mAbs’s communication networks

Since its start in 2009, mAbs has actively contributed to the communication networks among our readers. One way we achieve this is by publishing highly detailed reports of numerous meetings, conferences, summits, forums and congresses focused on antibody research and development (R&D) that are held in the US and Europe. The meetings serve critical informational and educational functions and are valuable networking opportunities, and mAbs is pleased to serve the antibody community by providing published records of the proceedings. PDFs of the meeting reports are generously made open access by the publisher of mAbs.     

How do communication systems emerge?

Communication involves a pair of behaviours—a signal and a response—that are functionally interdependent. Consequently, the emergence of communication involves a chicken-and-egg problem: if signals and responses are dependent on one another, then how does such a relationship emerge in the first place? The empirical literature suggests two solutions to this problem: ritualization and sensory manipulation; and instances of ritualization appear to be more common. However, it is not clear from a theoretical perspective why this should be the case, nor if there are any other routes to communication. Here, we develop an analytical model to examine how communication can emerge. We show that: (i) a state of non-interaction is evolutionarily stable, and so communication will not necessarily emerge even when it is in both parties'' interest; (ii) the conditions for sensory manipulation are more stringent than for ritualization, and hence ritualization is likely to be more common; and (iii) communication can arise by a third route, when the intention to communicate can itself be communicated, but this may be limited to humans. More generally, our results demonstrate the utility of a functional approach to communication.     

Symbolic communication in wild chimpanzees?

The language abilities of captive chimpanzees give rise to the question of the existence and use of similar capabilities in wild chimpanzees. In Taï forest, wild chimpanzees seem to use drumming on buttressed trees to convey information an changes of travel direction, resting periods or both information combined. This communication system is iconic and relies on some arbitrariness. Emergence of symbol-like communication in wild chimpanzees seems mainly dependent on a low visibility environment, a high predation pressure and a large group of males.     

Cell–cell communication in Arabidopsis early embryogenesis

The basic body plan of the adult plant is established during embryogenesis, resulting in the juvenile form of the seedling. Arabidopsis embryogenesis is distinguished by a highly regular pattern of cell divisions. Some of these divisions are asymmetric, generating daughter cells with different fates. However, their subsequent differentiation might still depend on cell–cell communication to be fully accomplished or maintained. In some cases, cell fate specification solely depends on cell–cell communication that in general plays an important role in the generation of positional information within the embryo. Although auxin-dependent signalling has received much attention, other ways of cell–cell communication have also been demonstrated or suggested. This review focuses on aspects of pattern formation and cell–cell communication during Arabidopsis embryogenesis up to the mid-globular stage of development.     

Is communication improving between general practitioners and psychiatrists?

General practitioners and psychiatrists communicate mainly by letter. To ascertain the most important items of information that should be included in these letters ("key items") questionnaires were sent to 80 general practitioners and 80 psychiatrists. A total of 120 referral letters sent to psychiatric clinics in 1973 and 1983 were studied, together with the psychiatrists'' replies, and these were rated for the inclusion of "key items." General practitioners'' letters contain less information about the family but more about psychiatric history than they did a decade ago. Overall, psychiatrists'' letters have not changed. Registrars, however, now include noticeably more "key items" than they did 10 years ago, but their letters remain twice the length of those written by consultants. It is suggested that letter writing skills are vital to good patient management and should be taught to postgraduate trainees in general practice and psychiatry.     

Calcium and connexin-based intercellular communication, a deadly catch?

Ca²⁺ is known as a universal messenger mediating a wide variety of cellular processes, including cell death. In fact, this ion has been proposed as the ‘cell death master’, not only at the intracellular but also at the intercellular level. The most direct form of intercellular spread of cell death is mediated by gap junction channels. These channels have been shown to propagate cell death as well as cell survival signals between the cytoplasm of neighbouring cells, reflecting the dual role of Ca²⁺ signals, i.e. cell death versus survival. Its precursor, the unopposed hemichannel (half of a gap junction channel), has recently joined in as a toxic pore connecting the intracellular with the extracellular environment and allowing the passage of a range of substances. The biochemical nature of the so-called intercellular cell death molecule, transferred through gap junctions or released/taken up via hemichannels, remains elusive but several studies pinpoint Ca²⁺ itself or its messenger inositol trisphosphate as the responsible masters in crime. Although direct evidence is still lacking, indirect data including Ca²⁺ involvement in intercellular communication and cell death, and effects of intercellular communication on intracellular Ca²⁺ homeostasis, support this hypothesis. In addition, hemichannels and their molecular building blocks, connexin or pannexin proteins, may exert their effects on Ca²⁺-dependent cell death at the intracellular level, independently from their channel functions. This review provides a cutting edge overview of the current knowledge and underscores the intimate connection between intercellular communication, Ca²⁺ signalling and cell death.     

