eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Multiple event segmentation mechanisms in the human brain

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Tan T Nguyen
   2. Joset A Etzel
   3. Matthew A Bezdek
   4. Jeffrey M Zacks

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This valuable study tests whether prediction error or prediction uncertainty controls how the brain segments continuous experience into events. The paper uses validated models that predict human behavior to analyze multivariate neural pattern changes during naturalistic movie watching. The authors provide solid evidence that there are overlapping but partially distinct brain dynamics for each signal.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. The age and sex dynamics of heterosexual HIV transmission in Zambia: an HPTN 071 (PopART) phylogenetic and modelling study

   This article has 27 authors:

   1. Matthew D Hall
   2. William Probert
   3. Lucie Abeler-Dörner
   4. Chris Wymant
   5. Francesco di Lauro
   6. Xiayoue Xi
   7. Rafael Sauter
   8. Tanya Golubchik
   9. David Bonsall
   10. Michael Pickles
   11. Anne Cori
   12. Justin Bwalya
   13. Sian Floyd
   14. Nomtha Bell-Mandla
   15. Kwame Shanaube
   16. Blia Yang
   17. Peter Bock
   18. Deborah Donnell
   19. Mary K Grabowski
   20. Deenan Pillay
   21. Andrew Rambaut
   22. Oliver Ratmann
   23. Sarah Fidler
   24. Helen Ayles
   25. Richard Hayes
   26. Christophe Fraser
   27. the PANGEA-HIV consortium and the HPTN 071 (PopART) study team

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study provides evidence for our understanding of HIV transmission dynamics by age and sex in Zambia during the PopART trial; by combining phylogenetic and individual-based mathematical modelling (IBM), it adds depth to the epidemiological literature and may inform more strategic allocation of HIV prevention resources in sub-Saharan Africa. The authors employ two complementary and well-established methodologies (phylogenetics and IBM), and this dual approach is a notable strength. However, the evidence supporting key conclusions is incomplete, with several claims insufficiently substantiated by the data presented. Improvements in data presentation (e.g., quantification of qualitative statements, statistical estimates, and clearer description of results) would substantially strengthen the paper.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. RadD from Fusobacterium nucleatum Engages NKp46 to Promote Antitumor Cytotoxicity

   This article has 8 authors:

   1. Ahmed Rishiq
   2. Johanna Galski
   3. Reem Bsoul
   4. Mingdong Liu
   5. Rema Darawshe
   6. Renate Lux
   7. Gilad Bachrach
   8. Ofer Mandelboim

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This useful study describes a mechanism of microbial modulation of anti-tumor immunity, which is of considerable interest in the field. However, the experimental supports for the key mechanistic claim, the interaction between RadD and NKp46, are not robust. Multiple experimental inconsistencies, especially in vivo, weaken the conclusions, making the strength of evidence incomplete. Additional controls, direct binding assays, and clarification of in vivo mechanistic relevance would strengthen the work.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Inverted Assembly of the Lens Within Ocular Organoids Reveals Alternate Paths to Ocular Morphogenesis

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Elin Stahl
   2. Miguel Angel Delgado-Toscano
   3. Ishwariya Saravanan
   4. Anastasija Paneva
   5. Joachim Wittbrodt
   6. Lucie Zilova

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study demonstrates that ocular organoids can generate both retina and lens through a non-canonical, "inside-out" morphogenetic route. The work is solid, with well-designed experiments combining imaging, molecular analyses, and transcriptomics to establish that lens formation in organoids follows conserved molecular programs despite an alternative morphogenesis. These findings expand our understanding of self-organization and developmental plasticity, and will be of broad interest to researchers working on eye development, organoids, and tissue engineering.

     [Editors' note: this paper was reviewed by Review Commons.]

   Reviewed by eLife, Review Commons

5. Neural Representation of Associative Threat Learning in Pulvinar Divisions, Lateral Geniculate Nucleus, and Mediodorsal Thalamus in Humans

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Muhammad Badarnee
   2. Zhenfu Wen
   3. B Isabel Moallem
   4. Stephen Maren
   5. Mohammed R Milad

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The study provides valuable insights into the role of thalamic nuclei in associative threat and extinction learning, supported by a large dataset and multipronged analyses. However, aspects of the evidence remain incomplete, particularly regarding the statistical methods, the claims of plasticity, and the network modeling framework. With this addressed, this manuscript will be of interest to those interested in learning and memory, fear, thalamic circuitry, and related mental heath conditions.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. Controlling the synchronization and symmetry breaking of coupled bacterial pili on active biofilm carpets

