This book explores issues at the core of modern linguistics and cognitive science. Why are all languages similar in some ways and in others utterly different? Why do languages change and change variably? How did the human capacity for language evolve, and how far did it do so as an innate ability? Simon Kirby looks at these questions from a broad perspective, arguing that they can (indeed must) be studied together. The author begins by examining how far the universal properties of language may be explained by examining the way it is used, and how far by the way it is structured. He then considers what insights may be gained by combining functional and formal approaches. In doing so he develops a way of treating language as an adaptive system, in which its communicative and formal roles are both crucial and complementary. In order to test the effectiveness of competing theories and explanations, Simon Kirby develops computational models to show what universals emerge given a particular theory of language use or acquisition. He presents here both the methodology and the results. Function, Selection, and Innateness is important for its argument, its methodology, and its conclusions. It is a powerful demonstration of the value of looking at language as an adaptive system and goes to the heart of current debates on the evolution and nature of language.

Interdisciplinary perspectives on the evolutionary and biological roots of syntax, describing current research on syntax in fields ranging from linguistics to neurology. Syntax is arguably the most human-specific aspect of language. Despite the proto-linguistic capacities of some animals, syntax appears to be the last major evolutionary transition in humans that has some genetic basis. Yet what are the elements to a scenario that can explain such a transition? In this book, experts from linguistics, neurology and neurobiology, cognitive psychology, ecology and evolutionary biology, and computer modeling address this question. Unlike most previous work on the evolution of language, Biological Foundations and Origin of Syntax follows through on a growing consensus among researchers that language can be profitably separated into a number of related and interacting but largely autonomous functions, each of which may have a distinguishable evolutionary history and neurological base. The contributors argue that syntax is such a function.The book describes the current state of research on syntax in different fields, with special emphasis on areas in which the findings of particular disciplines might shed light on problems faced by other disciplines. It defines areas where consensus has been established with regard to the nature, infrastructure, and evolution of the syntax of natural languages; summarizes and evaluates contrasting approaches in areas that remain controversial; and suggests lines for future research to resolve at least some of these disputed issues. Contributors Andrea Baronchelli, Derek Bickerton, Dorothy V. M. Bishop, Denis Bouchard, Robert Boyd, Jens Brauer, Ted Briscoe, David Caplan, Nick Chater, Morten H. Christiansen, Terrence W.Deacon, Francesco d'Errico, Anna Fedor, Julia Fischer, Angela D. Friederici, Tom Givón, Thomas Griffiths, Balázs Gulyás, Peter Hagoort, Austin Hilliard, James R. Hurford, Péter Ittzés, Gerhard Jäger, Herbert Jäger, Edith Kaan, Simon Kirby, Natalia L. Komarova, Tatjana Nazir, Frederick Newmeyer, Kazuo Okanoya, Csaba Plèh, Peter J. Richerson, Luigi Rizzi, Wolf Singer, Mark Steedman, Luc Steels, Szabolcs Számadó, Eörs Szathmáry, Maggie Tallerman, Jochen Triesch, Stephanie Ann White

T cells play a vital role mediating adaptive immunity, a specific acquired resistance to an infectious agent produced by the introduction of an antigen. There are a variety of T cell types with different functions. They are called T cells, because they are derived from the thymus gland. This volume discusses how T cells are regulated through the operation of signaling mechanisms. Topics covered include positive and negative selection, early events in T cell receptor engagement, and various T cell subsets.

The last decade has witnessed the delineation of innate immunity - a new area which has revolutionized our understanding of host-parasite interactions and their impact on defense mechanisms in infectious and noninfectious diseases. This volume of the book series 'Contributions to Microbiology' provides an update of the current knowledge of this expanding field of research and highlights some of its most important aspects. In eleven state-of-the-art articles, eminent international experts in the field address topics such as the innate immune system in mammals and insects, microbial protein ligands, antimicrobial peptides, complement, antibacterial chemokines, the role of neutrophils and monocytes, oxidative innate immune defenses and the effect of aging on innate immunity. The book will be a valuable resource for microbiologists, immunologists, students, scientists of other related disciplines, and clinicians with an interest in infectious or immunological diseases.

The second in James Hurford's acclaimed two-volume exploration of the biological evolution of language explores the evolutionary and cultural preconditions and consequences of humanity's great leap into language.

