A Faculty-Centered Career Consultation Service in an Academic Health Sciences Center: Five Years of Presenting Problems, Demographics, and Recommendations.

Psychologists in faculty affairs/faculty development (FAFD) roles can contribute to faculty vitality in academic health centers (AHCs) and mitigate barriers to advancement and retention. We describe a novel psychologist-led consultation service within an Office for Faculty Success (OFS) to support faculty across their career trajectories. We used 5 years of consultation data including faculty demographics, presenting concerns, and post-consultation evaluation data on consultation satisfaction and perceived benefits to examine trends and demographic group differences in consultation frequency, presenting concerns, and perceived benefits. From 2018 to 2023, 434 individuals presented for 683 consultations. Promotion in rank was the most frequent presenting concern. Women and racially/ethically minoritized faculty were found to present more frequently for repeat consultations, for concerns related to careers negotiation and advancement, and for intersectionality issues specific to gender and/or racial minority identities. From years one to five, there was a 93% increase in number of annual consultations performed and users were highly satisfied with the service (3.86/4). The consultation service is a unique, highly acceptable addition to interventions focused on career satisfaction and retention for AHC faculty, especially for women, early career, and minoritized faculty, and can serve as a model for other institutions.

Normalizing Flows for Microscopic Many-Body Calculations: An Application to the Nuclear Equation of State.

Normalizing flows are a class of machine learning models used to construct a complex distribution through a bijective mapping of a simple base distribution. We demonstrate that normalizing flows are particularly well suited as a Monte Carlo integration framework for quantum many-body calculations that require the repeated evaluation of high-dimensional integrals across smoothly varying integrands and integration regions. As an example, we consider the finite-temperature nuclear equation of state. An important advantage of normalizing flows is the ability to build highly expressive models of the target integrand, which we demonstrate enables precise evaluations of the nuclear free energy and its derivatives. Furthermore, we show that a normalizing flow model trained on one target integrand can be used to efficiently calculate related integrals when the temperature, density, or nuclear force is varied. This work will support future efforts to build microscopic equations of state for numerical simulations of supernovae and neutron star mergers that employ state-of-the-art nuclear forces and many-body methods.

Fresh and Cryopreserved Human Umbilical-Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Attenuate Injury and Enhance Resolution and Repair following Ventilation-Induced Lung Injury.

BACKGROUND: Ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) frequently worsens acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) severity. Human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) offer considerable therapeutic promise, but the key impediments of clinical translation stem from limitations due to cell source and availability, and concerns regarding the loss of efficacy following cryopreservation. These experiments compared the efficacy of umbilical-cord-derived MSCs (UC-MSCs), a readily available and homogenous tissue source, to the previously more widely utilised bone-marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs). We assessed their capacity to limit inflammation, resolve injury and enhance repair in relevant lung mechanical stretch models, and the impact of cryopreservation on therapeutic efficacy. METHODS: In series 1, confluent alveolar epithelial layers were subjected to cyclic mechanical stretch (22% equibiaxial strain) and wound injury, and the potential of the secretome from BM- and UC-derived MSCs to attenuate epithelial inflammation and cell death, and enhance wound repair was determined. In series 2, anesthetized rats underwent VILI, and later received, in a randomised manner, 1 × 107 MSCs/kg intravenously, that were: (i) fresh BM-MSCs, (ii) fresh UC-MSCs or (iii) cryopreserved UC-MSCs. Control animals received a vehicle (PBS). The extent of the resolution of inflammation and injury, and repair was measured at 24 h. RESULTS: Conditioned medium from BM-MSCs and UC-MSCs comparably decreased stretch-induced pulmonary epithelial inflammation and cell death. BM-MSCs and UC-MSCs comparably enhanced wound resolution. In animals subjected to VILI, both fresh BM-MSCs and UC-MSCs enhanced injury resolution and repair, while cryopreserved UC-MSCs comparably retained their efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Cryopreserved UC-MSCs can reduce stretch-induced inflammation and cell death, enhance wound resolution, and enhance injury resolution and repair following VILI. Cryopreserved UC-MSCs represent a more abundant, cost-efficient, less variable and equally efficacious source of therapeutic MSC product.

Delayed MSC therapy enhances resolution of organized pneumonia induced by antibiotic resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infection.

