The sudden appearance of a visual distractor shortly before saccade initiation can capture spatial attention and modulate the saccade trajectory in spite of the ongoing execution of the initial plan to shift gaze straight to the saccade target. To elucidate the neural correlates underlying these curved saccades, we recorded from single neurons in the frontal eye field of two male rhesus monkeys shifting gaze to a target while a distractor with the same eccentricity appeared either left or right of the target at various delays after target presentation. We found that the population level of presaccadic activity of neurons representing the distractor location encoded the direction of the saccade trajectory. Stronger activity occurred when saccades curved toward the distractor, and weaker when saccades curved away. This relationship held whether the distractor was ipsilateral or contralateral to the recorded neurons. Meanwhile, visually responsive neurons showed asymmetrical patterns of excitatory responses that varied with the location of the distractor and the duration of distractor processing relating to attentional capture and distractor inhibition. During earlier distractor processing, neurons encoded curvature toward the distractor. During later distractor processing, neurons encoded curvature away from the distractor. This was observed when saccades curved away from distractors contralateral to the recording site and when saccades curved toward distractors ipsilateral to the recording site. These findings indicate that saccadic motor planning involves dynamic push–pull hemispheric interactions producing attraction or repulsion for potential but unselected saccade targets.

Peripheral taste neurons exhibit functional, genetic, and morphological diversity, yet understanding how or if these attributes combine into taste neuron types remains unclear. In this study, we used male and female mice to relate taste bud innervation patterns to the function of a subset of proenkephalin-expressing (Penk+) taste neurons. We found that taste arbors (the portion of the axon within the taste bud) stemming from Penk+ neurons displayed diverse branching patterns and lacked stereotypical endings. The range in complexity observed for individual taste arbors from Penk+ neurons mirrored the entire population, suggesting that taste arbor morphologies are not primarily regulated by the neuron type. Notably, the distinguishing feature of arbors from Penk+ neurons was their propensity to come within 110 nm (in apposition with) different types of taste-transducing cells within the taste bud. This finding is contrary to the expectation of genetically defined taste neuron types that functionally represent a single stimulus. Consistently, further investigation of Penk+ neuron function revealed that they are more likely to respond to innately aversive stimuli—sour, bitter, and high salt concentrations—as compared with the full taste population. Penk+ neurons are less likely to respond to nonaversive stimuli—sucrose, umami, and low salt—compared with the full population. Our data support the presence of a genetically defined neuron type in the geniculate ganglion that is responsive to innately aversive stimuli. This implies that genetic expression might categorize peripheral taste neurons into hedonic groups, rather than simply identifying neurons that respond to a single stimulus.

The prefrontal cortex is critical for decision-making across species, with its activity linked to choosing between options. Drift diffusion models (DDMs) are commonly employed to understand the neural computations underlying this behavior. Studies exploring the specific roles of regions of the rodent prefrontal cortex in controlling the decision process are limited. This study explored the role of the prelimbic cortex (PLC) in decision-making using a two-alternative forced-choice task. Rats first learned to report the location of a lateralized visual stimulus. The brightness of the stimulus indicated its reward value. Then, the rats learned to make choices between pairs of stimuli. Sex differences in learning were observed, with females responding faster and more selectively to high-value stimuli than males. DDM analysis found that males had decreased decision thresholds during initial learning, whereas females maintained a consistently higher drift rate. Pharmacological manipulations revealed that PLC inactivation reduced the decision threshold for all rats, indicating that less information was needed to make a choice in the absence of normal PLC processing. μ-Opioid receptor stimulation of the PLC had the opposite effect, raising the decision threshold and reducing bias in the decision process toward high-value stimuli. These effects were observed without any impact on the rats’ choice preferences. Our findings suggest that PLC has an inhibitory role in the decision process and regulates the amount of evidence that is required to make a choice. That is, PLC activity controls "when," but not "how," to act.

The extent to which neural representations of fear experience depend on or generalize across the situational context has remained unclear. We systematically manipulated variation within and across three distinct fear-evocative situations including fear of heights, spiders, and social threats. Participants (n = 21; 10 females and 11 males) viewed ~20 s clips depicting spiders, heights, or social encounters and rated fear after each video. Searchlight multivoxel pattern analysis was used to identify whether and which brain regions carry information that predicts fear experience and the degree to which the fear-predictive neural codes in these areas depend on or generalize across the situations. The overwhelming majority of brain regions carrying information about fear did so in a situation-dependent manner. These findings suggest that local neural representations of fear experience are unlikely to involve a singular pattern but rather a collection of multiple heterogeneous brain states.

Headlines for November 13, 2024; ACLU Attorney Lee Gelernt on How Rights Groups Are Preparing to Fight Trump’s Mass Deportations; Immigrant Activist to Biden: Close Deportation Cases Now to Take a Weapon Away from Trump; Trump Taps Fossil Fuel Ally Lee Zeldin to Head EPA, Push “Anti-Environmental Agenda”; Head of U.N. Climate Summit in Azerbaijan Caught on Tape Pushing Oil & Gas Deals

While other couples in their fifties talk about retirement, Philip and Riana Dyason are talking about a new beginning: pioneer ministry in Russia.

