Functional Analysis and the Species Design

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Neander
Keyword(s):  
Mental Content ◽  
Functional Explanation ◽  
Organic System ◽  
Organic Systems ◽  
Etiological Theory ◽  
Normal Human ◽  
Human Immune ◽  
Proper Functions ◽  
Complex Organic

Chapter 3 is about functional explanation in biology, rather than directly about mental content, but in this chapter the author defends a controversial premise of the methodological argument for teleosemantics (given in chapter 4). The premise is that physiologists and neurophysiologists ascribe normal-proper functions in explaining how bodies and brains operate for significant scientific reasons. How an organic system operates in the here and now depends on the actual causal contributions its components make in the here and now, and yet biologists also describe the normal-proper functions of components when explaining how (and not just why) complex organic systems operate or function the way they do. Central to the biologists’ task is describing systems that are functioning normally or properly (e.g., normal human visual systems, or normal human immune systems). The author explains how this role of a malfunction-permitting notion of function (sometimes called a “normative” notion) is consistent with the etiological theory of functions, but the aim here is not to establish the truth of the etiological theory of functions (which is defended in other works).

Advances in elucidating mechanochemical complexities via implementation of a simple organic system

2014 ◽  
Vol 170 ◽  
pp. 311-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam A. L. Michalchuk ◽  
Ivan A. Tumanov ◽  
Valeri A. Drebushchak ◽  
Elena V. Boldyreva
Keyword(s):  
Phase Correlation ◽  
Phase Reaction ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Exciting Field ◽  
Organic System ◽  
Organic Systems ◽  
System P ◽  
Shear Heating ◽  
Physical And Chemical

Mechanochemistry is becoming increasingly popular amongst both the academic and industrial communities as an alternative method for inducing physical and chemical reactions. Despite its rapidly expanding application, little is understood of its mechanisms, greatly limiting its capacity. In the present work the application of specialty devices allowed submission of the simple organic system, α-glycine + β-malonic acid, to isolated shearing and impact treatment. In doing so, unique products were observed to result from each of these major mechanical actions; shear inducing formation of the known salt, glycinium semi-malonate (GSM), and impact yielding formation of a novel phase. Correlation of these isolated treatments with a more common ball mill indicated two unique regions within the milling jar, each characterised by varying ratios of shear and impact, leading to different products being observed. It is widely accepted that, particularly when considering organic systems, mechanical treatment often acts by inducing increases in local temperature, leading to volatilisation or melting. A combination of DSC and TGA were used to investigate the role of temperature on the system in question. Invariably, heating induced formation of GSM, with evidence supporting a eutectic melt, rather than a gas-phase reaction. Shear heating alone is unable to describe formation of the novel phase obtained through impact treatment. By considering the formation and character of mechanically produced tablets, a model is described that may account for formation of this novel phase. This system and methodology for mechanochemical study offers intriguing opportunities for continued study of this widely used and exciting field.

Compiler-Aided Run-Time Performance Speed-Up in Super-Scalar Processor

10.28945/3391 ◽  
2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moshe Pelleh
Keyword(s):  
Embedded Systems ◽  
Embedded System ◽  
General Purpose ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Organic System ◽  
Software Application ◽  
Organic Systems ◽  
Special Cases ◽  
Run Time

In our world, where most systems become embedded systems, the approach of designing embedded systems is still frequently similar to the approach of designing organic systems (or not embedded systems). An organic system, like a personal computer or a work station, must be able to run any task submitted to it at any time (with certain constrains depending on the machine). Consequently, it must have a sophisticated general purpose Operating System (OS) to schedule, dispatch, maintain and monitor the tasks and assist them in special cases (particularly communication and synchronization between them and with external devices). These OSs require an overhead on the memory, on the cache and on the run time. Moreover, generally they are task oriented rather than machine oriented; therefore the processor's throughput is penalized. On the other hand, an embedded system, like an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), executes always the same software application. Frequently it is a small or medium size system, or made up of several such systems. Many small or medium size embedded systems, with limited number of tasks, can be scheduled by our proposed hardware architecture, based on the Motorola 500MHz MPC7410 processor, enhancing its throughput and avoiding the software OS overhead, complexity, maintenance and price. Encouraged by our experimental results, we shall develop a compiler to assist our method. In the meantime we will present here our proposal and the experimental results.

