Divergent recruitment of developmentally defined neuronal ensembles supports memory dynamics.

Memories are dynamic constructs whose properties change with time and experience. The biological mechanisms underpinning these dynamics remain elusive, particularly concerning how shifts in the composition of memory-encoding neuronal ensembles influence the evolution of a memory over time. By targeting developmentally distinct subpopulations of principal neurons, we discovered that memory encoding resulted in the concurrent establishment of multiple memory traces in the mouse hippocampus.

Weaning age influences indicators of rumen function and development in female Holstein calves.

Background: Prenatal and postnatal conditions are crucial for the development of calves. Primiparous cows are still maturing during pregnancy, thus competing with the nutritional needs of their offspring. Therefore, mature cows might provide a superior intrauterine condition.

Pigeons show how meta-control enables decision-making in an ambiguous world.

In situations where the left and right brain sides receive conflicting information that leads to incompatible response options, the brain requires efficient problem-solving mechanisms. This problem is particularly significant in lateralized brains, in which the hemispheres differ in encoding strategies or attention focus and hence, consider different information for decision-making. Meta-control, in which one hemisphere dominates ambiguous decisions, can be a mechanism that ensures fast behavioral reactions.