Unite Nations in Cape Town (UNIC) works alongside two local universities, building friendships with the international students for God’s kingdom.

On 23 January 2015, OM South Africa celebrated Pranesh Anandlal’s leadership as director since 2008 and welcomed his successor, Andrè van der Bergh.

Australian outreach participant Kathryn Jenkin testifies to how God used her prayers while on outreach in Lesotho.

OM Russia develops a stream in their Discipleship Centre programme dedicated to training the deaf, so that more deaf students can participate in missions.

The OM Russia Discipleship Centre opens its doors to 13 new students in September and opens a second OM building on the site.

OM Russia’s Student Christian Centre, in partnership with the local Evangelical Church, reaches universities in Novosibirsk. The project leader shares about plans for this year.

OM Russia works to bring hope to neighbours affected by HIV and AIDS.

A group of Russians participates in an OM Moldova summer outreach for children.

OM Philippines hosts micro-business workshops that offer a future with hope.

God brings a young boy back to life and his parents recognise Jesus as Lord.

No known believers from a Muslim background existed in Turkey when the first two OMers arrived in 1961. Now, nearly half of the 7,000 believers there can trace their journey through the Bible Correspondence Course.

An Uzbek girl living in Istanbul, Turkey enters into relationship with Jesus after having a dream.

A family in Turkey is impacted by the gospel through contacts with the Bible Correspondence Course.

An OMer learning Turkish was encouraged when she shared the message of the gospel with a taxi driver in a city in Western Turkey.

OM Lifehope Dancelink holds a workshop for girls in a predominately Muslim area of Birmingham to teach not only dance moves but also about Jesus.

English Language Community Outreach students from OM Lifehope lend a hand to volunteers at the Black Country Food Bank near Birmingham, UK.

An English nurse embraces the challenge of a lifetime on Lake Tanganyika.

OM Zambia develops women through skills training in sewing, cooking, embroidery and more to bring change to communities.

Catherine, from the UK, joined an OM team in July to host a dental clinic and outreach for the residents of Pădureni.

A Roma man’s cry to God for mercy to spare his son’s life transforms his future and the future of his small town.

OM founder George Verwer speaks at the Romanian Brethren Assembly about living a pure life and standing against the issue of abortion.

A recap of Bus4Life's ministry in Romania during the summer of 2018.

Joe, a long-term OM worker and ministry leader, shares a glimpse into the work of God inside the war-torn Syria.

Restoration and hope: A Bedouin woman and her son earn new income selling beans after listening to an OM worker share ideas about starting a small business.

Believers bring a positive identity message to teenage girls living in a remote village.

Since the Syrian war began, OM workers have served alongside locals, including Muslim background believers, to spread hope amongst desperate people.

Two workers share their motivation to keep going when they encounter disappointments in ministry.

Children with disabilities blossom through a community-based rehabilitation programme and teach the women who work with them about unconditional love.

Tim and Sophie, an Australian couple with OM in Paris, experienced life in North Africa, and its many different needs and difficulties, through Transform 2012.

Incarnate 2014, a course in arts and mission hosted by OM Italy, touches the lives of the students and local community.

OM Arts artists participating in the Incarnate programme in Italy create a collaborative piece of prophetic art for the local community.

Bloody feet. Blisters. That wasn’t the expectation of eager Transform participants who left the conference in Rome to join OM Spain on a unique journey.

By visiting a local park in Catalonia regularly, to get to know the youth, and handing out little bags of toasted corn, the OM team are able to make friendships and share seeds of faith

Pari Bala, National Director of OM Malaysia, shares about her journey to Christ and missions, along with the opportunities and challenges she faces in ministry.

OM Malaysia is moving away from the concept of TeenStreet and investing into training people to work with the next generation instead.

The second batch of Timothy Trekkers met for the first time in Seremban, Malaysia, on 1 July to begin the 12-month leadership development course.

An OM worker in Bosnia shares how the enduring faith of two elderly women of God has inspired her to also persevere to the end.

Claudia Costa, from Brazil, discusses her personal journey to leadership in Europe and the unity believers share in the body of Christ.

A group of 45 OM volunteers from El Salvador are safe after a bus accident in Nicaragua last Saturday.

A group of 32 Salvadorians recently crossed borders to share the gospel with people in Belize.

OM El Salvador sets out to redeem a rough neighbourhood.

As OM Czech Republic team members reach out to sex workers by visiting a brothel regularly, they are able to establish friendships and talk about God and His care for the women there, and offer them Christmas gifts, which touch hearts.

God heals physical and spiritual lives during OM Ecuador’s 2014 Medical Brigade in the Saraguro Canton region of Ecuador.

Carmita from the city of Pedernales and Rosita from the community of La Estancia acknowledge God's work through the OM teams sent to their people affected by the earthquake.