Neuropeptide and serotonin co-transmission sets the activity pattern in the C. elegans egg-laying circuit.

Neurons typically release both a neurotransmitter and one or more neuropeptides, but how these signals are integrated within neural circuits to generate and tune behaviors remains poorly understood. We studied how the two hermaphrodite-specific neurons (HSNs) activate the egg-laying circuit of Caenorhabditis elegans by releasing both the neurotransmitter serotonin and NLP-3 neuropeptides. Egg laying occurs in a temporal pattern with approximately 2-min active phases, during which eggs are laid, separated by approximately 20-min inactive phases, during which no eggs are laid.

The Caenorhabditis elegans protein SOC-3 permits an alternative mode of signal transduction by the EGL-15 FGF receptor.

Fibroblast Growth Factors and their receptors (FGFRs) comprise a cell signaling module that can stimulate signaling by Ras and the kinases Raf, MEK, and ERK to regulate animal development and homeostatic functions. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the sole FGFR ortholog EGL-15 acts with the GRB2 ortholog SEM-5 to promote chemoattraction and migration by the sex myoblasts (SMs) and fluid homeostasis by the hypodermis (Hyp7). Cell-specific differences in EGL-15 signaling were suggested by the phenotypes caused by egl-15(n1457), an allele that removes a region of its C-terminal domain (CTD) known to bind SEM-5.

Multiple Subthreshold GPCR Signals Combined by the G-Proteins Gα and Gα Activate the Egg-Laying Muscles.

Individual neurons or muscle cells express many G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) for neurotransmitters and neuropeptides, yet it remains unclear how cells integrate multiple GPCR signals that all must activate the same few G-proteins. We analyzed this issue in the egg-laying system, where multiple GPCRs on muscle cells promote contraction and egg laying. We genetically manipulated individual GPCRs and G-proteins specifically in these muscle cells within intact animals and then measured egg laying and muscle calcium activity.

Using NeuroPAL Multicolor Fluorescence Labeling to Identify Neurons in C. elegans.

NeuroPAL (Neuronal Polychromatic Atlas of Landmarks) is a recently developed transgene that labels each of the 118 classes of neurons in C. elegans with various combinations of four fluorescent proteins. This neuron-type-specific labeling helps identify neurons that could otherwise be confused with neighboring neurons.

Radiology report generation for proximal femur fractures using deep classification and language generation models.

Proximal femur fractures represent a major health concern, and substantially contribute to the morbidity of elderly. Correct classification and diagnosis of hip fractures has a significant impact on mortality, costs and hospital stay. In this paper, we present a method and empirical validation for automatic subclassification of proximal femur fractures and Dutch radiological report generation that does not rely on manually curated data.