bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
How prior pair-bonding experience affects future bonding behavior in monogamous prairie voles
Authors: Harbert Kelsey J. , Pellegrini Matteo , Gordon Katelyn M. , Donaldson Zoe R. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractMonogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) form mating-based pair bonds. Although wild prairie voles rarely re-pair following loss of a partner, laboratory studies have shown that previous pairing and mating does not negate the ability to form a new partner preference. However, little is known about how prior bond experience may alter the trajectory and display of a new pair bond. In the present study, we disrupted an initial pair bond by separating partners and then varied the amount of time before a new partner was introduced. We assessed how separation time affected the stability of partner preference over time and influenced decision-making in male voles performing a head-to-head partner preference test in which they chose between the first and second partner. We found that the ability to consistently display a preference for the second partner, supplanting the initial pair bond, depended on how long the test animal was separated from their first partner. Prior bonding experience also shaped the subsequent effects of mating on partner preference. Partner preference strength was sensitive to latency to mate with the second partner but not the first partner, irrespective of separation time. These results suggest that the ability to form a consistent, strong preference for a new partner after an initial pair bond depends upon the amount of time that has passed since separation from the first partner. These results provide valuable insight into how social bonds are dynamically shaped by prior social experience and identify variables that contribute to recovery from partner loss and the ability to form a new pair bond.
Granzyme A inhibition reduces inflammation and increases survival during abdominal sepsis
Authors: Garzón-Tituaña Marcela , Sierra-Monzón José L , Comas Laura , Santiago Llipsy , Khaliulina-Ushakova Tatiana , Uranga-Murillo Iratxe , Ramirez-Labrada Ariel , Tapia Elena , Morte-Romea Elena , Algarate Sonia , Couty Ludovic , Camerer Eric , Bird Phillip I , Seral Cristina , Luque Pilar , Paño-Pardo José R , Galvez Eva M , Pardo Julián , Arias Maykel 
Published: June 2020

ABSTRACTSepsis is a serious syndrome characterised by a dysregulated systemic inflammatory response. Here we have analysed the role and the therapeutic potential of Granzyme A (GzmA) in the pathogenesis of peritoneal sepsis using the Cecal Ligation and Puncture (CLP) polymicrobial sepsis model and samples from humans undergoing abdominal sepsis.Elevated GzmA was observed in serum from patients with abdominal sepsis suggesting that GzmA plays an important role in this pathology. In the CLP model GzmA deficient mice, or WT mice treated with an extracellular GzmA inhibitor, showed increased survival, which correlated with a reduction in proinflammatory markers in both serum and peritoneal lavage fluid. GzmA deficiency did not influence bacterial load in blood and spleen indicating that GzmA has no role in bacterial control. Mechanistically, we found that extracellular active GzmA acts as a proinflammatory mediator in macrophages by inducing the TLR4-dependent expression of IL-6 and TNFα.Our findings implicate GzmA as a key regulator of the inflammatory response during abdominal sepsis, and suggest that it could be targeted for treatment of this severe pathology.
Explicit integration of dispersal-related metrics improves predictions of SDM in predatory arthropods
Authors: Jérémy Monsimet , Olivier Devineau , Julien Pétillon , Denis Lafage 
Published: June 2020

ABSTRACTFishing spiders (Dolomedes spp.) make an interesting model to predict the impact of global changes because they are generalist, opportunistic predators, whose distribution is driven mostly by abiotic factors. Yet, the two European species are expected to react differently to forthcoming environmental changes, because of habitat specialization and initial range. We used an original combination of habitat and dispersal data to revisit these predictions under various climatic scenarios. We used the future range of suitable habitat, predicted with habitat variables only, as a base layer to further predict the range or reachable habitat by accounting for both dispersal ability and landscape connectivity. Our results confirm the northward shift in range and indicate that the area of co-occurrences should also increase. However, reachable habitat should expand less than suitable habitat, especially when accounting for landscape connectivity. In addition, the potential range expansion was further limited for the red-listedD. plantarius, which is more habitat-specialist and has a lower ability to disperse. This study highlights the importance of looking beyond habitat variables to produce more accurate predictions for the future of arthropods populations.
