bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neural dynamics of reversal learning in the prefrontal cortex and recurrent neural networks
Authors: Kim Christopher M. , Chow Carson C. , Averbeck Bruno B. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractIn probabilistic reversal learning, the choice option yielding reward at higher probability switches at a random trial. To perform optimally in this task, one has to accumulate evidence across trials to infer the probability that a reversal has occurred. In this study, we investigated how this reversal probability is represented in cortical neurons by analyzing the neural activity in prefrontal cortex of monkeys and recurrent neural networks trained on the task. We found that neural trajectories encoding reversal probability had substantial dynamics associated with intervening behaviors necessary to perform the task. Furthermore, the neural trajectories were translated systematically in response to whether outcomes were rewarded, and their position in the neural subspace captured information about reward outcomes. These findings suggested that separable dynamic trajectories, instead of fixed points on a line attractor, provided a better description of neural representation of reversal probability. Near the behavioral reversal, in particular, the trajectories shifted monotonically across trials with stable ordering, representing varying estimates of reversal probability around the reversal point. Perturbing the neural trajectory of trained networks biased when the reversal trial occurred, showing the role of reversal probability activity in decision-making. In sum, our study shows that cortical neurons encode reversal probability in a family of dynamic neural trajectories that accommodate flexible behavior while maintaining separability to represent distinct probabilistic values.
Spike Count Analysis for MultiPlexing Inference (SCAMPI)
Authors: Chen Yunran , Groh Jennifer M , Tokdar Surya T 
Published: September 2024

AbstractUnderstanding how neurons encode multiple simultaneous stimuli is a fundamental question in neuroscience. We have previously introduced a novel theory of stochastic encoding patterns wherein a neuron’s spiking activity dynamically switches among its constituent single-stimulus activity patterns when presented with multiple stimuli (Groh et al., 2024). Here, we present an enhanced, comprehensive statistical testing framework for such “multiplexing” or “code juggling”. Our new approach evaluates whether dual-stimulus responses can be accounted for as mixtures of Poissons either anchored to or bounded by single-stimulus benchmarks.Our enhanced framework improves upon previous methods in two key ways. First, it introduces a stronger set of foils for multiplexing, including an “overreaching” category that captures overdispersed activity patterns unrelated to the single-stimulus benchmarks, reducing false detection of multiplexing/code-juggling. Second, it detects faster fluctuations - i.e. at sub-trial timescales - that would have been overlooked before. We utilize a Bayesian inference framework, considering the hypothesis with the highest posterior probability as the winner, and employ predictive recursion marginal likelihood method for the involving nonparametric density estimation.Reanalysis of previous findings confirms the general observation of “code juggling” and indicates that such juggling may well occur on faster timescales than previously suggested. We further confirm that juggling is more prevalent in (a) the inferotemporal face patch system for combinations of face stimuli than for faces and non-face objects; and (b) the primary visual cortex for distinct vs fused objects.
Two new species ofGraphium(Microascales, Ascomycota) associated with pine-infesting bark beetles in China
Authors: Li Jie , Gao Xiang , Liu Kun , Chen Minjie , Ran Yutong , Liu Congwang , Lin Tong , Yin Mingliang 
Published: September 2024

AbstractGraphiumis a genus of fungi that falls under the order Microascales of Ascomycota. Some species in this genus can establish a unique symbiotic relationship with the pine-infesting bark beetles, while others are typically found in wood or soil habitats. To comprehensively investigate the diversity of species of these fungi, recent field trips were conducted in seven provinces (Fujian, Guangdong, Guizhou, Guangxi, Liaoning, Shaanxi, and Shandong) in China. 96 pure isolates ofGraphiumwere obtained by sequences from 361 samples. Nineteen representative strains were carefully selected to generate sequencing data from four gene regions (ITS, LSU, EF1A and TUBB), then used to construct phylogenetic trees for the genus. The results revealed the discovery of two new species, namelyG. armandiisp. nov. andG. massonianasp. nov., andG. pseudoumiticumwas the most common species in various pine hosts.
Spinal and cortical premotor control of primate dexterous hand movements
Authors: Takei Tomohiko , Oya Tomomichi , Seki Kazuhiko 
Published: September 2024

