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arXiv:2504.01274v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: Traditional causal connectivity methods in task-based and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) face challenges in accurately capturing directed information flow due to their sensitivity to noise and inability to model multivariate dependencies. These limitations hinder the effective comparison of brain networks between cognitive states, making it difficult to analyze network reconfiguration during task and resting states. To address these issues, we propose BOLDSimNet, a novel framework utilizing Multivariate Transfer Entropy (MTE) to measure causal connectivity and network similarity across different cognitive states. Our method groups functionally similar regions of interest (ROIs) rather than spatially adjacent nodes, improving accuracy in network alignment. We applied BOLDSimNet to fMRI data from 40 healthy controls and found that children exhibited higher similarity scores between task and resting states compared to adolescents, indicating reduced variability in attention shifts. In contrast, adolescents showed more differences between task and resting states in the Dorsal Attention Network (DAN) and the Default Mode Network (DMN), reflecting enhanced network adaptability. These findings emphasize developmental variations in the reconfiguration of the causal brain network, showcasing BOLDSimNet's ability to quantify network similarity and identify attentional fluctuations between different cognitive states.
in arXiv: Quantitative Biology: Neurons and Cognition on 2025-04-03 04:00:00 UTC.
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arXiv:2504.01287v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: Emotional responses to auditory stimuli are a common part of everyday life. However, for some individuals, these responses can be distressing enough to interfere with daily functioning. Despite their prevalence, the mechanisms underlying auditory-induced emotion remain only partially understood. Prior research has identified contributing factors such as auditory features, listener traits, and bodily sensations. However, most studies have focused on acoustic features, leaving the role of syntactic structure largely unexplored. This study specifically investigates how hierarchical syntactic structures influence emotional experience, in conjunction with listener traits and bodily sensations. An online experiment was conducted with 715 participants, who listened to 26 sound sequences varying systematically in hierarchical syntactic complexity. Sequences were generated by combining three types of local pitch movement with three types of global pitch movement in ascending and descending pitch directions, resulting in nine complexity levels. Participants rated the valence and arousal of each sequence and indicated any bodily sensations on a body map. Measures of sensory processing patterns were also collected. Results showed that emotional valence was associated with the complex interplay of moderate syntactic complexity ("not too simple, not too complex"), sensory sensitivity, and upper torso sensations. These findings expand existing research by identifying syntactic features that shape auditory-induced emotional experience and highlight the link between bodily sensation and emotional response. They also suggest potential applications for incorporating syntactic design into therapeutic approaches to emotion regulation.
in arXiv: Quantitative Biology: Neurons and Cognition on 2025-04-03 04:00:00 UTC.
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arXiv:2504.01453v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: (1) Background: Tinnitus is the perception of phantom sound in the absence of a corresponding external source. Previous studies reported that the presence of tinnitus is notably absent during dreams. This study aimed at replicating previous findings regarding tinnitus-free dreams, while also gaining a deeper understanding of tinnitus manifestations during dreams and after awakening. (2) Methods: For this observational study, 195 tinnitus patients answered an online survey on the mutual-help community Siopi. (3) Results: 160 patients could recall their dreams. Among them, 92.5% state they do not hear their tinnitus while dreaming. The rest (7.5%) report higher tinnitus burden, higher stress and more often exhibit objective tinnitus and/or tinnitus related to peripheral auditory pathology and/or drug intake. 13% of the participants frequently experience lucid dreams. Among them, 36% could perceive their tinnitus during lucid dreams, and this was strongly associated with the concomitant perception of external sounds during lucid dreaming. While the majority of patients report perceiving their tinnitus instantly upon awakening, during nocturnal awakenings, 18% declared they could be awakened by their tinnitus and 9.8% mentioned that their tinnitus can temporarily cease. (4) Conclusions: Our findings confirm the previous findings: tinnitus is rarely perceived during dreams. Remarkably, our study is the first to document the case of tinnitus during lucid dreaming. 64% of these patients gain higher-order consciousness attributes while still experiencing a tinnitus-free state. Our observations suggest that the presence or absence of gating of external auditory information during dreams acts as a tinnitus on-off switch, refining the previously proposed integrative model of auditory phantom perception.
in arXiv: Quantitative Biology: Neurons and Cognition on 2025-04-03 04:00:00 UTC.
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arXiv:2504.01887v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: Background: Anti-seizure medications (ASMs) can reduce seizure duration, but their precise modes of action are unclear. Specifically, it is unknown whether ASMs shorten seizures by simply compressing existing seizure activity into a shorter time frame or by selectively suppressing certain seizure activity patterns.
Methods: We analysed intracranial EEG (iEEG) recordings of 457 seizures from 28 people with epilepsy undergoing ASM tapering. Beyond measuring seizure occurrence and duration, we categorized distinct seizure activity patterns (states) based on spatial and frequency power characteristics and related these to different ASM levels.
Results: We found that reducing ASM levels led to increased seizure frequency (r = 0.87, p < 0.001) and longer seizure duration ($\beta$ = -0.033, p < 0.001), consistent with prior research. Further analysis revealed two distinct mechanisms in which seizures became prolonged:
Emergence of new seizure patterns - In approx. 40% of patients, ASM tapering unmasked additional seizure activity states, and seizures containing these 'taper-emergent states' were substantially longer (r = 0.49, p < 0.001).
Prolongation of existing seizure patterns - Even in seizures without taper-emergent states, lower ASM levels still resulted in approx. 12-224% longer durations depending on the ASM dosage and tapering ($\beta$ = -0.049, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: ASMs influence seizures through two mechanisms: they (i) suppress specific seizure activity patterns (states) in an all-or-nothing fashion and (ii) curtail the duration of other seizure patterns. These findings highlight the complex role of ASMs in seizure modulation and could inform personalized dosing strategies for epilepsy management. These findings may also have implications in understanding the effects of ASMs on cognition and mood.
in arXiv: Quantitative Biology: Neurons and Cognition on 2025-04-03 04:00:00 UTC.
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arXiv:2504.01604v1 Announce Type: cross
Abstract: Spike sorting is a fundamental step in analyzing extracellular recordings, enabling the isolation of individual neuronal activity, yet it remains a challenging problem due to overlapping signals and recording instabilities, including electrode drift. While numerous algorithms have been developed to address these challenges, many struggle to balance accuracy and computational efficiency, limiting their applicability to largescale datasets. In response, we introduce SpikeSift, a novel spike sorting algorithm designed to mitigate drift by partitioning recordings into short, relatively stationary segments, with spikes subsequently sorted within each. To preserve neuronal identity across segment boundaries, a computationally efficient alignment process merges clusters without relying on continuous trajectory estimation. In contrast to conventional methods that separate spike detection from clustering, SpikeSift integrates these processes within an iterative detect-andsubtract framework, enhancing clustering accuracy while maintaining computational efficiency. Evaluations on intracellularly validated datasets and biophysically realistic MEArec simulations confirm that SpikeSift maintains high sorting accuracy even in the presence of electrode drift, providing a scalable and computationally efficient solution for large-scale extracellular recordings
in arXiv: Quantitative Biology: Neurons and Cognition on 2025-04-03 04:00:00 UTC.
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arXiv:2408.07977v2 Announce Type: replace
Abstract: Mammalian functional architecture flexibly adapts, transitioning from integration where information is distributed across the cortex, to segregation where information is focal in densely connected communities of brain regions. This flexibility in cortical brain networks is hypothesized to be driven by control signals originating from subcortical pathways, with the basal ganglia shifting the cortex towards integrated processing states and the cerebellum towards segregated states. In a sample of healthy human participants (N=242), we used fMRI to measure temporal variation in global brain networks while participants performed two tasks with similar cognitive demands (Stroop and Multi-Source Inference Task (MSIT)). Using the modularity index, we determined cortical networks shifted from integration (low modularity) at rest to high modularity during easier i.e. congruent (segregation). Increased task difficulty (incongruent) resulted in lower modularity in comparison to the easier counterpart indicating more integration of the cortical network. Influence of basal ganglia and cerebellum was measured using eigenvector centrality. Results correlated with decreases and increases in cortical modularity respectively, with only the basal ganglia influence preceding cortical integration. Our results support the theory the basal ganglia shifts cortical networks to integrated states due to environmental demand. Cerebellar influence correlates with shifts to segregated cortical states, though may not play a causal role.
in arXiv: Quantitative Biology: Neurons and Cognition on 2025-04-03 04:00:00 UTC.
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arXiv:2408.08083v2 Announce Type: replace-cross
Abstract: Large language models (LLMs) have emerged as powerful tools in various domains. Recent studies have shown that LLMs can surpass humans in certain tasks, such as predicting the outcomes of neuroscience studies. What role does this leave for humans in the overall decision process? One possibility is that humans, despite performing worse than LLMs, can still add value when teamed with them. A human and machine team can surpass each individual teammate when team members' confidence is well-calibrated and team members diverge in which tasks they find difficult (i.e., calibration and diversity are needed). We simplified and extended a Bayesian approach to combining judgments using a logistic regression framework that integrates confidence-weighted judgments for any number of team members. Using this straightforward method, we demonstrated in a neuroscience forecasting task that, even when humans were inferior to LLMs, their combination with one or more LLMs consistently improved team performance. Our hope is that this simple and effective strategy for integrating the judgments of humans and machines will lead to productive collaborations.
in arXiv: Quantitative Biology: Neurons and Cognition on 2025-04-03 04:00:00 UTC.
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arXiv:2504.01332v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: Using an archive to store nondominated solutions found during the search of a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA) is a useful practice. However, as nondominated solutions of a multi-objective optimisation problem can be enormous or infinitely many, it is desirable to provide the decision-maker with only a small, representative portion of all the nondominated solutions in the archive, thus entailing a truncation operation. Then, an important issue is when to truncate the archive. This can be done once a new solution generated, a batch of new solutions generated, or even using an unbounded archive to keep all nondominated solutions generated and truncate it later. Intuitively, the last approach may lead to a better result since we have all the information in hand before performing the truncation. In this paper, we study this issue and investigate the effect of the timing of truncating the archive. We apply well-established truncation criteria that are commonly used in the population maintenance procedure of MOEAs (e.g., crowding distance, hypervolume indicator, and decomposition). We show that, interestingly, truncating the archive once a new solution generated tends to be the best, whereas considering an unbounded archive is often the worst. We analyse and discuss this phenomenon. Our results highlight the importance of developing effective subset selection techniques (rather than employing the population maintenance methods in MOEAs) when using a large archive.
in arXiv: Computer Science: Neural and Evolutionary Computing on 2025-04-03 04:00:00 UTC.
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arXiv:2504.01915v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: Policy optimization seeks the best solution to a control problem according to an objective or fitness function, serving as a fundamental field of engineering and research with applications in robotics. Traditional optimization methods like reinforcement learning and evolutionary algorithms struggle with deceptive fitness landscapes, where following immediate improvements leads to suboptimal solutions. Quality-diversity (QD) algorithms offer a promising approach by maintaining diverse intermediate solutions as stepping stones for escaping local optima. However, QD algorithms require domain expertise to define hand-crafted features, limiting their applicability where characterizing solution diversity remains unclear. In this paper, we show that unsupervised QD algorithms - specifically the AURORA framework, which learns features from sensory data - efficiently solve deceptive optimization problems without domain expertise. By enhancing AURORA with contrastive learning and periodic extinction events, we propose AURORA-XCon, which outperforms all traditional optimization baselines and matches, in some cases even improving by up to 34%, the best QD baseline with domain-specific hand-crafted features. This work establishes a novel application of unsupervised QD algorithms, shifting their focus from discovering novel solutions toward traditional optimization and expanding their potential to domains where defining feature spaces poses challenges.
in arXiv: Computer Science: Neural and Evolutionary Computing on 2025-04-03 04:00:00 UTC.
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arXiv:2504.01331v1 Announce Type: cross
Abstract: Industrial and reliability optimization problems often involve complex constraints and require efficient, interpretable solutions. This paper presents AI-AEFA, an advanced parameter reconfiguration-based metaheuristic algorithm designed to address large-scale industrial and reliability-redundancy allocation problems. AI-AEFA enhances search space exploration and convergence efficiency through a novel log-sigmoid-based parameter adaptation and chaotic mapping mechanism. The algorithm is validated across twenty-eight IEEE CEC 2017 constrained benchmark problems, fifteen large-scale industrial optimization problems, and seven reliability-redundancy allocation problems, consistently outperforming state-of-the-art optimization techniques in terms of feasibility, computational efficiency, and convergence speed. The additional key contribution of this work is the integration of SHAP (Shapley Additive Explanations) to enhance the interpretability of AI-AEFA, providing insights into the impact of key parameters such as Coulomb's constant, charge, acceleration, and electrostatic force. This explainability feature enables a deeper understanding of decision-making within the AI-AEFA framework during the optimization processes. The findings confirm AI-AEFA as a robust, scalable, and interpretable optimization tool with significant real-world applications.
in arXiv: Computer Science: Neural and Evolutionary Computing on 2025-04-03 04:00:00 UTC.
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arXiv:2410.13798v2 Announce Type: replace
Abstract: Transformers serve as the backbone architectures of Foundational Models, where domain-specific tokenizers allow them to adapt to various domains. Graph Transformers (GTs) have recently emerged as leading models in geometric deep learning, outperforming Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) in various graph learning tasks. However, the development of tokenizers for graphs has lagged behind other modalities. To address this, we introduce GQT (\textbf{G}raph \textbf{Q}uantized \textbf{T}okenizer), which decouples tokenizer training from Transformer training by leveraging multi-task graph self-supervised learning, yielding robust and generalizable graph tokens. Furthermore, the GQT utilizes Residual Vector Quantization (RVQ) to learn hierarchical discrete tokens, resulting in significantly reduced memory requirements and improved generalization capabilities. By combining the GQT with token modulation, a Transformer encoder achieves state-of-the-art performance on 20 out of 22 benchmarks, including large-scale homophilic and heterophilic datasets.
in arXiv: Computer Science: Neural and Evolutionary Computing on 2025-04-03 04:00:00 UTC.
