bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bioadhesive Hydrogel-Coupled and Miniaturized Ultrasound Transducer System for Long-Term, Wearable Neuromodulation
Authors: Tang Kai Wing Kevin , Jeong Jinmo , Hsieh Ju-Chun , Yao Mengmeng , Ding Hong , Wang Wenliang , Liu Xiangping , Pyatnitskiy Ilya , He Weilong , Moscoso-Barrera William D. , Lozano Anakaren Romero , Artman Brinkley , Huh Heeyong , Wilson Preston S. , Wang Huiliang 
Published: July 2024

AbstractTranscranial focused ultrasound has become a promising non-invasive approach for neuromodulation applications, particularly for neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric illnesses. However, its implementation in wearable neuromodulation has thus far been limited due to the devices’ large size, which needs external supporting systems for the neuromodulation process. Furthermore, the need for ultrasound gel for acoustic coupling between the device and skin limits the viability for long-term use, due to its inherent susceptibility to dehydration and lack of adhesiveness to form a stable interface. Here, we report a wearable miniaturized ultrasound device with size comparable to standard EEG/ECG electrodes integrated with bioadhesive hydrogel to achieve efficient acoustic intensity upon ultrasound stimulation for long-term, wearable primary somatosensory cortical stimulation. Specifically, air-cavity Fresnel lens (ACFAL) based self-focusing acoustic transducer (SFAT) was fabricated using a lithography-free microfabrication process. Our transducer was able to achieve an acoustic intensity of up to 30.7 W/cm2(1.92 MPa) in free-field with a focal depth of 10 mm. Bioadhesive hydrogel was developed to address the need for long-term stability of acoustic couplant for ultrasound application. The hydrogel demonstrated less than 13% attenuation in acoustic intensity and stable adhesion force of 0.961 N/cm over 35 days. Leveraging our bioadhesive hydrogel-integrated wearable ultrasound transducer, we were able to suppress somatosensory evoked potentials elicited by median nerve stimulation via functional electrical stimulation over 28 days, demonstrating the efficacy of our transducer for long-term, wearable neuromodulation in the brain.
PATJ regulates cell stress responses and vascular remodeling post-stroke
Authors: Zhang Mengqi , Jiang Wei , Arkelius Kajsa , Swanson Raymond A. , Ma Dengke K. , Singhal Neel S. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractPALS1-associated tight junction (PATJ) protein is linked to metabolic disease and stroke in human genetic studies. Despite the recognized role of PATJ in cell polarization, its specific functions in metabolic disease and ischemic stroke recovery remain largely unexplored. Using a mouse model of stroke, we found post-ischemic stroke duration-dependent increase of PATJ abundance in endothelial cells. PATJ knock-out (KO) HEK293 cells generated by CRISPR-Cas9 suggest roles for PATJ in cell proliferation, migration, mitochondrial stress response, and interactions with the Yes-associated protein (YAP)-1 signaling pathway. Notably,PATJdeletion altered YAP1 nuclear translocation.PATJKO cells demonstrated extensive transcriptional reprograming based on RNA sequencing analysis. Crucially, we identified dysregulation in genes central to vascular development, stress response, and metabolism, includingRUNX1,HEY1,NUPR1, andHK2. These insights offer a new understanding of PATJ’s complex regulatory functions within cellular and vascular physiology and help lay the groundwork for therapeutic strategies targeting endothelial PATJ-mediated pathways for stroke rehabilitation and neurovascular repair.
No evidence that individual alpha frequency (IAF) represents a mechanism underlying motion-position illusions
Authors: Cottier Timothy , Turner William , Chae Violet J. , Holcombe Alex O. , Hogendoorn Hinze 
Published: July 2024

