A split-GAL4 driver line resource for neuron types.

Techniques that enable precise manipulations of subsets of neurons in the fly central nervous system (CNS) have greatly facilitated our understanding of the neural basis of behavior. Split-GAL4 driver lines allow specific targeting of cell types in and other species. We describe here a collection of 3060 lines targeting a range of cell types in the adult CNS and 1373 lines characterized in third-instar larvae.

HiDDEN: a machine learning method for detection of disease-relevant populations in case-control single-cell transcriptomics data.

In case-control single-cell RNA-seq studies, sample-level labels are transferred onto individual cells, labeling all case cells as affected, when in reality only a small fraction of them may actually be perturbed. Here, using simulations, we demonstrate that the standard approach to single cell analysis fails to isolate the subset of affected case cells and their markers when either the affected subset is small, or when the strength of the perturbation is mild. To address this fundamental limitation, we introduce HiDDEN, a computational method that refines the case-control labels to accurately reflect the perturbation status of each cell.

Exposure of iPSC-derived human microglia to brain substrates enables the generation and manipulation of diverse transcriptional states in vitro.

Microglia, the macrophages of the brain parenchyma, are key players in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. These cells adopt distinct transcriptional subtypes known as states. Understanding state function, especially in human microglia, has been elusive owing to a lack of tools to model and manipulate these cells.

Cell types and neuronal circuitry underlying female aggression in .

Aggressive social interactions are used to compete for limited resources and are regulated by complex sensory cues and the organism's internal state. While both sexes exhibit aggression, its neuronal underpinnings are understudied in females. Here, we identify a population of sexually dimorphic aIPg neurons in the adult central brain whose optogenetic activation increased, and genetic inactivation reduced, female aggression.

Neurogenetic dissection of the lateral horn reveals major outputs, diverse behavioural functions, and interactions with the mushroom body.

Animals exhibit innate behaviours to a variety of sensory stimuli including olfactory cues. In , one higher olfactory centre, the lateral horn (LH), is implicated in innate behaviour. However, our structural and functional understanding of the LH is scant, in large part due to a lack of sparse neurogenetic tools for this region.

Functional and anatomical specificity in a higher olfactory centre.

Most sensory systems are organized into parallel neuronal pathways that process distinct aspects of incoming stimuli. In the insect olfactory system, second order projection neurons target both the mushroom body, required for learning, and the lateral horn (LH), proposed to mediate innate olfactory behavior. Mushroom body neurons form a sparse olfactory population code, which is not stereotyped across animals.

Peripapillary and macular morpho-vascular changes in patients with genetic or clinical diagnosis of autosomal dominant optic atrophy: a case-control study.

Purpose: To evaluate the macular and peripapillary morpho-vascular changes in ADOA, using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA).

Methods: Prospectively defined, cross-sectional case-control study. Consecutive patients with a genetic or clinical diagnosis of ADOA along with age- and sex-matched controls were included.

PERIPAPILLARY NEUROVASCULAR COUPLING IN THE EARLY STAGES OF DIABETIC RETINOPATHY.

Purpose: To study radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) density in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy (DR), using optical coherence tomography angiography.

Methods: A cross-sectional evaluation of RPCs was performed using optical coherence tomography angiography (Avanti RTVue-XR 100, Optovue Inc, Fremont, CA). Annular RPC density was the primary outcome.

Communication from Learned to Innate Olfactory Processing Centers Is Required for Memory Retrieval in Drosophila.

The behavioral response to a sensory stimulus may depend on both learned and innate neuronal representations. How these circuits interact to produce appropriate behavior is unknown. In Drosophila, the lateral horn (LH) and mushroom body (MB) are thought to mediate innate and learned olfactory behavior, respectively, although LH function has not been tested directly.

Comparison of seating, powered characteristics and functions and costs of electrically powered wheelchairs in a general population of users.

Purpose: To profile and compare the seating and powered characteristics and functions of electrically powered wheelchairs (EPWs) in a general user population including equipment costs.

Method: Case notes of adult EPW users of a regional NHS service were reviewed retrospectively. Seating equipment complexity and type were categorized using the Edinburgh classification.

Facilitating Neuron-Specific Genetic Manipulations in Using a Split GAL4 Repressor.

Efforts to map neural circuits have been galvanized by the development of genetic technologies that permit the manipulation of targeted sets of neurons in the brains of freely behaving animals. The success of these efforts relies on the experimenter's ability to target arbitrarily small subsets of neurons for manipulation, but such specificity of targeting cannot routinely be achieved using existing methods. In , a widely-used technique for refined cell type-specific manipulation is the Split GAL4 system, which augments the targeting specificity of the binary GAL4-UAS (Upstream Activating Sequence) system by making GAL4 transcriptional activity contingent upon two enhancers, rather than one.

Control devices for electrically powered wheelchairs: prevalence, defining characteristics and user perspectives.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of control devices for electrically powered wheelchairs (EPWs), related characteristic features and users' views on their utility.

Method: Postal survey of users of a regional NHS wheelchair service using a purpose-designed questionnaire (n = 262, ≥18 years old).

Results: Mean age 54.

Insect Olfaction: Telling Food from Foe.

The same sensory signal can be interpreted differently according to context. A new study in Drosophila uses cell-type-specific tools to identify neural circuits that integrate context during olfactory processing and surprisingly implicates memory-recall neurons.

Ultrafast tissue staining with chemical tags.

Genetically encoded fluorescent proteins and immunostaining are widely used to detect cellular and subcellular structures in fixed biological samples. However, for thick or whole-mount tissue, each approach suffers from limitations, including limited spectral flexibility and lower signal or slow speed, poor penetration, and high background labeling, respectively. We have overcome these limitations by using transgenically expressed chemical tags for rapid, even, high-signal and low-background labeling of thick biological tissues.

Patient and equipment profile for wheelchair seating clinic provision.

Purpose: To characterise the provision of wheelchair seating both pre- and post-clinical intervention and compare and contrast the two largest diagnostic groups.

Method: The case notes of those attending a wheelchair seating clinic for adults over a defined period were reviewed retrospectively. A classification system was devised that delineates between the complexity and type of equipment to gain a better understanding of provision.

Clinical standards for National Health Service wheelchair and seating services in Scotland.

Purpose: To develop rigorous clinical standards for National Health Service (NHS) wheelchair and seating services in Scotland.

Method: Clinical standards and an evaluation tool were developed by a working group using a well-established methodology. The available evidence was reviewed and a person-centre, iterative, consensus decision-making approach was employed to draft the standards.