Lineage Differentiation Program of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are innate T cells restricted by CD1d molecules. They are positively selected in the thymic cortex and migrate to the medullary area, in which they differentiate into 3 different lineages. Promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF) modulates this process, and PLZFhigh, PLZFintermediate, and PLZFlow iNKT cells are designated as NKT2, NKT17, and NKT1 cells, respectively. Analogous to conventional helper CD4 T cells, each subset expresses distinct combinations of transcription factors and produces different cytokines. In lymphoid organs, iNKT subsets have unique localizations, which determine their cytokine responses upon antigenic challenge. The lineage differentiation programs of iNKT cells are differentially regulated in various mice strains in a cell-intrinsic manner, and BALB/c mice contain a high frequency of NKT2 cells. In the thymic medulla, steady state IL-4 from NKT2 cells directly conditions CD8 T cells to become memory-like cells expressing Eomesodermin, which function as premade memory effectors. The genetic signature of iNKT cells is more similar to that of γδ T cells and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) than of conventional helper T cells, suggesting that ILCs and innate T cells share common developmental programs.115Ysciescopuskc

Characterization of the Interaction between the Herpes Simplex Virus Type I Fc Receptor and Immunoglobulin G

Herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-1) virions and HSV-1-infected cells bind to human immunoglobulin G (hIgG) via its Fc region. A complex of two surface glycoproteins encoded by HSV-1, gE and gI, is responsible for Fc binding. We have co-expressed soluble truncated forms of gE and gI in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Soluble gE-gI complexes can be purified from transfected cell supernatants using a purification scheme that is based upon the Fc receptor function of gE-gI. Using gel filtration and analytical ultracentrifugation, we determined that soluble gE-gI is a heterodimer composed of one molecule of gE and one molecule of gI and that gE-gI heterodimers bind hIgG with a 1:1 stoichiometry. Biosensor-based studies of the binding of wild type or mutant IgG proteins to soluble gE-gI indicate that histidine 435 at the CH2-CH3 domain interface of IgG is a critical residue for IgG binding to gE-gI. We observe many similarities between the characteristics of IgG binding by gE-gI and by rheumatoid factors and bacterial Fc receptors such as Staphylococcus aureus protein A. These observations support a model for the origin of some rheumatoid factors, in which they represent anti-idiotypic antibodies directed against antibodies to bacterial and viral Fc receptors

Próba zrozumienia relacji międzyludzkich i rodzaje honoryfikatywności w Korei Południowej

In the fi rst part of the article, the author attempts to the understand interpersonal relation in South Korea. This chapter analyses the complexity of the interpersonal relation in Korea. The second chapter is about research types of Korean honorifi cation. Korean honorifi cation is divided into three (subject-honorifi c speech, object-honorifi c speech, hearer-honorifi c speech). In terms of Sociolinguistics, the article fi nds a way to understand honorifi cation in the category of the Polish culture

Systemy adresatywne Korei Południowej i Polski jako składnik etykiety na przykładzie sfery akademickiej i biznesowej

Title Address systems of South Korea and Poland as a component of etiquette on the example of the academic and business sphere. The aim of this thesis is to discuss the differences and similarities of the linguistics etiquette between Poland and Korea, primarily in terms of the address system. The analysis focuses on different points of view (diachronic, synchronous, etc.) for similarities and differences in language courtesy between the two countries, which would allow them to understand each other more closely. The work includes analysis of address systems in various areas (in the academic sphere, in business, and daily life). The work consists of four chapters. In the first chapter was presented a review of studies of linguistic politeness in Poland and South Korea. Next, contemporary definitions of terms functioning in Polish related to politeness were analyzed. This chapter also attempts to relate the word 'naughty' to the Korean language and to define naughty behavior in Korean culture and its similarities and differences in relation to Polish culture. The second chapter is devoted to examining the nature of interpersonal relations in both countries. This chapter presents the analysis of factors (sociolinguistic and socio-cultural aspects) affecting Polish and Korean etiquette. For example, contemporary components of the Korean mentality and their background, as well as social phenomena resulting from it, were analyzed. As a result of the research, models were proposed showing differences in the basic approach to the politeness of both countries. The third chapter presents and discusses the meaning of the name in Korean society and its use as a term of address. The invariance of Korean surnames and names was shown and their cultural significance was presented. This chapter refers to various terms related to naming a human in Korean. The fourth chapter is an analysis of the Korean honorific systems of address. First of all, the general concept of Korean address forms and methods of their practical use in Korean society were presented. Terms related to camaraderie in Korean culture were also analyzed