AbstractMotion-Position Illusions (MPIs) involve the position of an object being misperceived in the context of motion (i.e. when the object contains motion, is surrounded by motion, or is moving). A popular MPI is the flash-lag effect, where a static object briefly presented in spatiotemporal alignment with a moving object, is perceived in a position behind the moving object. Recently, Cottier et al. (2023) observed that there are stable individual differences in the magnitude of these illusions, and possibly even their direction. To investigate the possible neural correlates of these individual differences, the present study explored whether a trait-like component of brain activity, individual alpha frequency (IAF), could predict individual illusion magnitude. Previous reports have found some correlations between IAF and perceptual tasks. Participants (N=61) viewed the flash-lag effect (motion and luminance), Fröhlich effect, flash-drag effect, flash-grab effect, motion-induced position shift, twinkle-goes effect, and the flash-jump effect. In a separate session, five minutes of eyes-open and eyes-closed resting state EEG data was recorded. Correlation analyses revealed no evidence for a correlation between IAF and the magnitude of any MPIs. Overall, these results suggest that IAF does not represent a mechanism underlying MPIs, and that no single shared mechanism underlies these effects. This suggests that discrete sampling at alpha frequency is unlikely to be responsible for any of these illusions.
A temporal gap in sensory streams amplifies the influence of subsequent input on decision making
Authors: Sospedra Alejandro , Canals Santiago , Marcos Encarni 
Published: July 2024

AbstractDecision making involves evaluating options and predicting their likely outcomes. Traditional laboratory studies of decision making often employ tasks involving the discrimination of perceptual evidence, where sensory information is constant and presented continuously. However, during natural behavior, decision making usually involves intermittent information streams, punctuated by periods with no input. To investigate decision making under such conditions, we designed a perceptual task where participants observed tokens sequentially jumping from a central circle to one of two peripheral targets, disappearing shortly after. Participants were required to report which target they believed would have received most tokens by the trial’s end. Half of the trials included a temporal gap, during which no information was displayed. To better understand decision-making dynamics, we introduced specific patterns of token jumps. We found that participants made choices with less available information and disproportionally weighted the information presented immediately after the gap more heavily than they did when no gap was present. Traditional computational models, which assume uniform or gradual decay or increase of weighting of information over time, could not account for this effect. A control task with randomly presented information further confirmed that the disproportionate weighting of post-gap information is a robust feature of the decision-making process. These findings highlight the importance of studying decision making in environments with intermittent information and temporal gaps, where the timing and structure of inputs critically shape behavior.Significance statementDecision making in real-world environments often involves intermittent information, where key evidence might be separated by temporal gaps. Our study demonstrate that people disproportionately rely on information received immediately after such gaps, weighting the same information more heavily than when no gap is present. Traditional decision-making models do not account for this effect, as they lack mechanisms to capture how temporal disruptions shape evidence weighting. By understanding how gaps influence decision making, this research provides insights into how people adapt their decisions in fluctuating environments, with implications for fields ranging from neuroscience to artificial intelligence.
DOG1 prevents AFPs activation by AHG1 to control dormancy separately from ABA core signaling
Authors: Krüger Thorben , Brandt Dennis , Sodenkamp Johanna , Gasper Michael , Romera-Branchat Maida , Ahloumessou Florian , Gehring Elena , Drotleff Julia , Bell Christopher , Kramer Katharina , Eirich Jürgen , Soppe Wim J J , Finkemeier Iris , Née Guillaume 
Published: July 2024

AbstractSeed dormancy determines germination timing and thereby critically influences seed plant adaptation and overall fitness. DELAY OF GERMINATION1 (DOG1) is a conserved central regulator of dormancy acting in concert with the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) through negative regulation of ABA HYPERSENSITIVE GERMINATION (AHG) 1 and AHG3 phosphatases. The current molecular mechanism of DOG1 signaling proposes that it regulates the activation state of central ABA-related SnRK2 kinases. Here, we unveil DOG1’s functional autonomy from the regulation of ABA core signaling components and unravel its pivotal control over the activation of ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE FIVE BINDING PROTEINs (AFPs). Our data revealed a DOG1-AHG1-AFP relay in which AFPs’ genuine activation by AHG1 is contained by DOG1 to prevent the breakdown of maturation-imposed ABA responses independently of ABA-related kinase activation status. This work offers a molecular understanding of how plants fine-tune germination timing, while preserving seed responsiveness to adverse environmental cues, and thus represents a milestone in the realm of conservation and breeding programs.One-Sentence SummaryAutonomous control of maturation-imposed ABA responses by DOG1 enables seeds to regulate dormancy and stress-reactivity traits independently.
The evolution of local adaptation in long-lived species
Authors: Hablützel Loraine , Mullon Charles , Schmid Max 
Published: July 2024