Local sleep during mind-wandering enhances processes of spatial attention allocation
Authors: Wienke Christian , Bartsch Mandy V. , Vogelgesang Lena , Reichert Christoph , Hinrichs Hermann , Heinze Hans-Jochen , Dürschmid Stefan 
Published: June 2020

AbstractMind wandering (MW) is a subjective, cognitive phenomenon, in which thoughts move away from the task towards an internal train of thoughts, possibly during phases of neuronal sleep-like activity (local sleep, LS). MW decreases cortical processing of external stimuli and is assumed to decouple attention from the external world. Here, we directly tested how indicators of LS, cortical processing and attentional selection change in a pop-out visual search task during phases of MW. Participants brain activity was recorded using magnetoencephalography, MW was assessed via self-report using randomly interspersed probes. As expected, MW worsened performance being accompanied by a decrease in high frequency activity (HFA, 80-150Hz) and an increase in slow wave activity (SWA, 1-6Hz), consistent with the occurrence of LS. In contrast, visual attentional selection as indexed by the N2pc component was enhanced during MW with the N2pc amplitude being directly linked to participants’ performance. This observation clearly contradicts accounts of attentional decoupling predicting a decrease in attention-related responses to external stimuli during MW. Together our results suggest that MW occurs during phases of LS with processes of attentional target selection being upregulated, potentially to compensate for the mental distraction during MW.
Diacylglycerol kinase ζ deficiency triggers early signs of aplastic anemia in mice
Authors: Martín-Salgado M , Andrada E , Liébana R , López-Santalla M Mercedes , Merida I 
Published: June 2020

AbstractAcquired aplastic anemia (AA) is a rare blood disorder that results from immune-mediated destruction of bone marrow (BM) progenitor cells. Improved understanding of the mechanisms that favor T cell attack in BM could help to improve early diagnosis and disease treatment. Diacylglycerol kinase ζ (DGKζ) limits T cell responses through phosphorylation of diacylglycerol into phosphatidic acid. This reaction attenuates diacylglycerol-dependent activation of the Ras/ERK/CD69 and PKCθ/NFκB pathways in response to antigen. Here we show that, in contrast to the lack of basal activation observed in peripheral lymphoid organs, DGKζ-/-mice showed increased numbers of activated T cells in BM, together with a significant increase in IFNγ as well as perforin and granzyme B and C levels. The enhanced presence of T cells in DGKζ-/-mouse BM correlates with reduced BM cellularity, impaired hematopoiesis, and lower frequency of circulating red cells, granulocytes, and platelets. Our studies coincide with the recent characterization of lower DGKζ expression in T cells isolated from the BM of patients with acquired AA, and suggest that limited DGKζ expression and/or functions predispose to T cell-mediated BM destruction. This study identifies the BM as a niche particularly sensitive to DGKζ deficiency and indicates that this mouse model could be of interest for studying the mechanism that contributes to AA development.Key pointsDGKζ-deficiency in mice results in larger numbers of CD69-positive T cells in bone marrow, with enhanced expression of IFNγ and lytic enzymes.DGKζ loss recapitulates many clinical aspects of human aplastic anemia, identifying a critical hub for immune system-dependent bone marrow failure.Visual abstract
Light sets the brain’s daily clock by regional quickening and slowing of the molecular clockworks at dawn and dusk
Authors: Kim Suil , McMahon Douglas G. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractHow daily clocks in the brain are set by light to local environmental time and encode the seasons is not fully understood. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is a central circadian clock that orchestrates physiology and behavior in tune with daily and seasonal light cycles. Here we have found that optogenetically simulated light input to explanted SCN changes the waveform of the molecular clockworks from sinusoidal in free-running conditions to highly asymmetrical shapes with accelerated synthetic (rising) phases and extended degradative (falling) phases marking clock advances and delays at simulated dawn and dusk. Daily waveform changes are sufficient to entrain to simulated winter and summer photoperiods, and to non-24h periods. SCN imaging further reveals that acute waveform shifts are greatest in the ventrolateral SCN, while period effects are greatest in the dorsomedial SCN. Thus, circadian entrainment is encoded by SCN clock gene waveform changes that arise from spatiotemporally distinct intrinsic responses within the SCN neural network.
