Place Code Research Articles

Operational Risk Control Strategies and Employee Performance of Commercial Banks in Cameroon

This study investigates the extent to which operational risk control strategies influence employee performance of commercial banks in Cameroon. Primary data was obtained by administering close-ended questionnaires to respondents of 14 selected commercial banks in Cameroon. Data analysis was based on descriptive statistics and Ordinary Least Squares regression. Results showed that amongst the operational risk control strategies under consideration, risk retention and risk avoidance significantly influence the employee performance of commercial banks in Cameroon whereas risk transfer and risk reduction showed no significant influence on the employee performance. Therefore, commercial banks in Cameroon should place more emphasis on internal control, auditing programs, provision for operational loss as well as putting in place codes of conduct, enhancing technology and screening of employees in order to increase employee performance.

Electrocochleography-Based Tonotopic Map: II. Frequency-to-Place Mismatch Impacts Speech-Perception Outcomes in Cochlear Implant Recipients.

Modern cochlear implants (CIs) use varying-length electrode arrays inserted at varying insertion angles within variably sized cochleae. Thus, there exists an opportunity to enhance CI performance, particularly in postlinguistic adults, by optimizing the frequency-to-place allocation for electrical stimulation, thereby minimizing the need for central adaptation and plasticity. There has been interest in applying Greenwood or Stakhovskaya et al. function (describing the tonotopic map) to postoperative imaging of electrodes to improve frequency allocation and place coding. Acoustically-evoked electrocochleography (ECochG) allows for electrophysiologic best-frequency (BF) determination of CI electrodes and the potential for creating a personalized frequency allocation function. The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between early speech-perception performance and frequency-to-place mismatch. This retrospective study included 50 patients who received a slim perimodiolar electrode array. Following electrode insertion, five acoustic pure-tone stimuli ranging from 0.25 to 2 kHz were presented, and electrophysiological measurements were collected across all 22 electrode contacts. Cochlear microphonic tuning curves were subsequently generated for each stimulus frequency to ascertain the BF electrode or the location corresponding to the maximum response amplitude. Subsequently, we calculated the difference between the stimulus frequency and the patient's CI map's actual frequency allocation at each BF electrode, reflecting the frequency-to-place mismatch. BF electrocochleography-total response (BF-ECochG-TR), a measure of cochlear health, was also evaluated for each subject to control for the known impact of this measure on performance. Our findings showed a moderate correlation (r = 0.51; 95% confidence interval: 0.23 to 0.76) between the cumulative frequency-to-place mismatch, as determined using the ECochG-derived BF map (utilizing 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz), and 3-month performance on consonant-nucleus-consonant words (N = 38). Larger positive mismatches, shifted basal from the BF map, led to enhanced speech perception. Incorporating BF-ECochG-TR, total mismatch, and their interaction in a multivariate model explained 62% of the variance in consonant-nucleus-consonant word scores at 3 months. BF-ECochG-TR as a standalone predictor tended to overestimate performance for subjects with larger negative total mismatches and underestimated the performance for those with larger positive total mismatches. Neither cochlear diameter, number of cochlear turns, nor apical insertion angle accounted for the variability in total mismatch. Comparison of ECochG-BF derived tonotopic electrode maps to the frequency allocation tables reveals substantial mismatch, explaining 26.0% of the variability in CI performance in quiet. Closer examination of the mismatch shows that basally shifted maps at high frequencies demonstrate superior performance at 3 months compared with those with apically shifted maps (toward Greenwood and Stakhovskaya et al.). The implications of these results suggest that electrophysiological-based frequency reallocation might lead to enhanced speech-perception performance, especially when compared with conventional manufacturer maps or anatomic-based mapping strategies. Future research, exploring the prospective use of ECochG-based mapping techniques for frequency allocation is underway.

Barcoding of episodic memories in the hippocampus of a food-caching bird

The hippocampus is critical for episodic memory. Although hippocampal activity represents place and other behaviorally relevant variables, it is unclear how it encodes numerous memories of specific events in life. To study episodic coding, we leveraged the specialized behavior of chickadees-food-caching birds that form memories at well-defined moments in time whenever they cache food for subsequent retrieval. Our recordings during caching revealed very sparse, transient barcode-like patterns of firing across hippocampal neurons. Each "barcode" uniquely represented a caching event and transiently reactivated during the retrieval of that specific cache. Barcodes co-occurred with the conventional activity of place cells but were uncorrelated even for nearby cache locations that had similar place codes. We propose that animals recall episodic memories by reactivating hippocampal barcodes. Similarly to computer hash codes, these patterns assign unique identifiers to different events and could be a mechanism for rapid formation and storage of many non-interfering memories.