AbstractSkilled hand movements are an evolutionary advance in primates. Phylogenetically distinct corticospinal pathways are involved in hand control: “newer” direct corticomotoneuronal (CM) pathways and “older” indirect corticospinal pathways mediated by spinal premotor interneurons (PreM-INs). However, the functional differences of these pathways remain unclear. Here we show that CM cells and PreM-INs have distinct physiological properties for the activation of hand muscles and provide different types of movement control signals while monkeys perform a precision grip task. Spike-triggered averaging of electromyographic activity indicated that PreM-INs coactivate a larger number of muscles, whereas CM cells more selectively control fewer muscles. The firing activity of PreM-INs was tightly correlated with their target muscle activity and had a greater contribution to generating hand muscle activity. In contrast, CM cell activity diverged temporally from the target muscle activity and had a smaller contribution to its generation. On the basis of these results, we hypothesize that PreM-INs produce gross muscle activity by activating synergistic muscles, whereas CM cells fine-tune target muscle activity. This idea was supported by dimensional reduction analyses of hand muscle activity, as PreM-IN activity was specifically correlated with lower dimensional control of muscle activity, and CM cell activity was correlated with higher dimensional control. These results indicate that the two pathways have distinct functions, synergistic control and fine tuning of hand muscle activity, both of which are essential for the development of dexterous hand movement in primates.
Co-transcriptional RNA processing boosts zygotic gene activation
Authors: Xu Jingzhao , Li XiaoJing , Hao Xiaowen , Hu Xinyun , Ma Shaoqian , Hong Yantao , Zhang Jing , Yan Dingfei , Deng Haiteng , Na Jie , Ji Xiong , Chang Zai , Shen Xiaohua 
Published: September 2024

SummaryTranscription decodes protein-coding genes and interprets regulatory information embedded in the genome by generating RNA. In eukaryotes, gene transcription is coupled with RNA processing via the carboxyl terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase (Pol) II, which enhances messenger RNA (mRNA) production. We propose that co-transcriptional RNA processing is essential for zygotic gene activation (ZGA), transitioning the transcription program from noncoding to protein-coding after fertilization. Truncating the CTD in mouse cells disrupts this coupling, halting global mRNA synthesis and increasing noncoding RNA (ncRNA) levels through enhanced intergenic transcription and RNA stabilization. CTD truncation also triggers epigenetic reprogramming and nuclear reorganization towards totipotency, resembling early cleavage embryos. Mechanistically, the CTD restrains nonproductive polymerase activity in noncoding sequences, while at protein-coding genes requiring RNA processing, it promotes elongation by facilitating polymerase promoter-proximal pausing, transcription directionality, and velocity. Longer CTD lengths enhance gene activity, likely evolving to accommodate the increasing noncoding sequences in mammalian genomes.
Environmental surveillance of soil-transmitted helminths and other enteric pathogens in settings without networked wastewater infrastructure
Authors: Siko Joël Edoux Eric , Dahmer Kendra Joy , Manoharan Zayina Zondervenni , Muthukumar Ajithkumar , Amato Heather K. , LeBoa Christopher , Harris Michael , Janagaraj Venkateshprabhu , Manuel Malathi , Varghese Tintu , Houngbegnon Parfait , Pilotte Nils , Bouko Bernadin , Saïdou Souad , Luty Adrian J. F. , Ramesh Rohan Michael , Ibikounlé Moudachirou , Ajjampur Sitara S.R. , Pickering Amy J. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractSoil-transmitted helminths (STH) are one of the most prevalent enteric infections world-wide. To control STH-related morbidity, the World Health Organization recommends targeted deworming and improvements in water, sanitation and hygiene. Current surveillance strategies for STH focus on identifying and quantifying eggs in stool samples via microscopy, which exhibits poor specificity and sensitivity, especially in settings with low-intensity infections. Wastewater-based epidemiology is a surveillance tool used to monitor pathogen circulation and could replace stool- based approaches for STH detection. However, sampling strategies for settings lacking networked sanitation outside large urban settlements are not well developed. Here, we report evaluation of sampling strategies for soil and wastewater STH surveillance in rural and peri-urban settings without networked sanitation. We used multi-parallel qPCR assays to detect STH DNA in soil collected from high foot-traffic locations and three types of wastewater samples (passive Moore swabs, grab samples, and sediment from drainage ditches) in Comé, Benin and Timiri and Jawadhu Hills in Tamil Nadu, India. We detected STH in soil (India = 32/95, Benin = 39/121) and wastewater (India = 24/60, Benin = 8/64) with a detection frequency across all sample types of 36% in India and 25% in Benin. We evaluated which sample locations and types allowed for more sensitive detection of STH DNA and determined that STH prevalence varied by sample site but did not vary significantly within a given sample site location (e.g., samples collected from multiple locations within one market). Further, we determined that wastewater sediment samples outperformed grab and Moore swab sample types for STH detection. Finally, we expanded our methods to include detection of other enteric pathogens using multiplexed qPCR for wastewater samples. Our results establish sampling strategies for environmental and wastewater surveillance of a wide range of enteric pathogens in settings without networked sanitation.
Sleep-wake states are encoded across emotion-regulation regions of the mouse brain
Authors: Walder-Christensen Kathryn K. , Goffinet Jack , Bey Alexandra L. , Syed Reah , Benton Jacob , Mague Stephen D. , Adamson Elise , Vera Sophia , Soliman Hannah , Kansagra Sujay , Carlson David , Dzirasa Kafui 
Published: September 2024

