C. Elegans Meets Data Sonification: Can We Hear Its Elegant Movement?

(Abstract to follow

Loss of SOCS3 in T helper cells resulted in reduced immune responses and hyperproduction of interleukin 10 and transforming growth factor–β1

Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS)3 is a major negative feedback regulator of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3-activating cytokines. Transgenic mouse studies indicate that high levels of SOCS3 in T cells result in type 2 T helper cell (Th2) skewing and lead to hypersensitivity to allergic diseases. To define the physiological roles of SOCS3 in T cells, we generated T cell–specific SOCS3 conditional knockout mice. We found that the mice lacking SOCS3 in T cells showed reduced immune responses not only to ovalbumin-induced airway hyperresponsiveness but also to Leishmania major infection. In vitro, SOCS3-deficient CD4+ T cells produced more transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and interleukin (IL)-10, but less IL-4 than control T cells, suggesting preferential Th3-like differentiation. We found that STAT3 positively regulates TGF-β1 promoter activity depending on the potential STAT3 binding sites. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed that more STAT3 was recruited to the TGF-β1 promoter in SOCS3-deficient T cells than in control T cells. The activated STAT3 enhanced TGF-β1 and IL-10 expression in T cells, whereas the dominant-negative form of STAT3 suppressed these. From these findings, we propose that SOCS3 regulates the production of the immunoregulatory cytokines TGF-β1 and IL-10 through modulating STAT3 activation

Life-Detection Technologies for the Next Two Decades

Since its inception six decades ago, astrobiology has diversified immensely to encompass several scientific questions including the origin and evolution of Terran life, the organic chemical composition of extraterrestrial objects, and the concept of habitability, among others. The detection of life beyond Earth forms the main goal of astrobiology, and a significant one for space exploration in general. This goal has galvanized and connected with other critical areas of investigation such as the analysis of meteorites and early Earth geological and biological systems, materials gathered by sample-return space missions, laboratory and computer simulations of extraterrestrial and early Earth environmental chemistry, astronomical remote sensing, and in-situ space exploration missions. Lately, scattered efforts are being undertaken towards the R&D of the novel and as-yet-space-unproven life-detection technologies capable of obtaining unambiguous evidence of extraterrestrial life, even if it is significantly different from Terran life. As the suite of space-proven payloads improves in breadth and sensitivity, this is an apt time to examine the progress and future of life-detection technologies.Comment: 6 pages, the white paper was submitted to and cited by the National Academy of Sciences in support of the Astrobiology Science Strategy for the Search for Life in the Univers

幼児と映像言語 : 教育テレビ番組の制作変数について(3)

The survey on the TV viewing behavior of preschool children conducted by the Public Opinion Research Institute of NHK shows that the amount of the TV viewing of the preschool children is considerably high in Japan; especially, that of 2-3 years old children ranks highest and this is higher than that of elementary school children. As for the TV programs for preschool children, the same survey indicates that the younger preschooler wathes more than the older. Most of the TV programs for preschool children in Japan are, to some extent, produced under educational intention. In order to achieve the educational objectives, it needs to first consider the ability of audience and to choose an adequate film technique to express the contents. CTW\u27s Sesame Street is the first educational TV program which try to reflect the responses of the children (audience) into the production process. However, though it succeeded in hightening the ratings by improving the program to obtain higher visual attention, high visual attention did not always promise the high understanding of contents. In Japan, when the educatinal TV programs are produced, the ability to read film languages of the audience was usually over looked. It was taken for granted that pictures can be understood without any advance-education. The reason why wa call it, film language, it comprises both semantic components and grammertical components. The knowledge of film language is considered to be ap rerequisit of the understanding of contents as in the case that the literacy for reading. Film language is a common terminology in the world of film production. TV programs are mostly produced according to such a film language. The most characteristical feature of film language is its capability to manipulate the concepts of time and space. Slow-motion, zoom-in and out, cut back, etc. are well-known examples of such film language. The audience should have at least the following three abilities to understand such a manipulation of time and space: 1) to understand the concept of time (past, present, and future) 2) to understand the concept of space 3) to understand the other\u27s point of view (perception) However, it is doubtful that preschool children, especially younger preschoolers, can fully understood the film language, considering. their intellectual developement stage. This paper try to propose some concrete suggestions for the educational TV program for preschool children, discussing the relationships between intellectual development and film language. In conclusion, it recommends a \u27subjective technique\u27 which depicts the things in a way that younger children can perceive, while questioning on using the sophisticated film language in the programs for preschool children