Accelerated differentiation of neo-W nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes between two climate-associated bird lineages signals potential co-evolution with mitogenomes.

There is considerable evidence for mitochondrial-nuclear co-adaptation as a key evolutionary driver. Hypotheses regarding the roles of sex-linkage have emphasized Z-linked nuclear genes with mitochondrial function (N-mt genes), whereas it remains contentious whether the perfect co-inheritance of W genes with mitogenomes could hinder or facilitate co-adaptation. Young (neo-) sex chromosomes that possess relatively many N-mt genes compared to older chromosomes provide unprecedented hypothesis-testing opportunities.

Alternative mRNA Splicing Controls the Functions of the Histone H3K27 Demethylase UTX/KDM6A.

The UTX/KDM6A histone H3K27 demethylase plays an important role in development and is frequently mutated in cancers such as urothelial cancer. Despite many studies on UTX proteins, variations in mRNA splicing have been overlooked. Using Nanopore sequencing, we present a comprehensive analysis of UTX/KDM6A splicing events in human cell lines and in tissue samples from bladder cancer cases and normal epithelia.

Exploring Novel Innovation Strategies to Close a Technology Gap in Neurosurgery: HORAO Crowdsourcing Campaign.

Background: Scientific research is typically performed by expert individuals or groups who investigate potential solutions in a sequential manner. Given the current worldwide exponential increase in technical innovations, potential solutions for any new problem might already exist, even though they were developed to solve a different problem. Therefore, in crowdsourcing ideation, a research question is explained to a much larger group of individuals beyond the specialist community to obtain a multitude of diverse, outside-the-box solutions.

Widespread genomic signatures of reproductive isolation and sex-specific selection in the Eastern Yellow Robin, Eopsaltria australis.

How new species evolve is one of the most fundamental questions in biology. Population divergence, which may lead to speciation, may be occurring in the Eastern Yellow Robin, a common passerine that lives along the eastern coast of Australia. This species is composed of 2 parapatric lineages that have highly divergent mitochondrial DNA; however, similar levels of divergence have not been observed in the nuclear genome.

Exploring Novel Funding Strategies for Innovative Medical Research: The HORAO Crowdfunding Campaign.

Background: The rise of the internet and social media has boosted online crowdfunding as a novel strategy to raise funds for kick-starting projects, but it is rarely used in science.

Objective: We report on an online crowdfunding campaign launched in the context of the neuroscience project HORAO. The aim of HORAO was to develop a noninvasive real-time method to visualize neuronal fiber tracts during brain surgery in order to better delineate tumors and to identify crucial cerebral landmarks.

Genomic evidence of neo-sex chromosomes in the eastern yellow robin.

Background: Understanding sex-biased natural selection can be enhanced by access to well-annotated chromosomes including ones inherited in sex-specific fashion. The eastern yellow robin (EYR) is an endemic Australian songbird inferred to have experienced climate-driven sex-biased selection and is a prominent model for studying mitochondrial-nuclear interactions in the wild. However, the lack of an EYR reference genome containing both sex chromosomes (in birds, a female bearing Z and W chromosomes) limits efforts to understand the mechanisms of these processes.

Auditory response properties of neurons in the tectal longitudinal column of the rat.

The newly-discovered tectal longitudinal column (TLC) spans the paramedian region of the mammalian tectum. It has connections with several nuclei of the auditory system. In this report, we provide the first detailed description of the responses of TLC neurons to auditory stimuli, including monaural and binaural tones and amplitude modulated tones.

Detection of interaural correlation by neurons in the superior olivary complex, inferior colliculus and auditory cortex of the unanesthetized rabbit.

A critical binaural cue important for sound localization and detection of signals in noise is the interaural time difference (ITD), or difference in the time of arrival of sounds at each ear. The ITD can be determined by cross-correlating the sounds at the two ears and finding the ITD where the correlation is maximal. The amount of interaural correlation is affected by properties of spaces and can therefore be used to assess spatial attributes.