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arXiv:2501.02153v2 Announce Type: replace
Abstract: Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) are widely employed tools for complex search and optimization tasks; however, the absence of an overarching operational framework that permits a systematic regulation of the exploration-exploitation tradeoff--critical for efficient convergence--restricts the full actualization of their potential, leading to the so-called exploration-exploitation dilemma in algorithm design. A systematic resolution to this dilemma requires: (1) an independent yet coordinated control over exploration and exploitation, and (2) an explicit, computationally feasible, adaptive regulation mechanism. The current, almost decentralized, traditional parameter tuning-centeric approach--lacks the foundation to satisfy these requirements under encoding-imposed structural constraints.
We propose a Human-Centered Two-Phase Search (HCTPS) framework, in which the actualization of (1) and (2) is enabled through an external configuration variable--the Search Space Control Parameter (SSCP). As the sole control knob of HCTPS, the SSCP centralizes exploration adjustments, sparing users from micromanaging traditional parameters with unintelligible interdependencies. To this construct, the human user serves as a meta-parameter, adaptively steering the regulatory process via SSCP adjustments. We prove that the HCTPS strictly surpasses the current approach in terms of search space coverage without disrupting the EAs' inherent convergence mechanisms, demonstrate a concrete instantiation of it--using the Genetic Algorithm as the underlying heuristic on a suite of global benchmark unconstrained optimization problems, provide a through assessment of the proposed framework, and envision future research directions.
Any search algorithm prone to this dilemma can be applied in light of the proposed framework, being algorithm-agnostic by design.
in arXiv: Computer Science: Neural and Evolutionary Computing on 2025-04-03 04:00:00 UTC.
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arXiv:2405.12382v2 Announce Type: replace-cross
Abstract: Reservoir computing is a form of machine learning that utilizes nonlinear dynamical systems to perform complex tasks in a cost-effective manner when compared to typical neural networks. Many recent advancements in reservoir computing, in particular quantum reservoir computing, make use of reservoirs that are inherently stochastic. However, the theoretical justification for using these systems has not yet been well established. In this paper, we investigate the universality of stochastic reservoir computers, in which we use a stochastic system for reservoir computing using the probabilities of each reservoir state as the readout instead of the states themselves. In stochastic reservoir computing, the number of distinct states of the entire reservoir computer can potentially scale exponentially with the size of the reservoir hardware, offering the advantage of compact device size. We prove that classes of stochastic echo state networks, and therefore the class of all stochastic reservoir computers, are universal approximating classes. We also investigate the performance of two practical examples of stochastic reservoir computers in classification and chaotic time series prediction. While shot noise is a limiting factor in the performance of stochastic reservoir computing, we show significantly improved performance compared to a deterministic reservoir computer with similar hardware in cases where the effects of noise are small.
in arXiv: Computer Science: Neural and Evolutionary Computing on 2025-04-03 04:00:00 UTC.
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arXiv:2412.10153v2 Announce Type: replace-cross
Abstract: We propose EVOlutionary Selector (EVOS), an efficient training paradigm for accelerating Implicit Neural Representation (INR). Unlike conventional INR training that feeds all samples through the neural network in each iteration, our approach restricts training to strategically selected points, reducing computational overhead by eliminating redundant forward passes. Specifically, we treat each sample as an individual in an evolutionary process, where only those fittest ones survive and merit inclusion in training, adaptively evolving with the neural network dynamics. While this is conceptually similar to Evolutionary Algorithms, their distinct objectives (selection for acceleration vs. iterative solution optimization) require a fundamental redefinition of evolutionary mechanisms for our context. In response, we design sparse fitness evaluation, frequency-guided crossover, and augmented unbiased mutation to comprise EVOS. These components respectively guide sample selection with reduced computational cost, enhance performance through frequency-domain balance, and mitigate selection bias from cached evaluation. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our method achieves approximately 48%-66% reduction in training time while ensuring superior convergence without additional cost, establishing state-of-the-art acceleration among recent sampling-based strategies.
in arXiv: Computer Science: Neural and Evolutionary Computing on 2025-04-03 04:00:00 UTC.
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Nature Communications, Published online: 03 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41467-025-58241-3
Here, the authors describe an N-heterocyclic carbene and chiral phosphoric acid dual-catalytic process for the desymmetrization of 1,3-diols, to achieve macrocyclization and stereoselective control over two chiral elements.
in Nature Communications on 2025-04-03 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature Communications, Published online: 03 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41467-025-58555-2
The ring opening of cyclopropenes provides a compelling platform for the rapid synthesis of various polysubstituted acyclic alkenes, but radical-mediated reactions of this type remain underexplored. Here, the authors report an aminative ring-opening of cyclopropenes with iron-aminyl radical to afford tetrasubstituted alkenyl nitriles.
in Nature Communications on 2025-04-03 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature Communications, Published online: 03 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41467-025-58395-0
Plant roots are exposed to a diverse range of soil-dwelling microbial “friends” and “foes.” Here, via single-nucleus RNA-seq, the authors reveal cell type-specific responses to beneficial and pathogenic microbes in roots and identify regulators of root-microbiome interactions.
in Nature Communications on 2025-04-03 00:00:00 UTC.
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Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, is caused by changes in both the peripheral and the central auditory system. Many of the peripheral structures that degrade with age have been identified and characterized, but there is still a dearth of information pertaining to what changes occur in the aging central auditory pathway that are independent of peripheral degradation. The primary auditory cortex (A1) of aging mice shows reduced suppressive responses and reduced diversity of temporal responses suggesting alteration of inhibitory processing. To gain a better understanding of how tuning features of the auditory cortex change with age, we performed in vivo 2-photon Ca2+ imaging on L2/3 of the auditory cortex of both adult (n=14, 11-24 weeks old) and aging (n=12, 12-17 months old) mice that retain peripheral hearing in old age. To reveal inhibitory inputs to L2/3 neurons we characterized spectral receptive fields with pure tones and two tone complexes. We find that in contrast to adult mice, L2/3 excitatory neurons from aging mice showed fewer distinct categories of spectral receptive fields, though in a subset of FRA types, we found increased diversity. We also noted a decrease in excitatory bandwidth with age among broadly tuned neurons, but that sideband inhibition became weaker across all FRA types due to a reduced amplitude in inhibitory responses. These results suggest that aging causes changes in circuit organization leading to more homogenous spectrotemporal receptive fields and that the lack of response diversity contributes to a decreased encoding capacity observed in aging A1.
in bioRxiv: Neuroscience on 2025-04-03 00:00:00 UTC.
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Although language neuroscience has largely focused on core left frontal and temporal brain areas and their right-hemisphere homotopes, numerous other areas - cortical, subcortical, and cerebellar - have been implicated in linguistic processing. However, these areas' contributions to language remain unclear given that the evidence for their recruitment comes from diverse paradigms, many of which conflate language processing with perceptual, motor, or task-related cognitive processes. Using fMRI data from 772 participants performing an extensively-validated language localizer paradigm that isolates language processing from other processes, we a) delineate a comprehensive set of areas that respond reliably to language across written and auditory modalities, and b) evaluate these areas' selectivity for language relative to a demanding non-linguistic task. In line with prior claims, many areas outside the core fronto-temporal network respond during language processing, and most of them show selectivity for language relative to general task demands. These language-selective areas of the extended language network include areas around the temporal poles, in the medial frontal cortex, in the hippocampus, and in the cerebellum, among others. Although distributed across many parts of the brain, the extended language-selective network still only comprises ~1.2% of the brain's volume and is about the size of a strawberry, challenging the view that language processing is broadly distributed across the cortical surface. These newly identified language-selective areas can now be systematically characterized to decipher their contributions to language processing, including testing whether these contributions differ from those of the core language areas.
in bioRxiv: Neuroscience on 2025-04-03 00:00:00 UTC.
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Infants preferentially process familiar social signals, but the neural mechanisms underlying continuous processing of maternal speech remain unclear. Using EEG-based neural encoding models based on temporal response functions, we investigated how 7-month-old infants track maternal vs. unfamiliar speech and whether this affects simultaneous face processing. Infants showed stronger neural tracking of their mother's voice, independent of acoustic properties, suggesting an early neural signature of voice familiarity. Face tracking responses differed depending on the voice infants heard. When listening to a stranger's voice, face-tracking accuracy at central electrodes increased with occipital face tracking, suggesting heightened attentional engagement. However, we found no evidence for differential processing of happy vs. fearful faces, contrasting previous findings on early emotion discrimination. Our results reveal interactive effects of voice familiarity on multimodal processing in infancy: while maternal speech enhances neural tracking, it may also alter how other social cues, such as faces, are processed. The findings suggest that early auditory experiences shape how infants allocate cognitive resources to social stimuli, emphasizing the need to consider cross-modal influences in early development.
in bioRxiv: Neuroscience on 2025-04-03 00:00:00 UTC.
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The study of cortical geometry and connectivity is prevalent in research on the human brain. However, these two aspects of brain structure are usually examined separately, leaving the essential connections between the brain's folding patterns and white matter connectivity unexplored. In this study, we aimed to elucidate fundamental links between cortical geometry and white matter tract connectivity. We developed the concept of tract-geometry coupling (TGC) by optimizing the alignment between tract connectivity to the cortex and multiscale cortical geometry. Specifically, spectral analyses of the cortical surface yielded a set of geometrical eigenmodes, which were then used to explain the locations on the cortical surface reached by specific white matter tracts, referred to as tract reachability. In two independent datasets, we confirmed that tract reachability was well characterized by cortical geometry. We further observed that TGC had high test-retest ability and was specific to each individual. Interestingly, low-frequency TGC was found to be heritable and more informative than the high-frequency components in behavior prediction. Finally, we found that TGC could reproduce task-evoked cortical activation patterns. Collectively, our study provides a new approach to mapping coupling between cortical geometry and connectivity, highlighting how these two aspects jointly shape the connected brain.
in bioRxiv: Neuroscience on 2025-04-03 00:00:00 UTC.
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Appetitive and aversive conditioning are both fundamental to adaptive behaviour, yet there remains limited understanding of how they differ on the behavioural and neural level. We investigated the two processes during acquisition and extinction using functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioural measures. In a within-subject differential conditioning paradigm (preregistration DRKS00027448), aversive learning was induced by pairing visual cues with a temperature increase (pain rise), while appetitive learning involved a temperature decrease (pain reduction). Valence and contingency ratings confirmed successful learning for both types of learning, though only the appetitive condition showed a return to baseline ratings during extinction, suggesting incomplete extinction in the aversive condition. On the neural level, both engaged the visual cortex during acquisition (with increased functional connectivity with the right frontal operculum) and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) during extinction. However, aversive learning showed a stronger activation increase in the mediodorsal thalamus with heightened connectivity with the locus coeruleus during acquisition, as well as sustained parahippocampal activity during extinction. Moreover, incomplete extinction in the aversive condition (as indicated by contingency ratings) was associated with sustained activity in the visual cortex during pain anticipation. These results suggest that while appetitive and aversive learning share activation in regions involved in sensory processing (occipital lobe) and learning (vmPFC), aversive learning uniquely engages areas promoting rapid acquisition (mediodorsal thalamus and locus coeruleus) and cautious unlearning, in line with the notion of a "better-safe-than-sorry" strategy.
in bioRxiv: Neuroscience on 2025-04-03 00:00:00 UTC.
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in Journal of Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 16:30:29 UTC.
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in Journal of Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 16:30:29 UTC.
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Chronic excessive alcohol (ethanol) consumption induces neuroadaptations in the brain's reward system, including biochemical and structural abnormalities in white matter that are implicated in addiction phenotypes. Here, we demonstrate that long-term (12 week) voluntary ethanol consumption enhances myelination in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of female and male adult mice, as evidenced by molecular, ultrastructural, and cellular alterations. Specifically, transmission electron microscopy analysis showed increased myelin thickness in the NAc following long-term ethanol consumption, while axon diameter remained unaffected. These changes were paralleled by increased mRNA transcript levels of key transcription factors essential for oligodendrocyte (OL) differentiation, along with elevated expression of critical myelination-related genes. In addition, diffusion tensor imaging revealed increased connectivity between the NAc and the prefrontal cortex, reflected by a higher number of tracts connecting these regions. We also observed ethanol-induced effects on OL lineage cells, with a reduction in the number of mature OLs after 3 weeks of ethanol consumption, followed by an increase after 6 weeks. These findings suggest that ethanol alters OL development prior to increasing myelination in the NAc. Finally, chronic administration of the promyelination drug clemastine to mice with a history of heavy ethanol consumption further elevated ethanol intake and preference, suggesting that increased myelination may contribute to escalated drinking behavior. Together, these findings suggest that heavy ethanol consumption disrupts OL development, induces enhanced myelination in the NAc, and may drive further ethanol intake, reinforcing addictive behaviors.
in Journal of Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 16:30:29 UTC.
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Despite the prevalence of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), efforts to develop a detailed understanding of the neuropsychology of this neurodevelopmental condition are complicated by the diversity of interindividual presentations and the inability of current clinical tests to distinguish between its sensory, attentional, arousal, or motoric contributions. Identifying objective methods that can explain the diverse performance profiles across individuals diagnosed with ADHD has been a long-held goal. Achieving this could significantly advance our understanding of etiological processes and potentially inform the development of personalized treatment approaches. Here, we examine key neuropsychological components of ADHD within an electrophysiological (EEG) perceptual decision-making paradigm that is capable of isolating distinct neural signals of several key information processing stages necessary for sensory-guided actions from attentional selection to motor responses. Using a perceptual decision-making task (random dot motion), we evaluated the performance of 79 children (aged 8–17 years) and found slower and less accurate responses, along with a reduced rate of evidence accumulation (drift rate parameter of drift diffusion model), in children with ADHD (n = 37; 13 female) compared with typically developing peers (n = 42; 18 female). This was driven by the atypical dynamics of discrete electrophysiological signatures of attentional selection, the accumulation of sensory evidence, and strategic adjustments reflecting urgency of response. These findings offer an integrated account of decision-making in ADHD and establish discrete neural signals that might be used to understand the wide range of neuropsychological performance variations in individuals with ADHD.
in Journal of Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 16:30:29 UTC.
