Tel Aviv University

About: Tel Aviv University is a education organization based out in Tel Aviv, Israel. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Medicine. The organization has 47791 authors who have published 115959 publications receiving 3904391 citations. The organization is also known as: TAU & Universiṭat Tel-Aviv.

Inhibition of amyloid fibril formation by polyphenols: structural similarity and aromatic interactions as a common inhibition mechanism.

Abstract: The formation of well-ordered fibrillar protein deposits is common to a large group of amyloid-associated disorders. This group consists of several major human diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, prion diseases, and type II diabetes. Currently, there is no approved therapeutic agent directed towards the formation of fibrillar assemblies, which have been recently shown to have a key role in the cytotoxic nature of amyloidogenic proteins. One important approach in the development of therapeutic agents is the use of small molecules that specifically and efficiently inhibit the aggregation process. Several small polyphenol molecules have been demonstrated to remarkably inhibit the formation of fibrillar assemblies in vitro and their associated cytotoxicity. Yet, the inhibition mechanism was mostly attributed to the antioxidative properties of these polyphenol compounds. Based on several observations demonstrating that polyphenols are capable of inhibiting amyloid fibril formation in vitro, regardless of oxidative conditions, and in view of their structural similarities we suggest an additional mechanism of action. This mechanism is assuming structural constraints and specific aromatic interactions, which direct polyphenol inhibitors to the amyloidogenic core. This proposed mechanism is highly relevant for future de novo inhibitors' design as therapeutic agents for the treatment of amyloid-associated diseases.

Partners in Cognition: Extending Human Intelligence with Intelligent Technologies:

Abstract: We examine how technologies, particularly computer technologies that aid in cognitive processing, can support intellectual performance and enrich individuals’ minds. We distinguish between effects with and of a technology: Effects with occur when people work in partnership with machines, whereas effects of occur when such partnerships have subsequent cognitive spin-off effects for learners working away from machines. It is argued that effects both with and of depend on the individual's mindful engagement in the partnership. Such mind-machine collaborations also invite reexamination of prevailing conceptions of intelligence and ability: Are they properties of the individual or of the joint system? We respond to these dilemmas by offering two views, one emphasizing mainly the upgraded performance in a person-machine system of partnership, the other emphasizing more the educationally valued cognitive residue that can result. The use of computer tools to extend the reach of minds is briefly discussed within w...

Parametric shape analysis via 3-valued logic

Abstract: We present a family of abstract-interpretation algorithms that are capable of determining "shape invariants" of programs that perform destructive updating on dynamically allocated storage. The main idea is to represent the stores that can possibly arise during execution using three-valued logical structures.Questions about properties of stores can be answered by evaluating predicate-logic formulae using Kleene's semantics of three-valued logic: If a formula evaluates to true, then the formula holds in every store represented by the three-valued structure.If a formula evaluates to false, then the formula does not hold in any store represented by the three-valued structure.If a formula evaluates to unknown, then we do not know if this formula always holds, never holds, or sometimes holds and sometimes does not hold in the stores represented by the three-valued structure.Three-valued logical structures are thus a conservative representation of memory stores.The approach described is a parametric framework: It provides the basis for generating a family of shape-analysis algorithms by varying the vocabulary used in the three-valued logic.