Browse Articles

Spatial and temporal evolution and interaction of soil erosion intensity and influencing factors in Wenzhou City from 2000 to 2023

Divergent Roles of Nucleus Accumbens D1- and D2-MSNs in Regulating Hedonic Feeding

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a critical node in the neural circuitry underlying reward and motivated behavior, including hedonic feeding, and its dysfunction is implicated in maladaptive behaviors in numerous psychiatric disorders. Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the NAc are predominantly categorized into dopamine 1 receptor-expressing (D1-MSNs) and dopamine 2 receptor-expressing (D2-MSNs) subtypes, which are thought to exert distinct and sometimes opposing roles in reward-related processes. Here, we used optogenetic, chemogenetic, and fiber photometry approaches in Cre driver mouse lines to dissect the causal contributions of D1- and D2-MSNs to the consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) in sated animals. Activation of D1-MSNs via optogenetics or DREADDs significantly suppressed high-fat intake, whereas inhibition of these neurons increased consumption only in male but not female mice. Conversely, activation of D2-MSNs enhanced high-fat intake only in females, while their inhibition reduced intake in both sexes. Fiber photometry revealed dynamic shifts in D2-MSN activity over repeated high-fat exposures, with increasing activity correlating with escalating intake of HFD only in female mice. These results highlight opposing contributions of D1- and D2-MSN populations in regulating hedonic feeding and support a model in which salience and consumption are modulated by NAc MSN subtype-specific activity in a sex-specific manner. Understanding this circuitry has implications for the development of tailored treatment strategies for obesity and other disorders of compulsive consumption.

Adsorption-Driven Symmetry Lowering in Single Molecules Revealed by Ångstrom-Scale Tip-Enhanced Raman Imaging

Motor imagery perspective shapes corticospinal excitability with effector-specific effects

Heterosynaptic Interactions between the Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampus in Individual Medium Spiny Neurons of the Nucleus Accumbens Ventromedial Shell

Establishing learned associations between rewarding stimuli and the context under which those rewards are encountered is critical for survival. Hippocampal input to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) provides important environmental context to reward processing to support goal-directed behaviors. This connection consists of two independent pathways originating from the dorsal (dHipp) or ventral hippocampus (vHipp), which have previously been considered functionally and anatomically distinct. Here, we show overlap in dHipp and vHipp terminal fields in the NAc, leading us to reconsider this view and raise new questions regarding the potential interactions between dHipp and vHipp pathways in the NAc. Using optogenetics, electrophysiology, and transsynaptic labeling in male and female mice, we investigated anatomical and functional convergence of dHipp and vHipp inputs in the NAc. Transsynaptic labeling revealed a subpopulation of dually innervated cells in the NAc medial shell, confirmed by independent optogenetic manipulation of dHipp and vHipp inputs during whole-cell electrophysiological recordings. Further analysis revealed closely apposed dHipp and vHipp inputs along dendritic branches, and simultaneous stimulation of both inputs elicited heterosynaptic potentiation. Comparison of observed and theoretical success rates suggests heterosynaptic interactions may occur presynaptically. Altogether, these results demonstrate that inputs originating from dHipp and vHipp converge onto a subset of NAc neurons with synapses positioned to enable rapid heterosynaptic interactions, indicating integration of these inputs at the single-neuron level. Exploring the physiological and behavioral implications of this convergence will offer new insights into how individual neurons incorporate information from distinct inputs and how this integration may shape learning.

Cost-effective, open-source, automated apparatus for testing transitive inference in mice

Direct Readout of Excited-State Lifetimes in Chlorin Chromophores under Electronic Strong Coupling

Efficacy and safety of a novel ClearHemograsper for gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection: A prospective randomized controlled trial

Abstract Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has become a widely performed procedure for the management of gastric neoplasms. Effective hemostasis during ESD is critical for procedural success and patient safety. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a newly developed hemostatic device, ClearHemograsper, in gastric ESD. Patients who underwent ESD for gastric neoplasms between December 2022 and November 2023 were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the ClearHemograsper group or the Coagrasper group. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of clinicopathologic features and endoscopic treatment outcomes. A total of 157 patients, comprising 80 patients in the ClearHemograsper group and 77 patients in the Coagrasper group, were included in the final analysis. Analyses found no statistically significant differences in the bleeding control time (3.2 ± 2.9 vs. 3.5 ± 2.7 min, 95% Confidence interval, -1.227 to 0.526; p  = 0.430) and total procedure time (15.2 ± 11.8 vs. 15.5 ± 10.4 min, p  = 0.846) between the groups. En bloc resection was successfully performed for all lesions in both groups. Adverse events, including early bleeding (10.0% vs. 3.9%) within 48 h post-procedure and delayed bleeding (0.0% vs. 1.3%), showed no significant differences between the two groups ( p  = 0.211). All adverse events were effectively managed through endoscopic hemostasis. Novel ClearHemograsper demonstrates comparable efficacy and safety to Coagrasper, with preliminary evidence suggesting non-inferior or potentially superior hemostatic performance. These results demonstrate the comparable performance of domestic products in the Korean market, where overseas products occupy the majority of the device market share.