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Numerous studies have shown that neuronal representations in sensory pathways are far from static but are instead strongly shaped by the complex properties of the sensory inputs they receive. Adaptation dynamically shapes the neural signaling that underlies our perception of the world yet remains poorly understood. We investigated rapid adaptation across timescales from hundreds of milliseconds to seconds through simultaneous multielectrode recordings from the ventro-posteromedial nucleus of the thalamus (VPm) and layer 4 of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) in male and female anesthetized mice in response to controlled, persistent whisker stimulation. Observations in VPm and S1 reveal a degree of adaptation that progresses through the pathway. Under these experimental conditions, signatures of two distinct timescales of rapid adaptation in the firing rates of both thalamic and cortical neuronal populations were revealed, also reflected in the synchrony of the thalamic population and in the thalamocortical synaptic efficacy that was measured in putatively monosynaptically connected thalamocortical pairs. Controlled optogenetic activation of VPm further demonstrated that the longer timescale adaptation observed in S1 is likely inherited from slow decreases in thalamic firing rate and synchrony. Despite the degraded sensory responses, adaptation induced by the controlled repetitive stimulation presented here resulted in a shift in coding strategy that favors theoretical discrimination over detection across the observed timescales of adaptation. Overall, although multiple mechanisms contribute to rapid adaptation at distinct timescales, they support a unifying framework on the role of adaptation in sensory processing.
in Journal of Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 16:30:29 UTC.
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Zebra finches sing individually unique songs and recognize conspecific songs and individual identities in songs. Their songs comprise several syllables/elements that share acoustic features within the species, with unique sequential arrangements. However, the neuronal mechanisms underlying the detection of individual differences and species specificity have yet to be elucidated. Herein, we examined the neuronal auditory responsiveness of neurons in the higher auditory area, the caudal nidopallium (NCM), to songs and their elements in male zebra finches to understand the mechanism for detecting species and individual identities in zebra finch songs. We found that various adult male zebra finch songs share acoustically similar song elements but differ in their sequential arrangement between individuals. The broader spiking (BS) neurons in the NCM detected only a small subset of zebra finch songs, whereas NCM BS neurons, as a neuronal ensemble, responded to all zebra finch songs. Notably, distinct combinations of BS neurons responded to each of the 18 presented songs in one bird. Subsets of NCM BS neurons were sensitive to sequential arrangements of species-specific elements, which dramatically increasing the capacity for song variation with a limited number of species-specific elements. The naive Bayes decoder analysis further showed that the response of sequence-sensitive BS neurons increased the accuracy of song stimulus predictions based on the response strength of neuronal ensembles. Our results suggest the neuronal mechanisms that NCM neurons as an ensemble decode the individual identities of songs, while each neuron detects a small subset of song elements and their sequential arrangement.
in Journal of Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 16:30:29 UTC.
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Opioids initiate dynamic maladaptation in brain reward and affect circuits that occur throughout chronic exposure and withdrawal that persist beyond cessation. Protracted abstinence is characterized by negative affective behaviors such as heightened anxiety, irritability, dysphoria, and anhedonia, which pose a significant risk factor for relapse. While the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and μ-opioid receptors (MORs) are critical for opioid reinforcement, the specific contributions of VTAMOR neurons in mediating protracted abstinence-induced negative affect is not fully understood. In our study, we elucidate the role of VTAMOR neurons in mediating negative affect and altered brain-wide neuronal activities following forced opioid exposure and abstinence in male and female mice. Utilizing a chronic oral morphine administration model, we observe increased social deficit, anxiety-related, and despair-like behaviors during protracted forced abstinence. VTAMOR neurons show heightened neuronal FOS activation at the onset of withdrawal and connect to an array of brain regions that mediate reward and affective processes. Viral re-expression of MORs selectively within the VTA of MOR knock-out mice demonstrates that the disrupted social interaction observed during protracted abstinence is facilitated by this neural population, without affecting other protracted abstinence behaviors. Lastly, VTAMORs contribute to heightened neuronal FOS activation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in response to an acute morphine challenge, suggesting their unique role in modulating ACC-specific neuronal activity. These findings identify VTAMOR neurons as critical modulators of low sociability during protracted abstinence and highlight their potential as a mechanistic target to alleviate negative affective behaviors associated with opioid abstinence.
in Journal of Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 16:30:29 UTC.
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Providing nutrition or health labels on product packaging can be an effective strategy to promote a conscious and healthier diet. However, such labels also have the potential to be counterproductive by creating obstructive expectations about the flavor of the food and influencing odor perception. Conversely, olfaction could significantly influence label perception, whereby negative expectations could be mitigated by pleasant odors. This study explored the neural processing of the interplay between odors and nutrition labels using fMRI in 63 participants of either sex, to whom we presented beverage labels with different nutrition-related statements either with or without a congruent odor. On a behavioral level, the products for which the label was presented together with the odor were in general perceived as more positive than the same labels without an odor. Neuroimaging results revealed that added odors significantly altered activity in brain regions associated with flavor and label processing as well as decision-making, with higher activations in the right amygdala/piriform cortex (Amy/pirC) and orbitofrontal cortex. The presentation of odors induced pattern-based encoding in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the left ventral striatum/nucleus accumbens, and the right Amy/pirC when accounting for behavioral differences. This suggests that odors influence the effects of labels both on a neural and behavioral level and may offer the possibility of compensating for obstructive associations. The detailed mechanisms of odor and statement interactions within the relevant brain areas should be further investigated, especially for labels that evoke negative expectations.
in Journal of Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 16:30:29 UTC.
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A growing body of evidence suggests that the link between the cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the central nervous system (CNS) is crucial to the onset and development of major depressive disorder (MDD), affecting perception, cognition, and emotional processing. The bottom-up heart–brain communication pathway plays a significant role in this process. Previous studies have shown that slow-frequency oscillations of peripheral signals (e.g., respiration, stomach) can influence faster neural activities in the CNS via phase–amplitude coupling (PAC). However, the understanding of heart–brain coupling remains limited. Additionally, while MDD patients exhibit altered brain activity patterns, little is known about how heart rate variability (HRV) affects brain oscillations. Therefore, we used PAC to investigate heart–brain coupling and its association with depression. We recorded MEG and ECG data from 55 MDD patients (35 females) and 52 healthy subjects (28 females) at rest and evaluated heart–brain PAC at a broadband level. The results showed that the low-frequency component of HRV (HRV-LF) significantly modulated MEG alpha power (10 Hz) in humans. Compared with the healthy group, the MDD group exhibited more extensive heart–brain coupling cortical networks, including the pars triangularis. LF-alpha coupling was observed in the bilateral insula in both groups. Notably, results revealed a significantly increased sympathetic-dominated HRV-LF modulation effect on left insula alpha oscillations, along with increased depressive severity. These findings suggest that MDD patients may attempt to regulate their internal state through enhanced heart–brain modulation, striving to restore normal physiological and psychological balance.
in Journal of Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 16:30:29 UTC.
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Understanding the intricate mechanisms underlying slow-wave sleep (SWS) is crucial for deciphering the brain's role in memory consolidation and cognitive functions. It is well established that cortical delta oscillations (0.5–4 Hz) coordinate communications among cortical, hippocampal, and thalamic regions during SWS. These delta oscillations feature periods of Up and Down states, with the latter previously thought to represent complete cortical silence; however, new evidence suggests that Down states serve important functions for information exchange during memory consolidation. The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) is pivotal for memory consolidation due to its extensive connectivity with memory-associated regions, although it remains unclear how RSC neurons engage in delta-associated consolidation processes. Here, we employed multichannel in vivo electrophysiology to study RSC neuronal activity in ad libitum behaving male mice during natural SWS. We discovered a discrete assembly of putative excitatory RSC neurons (~20%) that initiated firing at SWS Down states and reached maximal firing at the Down-to-Up transitions. Therefore, we termed these RSC neurons the Down-to-Up transition assembly (DUA) and the remaining RSC excitatory neurons as non-DUA. Compared with non-DUA, DUA neurons appear to exhibit higher firing rates and larger cell body size and lack monosynaptic connectivity with nearby RSC neurons. Furthermore, optogenetics combined with electrophysiology revealed differential innervation of RSC excitatory neurons by memory-associated inputs. Collectively, these findings provide insight into the distinct activity patterns of RSC neuronal subpopulations during sleep and their potential role in memory processes.
in Journal of Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 16:30:29 UTC.
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Our eyes are never still. Even when we attempt to fixate, the visual gaze is never motionless, as we continuously perform miniature oculomotor movements termed as fixational eye movements. The fastest eye movements during the fixation epochs are termed microsaccades (MSs) that are leading to continual motion of the visual input, affecting mainly neurons in the fovea. Yet our vision appears to be stable. To explain this gap, previous studies suggested the existence of an extraretinal input (ERI) into the visual cortex that can account for the motion and produce visual stability. Here, we investigated the existence of an ERI to V1 fovea in macaque monkeys (male) while they performed spontaneous MSs, during fixation. We used voltage-sensitive dye imaging (VSDI) to measure and characterize at high spatiotemporal resolution the influence of MSs on neural population activity, in the foveal region of the primary visual cortex (V1). Microsaccades, performed over a blank screen, induced a two-phase response modulation: an early suppression followed by an enhancement. A correlation analysis revealed a widespread foveal increase in neural synchronization, peaking around ~100 ms after MS onset. Next, we investigated the MS effects in the presence of a small visual stimulus and found that this modulation was different from the blank condition yet both modulations coexisted in the fovea. Finally, the VSD response to an external motion of the fixation point could not explain the MS modulation. These results support an ERI that may be involved in visual stabilization already at the level of V1.
in Journal of Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 16:30:29 UTC.
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Alpha-synuclein (αsyn) is the key pathogenic protein implicated in synucleinopathies including Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). In these diseases, αsyn is thought to spread between cells where it accumulates and induces pathology; however, mechanisms that drive its propagation or aggregation are poorly understood. We have previously reported that the small GTPase Rab27b is elevated in human PD and DLB and that it can mediate the autophagic clearance and toxicity of αsyn in a paracrine αsyn cell culture model. Here, we expanded our previous work and characterized the role of Rab27b in neuronal lysosomal processing and αsyn clearance. We found that Rab27b KD in this αsyn-inducible neuronal model resulted in lysosomal dysfunction and increased αsyn levels in lysosomes. Similar lysosomal proteolytic defects and enzymatic dysfunction were observed in both primary neuronal cultures and brain lysates from male and female Rab27b knock-out (KO) mice. αSyn aggregation was exacerbated in Rab27b KO neurons upon treatment with αsyn preformed fibrils. We found no changes in lysosomal counts or lysosomal pH in either model, but we did identify changes in acidic vesicle trafficking and in lysosomal enzyme maturation and localization, which may drive lysosomal dysfunction and promote αsyn aggregation. Rab27b OE enhanced lysosomal activity and reduced insoluble αsyn accumulation. Finally we found elevated Rab27b levels in human postmortem incidental Lewy body disease subjects relative to healthy controls. These data suggest the role of Rab27b in neuronal lysosomal activity and identify it as a potential therapeutic target in synucleinopathies.
in Journal of Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 16:30:29 UTC.
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Because of the important roles of both serotonin (5-HT) and the cerebellum in regulating anxiety, we asked whether 5-HT signaling within the cerebellum is involved in anxiety behavior. Physiological 5-HT levels were measured in vivo by expressing a fluorescent sensor for 5-HT in lobule VII of the cerebellum, while using fiber photometry to measure sensor fluorescence during anxiety behavior on the elevated zero maze. Serotonin increased in lobule VII when male mice were less anxious and decreased when mice were more anxious. To establish a causal role for this serotonergic input in anxiety behavior, we photostimulated or photoinhibited serotonergic terminals in lobule VII while mice were in an elevated zero maze. Photostimulating these terminals reduced anxiety behavior in mice, while photoinhibiting them enhanced anxiety behavior. Our findings add to evidence that cerebellar lobule VII is a topographical locus for anxiety behavior and establish that 5-HT input into this lobule is necessary and sufficient to bidirectionally influence anxiety behavior. These results represent progress toward understanding how the cerebellum regulates anxiety behavior and provide new evidence for a functional connection between the cerebellum and the serotonin system within the anxiety circuit.
in Journal of Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 16:30:29 UTC.
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Dopaminergic (DA) neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) play a crucial role in controlling animals’ orienting and approach behaviors toward relevant environmental stimuli. The ventral midbrain receives sensory input from the superior colliculus (SC), a tectal region that processes information from contralateral receptive fields of various modalities. Given the significant influence of dopamine release imbalance in the left and right striatum on animals’ movement direction, our study aimed to investigate the lateralization of the connection between the lateral SC and the midbrain DA system in male rats. We explored the circuit's anatomy using transsynaptic viral tract-tracing and its physiology using in vivo single-unit and ex vivo multi-electrode array recordings of SNc and VTA neuronal activity combined with optogenetic stimulation of either the ipsilateral or contralateral SC or its terminals. During the experiments, DA neurons were identified optogenetically (in vivo recordings) or pharmacologically (ex vivo recordings). Anatomical findings revealed a bilateral innervation pattern of the lateral SC to the ventral midbrain, with a significantly stronger ipsilateral connection, particularly evident in the SNc, involving both DA and non-DA neurons. This anatomical asymmetry was also expressed during in vivo and ex vivo recordings, which showed a predominance of ipsilateral connections, especially within the SNc. Ex vivo recordings also confirmed that this lateralized pathway is direct. The described features of the SC->VTA/SNc neuronal circuit, particularly its anatomical and physiological asymmetry, suggest its involvement in orienting and approach behaviors guided by the direction of incoming sensory stimuli.
in Journal of Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 16:30:29 UTC.
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Stimulus-driven attention allows us to react to relevant stimuli (and imminent danger!) outside our current focus of attention. But irrelevant stimuli can also disrupt attention, for example, during listening to speech. The degree to which sound captures attention is called salience, which can be estimated by existing, behaviorally validated, computational models (Huang and Elhilali, 2017). Here we examined whether neurophysiological responses to task-irrelevant sounds indicate the degree of distraction during a sustained-listening task and how much this depends on individual hearing thresholds. Forty-seven Danish-speaking adults (28/19 female/male; mean age, 60.1; SD, 15.9 years) with heterogenous hearing thresholds (PTA; mean, 25.5; SD, 18.0 db HL) listened to continuous speech while 1-s-long, task-irrelevant natural sounds (distractors) of varying computed salience were presented at unpredictable times and locations. Eye tracking and electroencephalography were used to estimate pupil response and neural tracking, respectively. The task-irrelevant sounds evoked a consistent pupil response (PR), distractor-tracking (DT), and a drop of target-tracking (TT), and statistical modeling of these three measures within subjects showed that all three are enhanced for sounds with higher computed salience. Participants with larger PR showed a stronger drop in target tracking (TT) and performed worse in target speech comprehension. We conclude that distraction can be inferred from neurophysiological responses to task-irrelevant stimuli. These results are a first step toward neurophysiological assessment of attention dynamics during continuous listening, with potential applications in hearing care diagnostics.
in Journal of Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 16:30:29 UTC.