AbstractMany species experience heterogeneous environments and adapt genetically to local conditions. The extent of such local adaptation has been shown to depend on a balance between divergent selection and gene flow, but also on other factors such as phenotypic plasticity or the genetic architecture of traits. Here, we explore the role of life history in this process. We develop a quantitative genetics model and run individual-based simulations to contrast the evolution of local adaptation between short- and long-lived species. We show that life history does not have a unidirectional effect on local adaptation. Instead, local adaptation varies with a species’ life cycle and how this cycle modulates the scheduling of selection and dispersal among stage classes. When a longer generation time is associated with more frequent events of selection than dispersal, local adaptation is more pronounced in long-lived than in short-lived species. If otherwise dispersal occurs more frequently than selection, long-lived species evolve weaker local adaptation. Our simulations confirm these findings and further highlight how the scheduling of selection and dispersal shape additive genetic variance, effective dispersal between patches, and the genetic response at quantitative trait loci. Taken together, our results suggest that the effect of longevity on local adaptation depends on the specifics of a species’ life cycle, potentially explaining why current meta-analyses have not consistently detected this effect.
Ascorbic acid and gallic acid mitigate behavioural deficits and loss of cerebellar myelin induced by Bisphenol-A in Wistar rats
Authors: Adigun Kabirat Oluseun , Ehinmowo Michael Ibukun , Folarin Oluwabusayo , Adebiyi Olamide Elizabeth 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACTBackgroundBisphenol-A (BPA) is a chemical component of plastics, polycarbonates, and epoxy resins making it an environmentally ubiquitous chemical. Its toxicity has been linked to several disorders including neurological disorders. Gallic acid (GA) and Ascorbic acid (AA) are both antioxidants that have been reported to have neuroprotective effects. We therefore investigated the neuroprotective effects of GA and AA on BPA-induced neurotoxicity.Forty-eight (48) Wistar rats were grouped into Control, BPA, BPA+AA, BPA+GA, AA, and GA groups with eight rats in each group. All treatments were administered via oral gavage for 21 days. Behavioral experiments were conducted to assess forelimb strength (hanging wire test), anxiety (open field and elevated plus maze tests), depression (forced swim test), and spatial memory (Morris water maze). Rats were perfused and brain samples were collected for Luxol fast blue staining. Sera were collected to evaluate the levels of inflammatory cytokines via Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay.ResultsThere was no significant difference in hanging latency between all the groups. There were also no significant changes in the open field test but the elevated plus maze showed an increase in time spent in closed arms in the BPA group indicative of anxiety. GA and AA reduced the duration of immobility that was elevated in the BPA group which suggests they have antidepressant-like effects. Additionally, we observed disruption in the Purkinje cell layer of the cerebellum in the BPA-alone group.ConclusionBPA seems to cause anxiety and depressive-like effects which are ameliorated by the gallic acid and ascorbic acid.
Metacommunity theory and metabarcoding reveal the environmental, spatial, and biotic drivers of meiofaunal communities in sandy beaches
Authors: Macher Jan-Niklas , Pichler Maximilian , Creer Simon , Martínez Alejandro , Fontaneto Diego , Renema Willem 
Published: July 2024

AbstractSandy beaches are important ecosystems providing coastal protection and recreation, but they face significant threats from human activities and sea level rise. They are inhabited by meiofauna, small benthic invertebrates that are highly abundant and diverse, but are commonly understudied biotic components of beach ecosystems. Here, we investigate the factors shaping meiofaunal metacommunities by employing Generalised Dissimilarity Modelling (GDM) and Joint Species Distribution Modelling (JSDM) to study community turnover and assembly processes. We analysed over 550 meiofauna samples from a >650 km stretch of the southern North Sea coastline using a metabarcoding approach. Our findings reveal that environmental factors, especially Distance from Low Tide and Sediment Grain Size, are important drivers of meiofauna community turnover. This highlights the influence of the gradient from marine to terrestrial habitats and sediment conditions. Spatial factors, which indicate dispersal limitations, also significantly impact community composition, challenging the view that marine meiofauna have broad geographic distributions. The JSDM results show that species sorting by environmental conditions is the dominant process in community assembly with increasing environmental differences between sampling sites, but that biotic associations, or similar environmental preferences, are a major driver of community assembly at sites with similar environmental conditions. Further, we find that spatial factors also significantly influence community assembly across the study region. By facilitating the inference of ecological niches for a high number of meiofaunal taxa, JSDM provides a powerful framework for understanding the ecology of these animals. Our results highlight the importance of considering environmental gradients and dispersal limitations in meiofauna and beach ecosystem research, and future research should aim at adding information on functional traits and biotic interactions under varying environmental conditions to understand meiofauna community dynamics and resilience.
Leveraging Grating-Based Flickers: A Leap Toward Practical, Visually Comfortable, and High-Performance Dry EEG Code-VEP BCI
Authors: Dehais Frédéric , Cabrera Castillos Kalou , Ladouce Simon , Clisson Pierre 
Published: July 2024

