The Grammar of Honour and Revenge

There is a rich anthropological literature on honour and revenge, but more often than not, analyses are limited to cultural or historical expressions of the phenomena. As a corollary, the recent re-emergence of honour in Europe is usually explained in terms of non-western immigrants who bring notions of honour as part of their cultural luggage. However, the practice of honour and revenge by Danish Motorcycle Clubs suggests that such an approach is insufficient. The ambition in the article is to go beyond the various cultural expressions and search for a basic ‘grammar’ that can explain why honour becomes a valid theme in some societies and in certain situations. In that endeavour, two questions are vital: What is honour all about? And what is the logic in the perception that lost honour can be restored through revenge? Analysis of a prototypical feuding community in Northern Pakistan concludes that honour is best understood as a family’s publicly recognized capability for self-defence, and that revenge is a means to restore that image if it has been shattered. I contend that honour – in the sense of self-defence – is vital in societies where there is no accessible level of appeal in cases of conflict. Furthermore, the logic of honour that prevails among competing families in Northern Pakistan can also occasionally be recognized at the state level in international politics since there is no reliable supranational level of appeal in cases of perceived injustice

PKM2 Interacts With the Cdk1-CyclinB Complex to Facilitate Cell Cycle Progression in Gliomas

PKM2 is a phosphotyrosine-binding glycolytic enzyme upregulated in many cancers, including glioma, and contributes to tumor growth by regulating cell cycle progression. We noted, however, that in multiple glioma cell lines, PKM2 knock-down resulted in an accumulation of cells in G2-M phase. Moreover, PKM2 knock-down decreased Cdk1 activity while introducing a constitutively active Cdk1 reversed the effects of PKM2 knock-down on cell cycle progression. The means by which PKM2 increases Cdk1 activity have not been described. Transient interaction of T14/Y15-phosphorylated Cdk1 with cyclin B allows Cdk7-mediated pT161 Cdk1 phosphorylation followed by cdc25C-mediated removal of pT14/Y15 and activation of Cdk1 in cycling cells. In the present course of investigation, PKM2 modulation did not influence Cdk7 activity, but phosphotyrosine binding forms of PKM2 co-immunoprecipitated with pY15-containing Cdk1-cyclinB and enhanced formation of active pT161 Cdk1-cyclin B complexes. Moreover, exogenous expression of phosphotyrosine binding forms of PKM2 reversed the effects of PKM2 knock-down on G2-M arrest. We here show that PKM2 binds and stabilize otherwise transient pY15-containing Cdk1-cyclinB complexes that in turn facilitate Cdk1-cyclin B activation and entry of cells into mitosis. These results, therefore, establish metabolic enzyme PKM2 as a direct interactor and activator of Cdk1-cyclin B complex and thereby directly controls mitotic progression and the growth of brain tumor cells.publishedVersio

Surgical Treatment of Severe Bowel Obstruction as a Rare Complication Following Allogenic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease are common complications occurring after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), and contribute to a high degree of morbidity and mortality associated with allo-HSCT. Herein, we present a patient with severe intestinal GVHD complicated by recurring CMV enteritis, which overall resulted in severe terminal ileum stenosis. The patient underwent laparoscopic ileocecal resection that significantly reduced symptoms and possibly prevented the development of fulminant ileus. Surgical treatment is rarely used in the treatment of gastrointestinal GVHD; however, the current patient history illustrates that patients with inadequate symptom control and severe inflammatory bowel stenosis can be successfully managed with surgery. We also review published case reports on surgical treatment for severe gastrointestinal GVHD.publishedVersio

Gel Pills for Downhole Pressure Control during Oil and Gas Well Drilling

During drilling of petroleum or geothermal wells, unforeseen circumstances occasionally happen that require suspension of the operation. When the drilling fluid is left in a static condition, solid material like barite may settle out of the fluid. Consequently, the induced hydrostatic pressure that the fluid exerts onto the formation will be reduced, possibly leading to collapse of the borehole or influx of liquid or gas. A possible mitigation action is placement of a gel pill. This gel pill should preferably be able to let settled barite rest on top of it and still transmit the hydrostatic pressure to the well bottom. A bentonite-based gel pill is developed, preventing flow of higher density drilling fluid placed above it to bypass the gel pill. Its rheological behavior was characterized prior to functional testing. The designed gel pill develops sufficient gel structure to accommodate the settled barite. The performance of the gel was tested at vertical and 40° inclination from vertical. Both conventional settling and the Boycott effect were observed. The gel pill provided its intended functionality while barite was settling out of the drilling fluid on top of this gel pill. The barite was then resting on top of the gel pill. It is demonstrated that a purely viscous pill should not be used for separating a high density fluid from a lighter fluid underneath. However, a bentonite or laponite gel pill can be placed into a well for temporary prevention of such intermixing.publishedVersio

