Article
Zoology
Jiangtao Wang, Xiaoping Rao, Shuman Huang, Zhizhong Wang, Xiaoke Niu, Minjie Zhu, Songwei Wang, Li Shi
Summary: Food and predators are crucial for the survival of wild animals, attracting their attention visually and temporally. This study investigates the neural basis of visual stimulus-specific adaptation (SSA) and its relationship with temporal saliency in the avian nucleus isthmi pars magnocellularis (Imc). The results show that Imc neurons exhibit visual SSA to motion direction, facilitating the detection of a sudden predator appearance.
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
Daniel S. Seara, Akash Piya, A. Pasha Tabatabai
Summary: Motivated by the anisotropic interactions between fish, we introduced spatially anisotropic and non-reciprocal interactions in the 2D Ising model. The model with non-reciprocal interactions was found to change the critical temperature of the system compared to the traditional 2D Ising model. Additionally, local perturbations in the magnetization of the out-of-equilibrium system resulted in traveling waves of spin states along the lattice, a phenomenon also observed in a mean-field model of our system. The speed and directionality of these traveling waves can be controlled by the orientation and magnitude of the non-reciprocal interaction kernel, as well as the proximity of the system to the critical temperature.
JOURNAL OF STATISTICAL MECHANICS-THEORY AND EXPERIMENT
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Jiangtao Wang, Longlong Qian, Songwei Wang, Li Shi, Zhizhong Wang
Summary: This study uses artificial visual stimuli, statistical analyses, and a neural computational model to investigate the directional preference and physiological basis of pigeon's Imc neuron. The results suggest that the directionally tuned receptive field structures in Imc may enhance the sensitivity and saliency of objects moving in preferred directions, which has ecological and physiological significance for avian survival.
Article
Biology
Robert Poulin, Daniela de Angeli Dutra
Summary: The article discusses the impact of parasites on host migration, including additional costs for hosts, infection dynamics and risk, as well as the role of parasites as both causes and consequences of migration. It also evaluates evidence supporting the hypothesis that migratory species harbor a richer parasite fauna, and explores the implications of host migratory behavior for parasite ecology and evolution. Additionally, the article proposes a framework to consider the reciprocal selection pressures acting on migratory hosts and their parasites, emphasizing the importance of understanding their coevolutionary relationship in the face of predicted climate change.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Joseph D. Zak, Nathan E. Schoppa
Summary: The study reveals the presence of various cell types within the olfactory bulb, which play crucial roles in processing and modulating olfactory information through different chemical synaptic connections, highlighting the importance of local circuits in shaping olfactory function.
Article
Plant Sciences
Zerui Zhang, Lizhi Wang
Summary: Hybrid breeding is effective but resource-intensive and time-consuming. To evaluate different decision-making strategies, we propose a modular simulation framework for reciprocal recurrent selection-based hybrid breeding. This framework allows breeders to efficiently simulate the breeding process with multiple simulators and decision-making strategies. Transparent and opaque simulators are integrated to reflect the breeding process more realistically. Simulation results compare the performance of different breeding strategies under the two simulators.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wendell Girard-Dias, Ingrid Augusto, Tacio V. A. Fernandes, Pedro G. Pascutti, Wanderley de Souza, Kildare Miranda
Summary: In this study, the three-dimensional distribution of diffusible elements within acidocalcisomes in Trypanosoma cruzi was mapped using advanced electron microscopy techniques. The existence of nanodomains with specific element distribution patterns was discovered. These findings have significant implications for understanding nanophysiology of organelles.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jeremy M. Beaulieu, Brian C. O'Meara, Michael A. Gilchrist
Summary: UCEs are highly conserved elements containing phylogenetic information. The SeION model provides a better understanding of selection on UCEs and their variability, aiding in elucidating the biological mechanisms responsible for their preservation.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Loic Marrec, Irene Lamberti, Anne-Florence Bitbol
Summary: This study shows that population spatial structure can have a significant impact on mutant fixation probabilities by tuning migration asymmetry, which is a universal phenomenon that can be experimentally adjusted and measured.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Michael DeGiorgio, Zachary A. Szpiech
Summary: The inference of positive selection in genomes is of great importance in evolutionary genomics. This study introduces a composite likelihood method that identifies recent or ongoing positive selection by comparing the spatial distribution of haplotype frequency spectrum with the neutrality assumption. The method also infers the parameters of the sweep, including the number of sweeping haplotypes and the width of the sweep.