Every organism must recognize damage-associated and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs and PAMPs) to react rapidly. The immune system requires potent negative regulators to control unnecessary or overshooting responses and balance the homeostasis in all tissues. A significant number of negative regulators of pattern recognition receptors (PRR) consist of modified innate sensors and downstream molecules that regulate inflammatory signals initiated by sterile, damage-associated inflammation as well as responses to pathogens. These conserved mechanisms contribute to immune homeostasis, maintain a constant number of immune cells, and limit the activation of the cells during frequent stimulations by antigens. The same mechanisms enable maintaining the symbiotic relationship between host and tissue microbiota. Moreover, negative regulators of PRRs play a fundamental role in the training of the host immune system and the development of immune tolerance. They ensure that the response of immune cells is precise and potent enough to eliminate the source of inflammation but do not develop into fatal inflammatory disease. The complex cellular environment in which cells are organized allows interactions between different cell types. Various environmental signals determine their phenotype, the degree of maturation, and responses. Regulatory mechanisms and molecules determine the necessity and efficiency of host defense, disease progression, and restoring of the homeostasis. Various studies have revealed the crucial role of homeostasis and mechanisms of immune-control under physiological and pathological conditions, as well as their substantial potential as a target in clinical applications. However, the molecular instruments that reshape the tissue responses remain poorly understood. In this Research Topic, we welcome contributions as Original Research, Reports, Case Reports, Reviews, Mini Reviews, and Perspective articles focusing on immunomodulatory molecules in the context of the host response to pathogen and tissue injury. Manuscripts on the following subtopics are welcome: 1. Regulation of inflammatory responses by negative regulators of diverse PRRs (TLRs, NLRs, RLRs, CLRs, etc.) 2. Maintaining of tissue homeostasis and disorders caused by an imbalance between triggers and negative regulators 3. Strategies used by pathogens targeting modifications of negative regulators

The Janeway's Immunobiology CD-ROM, Immunobiology Interactive, is included with each book, and can be purchased separately. It contains animations and videos with voiceover narration, as well as the figures from the text for presentation purposes.

Vol. 3: Concerned with the fundamental architecture of the mind, this text addresses questions about the existence & extent of human innate abilities, how these inate abilities affect the development of the mature mind, & which of them is shared with other species.

Adoptive cellular immunotherapy of cancer, particularly chimeric antigen receptor-transduced T cell (CAR-T) therapies, have enjoyed an explosion of clinical trials and translational and basic research in the past decade. The concept and design of the CAR, though originally intended to optimize targeting of innate natural killer cells (NK cells) to tumor-specific antigens, was laterally applied in the past decade to conventional autologous and later third-party allogeneic T cells with first-in-kind successes in leukemia immunotherapy in both adults and children. This approach also spawned the development of an entire industry focused on cancer immunotherapy, laying the foundation for the current paradigm shifts away from toxic chemo/radiotherapy to immune targeting. Aside from cytokine-release toxicities, specific obstacles plaguing existing CAR-T cell therapies include suboptimal killing by fatigued or senescent autologous patient-derived T cells derived, acquisition of tumor resistance to T-cell based immune therapies, and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) associated with allogeneic conventional T cell therapies.

"What makes you the way you are--and what makes each of us different from everyone else? In Innate, leading neuroscientist and popular science blogger Kevin Mitchell traces human diversity and individual differences to their deepest level: in the wiring of our brains. Deftly guiding us through important new research, including his own groundbreaking work, he explains how variations in the way our brains develop before birth strongly influence our psychology and behavior throughout our lives, shaping our personality, intelligence, sexuality, and even the way we perceive the world. We all share a genetic program for making a human brain, and the program for making a brain like yours is specifically encoded in your DNA. But, as Mitchell explains, the way that program plays out is affected by random processes of development that manifest uniquely in each person, even identical twins. The key insight of Innate is that the combination of these developmental and genetic variations creates innate differences in how our brains are wired--differences that impact all aspects of our psychology--and this insight promises to transform the way we see the interplay of nature and nurture. Innate also explores the genetic and neural underpinnings of disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, and epilepsy, and how our understanding of these conditions is being revolutionized. In addition, the book examines the social and ethical implications of these ideas and of new technologies that may soon offer the means to predict or manipulate human traits. Compelling and original, Innate will change the way you think about why and how we are who we are."--Provided by the publisher.