Neural and behavioural state switching during hippocampal dentate spikes

Distinct brain and behavioural states are associated with organized neural population dynamics that are thought to serve specific cognitive functions1–3. Memory replay events, for example, occur during synchronous population events called sharp-wave ripples in the hippocampus while mice are in an ‘offline’ behavioural state, enabling cognitive mechanisms such as memory consolidation and planning4–11. But how does the brain re-engage with the external world during this behavioural state and permit access to current sensory information or promote new memory formation? Here we found that the hippocampal dentate spike, an understudied population event that frequently occurs between sharp-wave ripples12, may underlie such a mechanism. We show that dentate spikes are associated with distinctly elevated brain-wide firing rates, primarily observed in higher order networks, and couple to brief periods of arousal. Hippocampal place coding during dentate spikes aligns to the mouse’s current spatial location, unlike the memory replay accompanying sharp-wave ripples. Furthermore, inhibiting neural activity during dentate spikes disrupts associative memory formation. Thus, dentate spikes represent a distinct brain state and support memory during non-locomotor behaviour, extending the repertoire of cognitive processes beyond the classical offline functions.

Grid codes vs. multi-scale, multi-field place codes for space.

Recent work on bats flying over long distances has revealed that single hippocampal cells have multiple place fields of different sizes. At the network level, a multi-scale, multi-field place cell code outperforms classical single-scale, single-field place codes, yet the performance boundaries of such a code remain an open question. In particular, it is unknown how general multi-field codes compare to a highly regular grid code, in which cells form distinct modules with different scales. In this work, we address the coding properties of theoretical spatial coding models with rigorous analyses of comprehensive simulations. Starting from a multi-scale, multi-field network, we performed evolutionary optimization. The resulting multi-field networks sometimes retained the multi-scale property at the single-cell level but most often converged to a single scale, with all place fields in a given cell having the same size. We compared the results against a single-scale single-field code and a one-dimensional grid code, focusing on two main characteristics: the performance of the code itself and the dynamics of the network generating it. Our simulation experiments revealed that, under normal conditions, a regular grid code outperforms all other codes with respect to decoding accuracy, achieving a given precision with fewer neurons and fields. In contrast, multi-field codes are more robust against noise and lesions, such as random drop-out of neurons, given that the significantly higher number of fields provides redundancy. Contrary to our expectations, the network dynamics of all models, from the original multi-scale models before optimization to the multi-field models that resulted from optimization, did not maintain activity bumps at their original locations when a position-specific external input was removed. Optimized multi-field codes appear to strike a compromise between a place code and a grid code that reflects a trade-off between accurate positional encoding and robustness. Surprisingly, the recurrent neural network models we implemented and optimized for either multi- or single-scale, multi-field codes did not intrinsically produce a persistent "memory" of attractor states. These models, therefore, were not continuous attractor networks.

The Effect of Antenna Place Codes for Reducing Sidelobes of SIAR and Frequency Diverse Array Sensors

Synthetic impulse and aperture radar (SIAR) is a technique that frequency diverse array (FDA) radars can imply in practice, thus overcoming some of their challenges. SIAR radars, used in various fields like transportation and defense, can detect the range, azimuth angle, elevation angle, and Doppler of the target with their 4D‐matched filter and a single receiver. However, the challenge of high‐amplitude sidelobes is a significant concern for researchers. They have attempted to reduce it through various approaches, including frequency code, range–angle coupling, and range–Doppler coupling, to accurately identify target characteristics. This paper presents the antenna place code (AP code) parameter as a significant factor in minimizing sidelobe amplitudes. The parameter specifies that, rather than having all antennas active, a certain number of antennas are active in each pulse repetition interval (PRI) to achieve a lower sidelobe. Researchers have found that using AP codes can effectively lower the amplitude of the range–angle sidelobe, the range–Doppler sidelobe, error coupling, the repetition of sidelobe strands, and the output of angle error for different target angles. All studies are conducted on a linear array for simplicity. The output of various AP codes is compared to the previously common uniform array.