Article
Neurosciences
Yash Sawant, Jogendra Nath Kundu, Venkatesh Babu Radhakrishnan, Devarajan Sridharan
Summary: In this study, a biologically inspired recurrent neural network (RNN) model (st-RNN) is proposed, which efficiently detects changes in natural images by simulating the circuit architecture of a midbrain attention network. Compared to conventional RNNs, the st-RNN learns faster, has fewer connections, and can reproduce key experimental phenomena and accurately predict human gaze fixations.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Julie Perreau, Bo Zhang, Gerald P. Maeda, Mark Kirkpatrick, Nancy A. Moran
Summary: Many animal lineages have maternally inherited symbionts, but they also pose risks to hosts due to genetic drift or selfish mutations. Research has shown that closely related haplotypes are subject to strong within-host selection, resulting in rapid mutation fixation with little impact on host fitness.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Gu Fang, Hai -Ting Jiao, Ming -Yang Wang, Peng-Zhen Huang, Xiao-Mei Liu, Xiao-Guang Qi, Bao-Guo Li
Summary: This study investigates female dispersal in a wild population of golden snub-nosed monkeys and explores its impact on the social stability of the complex primate social system. The findings suggest that the number of breeding females within a group and the number of females entering a group significantly influence the dominance rank and centrality of a one-male unit (OMU). Female dispersal between OMUs reduces subgroup formation and maintains social stability. The study provides insights into the internal mechanisms driving social stability in complex primate social systems.
Article
Ecology
Shawn T. O'Neil, Peter S. Coates, Sarah C. Webster, Brianne E. Brussee, Seth J. Dettenmaier, John C. Tull, Pat J. Jackson, Michael L. Casazza, Shawn P. Espinosa
Summary: Anthropogenic resource subsidization has led to an increase in generalist avian predators, particularly ravens, which can negatively impact species like the sage-grouse. This study examined the spatiotemporal patterns of raven density and evaluated the nest success of sage-grouse in relation to fluctuating raven densities. The researchers developed a spatially explicit decision support tool to guide management actions in areas where sage-grouse nests are at highest risk of failure.
Article
Neuroimaging
Xianxin Qiu, Xu Han, Yao Wang, Weina Ding, Yawen Sun, Hao Lei, Yan Zhou, Fuchun Lin
Summary: This study investigated the interaction between smoking and internet gaming disorder (IGD) and its effects on brain functional network organization. The findings showed that the interaction between smoking and IGD led to significant changes in the functional network characteristics in specific brain regions. This provides valuable insights into the neurophysiological mechanisms of smoking and IGD, and suggests a potential target for future clinical treatment.
BRAIN IMAGING AND BEHAVIOR
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wen-Kai You, Shreesh P. Mysore
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Review
Biology
Shreesh P. Mysore, Ninad B. Kothari
Article
Neurosciences
Aaron Gordon, Se-Jin Yoon, Stephen S. Tran, Christopher D. Makinson, Jin Young Park, Jimena Andersen, Alfredo M. Valencia, Steve Horvath, Xinshu Xiao, John R. Huguenard, Sergiu P. Pasca, Daniel H. Geschwind
Summary: Research shows that three-dimensional human cortical organoids can reach stages of postnatal brain development after being cultured for 250 to 300 days, paralleling in vivo development. These findings provide important insights and tools for modeling neurodevelopmental diseases.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Astra S. Bryant, Elissa A. Hallem
Summary: Advances in genomics techniques have made it possible to expand the range of nematode species suitable for transgenesis, with codon optimization being a critical step for successful expression of exogenous transgenes. A new tool called Wild Worm Codon Adapter has been developed to rapidly optimize transgene codons for non-Caenorhabditis nematodes, including parasitic and predatory nematodes, with the option for custom optimization and automated intron insertion. This web-based tool also allows for the analysis of codon bias in transgenes and native sequences, as demonstrated in the analysis of Strongyloides species' genome-wide codon bias.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yuan Pan, Jared D. Hysinger, Tara Barron, Nicki F. Schindler, Olivia Cobb, Xiaofan Guo, Belgin Yalcin, Corina Anastasaki, Sara B. Mulinyawe, Anitha Ponnuswami, Suzanne Scheaffer, Yu Ma, Kun-Che Chang, Xin Xia, Joseph A. Toonen, James J. Lennon, Erin M. Gibson, John R. Huguenard, Linda M. Liau, Jeffrey L. Goldberg, Michelle Monje, David H. Gutmann
