized and prepared to support in this endeavor. The CTSAs provide a foundation for capitalizing on such promise through provision of a disease-agnostic infrastructure devoted to C&T science, maintenance of training programs designed for C&T investigators of the future, by incentivizing institutional reorganization and by cultivating institutional support

Development and Validation of a Symptom-Based Activity Index for Adults With Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Standardized instruments are needed to assess the activity of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), to provide endpoints for clinical trials and observational studies. We aimed to develop and validate a patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument and score, based on items that could account for variations in patients’ assessments of disease severity. We also evaluated relationships between patients’ assessment of disease severity and EoE-associated endoscopic, histologic, and laboratory findings