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Distance from Treatment Center Do Not Impact Survival Outcomes of Patients with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma Treated with CAR T-Cell Therapies

Introduction: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies have radically changed the treatment paradigm of patients (pts.) with relapsed/refractory (r/r) hematologic malignancies. Despite their remarkable efficacy, health care disparities can impact outcomes of pts. in the real-world setting. Living in a disadvantaged neighborhood has been associated with inferior outcomes after allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), independent from individual-level socioeconomic (SE) factors. Our study aimed to identify the impact of neighborhood adversity on survival outcomes of recipients of CAR T-cell therapies, as this has not been yet described. Methods: We retrospectively identified consecutive adult pts. with r/r B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) and multiple myeloma (MM) who received CAR T-cell therapies at our center from May 2018- January 2023. Neighborhood disadvantage was defined by Area Deprivation Index (ADI), a validated tool that allows for ranking of census block groups based on SE domains (income, education, employment, and housing quality) at a national level. The 2021 national ADI percentile ranks (1-100) were obtained for each pt. using the 9-digit zip code of place of residence, with a higher rank corresponding to higher level of disadvantage. We compared overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) between pts. with high vs. low ADI. We also examined survival outcomes in relation to estimated distance from place of residence to treatment center (DTC). Time dependent outcomes were calculated from date of CAR T infusion. Pts. with B-NHL and MM were analyzed separately. Baseline variables were compared between groups using chi-squared, t-test, and Wilcoxon rank sum tests as appropriate. Survival estimates were calculated with Kaplan-Meier method, and hazard ratios were generated using cox proportional hazards model. Results: CAR T therapy was administered in 124 and 45 pts. with B-NHL and MM, respectively. Median ages were 65 and 62 yrs., 68% and 51% were male, 94% and 84% were White, 47% and 20% had high-risk disease (based on IPI/MIPI for B-NHL, and FISH for MM), 30% and 69% had prior HSCT, and median number of prior therapies were 3 (range 1-6) and 6 (range 4-14), among pts. with B-NHL and MM, respectively. B-NHL subtypes included DLBCL (84%), MCL (6%), FL (5%), and PMBCL (5%), and CAR T products for B-NHL were axi-cel (52%), tisa-cel (24%), liso-cel (18%) and brexu-cel (6%). Ide-cel (82%) and cilta-cel (18%) were used in pts. with MM. We treated pts. from 169 census block groups over 8 states, although 89% pts. were from Ohio. For the entire cohort, median ADI rank was 62.5 (range 1-100) and median DTC was 42.5 (range 1-4559) miles (m). Pts. were categorized (based on median) as having high (> 62.5) or low (≤ 62.5) ADI, and long (> 42.5m) or short (≤ 42.5m) DTC. Longer DTC was significantly associated with higher ADI ( p<0.001). Baseline characteristics (age, sex, prior therapies, prior HSCT, high risk disease, CAR T product) were similar across groups with low vs. high ADI and short vs. long DTC. Median follow up time up was 12 (range 4-60) and 9 (range 4-22) months for living pts. with B-NHL and MM, respectively. For pts. with B-NHL, objective response rates (ORR) (85% vs. 80%; p=0.4), relapse rates (RR) (66% vs. 66%; p=0.9), median OS (19 vs. 14 months; HR of death: 1.2; 95% CI 0.7-1.8; p=0.5) ( Fig.1), and median PFS (10 vs. 5 months, HR of relapse: 1.1, 95% CI 0.7-1.7; p=0.6) were similar for pts. with low vs. high ADI. For pts. with MM, there were no differences in ORR (77% vs. 87%; p=0.3), RR (77% vs. 70%; p=0.5), median OS (14 vs. 18 months; HR of death: 0.8; 95% CI: 0.3-2; p=0.6) ( Fig.2), and median PFS (7 vs. 9 months, HR of relapse: 0.7, 95% CI 0.3-1.4; p=0.3) between those with low vs. high ADI. There were no differences in median OS of pts. with short vs. long DTC for NHL (19 vs. 14 months; HR: 1.2, 95% CI 0.7-1.9, p=0.4) or MM (14 vs. 20 months; HR: 0.9, 95% CI 0.3-2.5; p=0.9), or when DTC was analyzed as a continuous variable. Conclusion: In patients with r/r B-NHL and MM who received CAR T-cell therapies, response rates and survival outcomes were comparable regardless of neighborhood disadvantage level or distance to treatment center. Pts. living in more disadvantaged neighborhoods travelled longer distances for treatment. These findings prompt future investigation into referral patterns and access barriers to cellular immunotherapy, especially in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Goal-seeking compresses neural codes for space in the human hippocampus and orbitofrontal cortex

Humans can navigate flexibly to meet their goals. Here, we asked how the neural representation of allocentric space is distorted by goal-directed behavior. Participants navigated an agent to two successive goal locations in a grid world environment comprising four interlinked rooms, with a contextual cue indicating the conditional dependence of one goal location on another. Examining the neural geometry by which room and context were encoded in fMRI signals, we found that map-like representations of the environment emerged in both hippocampus and neocortex. Cognitive maps in hippocampus and orbitofrontal cortices were compressed so that locations cued as goals were coded together in neural state space, and these distortions predicted successful learning. This effect was captured by a computational model in which current and prospective locations are jointly encoded in a place code, providing a theory of how goals warp the neural representation of space in macroscopic neural signals.

