The stations of the cross: A calculated trap?

A popular Catholic devotion most familiar in images, texts, and rituals, the Stations of the Cross contains the via cruces paradigm which is at the heart of Western Christian culture. In the following text an account of the historical development of the fourteen episode devotion provides a framework from which to examine in detail four visual interpretations of the Stations of the Cross by contemporary Canadian artists. The unusual serial nature and mythic content of the sequence lent a more ritualistic quality to the creative process of each artist so that, in the extended time and space spent working on the series, some aspect of a conflict inherent in art or religion was resolved within the artist’s life. Beth Strachan’s painting embodied the tension she felt in her dual iconoclastic and iconophobic religious heritage; Tony Urquhart used traditionally Christian imagery to evoke a sense of the sacred in a secular urban art gallery; the via cruces paradigm embodied for Fred Hagan the tensions between an individual and society; for the members at the Holy Cross Centre the symbol offered hope for a restored relationship between humans and the earth. Each of these highly individualistic interpretations of a conventional theme suggests the depth and vitality of the Stations of the Cross as a religious symbol that has on-going personal as well as cultural significance. Each series also points to the importance of visual images as an appropriate language for theology

Computational Morphology: Three-Dimensional Computer Graphics for Electron Microscopy

This paper describes a method for the computer reconstruction of surfaces from a sequence of electron micrographs, and a data structuring approach to the problem of representing and analyzing objects of physiological importance. The reconstruction technique involves the following stages: 1) object outlines are traced from each section, 2) the computer chain encodes these outlines, 3) the chain codes are reduced to the minimum number of boundary points which satisfactorily define the boundary, 4) polygons are mapped onto the boundary points between sections to approximate the surface, and 4) color coded, shaded surface views are computed of any subset of objects viewed and illuminated from arbitrary locations

Ornithine Decarboxylase mRNA is Stabilized in an mTORC1-dependent Manner in Ras-transformed Cells

Upon Ras activation, ODC (ornithine decarboxylase) is markedly induced, and numerous studies suggest that ODC expression is controlled by Ras effector pathways. ODC is therefore a potential target in the treatment and prevention of Ras-driven tumours. In the present study we compared ODC mRNA translation profiles and stability in normal and Ras12V-transformed RIE-1 (rat intestinal epithelial) cells. While translation initiation of ODC increased modestly in Ras12V cells, ODC mRNA was stabilized 8-fold. Treatment with the specific mTORC1 [mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) complex 1] inhibitor rapamycin or siRNA (small interfering RNA) knockdown of mTOR destabilized the ODC mRNA, but rapamycin had only a minor effect on ODC translation initiation. Inhibition of mTORC1 also reduced the association of the mRNA-binding protein HuR with the ODC transcript. We have shown previously that HuR binding to the ODC 3′UTR (untranslated region) results in significant stabilization of the ODC mRNA, which contains several AU-rich regions within its 3′UTR that may act as regulatory sequences. Analysis of ODC 3′UTR deletion constructs suggests that cis-acting elements between base 1969 and base 2141 of the ODC mRNA act to stabilize the ODC transcript. These experiments thus define a novel mechanism of ODC synthesis control. Regulation of ODC mRNA decay could be an important means of limiting polyamine accumulation and subsequent tumour development

Contributions from DMS and ship emissions to CCN observed over the summertime North Pacific

Measurements of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) made over the North Pacific Ocean in July 2002 are analysed with concurrent measurements of aerosol number, mass and composition. Overall the CCN are controlled by the sulphate, including one case that suggests particle nucleation and growth resulting from dimethyl sulphide oxidation that enhanced CCN concentrations. Hourly CCN concentrations are correlated with concentrations of sulphate plus methanesulphonic acid (MSA) over the entire study period (<i>r</i><sup>2</sup>=0.43 and 0.52 for supersaturations of 0.34% and 0.19%, respectively), and are not well correlated with other organics (<i>r</i><sup>2</sup><0.2). One case study reveals elevated mass and number concentrations of ultrafine and fine organic particles due to regional ship emissions, identified through quadrupole aerosol mass spectrometer (Q-AMS) measurements, during which organic mass concentrations are correlated with CCN values (<i>r</i><sup>2</sup>=0.39 and 0.46 for supersaturations of 0.19% and 0.34%, respectively). The evolution of the time series and mass distributions of organics, sulphate and MSA over this timeframe indicate that the regional distribution of small, diffuse ship-sourced organic particles act as condensation sites for sulphur species, resulting in a subsequent increase in number concentrations of CCN. We conclude that, where present, direct emissions of anthropogenic organic particles may exert a strong control on marine CCN concentrations once diffused into the marine atmosphere, by acting as condensation sites for biogenic and anthropogenic sulphur species

