Peter Andersen

Multifunctional agriculture and multifunctional landscapes - land use as an interface

In contemporary sciences dealing with cultural landscapes, the concept of multifunctionality has gained increasing attention in the last decade. The scientific literature displays several attempts to frame the concept (e.g DeVries 2000; Anon 2001; de Groot et al. 2002) but there is much frustration regarding proper sets of broadly based definitions and clear statements concerning the authors’ scientific points of departure (Anon 2001). Multifunctionality is on the one hand used to characterize the activities in the primary production sector, and the land use reflecting the material consequences of the various demands set by the society on land territories — these approaches relate to the agricultural understanding of multifunctionality. On the other hand, multifunctionality is used to characterize the landscape per se. The primary production sector (i.e. agriculture, forestry, horticulture and related land dependent activities) is considered having a primary or main function (production), and related joint productions, typically including a mix of material and non-tangible goods as well as a mix of private and public goods (externalities). Production of food and fibres is generally considered the primary products in this context, but the primary sector produces other material goods too, such as CO2 sequestration, groundwater recharge etc.

The CD3γ Leucine-Based Receptor-Sorting Motif Is Required for Efficient Ligand-Mediated TCR Down-Regulation

TCR down-regulation plays an important role in modulating T cell responses both during T cell development and in mature T cells. At least two distinct pathways exist for down-regulation of the TCR. One pathway is activated following TCR ligation and is dependent on tyrosine phosphorylation. The other pathway is dependent on protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated activation of the CD3γ di-leucine-based receptor-sorting motif. Previous studies have failed to demonstrate a connection between ligand- and PKC-induced TCR down-regulation. Thus, although an apparent paradox, the dogma has been that ligand- and PKC-induced TCR down-regulations are not interrelated. By analyses of a newly developed CD3γ-negative T cell variant, freshly isolated and PHA-activated PBMC, and a mouse T cell line, we challenged this dogma and demonstrate in this work that PKC activation and the CD3γ di-leucine-based motif are indeed required for efficient ligand-induced TCR down-regulation.

T-cell receptor downregulation by ceramide-induced caspase activation and cleavage of the zeta chain.

Regulation of T‐cell receptor (TCR) cell surface expression levels is probably an important mechanism by which T‐cell responsiveness is controlled. Previously, two distinct pathways for TCR downregulation have been described. One is dependent on protein kinase C (PKC) and the leucine‐based receptor‐sorting motif (l‐based motif) of the CD3γ chain but independent of tyrosine kinases, whereas the other is dependent on the tyrosine kinase activation but independent of the PKC and the CD3γl‐based motif. In this study, we describe a new pathway for TCR downregulation distinct from both the PKC/CD3γl‐based motif‐dependent and the tyrosine kinase‐dependent pathways. This pathway is dependent on ceramide‐induced activation of caspases and correlate with caspase‐mediated cleavage of the ζ chain. Thus, a 10–15% downregulation of the TCR was induced following the treatment of the T cells with ceramide for 4 h. A close correlation between TCR downregulation, caspase activation, and cleavage of the ζ chain was found. Furthermore, the caspase inhibitors abolished the cleavage of the ζ chain and TCR downregulation in parallel with the inhibition of the caspase activity.

Emerging digital plan data – new research perspectives on planning practice and evaluation

ABSTRACT Profound digitalization of public administration is gaining momentum and spatial planning is no exception. To increase the transparency of planning and its usefulness for public and private actors, planning authorities have integrated production and online distribution of digital plan data within existing planning practices and workflows. Many European countries have established public spatial planning databases. Denmark is one of the forerunners in that digitalization. Since 2006, all legal plans are registered in an open geodatabase including over 34,000 currently effective local development plans. Despite the obvious potential of such data to inform about planning practice and associated outcomes, research using these new data is rare, mainly focusing on technical or judicial aspects. Questions related to planning practice, efficiency, evaluation and design have hardly been looked into. In this paper, we provide a short overview of digital plan data in the Danish database as well as similar data in Nordic countries. We then discuss research perspectives regarding plan evaluation and planning practice and we argue that digital plans represent a new transdisciplinary type of intentionally explicit data source for analysis of land change processes.