Quantitative Earthquake Loss Estimates the New Frontier

Abstract Since 2003, an early focus has emerged on estimating earthquake fatalities, injuries, and financial losses. This new inquiry is not yet practiced by a majority of researchers, even though one might argue it is the most important question in seismology today. No sensitive structures like reservoir dams and nuclear power plants could be built without a detailed seismic hazard analysis specifically focused on the site. On the other hand, cities near large active faults do not have their building codes determined by rigorous and specific seismic hazard and risk analyses. This contrast is startling. It seems that where mostly money is at stake, it is mandatory to consider deterministic seismic hazard analyses for construction, whereas where mostly lives are at stake, it is not. I advocate that it should be mandatory for every major city near active faults to have the seismic hazard and risk estimated so as to put an adequate local building code and other safety measures in place. To this end, a standard procedure should be defined to assess local earthquake risk in populated areas exposed to earthquake hazards. In numerous countries, the population numbers in villages, as well as the locations and sizes of schools and hospitals, are not known, and some governments refuse to distribute this information, in spite of the fact that it would be for humanitarian purposes. Because the Open Street Map and Open Building Map begin to cover the globe, this missing information, essential for first responders in natural disasters, will become available and will contribute to preparing populations at risk to reduce the impact of unavoidable future earthquakes.

Differential outcomes of high-fat diet on age-related rescaling of cochlear frequency place coding.

Auditory frequency coding is place-specific, which depends on the mechanical coupling of the basilar membrane-outer hair cell (OHC)-tectorial membrane network. Prestin-based OHC electromotility improves cochlear frequency selectivity and sensitivity. Cochlear amplification determines the frequency coding wherein discrete sound frequencies find a 'best' place along the cochlear length. Loss of OHC is the leading cause of age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and is the most common cause of sensorineural hearing loss and compromised speech perception. Lipid interaction with Prestin impacts OHC function. It has been established that high-fat diet (HFD) is associated with ARHL. To determine whether genetic background and metabolism preserve cochlear frequency place coding, we examined the effect of HFD in C57BL/6J (B6) and CBA/CaJ (CBA) on ARHL.We found a significant rescuing effect on ARHL in aged B6 HFD cohort. Prestin levels and cell sizes were better maintained in the experimental B6-HFD group. We also found that distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) group delay measurement was preserved, which suggested stable frequency place coding. In contrast, the response to HFD in the CBA cohort was modest with no appreciable benefit to hearing threshold. Notably, group delay was shortened with age along with the control. In addition, the frequency dependent OHC nonlinear capacitance gradient was most pronounced at young age but decreased with age. Cochlear RNA-seq analysis revealed differential TRPV1 expression and lipid homeostasis. Activation of TRPV1 and downregulation of arachidonic acid led to downregulation of inflammatory response in B6 HFD, which protects the cochlea from ARHL. The genetic background and metabolic state-derived changes in OHC morphology and function collectively contribute to a redefined cochlear frequency place coding and improved age-related pitch perception.

The cerebellum promotes sequential foraging strategies and contributes to the directional modulation of hippocampal place cells

The cerebellum contributes to goal-directed navigation abilities and place coding in the hippocampus. Here we investigated its contribution to foraging strategies. We recorded hippocampal neurons in mice with impaired PKC-dependent cerebellar functions (L7-PKCI) and in their littermate controls while they performed a task where they were rewarded for visiting a subset of hidden locations. We found that L7-PKCI and control mice developed different foraging strategies: while control mice repeated spatial sequences to maximize their rewards, L7-PKCI mice persisted to use a random foraging strategy. Sequential foraging was associated with more place cells exhibiting theta-phase precession and theta rate modulation. Recording in the dark showed that PKC-dependent cerebellar functions controlled how self-motion cues contribute to the selectivity of place cells to both position and direction. Thus, the cerebellum contributes to the development of optimal sequential paths during foraging, possibly by controlling how self-motion and theta signals contribute to place cell coding.

