Browse Articles

Reward history guides focal attention in whisker somatosensory cortex

Abstract Prior reward is a potent cue for attentional capture, but the underlying neurobiology is largely unknown. In a whisker touch detection task, we show that mice flexibly shift attention between specific whiskers on a trial-by-trial timescale, guided by the recent history of stimulus-reward association. Two-photon calcium imaging and spike recordings reveal a robust neurobiological correlate of attention in the somatosensory cortex, boosting sensory responses to the attended whisker in L2/3 and L5, but not L4. Attentional boosting in L2/3 pyramidal cells is topographically precise and whisker-specific, and shifts receptive fields toward the attended whisker. L2/3 vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) interneurons are broadly activated by whisker stimuli, motion, and arousal but do not carry a whisker-specific attentional signal, and thus do not mediate spatially focused tactile attention. These findings provide an experimental model of focal attention in the mouse whisker tactile system, showing that the history of recent past stimuli and rewards dynamically engage local modulation in cortical sensory maps to guide flexible shifts in ongoing behavior.

Identification of ecdysteroids and ecdysteroidogenic genes in dragonflies and damselflies

Abstract Ecdysteroids are critical in regulating biological processes such as ecdysis, metamorphosis, embryogenesis, and reproduction in insects. Nevertheless, the ecdysteroid repertoire and expression patterns of their synthesis genes in Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), which belong to the most-ancestral winged insect group, have remained elusive. In this study, we examined the ecdysteroid profile of eight Odonata species and the ecdysteroid fluctuation during metamorphosis in the damselfly Ischnura senegalensis (Zygoptera, Coenagionidae) and the dragonfly Pseudothemis zonata (Anisoptera, Libellulidae). We found that ecdysone and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) titers corresponded to the progression of ecdysis in the penultimate nymphal instar and metamorphosis in the final nymphal instar, whereas 7-dehydrocholesterol was consistently present in the hemolymph of all the examined species and developmental stages. Considering that a higher amount of 20E was detected than ecdysone, 20E is important for inducing ecdysis and metamorphosis in Odonata, like other insects. We also confirmed that the majority of ecdysteroidogenic genes were conserved in Odonata, and their stage- and region-specific expression patterns were examined in I. senegalensis and P. zonata. Unexpectedly, most ecdysteroidogenic genes were expressed in a variety of tissues. Our study provides insights into the evolution and diversification of the ecdysteroidogenic pathway among insects.

Renal hyperfiltration as risk factor of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Optimizing Aedes albopictus rearing: effects of insect- and bacteria-based larval diets on immature and adult performance

Characterization of collagen profile in peritoneal metastases of colorectal cancer

Abstract The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a critical role in cancer progression and response to treatment. In colorectal cancer (CRC), a collagen-rich extracellular matrix (ECM) is a well-established feature of primary tumors and liver metastases. However, the composition of the ECM in peritoneal metastases remains poorly characterized. In this descriptive study, we analyzed the histological distribution of four major collagen types (I, II, III, and IV) in peritoneal metastases from 39 CRC patients using immunohistochemical techniques. Type III fibrillar collagen was predominant, showing moderate to high expression in 80 percent of cases, followed by type IV collagen in 56 percent. Type I collagen demonstrated low intensity in 64 percent of cases. Notably, type II collagen, typically restricted to cartilaginous tissues, was also detected within the tumor stroma, an unexpected finding given its usual absence in this histological contex. These results highlight the unique collagen-rich stroma in CRC peritoneal metastases, dominated by types III and IV collagen, and identify type II collagen as a novel component. This study provides new insight into the stromal architecture of CRC peritoneal metastases and may serve as a foundation for future research on collagen-targeted therapeutic strategies.

Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness profile in an Iranian adult population

InSAR characterization of short-term deformation in a Late Quaternary landslide complex in the lower Rio Grande Gorge, New Mexico, U.S.A.

A cross sectional study of the diabetes mediated GGT to HDL ratio and cognitive function in older adults

Host range expansion of Helicoverpa armigera to apple orchards in the Himalayan region

Correction for Chihoub et al., The evolution of robustness and fragility during long-term bacterial adaptation

Single-cell analysis reveals a longitudinal trajectory of meningioma evolution and heterogeneity

Static and transient vacuolation in protein-based coacervates induced by charged amino acids

Endoplasmic reticulum stress involved in age-related nuclear cataract induced by sodium selenite

Impact of craniofacial skeletal characteristics on temporomandibular joint’s articular disc position in temporomandibular disorders

S100A8 regulated by estrogen improves injured endometrial epithelium reconstruction by promoting tight junction formation and stromal cell transformation

Abstract Estrogen is used for endometrial repair; however, it has limited effectiveness. Cytokine S100A8 expression is affected by estrogen and is involved in regulating the damage repair. We aimed to confirm the effects of S100A8 and explore its mechanisms during the reconstruction of the injured endometrium. We investigated the effects of estrogen on S100A8 expression in healthy endometrium. A rat model of endometrial injury and cultured primary endometrial cells were used to determine the pleiotropic effects of S100A8 on endometrial epithelial repair. Estrogen regulated the recruitment of S100A8-positive immune cells (S100A8-PICs) and the release of S100A8 in the healthy endometrium, but estrogen plays a limited role in regulating seriously injured endometrium via self-S100A8. S100A8 administration to the uterine cavity significantly improved the morphology of injured epithelium; influenced the reverse migration of S100A8-PICs; and promoted epithelial localization of proliferating cells, cell junction formation, and transformation of stromal cells to epithelial cells. S100A8 in the uterine cavity has pleiotropic effects that improve endometrial epithelial reconstruction and can compensate for the deficiency in estrogen repair regulation.

EEG based real time classification of consecutive two eye blinks for brain computer interface applications

Numerical simulation of ventilated supercavitating flow structure

Predicting autism from written narratives using deep neural networks

The missing cue problem in hetero associative memory retrieval

Abrupt shifts in the concentration, composition, and reactivity of dissolved organic carbon from terrestrial to aquatic compartments across boreal watersheds