   This article has 11 authors:

   1. Baha Altın
   2. Yusuf Ilker Yaman
   3. Enes Talha Günay
   4. Alp Ünlü
   5. Yiğithan Gediz
   6. Neslihan Gedik
   7. Bora Karadaş
   8. Mustafa Başaran
   9. Coşkun Kocabaş
   10. Şahin Özdemir
   11. Aşkın Kocabaş

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study concerns the propagation of waves in bacterial biofilms, bridging active matter physics and bacterial biophysics. While the experimental observations are solid, the theoretical interpretation and model validation are currently incomplete and require further refinement. This work will be of interest to microbiologists, biophysicists, and researchers studying collective behavior in biological systems.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Perceptual glimpses are locally accumulated and globally maintained at distinct processing levels

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Elisabeth Parés-Pujolràs
   2. Anna C Geuzebroek
   3. Redmond G O’Connell
   4. Simon P Kelly

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study resolves a cryo-EM structure of the GPCR, human GPR30, which responds to bicarbonate and regulates cellular responses to pH and ion homeostasis. Understanding the ligand and the mechanism of activation is important to the field of receptor signaling and potentially facilitates drug development targeting this receptor. Structures and functional assays provide solid evidence for a potential bicarbonate binding site.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Spontaneous fluctuations in global connectivity reflect transitions between states of high and low prediction error

   This article has 5 authors:

   1. Paul C Bogdan
   2. Shenyang Huang
   3. Lifu Deng
   4. Simon W Davis
   5. Roberto Cabeza

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study uses a valuable combination of functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography (EEG) to study brain activity related to prediction errors in relation to both sensorimotor and more complex cognitive functions. It provides incomplete evidence to suggest that prediction error minimisation drives brain activity across both types of processing and that elevated inter-regional functional coupling along a superior-inferior axis is associated with high prediction error, whereas coupling along a posterior-anterior axis is associated with low prediction error. The manuscript will be of interest to neuroscientists working on predictive coding and decision-making, but would benefit from more precise localisation of EEG sources and more rigorous statistical controls.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. Spyglass: a framework for reproducible and shareable neuroscience research

   This article has 29 authors:

   1. Kyu Hyun Lee
   2. Eric L Denovellis
   3. Ryan Ly
   4. Jeremy Magland
   5. Jeff Soules
   6. Alison E Comrie
   7. Daniel P Gramling
   8. Jennifer A Guidera
   9. Rhino Nevers
   10. Philip Adenekan
   11. Chris Brozdowski
   12. Samuel R Bray
   13. Emily Monroe
   14. Ji Hyun Bak
   15. Michael E Coulter
   16. Xulu Sun
   17. Emrey Broyles
   18. Donghoon Shin
   19. Sharon Chiang
   20. Cristofer Holobetz
   21. Andrew Tritt
   22. Oliver Rübel
   23. Thinh Nguyen
   24. Dimitri Yatsenko
   25. Joshua Chu
   26. Caleb Kemere
   27. Samuel Garcia
   28. Alessio Buccino
   29. Loren M Frank

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This valuable study presents a framework for a shareable data analysis pipeline aimed at improving reproducibility in neuroscience. The evidence for robustness and inter-laboratory operability is convincing. However, aspects such as accessibility for new users, flexibility for custom analyses, and plans for long-term maintenance remain incomplete. Overall, this work will be of interest to neuroscientists engaged in the analysis of large-scale neuronal recordings.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. MORC2 Mediates Transcriptional Regulation Through Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation and DNA Binding

    This article has 9 authors:

    1. Yanshen Zhang
    2. Weiya Xu
    3. Wenxiu Duan
    4. Yu Wei
    5. Wenli Jiang
    6. Feng Zhu
    7. Chengdong Huang
    8. Chao Wang
    9. Yihui Bi

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      This useful study has demonstrated that MORC2 undergoes phase separation in cells and established multiple interactions responsible for the phase separation. While the characterizations of protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions are solid, there is currently incomplete evidence supporting the claim that MORC2 phase separation contributes to the gene regulatory role of MORC2 in cells. With a stronger link between MORC2 phase separation and cellular function, and further analysis of how disease-linked mutations impact condensation propensity, this study would be of significant interest to biophysicists and molecular biologists working on the role of condensates in gene regulation.

    Reviewed by eLife