Lexical Ambiguity in Nouns: Frequency Dominance and Declensional Classes

The existence of differences in lexical processing between ambiguous and unambiguous words is still controversial. Many factors seem to play a role in determining different ambiguity effects in word recognition, such as ambiguity type, experimental paradigm, frequency dominance, etc. The aim of this study is to investigate the role played by frequency dominance and declensional class in recognizing Italian homonymous nouns, namely, forms with multiple unrelated meanings. We report the results of two visual lexical decision experiments, in which these factors are manipulated. An ambiguity disadvantage effect is found for words belonging to two different declensional classes (Exp. 2, e.g., conte), while an absence of processing differences is reported for ambiguous words within the same declensional class (Exp. 1, e.g., credenza). Moreover, an interaction between condition and frequency is found: the inhibitory effects are stronger for ambiguous nouns with two frequency-balanced meanings than for ambiguous nouns with a strongly dominant meaning. The results are compatible with the idea that several factors should be taken into account in order to disentangle competing accounts of lexical ambiguity processing. We discuss these results in terms of how variables such as frequency dominance and declensional class affect the activation of lexical representations and play a role in determining different ambiguity effects in lexical acces

Leukocyte chemotaxis: from lysosomes to motility

Chemoattractants direct the extravasation of leukocytes to the site of immune response. New data highlight the role of synaptotagmins and Rab proteins in leukocyte chemotaxis

Categorical Properties of Italian Verbs in Written Word Recognition

The study addresses the issue of lexical representation of inflected Italian verbal forms. Linguistic and experimental data suggest the existence of differences in lexical processing of verbs depending on morphological factors. We aimed at verifying whether lexical organization of verbs in the mental lexicon is affected by information about the grammatical category of mood. Two unmasked priming lexical decision experiments were carried out with different SOAs. Primetarget pairs composed of inflected verbs sharing or not mood information were compared. A number of control conditions were also included. The results show that information about mood becomes available in the early stages of lexical processing of verbs, but it is likely to induce priming effects a few hundred milliseconds after its pre-activation. This pattern provides evidence that mood is represented in the input component(s) and is an organizational criterion for verbal forms in the lexicon

A Comprehensive Review of Receptor-Type Tyrosine-Protein Phosphatase Gamma (PTPRG) Role in Health and Non-Neoplastic Disease

Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor gamma (PTPRG) is known to interact with and regulate several tyrosine kinases, exerting a tumor suppressor role in several type of cancers. Its wide expression in human tissues compared to the other component of group 5 of receptor phosphatases, PTPRZ expressed as a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan in the central nervous system, has raised interest in its role as a possible regulatory switch of cell signaling processes. Indeed, a carbonic anhydrase-like domain (CAH) and a fibronectin type III domain are present in the N-terminal portion and were found to be associated with its role as [HCO 3 − ] sensor in vascular and renal tissues and a possible interaction domain for cell adhesion, respectively. Studies on PTPRG ligands revealed the contactins family (CNTN) as possible interactors. Furthermore, the correlation of PTPRG phosphatase with inflammatory processes in different normal tissues, including cancer, and the increasing amount of its soluble form (sPTPRG) in plasma, suggest a possible role as inflammatory marker. PTPRG has important roles in human diseases; for example, neuropsychiatric and behavioral disorders and various types of cancer such as colon, ovary, lung, breast, central nervous system, and inflammatory disorders. In this review, we sum up our knowledge regarding the latest discoveries in order to appreciate PTPRG function in the various tissues and diseases, along with an interactome map of its relationship with a group of validated molecular interactors

Analyzing biological network parameters with CentiScaPe

Summary: The increasing availability of large network datasets along with the progresses in experimental high-throughput technologies have prompted the need for tools allowing easy integration of experimental data with data derived form network computational analysis. In order to enrich experimental data with network topological parameters, we have developed the Cytoscape plug-in CentiScaPe. The plug-in computes several network centrality parameters and allows the user to analyze existing relationships between experimental data provided by the users and node centrality values computed by the plug-in. CentiScaPe allows identifying network nodes that are relevant from both experimental and topological viewpoints. CentiScaPe also provides a Boolean logic-based tool that allows easy characterization of nodes whose topological relevance depends on more than one centrality. Finally, different graphic outputs and the included description of biological significance for each computed centrality facilitate the analysis by the end users not expert in graph theory, thus allowing easy node categorization and experimental prioritization