Functional synchronization between hippocampal sEEG, parietal ECoG and scalp EEG during a verbal working memory task
Authors: Dimakopoulos Vasileios , Boran Ece , Hilfiker Peter , Stieglitz Lennart , Grunwald Thomas , Mégevand Pierre , Sarnthein Johannes 
Published: June 2020

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe maintenance of items in working memory (WM) relies on a widespread network of brain areas where synchronization between electrophysiological recordings may reflect functional coupling. While the coupling from hippocampus to scalp EEG is well established, we provide here direct cortical recordings for a fine-grained analysis.MethodsA patient performed a WM task where a string of letters was presented all at once, thus separating the encoding period from the maintenance period. We recorded sEEG from the hippocampus, temporo-parietal ECoG from a 64-contact grid electrode, and scalp EEG.ResultsPower spectral density (PSD) showed a clear task dependence: PSD in the posterior parietal lobe (10 Hz) and in the hippocampus (20 Hz) peaked towards the end of the maintenance period.Inter-area synchronization was characterized by the phase locking value (PLV). WM maintenance enhanced PLV between hippocampal sEEG and scalp EEG specifically in the theta range [6 7] Hz.PLV from hippocampus to parietal cortex increased during maintenance in the [9 10] Hz alpha and the 20 Hz range.When analyzing the information flow to and from auditory cortex by Granger causality, the flow was from auditory cortex to hippocampus with a peak in the [8 18] Hz range while letters were presented, and this flow was subsequently reversed during maintenance, while letters were maintained in memory.ConclusionsThe increased functional interaction between hippocampus and cortex through synchronized oscillatory activity and the directed information flow provide physiological basis for reverberation of memory items during maintenance. This points to a network for working memory that is bound by coherent oscillations involving cortical areas and hippocampus.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTHippocampal activity is known for its role in cognitive tasks involving episodic memory or spatial navigation, but its role in working memory and its sensitivity to workload is still under debate. Here, we investigated hippocampal and cortical activity while a subject maintained sets of letters in verbal working memory for a few seconds to guide action.After confirming the coupling between hippocampal oscillations and oscillations on the scalp, we found during maintenance that hippocampal oscillations increased coupling differentially to several areas of cortex by recording directly from the cortex.. During encoding of the letters, information flow was from auditory cortex to hippocampus and subsequently reversed during maintenance, thus providing a physiological basis for memory encoding and maintenance.This demonstrates a network for working memory that is bound by coherent oscillations that underlie the functional connectivity between cortical areas and hippocampus.
Coral cover surveys corroborate predictions on reef adaptive potential to thermal stress
Authors: Selmoni Oliver , Lecellier Gaël , Vigliola Laurent , Berteaux-Lecellier Véronique , Joost Stéphane 
Published: June 2020

AbstractAs anomalous heat waves are causing the widespread decline of coral reefs worldwide, there is an urgent need to identify coral populations tolerant to thermal stress. Heat stress adaptive potential is the degree of tolerance expected from evolutionary processes and, for a given reef, depends on the arrival of propagules from reefs exposed to recurrent thermal stress. For this reason, assessing spatial patterns of thermal adaptation and reef connectivity is of paramount importance to inform conservation strategies.In this work, we applied a seascape genomics framework to characterize the spatial patterns of thermal adaptation and connectivity for coral reefs of New Caledonia (Southern Pacific). In this approach, remote sensing of seascape conditions was combined with genomic data from three coral species. For every reef of the region, we computed a probability of heat stress adaptation, and two indices forecasting inbound and outbound connectivity. We then compared our indicators to field survey data, and observed that decrease of coral cover after heat stress was lower at reefs predicted with high probability of adaptation and inbound connectivity. Last, we discussed how these indicators can be used to inform local conservation strategies and preserve the adaptive potential of New Caledonian reefs.
