UC Irvine

The study of the brain is a compelling example of the power of convergent science. Over the last few decades, advances in neuroscience techniques and experimentation, as well as in data science tools to analyze the resulting data, have dramatically furthered our understanding of fundamental brain functions. Historically, it has been common for analytical approaches to have a considerable lag in development following the availability of new neuroscience techniques. However, this relationship has not simply been unidirectional, as there have been examples in which analytical developments have directly led to new scientific questions and experiments. Here we review how this interplay between neuroscience and data science advances has unfolded in the past and into the present, with a focus on electrophysiology and calcium imaging. Applying lessons learned from the past and present, we then discuss expected developments, challenges, and opportunities in the future. We end by providing recommendations on how to foster the necessary team science approach to continue the advancement of research at the intersection of neuroscience and data science, which we call neurodatascience, toward a sustainable future.

INTRODUCTION: Treatment indications for oligometastatic/oligoprogressive lung tumors are growing. Safety and lack of detrimental effect on patients' quality of life are critical for novel local therapies. METHODS: We tested that the additive effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) ablation with lower-dose stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as a secondary endpoint in a prospective clinical trial. FACT-Lung Cancer Subscale (FACT-LCS) and FACT-General domain surveys were collected at screening, 3 months, and 12 months. Functional clinical data included forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO). RESULTS: Six patients with eight tumors were enrolled. Baseline well-being domain scores were: Physical 25.9 (Std Dev 2.3), Social 21.0 (Std Dev 6.9), Emotional 17.3 (Std Dev 4.7), Functional 21.2 (Std Dev 5.8), and LCS 19.4 (Std Dev 5.3). There were no significant changes following combined modality treatment in HRQoL domain scores or pulmonary function metrics after treatment. Lower EWB and SWB were associated with worse FVC and FEV1. CONCLUSION: In this small pilot study, no clinically meaningful declines in pulmonary function or patient-reported quality of life were observed at 3 months following combination therapy.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.fsisyn.2026.100675.].

Introduction: Quantifying the impacts of armed conflict on civilians and infrastructure remains a major challenge, particularly where reporting is limited. Most conflict measurement tools require affected populations to report events and are limited by short time series, under-reporting, and varying methods. These tools do not capture infrastructural rebuilding, which has important health implications. Given this, we demonstrate the utility of nighttime lights (NTL) as a complementary tool for measuring conflict dynamics and infrastructure recovery with an epidemiological application. Methods: We used monthly NASA Black Marble data to analyze NTL patterns in Yemen (2012–2022) and Ukraine (2019–2024) before and after the onset of large-scale military operations. We calculated month-specific NTL ratios relative to pre-event baselines and assessed the alignment of structural breakpoints, identified using BFAST methods, with aerial attack onset. Generalized additive models were used to measure the relationship between NTL and aerial attacks while accounting for the built environment, population, diesel price (Yemen), and spatiotemporal factors. Finally, we applied NTL to an existing model on the association between conflict, measured via air raids, and cholera in Yemen by replacing the original conflict categories with ones defined by NTL and included a variable for NTL recovery. Results: Mean NTL declined by 53.3% in Yemen and 21.0% in Ukraine following conflict escalation, with detected breakpoints aligning with aerial attack onset in 85.7% of Yemeni governorates and 51.9% of Ukrainian oblasts. Generalized additive models showed that attacks were significantly associated with NTL reductions, independent of built environment factors. Incorporating NTL-based conflict measures into a cholera transmission model for Yemen produced results consistent with attack-based models and found that light recovery was associated with reduced disease risk. Discussion: NTL is a viable tool for measuring conflict and can offer insights on dynamics that are not present in standard tools while avoiding many of these tools’ limitations. These data have epidemiological applications and can be a proxy for important events affecting transmission dynamics. While event-based tools have vast utility, NTL can complement them with specific strengths and means of application.

Abstract

Background: Acute inflammatory relapses in primary CNS demyelinating diseases, including relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS), MOG-antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), drive hospitalization, disability, and socioeconomic burden. Blood-based biomarkers are increasingly used for relapse detection and treatment monitoring.

Objective: Investigate effects of corticosteroids on short-term dynamics of serum biomarkers. 

Methods: We conducted a pilot prospective study of 22 patients with acute neuro-inflammatory conditions, assessing changes in an 18 protein serum biomarker panel (Octave MSDA) and composite disease scores before and after high dose intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP; 1000 mg/day for 3 days). Samples were collected within 24 hours before and after treatment. 

