Neural networks that control reproduction must integrate social and hormonal signals, tune motivation, and invigorate social interactions. However, the neurocircuit mechanisms for these processes remain unresolved. The medial preoptic area (mPOA), an essential node for social behaviors and is comprised of molecularly-diverse neurons with widespread projections. Here, we identify a steroid-responsive subset of neurotensin (Nts) expressing mPOA neurons that interface with the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to form a socially-engaged reward circuit. Using in vivo 2-photon imaging in female mice, we show that mPOANts neurons preferentially encode attractive male cues compared to non-social appetitive stimuli. Ovarian hormone signals regulate both the physiological and cue encoding properties of these cells. Furthermore, optogenetic stimulation of mPOANts-VTA circuitry promotes rewarding phenotypes, social approach, and striatal dopamine release. Collectively, these data demonstrate that steroid-sensitive mPOA neurons encode ethologically-relevant stimuli and co-opt midbrain reward circuits to promote prosocial behavior critical for species survival.

BDP are inventors of a gene therapy for Angelman syndrome evaluated in this paper. This intellectual property has been filed, and a patent is pending (WO 2020/237130). Some of this research was conducted under a term of a license agreement with Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, and the technology is now licensed to Taysha Gene Therapies. MCJ, CS, SJG, and BDP received royalties from Asklepios BioPharmaceutical. BDP also served on a program committee and consulted for Asklepios BioPharmaceutical. These relationships have been disclosed to, and are under management by, UNC at Chapel Hill and UT Southwestern.

This article examines the media coverage produced by several international news organizations about four bombings carried out in Baghdad in the months preceding Iraq's national election conducted in March 2010. In particular, it utilizes the propaganda model postulated by Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman to analyse the construction of narratives of various government actors, and it seeks to determine the extent to which select news organizations were complicit in propagating an elite view. Iraqi and US government and military elites had a strong incentive to co-opt the media as they sought to convince, particularly the Iraqi public, that insurgent activity could not undermine the security that the Iraqi army and police forces maintained. Moreover, applying the five filters comprising the propaganda model suggests that elites positioned themselves to disseminate their narratives due, in part, to the high reliance by the media on official sources. Although the media coverage generally did not challenge various elitist views and did not provide alternative viewpoints, this article demonstrates that elites nevertheless failed to establish

In the version of this article initially published, there were errors in data analysis and presentation. The corrected analysis and presentation do not change the results or interpretation of the data. Asterisk definitions have also been added for clarity as noted below. Changes with respect to the number of subjects reflect errors in reporting only and did not affect the data analysis. The percentages in Figure 1b originally reported as 43, 3, 18 and 36% have been changed to 43, 1, 19 and 37%, respectively. In the first paragraph of the Results, "97% of Nts-labeled cells colocalizing with VTA beads" has been changed to "96% of Nts-labeled cells colocalizing with VTA beads" and "this subpopulation comprised 33% of all mPOA VTA-projecting neurons" has been changed to "this subpopulation comprised 35% of all mPOA VTA-projecting neurons. " In the legend for Figure 2a, the n value originally reported as 9 has been changed to 9 and 10, and asterisks have been added to read ***P = 0.0006. In Figure 3a, points were misplotted as a result of an error in data analysis. The graph has been replaced. The values originally reported in the legend as t 5 = 2.82, P = 0.0368 have been changed to t 5 = 5.85, **P = 0.0021. In the Figure 3d legend, the value originally reported as n = 52 cells has been changed to 51. In Figure 3e, the percentage in the male E2 pie chart for excited neurons has been changed from 24 to 23%. Figure 5b originally contained duplicate example traces of calcium transients that were supposed to be taken from three individual neurons; new traces have been supplied. In Figure 5c,d, the asterisks have been changed from *** to **** and defined in the legend as ****P < 0.0001, Bonferroni post hoc test, E2 versus pre and E2 versus post. In the Figure 5d legend, the value originally reported as F 2,252 = 13.13 has been changed to 17.32. In the Figure 5f legend, asterisks have been defined as ***P < 0.001, Bonferroni post hoc test. In Figure 5g, the horizontal axis was truncated at 60, resulting in missing data points; the graph has been replaced. In the Figure 5h legend, asterisks have been defined as *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, Bonferroni post hoc test. In the Figure 6e legend, the degrees of freedom originally reported as F 3,30 have been changed to F 3,27 . In the Figure 6g legend, the value originally reported as eYFP = 6 mice has been changed to eYFP = 7 mice. In the Figure 6h legend, the values originally reported as F 3,30 = 9.44, P = 0.0002 have been changed to F 3,24 = 15.2, P < 0.0001. In Figure 6i,j, points were misplotted as a result of an error in data analysis, and error bars plotted as s.d. were misidentified in the legend as s.e.m. The data have been replotted, with error bars representing s.e.m. In the Figure 6i legend, the values originally reported as F 1,8 = 23.2 have been changed to F 1,9 = 63.1. Asterisks have been defined at the end of the Figure 6 legend as *P < 0.05, ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001, Bonferroni post hoc test. The statistically significant differences in Figure 7b o...

No abstract