AbstractPurposeReactive Brain-Computer Interfaces (rBCIs) typically rely on repetitive visual stimuli, which can strain the eyes and cause attentional distraction. To address these challenges, we propose a novel approach rooted in visual neuroscience to design visual Stimuli for Augmented Response (StAR). The StAR stimuli consist of small randomly-orientedGabororRickerpatches that optimize foveal neural response while reducing peripheral distraction.MethodsIn a factorial design study, 24 participants equipped with an 8-dry electrodes EEG system focused on series of target flickers presented under three formats: traditional ’Plain’ flickers,Gabor-based, orRicker-based flickers. These flickers were part of a five-classes Code Visually Evoked Potentials (c-VEP) paradigm featuring low frequency, short, and aperiodic visual flashes.ResultsSubjective ratings revealed thatGaborandRickergratings were visually comfortable and nearly invisible in peripheral vision compared to plain flickers. Moreover,GaborandRicker-based textures achieved higher accuracy (93.6% and 96.3%, respectively) with only 88 seconds of calibration data, compared to plain flickers (65.6%). A follow-up online implementation of this experiment was conducted to validate our findings within the frame of naturalistic operations. During this trial, remarkable accuracies of 97.5% in a cued task and 94.3% in an asynchronous digicode task were achieved, with a mean decoding time as low as 1.68 seconds.ConclusionThis work demonstrates the potential to expand BCI applications beyond the lab by integrating visually unobtrusive systems with gel-free, low density EEG technology, thereby making BCIs more accessible and efficient. The datasets, algorithms, and BCI implementations are shared through open-access repositories.
The N-degron pathway governs autophagy to promote thermotolerance inArabidopsis
Authors: Kim Seu Ha , Park Jun Seok , Lee Myoung-Hoon , Seo Joongyu , Kim Jaekwan , Yang Woo Seok , Park Jihye , Yoo Kwangmin , Choi Jungmin , Seo Jong-Bok , Song Hyun Kyu , Park Ohkmae K. 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACTAutophagy is a vital process that enables plants to adapt to various environmental changes. During heat stress (HS), misfolded and denatured proteins accumulate in cells, necessitating autophagy for their removal. Here, we show that a core autophagy component ATG8a is targeted for degradation via the Arg/N-degron pathway.ATG8ais expressed as two alternatively spliced transcripts encoding ATG8a isoforms, namely ATG8a(S) and ATG8a(L), with distinct N-termini. While ATG8a(S) remains stable, ATG8a(L) is N-terminally processed to expose the Arg/N-degron, leading to its degradation. UBR7, identified as an N-recognin, is responsible for ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of ATG8a(L). Notably,ATG8a(S)andATG8a(L)show dynamic expression patterns, fluctuating ATG8a levels during the HS and recovery periods. Our findings highlight the crucial role of ATG8a turnover in conferring thermotolerance, which is governed by Arg/N-degron-mediated regulation. Understanding the molecular basis of ATG8a stability will provide valuable insights into plant resilience to HS under changing climatic conditions.
AncientBorreliagenomes document the evolutionary history of louse-borne relapsing fever
Authors: Swali Pooja , Booth Thomas , Tan Cedric C.S. , McCabe Jesse , Anastasiadou Kyriaki , Barrington Christopher , Borrini Matteo , Bricking Adelle , Buckberry Jo , Büster Lindsey , Carlin Rea , Gilardet Alexandre , Glocke Isabelle , Irish Joel , Kelly Monica , King Megan , Petchey Fiona , Peto Jessica , Silva Marina , Speidel Leo , Tait Frankie , Teoaca Adelina , Valoriani Satu , Williams Mia , Madgwick Richard , Mullan Graham , Wilson Linda , Cootes Kevin , Armit Ian , Gutierrez Maximiliano G. , van Dorp Lucy , Skoglund Pontus 
Published: July 2024