Spatial coding in the hippocampus and hyperpallium of flying owls

The elucidation of spatial coding in the hippocampus requires exploring diverse animal species. While robust place-cells are found in the mammalian hippocampus, much less is known about spatial coding in the hippocampus of birds. Here we used a wireless-electrophysiology system to record single neurons in the hippocampus and other two dorsal pallial structures from freely flying barn owls (Tyto alba), a central-place nocturnal predator species with excellent navigational abilities. The owl's 3D position was monitored while it flew between perches. We found place cells-neurons that fired when the owl flew through a spatially restricted region in at least one direction-as well as neurons that encoded the direction of flight, and neurons that represented the owl's perching position between flights. Many neurons encoded combinations of position, direction, and perching. Spatial coding was maintained stable and invariant to lighting conditions. Place cells were observed in owls performing two different types of flying tasks, highlighting the generality of the result. Place coding was found in the anterior hippocampus and in the posterior part of the hyperpallium apicale, and to a lesser extent in the visual Wulst. The finding of place-cells in flying owls suggests commonalities in spatial coding across mammals and birds.

Are frog calls relatively difficult to locate by mammalian predators?

Frogs call in acoustically dense choruses to attract conspecific females. Their calls can potentially reveal their location to predators, many of which are mammals. However, frogs and mammals have very different acoustic receivers and mechanisms for determining sound source direction. We argue that frog calls may have been selected so that they are harder to locate with the direction-finding mechanisms of mammals. We focus on interaural time delay (ITD) estimation using delay-line coincidence detection (place code), and a binaural excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) ITD mechanism found in mammals with small heads (population code). We identify four "strategies" which frogs may employ to exploit the weaknesses of either mechanism. The first two strategies used by the frog confound delay estimation to increase direction ambiguity using highly periodic calls or narrowband calls. The third strategy relies on using short pulses. The E/I mechanism is susceptible to noise with sounds being pulled to the medial plane when signal-to-noise ratio is low. Together, these three strategies compromise both ongoing and onset determination of location using either mechanism. Finally, frogs call in dense choruses using various means for controlling synchrony, maintaining chorus tenure, and abruptly switching off calling, all of which serve to confound location finding. Of these strategies, only chorusing adversely impacts the localization performance of frogs' acoustic receivers. We illustrate these strategies with an analysis of calls from three different frog species.

Targeting aberrant dendritic integration to treat cognitive comorbidities of epilepsy.

Memory deficits are a debilitating symptom of epilepsy, but little is known about mechanisms underlying cognitive deficits. Here, we describe a Na+ channel-dependent mechanism underlying altered hippocampal dendritic integration, degraded place coding and deficits in spatial memory. Two-photon glutamate uncaging experiments revealed a marked increase in the fraction of hippocampal first-order CA1 pyramidal cell dendrites capable of generating dendritic spikes in the kainate model of chronic epilepsy. Moreover, in epileptic mice dendritic spikes were generated with lower input synchrony, and with a lower threshold. The Nav1.3/1.1 selective Na+ channel blocker ICA-121431 reversed dendritic hyperexcitability in epileptic mice, while the Nav1.2/1.6 preferring anticonvulsant S-Lic did not. We used in vivo two-photon imaging to determine if aberrant dendritic excitability is associated with altered place-related firing of CA1 neurons. We show that ICA-121431 improves degraded hippocampal spatial representations in epileptic mice. Finally, behavioural experiments show that reversing aberrant dendritic excitability with ICA-121431 reverses hippocampal memory deficits. Thus, a dendritic channelopathy may underlie cognitive deficits in epilepsy and targeting it pharmacologically may constitute a new avenue to enhance cognition.

Exercise increases information content and affects long-term stability of hippocampal place codes.

Physical exercise is known to augment brain functioning, improving memory and cognition. However, while some of the physiological effects of physical activity on the brain are known, little is known about its effects on the neural code. Using calcium imaging in freely behaving mice, we study how voluntary exercise affects the quality and long-term stability of hippocampal place codes. We find that running accelerates the emergence of a more informative spatial code in novel environments and increases code stability over days and weeks. Paradoxically, although runners demonstrated an overall more stable place code than their sedentary peers, their place code changed faster when controlling for code quality level. A model-based simulation shows that the combination of improved code quality and faster representational drift in runners, but neither of these effects alone, could account for our results. Thus, exercise may enhance hippocampal function via a more informative and dynamic place code.

