Monothalamous foraminifera are a highly diverse, paraphyletic assemblage of single-chambered lineages characterized by an organic or agglutinated test or lacking any external covering. Traditional morphology-based taxonomy divides them into the organic-walled Allogromiida and agglutinated Astrorhizida. Molecular systematics showed that this division is not justified as different wall types occur within the same lineages. Twenty years ago, based on molecular phylogenetic data, the monothalamids were classified into 13 lineages, called clades. Since then, the diversity of monothalamids from different habitats and regions has been extensively studied both genetically and morphologically, and many new species and genera have been described. Here, we analyzed 70 sequences of the 18S rRNA gene, representing 66 described species. We also analyzed 23 sequences of the COI gene for selected taxa. Based on molecular phylogenetic analyses and available morphological data, we establish a new formal higher-level taxonomy of monothalamous foraminifera. We introduce 5 new orders and distinguish 1 suborder and 34 families, of which 20 families are new. Our classification establishes a new taxonomic system that we hope will provide the foundation for organizing the vast diversity of monothalamous foraminifera revealed by recent studies.

The self-organised morphogenesis of multicellular organisms emerges not only from biochemical but also from mechanical processes operating across spatial scales. Yet, computational tools for simulating tissue-scale mechanics have largely been released as restricted, study-specific codes. Here, we present NewtonBioMorphX, a GPU-accelerated, open-access comprehensive framework for simulating tissue-scale mechanical morphogenesis. Built on a finite-strain finite-element formulation on tetrahedral meshes, the software implements an unusually broad set of mechanical ingredients: isotropic and anisotropic (direction-specific) growth; multi-layer tissue mechanics; neo-Hookean hyperelasticity combined with stretch-based plasticity; Kelvin–Voigt viscoelasticity; passive anisotropic fibres emulating 3D collagen networks; anisotropic active contractile filaments emulating actin; Hertzian contact forces; and multiple orthonormal coordinate bases (Cartesian, normal–tangent, cylindrical, spherical, cone-adapted, and toroidal). Equally central is an extensive, user-friendly graphical interface spanning the entire workflow — mesh generation from geometric primitives or arbitrary mesh input, per-layer material and growth specification (including analytical functions of space and time compiled at runtime), boundary-condition assignment, real-time colour-mapped and glyph-based visualisation of scalar and tensor fields, and structured data export — allowing intricate mechanical modelling of morphogenetic processes without editing or recompiling source code. The NewtonBioMorphX framework is validated using a benchmark implementing the well-known Cook’s membrane problem, and its versatility is illustrated through parameter gradient plots, as well as twelve ready-to-run preset examples spanning diverse morphologies.

Working memory (WM) enables the temporary maintenance and manipulation of sensory information to guide behavior, yet the neural circuits supporting this process remain incompletely defined. The claustrum is a highly interconnected brain structure positioned to integrate distributed cortical activity, but its contribution to WM has remained unclear. Here, we combined microendoscopic calcium imaging, chemogenetic and optogenetic manipulations in mice performing sensory-guided WM tasks to examine the role of the claustrum in WM. Claustrum neurons exhibited cue-evoked activity that persisted across delay periods and evolved dynamically over time, with population states retaining information about cue identity on single trials. Reducing claustrum excitability during encoding, delay maintenance, or target comparison similarly impaired WM performance across sensory modalities, without affecting sensory processing, motor output, arousal or inhibitory control. Together, these findings reveal an important causal contribution of the claustrum to WM maintenance.

In this study, we investigated the feeding behavior of deformed and normal benthic foraminifera (Protista, Rhizaria) of the species Ammonia veneta. The degree of deformation was visualized by scanning electron and light microscopy. Food uptake and assimilation were quantified in undeformed, slight deformed (1–3 abnormal chambers), and heavy deformed (irregular coiling) individuals using isotopic labeling and confocal microscopy. Specimens were collected from the Belle Isle Marsh (Boston, USA) and maintained under controlled laboratory conditions. After a three-day incubation, slight deformed individuals showed food uptake and isotopic enrichment comparable to undeformed specimens. In contrast, heavy deformed foraminifera exhibited significantly reduced carbon and nitrogen assimilation, as well as a lower number of ingested food particles. Confocal observations further indicated reduced food processing in heavy deformed individuals. These results demonstrate that pronounced morphological deformities are associated with impaired feeding and assimilation performance. Our findings highlight that severe test deformation can substantially affect physiological functioning and should be carefully considered when selecting specimens for laboratory experiments or observing them in polluted areas.

Despite the progress in understanding the circadian pacemaker, the specific mechanism by which it regulates sleep remains incompletely understood. We have previously demonstrated that a substantial number of genes are rhythmically expressed in the mushroom body (MB) Kenyon cells (KCs), including Pka-C1, which encodes the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A (PKA). PKA-C1 plays a crucial role in promoting daytime wakefulness; however, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Here, using a newly developed in vivo luciferase reporter, we show that the γ lobe is the primary site of rhythmic Pka-C1 expression. Through a combination of in silico analysis, CRISPR mutagenesis, and chromatin immunoprecipitation, we identify the transcription factor Onecut as a regulator of Pka-C1 transcriptional rhythms in γ-KCs. Furthermore, genetic trans-synaptic connectivity mapping and neuronal activity imaging reveal that the dorsal lateral clock neurons (LNds) provide inhibitory input to a subset of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the protocerebral anterior medial (PAM) cluster, PAM-γ5, rhythmically modulating their activity. This, in turn, rhythmically activates MB γ-KCs via excitatory Dop1R signaling. Resulting γ-neuron activity rhythms drive Pka-C1 transcriptional rhythms through Onecut. Furthermore, these PKA-C1 rhythms reinforce neuronal activity rhythms, creating a feedback cycle between transcriptional and neural activity rhythms that promotes daytime wakefulness. Our findings highlight the conserved role of DA in promoting wakefulness and offer mechanistic insights into its complex regulation. More generally, this work provides a mechanistic framework for how circadian rhythms are translated into neural activity to orchestrate complex behaviors such as sleep.