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Adaptation affects neuronal responsivity and selectivity throughout the visual hierarchy. However, because most prior studies have tailored stimuli to a single brain area of interest, we have a poor understanding of how exposure to a particular image alters responsivity and tuning at different stages of visual processing. Here we assess how adaptation with naturalistic textures alters neuronal responsivity and selectivity in primary visual cortex (V1) and area V2 of macaque monkeys. Neurons in both areas respond to textures, but V2 neurons are sensitive to higher-order image statistics which do not strongly modulate V1 responsivity. We tested the specificity of adaptation in each area with textures and spectrally matched "noise" stimuli. Adaptation reduced responsivity in both V1 and V2, but only in V2 was the reduction dependent on the presence of higher-order texture statistics. Despite this specificity, the texture information provided by single neurons and populations was reduced after adaptation, in both V1 and V2. Our results suggest that adaptation effects for a given feature are induced at the stage of processing that tuning for that feature first arises and that stimulus-specific adaptation effects need not result in improved sensory encoding.
in Journal of Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 16:30:29 UTC.
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Emotionally arousing events are typically vividly remembered, which is generally adaptive but may contribute to mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Previous research on emotional memory focused primarily on events that were experienced only once, leaving the memory mechanisms underlying repeatedly encountered emotional events largely unexplored. Here, we aimed to elucidate the brain mechanisms associated with memory for recurring emotional events. Specifically, we sought to determine whether the memory enhancement for recurring emotional events is linked to more variable neural representations, as predicted by the encoding-variability hypothesis, or to more stable representations across repetitions, as suggested by a memory reinstatement account. To investigate this, we repeatedly presented healthy men and women with images of emotionally negative or neutral scenes during three consecutive runs in an MRI scanner. Subsequent free recall was, as expected, enhanced for emotional compared with neutral images. Neural data showed that this emotional enhancement of memory was linked to (1) activation of the amygdala and anterior hippocampus during the initial encounter of the emotional event and (2) increased neural pattern similarity in frontoparietal cortices across event repetitions. Most importantly, a multilevel-moderated mediation analysis revealed that the impact of neocortical pattern stability across repetitions on emotional memory enhancement was moderated by amygdala activity during the initial exposure to the emotional event. Together, our findings show that the amygdala response during the initial encounter of an emotional event boosts subsequent remembering through a more precise reinstatement of the event representation during subsequent encounters of the same event.
in Journal of Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 16:30:29 UTC.
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Background The Ichu River serves as the primary water source for urban and agricultural use and industrial operations, but anthropogenic pollution has a serious negative impact on its water quality. Methods The investigation measured water quality and health-related risks by analyzing physicochemical parameters, heavy metals, and microbial pollutants at eight sampling points, site 1 (S1) through (S8). Results The research data showed that water quality worsened progressively from upstream to downstream locations such as turbidity, TDS, conductivity, and BOD levels increased. Oil pollution and oxygen depletion arose from a reduction in dissolved oxygen from 6.3 to 4.5 mg/L at the different sampling sites (S1 to S8). Heavy metals (As, Pb, Cd, and Cr) in the samples exceeded the standards established by the World Health Organization (WHO) established standards because of mining and industrial wastewater and local wastewater discharge. The presence of excessive Escherichia coli (E. coli) and total coliforms in microbial tests proved that the water was severely contaminated by fecal matter. Principal Component Analysis showed that heavy metals exist with microbial pollution and organic load as the main sources of water quality decline, and pollution indicators were found to establish powerful relationships with depleted oxygen levels. Conclusion The severe contamination risks found in this study justify immediate pollution control measures, wastewater treatment enforcement, and sustainable watershed management practices. Urgent action is necessary because vital parameters surpass the standards set by the WHO and (United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to avoid enduring environmental damage and health problems. This research demonstrates the value of continuing water quality assessments while enforcing policies and raising public awareness to improve the water quality of the Ichu River.
in F1000Research on 2025-04-02 15:54:30 UTC.
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Dental implants provide a reliable treatment option for completely or partially edentulous patients. In case of a membrane perforation, the gap can be closed using a piece of resorbable collagen membrane or by suturing the Schneiderian membrane using a resorbable suture. The present study shows a new development in this technique, which involves modifying the design of the absorbable membrane and using bins to fix the membrane. This study concluded that the novel design of the collagen membrane and its fixation with the bins led to greater stability of the bone graft and led to subsequent bone gain that enables dental implantation. Still, this technique requires a histological study to determine the nature of the bone formed.
in F1000Research on 2025-04-02 15:44:51 UTC.
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Background Cervical cancer poses a significant health threat, especially for women living with HIV, who are at increased risk of developing premalignant cervical lesions. Large Loop Excision of the Transformation Zone (LLETZ) is a standard treatment for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) to prevent progression to malignancy. This study explores the experiences of HIV-positive women who underwent LLETZ in Vhembe District, South Africa, where access to such specialized treatments remains limited. Methods Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach, this study engaged seven HIV-positive women who underwent LLETZ, capturing their lived experiences through in-depth, unstructured interviews. Thematic analysis identified key themes and subthemes to elucidate their psychological, physical, and social encounters related to the procedure. Results Analysis revealed eight central themes: psychological and physical experiences, psychosocial and financial support, misconceptions, education, recommendations, and time-related factors. Participants reported anxiety, fear, and initial stress about the procedure, coupled with resilience and acceptance over time. Physical effects such as pain and bleeding were common, though recovery experiences varied. Social support from family and community played a critical role in coping, while financial constraints impacted access to and continuity of care. Misunderstandings about the LLETZ procedure underscored the need for enhanced patient education. Participants emphasized timely screening and support systems to improve treatment outcomes and reduce psychological distress. Conclusions The study highlights the multifaceted impact of LLETZ on HIV-positive women, including the psychological and financial burdens and the importance of clear communication and patient education. Improved support structures, timely result communication, and access to follow-up care are essential to enhance patient outcomes. Recommendations advocate for health system improvements, partner involvement, and proactive counselling to address the specific needs of HIV-positive women undergoing cervical cancer prevention treatments.
in F1000Research on 2025-04-02 15:41:49 UTC.
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by Suzana de Siqueira Santos, Haixuan Yang, Aldo Galeano, Alberto Paccanaro
Computational approaches for drug repurposing for viral diseases have mainly focused on a small number of antivirals that directly target pathogens (virus centric therapies). In this work, we combine ideas from collaborative filtering and network medicine for making predictions on a much larger set of drugs that could be repurposed for host centric therapies, that are aimed at interfering with host cell factors required by a pathogen. Our idea is to create matrices quantifying the perturbation that drugs and viruses induce on human protein interaction networks. Then, we decompose these matrices to learn embeddings of drugs, viruses, and proteins in a low dimensional space. Predictions of host-centric antivirals are obtained by taking the dot product between the corresponding drug and virus representations. Our approach is general and can be applied systematically to any compound with known targets and any virus whose host proteins are known. We show that our predictions have high accuracy and that the embeddings contain meaningful biological information that may provide insights into the underlying biology of viral infections. Our approach can integrate different types of information, does not rely on known drug-virus associations and can be applied to new viral diseases and drugs.
in PLoS Computational Biology on 2025-04-02 14:00:00 UTC.
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by Kaustuv Sanyal, Aswathy Narayanan
The rapid growth in antimicrobial resistance is of great medical concern. A new study in PLOS Biology unveils the link between ploidy plasticity and the emergence of antifungal resistance in Candida tropicalis.
The rapid growth in antimicrobial resistance is of great medical concern. This Primer highlights a new study in PLOS Biology that unveils the link between ploidy plasticity and the emergence of antifungal resistance in Candida tropicalis.
in PLoS Biology on 2025-04-02 14:00:00 UTC.
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by Andreas Sichert
An alga that abandoned photosynthesis? This Primer explores a PLOS Biology study showing that a single horizontal gene transfer event allowed the diatom Nitzschia sing1 to evolve a complete enzymatic machinery to break down alginate from brown algae, unlocking a new ecological niche.
in PLoS Biology on 2025-04-02 14:00:00 UTC.
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by Md. Hashim Reza, Rashi Aggarwal, Jigyasa Verma, Nitesh Kumar Podh, Ratul Chowdhury, Gunjan Mehta, Ravi Manjithaya, Kaustuv Sanyal
Emerging studies hint at the roles of autophagy-related proteins in various cellular processes. To understand if autophagy-related proteins influence genome stability, we sought to examine a cohort of 35 autophagy mutants in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We observe cells lacking Atg11 show poor mitotic stability of minichromosomes. Single-molecule tracking assays and live cell microscopy reveal that Atg11 molecules dynamically localize to the spindle pole bodies (SPBs) in a microtubule (MT)-dependent manner. Loss of Atg11 leads to a delayed cell cycle progression. Such cells accumulate at metaphase at an elevated temperature that is relieved when the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is inactivated. Indeed, atg11∆ cells have stabilized securin levels, that prevent anaphase onset. Ipl1-mediated activation of SAC also confirms that atg11∆ mutants are defective in chromosome biorientation. Atg11 functions in the Kar9-dependent spindle positioning pathway. Stabilized Clb4 levels in atg11∆ cells suggest that Atg11 maintains Kar9 asymmetry by facilitating proper dynamic instability of astral microtubules (aMTs). Loss of Spc72 asymmetry contributes to non-random SPB inheritance in atg11∆ cells. Overall, this study uncovers an essential non-canonical role of Atg11 in the MT-mediated process of chromosome segregation.
in PLoS Biology on 2025-04-02 14:00:00 UTC.
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by Marta Rodríguez Aramendía, Mariachiara Esposito, Raphael Kaplan
Mounting evidence suggests the human hippocampal formation (HF) maps how different people’s attributes relate to each other. Yet, it’s unclear if hippocampal map-like knowledge representations of other people are shaped by self-knowledge. Here, we test if a prominent heuristic involving an implicit reliance on self-knowledge when rating others, egocentric anchoring-and-adjustment, is present in the HF when relational information about different social entities is retrieved. Participants first provided likelihood ratings of partaking in everyday activities for themselves, fictitious individuals, and familiar social groups. During a neuroimaging task that doesn’t require using self-knowledge, participants then learned a stranger’s preference for an activity relative to one of the fictitious individuals and inferred how the stranger’s preference related to the groups’ preferences. Isolating the neural representation of egocentric anchoring when retrieving relational social knowledge, the HF and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) represented group entities’ preferences relative to the self. Furthermore, the HF selectively represented group identity over other learned entities, confirming the HF was primarily engaged by social comparisons in the more ample map-like reference frame. Taken together, these results imply that self-knowledge implicitly influences how the HF learns about others.
in PLoS Biology on 2025-04-02 14:00:00 UTC.
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Author(s): Alice Longhena, Martin Guillemaud, Fabrizio De Vico Fallani, Raffaella Migliaccio, and Mario Chavez
Alzheimer’s disease disrupts the brain’s connectivity structure, through processes such as progressive neuronal loss and brain atrophy. In this study, the authors propose a method based on a hyperbolic representation of brain networks to characterize brain regions with connectivity anomalies. They show that the method successfully identifies regions affected by neurodegeneration, opening the door to use it as a biomarker for disease progression.
#BiophysicsSpotlight #Interdisciplinary

[Phys. Rev. E 111, 044402] Published Wed Apr 02, 2025
in Physical Review E: Biological physics on 2025-04-02 10:00:00 UTC.
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 14, April 2025.
SignificanceHomeostatic synaptic plasticity mechanisms evolved to keep neuronal firing rates within a physiological range in response to alterations in neural network activity. Similar mechanisms take place during slow wave sleep, a non-rapid-eye-movement ...
in PNAS on 2025-04-02 07:00:00 UTC.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
in Science Advances on 2025-04-02 07:00:00 UTC.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
in Science Advances on 2025-04-02 07:00:00 UTC.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
in Science Advances on 2025-04-02 07:00:00 UTC.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
in Science Advances on 2025-04-02 07:00:00 UTC.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
in Science Advances on 2025-04-02 07:00:00 UTC.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
in Science Advances on 2025-04-02 07:00:00 UTC.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
in Science Advances on 2025-04-02 07:00:00 UTC.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
in Science Advances on 2025-04-02 07:00:00 UTC.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
in Science Advances on 2025-04-02 07:00:00 UTC.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
in Science Advances on 2025-04-02 07:00:00 UTC.
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Science Advances, Volume 11, Issue 14, April 2025.
in Science Advances on 2025-04-02 07:00:00 UTC.
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Journal of Neurophysiology, Ahead of Print.
in Journal of Neurophysiology on 2025-04-02 03:41:11 UTC.