AbstractEmotional dysregulation is highly comorbid with sleep disturbances. Sleep is comprised of unique physiological states that are reflected by conserved brain oscillations. Though the role of these state-dependent oscillations in cognitive function has been well established, less is known regarding the nature of state-dependent oscillations across brain regions that strongly contribute to emotional function. To characterize these dynamics, we recorded local field potentials simultaneously from multiple cortical and subcortical regions implicated in sleep and emotion-regulation and characterize widespread patterns of spectral power and synchrony between brain regions during sleep/wake states. First, we showed that these brain regions encode sleep state, albeit to various degrees of accuracy. We then identified network-based classifiers of sleep based on the combination of features from all recorded brain regions. Spectral power and synchrony from brain networks allowed for automatic, accurate and rapid discrimination of wake, non-REM sleep (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. When we examined the impact of commonly prescribed sleep promoting medications on neural dynamics across these regions, we found disparate alterations to both cortical and subcortical activity across all three states. Finally, a we found that a stress manipulation that disrupts circadian rhythm produced increased sleep fragmentation without altering the underlying average brain dynamics across sleep-wake states. Thus, we characterized state dependent brain dynamics across regions canonically associated with emotions.Significance StatementSleep and emotion regulation are known to be intertwined at the level of behavior and in neuropsychiatric illnesses. Here, we examined how brain regions involved in emotion regulation encode wake and sleep states by performing multi-site electrophysiological recordings in mice. We developed sleep-wake state classifiers that rapidly labeled sleep-wake states from brain activity alone. We then identified how commonly prescribed sleep-inducing medications have unique impacts on brain activity throughout these emotion-regulation regions. Finally, we explored the impact of circadian rhythm disruption on sleep architecture and brain activity. Together, these data shed light on how brain regions which regulate emotion behave during sleep so that one day, treatments to improve both sleep and emotional well-being may be developed.
YAP/TAZ signaling in allantois-derived cells is required for placental vascularization
Authors: Gao Siqi , Thillaikumaran Triloshan , Dominguez Martin H. , Giang William , Hayes Kevin , Chen Xiaowen , Pace Jesse , Bockman Jenna , Jathan Danielle , Sung Derek , Narayan Sweta , Frankfurter Maxwell , Mericko-Ishizuka Patricia , Yang Jisheng , Castro Marco , Potente Michael , Kahn Mark L. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractNormal placental development and angiogenesis are crucial for fetal growth and maternal health during pregnancy. However, molecular regulation of placental angiogenesis has been difficult to study due to a lack of specific genetic tools that isolate the placenta from the embryo and yolk sac. To address this gap in knowledge we recently developedHoxa13Cremice in which Cre is expressed in allantois-derived cells, including placental endothelial and stromal cells. Mice lacking the transcriptional regulators Yes-associated protein (YAP) and PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) in allantois-derived cells exhibit embryonic lethality at midgestation with compromised placental vasculature. snRNA-seq analysis revealed transcriptional changes in placental stromal cells and endothelial cells. YAP/TAZ mutants exhibited significantly reduced placental stromal cells prior to the endothelial architectural change, highlighting the role of these cells in placental vascular growth. These results reveal a central role for YAP/TAZ signaling during placental vascular growth and implicateHoxa13-derived placental stromal cells as a critical component of placental vascularization.
Resolving the ultracollinear paradox with effective field theory
Authors: Baumgart Matthew , Christeas Panagiotis 
Published: September 2024

Naive intuition about scale decoupling breaks down in the presence of fermion masses. Kinematic enhancements can greatly extend the range where one needs to keep a finite mass in calculations to obtain a correct result at even the O(1) level. Treating a light fermion as massive though, leads to a known but somewhat obscure paradox, a seeming leading-order sensitivity to an arbitrarily small mass. We show how a proper formulation in effective field theory not only resolves the physical conundrum but also answers the very practical question of when fermion masses are required. This has important implications for the development of shower Monte Carlo event generators above the weak scale.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Image recommendation for social media marketing in maternity and baby care product industry – a machine learning approach
Authors: Wang Kung-Jeng , Wang Jeh-An 
Published: September 2024

