Updating the Wnt pathways

In the three decades since the discovery of the Wnt1 proto-oncogene in virus-induced mouse mammary tumours, our understanding of the signalling pathways that are regulated by the Wnt proteins has progressively expanded. Wnts are involved in an complex signalling network that governs multiple biological processes and cross-talk with multiple additional signalling cascades, including the Notch, FGF (fibroblast growth factor), SHH (Sonic hedgehog), EGF (epidermal growth factor) and Hippo pathways. The Wnt signalling pathway also illustrates the link between abnormal regulation of the developmental processes and disease manifestation. Here we provide an overview of Wnt-regulated signalling cascades and highlight recent advances. We focus on new findings regarding the dedicated Wnt production and secretion pathway with potential therapeutic targets that might be beneficial for patients with Wnt-related diseases.     

Updating the International Health Regulations

First adopted in 1951, the International Health Regulations (IHR) provide the international legal framework for efforts to prevent and control the cross-border spread of communicable diseases. In 1995, after outbreaks of emerging infections had rendered the IHR increasingly obsolete, the 192 member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) requested a major updating of the regulations to adapt them to the highly mobile, globalized world of the 21st century. After negotiations in 2004 and 2005, the revised IHR text was adopted unanimously by the World Health Assembly, WHO's highest policymaking body. This article reviews the 2005 regulations and discusses their implications for the international response to natural epidemics and to incidents involving the accidental or deliberate release of biological or chemical agents or radiological materials.     

Updating the side effects of the penicillins

Use of the penicillins in patients may result in a variety of side effects in addition to the well known occasional allergic reactions. Some of these side effects may be quite serious. Treatment with the various penicillins, expecially in the large amounts presently prescribed, may be attended by immunologic reactions, such as nephritis, and by direct toxic effects which may involve the blood platelets, the neurones of the central nervous system, and perhaps the parenchymal cells of the liver.     

Updating the DALYs for diarrhoeal disease

Estimates of global disease burden remain high on the international research and policy agenda as a forum for ranking health priorities. Within this, the quality of life or years lived with varying degrees of disability has been recognized as an important outcome that should be considered alongside estimates of mortality. Recent studies into the long-term consequences of diarrhoeal diseases on physical and mental development suggest that the disability adjusted life year calculations for these conditions could require updating.     

世界竹子清单更新

编研世界竹子清单(World Checklist of Bamboos,WCB)是竹学的一项基础性工作。文中更正了2016年由世界禾草权威英国皇家植物园——Kew园领衔出版的World Checklist of Bamboos and Rattans竹子部分统计数据,实际为1665种,而非其自述的1642种;持续汇集全球竹种,时间更新至2018年底,WCB(2018)已禀赋计130个竹属,包含1700个竹种。     

Updating the H-antigen classification of Bacillus thuringiensis

The classification of Bacillus thuringiensis strains has been revised and updated based on flagellar antigens which have been in use for many years. Sixty-nine serotypes and 13 sub-antigenic groups have now been identified, giving 82 serovars among the 3500 B. thuringiensis isolates of the IEBC Collection. The number of serovars has gradually increased with the total number of strains. The biochemical characters used have also been investigated and their value assessed for identification of B. thuringiensis at the subspecies level. A crystal analysis was carried out in terms of morphology, delta-endotoxin profiles and larvicidal activity for the newly identified serovars. It was found that atypical crystals, some with novel components, are becoming more common. No insect susceptible to these serovars has been discovered among known target species. The number of cross-reacting H-antigens among B. cereus strains is increasing and may be of biological significance.     

Updating Images of South Sudan

In this essay, I compare and contrast two recent films that update the anthropological record on what has become of Nuer and Dinka people of southern Sudan by documenting their resettlement in the United States as refugees. Lost Boys of Sudan and A Great Wonder: Lost Children of Sudan Resettling in America trace the displacement of Sudanese youth by the civil war and their adaptation to U.S. life. Both films provide an alternative way of viewing these youth that challenges the "uprooted" and "denuded" refugee stereotype. By examining Nuer and Dinka within a refugee migration framework, these films engage broader theoretical questions about the tension between refugees as victims of larger structural events beyond their control and their adaptive strategies in negotiating complex and shifting circumstances.     

Statistical Computations Underlying the Dynamics of Memory Updating

Psychophysical and neurophysiological studies have suggested that memory is not simply a carbon copy of our experience: Memories are modified or new memories are formed depending on the dynamic structure of our experience, and specifically, on how gradually or abruptly the world changes. We present a statistical theory of memory formation in a dynamic environment, based on a nonparametric generalization of the switching Kalman filter. We show that this theory can qualitatively account for several psychophysical and neural phenomena, and present results of a new visual memory experiment aimed at testing the theory directly. Our experimental findings suggest that humans can use temporal discontinuities in the structure of the environment to determine when to form new memory traces. The statistical perspective we offer provides a coherent account of the conditions under which new experience is integrated into an old memory versus forming a new memory, and shows that memory formation depends on inferences about the underlying structure of our experience.     

Transfer after Working Memory Updating Training

During the past decade, working memory training has attracted much interest. However, the training outcomes have varied between studies and methodological problems have hampered the interpretation of results. The current study examined transfer after working memory updating training by employing an extensive battery of pre-post cognitive measures with a focus on near transfer. Thirty-one healthy Finnish young adults were randomized into either a working memory training group or an active control group. The working memory training group practiced with three working memory tasks, while the control group trained with three commercial computer games with a low working memory load. The participants trained thrice a week for five weeks, with one training session lasting about 45 minutes. Compared to the control group, the working memory training group showed strongest transfer to an n-back task, followed by working memory updating, which in turn was followed by active working memory capacity. Our results support the view that working memory training produces near transfer effects, and that the degree of transfer depends on the cognitive overlap between the training and transfer measures.