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As a phylogenetically old system complement is now regarded as a part of innate immunity. But it is much more than that. It bridges innate and adapted immunity, participates not only in host defense but also in many essential physiological processes, old and new diseases and adverse conditions. Indeed, complement became a term that almost defies categorization. What was for a long time a subject for a limited number of specialists has now moved into the mainstream of experimental and clinical immunology. In 1973 I visited the Basel Institute of Immunology and met its director, the eminent scientist and Nobel laureate Nils Jerne. When I entered his office he greeted me with the following words: “Complement, does that really exist?” I was never certain whether he wanted only to tease me or whether he sincerely believed that the complement system was an unimportant biological curiosity, a misstep of evolution. But, of course, missteps do not survive the evolutionary process. Little did I foresee the dramatic developments of recent years when Hans J. Müller-Eberhard and I started to unravel the specifics of the action of the cobra venom factor on the complement system in 1968 and defined a new pathway to its activation. An elucidation of the role of the system in diseases and its control for therapeutic reasons is now getting closer to actual realization in the clinic although many problems, in particular those of highly specificinhibition free of side effects, have still to be resolved. |
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Fast Algorithms for Signal Processing
Efficient signal processing algorithms are important for embedded and power-limited applications since, by reducing the number of computations, power consumption can be reduced significantly. Similarly, efficient algorithms are also critical to very large scale applications such as video processing and four-dimensional medical imaging. This... | | Making Sense of NoSQL: A guide for managers and the rest of us
Summary
Making Sense of NoSQL clearly and concisely explains the concepts, features, benefits, potential, and limitations of NoSQL technologies. Using examples and use cases, illustrations, and plain, jargon-free writing, this guide shows how you can effectively assemble a NoSQL solution to replace or... | | |
| | Eclipse Modeling Framework (The Eclipse Series) The Eclipse Modeling Framework unifies Java(TM), XML, and UML-enabling developers to rapidly construct robust applications based on surprisingly simple models. In this book, leading EMF implementers illuminate every facet of using EMF for both modeling and code generation. Discover how... | | Mind Hacks : Tips & Tricks for Using Your Brain This exploration into the moment-by-moment works of the brain uses cognitive neuroscience to present experiments, tricks, and tips related to vision, motor skills, attention, cognition, subliminal perception. Each "hack" examines specific operations of the brain. By seeing how the brain responds, you'll learn more about how the... |
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