Latent Neurocognitive Mechanisms Underlying Quantity Discrimination in Children with and without Mathematical Learning Disabilities

Mathematical learning disabilities (MLD) affect up to 14% of school-age children, yet the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms remain elusive. We developed drift diffusion model with dynamic performance monitoring (DDM-DPM), an innovative cognitive model that captures both external and internal sources of structural variability in task performance. Combining DDM-DPM with functional brain imaging, we examined symbolic and nonsymbolic quantity discrimination in female and male children with MLD and typically developing children matched on age, gender, and IQ. Children with MLD showed format-dependent alterations in response caution and posterror adjustment, despite similar observed performance measures between groups. The latent cognitive processes during symbolic quantity discrimination predicted broader mathematical abilities better than those during nonsymbolic quantity discrimination. Neuroimaging results revealed that reduced activity in middle frontal gyrus mediated deficits in response caution in symbolic format, while reduced activity in the anterior cingulate cortex mediated deficits in posterror adjustment in symbolic format in children with MLD. These findings provide novel support for a multidimensional deficit view of MLD that extends beyond basic number processing to include metacognitive processes. Our findings also provide novel support for and extend the access deficit model, which posits that individuals with MLD may have relatively intact quantity representations but struggle with numerical representations in symbolic formats. Our study highlights the value of integrating latent cognitive modeling with neuroimaging to reveal subtle mechanisms underlying learning disabilities and identify potential targets for intervention.

Influence of the Size and Shape of Palladium Nanoparticles on Their Electrochemical Hydrogen Sorption Capacity

How metaverse-enabled digital transformation drives sustainable supply chain innovation: evidence from Pakistan’s textile industry

Abstract Despite the growing urgency of sustainability, many firms continue to rely on static systems and incremental improvements that fall short of enabling deep transformation. Drawing on the dynamic capabilities theory (DCT) and the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework, this research proposes a conceptual model in which the metaverse-enabled digital twin integration (DTI) and virtual supply chain visibility (VSCV) influence sustainable supply chain innovation (SSCI) through the mediating roles of green process reconfiguration (GPR) and eco-intelligent decision support (EIDS), with digital maturity (DM) as a moderating factor. Data were collected from 430 supply chain professionals in the Pakistan’s textile industry using a structured survey and analyzed using structural equation modeling with WarpPLS. Results show that DTI and VSCV significantly contribute to SSCI via GPR and EIDS, and that the impact of these internal mechanisms is amplified by higher levels of DM. Firm size and export orientation were included as control variables to account for structural and contextual differences across firms. This research enriches the literature by identifying how immersive and interactive digital tools, when embedded within adaptive organizational capabilities, can drive meaningful sustainability transformation. It offers practical insights for firms and policymakers seeking to align digitalization with environmental goals.

Modulation and Gating of Transthalamic and Subcortical Pathways through Somatosensory Thalamus

Higher order (HO) thalamic nuclei are characterized by receiving driver input from layer 5 (L5) of cortex and serve as a transthalamic route of corticocortical communication. These HO nuclei are also innervated by subcortical sources. In the posterior medial nucleus (POm), a somatosensory HO thalamic nucleus, excitatory glutamatergic inputs arise from L5 of sensorimotor cortices and the spinal trigeminal nucleus (SpV), while inhibitory GABAergic sources are the anterior pretectal nucleus (APn) and zona incerta (ZI). Here, we tested a key postulate of transthalamic pathway function: that their disynaptic nature allows information traversing them from L5 to be modulated or gated by other inputs. We used optogenetics in acute slices from mice (both sexes) to test individual POm relays for convergent innervation. We found that modulatory inputs from SpV intersect with drivers from L5 of somatosensory cortex. Further, GABAergic inputs from the APn converge with both L5 and SpV inputs. In contrast, we found minimal convergence between ZI and L5 or SpV—a surprise considering previous evidence that ZI blocks whisker-dependent activation of POm relays. Therefore, we sought alternative explanations for this discrepancy. First, we detected robust convergence in POm between the ZI (and APn) and superior colliculus, which is whisker responsive. Second, we discovered that ZI innervates the thalamic reticular nucleus with glutamatergic synapses, comprising an alternative feedforward inhibitory circuit to POm. These results substantiate several mechanisms by which transthalamic information is modulated or gated while enhancing the resolution of our understanding of POm function.

