Targeting mechanotransduction in myofibroblast like cells

Mechanical stimuli applied by the extracellular matrix (ECM) and the cells play an important role in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Mechanosensing and mechanotransduction are two processes by which cells transform mechanical forces into biochemical signals and adapt to changes in the microenvironment. Imbalanced cell response can create a positive feedback loop and lead to the pathological conditions, such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, which is characterised by the presence of extensive fibrotic stroma produced and maintained by pancreatic stellate cells (PSC). Here, it is shown that PSC are reversibly activated through mechanosensing of fibrosis-mimicking stiff substrates. Under the application of this mechanical cue, PSC exhibit rigidity-guided movement (durotaxis). This pattern of migration, which is regulated by a stiffness-dependent asymmetric distribution of active and inactive focal adhesion protein, is also observed in hepatic stellate cells (HSC). HSC, durotactically migrating to the fibrotic sites, can perpetuate the disease through their stiffness-initiated activation and resulting aberrant matrix remodelling capabilities. Experiments revealed a mechanical network allowing HSC to maintain fibrotic ECM by decreasing the matrix-digesting enzyme MMP-9 expression and activity, and increasing the activity of its secreted inhibitor, TIMP-1. Furthermore, these results shed light on a new mechanism, through which stiff matrix can initiate exocytosis. This is identified as an effect of membrane homeostasis maintenance, where an increase in plasma membrane tension via β1 integrin mechanosensing and RhoA activation is followed by tension-relieving secretion. With RhoA and cell activation as a common factor in the cell mechanical response, final experiments focused on G protein-coupled receptor (GPER), here identified as a novel mechanoregulator in fibroblasts. GPER activation decreases RhoA activity and impacts overall mechanical response in cells, opening new possibilities for potential therapies in cancer and fibrosis.Open Acces

Classification of ERTS-1 MSS data by canonical analysis

The objective of canonical analysis is to obtain the maximum separability among a number of catergories. The application of canonical analysis was investigated using the merged MSS ERTS-1 data for one area viewed on two dates. The effect of threshold values on classification regions and confusion regions was investigated

Forest service applications of remote sensing and the national training program

The USDA Forest Service uses various forms of remote sensing in resource-management activities. Geographic information systems (GIS) are used to manage data, including remotely sensed data, in forest plan development, ecological mapping, and similar tasks requiring spatial information. An overview of remote sensing tools used in the Forest Service includes aerial photographs, airborne video, satellite sensors, and positioning systems. Discussion of applications considers the periodic assessment of forestland and resource management plans, using as an example Mark Twain National Forest in southern Missouri. Vegetation mapping and old-growth mapping are illustrated by an example from the Santa Fe National Forest. Airborne video tied to a GPS is used in the southwestern region for forest pest management. Remote sensing and GIS are seen as important tools for land management, including management of rangelands. An extensive training and awareness program is designed to broaden the awareness of remote sensing technologies, to upgrade and maintain skill levels of Forest Service employees, and to provide training for specific tasks, applications, and new techniques. The needs of today\u27s resource managers call for more current and consistent information. Proper combination of technologies and training should provide for the collection and utilization of data for multi-resource use in a cost-effective manner

Negligence in Polish and English Criminal Law

The author presents in this article the differences in understanding of negligence in Polish and English criminal law. It analyses and discusses the relation between guilt, culpability and negligence in the two legal systems. Criminal responsibility in Polish and English law is based on mens rea, which is defined as an element of crime related to the defendant’s state of mind at the time of committing the crime. In English criminal law mens rea means intention, recklessness, negligence, intoxication, and culpability. Nowadays in Polish criminal law the relation between mens rea and culpability is determined by the normative theory of guilt. The first part of this paper contains an outline of the evolution of criminal responsibility for negligent acts in the Polish criminal code and English common law. The second part provides a detailed analysis of the criteria for a negligent act in the two systems. In the last part the author asks an important question: should negligence be punishable? These considerations lead the author to a number of conclusions.The author presents in this article the differences in understanding of negligence in Polish and English criminal law. It analyses and discusses the relation between guilt, culpability and negligence in the two legal systems. Criminal responsibility in Polish and English law is based on mens rea, which is defined as an element of crime related to the defendant’s state of mind at the time of committing the crime. In English criminal law mens rea means intention, recklessness, negligence, intoxication, and culpability. Nowadays in Polish criminal law the relation between mens rea and culpability is determined by the normative theory of guilt. The first part of this paper contains an outline of the evolution of criminal responsibility for negligent acts in the Polish criminal code and English common law. The second part provides a detailed analysis of the criteria for a negligent act in the two systems. In the last part the author asks an important question: should negligence be punishable? These considerations lead the author to a number of conclusions

Ditches: A Montage of the Great Black Swamp

Flyer for Spring 2017 ICS Faculty Fellow Lecture by Cheryl Lachowski.https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/ics_fellow_lectures/1100/thumbnail.jp

Identification and mapping of coal refuse banks and other targets in the anthracite region

ERTS-1 MSS data covering parts of Pennsylvania's southern and eastern middle anthracite coal fields were studied to determine how well accumulations of coal refuse could be identified and mapped by computer analysis and processing. Spectral signatures of coal refuse targets were similar to water, but had higher reflectances in all channels. Relative reflectances were in the order 4 5 or = 6 7. Although no underflight photography was at hand to judge mapping success, correlation was made, with 1:24,000 scale U.S.G.S. maps dated 1947 and 1948. Coal refuse targets correlated well with existing maps

Restructuring of a Bad Debt Portfolio in a Commercial Bank in the midst of an Economic Transition Period. Case study: Powszechny Bank Gospodarczy w Lodzi

The present study presents the context of the enterprises and banks financial restructuring programme in Poland and its implementation in PBG S.A. The strategy of "bad debt" restructuring shown in this study stems from the macroeconomic climate in Poland at the beginning of the 1990s, existing legal environment and from the extent to which the bank completed the process of adjustments to the market economy. The method tackled here does not offer any universal concept of bad debt portfolio restructuring in a commercial bank.Poland, Banks Financial Restructuring, Economic Transition, Bad Debt Strategy