Virome and Inflammasomes, a Finely Tuned Balance with Important Consequences for the Host Health

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1027-1044 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Freer ◽  
Fabrizio Maggi ◽  
Mauro Pistello
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Adaptive Immune ◽  
Downstream Effects ◽  
Host Health ◽  
Inflammatory Processes ◽  
Human Immune ◽  
Immune Defences

Background:The virome is a network of viruses normally inhabiting humans. It forms a conspicuous portion of the so-called microbiome, once generically referred to as resident flora. Indeed, viruses infecting humans without leading to clinical disease are increasingly recognized as part of the microbiome and have an impact on the development of our immune system. In addition, they activate inflammasomes, multiprotein complexes that assemble in cells and that are responsible for the downstream effects of sensing pathogens.Objective:This review aims at summarizing the evidence on the role of the virome in modulating inflammation and emphasizes evidence for Anelloviruses as useful molecular markers to monitor inflammatory processes and immune system competence.Method:We carried out a review of the literature published in the last 5 years and summarized older literature to take into account ground-breaking discoveries concerning inflammasome assembly and virome.Results:A massive amount of data recently emerging demonstrate that the microbiome closely reflects what we eat, and many other unexpected variables. Composition, location, and amount of the microbiome have an impact on innate and adaptive immune defences. Viruses making up the virome contribute to shaping the immune system. Anelloviruses, the best known of such viruses, are present in most human beings, persistently without causing apparent disease. Depending on their interplay with such viruses, inflammasomes instruct host defences to tolerate or forfeit a specific microorganism.Conclusion:The virome plays an important role in shaping human immune defences and contributes to inflammatory processes by quenching or increasing them.

scholarly journals The Role of Selected Ecosystem Services in Different Farming Systems in Poland Regarding the Differentiation of Agricultural Land Structure

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6673
Author(s):  
Lidia Luty ◽  
Kamila Musiał ◽  
Monika Zioło
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Soil Formation ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Agricultural System ◽  
Organic System ◽  
Supporting Soil ◽  
Management Method ◽  
The Impact

The functioning of various agroecosystems is nowadays shaped by different farming systems, which may impair their functions, as well as being beneficial to them. The benefits include ecosystem services, defined as economic and noneconomic values gained by humans from ecosystems, through supporting soil formation and nutrient circulation, and the impact of agriculture on climate and biodiversity. Their mutual flow and various disturbances depend on the agroecosystem’s management method, which is associated with the type of management of agricultural land (AL) in individual farms. This paper raises a problem of transformation in the structure of three main farming systems in Poland, in 2004–2018, in relation to the implementation of 16 selected ecosystem services and their scale. Special attention was given to organic farming, as the most environmentally friendly and sustainable. The analysis demonstrates the increase in ALs in that type of production during the analyzed period of time. Disparities of transformation associated with the type of agricultural system were noticeable at the regional level, which were presented in 16 Polish voivodeships. The results of the analysis confirm that the organic system, which is an important carrier of various ecosystem services, gained a stable position. Moreover, areas with integrated farming still do not exceed 0.5% of total agricultural lands in such voivodeships. The analysis of factors influencing the deterioration or disappearance of selected environmental services characterizing agricultural systems indicates the need to depart from an intensive conventional management system.

scholarly journals Coenzyme Q10 and Immune Function: An Overview

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 759
Author(s):  
David Mantle ◽  
Robert A. Heaton ◽  
Iain P. Hargreaves
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Immune Function ◽  
Coenzyme Q10 ◽  
Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain ◽  
Inflammatory Gene Expression ◽  
Optimal Functioning ◽  
Human Immune ◽  
Coq10 Supplementation ◽  
Lipid Soluble Antioxidant

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has a number of important roles in the cell that are required for optimal functioning of the immune system. These include its essential role as an electron carrier in the mitochondrial respiratory chain, enabling the process of oxidative phosphorylation to occur with the concomitant production of ATP, together with its role as a potential lipid-soluble antioxidant, protecting the cell against free radical-induced oxidation. Furthermore, CoQ10 has also been reported to have an anti-inflammatory role via its ability to repress inflammatory gene expression. Recently, CoQ10 has also been reported to play an important function within the lysosome, an organelle central to the immune response. In view of the differing roles CoQ10 plays in the immune system, together with the reported ability of CoQ10 supplementation to improve the functioning of this system, the aim of this article is to review the current literature available on both the role of CoQ10 in human immune function and the effect of CoQ10 supplementation on this system.