PurposeThe digital marketing landscape is rapidly evolving, but the integration of visual content still heavily depends on human expertise. Driven by the quest for innovative marketing strategies that resonate with family-oriented consumers, this study seeks to bridge this gap by applying machine learning to analyze visual content in the maternity and baby care product sector.Design/methodology/approachThis study incorporates a range of machine learning techniques – including open science framework feature detection, panoptic segmentation, customized instance segmentation, and face detection calculation methods – to analyze and predict the appeal of images, thereby enhancing user engagement and parent-child intimacy.FindingsThe exploration of various ML models, such as DT, LightGBM, RIPPER algorithm, and CNNs, has offered a comparative analysis that addresses a methodological gap in the existing literature, which frequently depends on isolated model evaluations. According to our quadrant analysis with respect to engagement rate and parent-child intimacy, the selection of a model for real-world applications depends on balancing performance and interpretability.Originality/valueThe proposed system offers a series of actionable recommendations designed to enhance customer engagement and foster brand loyalty. This study contributes to image design in maternity and baby care marketing and provides analytical insights for recommendation systems.
Access mode of consumption and psychological ownership: exploring the role of self-product connection
Authors: Tan Ser Zian , Tjiptono Fandy , Yang Lin , Bandyopadhyay Argho , Thaichon Park 
Published: September 2024

PurposeDrawing upon extended-self theory, this research aims to understand how different access modes of consumption and product type influence consumers' perceptions of self-product connection and sense of individual and collective ownership.Design/methodology/approachTwo experiments assessed the impact of access modes (temporary vs permanent) and product types (tangible vs intangible) on individual and collective psychological ownership (IPO and CPO) as well as the mediating role of self-product connection in these relationships.FindingsTemporary access reduces IPO compared to permanent access. Moreover, self-product connection mediates the relationship between access modes and both IPO and CPO. Product type significantly moderates the degree of psychological ownership, with intangible products having a notable influence on the impacts of access modes on IPO and CPO.Practical implicationsUnderstanding the nuances of access-based consumption and its effects on psychological ownership can inform marketers and businesses in designing more effective strategies for product offerings and access modes. Highlighting self-product connection can aid in cultivating stronger consumer relationships and loyalty in access-based consumption contexts.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing literature on consumer access-based consumption by shedding light on the changing dynamics of material possessions and the psychological mechanisms underlying ownership perceptions in access-based models.
Evolutionary analysis of value co-destruction in urban village renovation using SEM-FCM model
Authors: Chen Wei , Yu Mingyu , Wang Yong , Lu Xuteng , Hou Jia 
Published: September 2024

PurposeUrban villages are prevalent informal settlements within Chinese cities, arising from urban expansion. These areas frequently face systematic demolition during urban renewal due to their disorderly layout and outdated appearance. Urban village renovation (UVR) entails balancing diverse interests and navigating complex conflicts, particularly within China’s dual property rights system encompassing urban and rural land. The purpose of this study is to avoid the fierce interest conflict of UVR.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilized the theoretical framework of value co-destruction. Initially, text mining and literature analysis were employed to identify concept nodes and interaction relationships. Subsequently, the structural equation model (SEM) was used to verify the causal model. Finally, the fuzzy cognitive map (FCM) was developed to dynamically simulate value co-destruction scenarios within UVR across various hypothetical situations.FindingsThe concept nodes influencing value co-destruction in UVR form a complex system with multiple levels. This includes three cause nodes and one result node. Among these, actor-to-actor emerges as a primary and underlying cause influencing value co-destruction in these projects. Furthermore, strategies for UVR should prioritize integrated interventions that enhance actor-to-actor relationships.Originality/valueThis study introduced a novel mixed methodology aimed at systematically simulating the dynamic process of value co-destruction during UVR. It also provided a fresh perspective on reverse assessment to mitigate the prevalent interest conflicts in UVR, thereby contributing to theoretical advancements and practical strategies for UVR.
Foreign direct investment and the protection of garment workers' rights in Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Mohammad Belayet , Fazi Muhammad Abdullah 
Published: September 2024

Purpose
Critical examination of Bangladeshi laws related to workers’ rights in the garment industry. This paper aims to examine the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the protection of garment workers’ rights in Bangladesh, analyzing how international investment practices influence labor standards and the overall well-being of workers in the garment industry.

Design/methodology/approach
In this study, qualitative and analytical methods has been used to analyze legal frameworks related to labor rights in Bangladesh and BITs.

Findings
The findings indicate a need to strengthen the current legal framework to better protect workers' rights in Bangladesh. The study also provides recommendations for the relevant authorities to improve the existing laws.

Originality/value
Novel idea critically evaluating the Bangladeshi legal framework in the context of foreign direct investment and implications for worker's rights.