AbstractSeveral disease-causing bacteria have transitioned from tick-borne to louse-borne transmission, a process associated with increased virulence and genome reduction. However, the historical time frame and speed of such evolutionary transitions have not been documented with ancient genomes. Here, we discover four ancient cases ofBorrelia recurrentis, the causative agent of louse-borne relapsing fever, in Britain between ∼600 and 2,300 years ago, and sequence whole genomes up to 29-fold coverage. We estimate a recent divergence from the closest tick-borne ancestor, likely within the last ∼8,000 years. We reconstruct a chronology of gene losses and acquisitions using the pan-genome of related species, and show that almost all of the reductive evolution observed inB. recurrentishad occurred by ∼2,000 years ago, and was thus a rapid process after divergence. Our observations provide a new understanding of the origins ofB. recurrentisand document complex reductive evolution in a specialist vector-borne pathogen.
The evolutionary ancient MEIS transcription factors actuate lineage-specific transcription to establish cardiac fate
Authors: Darieva Zoulfia , Zarrineh Peyman , Phillips Naomi , Mallen Joshua , Mora Araceli Garcia , Donaldson Ian , Bridoux Laure , Douglas Megan , Dias Henriques Sara F , Schulte Dorothea , Birket Matthew J , Bobola Nicoletta 
Published: July 2024

AbstractControl of gene expression is commonly mediated by distinct combinations of transcription factors (TFs). This cooperative action allows multiple biological signals to be integrated at specific regulatory elements, resulting in highly specific gene expression patterns in space and time. It is unclear whether combinatorial binding is also necessary to bring together TFs with distinct biochemical functions, which collaborate to effectively recruit and activate RNA polymerase II. Using a cardiac differentiation model, we find that the largely ubiquitous, evolutionary ancient homeodomain proteins MEIS are essential for activating a cardiac-specific gene expression program. MEIS TFs act asactuators, fully activating transcriptional programs selected by lineage-restricted TFs to drive the dynamic progression of cardiac differentiation. Combinatorial binding of MEIS with lineage-enriched TFs, GATA and HOX, provides selectivity, guiding MEIS to function at cardiac-specific enhancers. In turn, MEIS TFs promote accumulation of the methyltransferase KMT2D to initiate lineage-specific enhancer commissioning. MEIS combinatorial binding dynamics, dictated by the changing dosage of its partners, drive cells into progressive stages of cardiac differentiation. Our results uncover tissue-specific transcriptional activation as the result of ubiquitousactuator TFsharnessing general transcriptional coactivators at tissue-specific enhancers, to which they are directed by binding with lineage- and domain-specific TFs.
The distribution of the hemlock woolly adelgid in Canada
Authors: MacQuarrie Chris J K , Gray Meghan , Bullas-Appleton Erin , Kimoto Troy , Mielewczyk Nicole , Neville Ron , Ogden Jeffrey B , Fidgen Jeffrey G , Turgeon Jean J. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe hemlock woolly adelgid,Adelges tsugaeAnnand (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) has distinct native and invasive populations in Canada. On Canada’s west coast the adelgid is a native insect feeding on western hemlock,Tsuga heterophylla(Raf.) Sarg. and mountain hemlock,Tsuga mertensiana(Bong.) Carrière (Pinaceae). In eastern Canada, the adelgid is an invasive species that attacks and kills eastern hemlock,Tsuga canadensis(L.) Carrière (Pinaceae). We obtained all records ofA. tsugaein institutional and public databases and develop updated range maps, phenologies and dispersal estimates for the species in British Columbia and eastern Canada In British ColumbiaA. tsugae’s distribution is centred around the lower mainland and on Vancouver Island but with populations in the interior and along the Pacific coast that have been poorly explored and which could be sources of biological control agents to manage invasive populations in the east. In eastern Canada, the adelgid has invaded all of southern Nova Scotia, portions of the Niagara region in Ontario as far west as Hamilton, and at least one site on the north shore of Lake Ontario. No populations have been found in New Brunswick, Quebec or Prince Edward Island. Finaly, we estimated the rate of spread in Nova Scotia at 12.6 ± 8.2 to 20.5 ± 27.21 km/year.