Best frequencies and temporal delays are similar across the low-frequency regions of the guinea pig cochlea.

The cochlea maps tones with different frequencies to distinct anatomical locations. For instance, a faint 5000-hertz tone produces brisk responses at a place approximately 8 millimeters into the 18-millimeter-long guinea pig cochlea, but little response elsewhere. This place code pervades the auditory pathways, where neurons have “best frequencies” determined by their connections to the sensory cells in the hearing organ. However, frequency selectivity in cochlear regions encoding low-frequency sounds has not been systematically studied. Here, we show that low-frequency hearing works according to a unique principle that does not involve a place code. Instead, sound-evoked responses and temporal delays are similar across the low-frequency regions of the cochlea. These findings are a break from theories considered proven for 100 years and have broad implications for understanding information processing in the brainstem and cortex and for optimizing the stimulus delivery in auditory implants.

Hippocampal interlamellar cell-cell connectome that counts.

The hippocampus is regarded as a cognition hub, particularly for learning and memory. Previously, neuronal mechanisms underlying various cognitive functions are delineated with the lamellar hippocampal circuitry, dentate gyrus-CA3 or CA2-CA1, within the transverse plane. More recently, interlamellar (often referred to as longitudinal) projections have received intensive attention to help understand signal convergence and divergence in cognition and behavior. Signal propagation along the longitudinal axis is evidenced by axonal arborization patterns and synaptic responses to electro- and photo-stimulation, further demonstrating that information flow is more enriched in the longitudinal plane than the transverse plane. Here, we review the significance of longitudinal connections for cognition, discuss a putative circuit mechanism of place coding, and suggest the reconceptualization of the hippocampal circuitry.

Fos ensembles encode and shape stable spatial maps in the hippocampus

In the hippocampus, spatial maps are formed by place cells while contextual memories are thought to be encoded as engrams1–6. Engrams are typically identified by expression of the immediate early gene Fos, but little is known about the neural activity patterns that drive, and are shaped by, Fos expression in behaving animals7–10. Thus, it is unclear whether Fos-expressing hippocampal neurons also encode spatial maps and whether Fos expression correlates with and affects specific features of the place code11. Here we measured the activity of CA1 neurons with calcium imaging while monitoring Fos induction in mice performing a hippocampus-dependent spatial learning task in virtual reality. We find that neurons with high Fos induction form ensembles of cells with highly correlated activity, exhibit reliable place fields that evenly tile the environment and have more stable tuning across days than nearby non-Fos-induced cells. Comparing neighbouring cells with and without Fos function using a sparse genetic loss-of-function approach, we find that neurons with disrupted Fos function have less reliable activity, decreased spatial selectivity and lower across-day stability. Our results demonstrate that Fos-induced cells contribute to hippocampal place codes by encoding accurate, stable and spatially uniform maps and that Fos itself has a causal role in shaping these place codes. Fos ensembles may therefore link two key aspects of hippocampal function: engrams for contextual memories and place codes that underlie cognitive maps.

Process-aware digital twin cockpit synthesis from event logs

The engineering of digital twins and their user interaction parts with explicated processes, namely process-aware digital twin cockpits (PADTCs), is challenging due to the complexity of the systems and the need for information from different disciplines within the engineering process. Therefore, it is interesting to investigate how to facilitate their engineering by using already existing data, namely event logs, and reducing the number of manual steps for their engineering. Current research lacks systematic, automated approaches to derive process-aware digital twin cockpits even though some helpful techniques already exist in the areas of process mining and software engineering. Within this paper, we present a low-code development approach that reduces the amount of hand-written code needed and uses process mining techniques to derive PADTCs. We describe what models could be derived from event log data, which generative steps are needed for the engineering of PADTCs, and how process mining could be incorporated into the resulting application. This process is evaluated using the MIMIC III dataset for the creation of a PADTC prototype for an automated hospital transportation system. This approach can be used for early prototyping of PADTCs as it needs no hand-written code in the first place, but it still allows for the iterative evolvement of the application. This empowers domain experts to create their PADTC prototypes.

Hippocampal place codes are gated by behavioral engagement

As animals explore an environment, the hippocampus is thought to automatically form and maintain a place code by combining sensory and self-motion signals. Instead, we observed an extensive degradation of the place code when mice voluntarily disengaged from a virtual navigation task, remarkably even as they continued to traverse the identical environment. Internal states, therefore, can strongly gate spatial maps and reorganize hippocampal activity even without sensory and self-motion changes.