Results: In 14 RMS patients, IVMP produced significant decreases in GFAP, Serpin A9, FLRT2, contactin2, protogenin, MOG, CXCL9, CD6, BAFF (TNFSF13B), IL12B, and CDCP1. Composite MSDA scores showed paradoxical postIVMP increases in overall disease activity, neuroinflammation, immunomodulation, and neuroaxonal integrity, with decreased myelin biology scores. In a pooled nonRMS group (MOGAD, NMOSD, idiopathic optic neuritis, and transverse myelitis), CNTN2 and IL-12B exhibited similar corticosteroid responsive reductions. 

Conclusions: These findings suggest that high dose corticosteroids rapidly and significantly alter multiple serum biomarkers and composite activity scores across demyelinating conditions, underscoring implications for biomarker timing, interpretation, and future validation.

We compute the rational points on certain members of the following family of hyperelliptic curves C a : y 2 = x 8 + ( 4 − 4 a 4 ) x 6 + ( 8 a 4 + 6 ) x 4 + ( 4 − 4 a 4 ) x 2 + 1 via the method first developed by Dem'yanenko [Dem68] and then further generalized by Manin [Man69]. In particular, we show that the method of Chabauty–Coleman, while applicable to certain members of this family, is not the most efficient way of computing C a ( Q ) . We adapt the approach of [Kul99], incorporating root numbers to further restrict the possible ranks of the elliptic curves arising in the Jacobian decomposition.

We examine electric vehicle (EV) charging location preferences by investigating how drivers allocate monthly charging sessions across home, workplace, and public locations. In contrast to earlier studies that treat charging location as a one-time, discrete choice, we examine preferences for combinations of all three locations over a monthly period. We employ a multiple discrete–continuous extreme value (MDCEV) model using stated preference data from 881 employed EV drivers across the United States. Results show that 88.9% of charging decisions involve multiple locations. Home charging is preferred overall, followed by workplace and public. Drivers with private driveways, single-family homes, or solar panels, as well as older adults have higher home charging preferences, though battery storage moderates the pull of solar toward home. Urban residents rely more on public charging, while workplace charging is highly price-elastic, offering employers a demand management lever. Our study underscores the importance of examining charging behavior as a portfolio allocation decision.

Purpose:: To present a case of fungal keratitis and subsequent endophthalmitis after penetrating keratoplasty despite storage of donor tissue in media fortified with amphotericin B. Methods:: Case report of donor-transmitted fungal keratitis progressing to fungal endophthalmitis despite storage of donor tissue in media fortified with amphotericin B. Results:: A 51-year-old woman with recurrent granular corneal dystrophy underwent penetrating keratoplasty in her right eye with donor rim cultures later growing Candida albicans . Within 2 weeks, the eye developed findings concerning for fungal infection that persisted despite empiric antifungal therapy. Repeat penetrating keratoplasty was performed with a culture-negative graft, but fungal keratitis recurred and progressed to fungal endophthalmitis. The patient later developed persistent vision loss from infection-related complications. Conclusions:: We present a case of donor-transmitted fungal keratitis progressing to fungal endophthalmitis despite storage of donor tissue in amphotericin B.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe muscle wasting disease caused by the lack of dystrophin. Dilated cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of death in DMD patients. Smaller variants of dystrophin, called microdystrophins, amenable to packaging into adeno-associated virus (AAV), have been shown to be effective in improving skeletal muscle function in animal models. However, the functional benefit of these microdystrophins in the DMD heart remains unclear. To determine the efficacy of microdystrophin gene therapy, we compared three microdystrophin variants in DMD cardiomyocytes (CMs) differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We used three DMD lines of different genetic backgrounds and benchmarked against controls expressing full-length dystrophin. We also tested a dystrophin variant, minidystrophin, which is larger than the microdystrophins. Our results show that microdystrophins partially rescue disease phenotypes; however, the results are variable among genetic backgrounds. Global transcriptional profiling revealed that gene therapy altered the disease signatures of DMD iPSC-CMs. Minidystrophin significantly improved cell viability of DMD CMs in two of three lines of different genetic backgrounds. Minidystrophin also reduced arrhythmic events in one genetic background. Our findings suggest that the delivery of larger dystrophin variants may be more beneficial to delaying the onset of cardiac complications.