Hippocampal and striatal responses during motor learning are modulated by prefrontal cortex stimulation
Authors: Gann Mareike A. , King Bradley R. , Dolfen Nina , Veldman Menno P. , Chan Kimberly L. , Puts Nicolaas A. J. , Edden Richard A. E. , Davare Marco , Swinnen Stephan P. , Mantini Dante , Robertson Edwin M. , Albouy Geneviève 
Published: June 2020

AbstractWhile it is widely accepted that motor sequence learning (MSL) is supported by a prefrontal-mediated interaction between hippocampal and striatal networks, it remains unknown whether the functional responses of these networks can be modulated in humans with targeted experimental interventions. The present proof- of-concept study employed a comprehensive multimodal neuroimaging approach, including functional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and MR spectroscopy, to investigate whether individually-tailored theta-burst stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex can modulate responses in the hippocampus and striatum during motor learning. Our results indicate that stimulation influenced task-relatedconnectivitypatterns within hippocampo-frontal and striatal networks. Stimulation also altered the relationship between the levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the stimulated prefrontal cortex and learning-related changes in bothactivityandconnectivityin fronto-striato-hippocampal networks. This study provides the first experimental evidence that brain stimulation can alter motor learning-related functional responses in the striatum and hippocampus.
Atrophy associated with tau pathology precedes overt cell death in a mouse model of progressive tauopathy
Authors: Fung Christine W. , Guo Jia , Figueroa Helen Y. , Konofagou Elisa E. , Duff Karen E. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractIn the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), tau pathology first develops in the entorhinal cortex (EC), then spreads to the hippocampus and at later stages, to the neocortex. Pathology in the neocortex correlates with impaired cognitive performance. Overall, tau pathology correlates well with neurodegeneration but the spatial and temporal association between tau pathology and overt volume loss is unclear. Usingin vivomagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with tensor-based morphometry (TBM) we mapped the spatio-temporal pattern of structural changes in a mouse model of AD-like progressive tauopathy. A novel, co-registeredin vivoMRI atlas identified particular regions in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) that had significant volume reduction. The medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) and pre-/para-subiculum (PPS) had the most significant atrophy at the early stage, but atrophy then spread into the hippocampus, most notably, the CA1, dentate gyrus (DG) and subiculum (Sub). TBM-related atrophy in the DG and Sub preceded overt cell loss that has been reported inex vivostudies in the same mouse model. By unifying anex vivo3D reconstruction of tau pathology with the TBM-MRI results we mapped the progression of atrophy in the MTL with the corresponding spread of tau pathology. Our study shows that there is an association between the spread of tau pathology and TBM-related atrophy from the EC to the hippocampus, but atrophy in the DG and Sub preceded overt cell loss.One Sentence SummarySpread of tau pathology in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease assessed by MRI was associated with reduced brain tissue volume but not neuronal loss.
Assessing Attention Orienting in Mice: A Novel Touchscreen Adaptation of the Posner-Style Cueing Task
Authors: Li S. , May C. , Hannan AJ. , Johnson KA. , Burrows EL. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractAtypical attention orienting has been found to be impaired in many neuropsychological disorders, but the underlying neural mechanism remains unclear. Attention can be oriented exogenously (i.e., driven by salient stimuli) or endogenously (i.e., driven by one’s goals or intentions). Genetic mouse models are useful tools to investigate the neurobiology of cognition, but a well-established assessment of attention orienting in mice is missing. This study aimed to adapt the Posner task, a widely used attention orienting task in humans, for use in mice using touchscreen technology and to test the effects of two attention-modulating drugs, methylphenidate (MPH) and atomoxetine (ATX), on the performance of mice during this task. In accordance with human performance, mice responded more quickly and more accurately to validly cued targets compared to invalidly cued targets, thus supporting mice as a valid animal model to study the neural mechanisms of attention orienting. This is the first evidence that mice can be trained to voluntarily maintain their nose-poke on a touchscreen and to complete attention orienting tasks using exogenous peripheral cues and endogenous symbolic cues. The results also showed no significant effects of MPH and ATX on attention orienting, although MPH improved overall response times in mice during the exogenous orienting task. In summary, the current study provides a critical translational task for assessing attention orienting in mice and to investigate the effects of attention-modulating drugs on attention orienting.
