Publications by authors named "Lucas Encarnacion-Rivera"

The goal of this article is to provide guidance for those who have decided to apply to graduate school with the plan to obtain a PhD in biomedical science. Choosing an appropriate graduate school and program can seem like a daunting choice. There are numerous graduate training programs that offer excellent training with multiple specific program choices at any given institution.

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Article Synopsis
  • Advances in automated imaging now allow for the mapping of entire brains, with projects needing significant time for data proofreading due to their size.
  • FlyWire is introduced as an online platform that enables collaborative proofreading of neural circuits in fruit flies, utilizing 3D interactive tools for efficient editing from anywhere.
  • The platform encourages community participation, enhances data accuracy, and promotes faster scientific discoveries, showcased through the analysis of mechanosensory neurons' connectome.
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Sustained changes in mood or action require persistent changes in neural activity, but it has been difficult to identify the neural circuit mechanisms that underlie persistent activity and contribute to long-lasting changes in behavior. Here, we show that a subset of Doublesex+ pC1 neurons in the female brain, called pC1d/e, can drive minutes-long changes in female behavior in the presence of males. Using automated reconstruction of a volume electron microscopic (EM) image of the female brain, we map all inputs and outputs to both pC1d and pC1e.

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Methods: Muscle sections were stained for cell boundary (laminin) and myofiber type (myosin heavy chain isoforms). Myosoft, running in the open access software platform FIJI (ImageJ), was used to analyze myofiber size and type in transverse sections of entire gastrocnemius/soleus muscles.

Results: Myosoft provides an accurate analysis of hundreds to thousands of muscle fibers within 25 minutes, which is >10-times faster than manual analysis.

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