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NMDARs act as coincidence detectors for synaptic plasticity by activity-dependent relief of Mg2+ pore block. In this issue of Neuron, Huang et al. solved the structure of NMDARs to enlighten the fascinating actions of Mg2+ beyond its pore binding.
in Neuron: Current Issue on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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The enteric nervous system is comprised of interconnected diverse cell types that control sensory and motor functions of the gut. In this issue of Neuron, Hamnett et al. demonstrate a novel role for distinct glutamatergic putative interneuron subtypes in colonic motility.
in Neuron: Current Issue on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Puberty onset in mammals requires adequate energy stores, but how hypothalamic neurons regulating reproduction obtain information on food availability is unclear. In this issue of Neuron, Goto et al. show that hypothalamic neurons expressing agouti-related peptides, which are hunger sensors, control the maturation of kisspeptin neurons, the principal stimulators of reproduction.
in Neuron: Current Issue on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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The rather abstract mathematical study of place cell statistics by Mainali et al. in this issue of Neuron, may in fact help deliver us from the clutches of prejudiced functionalist assumptions, helping us better appreciate how the brain takes in nature in its chaotic, random manifestations.
in Neuron: Current Issue on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Zolboot et al. introduce DD-T6B and SAP-seq, methods for investigating microRNA function with enhanced spatiotemporal resolution, and identify Purkinje cell-specific microRNAs and targets instructing its unique dendritic arborization and climbing fiber synaptogenesis. Their findings highlight the critical role of post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms and demonstrate the broad applicability of their tools.
in Neuron: In press on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Using a mouse tumor model with inducible cGAS expression, Herbst et al. show that cancer-cell-derived cGAMP triggers a sustained type I interferon response, enhancing CD8+ T cell-dependent tumor restriction. However, STING-expressing CD8+ T cells exhibit reduced proliferation and survival. Thus, STING signaling acts as a checkpoint balancing anti-tumor immunity.
in Cell Reports: Current Issue on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Eldred et al. identify cells in human fetal retina resembling the ciliary margin zone (CMZ) of non-mammalian vertebrates. Unlike the CMZ in fish and amphibians, this zone is transient in humans. However, like other vertebrates, the human CMZ contains both early and late progenitors, with differing cell cycles and responses to mitogens.
in Cell Reports: Current Issue on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Using a combination of in vivo lineage tracing and single-cell RNA sequencing, Wen et al. have demonstrated an innovative method for studying early cardiopulmonary cell fate determination in addition to providing significant insights into the molecular programs guiding early heart and lung development.
in Cell Reports: Current Issue on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Schendel et al. analyzed ∼400 anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike antibodies using neutralization assays, high-resolution structural analysis and epitope binning, in vivo protection studies, and assays for immune escape risk. High-resolution epitope binning defined epitope communities to guide cocktail selection, and regression analysis produced a framework for rapid response to future disease outbreaks.
in Cell Reports: Current Issue on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Wang et al. describe the immune cell atlas in lymph fluid and identify a sepsis-associated CD4+Icos+ T cell subset that suppresses excessive inflammation during the early stages of sepsis and plays a crucial role in Treg differentiation. These data suggest that CD4+Icos+ T cells could be potential targets for sepsis treatment.
in Cell Reports: Current Issue on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Kirio et al. demonstrate that circRNAs steadily accumulate in the aging fly brain due to their exceptional stability. Temperature exposure (29°C) further elevates select circRNAs, which remain high weeks later, underscoring their potential as markers of both age and past experiences.
in Cell Reports: Current Issue on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Zhang et al. demonstrated that NKAβ1 is a CMA substrate and highlighted the crucial role of increased CMA-dependent NKAβ1 elimination in glutamatergic neurons of the anterior cingulate cortex in depression-induced allodynia. This finding suggests a potential therapeutic target for treating depression-induced allodynia.
in Cell Reports: Current Issue on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Potente et al. show that in the liverwort M. quadrata, the evolution of cosexuality involves the retention of the male (V) sex chromosome and the complete loss of the female (U) sex chromosome. This pattern parallels observations in another species, suggesting that transitions to cosexuality may be predictable in liverworts.
in Cell Reports: Current Issue on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Blood cancers are more common in males than females. Stomper et al. show that, in contrast to most other driver mutations of clonal hematopoiesis and myeloid malignancies, mutations in DNMT3A are more common in females and that this female bias might be related to the sex hormone estradiol.
in Cell Reports: Current Issue on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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(Cell Reports 44, 115450; April 22, 2025)
in Cell Reports: Current Issue on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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(Cell Reports 42, 112745; July 25, 2023)
in Cell Reports: Current Issue on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01028-9
Smaller than a grain of rice, this injectable device could allow for minimally invasive heart-surgery — plus, research suggesting that a shingles vaccination reduces the risk of dementia.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00973-9
A single dose of the drug nitisinone could render a person’s blood lethal to mosquitoes for five days, modelling suggests.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08784-8
A chiral copper catalyst, generated in situ from commercially available components, can be used to achieve photoinduced deracemization of alkyl halides through carbon–halogen bond cleavage.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08800-x
Using a natural experiment that avoids common bias concerns, this study finds that the live-attenuated shingles vaccine reduced the probability of a new dementia diagnosis within a follow-up period of 7 years by approximately one-fifth.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08744-2
A general reinforcement-learning algorithm, called Dreamer, outperforms specialized expert algorithms across diverse tasks by learning a model of the environment and improving its behaviour by imagining future scenarios.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08796-4
Neonatal antibiotic use is shown to reduce immune response to infant vaccines, accompanied by reduced abundance of Bifidobacteria in the gut microbiota, with experiments in mice indicating that probiotic therapy could be beneficial.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08761-1
Non-classical correlations between two photons in the near-field regime give rise to entanglement in their total angular momentum, leading to a completely different structure of quantum correlations of photon pairs.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08719-3
A modelling study shows that the trace-element composition of Earth’s Hadean protocrust is similar to that of the current average continental crust, severely compromising geochemical arguments for when and how plate tectonics began.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08747-z
The acetylene hydrogenation activity and stability of a palladium single-atom catalyst are both controlled by the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of the oxide support.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08726-4
A millimetre-scale bioresorbable optoelectronic system with an onboard power supply and a wireless, optical control mechanism is developed for general applications in electrotherapy and specific uses in temporary cardiac pacing.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08759-9
A RISC-V microprocessor capable of executing standard 32-bit instructions has been designed with 5,900 MoS2 transistors and a complete standard cell library based on 2D semiconductor technology.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08813-6
A pyramidal cell type and the 5-HT2A receptor in the medial frontal cortex have essential roles in psilocybin’s long-term drug action.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08804-7
In thromboinflammation, early tissue plasminogen activator administration directly improves endothelial barrier function, prophylactic defibrotide and enoxaparin suppress microvascular thromboinflammation through endothelium-mediated mechanisms and combining enoxaparin with crizanlizumab reduces microvascular occlusion and protects endothelial function in sickle cell disease.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08828-z
Illness signals from the gut reactivate and strengthen flavour representations in the amygdala to support learning from delayed postingestive feedback.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08814-5
A comparison of alpha diversity (number of plant species) and dark diversity (species that are currently absent from a site despite being ecologically suitable) demonstrates the negative effects of regional-scale anthropogenic activity on plant diversity.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08798-2
Spontaneous parthenogenesis in sunflower has been used to develop a scalable doubled haploid breeding system.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08753-1
A head-to-head double-ring complex of the human multifunctional DNA repair protein RAD52 mediates protection of stalled replication forks during replication stress, protecting them from reversal by SMARCAL1 motor.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08760-2
Measuring acoustic oscillations in 27 stars within the M67 cluster presents evidence of a rapidly evolving convective zone as stars evolve from subgiants to red giants.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08793-7
Pastoralism spread through cultural diffusion into the Green Sahara, where an isolated, distinct North African ancestry persisted.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00885-8
A complete inventory of the Drosophila visual system classifies about 53,000 neurons into 732 types. The shapes and connections of all the visual neurons have been quantified, and a large collection of genetically engineered fly lines have been shared, providing a comprehensive toolkit for studying fly vision.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00991-7
The fierce debate about smartphones and adolescent mental health rests on conflicting science. Researchers and technology companies must work to improve it.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01020-3
The genomes of two women who lived 7,000 years ago in the Sahara when it was a green savannah reveal a remarkably isolated population.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00904-8
The discovery that sunflower seeds can develop without fertilization reveals a pathway to accelerate improvement of this crop — and potentially others.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00560-y
Researchers describe how they are using skills honed in the laboratory in their creative pursuits.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00902-w
Mirror-image isomer blends have been converted into a single isomer by a light-activated copper catalyst — a challenging reaction that prevents the waste of materials.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00933-3
Researchers are debating the strength of evidence connecting technology to surging rates of adolescent mental illness. But they have some clear advice for parents.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01019-w
The Dreamer system reached the milestone by ‘imagining’ the future impact of possible decisions.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00976-6
Innovative experimental and computational techniques have been developed to study the interface of oil droplets suspended in water, a model system of hydrophobic interaction. These techniques reveal greater water structural disorder than in bulk water and an intense electric field at the water–oil interface.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00950-2
Avoidance tactics.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00979-3
Psilocybin, a classic psychedelic, has therapeutic potential for psychiatric disorders. A specific brain circuit and receptor have now been found to be required for psilocybin’s long-term effects on neural plasticity and depression-related behaviour.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00755-3
Sequencing of 7,000-year-old human genomes from when the Sahara Desert was green suggest that pastoralism spread through cultural exchange, not large-scale migration.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00861-2
Large-scale analyses of electronic health data suggest that the herpes zoster vaccine could protect against dementia — but it’s not yet clear how.
in Nature on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature Neuroscience, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41593-025-01950-1
Author Correction: An activity-regulated transcriptional program directly drives synaptogenesis
in Nature Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature Neuroscience, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41593-025-01912-7
The authors uncover slow, facilitating inhibitory connections between serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe, refuting autoinhibition theories. This recurrence drives winner-take-all effects and nonlinear processing of threat-related inputs.
in Nature Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41583-025-00918-1
A naturalistic threat–reward conflict reveals that dopamine dynamics in tail of the striatum in mice regulate not only avoidance of potential threats but also learning to overcome them.
in Nature Reviews on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41583-025-00917-2
Neuronal function depends upon the domain-specific localization of membrane ion channels. Tyagi et al. describe our current understanding of the mechanisms that regulate ion channel delivery to specific neuronal compartments, with a focus on the distribution of voltage-gated sodium channels in peripheral sensory axons.
in Nature Reviews on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature Photonics, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41566-025-01651-y
Ultrafast magnetic field steps are generated by light-induced quenching of supercurrents in a YBa2Cu3O7 superconductor. They exhibit millitesla amplitude, picosecond rise times and slew rates approaching 1 GT s–1.
in Nature Photomics on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature Methods, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41592-025-02649-8
Advances in label-free microscopy allow researchers to visualize the invisible in complex biological systems, even living animals, from whole organs down to the tiniest peptides.
in Nature Methods on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature Methods, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41592-025-02635-0
In the Big Data era, a change of paradigm in the use of molecular dynamics is required. Trajectories should be stored under FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) requirements to favor its reuse by the community under an open science paradigm.
in Nature Methods on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature Communications, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41467-025-58469-z
Alcohols are one of the most abundant functional groups in commercially available materials and biologically active compounds. Here, the authors report a metal-free photocatalytic method for the deoxygenative Z-selective olefination of aliphatic alcohols.
in Nature Communications on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature Communications, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41467-024-53696-2
The suitability of non-invasive surrogate samples for detecting breast cancer remains to be systematically explored. Here, the authors compare non-invasive, non-tumour DNA methylation profiles from cervical, buccal, and blood samples and develop classifiers for breast cancer detection for each sample type.
in Nature Communications on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature Communications, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41467-025-57495-1
High-resolution hydrodynamic-sediment modeling shows that sediment deposition in Amazonian floodplains is driven by three factors instead of inundation only. Deforestation will reduce the floodplains’ capability to trap sediment over time.
in Nature Communications on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature Communications, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41467-025-57954-9
The key challenge in CO₂ methanation is achieving efficient CH₄ production at lower temperatures. Here, the authors introduce a Ru catalyst supported on layered Na₂Ti₃O₇, which stabilizes low-valence Ru and facilitates CO₂ activation at low temperatures.
in Nature Communications on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature Communications, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41467-025-58153-2
Large capacity vanadium-based aqueous zinc batteries present significant challenges at both electrodes. Here, authors propose a bifacial in-situ modification strategy to alleviate both severe vanadium dissolution and zinc dendrite growth, thereby enabling large capacity aqueous zinc metal batteries.
in Nature Communications on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Nature Physics, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41567-025-02812-0
Superconducting qubits operate at microwave frequencies, but it is much more efficient to transmit information optically. Now, a superconducting qubit has been controlled with an optical signal by using a microwave–optical quantum transducer.
in Nature Physics on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Scientific Data, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41597-025-04797-0
FAIR-Compliant Database for Soil Erosion Studies: The Marganai Forest Experiment
in Nature scientific data on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Scientific Data, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41597-025-04637-1
Chromosome-level genome assembly of the crofton weed (Ageratina adenophora)
in Nature scientific data on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Communications Biology, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s42003-025-08003-0
Methyl-based NMR experiments on P. furiosus MR reveal multiple DNA-bound conformations that cooperate to initiate the repair of DNA double-stranded breaks, highlighting the dynamic conformational coordination in DNA repair.
in Nature communications biology on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Communications Biology, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s42003-025-07984-2
Axenic culture system reveals that C. elegans lacks the necessary mechanisms for de novo synthesis of NAD+.
in Nature communications biology on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Communications Biology, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s42003-025-07892-5
The mechanism by which accessory proteins regulate cGAS phase separation guided the development of chemical-inducible and light-inducible strategies to manipulate cGAS phase separation and immune signaling in test tubes and in living cells.
in Nature communications biology on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Communications Biology, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s42003-025-07944-w
The maturation of enterocytes mediated by CFTR, regulated by TGF-β1 and FGF2, is a fetal-specific process that plays a crucial role in the intestinal development of preterm infants.
in Nature communications biology on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Communications Biology, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s42003-025-07956-6
Hippocampal synapses in vitro show multi-timescale adaptation dynamics, which can facilitate the efficient transmission of information in hippocampal spike trains.
in Nature communications biology on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Communications Biology, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s42003-025-07975-3
Akkermansia muciniphila improves spatial working memory in mice after FMT, with its strains GMB 0476 and GMB 2066 enhancing memory via BDNF activation, highlighting a potential therapeutic target for cognitive function.
in Nature communications biology on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Communications Biology, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s42003-025-07997-x
Structure-based engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum LysE transporter enhances L-arginine extrusion via rational mutagenesis, offering a promising strategy for improving the L-Arg production.
in Nature communications biology on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Communications Biology, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s42003-025-07938-8
The authors propose a FastQ-based study design framework, named “FastQDesign,” which leverages raw FastQ files from publicly available datasets as references and suggests an optimal design.
in Nature communications biology on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Gene duplication drives evolution by providing raw material for proteins with novel functions. An influential hypothesis by Ohno (1970) posits that gene duplication helps genes tolerate new mutations and thus facilitates the evolution of new phenotypes. Competing hypotheses argue that deleterious mutations will usually inactivate gene duplicates too rapidly for Ohno’s hypothesis to work. We experimentally tested Ohno’s hypothesis by evolving one or exactly two copies of a gene encoding a fluorescent protein in Escherichia coli through several rounds of mutation and selection. We analyzed the genotypic and phenotypic evolutionary dynamics of the evolving populations through high-throughput DNA sequencing, biochemical assays, and engineering of selected variants. In support of Ohno’s hypothesis, populations carrying two gene copies displayed higher mutational robustness than those carrying a single gene copy. Consequently, the double-copy populations experienced relaxed purifying selection, evolved higher phenotypic and genetic diversity, carried more mutations and accumulated combinations of key beneficial mutations earlier. However, their phenotypic evolution was not accelerated, possibly because one gene copy rapidly became inactivated by deleterious mutations. Our work provides an experimental platform to test models of evolution by gene duplication, and it supports alternatives to Ohno’s hypothesis that point to the importance of gene dosage.