scholarly journals The role of radiolysis in the modelling of C2H4O2 isomers and dimethyl ether in cold dark clouds

2020 ◽  
Vol 500 (3) ◽  
pp. 3414-3424
Author(s):  
Alec Paulive ◽  
Christopher N Shingledecker ◽  
Eric Herbst
Keyword(s):  
Gas Phase ◽  
Dimethyl Ether ◽  
Recent Observation ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Thermal Method ◽  
Dark Clouds ◽  
Ice Surface ◽  
Dust Grain ◽  
Complex Organic

ABSTRACT Complex organic molecules (COMs) have been detected in a variety of interstellar sources. The abundances of these COMs in warming sources can be explained by syntheses linked to increasing temperatures and densities, allowing quasi-thermal chemical reactions to occur rapidly enough to produce observable amounts of COMs, both in the gas phase, and upon dust grain ice mantles. The COMs produced on grains then become gaseous as the temperature increases sufficiently to allow their thermal desorption. The recent observation of gaseous COMs in cold sources has not been fully explained by these gas-phase and dust grain production routes. Radiolysis chemistry is a possible non-thermal method of producing COMs in cold dark clouds. This new method greatly increases the modelled abundance of selected COMs upon the ice surface and within the ice mantle due to excitation and ionization events from cosmic ray bombardment. We examine the effect of radiolysis on three C2H4O2 isomers – methyl formate (HCOOCH3), glycolaldehyde (HCOCH2OH), and acetic acid (CH3COOH) – and a chemically similar molecule, dimethyl ether (CH3OCH3), in cold dark clouds. We then compare our modelled gaseous abundances with observed abundances in TMC-1, L1689B, and B1-b.

scholarly journals Molecular and Biochemical Basis of Minocycline-Induced Hyperpigmentation—The Study on Normal Human Melanocytes Exposed to UVA and UVB Radiation

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 3755
Author(s):  
Jakub Rok ◽  
Zuzanna Rzepka ◽  
Justyna Kowalska ◽  
Klaudia Banach ◽  
Artur Beberok ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Uv Radiation ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Melanin Synthesis ◽  
Uvb Radiation ◽  
Biochemical Basis ◽  
Skin Hyperpigmentation ◽  
Human Melanocytes ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Normal Human

Minocycline is a drug which induces skin hyperpigmentation. Its frequency reaches up to 50% of treated patients. The adverse effect diminishes the great therapeutic potential of minocycline, including antibacterial, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer actions. It is supposed that an elevated melanin level and drug accumulation in melanin-containing cells are related to skin hyperpigmentation. This study aimed to evaluate molecular and biochemical mechanism of minocycline-induced hyperpigmentation in human normal melanocytes, as well as the contribution of UV radiation to this side effect. The experiments involved the evaluation of cyto- and phototoxic potential of the drug using cell imaging with light and confocal microscopes as well as biochemical and molecular analysis of melanogenesis. We showed that minocycline induced melanin synthesis in epidermal melanocytes. The action was intensified by UV irradiation, especially with the UVB spectrum. Minocycline stimulated the expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and tyrosinase (TYR) gene. Higher levels of melanin and increased activity of tyrosinase were also observed in treated cells. Moreover, minocycline triggered the supranuclear accumulation of tyrosinase, similar to UV radiation. The decreased level of premelanosome protein PMEL17 observed in all minocycline-treated cultures suggests disorder of the formation, maturation or distribution of melanosomes. The study revealed that minocycline itself was able to enhance melanin synthesis. The action was intensified by irradiation, especially with the UVB spectrum. Demonstrated results confirmed the potential role of melanin and UV radiation minocycline-induced skin hyperpigmentation.

