Search results for "Mechanism"
showing 10 items of 1835 documents
Editorial: Understanding Gamma Delta T Cell Multifunctionality - Towards Immunotherapeutic Applications.
2020
Introduction: gd T cells have been characterized by the expression of a gd T cell receptor (TCR).When the gd TCR and the corresponding ab TCR were first discovered it was assumed that the corresponding cell types were likely to be functionally very similar. However, some 30 years later, we have realized that they are not. Unlike ab T cells, gd T cells (i) sense target antigens independent of MHC molecules; (ii) display NK-cell like innate reactivities, including killing of infected cells as well as microbes; (iii) are able to take up large particulates, including bacteria, and (iv) can act as professional antigen presenting cells. The “stress sensing” abilities of gd T cells have led to a g…
Is it me or the music? : Stress reduction and the role of regulation strategies and music
2019
Music is a common resource for the regulation of emotions, moods, and stress. This study aimed at determining the individual and relative impact on stress reduction of two of the main factors involved in musical affect regulation: regulation strategies and music itself. The current study took place in an experimental setting and followed a factorial within-subjects design. First, the participants ( n = 34) filled in an online survey where they identified their self-perceived “adequate”/“inadequate” music examples for the purpose of reducing stress and self-perceived “adequate”/“inadequate” strategies for the same purpose. In the lab they went through a stress induction procedure and then w…
Modulation of the Endocannabinoids N-Arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) on Executive Functions in Human.
2013
Animal studies point to an implication of the endocannabinoid system on executive functions. In humans, several studies have suggested an association between acute or chronic use of exogenous cannabinoids (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and executive impairments. However, to date, no published reports establish the relationship between endocannabinoids, as biomarkers of the cannabinoid neurotransmission system, and executive functioning in humans. The aim of the present study was to explore the association between circulating levels of plasma endocannabinoids N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and executive functions (decision making, response inhibition and cognit…
Might as well jump: Sound affects muscle activation in skateboarding
2014
The aim of the study is to reveal the role of sound in action anticipation and performance, and to test whether the level of precision in action planning and execution is related to the level of sensorimotor skills and experience that listeners possess about a specific action. Individuals ranging from 18 to 75 years of age - some of them without any skills in skateboarding and others experts in this sport - were compared in their ability to anticipate and simulate a skateboarding jump by listening to the sound it produces. Only skaters were able to modulate the forces underfoot and to apply muscle synergies that closely resembled the ones that a skater would use if actually jumping on a ska…
Technology-Supported Educational Innovations in Finland and Hong Kong: A Tale of Two Systems
2005
The paper presents a comparison of case studies about innovative ICT-supported pedagogical practices in two educational systems, namely Finland and Hong Kong. The two systems were selected for this in-depth comparison for three main reasons. First, Finland and Hong Kong performed well in several international comparative studies of educational achievement. Second, the case studies collected via the SITES Module 2 indicated rather different profiles between Finnish and Hong Kong schools in terms of ICT infrastructure and pedagogical practices. Third, further analysis of the case studies data indicated differences in emergent pedagogical characteristics between the cases collected in Asia and…
Volume Changes in Filled Rubber Under Uniaxial Cyclic Loading
2011
Styrene-butadiene rubber, neat and filled with different silica content was investigated under uniaxial cyclic loading under a constant crosshead speed, with increasing deformation amplitude in subsequent loading cycles. Rubber was investigated in order to evaluate the reversibility of structure rearrangements, occurring in rubber when subjected to cyclic loading. Volume uniformly increases with growing strain and shows hysteresis at unloading. After complete unloading, no residual strain changes are observed. These data are in good conformity with the data of density measurements, which were made on specimens before and after the tests. By correlating data, obtained from volume changes and…
Critical aspects of the physiological interactions between lead and magnesium
2021
Despite technological progress, exposure to lead is an ongoing problem. There are many mechanisms governing the toxic effects of lead on the human body. One such mechanism involves the interaction of this xenobiotic with bivalent metal ions, including magnesium. Literature data suggest that the competition between these elements for binding sites at the molecular and cellular levels, as well as at the systemic level, may represent an important aspect of lead toxicity in the human body. This is especially clear in the context of oxidative stress, immune response, and gene expression modifications. This review aims to summarize current knowledge regarding these issues.
Flash infrared annealing as a cost-effective and low environmental impact processing method for planar perovskite solar cells
2019
Abstract For successful commercialization of perovskite solar cells, straightforward solutions in terms of environmental impact and economic feasibility are still required. Flash Infrared Annealing (FIRA) is a rapid method to fabricate perovskite solar cells with efficiencies >18% on simple, planar architecture, which allows a film synthesis in only 1.2 s, faster than the previous report based in a meso architecture and all of them without the usage of antisolvent. In this work, through a comparative study with the common lab-scale method, the so-called antisolvent (AS), the main photovoltaic parameters and working mechanisms obtained from impedance spectroscopy (IS) measurements show simil…
Developments in the evolutionary theory of social interactions
2016
Altruistic behaviour, which benefits others but harms the actor, can evolve when copies of the underlying genes are transmitted to future generations by related beneficiaries. While we know that the mechanism of ‘kin selection’ answers to how altruism can evolve, the answers to why and when it can evolve are still obscure. The first aim of this thesis is to shed light to the evolution of altruism by identifying factors that facilitate or promote it. I find that the conditions under which altruism can evolve follow surprisingly simple principles that are independent of the taxon-specific traits such as fecundity. Further, by analysing the unique aspects of haplodiploid sex determination syst…
Networking strategies as enabler for competitive advantage creation: a market-based and a resource-based perspectives
2010
The purpose of this work is to explore the potential of networking strategy as a source of competitive advantage by integrating market-based and resource-based logics. According to the former logic a firm identifies operations performance objectives as drivers for achieving its wished competitive position and advantage. According to the latter logic the firm achieves a competitive advantage through the obtainment and/or the creation of valuable, rare, imperfectly imitable, and not substitutable resources. Both operations performance objectives and strategic resource needs should, thus, directly affect networking strategy decisions. The question is whether they effectively do and how. In thi…