The effect of organic compounds on the growth rate of cloud droplets in marine and forest settings

International audienceOrganic matter represents an important fraction of the fine particle aerosol, yet our knowledge of the roles of organics in the activation of aerosol particles into cloud droplets is poor. A cloud condensation nucleus (CCN) counter is used to examine the relative growth rates of cloud droplets for case studies from field measurements on the North Pacific Ocean and in a coniferous forest. A model of the condensational growth of water droplets, on particles dissolving according to their solubility in water, is used to simulate the initial scattering of the droplets as they grow in the CCN counter. Simulations of the growth rates of fine particles sampled in the marine boundary layer of the North Pacific Ocean indicate that the main influence of the marine organic material on the water uptake rate is from its effect on the size distribution of the sulphate. Simulations of the observations of water uptake on biogenic organic aerosol particles sampled in a coniferous forest indicate an impact of the organic on the water uptake rates, but one that is still smaller than that of pure sulphate. The solubility of the organic becomes an important factor in determining the water uptake as the organic mass increases relative to sulphate. The values of the organic component of the hygroscopicity parameter ? that describes the CCN activity were found to be negligible for the marine particles and 0.02?0.05 for the forest particles

Conditional disruption of rictor demonstrates a direct requirement for mTORC2 in skin tumor development and continued growth of established tumors

These studies show for the first time that mTORC2 is essential for skin tumor development and maintenance of established tumors, but is dispensable for normal keratinocyte proliferation. They further suggest that mTORC2 controls pro-survival pathways in vitro and in tumor

Fishing, pollution, climate change, and the long-term decline of coral reefs off Havana, Cuba

Understanding temporal and spatial variation of coral reef communities allows us to analyze the relative effects of local stressors, such as fishing and eutrophication, and global stressors, such as ocean warming. To test for spatial and temporal changes in coral reef communities, we combined recent benthic and fish surveys from 2016 with long-term data, dating back to the late 1990s, from four zones located at different distances from Central Havana, Cuba’s largest population center. These changes may indicate the shifting importance of local vs global stressors affecting reef communities. Regardless of the distance from Havana, we found that coral cover was uniformly low (approximately 10%), whereas macroalgal abundance was often high (approximately 65%). Similarly, fish biomass was low across zones, particularly for herbivorous fishes (approximately 12 g m−2) that are critical ecological drivers of reef structure and coral resilience. Analyses of longer-term trends revealed that coral cover near Havana has been below about 10% since at least 1995, potentially because of local stressors. In contrast, reefs farther from Havana maintained relatively high coral cover (approximately 30%) until the early 2000s, but declined more recently to approximately 15%, putting them near the Caribbean-wide average. These distinct spatial and temporal trajectories of reef communities may be the result of the expansion of local stressors away from Havana as the human population increased, or as fishers ventured farther away to exploit new resources. Alternatively, the more recent decline of reefs farther from population centers may have resulted from increasingly frequent global stressors, such as bleaching events and hurricanes

The management of volunteers – what can human resources do? A review and research agenda

There is an increasing interest from scholars and practitioners in understanding how non-profit organizations can design and implement human resources (HR) practices to enhance desirable volunteer attitudes and behaviors. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of existing studies on the relationship between HR practices and volunteering outcomes. We use the ability-motivation-opportunity model (AMO) as a guiding framework to systematically integrate current knowledge on this topic. We identify gaps in existing research and offer detailed suggestions on how scholars can further enhance knowledge on how HR practices can lead to beneficial outcomes for both volunteers and non-profit organizations

The Place of Fish Production in a Program of Multiple Water Use

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142268/1/tafs0297.pd