Crosslinking-mediated activation of the FcεRI: Does it need antigen for success?

Mast cells (MCs), hematopoietic cells of the myeloid lineage, are well-known for their pro-inflammatory nature contributing to the development of various allergic and autoimmune diseases. One of the characteristic receptors on MCs, the high-affinity receptor for IgE (FcεRI), is activated in its IgE-bound state via binding and crosslinking by polyvalent antigen. This results in its phosphorylation by the SRC family kinase LYN, initiating differential signaling pathways, eventually triggering immunological effector functions, such as degranulation and cytokine production. Few publications have reported on FcεRI-dependent but antigen-independent MC activation by antibody-mediated crosslinking of membrane molecules (e.g., transmembrane proteins and glycosphingolipids) that are both localized in membrane rafts and in close vicinity to the FcεRI. In this Viewpoint we will briefly introduce FcεRI-mediated MC stimulation, cite examples of FcεRI-proximal molecules, the crosslinking of which can cause FcεRI-dependent MC activation, and discuss the potential of certain viruses as well as auto-antibodies to act as indirect FcεRI-crosslinking agents. In latter cases, antigen-independent FcεRI-mediated pro-inflammatory MC activation could contribute to the development of detrimental cytokine storms.     

Denkprothesen: on programs that reason

This paper considers computer programs that purport to do inference. It finds the essence of their reasoning ability to reside in a particular relationship which exists between the computations described by the texts of those programs and machine-independent formal representations of the theories in which they are said to reason. The principal novelties in the treatment of this question are the use of explicit “abstraction functions” between states of a computation and sets of sentences of a theory, and the notion of global “inference relations” which characterize the set of all inferences of which a system is capable. The central result of the paper is an “arrow-theoretic” characterization of the concept of a knowledge representation, along with the related concept of a knowledge representation realization. The notions of equivalence and subsumption for knowledge representations are defined, as well as equivalence of knowledge representation realizations. Finally, important issues of expression evaluation and control are addressed. The paper concludes with a slogan: “The AI is in the arrows.” Cet article traite des programmes informatiques qui prétendent faire de ľinférence. Ľauteur constate que ľessentiel de leur capacityé de raisonnement réside dans la relation particulière qui existe entre les calculs décrits par les textes de ces programmes et les représentations formelles non liées à un type de machine des théories dans le cadre desquelles ils sont supposés raisonner. Les principales nouveautés dans le traitement de cette question sont ľutilisation de fonctions ?abstraction explicites éntre les etats ?un calcul et les ensembles de phrases ?une théorie, et la notion de relations ?inférence globales qui caractérisent ľensemble de toutes les inférences dont un système est capable. Le principal résultat de cet article est une caractérisation du concept de la représentation des connaissances, ainsi que du concept connexe de la réalisation de la représentation des connaissances. Les notions ?équivalence et de sous-somption pour la représentation des connaissances sont définies, ainsi que ľéquivalence des réalisations de la représentation des connaissances. Enfin, des questions importantes comme ľanalyse et le contrǒle ?expressions sont traitées.     

CHINESE URBANIZATION,STATE POLICY,AND THE WORLD ECONOMY

ABSTRACT: The usual Third World pattern of urbanization does not apply to Chinese urban development. China has not experienced the overurbanization and imbalances that often accompany growth in cities elsewhere. China's unique urban pattern results from national policies aimed at shaping urban growth. When those policies were relaxed, there was a tendency for Chinese urban patterns to conform with those of other Third World nations. Periods of less control corresponded with periods of experimentation with elements of a market economy and China's entry in the world economy. The authors explore the debate between urban bias theory and world system theory by considering how global structures and processes interact with local or national policies.     

Extrusion of defatted soy flour-hydrocolloid mixtures

Defatted soy flour containing low levels of added hydrocolloid (either sodium alginate or methylcellulose) was thermoextruded in a laboratory single-screw extruder, and the effect of operating parameters on selected textural properties (maximum peak force, determined in an Ottawa Measuring (OTMS) cell, and chewiness) and physical properties (bulk density and water absorption capacity) were studied. Adding sodium alginate generally increased OTMS peak force, chewiness and water absorption capacity and increased bulk density. Extruding at a feed moisture content of 22% w/w resulted in the best properties, regardless of the levels of other independent variables. Maximum force and chewiness were positively correlated while bulk density and water absorption capacity were negatively correlated to each other.     

An NMR pulsed field gradient study of the electrical and conventional heating of carrot

Experiments have been carried out using pulsed field gradient NMR to characterize the self-diffusion of water within samples of carrot, both uncooked and cooked by either volumetric electrical or conventional heating. The method detected the presence of structure within uncooked carrot, and the disappearance of the structure on cooking. The NMR data were fitted to two models: (i) an analytical solution for diffusion between impermeable barriers and (ii) a numerical solution to the more physically realistic situation of diffusion between permeable barriers. The barrier spacings obtained with raw carrot data using both methods (i) and (ii) were consistent with cell sizes found in carrots. The effect of cooking on the model fit was either an increase in barrier spacing (method i), or an increase in barrier permeability (method ii). There was a statistically significant difference between samples cooked electrically and conventionally, but this was much less than the difference between cooked and uncooked material.     

AROUSAL LEVELS AND THOUGHT PROCESSES DURING SENSORY DEPRIVATION.

BIOELECTRIC RECORDINGS AND VERBAL REPORTS OF MENTAL ACTIVITIES WERE COLLECTED FROM 10 SS DURING 6 HR. OF SENSORY DEPRIVATION. SS AND 3 EXPERTS INDEPENDENTLY RATED THE REPORTS FOR TYPE OF THOUGHT PROCESS, LEVEL OF THOUGHT ORGANIZATION, AND THEIR LEVEL OF AROUSAL DURING THE REPORT PERIOD. RESULTS INDICATE THAT SS ARE NOT HIGHLY ACCURATE RATERS FOR THE 3 CATEGORIES MENTIONED, AND THE MAJORITY OF THOUGHT DISORGANIZATIONS AND NONREALITY-ORIENTED THOUGHT PROCESSES OCCUR DURING LOW LEVELS OF AROUSAL. THE CONCLUSION REACHED IS THAT SENSORY DEPRIVATION DOES NOT DISRUPT THE NORMAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEVELS OF AROUSAL AND THOUGHT PROCESSES, BUT IN THE ABSENCE OF USUAL ENVIRONMENTAL CUES SS MAY MISINTERPRET THEIR MENTAL EXPERIENCES. (22 REF.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sport And Downtown Development Strategy If You Build It,Will Jobs Come?

ABSTRACT: Many policy analysts have cautioned against public spending for professional and amateur sports. Within the last year, numerous cities have received demands from major and minor league teams for investments. These investments by the public sector can involve hundreds of millions of dollars and are usually defended by the economic impact of the facilities or teams and the economic development and revitalization which will follow. Indianapolis formulated an economic development strategy which relied substantially on sports. In addition, its development policies did not involve one team or facility, but a series of investments. As a result, the policies followed in Indianapolis afford an opportunity to measure the ability of sport facilities to encourage other investments and enhance economic development. The results reported here indicate that a sports strategy, even one as pronounced and as articulated as that of Indianapolis, is likely to have an inconsequential impact on development and economic growth.