in eLife on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Dense core vesicles (DCVs) transport and release various neuropeptides and neurotrophins that control diverse brain functions, but the DCV secretory pathway remains poorly understood. Here, we tested a prediction emerging from invertebrate studies about the crucial role of the intracellular trafficking GTPase Rab10, by assessing DCV exocytosis at single-cell resolution upon acute Rab10 depletion in mature mouse hippocampal neurons, to circumvent potential confounding effects of Rab10’s established role in neurite outgrowth. We observed a significant inhibition of DCV exocytosis in Rab10-depleted neurons, whereas synaptic vesicle exocytosis was unaffected. However, rather than a direct involvement in DCV trafficking, this effect was attributed to two ER-dependent processes, ER-regulated intracellular Ca2+ dynamics, and protein synthesis. Gene Ontology analysis of differentially expressed proteins upon Rab10 depletion identified substantial alterations in synaptic and ER/ribosomal proteins, including the Ca2+ pump SERCA2. In addition, ER morphology and dynamics were altered, ER Ca2+ levels were depleted, and Ca2+ homeostasis was impaired in Rab10-depleted neurons. However, Ca2+ entry using a Ca2+ ionophore still triggered less DCV exocytosis. Instead, leucine supplementation, which enhances protein synthesis, largely rescued DCV exocytosis deficiency. We conclude that Rab10 is required for neuropeptide release by maintaining Ca2+ dynamics and regulating protein synthesis. Furthermore, DCV exocytosis appeared more dependent on (acute) protein synthesis than synaptic vesicle exocytosis.
in eLife on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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By influencing calcium homeostasis, local protein synthesis and the endoplasmic reticulum, a small protein called Rab10 emerges as a crucial cytoplasmic regulator of neuropeptide secretion.
in eLife on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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In eukaryotes, protein kinase signaling is regulated by a diverse array of post-translational modifications, including phosphorylation of Ser/Thr residues and oxidation of cysteine (Cys) residues. While regulation by activation segment phosphorylation of Ser/Thr residues is well understood, relatively little is known about how oxidation of cysteine residues modulate catalysis. In this study, we investigate redox regulation of the AMPK-related brain-selective kinases (BRSK) 1 and 2, and detail how broad catalytic activity is directly regulated through reversible oxidation and reduction of evolutionarily conserved Cys residues within the catalytic domain. We show that redox-dependent control of BRSKs is a dynamic and multilayered process involving oxidative modifications of several Cys residues, including the formation of intramolecular disulfide bonds involving a pair of Cys residues near the catalytic HRD motif and a highly conserved T-loop Cys with a BRSK-specific Cys within an unusual CPE motif at the end of the activation segment. Consistently, mutation of the CPE-Cys increases catalytic activity in vitro and drives phosphorylation of the BRSK substrate Tau in cells. Molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulations indicate that oxidation of the CPE-Cys destabilizes a conserved salt bridge network critical for allosteric activation. The occurrence of spatially proximal Cys amino acids in diverse Ser/Thr protein kinase families suggests that disulfide-mediated control of catalytic activity may be a prevalent mechanism for regulation within the broader AMPK family.
in eLife on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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CDK8 and CDK19 paralogs are regulatory kinases associated with the transcriptional Mediator complex. We have generated mice with the systemic inducible Cdk8 knockout on the background of Cdk19 constitutive knockout. Cdk8/19 double knockout (iDKO) males, but not single Cdk8 or Cdk19 KO, had an atrophic reproductive system and were infertile. The iDKO males lacked postmeiotic spermatids and spermatocytes after meiosis I pachytene. Testosterone levels were decreased whereas the amounts of the luteinizing hormone were unchanged. Single-cell RNA sequencing showed marked differences in the expression of steroidogenic genes (such as Cyp17a1, Star, and Fads) in Leydig cells concomitant with alterations in Sertoli cells and spermatocytes, and were likely associated with an impaired synthesis of steroids. Star and Fads were also downregulated in cultured Leydig cells after iDKO. The treatment of primary Leydig cell culture with a CDK8/19 inhibitor did not induce the same changes in gene expression as iDKO, and a prolonged treatment of mice with a CDK8/19 inhibitor did not affect the size of testes. iDKO, in contrast to the single knockouts or treatment with a CDK8/19 kinase inhibitor, led to depletion of cyclin C (CCNC), the binding partner of CDK8/19 that has been implicated in CDK8/19-independent functions. This suggests that the observed phenotype was likely mediated through kinase-independent activities of CDK8/19, such as CCNC stabilization.
in eLife on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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The main genetic risk factor for Alzheimers disease (AD) is the presence of the apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) allele. While APOE4 increases the risk of developing AD, the APOE2 allele is protective and APOE3 is risk-neutral. In the brain, APOE is primarily expressed by astrocytes and plays a key role in various processes including cholesterol and lipid transport, neuronal growth, synaptic plasticity, immune response and energy metabolism. Disruptions in brain energy metabolism are considered a major contributor to AD pathophysiology, raising a key question about how different APOE isoforms affect the energy metabolism of human astrocytes. In this study, we generated astrocytes (iAstrocytes) from APOE-isogenic human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), expressing either APOE2, APOE3, APOE4 or carrying an APOE knockout (APOE-KO), and investigated APOE genotype-dependent changes in energy metabolism. ATP Seahorse assay revealed a reduced mitochondrial and glycolytic ATP production in APOE4 iAstrocytes. In contrast, proteomic GO enrichment analysis and mitochondrial stress tests indicated increased mitochondrial respiration and activity in APOE4 iAstrocytes, accompanied with elevated proton leak, while mitochondrial fusion and fission protein levels remain unchanged. Glycolysis stress tests also demonstrated enhanced glycolysis and glycolytic capacity in APOE4 iAstrocytes while genetically encoded nanosensor-based FLIM analysis revealed that APOE does not affect lactate dynamics. Mass spectrometry-based metabolomic analysis identified various energy and glucose metabolism-related pathways that were differentially regulated in APOE4 compared to the other genotypes, including mitochondrial electron transport chain and glycolysis. In general, APOE2 and APOE-KO iAstrocytes showed a very similar phenotype in all functional assays and differences between APOE2/APOE-KO and APOE4 were stronger than between APOE3 and APOE4. Our study provides evidence for APOE genotype-dependent effects on astrocyte energy metabolism and highlights alterations in the bioenergetic processes of the brain as important pathomechanisms in AD.
in bioRxiv: Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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IntroductionIn preclinical Alzheimers disease (AD), oxidative stress induces non-enzymatic protein damage--detected as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers--and disrupts sleep-related networks, altering sleep electroencephalographic patterns. Due to the invasiveness of CSF sampling, quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) is proposed as a non-invasive alternative for predicting oxidatively modified protein levels via Machine Learning (ML).
MethodsForty-two mild-to-moderate AD patients underwent polysomnography (PSG). qEEG features were extracted. CSF protein oxidation markers levels --glutamic semialdehyde, aminoadipic semialdehyde, N{varepsilon}-carboxyethyl-lysine, N{varepsilon}-carboxymethyl-lysine, and N{varepsilon}-malondialdehyde-lysine --were assessed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and ML models trained to predict CSF biomarker levels.
ResultsqEEG features from slow-wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, particularly over frontal and central regions, yielded R2 > 0.9 and RMSE < 0.1 for biomarker prediction.
ConclusionqEEG is a non-invasive, scalable tool for detecting AD-related oxidative stress, with potential implications for early diagnosis and risk stratification.
in bioRxiv: Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Neuropathic pain is characterized by mechanical allodynia and thermal (heat and cold) hypersensitivity, yet the underlying neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study examines the role of inhibitory interneurons in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in modulating pain perception following nerve injury. Chemogenetic excitation of parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons significantly alleviated mechanical allodynia but had minimal effects on thermal hypersensitivity. However, inhibition of PV+ interneurons did not produce significant changes in pain sensitivity, suggesting that reductions in perisomatic inhibition do not contribute to chronic pain states. In contrast, bidirectional modulation of somatostatin-positive (SST+) interneurons influenced pain perception in a modality-specific manner. Both excitation and inhibition of SST+ interneurons alleviated mechanical allodynia, indicating a potential compensatory role in nociceptive processing. Additionally, SST+ neuron excitation reduced cold hypersensitivity without affecting heat hypersensitivity, whereas inhibition improved heat hypersensitivity but not cold responses. These findings suggest that, in addition to PV+ neurons, SST+ interneurons in the BLA play a complex role in modulating neuropathic pain following nerve injury and may serve as a potential target for future neuromodulation interventions in chronic pain management.
in bioRxiv: Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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We have previously demonstrated that a transmembrane domain mutation in Adenylate cyclase 3 (Adcy3) causes increased adiposity and negative emotion-like behaviors in a rat model. We set out to replicate and expand upon our previous study by conducting comprehensive behavioral testing, and we also investigated the molecular changes that result from this mutation. Rats with a mutation in the second transmembrane helix of ADCY3 (Adcy3mut/mut) and wild-type rats were fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks. We measured body weight, body composition, and depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors using the following tests: sucrose splash test, sucrose preference test, forced swim test, open field test, elevated plus maze, successive alleys test, and novelty-suppressed feeding. We also measured serum leptin levels, hypothalamic cyclic AMP (cAMP) production, and membrane fraction ADCY3 content. Adcy3mut/mut male and female rats had increased adiposity. Adcy3mut/mut males showed increased despair- and anxiety-like behaviors, food seeking, and higher leptin levels relative to wild-type males. Adcy3mut/mut females showed only mildly increased anxiety-like behaviors relative to wild-type females. Adcy3mut/mut rats of both sexes had decreased cAMP production in the hypothalamus, with no changes in ADCY3 content in the membrane fraction. We conclude that the transmembrane domain of ADCY3 plays a critical role regulating adiposity and behavior, as well as cAMP production. There were key differences between males and females for the observed phenotypes. This study supports the idea that Adcy3 contributes to emotion-like behaviors and potentially mental health disorders, and that the transmembrane domain of ADCY3 is important for protein function.
in bioRxiv: Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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In Alzheimers disease, many surviving neurons with tau pathology contain granulovacuolar degeneration bodies (GVBs), neuron-specific lysosomal structures induced by pathological tau assemblies. This could indicate a neuroprotective role for GVBs, however, the mechanism of GVB formation and its functional implications are elusive. Here, we demonstrate that GVB formation depends on CK1delta activity and basal autophagy. We show that neurons with GVBs (GVB+) are resilient to tau-induced impairment of global protein synthesis and are protected against tau-mediated neurodegeneration. GVB+ neurons have multiple adaptations to counteract the tau pathology-induced decline in protein synthesis, including increased ribosomal content. Importantly, unlike neurons without GVBs, GVB+ neurons fully retain the capacity to induce long-term potentiation-induced protein synthesis in the presence of tau pathology. Our results have identified CK1delta as a key regulator of GVB formation that confers a protective neuron-specific proteostatic stress response to tau pathology. Our findings provide novel opportunities for targeting neuronal resilience in tauopathies.
in bioRxiv: Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Language comprehension is increasingly recognized as extending beyond the traditional linguistic system to engage motor and perceptual processes. This perspective is supported by numerous studies demonstrating that understanding action-related words often induces behavioral and neurophysiological changes in the motor system. However, it remains unclear whether the influence of action language on the motor system is restricted to cortical regions, or whether it also extends to spinal structures, as observed during motor imagery. To address this, we used transcranial magnetic stimulation and peripheral nerve stimulation to assess corticospinal excitability and cortico-motoneuronal transmission, respectively. Fifteen healthy and right-handed volunteers participated in four conditions: (i) rest, (ii) kinesthetic motor imagery of finger and wrist flexion, (iii) reading action sentences, and (iv) reading non-action sentences. As anticipated, corticospinal excitability increased during both kinesthetic motor imagery and action reading compared to rest. Interestingly, while kinesthetic motor imagery also led to the expected increase in cortico-motoneuronal transmission, no such modulation occurred during action reading. These findings suggest that action reading do not modulate the excitability of high-threshold motoneurons at the spinal level, contrary to motor imagery. Further investigation is needed to test whether action reading activate lower-threshold spinal structures, such as interneurons involved in spinal pre-synaptic inhibition.
in bioRxiv: Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Classical models of movement control posit that striatal spiny projection neurons of the basal ganglia's direct and indirect pathways (dSPNs and iSPNs) respectively promote and suppress movement. Supporting this view, physiological recordings have revealed imbalanced dSPN and iSPN activity levels during hypokinetic and hyperkinetic movement conditions. However, in normal brain states, dSPN and iSPN ensembles have approximately equal activation amplitudes and time courses, jointly encoding specific actions. How pathological movement conditions alter such action coding remains poorly understood. Here we imaged the concurrent dynamics of dSPNs and iSPNs in behaving mice across normal, hypokinetic, and hyperkinetic conditions, before and after administration of drug treatments used clinically. Analyses focused on resting periods and neural activity that immediately preceded movement, examining how SPNs encoded upcoming actions. In hypokinetic states, the dSPN population was hypoactive relative to the iSPN population, consistent with prior reports. Moreover, individual dSPNs and iSPNs that encoded upcoming locomotion exhibited a reduced measure of activity compared to the normal state; the extent of this reduction predicted the degree of decline in the occurrence of locomotion. Levodopa (L-DOPA) and amantadine treatments both improved locomotion frequency but acted via distinct mechanisms. L-DOPA rebalanced the activity of the dSPN and iSPN populations, whereas amantadine boosted the activity of individual locomotion-related dSPNs and iSPNs. In hyperkinetic states modeling L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia, dSPN populations were hyperactive relative to iSPN populations. Involuntary dyskinetic movements engaged individual dSPNs and iSPNs distinct from those encoding voluntary locomotion. Amantadine treatment reduced the resting activity of dyskinesia- but not locomotion-related SPNs without improving the overall dSPN and iSPN imbalance. These findings highlight the importance of SPN action coding, not merely the extent of activity balance, for normal and pathological movements. The results delineate two distinct therapeutic mechanisms, one that rebalances the activity of the direct and indirect pathways and another that selectively potentiates or depresses the activity of SPN populations encoding voluntary or involuntary actions. Overall, this study refines the understanding of striatal dysfunction in movement disorders, demonstrates that distinct neural populations underlie normal voluntary locomotion and involuntary dyskinetic movements, and defines two complementary routes for the development of symptomatic treatments.
