A brain atlas for the camouflaging dwarf cuttlefish, Sepia bandensis.

The coleoid cephalopods (cuttlefish, octopus, and squid) are a group of soft-bodied marine mollusks that exhibit an array of interesting biological phenomena, including dynamic camouflage, complex social behaviors, prehensile regenerating arms, and large brains capable of learning, memory, and problem-solving. The dwarf cuttlefish, Sepia bandensis, is a promising model cephalopod species due to its small size, substantial egg production, short generation time, and dynamic social and camouflage behaviors. Cuttlefish dynamically camouflage to their surroundings by changing the color, pattern, and texture of their skin.

Deep learning of MRI contrast enhancement for mapping cerebral blood volume from single-modal non-contrast scans of aging and Alzheimer's disease brains.

While MRI contrast agents such as those based on Gadolinium are needed for high-resolution mapping of brain metabolism, these contrast agents require intravenous administration, and there are rising concerns over their safety and invasiveness. Furthermore, non-contrast MRI scans are more commonly performed than those with contrast agents and are readily available for analysis in public databases such as the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). In this article, we hypothesize that a deep learning model, trained using quantitative steady-state contrast-enhanced structural MRI datasets, in mice and humans, can generate contrast-equivalent information from a single non-contrast MRI scan.