North Sea Commuting: A Source of Dependence or Development for the Districts? 1987

The project's aim was to find size of adaption young North Sea commuters are exposed to, and which factors that causes this. A questionnaire among 51 marriage partners to offshore workers was carried out. The projects tried to find the size of such reduction and development processes, and to find the factors that demands different adaption of the household when wear and tear process are bigger than the advantages of North Sea commuting

Flexibility of Scope, Type and Temporality in Mustang, Nepal. Opportunities for Adaptation in a Farming System Facing Climatic and Market Uncertainty

Climate change is projected to increase the seasonality in river flows in the great river systems of Himalaya and impose challenges to regional food production. Since climate change increases the uncertainty in local weather patterns, people’s ability to maintain local agricultural production will probably depend on how flexible the local farming systems are to adjust to unpredictable changes. The objective of this paper is to investigate the flexibility of one such farming system which is located in Mustang, Nepal, Himalaya. Defining flexibility as “uncommitted potentialities for change” following Gregory Bateson, the paper identifies opportunities for change in the farming system, as well as factors that constrain flexibility. Further developing the concept of flexibility, it is suggested that flexibility may be analyzed in terms of scope, type and temporal flexibility. Although there are several underexploited resources in the studied farming system, the present situation is not regarded as one of irrational and suboptimal exploitation of resources. Instead, unexploited resources imply opportunities for change, which provide the system with flexibility to rapidly adjust agricultural production to varying and uncertain conditions of production

Flexibility of Scope, Type and Temporality in Mustang, Nepal. Opportunities for Adaptation in a Farming System Facing Climatic and Market Uncertainty

Climate change is projected to increase the seasonality in river flows in the great river systems of Himalaya and impose challenges to regional food production. Since climate change increases the uncertainty in local weather patterns, people’s ability to maintain local agricultural production will probably depend on how flexible the local farming systems are to adjust to unpredictable changes. The objective of this paper is to investigate the flexibility of one such farming system which is located in Mustang, Nepal, Himalaya. Defining flexibility as “uncommitted potentialities for change” following Gregory Bateson, the paper identifies opportunities for change in the farming system, as well as factors that constrain flexibility. Further developing the concept of flexibility, it is suggested that flexibility may be analyzed in terms of scope, type and temporal flexibility. Although there are several underexploited resources in the studied farming system, the present situation is not regarded as one of irrational and suboptimal exploitation of resources. Instead, unexploited resources imply opportunities for change, which provide the system with flexibility to rapidly adjust agricultural production to varying and uncertain conditions of production

Phosphoglycerate mutase 1 (PGAM1) overexpression promotes radio- and chemoresistance in gliomas by activating the DNA damage response

The glycolytic enzyme PGAM1 is overexpressed in gliomas where it efficiently facilitates the repair of DNA damage. Mechanistically, PGAM1 prevents inactivation of the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) signaling pathway by sequestering the wild-type p53-induced phosphatase 1 (WIP1) in the cytoplasm. Genetic inhibition of PGAM1 expression subsequently sensitizes glioma cells against irradiation and chemotherapy-induced DNA damage

The Norwegian trekking association: conditions for its continued existence with new tourism patterns.

The Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) promotes outdoor activities all over Norway. It marks trails and operates 550 cabins, maintained by extensive voluntary efforts, throughout the country. Based on a case study of one area in Norway in which DNT operates, we discuss the prerequisites for the DNT system to be sustained and the challenges it faces with new tourism patterns. Two main conditions are paramount for the DNT system to develop. First, a large overlap between the core values of DNT and its guests is required. Second, the transfer of norms and conduct inherent in the system is conditioned by social encounters in real time and places, bodily experiences, and facilitated by face-to-face communication between fellow trekkers. Guests who are unfamiliar with the DNT system’s core values and code of conduct may threaten the system; increased attention to promoting the core values in informational material and mentors who guide newcomers may counteract these threats