First report of the ectomycorrhizal status of boletes on the Northern Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico determined using isotopic methods

Despite their prominent role for tree growth, few studies have examined the occurrence of ectomycorrhizal fungi in lowland, seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF). Although fruiting bodies of boletes have been observed in a dry tropical forest on the Northern Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, their occurrence is rare and their mycorrhizal status is uncertain. To determine the trophic status (mycorrhizal vs. saprotrophic) of these boletes, fruiting bodies were collected and isotopically compared to known saprotrophic fungi, foliage, and soil from the same site. Mean δ15N and δ13C values differed significantly between boletes and saprotrophic fungi, with boletes 8.0‰ enriched and 2.5‰ depleted in 15N and 13C, respectively relative to saprotrophic fungi. Foliage was depleted in 13C relative to both boletes and saprotrophic fungi. Foliar δ15N values, on the other hand, were similar to saprotrophic fungi, yet were considerably lower relative to bolete fruiting bodies. Results from this study provide the first isotopic evidence of ectomycorrhizal fungi in lowland SDTF and emphasize the need for further research to better understand the diversity and ecological importance of ectomycorrhizal fungi in these forested ecosystems

Examining the generalizability of research findings from archival data

This initiative examined systematically the extent to which a large set of archival research findings generalizes across contexts. We repeated the key analyses for 29 original strategic management effects in the same context (direct reproduction) as well as in 52 novel time periods and geographies; 45% of the reproductions returned results matching the original reports together with 55% of tests in different spans of years and 40% of tests in novel geographies. Some original findings were associated with multiple new tests. Reproducibility was the best predictor of generalizability—for the findings that proved directly reproducible, 84% emerged in other available time periods and 57% emerged in other geographies. Overall, only limited empirical evidence emerged for context sensitivity. In a forecasting survey, independent scientists were able to anticipate which effects would find support in tests in new samples

Smart State All Over: Opportunities for Broadcasting and Content Creation Enterprises in regional Queensland

In Australia, broadcasting and communications have been historically a federal responsibility, with the states playing a negligible role in broadcasting, and a minor role in communications policy. But it is apparent, from international developments in the creative industries, that government at other than national levels has in recent years provided significant impetus to this sector. An historic opportunity exists for the Queensland State Government to apply ‘Smart State’ policy orientations and initiatives to jobs and growth, and to promote regional development through community engagement in creative industries, beginning with interventions in broadcasting and building strategic opportunities in content creation more broadly. The immediate context is the withdrawal of news services in North Queensland. This sudden withdrawal highlights the broader and longer-term erosion of ‘localism’ in Australian broadcasting. When this is added to the uncertainties attending federal government policies on digital broadcasting and broadband development, the nation - and particularly regional and rural populations – faces both short-term and longer-term crises in essential and emerging communications amenities

IL-23 and IL-1β Drive Human Th17 Cell Differentiation and Metabolic Reprogramming in Absence of CD28 Costimulation

Summary: Th17 cells drive autoimmune disease but also control commensal microbes. A common link among antigens from self-proteins or commensal microbiota is relatively low activation of T cell receptor (TCR) and costimulation signaling. Indeed, strong TCR/CD28 stimulation suppressed Th17 cell differentiation from human naive T cells, but not effector/memory cells. CD28 suppressed the classical Th17 transcriptional program, while inducing known Th17 regulators, and acted through an Akt-dependent mechanism. Th17 cells differentiated without CD28 were not anergic: they showed robust proliferation and maintained Th17 cytokine production following restimulation. Interleukin (IL)-23 and IL-1β promoted glucose uptake and increased glycolysis. Although modestly increased compared to CD28 costimulation, glycolysis was necessary to support Th17 differentiation, indicating that cytokine-mediated metabolic shifts were sufficient to obviate the classical requirement for CD28 in Th17 differentiation. Together, these data propose that, in humans, strength of TCR/CD28/Akt activation serves as a rheostat tuning the magnitude of Th17 development driven by IL-23 and IL-1β. : CD28 costimulation is considered the requisite “signal 2” for T cell activation, driving aerobic glycolysis and preventing anergy. Revu et al. find that, for human Th17 cells, IL-23 and IL-1β provide sufficient signals for metabolic increases and avoidance of anergy, whereas CD28 costimulation suppresses induction of the Th17 transcriptional program. Keywords: Th17, IL-23, IL-1, IL-17, human, CD28, differentiation, metabolis

Manufacturing service bus: An implementation

We present the concept and implementation of a Manufacturing Service Bus (MSB, an application and adaptation of the service bus principle of the general IT domain to meet the more specific communication and integration requirements of manufacturing industry scenarios. The Manufacturing Service Bus is the communication middleware component of the Virtual Fort Knox (VFK), a federative cloud platform for manufacturing companies. Key requirement of VFK is the security of the component which is realized through security by design including encryption, authentication and authorization. The flexibility of the system is reached by providing numerous interfaces to existing communication protocols and the expandability with additional interfaces to upcoming communication protocols