A collection of stories you may have missed.

Tessa E.S. Charlesworth
Sep 11, 2019; 39:7228-7243
Viewpoints

Emerging research in nonhuman animals implicates cerebellar projections to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in appetitive behaviors, but these circuits have not been characterized in humans. Here, we mapped cerebello-VTA white matter connectivity in a cohort of men and women using probabilistic tractography on diffusion imaging data from the Human Connectome Project. We uncovered the topographical organization of these connections by separately tracking from parcels of cerebellar lobule VI, crus I/II, vermis, paravermis, and cerebrocerebellum. Results revealed that connections between the cerebellum and VTA predominantly originate in the right cerebellar hemisphere, interposed nucleus, and paravermal cortex and terminate mostly ipsilaterally. Paravermal crus I sends the most connections to the VTA compared with other lobules. We discovered a mediolateral gradient of connectivity, such that the medial cerebellum has the highest connectivity with the VTA. Individual differences in microstructure were associated with measures of negative affect and social functioning. By splitting the tracts into quarters, we found that the socioaffective effects were driven by the third quarter of the tract, corresponding to the point at which the fibers leave the deep nuclei. Taken together, we produced detailed maps of cerebello-VTA structural connectivity for the first time in humans and established their relevance for trait differences in socioaffective regulation.

Large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have associated intronic variants in PDE4B, encoding cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase-4B (PDE4B), with increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as schizophrenia and substance use disorders that are often comorbid with it. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms of genetic risk involving PDE4B are poorly understood. To examine the effects of PDE4B variation on phenotypes with translational relevance to psychiatric disorders, we focused on PDE4B missense variant M220T, which is present in the human genome as rare coding variant rs775201287. When expressed in HEK-293 cells, PDE4B1-M220T exhibited an attenuated response to a forskolin-elicited increase in the intracellular cAMP concentration. In behavioral tests, homozygous Pde4b^M220T male mice with a C57BL/6JJcl background exhibited increased reactivity to novel environments, startle hyperreactivity, prepulse inhibition deficits, altered cued fear conditioning, and enhanced spatial memory, accompanied by an increase in cAMP signaling pathway-regulated expression of BDNF in the hippocampus. In response to a traumatic event (10 tone–shock pairings), neuronal activity was decreased in the cortex but enhanced in the amygdala and hippocampus of Pde4b^M220T mice. At 24 h post-trauma, Pde4b^M220T mice exhibited increased startle hyperreactivity and decreased plasma corticosterone levels, similar to phenotypes exhibited by PTSD patients. Trauma-exposed Pde4b^M220T mice also exhibited a slower decay in freezing at 15 and 30 d post-trauma, demonstrating enhanced persistence of traumatic memories, similar to that exhibited by PTSD patients. These findings provide substantive mouse model evidence linking PDE4B variation to PTSD-relevant phenotypes and thus highlight how genetic variation of PDE4B may contribute to PTSD risk.

Over 100 professional vacancies are in the process of being released and opened for applications. They cover mainly technical areas of work in headquarters and regional offices.

In addition, global calls [...]

FAO was the international guest of honour at the 2017 Salon Goûts et Terroirs, a Swiss cultural and gastronomic exhibition that took place from 29 November - 3 December.

This edition of The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO) discusses how trade policies, based on both multilateral and regional approaches, can address today’s challenges for sustainable development. 

This year’s report should dispel any lingering doubts that the world is moving backwards in its efforts to end hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in all its forms. We are [...]

Your feedback on the First Continental Congress, Douglas MacArthur and England's tangled history

In 1967, a horrific fire broke out during a routine pre-launch test for the Apollo 1 mission at Cape Kennedy, Florida. It would claim the lives of three NASA astronauts

Atlantic staff writer Frank Foer interviews Damion Thomas about athletes moving from a position of apathy to engagement

The Artemis program represents the pinnacle of NASA's mind-boggling technological capabilities. Learn about the groundbreaking achievements and breathtaking lunar landscapes that await us in this new era of space exploration. --- For more videos from Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/ Digital Editorial Director: Brian Wolly Supervising Producer & Scriptwriter: Michelle Mehrtens Video Editor: Sierra Theobald

Tensions intensified between Cuba and the United States in October 1962 as they appear destined to plunge the planet in global war

What did analysts find in the recon photographs from the Cuban Missile Crisis? http://j.mp/RwFMbj Former CIA analyst Dino Brugioni was one of the first to spot missiles in Cuba in October 1962.