The Synthesis Success Calculator: Predicting the Rapid Synthesis of DNA Fragments with Machine Learning
Authors: Halper Sean M. , Hossain Ayaan , Salis Howard M. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThe synthesis and assembly of long DNA fragments has greatly accelerated synthetic biology and biotechnology research. However, long turnaround times or synthesis failures create unpredictable bottlenecks in the design-build-test-learn cycle. We developed a machine learning model, called the Synthesis Success Calculator, to predict whether a long DNA fragment can be readily synthesized with a short turnaround time. The model also identifies the sequence determinants associated with the synthesis outcome. We trained a random forest classifier using biophysical features and a compiled dataset of 1076 DNA fragment sequences to achieve high predictive performance (F1score of 0.928 on 251 unseen sequences). Feature importance analysis revealed that repetitive DNA sequences were the most important contributor to synthesis failures. We then applied the Synthesis Success Calculator across large sequence datasets and found that 84.9% of theEscherichia coliMG1655 genome, but only 34.4% of sampled plasmids in NCBI, could be readily synthesized. Overall, the Synthesis Success Calculator can be applied on its own to prevent synthesis failures or embedded within optimization algorithms to design large genetic systems that can be rapidly synthesized and assembled.
TraceQC: An R package for quality control of CRISPR lineage tracing data
Authors: Hu Jingyuan , Al-Ouran Rami , Zhang Xiang , Liu Zhandong , Jeong Hyun-Hwan 
Published: June 2020

AbstractMotivationThe CRISPR-based lineage tracing system is emerging as a powerful new sequencing tool to track cell lineages by marking cells with irreversible genetic mutations. Accurate reconstruction of cell lineages from CRISPR-based data is sensitive to noise. Quality control is critical for filtering out low-quality data points. Yet, existing quality control tools for RNA-seq and DNA-seq do not measure features specific for the CRISPR-linear tracing system.ResultsWe introduce TraceQC, a quality control package to overcome challenges with measuring the quality of CRISPR-based lineage tracing data and help in interpreting and constructing lineage trees.AvailabilityThe R package is available athttps://github.com/LiuzLab/TraceQC.Contactzhandong.liu@bcm.eduorhyun-hwan.jeong@bcm.edu
Wnt ligands are not required for planar cell polarity in theDrosophilawing or notum
Authors: Ewen-Campen Ben , Comyn Typhaine , Vogt Eric , Perrimon Norbert 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThefrizzled(fz) anddisheveled(dsh) genes are highly conserved members of the core planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway and of the Wnt signaling pathway. Given these dual functions, a number of studies have examined whether Wnt ligands may provide a global, tissue-scale orientation cue for PCP establishment during development, and these studies have reached differing conclusions. In this study, we re-examine this issue in theDrosophila melanogasterwing and notum using split-Gal4 co-expression analysis, systematic pairwise and triple somatic CRISPR-based knock-outs and double RNAi experiments. Pairwise loss-of-function experiments targetingwgtogether with other Wnt genes does not produce PCP defects, neither via somatic CRISPR nor RNAi. In addition, somatic knock-out ofevi(akawntless), which is required for the secretion of all Wnt ligands expressed in these tissues, did not produce detectable PCP phenotypes. Altogether, we were unable to find support for the hypothesis that Wnt ligands contribute to PCP signaling in theDrosophilawing or notum.