Introduction: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are a promising therapeutic for pneumonia-induced sepsis. Here we sought to determine the efficacy of delayed administration of naïve and activated bone marrow (BM), adipose (AD), and umbilical cord (UC) derived MSCs in organized antibiotic resistant Klebsiella pneumosepsis. Methods: Human BM-, AD-, and UC-MSCs were isolated and expanded and used either in the naïve state or following cytokine pre-activation. The effect of MSC tissue source and activation status was assessed first in vitro. Subsequent experiments assessed therapeutic potential as a delayed therapy at 48 h post infection of rodents with Klebsiella pneumoniae, with efficacy assessed at 120 h. Results: BM-, AD-, and UC-MSCs accelerated epithelial healing, increased phagocytosis, and reduced ROS-induced epithelial injury in vitro, with AD-MSCs less effective, and naïve MSCs more effective than pre-activated MSCs. Delayed MSC administration in pre-clinical organized Klebsiella pneumosepsis had no effect on physiologic indices, but enhanced resolution of structural lung injury. Delayed therapy with pre-activated MSCs reduced mRNA concentrations of fibrotic factors. Naïve MSC treatment reduced key circulating cell proportions and increased bacterial killing capacity in the lungs whereas pre-activated MSCs enhanced the phagocytic index of pulmonary white cells. Discussion: Delayed MSC therapy enhanced resolution of lung injury induced by antibiotic resistant Klebsiella infection and favorably modulated immune cell profile. Overall, AD-MSCs were less effective than either UC- or BM-MSCs, while naïve MSCs had a more favorable effect profile compared to pre-activated MSCs.

Differential Effects of Cytokine Versus Hypoxic Preconditioning of Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in Pulmonary Sepsis Induced by Antimicrobial-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Background: Pulmonary sepsis is a leading cause of hospital mortality, and sepses arising from antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacterial strains are particularly difficult to treat. Here we investigated the potential of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to combat established Klebsiella pneumoniae pneumosepsis and further evaluated MSC preconditioning and pre-activation methods. Methods: The potential for naïve and preconditioned MSCs to enhance wound healing, reduce inflammation, preserve metabolic activity, and enhance bacterial killing was assessed in vitro. Rats were subjected to intratracheal K. pneumoniae followed by the intravenous administration of MSCs. Physiological indices, blood, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), and tissues were obtained 72 h later. Results: In vitro assays confirmed that preconditioning enhances MSC function, accelerating pulmonary epithelial wound closure, reducing inflammation, attenuating cell death, and increasing bacterial killing. Cytomix-pre-activated MSCs are superior to naïve and hypoxia-exposed MSCs in attenuating Klebsiella pneumosepsis, improving lung compliance and oxygenation, reducing bacteria, and attenuating histologic injuries in lungs. BAL inflammatory cytokines were reduced, correlating with decreases in polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells. MSCs increased PMN apoptosis and the CD4:CD8 ratio in BAL. Systemically, granulocytes, classical monocytes, and the CD4:CD8 ratio were reduced, and nonclassical monocytes were increased. Conclusions: Preconditioning with cytokines, but not hypoxia, enhances the therapeutic potential of MSCs in clinically relevant models of K. pneumoniae-induced pneumosepsis.

Enhancement strategies for mesenchymal stem cells and related therapies.

Cell therapy, particularly mesenchymal stem/stromal (MSC) therapy, has been investigated for a wide variety of disease indications, particularly those with inflammatory pathologies. However, recently it has become evident that the MSC is far from a panacea. In this review we will look at current and future strategies that might overcome limitations in efficacy. Many of these take their inspiration from stem cell niche and the mechanism of MSC action in response to the injury microenvironment, or from previous gene therapy work which can now benefit from the added longevity and targeting ability of a live cell vector. We will also explore the nascent field of extracellular vesicle therapy and how we are already seeing enhancement protocols for this exciting new drug. These enhanced MSCs will lead the way in more difficult to treat diseases and restore potency where donors or manufacturing practicalities lead to diminished MSC effect.