Experts have confirmed that the image of "Knight, Death and the Devil" is a real master engraving by the renowned German artist Albrecht Dürer

The annual award ceremony featured costumes, songs and paper airplanes as scientists recognized comedic research across ten disciplines

A new study identified the tiny pollutants in the olfactory bulbs of eight cadavers, suggesting microplastics can travel through the nose to the brain

On this day in 1690, "Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick" attracted colonial officials' ire by repeating a scandalous rumor and condemning a British alliance with the Mohawk

Scientists sent bioengineered heart tissue samples to the ISS to study how to keep astronauts safe during future long-term space travel

A new exhibition in New York celebrates Berthe Weill, an often overlooked but visionary figure who jumpstarted the careers of many of modern art's giants

The president atoned for the federal government's role in forcing Native American children into boarding schools, where many were abused and more than 900 died

The owners inherited the valuable coin from their brother, who kept it locked in a bank vault for decades. He purchased it with his mother in 1978 to provide financial security for the family farm

This brief chapter of art history is often overlooked. Now, an exhibition in New York City makes a strong argument for the integral role played by four artists in the city of Siena

As Week 3 of the provincial election campaign begins, there are questions about how Nova Scotia's major political parties plan to combat the rising number of opioid overdose deaths. 

The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) has established a non-urgent text line for transit users to signal security issues in the Metro network.

The technique of visualizing axon pathways in the embryonic ventral nerve cord using antibody labeling has been fundamental to our understanding of the genetic and developmental mechanisms underlying nervous system wiring in Drosophila. High-resolution microscopic examination of the ventral nerve cord remains an essential component of many experiments in Drosophila developmental neuroscience. Although it is possible to examine the ventral nerve cord in intact whole-mount embryos, to collect the highest-quality images it is often useful to isolate the nervous system away from the other embryonic tissues through embryo dissection. This protocol describes methods for dissecting ventral nerve cords from Drosophila embryos that have been fixed and stained via immunofluorescence or horseradish peroxidase (HRP) immunohistochemistry. The process of making fine dissection needles for this purpose from electrolytically sharpened tungsten wire is also described. Dissected and mounted ventral nerve cords can be examined and imaged using a variety of microscopy techniques including differential interference contrast (DIC) optics, epifluorescence, or confocal microscopy.

"Since my childhood, I have been anxious about missing out. I remember not wanting to sleep whenever I heard the adults chatting in the night. I wanted to be part of it all. Later on, in high school, I said “yes” to every event and outing, which ended up crashing so many times. I couldn’t choose. I wanted to be there to celebrate all the fun moments but also share all the tears in the low moments," says Ivy. "However, this lifestyle of being afraid of missing out could not continue when I joined missions. I have had to learn how to let go when I miss out on opportunities to create precious memories with family and friends in my home country."

Juanita Migwans of M'Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island has been missing for over a month, but her aunt says she’s not giving up on the search.

A Métis pad saddle from the early 1800s is on display at the Cantonal Museum of Archaeology and History in Lausanne, Switzerland, sitting alongside contemporary beadwork created by other Red River Métis artists. 

A missing 26-year-old Sagkeeng First Nation man has been found dead in the community of Fort Alexander, about 100 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, Powerview RCMP say. Christian Letander's body was found Monday near the Winnipeg River.

We've heard what the candidates want to do about community safety in Saskatoon. Here's what the people already doing the work say the new mayor and council should do after the civic election.

Officials have issued wind and rainfall warnings for Tuesday night in several regions as another fall storm approaches southwestern B.C.

A Veterans Affairs Canada education and training benefit is helping retired soldiers, sailors and airmen fit into a new uniform at Ottawa's Le Cordon Bleu.

The agenda for Planning Commission on 2019-09-23 7:00 PM dated Monday, 23 September 2019 has been archived. Access it here:
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The agenda for City Commission - Work Session dated Wednesday, 02 October 2019 has been archived. Access it here:
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The agenda for Urban Renewal Commission dated Wednesday, 02 October 2019 has been archived. Access it here:
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The agenda for City Commission - Joint Work Session with the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee dated Tuesday, 08 October 2019 has been archived. Access it here:
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The agenda for City Commission - Work Session - REVISED dated Tuesday, 08 October 2019 has been archived. Access it here:
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The agenda for Planning Commission on 2019-10-14 7:00 PM dated Monday, 14 October 2019 has been archived. Access it here:
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The agenda for City Commission dated Wednesday, 16 October 2019 has been archived. Access it here:
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The agenda for City Commission - Work Session dated Wednesday, 16 October 2019 has been archived. Access it here:
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The agenda for Planning Commission on 2019-10-28 7:00 PM dated Monday, 28 October 2019 has been archived. Access it here:
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The agenda for City Commission dated Wednesday, 06 November 2019 has been archived. Access it here:
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The agenda for City Commission - Work Session dated Tuesday, 12 November 2019 has been archived. Access it here:
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The agenda for Planning Commission on 2019-11-18 7:00 PM - Special Date dated Monday, 18 November 2019 has been archived. Access it here:
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The agenda for City Commission dated Wednesday, 20 November 2019 has been archived. Access it here:
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The agenda for Planning Commission on 2019-11-25 7:00 PM dated Monday, 25 November 2019 has been archived. Access it here:
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The agenda for Urban Renewal Commission dated Monday, 25 November 2019 has been archived. Access it here:
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