Wybrane komponenty współczesnej mentalności koreańskiej związane z grzecznością

In the twentieth century, Korea had a violent change in its history. Initially, Korea lost its independence and became a Japanese colony. It regained freedom after the defeat of Japan, but soon, the Korean War broke out. From that time until today, Korea has been divided into two parts: the southern one and the northern one. After the war, South Korea was a country under military dictatorship for a long time. South Korea after the Korean War belonged to one of the poorest countries over the world. In the present time, however, South Korea has become a country that has a great impact on the global economy. This change in history had a huge impact (positively and negatively) on the mentality of Koreans. The aim of my article is to present the economic development of South Korea from a Confucian point of view and to analyze the impact of Korean history in the twentieth century on the mentality of Koreans and its operation in Korean society (work ethos and ethos of science, Korean language, etc.)

The Agricultural Productivity Gap: A New Look at the Measurement Problem

The Agricultural Productivity Gap (APG) - the ratio of the average labor productivity in non-agriculture to that in agriculture - tends to be very large in developing countries and potentially represents misallocation of resources. This paper makes three contributions to the literature on APG. First, it shows that APG steadily and substantially increased for an extended period of time in a majority of countries in recent past. Given the inverse correlation between APG and the level of income, it is contrary to expectations, especially for developing countries. Moreover, such an increase happened while the Agricultural Wage Gap (AWG) - the ratio of the average wage in non-agriculture to that in agriculture - remained more or less stable. Second, this paper provides an explanation for the puzzling breakdown of the accounting identity that the ratio of APG to AWG must be equal to the ratio of the labor share in agriculture to that in non-agriculture. It shows that inconsistency in estimating the labor income of the self-employed in the process of measuring the average wage and the labor share plays a crucial role. Third, this paper demonstrates that the puzzle is indeed resolved to a large extent, once the labor shares are calculated in ways that are consistent with the measurement of the average wage

The Bretton Woods Institutions: Evolution, Reform and Change

The acute financial crisis that threatens the middle-income countries and the chronic development crisis that grips most of the low-income countries call for a radical reform of the Bretton Woods institutions. This paper employs historical and institutional approaches in trying to understand the sources of the failures and limitations of the Bretton Woods institutions and suggests directions for reform and change. After identifying the main driving forces behind their historical evolution, the paper discusses reforming the institutional practices and redefining the roles of the Bretton Woods institutions in order to face the challenges of the two crises and offers some thoughts on strategies for reform

Information Content of Credit Rating Affirmations

We examine whether the reiteration of past credit ratings (i.e., credit rating affirmation) provides value-relevant information to equity analysts and stock investors. While a large body of accounting and finance research provides evidence on the informational role of credit rating downgrades and upgrades, the informational effects of credit rating affirmations remain unexplored, despite the fact that the frequency of issuing rating affirmations is 1.6 times greater than that of issuing both rating downgrades and upgrades. Using a sample of US corporate credit rating reports that reiterate the previous credit ratings over the period of April 1995-June 2018, we find that equity analysts’ earnings forecast dispersion and stock return volatility—proxies for information uncertainty—decrease within a 30-day window following the credit rating affirmation announcements. The reduction in information uncertainty after rating affirmation is mainly driven by firms with non-investment grade bonds, whereas such reduction is not statistically significant for firms with investment grade bonds. We next find that the stock market reaction to affirmations is significantly positive on average and the positive reaction is most pronounced for firms with non-investment grade bonds. Taken together, our findings suggest that credit rating affirmations reduce information uncertainty and stock market investors find it useful for their investment decisions, particularly for firms with non-investment grade bonds. This study enhances our under-standing of the non-trivial informational value of the credit rating affirmations for equity market participants