Hypercapnia in the critically ill: insights from the bench to the bedside.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) has long been considered, at best, a waste by-product of metabolism, and at worst, a toxic molecule with serious health consequences if physiological concentration is dysregulated. However, clinical observations have revealed that 'permissive' hypercapnia, the deliberate allowance of respiratory produced CO2 to remain in the patient, can have anti-inflammatory effects that may be beneficial in certain circumstances. In parallel, studies at the cell level have demonstrated the profound effect of CO2 on multiple diverse signalling pathways, be it the effect from CO2 itself specifically or from the associated acidosis it generates. At the whole organism level, it now appears likely that there are many biological sensing systems designed to respond to CO2 concentration and tailor respiratory and other responses to atmospheric or local levels. Animal models have been widely employed to study the changes in CO2 levels in various disease states and also to what extent permissive or even directly delivered CO2 can affect patient outcome. These findings have been advanced to the bedside at the same time that further clinical observations have been elucidated at the cell and animal level. Here we present a synopsis of the current understanding of how CO2 affects mammalian biological systems, with a particular emphasis on inflammatory pathways and diseases such as lung specific or systemic sepsis. We also explore some future directions and possibilities, such as direct control of blood CO2 levels, that could lead to improved clinical care in the future.

Role of the adaptive immune response in sepsis.

Sepsis is a syndrome of shock and dysfunction of multiple vital organs that is caused by an uncontrolled immune response to infection and has a high mortality rate. There are no therapies for sepsis, and it has become a global cause for concern. Advances in patient care and management now mean that most patients survive the initial hyper-inflammatory phase of sepsis but progress to a later immunosuppressed phase, where 30% of patients die due to secondary infection. Deficits in the adaptive immune response may play a major role in sepsis patient mortality. The adaptive immune response involves a number of cell types including T cells, B cells and dendritic cells, all with immunoregulatory roles aimed at limiting damage and returning immune homeostasis after infection or insult. However, in sepsis, adaptive immune cells experience cell death or exhaustion, meaning that they have defective effector and memory responses ultimately resulting in an ineffective or suppressed immune defence. CD4+ T cells seem to be the most susceptible to cell death during sepsis and have ensuing defective secretory profiles and functions. Regulatory T cells seem to evade apoptosis and contribute to the immune suppression observed with sepsis. Preclinical studies have identified a number of new targets for therapy in sepsis including anti-apoptotic agents and monoclonal antibodies aimed at reducing cell death, exhaustion and maintaining/restoring adaptive immune cell functions. While early phase clinical trials have demonstrated safety and encouraging signals for biologic effect, larger scale clinical trial testing is required to determine whether these strategies will prove effective in improving outcomes from sepsis.

Umbilical cord-derived CD362+ mesenchymal stromal cells for E. coli pneumonia: impact of dose regimen, passage, cryopreservation, and antibiotic therapy.

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) demonstrate considerable promise for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis. However, standard approaches to MSC isolation generate highly heterogeneous cell populations, while bone marrow (BM) constitutes a limited and difficult to access MSC source. Furthermore, a range of cell manufacturing considerations and clinical setting practicalities remain to be explored. METHODS: Adult male rats were subject to E. coli-induced pneumonia and administered CD362+ umbilical cord (UC)-hMSCs using a variety of cell production and clinical relevance considerations. In series 1, animals were instilled with E. coli and randomized to receive heterogeneous BM or UC-hMSCs or CD362+ UC-hMSCs. Subsequent series examined the impact of concomitant antibiotic therapy, MSC therapeutic cryopreservation (cryopreserved vs fresh CD362+ UC-hMSCs), impact of cell passage on efficacy (passages 3 vs 5 vs 7 vs 10), and delay of administration of cell therapy (0 h vs 6 h post-injury vs 6 h + 12 h) following E. coli installation. RESULTS: CD362+ UC-hMSCs were as effective as heterogonous MSCs in reducing E. coli-induced acute lung injury, improving oxygenation, decreasing bacterial load, reducing histologic injury, and ameliorating inflammatory marker levels. Cryopreserved CD362+ UC-hMSCs recapitulated this efficacy, attenuating E. coli-induced injury, but therapeutic relevance did not extend beyond passage 3 for all indices. CD362+ UC-hMSCs maintained efficacy in the presence of antibiotic therapy and rescued the animal from E. coli injury when delivered at 6 h + 12 h, following E. coli instillation. CONCLUSIONS: These translational studies demonstrated the efficacy of CD362+ UC-hMSCs, where they decreased the severity of E. coli-induced pneumonia, maintained efficacy following cryopreservation, were more effective at early passage, were effective in the presence of antibiotic therapy, and could continue to provide benefit at later time points following E. coli injury.