Summary: Neurons play an essential role in promoting the growth of certain types of brain tumors, such as optic pathway gliomas driven by mutations in the NF1 tumor suppressor gene. Inhibition of neuronal activity through light deprivation can prevent tumor formation and progression, highlighting a potential therapeutic strategy and the importance of Nf1 mutation-mediated dysregulation of neuronal signaling pathways in cancer predisposition syndromes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anna Elleman, Gabrielle Devienne, Christopher D. Makinson, Allison L. Haynes, John R. Huguenard, J. Du Bois
Summary: The researchers have found that a synthetic saxitoxin derivative affixed to a photocleavable protecting group can control Na channels and have a precise impact on neurons.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Juliet K. Knowles, Haojun Xu, Caroline Soane, Ankita Batra, Tristan Saucedo, Eleanor Frost, Lydia T. Tam, Danielle Fraga, Lijun Ni, Katlin Villar, Sydney Talmi, John R. Huguenard, Michelle Monje
Summary: This study demonstrates that activity-dependent myelination resulting from absence seizures contributes to the progression of epilepsy, suggesting that maladaptive myelination may be pathogenic in certain forms of epilepsy and other neurological diseases.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nagaraj R. Mahajan, Shreesh P. Mysore
Summary: Categorical neural responses are important for decision making, and researchers have discovered that a donut-like inhibition motif can effectively generate these responses. They found that this mechanism operates in the midbrain spatial selection network in barn owls and is necessary for categorical signaling. They also revealed a generalizable neural implementation of the donut-like motif for categorical selection.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anna V. Elleman, Gabrielle Devienne, Christopher D. Makinson, Allison L. Haynes, John R. Huguenard, J. Du Bois
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Wen-Kai You, Shreesh P. Mysore
Summary: The temporal dynamics of visual decision-making in freely behaving mice were investigated in this study, revealing two stages in the time course of mouse visual decision-making and estimating the durations of these stages. Additionally, it was found that the duration for which mice naturally withhold from responding can serve as a quantitative measure of impulsivity.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hannah M. Schryver, Shreesh P. Mysore
Summary: This study investigates the role and construction mechanism of inhibitory neurons in the barn owl's midbrain in controlling visual perception and attention. The results show that the classical inhibitory surrounds of Imc neurons are inherited from OT, while the extraclassical inhibitory surrounds are constructed within Imc. These findings reveal the key design principles of the midbrain spatial attention circuit and emphasize the critical importance of competitive interactions within Imc for its operation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Brielle Ferguson, Cameron Glick, John R. Huguenard
Summary: Absence seizures are a type of epilepsy characterized by brief periods of unconsciousness and accompanying motor function lapses. These seizures can occur frequently throughout the day and are often accompanied by treatment-resistant attention impairments. In this study, researchers used various techniques to examine the role of prefrontal cortex dysfunction in attention impairments in a mouse model of absence epilepsy. They found altered activity in a specific type of interneuron in the prefrontal cortex, as well as reductions in gamma power during cue presentation. Optogenetic stimulation of these interneurons improved attention performance in the mice, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for cognitive comorbidities in absence epilepsy.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eric T. Zhao, Jacob M. Hull, Nofar Mintz Hemed, Hasan Ulusan, Julian Bartram, Anqi Zhang, Pingyu Wang, Albert Pham, Silvia Ronchi, John R. Huguenard, Andreas Hierlemann, Nicholas A. Melosh
Summary: We developed an electrode connector that allows for multithousand channel counts at a millimeter scale by using an ultra-conformable thin-film electrode array. This connector successfully measured action potentials and seizure propagation trajectories in epileptic mice.
Editorial Material
Clinical Neurology
John R. Huguenard
Meeting Abstract
Oncology
Yuan Pan, Jared Hysinger, Tara Barron, Nicki Schindler, Olivia Cobb, Xiaofan Guo, Belgin Yalcin, Corina Anastasaki, Sara Mulinyawe, Anitha Ponnuswami, Suzanne Scheaffer, Yu Ma, Kun-Che Chang, Xin Xia, Joseph Toonen, James Lennon, Erin Gibson, John Huguenard, Linda Liau, Jeffrey Goldberg, Michelle Monje, David Gutmann