Social agent identity cells in the prefrontal cortex of interacting groups of primates
Raymundo Báez-Mendoza, Emma P. Mastrobattista, Amy J. Wang, Ziv M. Williams
Science (2021,10)
doi: 10.1126/science.abb4149
Science是一份面向大众的杂志，Editor每天都要浏览无数的manuscript，这意味着一份投稿能否进入peer review的环节，文章的开局能否抓住editor的眼球就至关重要了。所以，绝对不能一开局就以面向专业读者的行文风格，一上来就是一大堆行话。相反，应该尽可能以一般读者都能够领会其意义的角度来阐述一项工作。让我们来看看以下的例子。
Abstract
The ability to interact effectively within social groups is essential to primate and human behavior （Opening, 一般读者都能够意识到这个问题的重要性，所以也会有兴趣继续往下看）. Yet understanding the neural processes that underlie the interactive behavior of groups or by which neurons solve the basic problem of coding for multiple agents has remained a challenge （Challenge, 提出认知空白，勾起读者的好奇心）. By tracking the interindividual dynamics of groups of three interacting rhesus macaques, we discover detailed representations of the groups’ behavior by neurons in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, reflecting not only the other agents’ identities but also their specific interactions, social context, actions, and outcomes （Action, 做了什么实验，大体的发现）. We show how these cells collectively represent the interaction between specific group members and their reciprocation, retaliation, and past behaviors（具体结果1）. We also show how they influence the animals’ own upcoming decisions and their ability to form beneficial agent-specific interactions（具体结果2）. Together, these findings reveal prefrontal neurons that code for the agency identity of others and a cellular mechanism that could support the interactive behavior of social groups. （Resolution, 结论）
这个Abstract完全符合OCAR的叙述结构（2021-12-20科学故事的结构——开头结尾要足够大，中间要足够窄 - (jianshu.com)），开局足够大，能够吸引广泛的读者，问题足够有趣故足以调动读者的好奇心，结果和结论清晰简洁。这是一个优秀的写作案例。
我们再来看看作者是如何具体的从大问题一步一步地引出具体的小问题和挑战的。
Introduction
Social groups play a foundational role in the behavior of most animal species. To interact effectively within social groups, individuals must be able to represent not only the identities of other group members but also their specific behaviors (1, 2). Without such representations, it would not be possible to understand how the actions and outcomes of specific individuals relate or how one’s actions affect specific group members (3). It would also not be possible to develop mutually beneficial affiliations and avoid exploitation by others (1, 4, 5) （开局4句话差不多是在介绍一个大家都认可的重要事实：社会行为对于生存的重要性）. Understanding how neurons in the brain represent the behavior of specific individuals or their interaction within groups, however, has remained a challenge （提出挑战）. Although prior investigations have revealed neurons in temporal regions that respond to the specific identities or facial features of others (6–9), they do not reveal how neurons encode another ’s behavior or their interaction. Other studies, by comparison, have identified neurons in associative brain regions that respond to another ’s behavior (10–15) but do not reveal how neurons represent their specific identities or group interactions （介绍并指出以往工作的不足之处，目的自然是为了凸显本项研究的意义）.
Most primates live within social groups in which an individual ’s success relies on the ability to interact effectively with conspecifics (1, 4, 16). Rhesus macaques, in particular, can recognize different individuals (6, 17) and form nonkin interactions and long-lasting alliances (18–20). They also engage in mutually beneficial behavior based on reciprocation between specific individuals and keep track of others ’ behavior (19, 20) （进一步介绍与本研究直接相关的恒河猴的背景知识，相当于对于本研究的可行性论证）. By studying the group behavior of rhesus macaques, we can therefore begin to characterize how neurons in the primate brain represent interactions within small social groups and to explore how neurons code for the specific identities and behaviors of others （大致介绍用什么动物做了什么实验，以及实验目标）.
这一段介绍符合由大——小的基本原则，循序渐进，通过介绍以往的研究，从已知当中提出未知，也就是knowledge gap，最后落脚在具体的实验以及可能的实验目标上。相当清晰，有力。