Stromal-derived factor 1 and thrombopoietin regulate distinct aspects of human megakaryopoiesis

Blood ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 96 (13) ◽  
pp. 4142-4151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin Majka ◽  
Anna Janowska-Wieczorek ◽  
Janina Ratajczak ◽  
M. Anna Kowalska ◽  
Gaston Vilaire ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Phosphatidyl Inositol ◽  
Mek Inhibitor ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Proliferative Effect ◽  
Normal Human ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Induced Apoptosis

Abstract The role of the chemokine binding stromal-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) in normal human megakaryopoiesis at the cellular and molecular levels and its comparison with that of thrombopoietin (TPO) have not been determined. In this study it was found that SDF-1, unlike TPO, does not stimulate αIIbβ3+ cell proliferation or differentiation or have an antiapoptotic effect. However, it does induce chemotaxis, trans-Matrigel migration, and secretion of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by these cells, and both SDF-1 and TPO increase the adhesion of αIIbβ3+ cells to fibrinogen and vitronectin. Investigating the intracellular signaling pathways induced by SDF-1 and TPO revealed some overlapping patterns of protein phosphorylation/activation (mitogen-activated protein kinase [MAPK] p42/44, MAPK p38, and AKT [protein kinase B]) and some that were distinct for TPO (eg, JAK-STAT) and for SDF-1 (eg, NF-κB). It was also found that though inhibition of phosphatidyl-inositol 3-kinase (PI-3K) by LY294002 in αIIbβ3+ cells induced apoptosis and inhibited chemotaxis adhesion and the secretion of MMP-9 and VEGF, the inhibition of MAPK p42/44 (by the MEK inhibitor U0126) had no effect on the survival, proliferation, and migration of these cells. Hence, it is suggested that the proliferative effect of TPO is more related to activation of the JAK-STAT pathway (unique to TPO), and the PI-3K–AKT axis is differentially involved in TPO- and SDF-1–dependent signaling. Accordingly, PI-3K is involved in TPO-mediated inhibition of apoptosis, TPO- and SDF-1–regulated adhesion to fibrinogen and vitronectin, and SDF-1–mediated migration. This study expands the understanding of the role of SDF-1 and TPO in normal human megakaryopoiesis and indicates the molecular basis of the observed differences in cellular responses.

The Role of Nuclear Factor-kappaB and Melanogenesis in Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha-Induced Apoptosis of Normal Human Melanocytes

2002 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 321-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Shang ◽  
Jürgen Eberle ◽  
Christoph C. Geilen ◽  
Amir M. Hossini ◽  
Lothar F. Fecker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Necrosis ◽  
Nuclear Factor Kappab ◽  
Nuclear Factor ◽  
Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽  
Human Melanocytes ◽  
Normal Human ◽  
Factor Alpha ◽  
Induced Apoptosis ◽  
Necrosis Factor

scholarly journals Microbiological evaluation of lettuce produced by conventional and organic systems in farms of Londrina, PR

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Harumi Niguma ◽  
Jacinta Sanchez Pelayo ◽  
Tereza Cristina Rocha Moreira de Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Total Coliform ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Conventional System ◽  
Salmonella Spp ◽  
Organic System ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Organic Systems ◽  
Production Practices

The aims of this study were to evaluate the contamination of lettuce (Lactuca sativa), produced in Londrina, Paraná (PR), with total coliform, coliform at 45 °C, E. coli, and Salmonella spp.; and to determine the E. coli contamination of irrigation water used at the farms studied. Four farms were evaluated, of which three produced lettuce using a conventional system and one using an organic system. An evaluation of the production practices of the farms was also carried out. A total of 111 samples were analyzed, 71 lettuce samples from the conventional system and 40 samples from the organic system. A total of eight irrigation water samples were collected for analysis. Coliform at 45 °C counts above the limit tolerated by Brazilian legislation were observed in 2.8% (2/71) of conventionally grown lettuce samples, and Salmonella spp. was isolated in 1.4% (1/71) of those samples. In the organic lettuce samples, 12.5% (5/40) had coliform at 45 °C counts above the limit tolerated and Salmonella spp. was not detected. Irrigation water samples from three farms were unsatisfactory, with counts higher than 102MPN of E. coli per 100mL. The results of this study demonstrate that most conventionally grown lettuce samples show good sanitary conditions in production, and that lettuce contamination is not related to contamination found in irrigation water samples. The results also showed that the organic production practices required by Brazilian certification agencies should be applied to ensure that contamination of produced lettuce remains controlled.

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