in bioRxiv: Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Brain endothelial cells experience mechanical forces in the form of blood flow-mediated shear stress and underlying matrix stiffness, but intersectional contributions of these factors towards blood-brain barrier (BBB) impairment and neurovascular dysfunction have not been extensively studied. Here, we developed in vitro models to examine the sensitivity of primary human brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) to substrate stiffness, with or without exposure to fluid shear stress. Using a combination of molecular profiling techniques, we show that BMECs exhibit an inflammatory signature at both the mRNA and protein level when cultured on gelatin substrates of intermediate stiffness (~30 kPa) versus soft substrates (~6 kPa). Exposure to modest fluid shear stress (1.7 dyne/cm2) partially attenuated this signature, including reductions in levels of soluble chemoattractants and surface ICAM-1. Overall, our results indicate that increased substrate stiffness promotes an inflammatory phenotype in BMECs that is dampened in the presence of fluid shear stress.
in bioRxiv: Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Neuroinflammation, particularly that involving reactive microglia, the brain's resident immune cells, is implicated in the pathogenesis of major neurodegenerative diseases. However, early markers of this process are in high demand. Multiple studies have reported changes in ribosomal protein (RP) expression during neurodegeneration, but the significance of these changes remains unclear. Ribosomes are evolutionarily conserved protein synthesizing machines, and although commonly viewed as invariant, accumulating evidence suggest functional ribosome specialization through variation in their protein composition. By analyzing cell type-specific translating mRNAs from mouse brains, we identify distinct RP expression patterns between neurons, astrocytes, and microglia, including neuron-specific RPs, Rpl13a and Rps10. We also observed complex expression relationships between RP paralogs and their canonical counterparts, suggesting regulated mechanisms for generating heterogeneous ribosomes. Analysis across brain regions revealed that Rplp0 and Rpl13a, commonly used normalization references, show heterogeneous expression, raising important methodological considerations for gene expression studies. Importantly, we show that Rps24, an essential ribosome component that undergoes alternative splicing to produce protein variants with different C-termini, exhibits striking cell type-specific isoform expression in brain. The Rps24c isoform is predominantly expressed in microglia and is increased by neuroinflammation caused by aging, neurodegeneration, or inflammatory chemicals. We verify increased expression of S24-PKE, the protein variant encoded by Rps24c, in brains with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease, and relevant mouse models, using isoform-specific antibodies. These findings establish heterogeneous RP expression as a feature of brain cell types and identify Rps24c/S24-PKE as a novel marker for neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.
in bioRxiv: Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Olfactory dysfunction is a clinical marker of prodromal Parkinson's disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by severe motor impairments. Although common, the mechanisms linking PD and olfactory dysfunction remain unclear. To explore this relationship, we developed a model of olfactory dysfunction that recapitulates the prodromal stage of PD without affecting motor function. For this, we used zebrafish, an animal model widely used in PD research that shares olfactory system similarities with mammals and that exhibits unique regenerative capabilities. By injecting 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the dorsal telencephalic ventricle, we observed a significant loss of dopaminergic periglomerular neurons in the olfactory bulb (OB) and retrograde degeneration of olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) in the peripheral olfactory epithelium (OE). These alterations led to impaired olfactory responses to the aversive odorant, cadaverine, although olfactory responses to alanine, an attractive odorant, were not impaired. 6-OHDA triggered a neuroinflammatory response, which was reduced by treatment with the anti-inflammatory drug pranlukast. By 7 dpi, we observed remodeling of dopaminergic synapses in the OB and restoration of the OE, along with a resolution of the neuroinflammatory response. By this time, olfactory responses to cadaverine were fully restored, highlighting the remarkable neuroplasticity of the zebrafish olfactory system. This novel model of prodromal PD could offer valuable insights into the early stages and progression of this neurodegenerative disease and increase our understanding of the relationship between dopaminergic loss and olfactory dysfunction.
in bioRxiv: Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Parkinson's Disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, with growing numbers and considerable societal and economic concerns. Human cell culture systems are efficient models for neurodegenerative disorders and allow for personalized, non-invasive analysis of cellular and molecular disease mechanisms. Midbrain organoids and assembloids are advanced 3D culture systems that recapitulate the human midbrain, which is highly affected by Parkinson's disease. Here, we used healthy control and patient-specific midbrain assembloids to assess mitochondrial DNA phenotypes and NfL levels alongside neurodegeneration and alpha-synuclein phosphorylation. Importantly, alterations in mitochondrial DNA homeostasis and NfL levels can be assayed in the supernatant and therefore are particularly suitable as biomarkers and for high throughput screening approaches.
in bioRxiv: Neuroscience on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Abstract
When practicing a new piece of music, what are the neural substrates influenced by short-term training such as listening to recorded sources or reading sheet music? Do those neural mechanisms reflect the effects of long-term training in music? In the present functional magnetic resonance imaging study with intermediate piano players in the middle of acquiring advanced knowledge and skills in music, we compared short-term training of listening to recorded pieces (“Listen”) and reading sheet music (“Read”). Participants were “Multi-” and “Mono-instrumentalist” groups according to whether they played multiple instruments or only the piano. We used an error-detection task with music stimuli including structural errors made by swapping 2 phrases within a composition, thereby focusing on contextual comprehension of musical phrases. Overall performances were significantly better under Listen than under Read, and significantly better in Multi than in Mono. Moreover, we observed left-lateralized frontal activations under Listen for Multi, whereas bilateral temporo-frontal regions were activated under Read for both groups. Focusing on individual differences under Read, we found a positive correlation between the frontal activations and the accuracy rates for Mono. Overall, our results elucidate how the neural substrates of judgments on structures and context in music are influenced by both long-term and short-term training.
in Cerebral Cortex on 2025-04-02 00:00:00 UTC.
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Response preparation is accomplished by gradual accumulation in neural activity until a threshold is reached. In humans, such a preparatory signal, referred to as the lateralized readiness potential (LRP), can be observed in the EEG over sensorimotor cortical areas before execution of a voluntary movement. Although well described for manual movements, less is known about preparatory EEG potentials for saccadic eye movements in humans and nonhuman primates. Hence, we describe a LRP over the frontolateral cortex in macaque monkeys. Homologous to humans, we observed lateralized electrical potentials ramping before the execution of both rewarded and nonrewarded contralateral saccades. This potential parallels the neural spiking of saccadic movement neurons in the frontal eye field (FEF), suggesting that it may offer a noninvasive correlate of intracortical spiking activity. However, unlike neural spiking in the FEF, polarization in frontolateral channels did not distinguish between saccade generation and inhibition. These findings provide new insights into noninvasive electrophysiological signatures of saccadic preparation in nonhuman primates, highlighting the potential of EEG measures to bridge invasive neural recordings and noninvasive studies of eye movement control in humans.
in eNeuro on 2025-04-01 16:30:13 UTC.
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Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) adversely affects the learning, social interaction, and daily living of affected children. Atomoxetine (ATX) hydrochloride (HCI) has been widely used in clinical practice. Electroencephalogram (EEG) biofeedback, as a nonpharmacological treatment approach, has also demonstrated potential in improving symptoms in children with ADHD. We aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of combining ATX HCI with EEG biofeedback in the treatment of ADHD in children. We hypothesized that this combined therapy would be more effective in alleviating symptoms in children with ADHD. Ninety children with ADHD were randomly separated into the control group (receiving ATX HCI treatment for 12 weeks) and study group (receiving ATX HCI treatment for 12 weeks combined with 60 sessions of EEG biofeedback treatment; n = 45). Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham-IV (SNAP-IV) rating scale scores, integrated visual and auditory continuous performance test results, Conners parent symptom questionnaire (PSQ) scores, and adverse reactions were counted. After 12 weeks of treatment, SNAP-IV scores were lower in both groups and were much lower in the study group; full-scale attention quotient and full-scale response control quotient scores were elevated in both groups and were much higher in the study group; PSQ scores were lower in both groups and were much lower in the study group (all p < 0.05). During the treatment period, there was no difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between both groups (p > 0.05). The treatment combination of ATX HCI and EEG biofeedback is effective for children with ADHD, improving their behavioral issues and psychological conditions.
in eNeuro on 2025-04-01 16:30:13 UTC.
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by Andrey N. Shkoporov, Colin Hill
Phages infecting anaerobic bacteria are highly abundant in the mammalian gut, but their biology and ecological impact are poorly understood. A new PLOS Biology study provides a glimpse into the disruptive biology of the Hankyphages, parasites of the ubiquitous Bacteroidaceae.
in PLoS Biology on 2025-04-01 14:00:00 UTC.
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by Tianren Hu, Qiushi Zheng, Chengjun Cao, Shuaihu Li, Yanfeng Huang, Zhangyue Guan, Lingyu Ji, Jian Bing, Han Du, Austin M. Perry, Clarissa J. Nobile, Bing Li, Haiqing Chu, Guanghua Huang
The human fungal pathogen Candida tropicalis is widely distributed in clinical and natural environments. It is known to be an obligate diploid organism with an incomplete and atypical sexual cycle. Azole-resistant C. tropicalis isolates have been observed with increasing prevalence in many countries in recent years. Here, we report that tebuconazole (TBZ), a triazole fungicide widely used in agriculture, can induce ploidy plasticity and the formation of haploid cells in C. tropicalis. The evolved C. tropicalis strains with ploidy variations exhibit a cross-resistance between TBZ and standard azoles used in clinical settings (such as fluconazole and voriconazole). Similar to its diploid cells, these newly discovered C. tropicalis haploid cells are capable of undergoing filamentation, white-opaque switching, and mating. However, compared to its diploid cells, these haploid C. tropicalis cells grow more slowly under in vitro culture conditions and are less virulent in a mouse model of systemic infection. Interestingly, flow cytometry analysis of a clinical strain with extremely low genome heterozygosity indicates the existence of natural C. tropicalis haploids. Discovery of this C. tropicalis haploid state sheds new light into the biology and genetic plasticity of C. tropicalis and could provide the framework for the development of new genetic tools in the field.
in PLoS Biology on 2025-04-01 14:00:00 UTC.
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by Dongdong Zhao, Yuanhui Huo, Naizhen Zheng, Xiang Zhu, Dingting Yang, Yunqiang Zhou, Shengya Wang, Yiru Jiang, Yili Wu, Yun-wu Zhang
Memprin/A5/mu (MAM) domain containing glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor 2 (MDGA2) is an excitatory synaptic suppressor and its mutations have been associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the detailed physiological function of MDGA2 and the mechanism underlying MDGA2 deficiency-caused ASD has yet to be elucidated. Herein, we not only confirm that Mdga2 +/− mice exhibit increased excitatory synapse transmission and ASD-like behaviors, but also identify aberrant brain-derived neurotrophic factor/tyrosine kinase B (BDNF/TrkB) signaling activation in these mice. We demonstrate that MDGA2 interacts with TrkB through its memprin/A5/mu domain, thereby competing the binding of BDNF to TrkB. Both loss of MDGA2 and the ASD-associated MDGA2 V930I mutation promote the BDNF/TrkB signaling activity. Importantly, we demonstrate that inhibiting the BDNF/TrkB signaling by both small molecular compound and MDGA2-derived peptide can attenuate the increase of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptor-mediated excitatory synaptic activity and social deficits in MDGA2-deficient mice. These results highlight a novel MDGA2-BDNF/TrkB-dependent mechanism underlying the synaptic function regulation, which may become a therapeutic target for ASD.
in PLoS Biology on 2025-04-01 14:00:00 UTC.
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by Zeng Hao Lim, Peng Zheng, Christopher Quek, Minou Nowrousian, Finn L. Aachmann, Gregory Jedd
A major goal of evolutionary biology is to identify the genetic basis for the emergence of complex adaptive traits. Diatoms are ancestrally photosynthetic microalgae. However, in the genus Nitzschia, loss of photosynthesis led to a group of free-living secondary heterotrophs whose manner of acquiring chemical energy is unclear. Here, we sequence the genome of the non-photosynthetic diatom Nitzschia sing1 and identify the genetic basis for its catabolism of the brown algal cell wall polysaccharide alginate. N. sing1 obtained an endolytic alginate lyase enzyme by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from a marine bacterium. Subsequent gene duplication through unequal crossing over and transposition led to 91 genes in three distinct gene families. One family retains the ancestral endolytic enzyme function. By contrast, the two others underwent domain duplication, gain, loss, rearrangement, and mutation to encode novel functions that can account for oligosaccharide import through the endomembrane system and the exolytic production of alginate monosaccharides. Together, our results show how a single HGT event followed by substantial gene duplication and neofunctionalization led to alginate catabolism and access to a new ecological niche.
in PLoS Biology on 2025-04-01 14:00:00 UTC.
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by Yirong He, Debin Zeng, Qiongling Li, Lei Chu, Xiaoxi Dong, Xinyuan Liang, Lianglong Sun, Xuhong Liao, Tengda Zhao, Xiaodan Chen, Tianyuan Lei, Weiwei Men, Yanpei Wang, Daoyang Wang, Mingming Hu, Zhiying Pan, Haibo Zhang, Ningyu Liu, Shuping Tan, Jia-Hong Gao, Shaozheng Qin, Sha Tao, Qi Dong, Yong He, Shuyu Li
From childhood to adolescence, the structural organization of the human brain undergoes dynamic and regionally heterogeneous changes across multiple scales, from synapses to macroscale white matter pathways. However, during this period, the developmental process of multiscale structural architecture, its association with cortical morphological changes, and its role in the maturation of functional organization remain largely unknown. Here, using two independent multimodal imaging developmental datasets aged 6–14 years, we investigated developmental process of multiscale cortical organization by constructing an in vivo multiscale structural connectome model incorporating white matter tractography, cortico–cortical proximity, and microstructural similarity. By employing the gradient mapping method, the principal gradient derived from the multiscale structural connectome effectively recapitulated the sensory-association axis. Our findings revealed a continuous expansion of the multiscale structural gradient space during development, characterized by enhanced differentiation between primary sensory and higher-order transmodal regions along the principal gradient. This age-related differentiation paralleled regionally heterogeneous changes in cortical morphology. Furthermore, the developmental changes in coupling between multiscale structural and functional connectivity were correlated with functional specialization refinement, as evidenced by changes in the participation coefficient. Notably, the differentiation of the principal multiscale structural gradient was associated with improved cognitive abilities, such as enhanced working memory and attention performance, and potentially underpinned by synaptic and hormone-related biological processes. These findings advance our understanding of the intricate maturation process of brain structural organization and its implications for cognitive performance.
in PLoS Biology on 2025-04-01 14:00:00 UTC.