The evolution of ADHD: a disorder of communication?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric condition. Many believe that the central disability is impaired inhibition, which leads to reduced abilities in social skills, self-control, organization and time management. The behaviors identified by clinicians as problematic--inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity--have been incorporated into several evolutionary models as selectively adaptive cognitive skills for surviving the challenges of a variable Pleistocene environment. We propose that the "disabilities" exhibited by individuals with ADHD are maladaptive, and we concur with Barkley that there is a central impairment in the behavioral inhibition system. The underlying neural anatomy and physiology support the possibility that neurotransmitter pathology may have an impact on other interlinked systems (including language), and may also account for the frequent comorbidity of aggression, anxiety, depression, and learning disabilities (many of which are language-related). Language skills compete with other cognitive activities for the attentional system, and thus the evolution of language could not in fact be independent of the evolution of attention. If language represents the ultimate expression of the attentional system, and some individuals with ADHD are seriously impaired in the coordination of interlinked neural systems (including language), then ADHD fits Jerome Wakefield's definition of "harmful dysfunction," and communication impairments should be investigated more thoroughly by clinicians.     

Nature communication:利用AAV精确制导受体分子新机制

<正>近日,来自著名国际期刊nature communication在线发表了德国科学家一项最新研究成果,他们利用腺相关病毒靶向细胞表面受体,对细胞进行特异性基因修饰,并通过体内实验证明,这种方法可以实现对靶向细胞的精确制导,无脱靶效应。这项研究为特异性靶向细胞进行基因修饰提供了一种精确可行的方法。研究人员发现靶向受体的腺相关病毒载体能够在体外和体内对罕见细胞类型进行基因修饰,实现精确制导无脱靶。他们在病毒衣壳上添加     

Plant communication: Mediated by individual or blended VOCs?

Plants emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as a means to warn other plants of impending danger. Nearby plants exposed to the induced VOCs prepare their own defense weapons in response. Accumulated data supports this assertion, yet much of the evidence has been obtained in laboratories under artificial conditions where, for example, a single VOC might be applied at a concentration that plants do not actually experience in nature. Experiments conducted outdoors suggest that communication occurs only within a limited distance from the damaged plants. Thus, the question remains as to whether VOCs work as a single component or a specific blend, and at which concentrations VOCs elicit insect and pathogen defenses in undamaged plants. We discuss these issues based on available literature and our recent work, and propose future directions in this field.     

What's next for science communication? Promising directions and lingering distractions

In this essay, we review research from the social sciences on how the public makes sense of and participates in societal decisions about science and technology. We specifically highlight the role of the media and public communication in this process, challenging the still dominant assumption that science literacy is both the problem and the solution to societal conflicts. After reviewing the cases of evolution, climate change, food biotechnology, and nanotechnology, we offer a set of detailed recommendations for improved public engagement efforts on the part of scientists and their organizations. We emphasize the need for science communication initiatives that are guided by careful formative research; that span a diversity of media platforms and audiences; and that facilitate conversations with the public that recognize, respect, and incorporate differences in knowledge, values, perspectives, and goals.     

The sinoatrial ring bundle: a cardiac neural communication system?

The sinoatrial ring bundle (SARB), was originally described as a "whitish bundle of tissue which describes an almost complete loop around the two venae cavae and the coronary sinus" in the adult rabbit heart (Paes de Carvalho et al., 1959). The histologically and electrophysiologically differentiated structure, derived from the embryonic venous valves, was suitably placed for rapid conduction from sinoatrial (SA) to atrioventricular (AV) node, but no evidence was found for this role. Today, the function of the SARB remains obscure. Cholinesterase/silver staining reveals the neural pattern associated with the SARB and suggests a function. Throughout its extent, the SARB contains a bundle of parallel muscle fibers and accompanying long nerves. The nerves distribute to structures at either side of the loop: superolaterally to pectinate muscle and inferomedially to the region of the AV node. Along the curve of the right SARB, the nerves contribute to a dense neural plexus with nerves coiled around muscle. The plexus communicates with the nearby SA node and with the ganglia inferior to the node near the inferior vena cava. The morphological pattern of neural elements is suitably organized to suggest tension monitoring and internodal, neural communication.     

Is a mosaic embryo also a mosaic of communication compartments?

We have studied the pathways of cell communication in embryos of the mollusc Lymnaea stagnalis in which the developmental fate of a cell or a group of cells is known from cell lineage studies. We iontophoretically injected Lucifer Yellow CH and followed the spread of fluorescence between cells interconnected via gap junctions. In early stages all blastomeres appear to be dye-coupled, but later on communication is restricted within compartments. The pattern of cell communication corresponds with the development of compartments with specific cell fates. Dye-spread is limited by communication boundaries which completely or mostly prevent the passage of dye to adjacent compartments with different developmental fates. These boundaries appear progressively during development. Our results suggest that, during the development of Lymnaea, the progressive changes in the pattern of dye spread correspond with the progressive restrictions of the developmental fates of individual cells or groups of cells. We conclude that changes in the pattern of cell communication and in the appearance of communication compartments are not exclusive features of regulative embryos.     

Acoustic and magnetic communication in plants: Is it possible?

Over the last two decades, important insights into our understanding of plant ecology and the communicative nature of plants have not only confirmed the existence of a wide range of communication means used by plants, but most excitingly have indicated that more modalities remain to be discovered. In fact, we have recently found that seeds and seedlings of the chili plant, Capsicum annuum, are able to sense neighbors and identify relatives using alternative mechanisms beyond previously studied channels of plant communication. In this addendum, we offer a hypothetical mechanistic explanation as to how plants may do this by quantum-assisted magnetic and/or acoustic sensing and signaling. If proven correct, this hypothesis prompts for a re-interpretation of our current understanding of plasticity in germination and growth of plants and more generally, calls for developing a new perspective of these biological phenomena.