Vancomycin therapeutic drug monitoring is associated with reduced toxicity in ICU patients: a MIMIC-IV retrospective study

Co-Translational Incorporation of ( <i>R</i> )- and ( <i>S</i> )-β ² -Hydroxyacids <i>In Vivo</i> : Directed Evolution of Efficient Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases

Correction: Brain signal complexity tracks mind-wandering and visual perceptual learning

In Vivo Screen of Parkinson’s Disease GWAS Risk Genes Identifies <i>ARIH2</i> as a Novel Regulator of α-Synuclein Toxicity in Dopaminergic Neurons

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a late-onset neurodegenerative disease characterized by preferential degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic neurons and α-synuclein–containing Lewy bodies that are found in both familial and sporadic forms. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified many loci associated with risk of sporadic PD, but their role in PD pathogenesis remains largely unknown. We screened a subset of GWAS genes in Caenorhabditis elegans ( C. elegans ) as potential modulators of α-synuclein–mediated degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. Loss of ari-2 (human ARIH2 ), an E3 ubiquitin ligase, was identified as the strongest suppressor of dopaminergic neurodegeneration in C. elegans. Unbiased proteomics analysis in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived dopaminergic neurons revealed novel substrates of ARIH2 including TPPP3, a regulator of microtubule dynamics. Importantly, TPPP3 was required for ARIH2's effects on α-synuclein–induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration. Our studies reveal an unexpected genetic interaction between two PD-linked genes, α-synuclein and ARIH2 , and suggest that inhibition of ARIH2's enzymatic activity may serve as a potential therapeutic approach in PD.

Study on the influence of composite charge structure and initiation mode on the kinetic energy conversion efficiency of shell

A Mixed-Valent and High-Spin Vanadium Phosphide

A multi-dimensional feature aggregation network for electric vehicle charging demand prediction

Abstract Accurate prediction of urban electric vehicle (EV) charging demand is critical for infrastructure planning and dynamic pricing strategies. Although various methods have been developed, most existing studies focus primarily on spatiotemporal dependencies, paying limited attention to interactions among multivariate features. Furthermore, conventional serial spatiotemporal architectures typically extract features dimension-by-dimension, which may impede cross-dimensional information flow and lead to imbalanced representations. To address these challenges, we propose the Multi-Dimensional Feature Aggregation Network (MDFANet). MDFANet is designed to enhance multivariate representations while embedding spatiotemporal attention to strengthen relational modeling. Specifically, we introduce a Multi-Dimensional Feature Aggregation Module (MDFAM) that conducts fine-grained aggregation along both temporal and variable dimensions. By fusing these aggregated features with raw inputs, the model preserves distributional and semantic heterogeneity. Extensive experiments on real-world datasets demonstrate that MDFANet outperforms competitive baselines in prediction accuracy while reducing computational costs by approximately 50%. For reproducibility, the source code is available at https://github.com/kion-86/MDFANet .

Auditory Representation of Vocal Signals in a Pallial Cortical Circuit

Knowledge of how vocal communication signals are represented in the auditory system is crucial for understanding the perceptual basis of vocal communication. Using male and female zebra finches, we identified differentially expressed molecular markers that helped define distinct (caudal, rostral, dorsal, and ventral) domains within the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM), a high-order cortical auditory area known for its song-selective responses. Using expression analysis of the activity-inducible gene zenk , we found that the number of activated neurons is more stimulus dependent in NCM than in the auditory midbrain or the caudomedial mesopallium and that information on the density and spatial distribution of responsive neurons in NCM is sufficient to discriminate responses to conspecific song from other stimuli. We observed stronger activation of dorsal NCM, higher selectivity of caudal NCM toward conspecific song, and strong activation of the inhibitory network of rostral NCM by nonconspecific song stimuli. The spatial organization of responsive cells was particularly sensitive to both spectral and temporal components of song. We also obtained evidence of broadly distributed song-selective neuronal ensembles and that individual NCM neurons participate in the representation of different conspecific songs, implying independent activation and molecular induction responses. We conclude that some basic aspects of the cortical response to complex auditory stimuli are topographically organized, a finding that has been elusive in other systems. These findings advance our knowledge of the functional organization of a key song-processing cortical area, providing novel insights into the auditory representation of vocal communication signals.