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The schematic representation shows perturbations post mild and moderate TBI at the level of hypothalamus, systemic inflammation, serum and urine metabolomics, and gut microbiome composition, thus highlighting an interplay between HPA axis, inflammation, metabolism, and gut microbiome at hyperacute timepoint.
ABSTRACT
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an insult to the brain that impacts neuronal and non-neuronal cells/tissues. The study aimed to understand TBI-induced early changes in the brain and systemic physiology. The male rats were subjected to mild and moderate TBI, where serum and urine metabolic fingerprints of mild TBI rats showed a hypermetabolic response with increased energy metabolites, amino acids, and gut metabolites in serum and increased TCA cycle intermediates in urine. In contrast, the moderate TBI rats showed decreased lactate, pyruvate, amino acids (glycine and leucine) and gut metabolites [trimethylamine N OXIDE (TMAO), choline and acetate] in serum. The urine showed increased pyruvate, creatinine, and allantoin levels. To understand the brain's role in altered metabolic physiology, hypothalamus structure was assessed using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and stress levels were observed using serum corticosterone. The injured rats exhibited changes in DTI metrics in the hypothalamus, suggesting a potential disruption in the regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA) axis. These alterations were accompanied by increased TNF-α levels after moderate TBI. The injury induced allostatic overload, accompanied by impaired hypothalamic structure, and metabolic physiology also showed gut microbiome dysbiosis. The gut microbiome showed an increased Firmicutes: Bacteroidetes ratio after injury, with variable gut composition after both injuries. Therefore, the present study provides insight into an interplay between the HPA axis, metabolism, and gut microbiome following TBI. Importantly, this crosstalk between the regulatory systems was different after mild and moderate injury, highlighting the need to assess injury phenotype based on the severity.
in Journal of Neuroscience Research on 2025-04-01 13:52:40 UTC.
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in Journal of Neuroscience Research on 2025-04-01 13:29:59 UTC.
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Author(s): Arunava Patra, Joy Das Bairagya, and Sagar Chakraborty
The symbiotic relationship between the frameworks of classical game theory and evolutionary game theory is well established. However, evolutionary game theorists have mostly tapped into the classical game of complete information where players are completely informed of all other players' payoffs. Of…
[Phys. Rev. E 111, 044401] Published Tue Apr 01, 2025
in Physical Review E: Biological physics on 2025-04-01 10:00:00 UTC.
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Introduction Labour exploitation is a social determinant of health, affecting health outcomes and healthcare access. This scoping review aims to identify health outcomes of migrant victims of labour exploitation and barriers to accessing healthcare in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and Türkiye, and identify gaps in evidence for future studies. Inclusion criteria Studies conducted with/among migrants in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and Türkiye who experience labour exploitation and related health issues or barriers to accessing healthcare, regardless of age, nationality, gender, ethnicity, or migration status. Methods This review follows the updated Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines for designing scoping reviews. We will include English and Arabic language peer-reviewed publications and grey literature between March 2011 and the present. An initial limited search in PubMed and Google Scholar was undertaken to refine the keywords. A full search of all selected databases and screening of references of previously published reviews will be conducted. We will search Cochrane, PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS databases, Google Scholar, and Overton for grey literature. Using COVIDENCE, two independent reviewers will screen the titles, abstracts, and full texts for eligibility and inclusion. Relevant information will be extracted using a tailored extraction data sheet. Analysis Extracted data will be analysed using descriptive statistics and an inductive content analysis approach. This review employs an intersectional framework, as well as a structural, symbolic, and interpersonal violence framework, alongside Tanahashi's health service coverage framework to analyse and synthesise the data. Results This review will illustrate key themes and relationships between labour exploitation, health outcomes, access to healthcare aspects, and influencing factors using appropriate summaries and visual tools. A comprehensive populated labour exploitation continuum framework will be developed. Dissemination This work will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presentation in relevant fora.
in F1000Research on 2025-04-01 09:44:02 UTC.
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Background There is evidence that patients with COVID-19 have a higher prevalence of mental health problems than the normal population. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of mental health problems and their associated factors in patients with asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic in the hospitel in Thailand. Methods Mental health problems were evaluated using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale - 21 items, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The prevalence of mental health problems was presented by frequency and percentage. McNemar's test was used to compare the prevalence of mental health problems between day 1 and day 7. Binary logistic regression was used to identify potential predictors of mental health problems. Results A total of 186 participants (68.3% female; mean age = 37.21 years (SD 13.66) were recruited. The depression, anxiety, and stress rate on day 1 of admission was 26.9%, 32.3% and 25.8%, respectively. Having mild COVID-19 symptoms was a significantly associated factor with anxiety (OR=2.69, 95%CI: 1.05-6.89) and stress (OR=4.53, 95%CI: 1.32-15.55). Conclusions There was a high rate of mental health problems in COVID-19 patients. Detecting and managing mental health problems should be considered standard care for COVID-19 patients.
in F1000Research on 2025-04-01 09:42:18 UTC.
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Failure to reject a null-hypothesis may lead to erroneous conclusions regarding the absence of an association or inadequate statistical power. Because an estimate (and its variance) can never be exactly zero, traditional statistical tests cannot conclusively demonstrate the absence of an association. Instead, estimates of accuracy should be used to identify settings in which an association and its variability are sufficiently small to be clinically acceptable, directly providing information on safety and efficacy. Post-hoc power calculations should be avoided, as they offer no additional information beyond statistical tests and p-values. Furthermore, post-hoc power calculations can be misleading because of an inability to distinguish between results based on insufficient sample size and results that reflect clinically irrelevant differences. Most multiple testing procedures unrealistically assume that all positive results are false positives. However, in applied settings, results typically represent a mix of true and false positives. This implies that multiplicity corrections do not effectively differentiate between true and false positives. Instead, considering the distributions of p-values and the proportion of significant results can help to identify bodies of evidence unlikely to be driven by false-positive results. In conclusion, rather than attempting to categorize results as true or false, medical research should embrace established statistical methods that focus on estimation accuracy, replication, and consistency.
in F1000Research on 2025-04-01 09:40:25 UTC.
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Background This study assessed the functional outcomes and complications of open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) using pre-contoured superior clavicle locking plates for displaced midshaft clavicular fractures. Methods In a prospective two-center study at Al-Thawra Modern General Hospital and Kuwait University Hospital, Sana’a, Yemen, from January 2018 to September 2024, 65 patients (≥18 years) with closed, displaced midshaft clavicular fractures (displacement >2 cm, shortening >2 cm, comminution, or skin tenting) underwent ORIF. Functional outcomes were evaluated six months postoperatively using the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder rating score. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Results The mean patient age was 32.09 years (83.1% male, n=54). Road traffic accidents were the primary mechanism of injury (66.2%, n=43). At 6 months, the mean UCLA score was 32.46 ± 2.54, with 98.5% (n=64) achieving good or excellent outcomes (UCLA score ≥27) and 1.5% (n=1) fair/poor. Complications included hardware irritation (1.5%, n=1), hardware failure (3.1%, n=2), and superficial infections (1.5%, n=1). All patients (100%) reported satisfaction with their outcomes. The UCLA scores varied significantly according to injury mechanism, side, and age, with older patients showing lower scores. Conclusion ORIF with pre-contoured locked plates yielded promising functional outcomes, high patient satisfaction, and low complication rates. However, the observational design, lack of a control group, and 6-month follow-up limit broader conclusions. Larger controlled studies are needed to validate these findings and guide the optimal management of displaced midshaft clavicular fractures.
in F1000Research on 2025-04-01 09:38:43 UTC.
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Osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are prevalent, debilitating conditions causing significant joint pain and functional impairment. OA affects over 30% of the global population, while RA impacts around 1%, with risk factors including age, sex, and smoking. Both disorders are frequently accompanied by psychological issues such as anxiety and depression, which exacerbate physical symptoms and lead to additional health problems. Fibromyalgia, often co-occurring with OA and RA, further complicates these conditions with symptoms like widespread pain and stiffness. This creates a vicious cycle where pain and inflammation contribute to worsening anxiety and depression, further impairing quality of life. The interplay of these conditions results in severe physical, emotional, and social consequences, including restricted mobility and increased economic burden due to healthcare costs and reduced work capacity. Current research highlights significant comorbidity but is limited by small sample sizes and reliance on self-reported data. There is a critical need for larger, more comprehensive studies to explore these interactions and inform integrated treatment strategies. Enhanced awareness and holistic care approaches are essential to improving outcomes for patients with these chronic conditions.
in F1000Research on 2025-04-01 09:34:55 UTC.
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Tracheostomy tube migration is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication. We present the case of a 66-year-old male with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dual-chamber pacemaker implantation for chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy, and supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma. The patient developed respiratory distress due to intrabronchial migration of the tracheostomy tube. Initial evaluation revealed significant respiratory effort, inspiratory stridor, and an absent tube at the stoma site. Imaging and bronchoscopy confirmed the tube’s presence in the left main bronchus with associated mucosal inflammation. The patient underwent bronchoscopic-guided tube removal and successful repositioning of a cuffed tracheostomy tube under spontaneous ventilation anaesthesia. Following stabilization, he was discharged with plans for a permanent tracheostomy. Tracheostomy tube migration presents a significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenge, particularly given the scarcity of studies involving adults with this complication. This case highlights the importance of early recognition, prompt imaging—especially bronchoscopy—and tailored management strategies, while emphasizing the active involvement of the patient and family in the care pathway. It also underscores the necessity for vigilant monitoring to prevent severe, potentially fatal, complications.
in F1000Research on 2025-04-01 09:33:24 UTC.
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 14, April 2025.
SignificanceThis work advances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying reactivation of memory-associated neurons. While many studies have shown that reactivating neurons involved in an experience can lead to apparent recall, few have investigated ...
in PNAS on 2025-04-01 07:00:00 UTC.
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 14, April 2025.
SignificanceWe modeled human LMX1B missense mutations in mice to explore how they disrupt brain serotonin neuron development. Missense heterozygosity selectively impaired postnatal formation of serotonin axon arbors throughout the forebrain, notably in ...
in PNAS on 2025-04-01 07:00:00 UTC.
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 14, April 2025.
SignificanceThis research studied how the cochlea, essential for hearing, recovers from excitotoxic damage. While some connections between nerve cells were permanently lost, the compound action potential of the auditory nerve returned to normal, even ...
in PNAS on 2025-04-01 07:00:00 UTC.
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 14, April 2025.
SignificanceSensory perception often occurs under challenging conditions, such as a noisy background or a dim environment, yet stimulus sensitivity can remain unaffected. One hypothesis is that cognitive resources are recruited to the task, thereby ...
in PNAS on 2025-04-01 07:00:00 UTC.
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 14, April 2025.
in PNAS on 2025-04-01 07:00:00 UTC.
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 14, April 2025.
in PNAS on 2025-04-01 07:00:00 UTC.
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Li et al. found that hypoxia-induced PRMT1 methylates HIF2β, enhancing HIF1α/HIF2β activity, glycolysis, and metabolic reprogramming. Notably, PRMT1 inhibition, particularly in combination with HIF1α/P300 disruption, exhibits a synergistic effect in suppressing breast tumor growth, highlighting PRMT1 as a promising therapeutic target.
in Cell Reports: Current Issue on 2025-04-01 00:00:00 UTC.
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Zhang et al. provide eight high-quality Anas genomes and further construct an Anas pan-genome. Based on these genome resources and resequencing data, the authors performed a comprehensive investigation of Anas evolution and duck domestication with emphasis on the potential impact of the LTR RT burst and several SVs in duck domestication.
in Cell Reports: Current Issue on 2025-04-01 00:00:00 UTC.
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Molinos-Albert et al. developed an integrative analysis of SARS-CoV-2 antibody B-cell responses in a cohort of 113 healthcare workers followed since the beginning of the pandemic during a 3-year period. The authors report that despite differential kinetics, COVID-19-recovered and -naive individuals developed comparable and long-lasting immunity.
in Cell Reports: Current Issue on 2025-04-01 00:00:00 UTC.
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Li et al. revealed a cytokine-independent activity of CD4+ T cells in promoting HFD-induced obesity. Mice deficient in the Sostdc1 gene in T cells showed resistance to obesity and insulin resistance. SOSTDC1 directly promotes adipogenesis and downregulates lipolysis through the LRP5/6-β-catenin pathway in adipocytes, therefore promoting obesity.
in Cell Reports: Current Issue on 2025-04-01 00:00:00 UTC.
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Lai et al. demonstrate that BCG-induced trained immunity promotes antiviral activity of the macrophages through upregulation of low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR). Cholesterol is thereafter accumulated to exaggerate type I interferon signaling. The engagement of LDLR in BCG-trained antiviral immunity also makes PCSK9 inhibitors an alternative application against virus infection.
in Cell Reports: Current Issue on 2025-04-01 00:00:00 UTC.
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Perugino et al. examined the durability of all class-switched human B cells after vaccination and identified IgD−CXCR5+CD11c−CD27− DN1 B cells as durable B cells, less somatically mutated and more clonally expanded than germinal center-derived IgD−CXCR5+CD11c−CD27+ memory B cells. These extrafollicular B cells exhibit a TP63 linked transcriptional signature.
in Cell Reports: Current Issue on 2025-04-01 00:00:00 UTC.
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Widloski et al. show that the forward-oriented alternating theta sweeps seen in the hippocampal-entorhinal (HPC-EC) region during navigation emerge spontaneously and robustly in a single continuous attractor network with spike frequency adaptation. These findings suggest that the same mechanism that generates theta sweeps also organizes their content across time.
in Cell Reports: Current Issue on 2025-04-01 00:00:00 UTC.