In response to recommendations to redefine statistical significance to p ≤ .005, we propose that researchers should transparently report and justify all choices they make when designing a study, including the alpha level.

No abstract

We combined single molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) with single particle tracking in live cells to detect the in vivo conformation of individual proteins. We site-specifically labeled recombinant SNARE proteins with a FRET donor and acceptor before microinjecting them into cultured cells. We observed that individual proteins rapidly incorporated into folded complexes at the cell membrane, demonstrating the potential of this method to reveal dynamic interactions within cells.

Decades of rodent research have established the role of hippocampal sharp wave ripples (SPW-Rs) in consolidating and guiding experience. More recently, intracranial recordings in humans have suggested their role in episodic and semantic memory. Yet, common standards for recording, detection, and reporting do not exist. Here, we outline the methodological challenges involved in detecting ripple events and offer practical recommendations to improve separation from other high-frequency oscillations. We argue that shared experimental, detection, and reporting standards will provide a solid foundation for future translational discovery.

The CA3 and dentate gyrus (DG) regions of the hippocampus are considered key for disambiguating sensory inputs from similar experiences in memory, a process termed pattern separation. The neural mechanisms underlying pattern separation, however, have been difficult to compare across species: rodents offer robust recording methods with less human-centric tasks, while humans provide complex behavior with less recording potential. To overcome these limitations, we trained monkeys to perform a visual pattern separation task similar to those used in humans while recording activity from single CA3/DG neurons. We find that, when animals discriminate recently seen novel images from similar (lure) images, behavior indicative of pattern separation, CA3/DG neurons respond to lure images more like novel than repeat images. Using a population of these neurons, we are able to classify novel, lure, and repeat images from each other using this pattern of firing rates. Notably, one subpopulation of these neurons is more responsible for distinguishing lures and repeats-the key discrimination indicative of pattern separation.hippocampus | memory | pattern separation | electrophysiology | primate