Human-centred design methods : developing scenarios for robot assisted play informed by user panels and field trials

Original article can be found at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/ Copyright ElsevierThis article describes the user-centred development of play scenarios for robot assisted play, as part of the multidisciplinary IROMEC1 project that develops a novel robotic toy for children with special needs. The project investigates how robotic toys can become social mediators, encouraging children with special needs to discover a range of play styles, from solitary to collaborative play (with peers, carers/teachers, parents, etc.). This article explains the developmental process of constructing relevant play scenarios for children with different special needs. Results are presented from consultation with panel of experts (therapists, teachers, parents) who advised on the play needs for the various target user groups and who helped investigate how robotic toys could be used as a play tool to assist in the children’s development. Examples from experimental investigations are provided which have informed the development of scenarios throughout the design process. We conclude by pointing out the potential benefit of this work to a variety of research projects and applications involving human–robot interactions.Peer reviewe

Chemokines and the Signaling Modules Regulating Integrin Affinity

Integrin-mediated adhesion is a general concept referring to a series of adhesive phenomena including tethering–rolling, affinity, valency, and binding stabilization altogether controlling cell avidity (adhesiveness) for the substrate. Arrest chemokines modulate each aspect of integrin activation, although integrin affinity regulation has been recognized as the prominent event in rapid leukocyte arrest induced by chemokines. A variety of inside-out and outside-in signaling mechanisms have been related to the process of integrin-mediated adhesion in different cellular models, but only few of them have been clearly contextualized to rapid integrin affinity modulation by arrest chemokines in primary leukocytes. Complex signaling processes triggered by arrest chemokines and controlling leukocyte integrin activation have been described for ras-related rap and for rho-related small GTPases. We summarize the role of rap and rho small GTPases in the regulation of rapid integrin affinity in primary leukocytes and provide a modular view of these pro-adhesive signaling events. A potential, albeit still speculative, mechanism of rho-mediated regulation of cytoskeletal proteins controlling the last step of integrin activation is also discussed. We also discuss data suggesting a functional integration between the rho- and rap-modules of integrin activation. Finally we examine the universality of signaling mechanisms regulating integrin triggering by arrest chemokines

Finding the shortest path with PesCa: A tool for network reconstruction

The growing dimension and complexity of the available experimental data generating biological networks have increased the need for tools that help in categorizing nodes by their topological relevance. Here we present CentiScaPe, a Cytoscape app specifically designed to calculate centrality indexes used for the identification of the most important nodes in a network. CentiScaPe is a comprehensive suite of algorithms dedicated to network nodes centrality analysis, computing several centralities for undirected, directed and weighted networks. The results of the topological analysis can be integrated with data set from lab experiments, like expression or phosphorylation levels for each protein represented in the network. Our app opens new perspectives in the analysis of biological networks, since the integration of topological analysis with lab experimental data enhance the predictive power of the bioinformatics analysis

A SystemC Platform for Signal Transduction Modelling and Simulation in Systems Biology

Signal transduction is a class of cell\u2019s biological processes,which are commonly represented as highly concurrent reactive systems. In the Systems Biology community, modelling and simulation of signal transduction require overcoming issues like discrete event-based execution of complex systems, description from building blocks through composition and encapsulation, description at different levels of granularity, methods for abstraction and refinement. This paper presents a signal transduction modelling and simulationplatform based on SystemC, and shows how the platform allows handling the system complexity by modelling it at different abstraction levels. The paper reports the results obtained by applying the platform to model the intracellular signalling network controlling integrin activation mediating leukocyte recruitment from the blood into the tissues. The dynamic simulation of the model has been conducted with the aim of exploring oscillating behaviors of such a biochemical circuit and, more in general, to help better understanding properties of the overall dynamics of leukocyte recruitment